GB2196423A

GB2196423A - Grill pan eject mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2196423A
Application number: GB08624592A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Benjamin Frank Gostelow
Original assignee: TI New World Ltd
Current assignee: TI New World Ltd
Priority date: 1986-10-14
Filing date: 1986-10-14
Publication date: 1988-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 2006-10-14
Also published as: GB2196423B; GB8624592D0

Abstract

A grill comprises a gas or electric radiant, a grill pan support to support a grill pan beneath the radiant and a grill pan eject arrangement operable manually or automatically for ejecting the grill pan from beneath the radiant. Pan ejection may be initiated by rearward movement of the pan against a tag 23 carried by a member 22 to release a pivoted latch 27 engaged with an aperture edge 26. Member 22 is biased forwardly by a spring 20 damped by bellows 32 closed at one end and having a pivoted flap 34 with an opening 35 at the other end. Flap 34 closes when the spring 20 retracts, air escaping via opening 35. Alternatively, the pan may be inserted and ejected by a motor, and its distance from the radiant may be variable (Figs. 6 to 8). Automatic ejection of the pan may be responsive to heat or time. The grill is either an eye level unit or a compartment on a cooker, or a separate unit. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Grills This invention relates to grills.

The grill may take any convenient form and may be an independent appliance or it may form part of a larger appliance e.g. a cooker or oven unit. The grill may be provided at 'eye-level', 'waist-level', or at any other convenient level and it may be provided in a chamber which is provided solely for grilling purposes or it may be provided in a chamber that can be used as a grill and, say, as an oven. It may also be gas or electrically operated.

According to the present invention there is provided a grill comprising a grill radiant, grill pan support means adapted to support a grill pan beneath said grill radiant, and grill pan eject means effective when operated to eject said grill pan from beneath said grill.

In carrying out the invention the grill radiant will be disposed generally horizontally, and the grill pan will be ejected horizontally from beneath said radiant.

Some exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 to 3 depict a grill in accordance with the present invention with a grill pan in an inserted, withdrawn and removed position respectively; Fig. 4, is a side view of a spring operated eject mechanism for use in the grill of Figs. 1 to 3; Fig. 5, is an exploded view of the spring operated eject mechanism of Fig. 4; Figs. 6 to 8, depict alternative arrangements for effecting vertical movement of the grill pan of Figs. 1 to 3; and Fig. 9 depicts part of a cooker incorporating a grill in accordance with the present invention.

In Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings there is depicted an eye-level grill 1 which is located on the splashback 2 of a cooker (not shown) of conventional form. The grill 1 includes a grill top 3, in the undersurface 4 of which is located a grill radiant shown schematically at 5. The grill radiant 5 is of conventional form and may be gas operated e.g. with a conventional gas burner or a surface combustion gas burner, or it may include an electric heating element. Beneath the grill radiant 5 is located a grill pan 6 which is provided at each side with handles 7, of heat insulating material, typically of a plastics material, by means of which the grill pan 6 may be handled. The grill pan 6 is supported on a grill pan support member 8 which is secured to or located on the splash-back 2.

The grill pan support member 8 may conveniently be made of sheet metal form and is provided with a central depression 9 and hollow cylindrical side members 10 and 11 (Figs.

2 and 3) on which the grill pan 6 are supported. The handles 7 of the grill pan 6 are each provided with a lengthwise hole 12 having a lengthwise slot 13 in the inside wall thereof whereby the grill pan 6 is inserted on the grill pan support member 8 by locating the hole 12 in the grill pan handles 7 over respective ones of the side support members 10 and 11 and sliding it towards the splash-back 2 until it is located beneath the grill radiant 5.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the grill pan 6 is depicted in its fully inserted position in which a grilling operation would take place or in which the grill pan 6 would be stored when the grill radiant was off.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings the grill pan 6 is depicted in its 'withdrawn' position where it is still located on the side support members 10 and 11 of the grill pan support member 8, but where the upper central part of the grill pan 6 is substantially clear of the top 3 of the grill, in which position the contents of the grill pan may be inspected, turned or removed as required.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings the grill pan 6 is depicted in its 'removed' position which enables it to be carried to any required location for serving etc. In order to permit the grill pan, which after a grilling operation will be very hot, to be placed on, say, a kitchen work surface, it is arranged that each of the handles 7 has a lower surface 14 which extends downwards beyond the lowermost part of the central portion of the grill pan 6 whereby the grill pan may be positioned on the work surface with the central (hot) part thereof spaced from the surface.

In known forms of grill it is necessary to manually insert a grill pan under the grill radiant and also to manually withdraw the grill pan either partly to its 'withdrawn' position of fully to remove it from the grill.

In accordance with the present invention an eject mechanism is provided by means of which the grill pan is ejected from its normai position beneath the grill radiant 5 to its 'withdrawn' position where it is still located in the grill pan support member 8 but is not beneath the grill radiant 5.

One suitable form of eject mechanism is depicted in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. The eject mechanism shown is designed to be contained within the left-hand side support member 10 of the grill pan support member 18. Although in most applications only one eject mechanism would be provided, it is envisaged that a similar eject mechanism could also be provided in the right-hand side support member 11.

The eject mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 5 comprises a tension spring 20 which is connected between an end cap 21 which locates over the end of the side support member 10 and a latch member 22 which is located in side the side support member 10 and is free to move along the length thereof. The latch member 22 is provided with a sideways extending tag 23 which extends through a lengthwise slot 24 (Fig. 5) in the side wall of the side support member 10 and it is arranged that when the grill -pan 6 is inserted onto the grill pan support member 8, such that the holes 12 in the handles 7 of the grill pan locate over the side support members 10 and 11, the leading edge of the left side handle 7 of the grill pan 6 engages the tag 23 and as the grill pan 6 is inserted moves the latch member 22 rearwards thereby causing the spring 20 to be loaded i.e. stretched.

The latch member 22 is provided with an axially extending spigot 25 which has mounted on it a latch mechanism which engages a hole 26 in the splash-back 2 for the purpose of latching the spring 20 in the loaded-stretched condition, at which point the grill pan 6 is fully inserted under the grill radiant 5 (Fig. 1).

The latch mechanism on the spigot 25 may take any convenient form but as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is of a push-push type which comprises a rotatable pawl 27 which is spring biased by means of an offset spring 28 acting on a ball 29, the pawl 27 having notches in the opposed ends thereof which engage with side member 30 which is axially movable on the spigot 25 and which is biased into cooperating relationship with the pawl 27 by a compression spring 31. In operation of the latch mechanism, when the spigot 25 enters the hole 26, the edge of the hole 26 acts on the pawl 27 and alsa the slide member 30 is moved against the action of the spring 31 to allow the pawl 27 to rotate to lock the spigot 25 in the hole 26.To release (operate) the latch mechanism, the spigot 25 is pushed further into the hole 26, this being effected by pushing the grill pan 6 inwards a small amount, whereby the pawl 27 is released and allowed to rotate such that the spigot may be withdrawn from the hole 26.

Of course, when the latch mechanism is released (operated), because the spring 20 is loaded, the grill pan 6 will be ejected from its 'inserted' position under the grill radiant 5 to its 'withdrawn' position where- it is still located on the grill pan support member 8, but is clear of the grill radiant 5.

The rate at which the grill pan 6 is ejected from underneath the grill radiant 5 is important since it must be ensured that any contents of the grill pan 6, including any hot fat etc.

therein, are not spilt. The characteristics of the spring 20 are thus important.

In an effort to control the ejection rate of the spring 20 in the mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 5 a bellows 32 is provided inside the spring 20, the bellows being connected at one end to the latch member 22 and at the other end to the end cap 21. The end cap 21 is provided with a central hole 33, and a disc valve 34 which when the bellows 32 is being compressed is caused to be seated over the hole 33 and which, when the bellows 32 is being extended is unseated from the hole 33.

Thus, when the bellows 32 is being extended, the disc valve 34 will be in its unseated state and air is admitted to the bellows around the periphery of the disc valve 34 as well as through a small hole 35 in the centre of the disc valve 34. When the bellows is being compressed, which corresponds to the condition where the grill pan 6 is being ejected, the disc valve 34 is caused to be seated over the hole 33 and air can only escape from the bellows 32 via the small hole 35 in the disc valve 34. Thus the rate of collapse of the bellows-32 and thus the rate of ejection of the grill pan 6 is controlled by the rate of flow of air through the hole 35.

Clearly, other ways of controlling the ejection rate of the grill pan 6 may be used.

Although in the embodiments thus far described the use of a spring operated eject mechanism for the grill pan 6 has been advocated, it is envisaged that much more sophisticated arrangements may be used. For example, a motor-driven arrangement, perhaps making use of a worm-gear drive, may be used for effecting ejection of the grill pan under the control of, say, a touch button or some other 'eject' control on the grill.

It is also envisaged that a motor drive arrangement may also be used to obviate the need to manually insert the grill pan 6 under the grill radiant 5. Thus, the grill pan 6 may be placed on the grill pan support member 8, and it may be inserted under the grill radiant 5 and ejected therefrom by a suitable drive arrangement similar to the way a video cassette is inserted and ejected in a video recorder.

It is also envisaged that the ejection of the grill pan 6 may be effected 'automatically' as is the case in 'pop-up' toasters by providing a suitable sensor, which may, for example, be heat or time operated to cause the grill pan 6 to be ejected automatically.

It is also envisaged that the distance between the grill radiant 5 and the grill pan 6 may be varied so as to control the effect of the grill radiant 5 by arranging that the grill pan support member 8 is movable vertically relative to the grill radiant 5. Alternative ways of achieving this are depicted in Figs. 6 to 8 of the drawings.

In Fig. 6 the grill pan support member 8 is provided with a cog system (not shown) by means of which it may be moved vertically under the control of a vertical control winder knob 36.

In Fig. 7 the grill pan support member 8 is provided with a counterbalance mechanism (not shown) which substantially counterbalances the weight of the grill pan support member 8 and the grill pan 6 so that*.they may be moved vertically with little effort.

In Fig. 8, the grill pan support member 8 is provided with a motor drive arrangement 37 comprising a motor 38 and worm-gear drive arrangement 39 for effecting vertical movement under the control of 'UP' and 'DOWN' press or touch switches 40 provided on the grill top 3.

Although in the already described embodiments, the grill according to the present invention has been shown as being an eye-level grill which is located on the splash-back 2 of a cooker, as has already been mentioned, the grill may alternatively be provided as a separate unit, or, as is shown in Fig. 9, it may be provided in either a 'grill compartment' of a cooker or in a grill/oven compartment of a cooker that doubles as a grill compartment or an oven compartment. In Fig. 9, the top part 41 of a free-standing cooker is shown having either gas burners or electric hot plates 42 on the top surface 45 thereof, and having a grill chamber 43 disposed under the top surface 42 and over an oven compartment 44. In the grill compartment 43 is located a grill pan 6 and grill pan support member (not shown) of the kind hereinbefore described having a grill pan eject mechanism. Advantageously, the cooker shown is provided with a timer and it may be arranged that the grill pan eject mechanism operates in conjunction with the timer 45 to provide 'automatic' eject.

Claims

1. A grill comprising a grill radiant, grill pan support means adapted to support a grill pan beneath said grill radiant, and grill pan eject means effective when operated to eject said grill pan from beneath said radiant.

2. A grill as claimed in claim 1, in which the grill radiant is disposed generally horizontally, and the grill pan is ejected horizontally from beneath said radiant.

3. A grill as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the grill pan eject means comprises a spring operated eject mechanism.

4. A grill as claimed in claim 3 in which the spring operated eject mechanism comprises a spring which is loaded when the grill pan is inserted beneath said radiant and which, when said eject means is operated, is unloaded to effect ejection of said grill pan from beneath said radiant.

5. A grill as claimed in claim 4, in which the spring operated eject mechanism includes a latch for latching said spring in its loaded condition, said latch being operated to release said spring to effect ejection of said grill pan.

6. A grill as claimed in claim 5, in which said latch takes the form of a rotating pawl type latch.

7. A grill as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, in which said latch is operated to release said spring by pushing said grill pan.

8. A grill as claimed in any of claims 4 to 7, in which means is provided for controlling the unloading of said spring, thereby controlling the ejection of said grill pan.

9. A grill as claimed in claim 8, in which the controlling means comprises a bellows which is arranged to fill with air as said spring is loaded, and which has the air expelled from it as said spring is unloaded, valve means being provided for controlling the flow of expelled air, thereby to control the unloading of said spring.

10. A grill as claimed in claim 9, in which the valve means takes the form of a disc valve which is unseated when the bellows is filled with air, and which is seated when air is expelled from said bellows, said disc valve having a hole therein through which expelled air is passed, the flow of expelled air being determined by said hole.

11. A grill as claimed, in claim 9 or claim 10, which the bellows is disposed inside said spring.

12. A grill as claimed in any of claims 3 to 11, in which the spring operated eject mechanism forms part of the grill pan support means.

13. A grill as claimed in claim 12, in which the grill pan support means comprises a pair of spaced apart cylindrical support members extending forwards from the rear of said grill, and in which the spring operated eject mechanism is contained in at least one of said support members.

14. A grill as claimed in claim 13, in which the grill pan support means is of sheet metal form having a central depression, and hollow cylindrical side members which constitute said support members.

15. A grill as claimed in claim 14, in which the grill pan has a central portion which in-use overlies said centre depression in said grill pan support means, and handle members disposed at each side of the central portion which cooperate with the support members of said grill pan support means to facilitate insertion and ejection of said grill pan.

16. A grill as claimed in claim 15, in which the handle members each have a lengthwise hole therein which locate over a respective one of the support members of said grill pan support means.

17. A grill as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16, in which each handle means is of heat insulating material and extends downwards beyond the lowermost part of the central portion of said grill pan whereby the grill pan may be positioned on a flat surface with the central portion thereof spaced from said surface.

18. A grill as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the grill pan eject means comprises a motor arrangement for effecting ejection of said grill pan.

19. A grill as claimed in claim 18, in which a motor arrangement is provided for inserting the grill pan beneath said radiant.

20. A grill as claimed in any preceding claim, in which means is provided for effecting automatic ejection of said grill pan from beneath said radiant.

21. A grill as claimed in any preceding claim, in which means is provided for raising or lowering said grill pan relative to said grill radiant.

22. A grill as claimed in claim 21, in which the raising or lowering means is effective on the grill pan support means.

23. A grill as claimed in claim 22, in which the raising or lowering means includes a cog system.

24. A grill as claimed in claim 22, in which the raising or lowering means includes a counterbalance arrangement associated with said grill pan.

25. A grill as claimed in claim 22, in which the raising or lowering means includes a motor drive arrangement.

26. A grill as claimed in claim 25, in which the motor drive arrangement is effective for driving a worm-gear operable on said grill pan support means.

27. A grill as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the grill radiant includes a gas burner arrangement.

28. A grill as claimed in any of claims 1 to 26, in which the grill radiant includes an electric heating element.

29. A cooker including a grill as claimed in any preceding claim.

30. An oven unit including a grill as claimed in any of claims 1 to 28.

31. A grill substantially as - hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

32. A cooker including a grill substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

33. A cooker substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 9 of the accompanying drawings.