GB2168144A

GB2168144A - Electric grills

Info

Publication number: GB2168144A
Application number: GB08430360A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bahram Saadian; Robert Lewis Kelly
Original assignee: Valor Newhome Ltd
Current assignee: Valor Newhome Ltd
Priority date: 1984-11-30
Filing date: 1984-11-30
Publication date: 1986-06-11
Also published as: GB2168144B; GB8430360D0

Abstract

An electric grill for use in a drawer compartment of a kitchen cabinet comprises an outer rectangular casing (3) within which a rectangular grill compartment casing (5) is mounted. Heat insulation (7, 9) is provided between the casings (3, 5) and a heat shield (17, 19) is mounted on the outside of the outer casing (21). The heat shield comprises parallel plates (17, 19) spaced apart from each other and spaced from the upper surface (21) of the outer casing (3). These plates (17, 19) provide ventilation paths (22) for cooling air, enabling the grill to be located beneath a work-top. The grill has a grill door (14) which is coupled with an interlock mechanism for preventing the grill from being switched on when the door (14) is in the closed position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to electric grills The present invention relates to an electric grill for use in a kitchen.

Electric grills commonly form part of a larger cooker, the conventional cooker comprising a hob and an oven, with a grill being either located directly under the hob or at eye level.

The grill is a small compartment with an electric heating element mounted at the top inside the compartment, so that food placed in the compartment can be subjected to direct radiant heat from above.

Certain modern cooking units comprise a split level oven and a completely separate hob which is mounted in the work top of a modern kitchen unit assembly. The split level oven incorporates a grill compartment, and is usually mounted as a complete unit within a custom designed kitchen cabinet unit.

The aim of the present invention is to provide an electric grill which can itself be mounted in a kitchen cabinet unit to replace a drawer above a cupboard but below a work top.

According to the present invention there is provided an electric grill comprising an outer casing within which a grill compartment casing is mounted, heat insulation being provided between the casings and a heat shield being mounted on the outside of the outer casing, the heat shield being spaced from the upper surface of said outer casing.

It will be appreciated that by mounting a heating element for cooking purposes, beneath a work top, a large amount of heat will be generated and can be passed to the work top. Thus it is necessary to insulate the grill compartment and provide for a circulation of cooling air to prevent damage and injury. The present invention provides such a path for circulating air by virtue of the space between the heat shield and said upper surface of the outer casing. If required one or more further heat shields may be superposed one above another, and spaced from the heat shield secured to the upper surface of the outer casing.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the outer casing is a rectangular box which has an open front face through which the grill compartment can be installed. The outer casing has a pair of superposed parallel plates mounted on and spaced from the upper surface of the box; said plates being spaced apart from each other and being parallel to said upper surface of the box. The plates act as a heat shield and the spaces between the plates and the upper surface of the box, provide paths for the circulation of cooling air.

The grill compartment is likewise formed by a rectangular box open at the same front face as the outer casing. The grill compartment is located within the outer casing with thermal insulation being provided between the grill compartment and the outer casing. An electric heating element of suitable rating e.g. 1600 WATT, is mounted in the region of the roof of the grill compartment and a frame surrounds the front face of the compartment, and carries the grill controls and a hinged grill door. With the grill compartment within the outer casing, said frame is fixed to the said front face of the outer casing, with an electrical connection passing from the electric heating element through the walls of the grill compartment and outer casing, to the outside.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention an interlock mechanism is provided whereby the heating element cannot be switched on whilst the grill is closed. This mechanism is preferably operated by the movement of a hinged plate which can be moved to close the grill compartment. In this position the path of an axially movable spring loaded pin which engages in a cam-shaped recess in a control knob, is obstructed. Only when the hinged plate has been raised and moved rearwardly of the grill, can the pin move to release the control knob. Thus the grill can only be closed when the control knob is in the "off" position, and the control knob can only be moved to an "on" position after the grill compartment has been opened.

Further, a thermal cut-out is preferably provided to cut off the power supply to the heating element, in the event that the temperature becomes excessive and creates problems. Preferably the cut-out will have to be manually reset.

In use the grill of the present invention is located in a standard design kitchen unit beneath the work top in the drawer position, above the usual cupboard. The construction of the present invention enables the grill to be safely used, with the heat radiated being dissipated by the circulation of cooling air.

The present invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates the embodiment of Fig.

1, installed in kitchen units; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of part of the embodiment of Fig. 1.

The grill (1) illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises an outer casing (3) in the form of a rectangular box which has an open front face. A grill compartment (5) also in the form of a rectangular box opens on the same front face as the outer casing (3), and is located within the outer casing (3) with thermal insulation (7, 9) provided therearound. The thermal insulation comprises two layers (7, 9), one layer (7) being wrapped around the grill compartment completely i.e. top, bottom and closed sides, and the other layer (9) just covering the top and closed sides. A rectangular frame (11) is fixed to the front face of the grill compartment (5) and secures the grill compartment (5) to the open front face of the outer casing (3).

This frame (11) also carries the grill controls (13) and a hinged grill door (14). Within the grill compartment (5) and near to the roof of the compartment is mounted an electric heating element (15). An electric connection (16) passes from the heating element (15) through the walls of the grill compartment (5) and the outer casing (3) to the outside where it can be connected to an electric power supply. On top of the outer casing (3) is mounted a heat shield in the form of two spaced apart, parallel plates (17, 19), the plates being spaced from and arranged parallel to the upper surface (21) of the outer casing. The spaces (22) formed between the plates (17, 19) and between the upper surface (21) and the lowermost plate (17), provide a flow path for cooling air.

The grill (1) described hereabove is preferably mounted in a standard kitchen cupboard unit (23) as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, in place of a drawer above the cupboard section (25) and directly beneath the work top (27). The grill (1) can be mounted on a suitable framework (not shown) within the unit (23), the plates (17, 19) shielding the heat from the work top (27) and allowing cooling air to flow. The cooling air vents and is drawn through apertures in the region of the front frame (11).

To prevent the grill from being left switched on when the grill is out of use and closed, an interlock mechanism is provided. This mechanism is best seen in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings and comprises a hinge plate 29 which can be pivoted downwards to the illustrated position wherein it closes off the front face of the grill compartment 5, it then being possible to close the hinged door 14. This hinge plate 29 is hinged at 31 to the front edge of a slidable plate 33 which is located on the upper surface of the upper heat shield plate 19. The slidable plate 33 has two elongate slots 35 formed therein, which extend rearwardly of the grill. Shoulder bolts 37 (only one is evident in Fig. 3) secured to heat shield plate 19, extend through these slots 35 and are so positioned that in the illustrated position (Fig. 3) the shoulder bolts 37 engage the rearward end of said slots 35.A pin 39 is axially slidably mounted in a sleeve 41 which is secured to the upper wall of outer casing 3, and a spring 43 is engaged over the upper end region of the pin 39. The spring 43 is compressed between a washer 45 held on the pin 39 by a circlip 47, and the region of the heat shield plate 19 which surrounds an aperture 49. The pin 39 and spring 43 pass freely through an enlarged aperture 51 in heat shield plate 17. The spring 43 thus biasses the pin downwardly into engagement with a camshaped recess 53 in the periphery of a control knob 55 which can be used to control the element 15. However, in the illustrated position (Fig. 3), the slidable plate 33 obstructs the path of upward movement of the pin 39, preventing the control knob 55 from being rotated. Thus the element 15 cannot be switched on with the hinge plate 29 in the illustrated position.

When the grill is to be used, the door 14 is hinged downwardly and then hinge plate 29 is hinged to a generally horizontal position i.e. to lie in the same plane as slidable plate 33, and then pushed rearwardly of the grill, slidable plate 33 moving rearwardly of the grill with slots 35 moving along shoulder bolts 37. As the slidable plate 33 moves rearwardly of the grill, the plate 33 eventually reaches a position where an aperture 36 in the hinged plate 29 is aligned with aperture 53 in heat shield plate 19. In this position, control knob 45 can be rotated, camming the pin 39 out of recess 43 against the force of spring 41; the pin 39 passing through said aligned apertures (36, 53). Thus the element 15 can only be switched on when the hinged plate 29 is raised and has been moved rearwardly of the grill. Further the grill compartment 5 can only be closed by the hinged plate 29 after the control knob 55 has been moved to the "offposition" wherein spring 43 is able to move the pin 39 out from the aligned apertures.

As there can be a build up of heat in the grill compartment (5), especially if the grill (1) is left switched-on after cooking, a thermal cut-out 57 (Fig. 3) is preferably provided. This cut-out 57 will operate if the temperature either in the grill compartment or at an adjacent location, becomes excessive. Preferably the cut-out can only be manually reset e.g. by pressing button 59.

The present invention thus provides a selfcontained grill which can be installed in an existing floor mounted kitchen cupboard unit beneath a work top, adequate thermal insulation and cooling air circulation being provided to reduce the possibility of damage or injury.

Claims

1. An electric grill comprising an outer casing within which a grill compartment casing is mounted, heat insulation being provided between the casings and a heat shield being mounted on the outside of the outer casing, the heat shield being spaced from the upper surface of said outer casing.

2. An electric grill as claimed in claim 1, in which the outer casing is a rectangular box with a pair of superposed, spaced apart, parallel plates mounted on and spaced from the upper surface of the outer casing to form the heat shield.

3. An electric grill as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the casings are both opensided at the same face, with a pivotable grill door provided to close the grill, an interlock mechanism co-operating with the door to prevent the grill from being switched on when the door is in the closed position.

4. An electric grill as claimed in claim 3, in which the interlock mechanism comprises a hinged plate which is pivotal between two positions, the hinged plate in one position both at least partially closing the grill and preventing the grill from being switched on by preventing a spring-loaded control from moving in at least one direction, and in the other position both opening the grill and being slidably movable to a position in which the spring loaded control can then move to allow the grill to be switched on.

5. An electric grill as claimed in claim 4, in which the spring loaded control is an axially movable, spring loaded pin which is biassed against the periphery of a rotatable control knob which controls the grill, the control knob having a recess in its periphery into which the pin engages when the knob is in the grill-off position.

6. An electric grill as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a thermal cut out is provided to switch the grill off if the local temperature exceeds a predetermined value.

7. An electric grill as claimed in claim 6, in which the thermal cut-out is manually resettable.

8. An electric grill constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

9. An electric grill when installed in a cabinet, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.