GB2277146A - Hot plate support frame - Google Patents

Abstract

A support frame for a glass/ceramic cook top or hot plate having a peripheral edge 2, 3, said support frame 1 comprising a peripheral rim 11, 20 shaped to surround and overlie the peripheral edge 2, 3 of the hot plate, a peripheral bracket 15, 25 rigidly secured to the rim 11, 20 and having a downwardly depending portion 16, 26 located adjacent the peripheral edge 2, 3, mechanical clamping means 19, 29 engaging a slot 17, 27 in said bracket 15, 25 and having a camming surface 19, 30 positioned to engage the peripheral edge 2, 3 of the hot plate to force it into clamping engagement with the peripheral rim 11, 20, and fastening means S engaging the clamping means to retain it in its clamping position. <IMAGE>

Description

HOT PLATE SUPPORT FRAME Field of the Invention This invention relates to support frames for glass/ceramic cook tops or hot plates under which heating elements are supported.

Background of the Invention At present most glass/ceramic cook tops or hot plates have their edges supported within a shaped channel-section frame and are secured within the frame by means of a silicon adhesive. The use of silicon adhesives disrupts the manufacturing procedure since a curing time of about twenty four hours is required during which other manufacturing operations cannot be performed. Furthermore, the use of silicon adhesive prevents the components of the hot plate structure being subsequently recycled, and this presents problems in countries which require all manufactured products to be capable of being recycled.

Summary of the Invention and Object It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved support frame for glass/ceramic cook tops or hot plates incorporating a simple and inexpensive clamping mechanism which does not require the use of silicon or other adhesives.

The invention accordingly provides a support frame for a glass/ceramic cook top or hot plate having a peripheral edge, said support frame comprising a peripheral rim shaped to surround and overlie the peripheral edge of the hot plate, a peripheral bracket rigidly secured to said rim and having a downwardly depending portion which in use is located adjacent the peripheral edge and extends to a position below the hot plate, mechanical clamping means having a portion engaging said downwardly depending portion of said bracket and having a camming surface positioned in use to engage said hot plate and force it into clamping engagement with said peripheral rim when said clamping means is engaged with said depending portion and is moved from a released position to a clamping position, and fastening means engaging said clamping means to retain it in its clamping position.

The invention also provides a cook top or hot plate assembly comprising a support frame as defined above in combination with a glass/ceramic cook top or hot plate having planar upper and lower surfaces and a peripheral edge, and resilient seal means positioned between said peripheral rim and said upper surface of said hot plate adjacent said peripheral edge to form a substantially water tight seal when said hot plate is clamped to said support frame by said clamping means.

The cook top or hot plate assembly may be in a bench mounted form or a stove top mounted form in which the peripheral rim has a different configuration to suit the type of mounting.

In the bench top mounted form, the peripheral rim includes a planar body portion, a downwardly inclined peripheral portion adapted to engage the upper face of the hot plate, or an intervening sealing means, and an outer peripheral portion rigidly engaging said peripheral bracket which has a planar portion disposed under said planar portion of said peripheral rim and from which said depending portion extends, said slot being formed in said depending portion and receiving said clamping means which comprises a shaped end portion engaging said slot and a smoothly radiused end portion defining said camming surface and positioned to be drawn into clamping engagement with the lower surface of said hot plate, or said intervening sealing means, by means of a threaded fastener engaging said depending portion and said clamping means.

In the stove top embodiment of the invention, the peripheral rim comprises a planar portion terminating in an inner peripheral portion defined by an under-folded portion of said rim and an outer peripheral portion defining a depending skirt shaped to engage the top of a stove, said under-folded portion rigidly securing a planar portion of said peripheral bracket from which said depending portion extends, said depending portion being formed with a slot which receives said clamping means in the form of a clamping bracket having a downwardly inclined portion engaging said slot and extending into a radiused portion defining said camming surface, a downwardly depending portion extending from said radiused portion such that when said depending portion is substantially vertical said smoothly radiused portion engages the lower surface of the hot plate, or an intervening seal means, to firmly clamp the hot plate to the peripheral rim. In a preferred form, the depending portion of said clamping means has an end portion extending substantially perpendicularly thereto in a direction opposite to said slot engaging portion and said fastening means engages said end portion and part of the hot plate assembly to retain said depending portion in its substantially vertical position.

Brief DescriPtion of the Drawings In order that the invention may be more readily understood, two preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic exploded view of a typical hot plate assembly including a support frame in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of one section of the support frame showing its components and the manner in which clamping of the glass/ceramic member is achieved, and Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of part of a support frame according to a second form of the invention.

Description of Preferred Embodiments Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, the hot plate assembly shown in Figure 1 comprises a peripheral rim 1, a glass/ceramic hot plate member 2, a channel-section rubber seal 3 which engages the peripheral edge of the hot plate member 2, two side clamping members 4 and 5 and two end clamping members 6 and 7, a series of heating elements 8, a supporting plate 9 and a heat protective bottom plate 10. The usual control knobs and electrical fittings are shown in Figure 1 but are not relevant to this invention and will not therefore be further described.

Referring additionally to Figure 2 the construction and operation of the frame 1 and the clamping means 4 to 7 are illustrated in fragmentary sectional elevation.

The frame 1 comprises a peripheral rim portion 11 having a planar portion 12, an inwardly angled inner peripheral portion 13 and an outer peripheral portion 14 which is folded under the planar portion 12 to rigidly engage the outer edge of a right angled peripheral bracket 15 having a depending leg 16 formed with a series of apertures 17 adapted to receive engaging lugs 18 formed in the clamping means 4 to 7. Each clamping means 4 to 7 has a smoothly radiused portion 19 dimensioned to engage the peripheral seal 3 surrounding the edge of the glass/ceramic hot plate member 2. Camming engagement of the smoothly radiused portion 19 is achieved by means of screws S engaging the depending leg 16 and the clamping means 4 to 7 to draw the camming face of portion 19 into clamping engagement with the seal 3 to firmly clamp the hot plate member 2 between the portion 19 of the clamping means 4 to 7 and the inner peripheral edge portion 13 of the rim 11, as clearly shown progressively in Figure 2 of the drawings.

It will be appreciated that the described frame and associated clamping means enables the hot plate member 2 to be securely clamped in position in a substantially water tight manner without any delay for the curing process associated with the use of silicon adhesives, and the components of the hot plate assembly may be easily disassembled for recycling when required.

Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings, the stove top embodiment of the invention comprises a peripheral rim 20 including a planar portion 21, an under folded inner peripheral portion 22 and an outer peripheral portion 23 having a depending skirt portion 24. The under folded inner peripheral portion 22 rigidly engages a right angled peripheral bracket 25 having a depending leg 26 formed with a series of openings 27 adapted to receive corresponding engaging lugs 28 formed in peripheral clamping means 29 including a smoothly radiused portion 30, a downwardly depending leg 31 and an inwardly extending flange portion 32. As in the case of the embodiment of Figure 1, the peripheral bracket 25 and the clamping means 29 extend along the sides and ends of the peripheral rim 20.The bracket 25 preferably extends completely around the periphery of the frame and the clamping means 29 may have end portions (not shown) which overlap each other and are interconnected by suitable fasteners to provide additional security. In this embodiment, the hot plate member 2 is clamped by engagement of the camming surface of the smoothly radiused portion 30 against the peripheral seal 3 by moving the depending leg 31 in the direction of the arrow and engaging a series of fastening screws S through the equivalent of the members 9 and 10 shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, to hold the depending let 31 in the essentially vertical position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings in which the glass/ceramic hot plate member 2 is securely and sealing clamped in position under the rim 20.

The above embodiment of the invention has the same advantages as the first embodiment and may be used in the bench mounted embodiment also.

Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may be readily effected by persons skilled in the art, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described, by way of example, hereinabove.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (12)

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A support frame for a glass/ceramic cook top or hot plate having a peripheral edge, said support frame comprising a peripheral rim shaped to surround and overlie the peripheral edge of the hot plate, a peripheral bracket rigidly secured to said rim and having a downwardly depending portion which in use is located adjacent the peripheral edge and extends to a position below the hot plate, mechanical clamping means having a portion engaging said downwardly depending portion of said bracket and having a camming surface positioned in use to engage said hot plate and force it into clamping engagement with said peripheral rim when said clamping means is engaged with said depending portion and is moved from a released position to a clamping position, and fastening means engaging said clamping means to retain it in its clamping position.

2. The frame of claim 1, wherein said portion of said clamping means engages a slot in said depending portion.

3. The frame of claim 1 or 2, wherein said portion of said clamping means is at or near one free end of said clamping means, said camming surface being formed at or near the other free end of said clamping means, said fastening means engaging said clamping means intermediate its free ends to hold said clamping means in its clamping position.

4. The frame of claim 3 wherein said clamping means includes one or more lugs adapted to engage said slot in said depending portion and an adjacent bent portion dimensioned to locate said clamping. means in said slot to facilitate pivotal movement of said clamping means from its released position to its clamping position.

5. The frame of claim 1 or 2, wherein said camming surface is formed adjacent one free end of said clamping means, said fastening means engaging said clamping means near its other free end to retain it in its clamping position.

6. The frame of claim 4, wherein said clamping means comprises a central portion terminating in oppositely directed flanges, one of said flanges having one or more end portions engaging one or more slots in said depending portion, the other flange being positioned to be engaged by a fastening screw to hold it in its clamping position.

7. A support frame for a hot plate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A hot plate assembly comprising a support frame as claimed in any preceding claim in combination with a glass/ceramic hot plate having planar upper and lower surfaces and a peripheral edge, and resilient seal means positioned between said peripheral rim and said upper surface of said hot plate adjacent said peripheral edge to form a substantially water tight seal when said hot plate is clamped to said support frame by said clamping means.

9. The hot plate assembly of claim 8 in a bench top mounted configuration, said peripheral rim including a planar body portion, a downwardly inclined peripheral portion adapted to engage the upper face of the hot plate, or an intervening sealing means, and an outer peripheral portion rigidly engaging said peripheral bracket which has a planar portion disposed under said planar portion of said peripheral rim and from which said depending portion extends, said slot being formed in said depending portion and receiving said clamping means which comprises a shaped end portion engaging said slot and a smoothly radiused end portion defining said camming surface and positioned to be drawn into clamping engagement with the lower surface of said hot plate, or said intervening sealing means, by means of a threaded fastener engaging said depending portion and said clamping means.

10. The hot plate assembly of claim 8 in a stove top mounted configuration, said peripheral rim comprising a planar portion terminating in an inner peripheral portion defined by an under-folded portion of said rim and an outer peripheral portion defining a depending skirt shaped to engage the top of a stove, said underfolded portion rigidly securing a planar portion of said peripheral bracket from which said depending portion extends, said depending portion being formed with a slot which receives said clamping means in the form of a clamping bracket having a downwardly inclined portion engaging said slot and extending into a radiused portion defining said camming surface, a downwardly depending portion extending from said radiused portion such that when said depending portion is substantially vertical said smoothly radiused portion engages the lower surface of the hot plate, or an intervening seal means, to firmly clamp the hot plate to the peripheral rim.

11. The hot plate assembly of claim 10, wherein said depending portion of said clamping means has an end portion extending substantially perpendicularly thereto in a direction opposite to said slot engaging portion and said fastening means engages said end portion and part of the hot plate assembly to retain said depending portion in its substantially vertical position.

12. A hot plate assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.