GB2178525A - Gas hobs - Google Patents

Abstract

A gas hob is formed from two shallow metal trays 1,6 disposed one within the other with the burner tubes 17 disposed between the trays and entering the sides of the burners 18, and the tops 19 of the burners as well as the tops of the pan supports 21 being lower than the edges of the tray assembly 1,6, and a hinged cover plate 22 having a closed position in which it extends across the open top of the hob with its top surface approximately level with the edges of the tray assembly. With this construction the hob can be constructed with an overall height of less than 65mm so that with the cover plate closed its surface is substantially flush with the top of a surrounding work surface, whilst allowing room beneath the work surface for a drawer. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Gas hotplates This invention relates to gas hotplates for use in what are commonly termed built-in units.

Such hotplates are designed to be fitted into openings in worktops, the latter commonly having a thickness of the order of 30mm.

Hotplates as constructed hitherto tend either to project well below the lower surface of the worktop, making the fitting of a drawer of useful depth immediately beneath the hotplate difficult, or to stand well above the upper worktop surface which is clearly inconvenient.

According to the present invention a gas hotplate comprises sheet metal casing in the form of a metal tray having an outwardly directed peripheral flange for supporting the hotplate within an opening in a worktop, a burner support, also in the form of a metal tray, of shallower depth than the casing, and also having an outwardly directed peripheral flange for mounting it within the casing, two or more burners and associated pan supports carried by the burner support, and for a height such that they lie entirely below the periphery of the casing, and a hinged cover plate having a closed position in which it extends across the open top of the casing, and capable of being pivoted upwards into an open position to reveal the burners.

It is possible to construct such a hotplate with an overall height of less than 65mm, so that, when fitted into an opening in a worktop, the exposed surface of the cover plate in the closed position is substantially flush with the surrounding working surface of the worktop, whilst the lower part of the hotplate projects for only a short distance below the lower surface of the worktop.

This is rendered practicable by arranging for the pipes designed to carry gas and air to the burners to lie between the casing and the burner support and to extend into the sides of the burners. The controls for the burners are preferably disposed so that they also lie beneath the cover plate when this is closed.

The cover plate is conveniently formed of a glass, and is associated with a gas shut-off valve for cutting off the gas supply to all the burners when it is closed.

One hotplate in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying schematic drawings, in which Figure 1 represents in diagrammatic form, and not to scale, a plan view in part section of the hotplate, Figure 2 represents a sectional view from the front of the hotplate along the line ll-ll, and Figures 3 and 4 represent sectional views from the left of the hotplate (as shown in Fig.

1) along the lines Ill-Ill and IV-IV respectively.

The hotplate comprises a mounting box 1 in the form of a rectangular metal tray having a flat base 2 and side walls 3 formed with an outwardly directed peripheral flange 4, the side walls having a depth of approximately 60mm. The flange 4 serves to support the mounting box 1 within an opening in a worktop, shown in part at 5 in Figs. 2 to 4.

Within the mounting box 1 there is located a burner support 6, also in the form of a rectangular metal tray having a substantially flat base 7, and three side walls 8 with an outwardly directed flange 9 by which it is arranged to be supported within the mounting box 1. The side walls 8 of the burner support 6 have a depth of approximately 40mm, so that its base 7 is spaced above the base of the mounting box 1. One side edge of the burner support 6 terminates a short distance from the respective side of the mounting box, and the gap which is formed is closed by an elongate metal plate 10 carrying controls for the burners 11 of which there are four.

The plate 10 is provided along one side edge and also the two ends with upstanding walls 12 having outwardly directed flanges 13, which effectively form a continuation of the flange 9 of the burner support 6.

The gas taps 14 are disposed beneath the plate 10, and have upwardly extending spindles fitted with control knobs 15. Outlet pipes 16 from the taps 14 extend into respective burner tubes 17 leading into the sides of individual burner bodies 18, located within openings in the burner support 6 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The burner bodies 18 are fitted with caps 19 in known manner, which are surrounded by respective pan supports 21 resting on the base 7 of the burner support.

The tops of the pan supports 21 lie above the height of the burner caps 19 in the usual way but below the height of the flanges 4 and 9.

A cover plate 22 of glass has a hinge mounting 23 fitted to its rear edge and by which it is pivotally supported by means of a spindle 24 extending into a pair of support members 25 fixed to opposite sides of the burner support 6, so that the cover plate can be pivoted upward from a closed position, in which its upper surface lies approximately flush with those of the flanges 4 and 9, to an open position, as in Fig. 4, in which the burners 11 and controls thereof are exposed.

A shut-off valve 26 connected in the main gas supply line 27 feeding the taps 14 is located at the rear of the mounting box 1, and is operable by a rocker member 28 in the form of a resilient strip which is fixed at its lower end and projects upward through an opening 29 in the plate 10 to be engaged by a projection 31 at the rear of the cover plate hinge mounting 23 when the cover plate is opened, this causing the rocker member 28 to be bent towards the shut-off valve 26, thereby depressing the spring-loaded valve plunger 32 and opening the valve. Closure of the cover plate 22 releases the rocker member 28 which, because of its resilience, returns to the undepressed position and, in turn, releases the valve plunger 32 which closes the valve 26, cutting off the supply of gas to the burners 11.

A hotplate in accordance with the invention has the advantage that the surface of the cover plate 22, when in the closed position, lies almost flush with the working surface of the worktop 5 into which the hotplate is fitted, and as the lower part of the hotplate projects for only a short distance below the lower surface of the worktop 5 it leaves room for a drawer of reasonable depth beneath it.

Ignition of the burners is conveniently by means of a mains operated push-button spark ignitor (not shown).

Claims (8)

1. A gas hotplate comprising a sheet metal casing in the form of a metal tray having an outwardly directed peripheral flange for supporting the hotplate within an opening in a worktop, a burner support, also in the form of a metal tray, of shallower depth than the casing, and also having an outwardly directed peripheral flange for mounting it within the casing, two or more burners and associated pan supports carried by the burner support, and of a height such that they lie entirely below the periphery of the casing, and a hinged cover plate having a closed position in which it extends across the open top of the casing, and capable of being pivoted upwards into an open position to reveal the burners.

2. A gas hotplate according to Claim 1 in which the pipes that are designed to carry gas to the burners from respective gas taps extend into the sides of the burners.

3. A gas hotplate according to Claim 2 wherein the controls for the gas taps are disposed so that they also lie beneath the cover plate when this is closed.

4. A gas hotplate according to Claim 2 or 3 having an overall height of not more than 65mm.

5. A gas hotplate according to any preceding Claim wherein the cover plate is formed of glass.

6. A gas hotplate according to any preceding Claim wherein the cover plate is associated with a shut-off valve arranged to cut off the gas supply to all the burners when the cover is closed.

7. A gas hotplate according to any preceding Claim fitted within an opening in a worktop so that the exposed surface of the cover plate in the closed position is substantially flush with surrounding working surface of the worktop.

8. A gas hotplate substantially as shown in and as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.