GB2216649A - Hob unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A gas or electrical hob unit (5) has rotatable control knobs (7) for the heating units arranged on a horizontal strip adjacent a front or side edge of the unit and a cover (8) pivotally-attached to the rear edge. The control knobs (7) are so shaped that they for example fit into respective recesses or apertures (9) in the cover when they are switched off and the cover is lowered so as to cover the unit but, when turned on, they interfere (10) with the cover to prevent it from being lowered fully into its horizontal, covering position. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION Hob Unit The invention relates to hob units, particularly of the domestic type, which are provided with gas and/or electric heating units, control knobs for the heating units arranged on a horizontal strip adjacent an edge or at the front of the hob, and a hinged cover, generally attached along the rear edge of the hob and arranged to pivot downwards to cover the hob.

Manufacturers of this type of equipment, whether it is incorporated on a "free-standing" cooker or is formed as a fitted unit, generally provide safety valves or switches which ensure that the fuel or electricity is supplied only when the top cover of the equipment is in the open, raised position, as described, for example in U.K. patents Nos. 2,109,919 and 2,144,845.

Moreover, from U.K. patents Nos. 2,181,533 and 2,181,534, it is also known to provide devices which emit a warning signal should the cover be lowered whilst a heating unit is operational.

These safety devices are, however, too bulky to be used to advantage in this type of equipment when it is of restricted depth (equal to or less than 30 mm). In this case the construction and fitting of the hob are complicated undesirably by the presence of lever mechanisms, valves and switches.

It would thus be desirable, and it is the main object of the invention, to provide a hob unit which has a supply safeguard which does not require additional components and which, as well as being easy to produce, is so compact as to simplify and rationalise the construction and fitting of the hob unit as a whole.

Accordingly, the invention provides a hob unit, particularly for domestic use, including gas and/or electrical heating units, one or more rotatable control knobs for the units arranged on a horizontal strip adjacent an edge of the hob, and a cover which is hinged along an edge of the hob for pivoting between a horizontal, closed position and a vertical, open position, in which each knob is shaped so as to interfere with the cover to prevent its pivoting into the closed position when that knob is in an angular position other than that in which the electrical or gas supply controlled thereby is switched off.

The cover of the hob unit may cover only that region of the unit including the heating units or it may, in addition, cover the edge strip carrying the control knobs. In the latter case the cover may have recesses or through-holes each of which accommodates a respective control knob in its off position to allow the cover to be closed but interferes geometrically with the knob in any other angular position to prevent the closure of the cover.

One embodiment of the invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hob unit according to the invention; Figure 2 is a partially-sectioned, enlarged view of a control knob of the hob unit of Figure 1, showing the hob in its position in which the supply is switched off and a cover is lowered; Figure 3 is a side view similar to Figure 2 but showing the knob rotated through 1800 with respect to Figure 2 to a position in which the supply is switched on and showing the cover lowered; Figure 4 is a partial view of the knob and the cover of Figure 3 from above.

With reference to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a fitted hob unit 5 provided with heating units 6 which, in the example shown, comprise gas burners.

Knobs 7 for the control and adjustment of the burners 6 are provided on a peripheral strip along one side of the hob. A cover 8 made, for example, of transparent glass or of metal is hinged to the rear edge of the hob 5 and can pivot between a horizontal, closed position (Fig. 2) and a vertical, open position (Fig. 1).

It should be noted that, when closed, the cover 8 also extends over the peripheral strip on which the knobs 7 are positioned. Moreover, the tops of the knobs 7 project above the upper surface of the cover 8 in its closed position (Fig. 2). The cover 8 is therefore provided with through-holes 9 each formed in correspondence with a respective knob 7 to enable the cover to be closed fully, that is, to lie in its correct horizontal position with the knobs 7 projecting through their respective holes 9.

The hob unit is also provided with a supply safeguard to guard against closure of the cover 8 when a knob 7 is switched on. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, each knob 7 has a conical body with a tab 10 extending along a generatrix and projecting radially therefrom. Each knob 7 is press-fitted on to a shaft 11 of a respective gas-supply tap so that it is rotatable about the axis of the shaft and, indeed, when rotated, rotates the shaft to operate the tap. The axis of rotation of each knob 7 (Fig. 4) is, however, offset from the central axis of the corresponding circular hole 9 in the cover 8, when closed, by a distance "x" (Fig. 4) . This is sufficient to cause geometrical interference between the radial tab 10 of the knob 7 and the cover 8 when the latter is closed and the knob 7 is in any position other than that in which its associated gas supply is switched off.

The cover 8 cannot therefore be closed completely when any one or more of the knobs 7 are switched on and the dangerous consequences of its close contact with the heat sources 6 are avoided. Moreover, the incorrect positioning of the cover 8 will immediately attract the user's attention. Any knob which is switched on may then be switched off to allow the cover to be closed correctly. Thus, the main object of the invention, which is to produce a supply safeguard which does not require additional bulky components, is achieved.

Moreover the supply safeguard is easy to produce and does not complicate the construction and fitting of the hob with conventional lever mechanisms, valves or switches.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the size of the cover 8 is limited to cover the region of the heating units only and the geometric interference of the knobs with the cover is achieved by the provision of radial projections on the knobs which interfere with the adjacent edge of the cover.

In a further alternative (not shown), the tops of the knobs 7 and the corresponding holes 9 in the cover 8 are coaxial but oval or elongate in shape so as to achieve the desired geometric interference of each knob with the cover when it is switched on. In yet a further variant the cover 8 is provided with recesses or with cut-out edge portions instead of the through-holes 9 but to serve the same purpose.

Claims (4)

1. A hob unit, particularly for domestic use, including gas and/or electrical heating units, one or more rotatable control knobs for the units arranged on a horizontal strip adjacent an edge of the hob, and a cover which is hinged along an edge of the hob for pivoting between a horizontal, closed position and a vertical, open position, in which each knob is shaped so as to interfere with the cover to prevent its pivoting into the closed position when that knob is in an angular position other than that in which the electrical or gas supply controlled thereby is switched off.

2. A hob unit as claimed in Claim 1, provided with a cover which, in its closed position, also covers the strip on which the control knobs are arranged and in which the cover has recesses or through-holes each of which accommodates a respective control knob in its off position to allow the cover to be closed but interferes geometrically with the knob in any other angular position to prevent the closure of the cover.

3. A hob unit as claimed in Claim 2, in which the cover has circular holes for accommodating the control knobs, each knob has a conical body with at least one radially-projecting tab, and in which the axis of rotation of each knob is offset from the central axis of the hole in the closed position of the cover by a distance sufficient to cause geometrical interference between the tab and the cover when the knob is rotated into an angular position other than its off position to prevent the said closure.

4. A hob unit substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.