GB2203234A

GB2203234A - Gas hobs

Info

Publication number: GB2203234A
Application number: GB08704752A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frank Robert Cox
Original assignee: Valor Newhome Ltd
Current assignee: Valor Newhome Ltd
Priority date: 1987-02-28
Filing date: 1987-02-28
Publication date: 1988-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 2007-02-28
Also published as: GB2203234B; GB8704752D0

Abstract

A gas hob (1) wherein a gas supply valve (9) can only be opened with a lid (3) in a substantially vertical position, and the lid (3) can only attain this position if all of the gas controls (7) for the hob (1) are first in a switched off condition. To limit the lid movement and prevent the gas supply valve (9) from being opened is cam follower member (17) which monitors the position of the gas controls (7) and moves an intermediate member (23) when one or more gas controls (7) is moved from the switched off condition, the intermediate member (23) then preventing the return of the lid (3) to the substantially vertical/ valve open position of the lid (3). <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO GAS HOBS" The present invention relates to a gas hob.

In particular the present invention relates to a gas hb having a number of gas burners with a lid hinged at the back of the hob so as to be pivoted downwards to a substantially horizontal position wherein the hob is covered when not in use, and to be pivoted upwards towards a substantially vertical position to allow the hob to be used.

With the above design of gas hob it has been previously noted that it would be dangerous if the lid were pivoted downwards when one or more burners of the hob are lit. To counter this problem a valve has previously been provided in the gas supply to the burners, the valve being controlled by the lid such that as the lid is pivoted downwards the gas supply to the burners is cut off, thus extinguishing the burners.

To prevent the gas supply from being subsequently automatically and possibly unknowingly switched on merely be lifting the lid, the gas supply valve has to be manually reset after the gas burner controls have been zeroed. The gas supply valve is however always closed by downward movement of the lid irrespective of whether or not the gas burner controls are already zeroed i.e. switched off. Thus, whenever the lid is pivoted upwards, the gas supply valve always has to be manually reset before the hob can be used.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a safe hob and pivotal lid arrangement wherein the hob is controlled solely by the gas burner controls, thus obviating the necessity for any additional manual resetting before the hob can be used.

According to the present invention there is provided a gas hob which can be covered by å pivotable lid, the lid being pivotable to a substantially vertical position wherein it holds a valve in a gas supply line to the hob, in an open condition, the valve closing when the lid is pivoted downwards to cover the hob, gas controls for the hob being arranged to move an intermediate member such that said intermediate member prevents the lid from attaining the substantially vertical position and opening said valve, should any of the said gas controls be already in other than a switched-off condition.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the said intermediate member is an elongate resiliently flexible rod which extends rearwardly of the hob and is pivotable about a fixed point. One end region of the rod is connected to an axially slidable cam follower member which is located across the front of the hob adjacent to the said gas controls. Each gas control controls a burner of the hob, and has a cam which engages the cam follower member. With all of the gas controls in the switched-off condition the cam follower member is in an axial position wherein said rod is in clear of the pivotable lid, the lid being pivotable between its limit positions so that the gas supply valve is opened and closed by such movement.

However with one or more of the gas controls switched at least partially on, the cam follower member is moved axially causing the elongate rod to be pivoted. With the lid already in its substantially vertical, fully open position, the gas supply valve being thus open, the rod flexes as it is pivoted and pressed against part of the lid. The hob can then be used, the gas control being operated and varied as required. If however, the lid is in its substantially horizontal position covering the hob, when one or more of the gas controls is switched at least partially on, or if a gas control has been left on when the lid is moved downwards the valve then automatically switching off the gas supply to the hob, the elongate rod is pivoted to a position wherein it is located over a fixed stop against which part of the lid engages when the lid is in the substantially vertical limit position.Thus, when the lid is subsequently lifted the rod prevents the lid from attaining its fully open limit position and the gas supply valve remains closed. The gas supply to the hob can therefore only be switched on if the gas controls are all first moved to the fully switched off position.

The present invention thus provides a gas hob and lid arrangement whereby the gas hob can only be used if all of the gas controls are zeroed i.e.

switched to a fully off position prior to the lid being moved to its substantially vertical limit position.

The present invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic illustration of part of a preferred embodiment of a hob constructed according to the present invention.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated on the accompanying drawing comprises a hob generally disiquated (1), with a lid (3) pivotally mounted at (5) at the rear of the hob (1). The lid (3) is manually pivotal between a substantially vertical limit position (illustrated) and a substantially horizontal limit position in which it covers the hob (1). The hob (1) has a number of burners each of which is controllable by a manually rotatable gas control (7) provided towards the front of the hob (1).

The gas supply to the hob (1) i.e. to the gas controls (7), is via a valve (9) located at the rear of the hob (1). The lid (3) is pivotally attached to a spring loaded arm (11) on top of the valve (9), and thus as the lid approaches the illustrated substantially vertical limit position the valve is opened; the valve (9) closing as the lid (3) is lowered towards the substantially horizontal limit position.

Each manually rotatable gas control (7) carries a cam member (13), the cam member (13) being keyed to the rotatable gas control (7) for rotation therewith and having a cylindrical periphery except for a chordal flattened section (15). An elongate cam follwer member (17) axially movably located across the front of the hob (1), has depending tongues (19), each of which can engage a cam member (13). With all of the gas controls (7) in the switched off position, said tongues (19) each engage a flattened section (15) of a cam member (13). However, should any one of the gas controls (7) be moved from the switched off position, then the cam follower member (17) is moved against a return spring (not shown).

t One end region of the cam follower member (17) is connected to one end region of an intermediate member (23) which is in the form of an elongate flexibly resilient rod. This rod (23) is pivotally mounted as at (25) so that axial movement of the cam follower member (17) causes the other end region (27) of said rod (23) to move in the generally opposite direction.

Sail other end region (27) of the rod (23) is carried in a slot (28) in a guide (29), which slot (28) allows for lateral movement of the rod (23), the end section (27) extending generally laterally of the remainder of the rod (23).

With the lid (3) in the illustrated substantially vertical limited position and the valve (9) therefore open, should any one of the gas controls (7) be rotated from the switched-off position then the cam follower member (17) moves axially causing the rod (23) to pivot so that the top of the end section (27) of the rod engages against a part (33) of the lid (3), which part (33) is engaged against a fixed stop (35). This action causes the rod (23) to flex. If however the lid (3) is subsequently hinged downwardly without first returning all of the gas controls (7) to the off-position, then the valve (9) is automatically closed rendering the hob safe and the inherent resilience fo the flexible rod (23) causes the rod to return to its natural unstressed configuration wherein the top of the end section (27) is located over the fixed stop (35).Thus, if the lid ( 3) should be subsequently lifted without the gas controls (7) being all in the switched-off position then the said part (33) of the lid (3) engages the end section (27) of the rod (23) and'cannot engage the fixed stop (35) to attain the substantially vertical limit position. Thus the valve (9) remains closed and the hob is maintained safe, preventing the accidental release of gas. To use the hob the lid (3) has to be pivoted forwards the gas controls (7) all returned to the switched-off position to pivot the rod (23) from above the fixed stop (35), and the lid (3) then pivoted rearwardly to engage the fixed stop (35) so that the valve (9) is then opened.

The present invention thus provides a simple but efficient mechanism whereby gas is not supplied to the hob when the lid is lifted, unless the gas controls are all in the fully switched-off position or are first returned to the fully switched-off position, thereby preventing the accidental release of gas.

Claims

1. A gas hob which can be covered by a pivotable lid, the lid being pivotable to a substantially vertical position wherein it holds a valve in a gas supply line to the hob, in an open condition, the valve closing when the lid is pivoted downwards to cover the hob, gas controls for the hob being arranged to move an intermediate member such that said intermediate member prevents the lid from attaining the substantially vertical position and opening said valve, should any of the gas controls be already in other than a switched-off condition.

2. A gas hob as claimed in claim 1, in which said intermediate member is an elongate resiliently flexible member which extends rearwardly of the hob and is pivotable about a fixed point.

3. A gas hob as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which one end region of the intermediate member is connected to an axially slidable cam follower member which is located across the front of the hob adjacent to said gas controls, each gas control being arranged to control a burner of the hob and having a cam which can engage the cam follower member.

4. A gas hob as claimed in claim 3, in which, with all the gas controls in the switched-off condition, the cam follower member is in an axial position wherein said intermediate member is clear of the pivotable lid so that the gas supply valve is opened and closed by pivotable movement of the pivotable lid, the cam follower member being moved axially when one or more of the said gas controls is moved from the switched off condition, causing the intermediate member to move to close the gas supply valve when the lid has been moved from the substantially vertical position, the intermediate members then being positioned to prevent the gas supply valve from being opened by preventing the lid from reattaining said substantially vertical position.

5. A gas hob as claimed in claim 4, wherein the intermediate member is flexibly resilient, said intermediate member engaging part of the lid and flexing when the lid is in the substantially vertical position and one or more gas controls are moved from the switched off condition.

6. A gas hob constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.