GB2311365A - Cooking appliances - Google Patents

Abstract

A cooking appliance comprises a base unit (1) adapted to be fitted under a kitchen worktop (2) and between spaced apart kitchen cabinets (4 and 5), and a hob unit (6) adapted to be fitted to the top of the worktop (2) in operating relationship with the base unit (1), the base unit (1) being fitted by sliding it between the kitchen cabinets (4 and 5) in a rearwards and upwards movement to facilitate an operating association with the hob unit (6). A glide member (20) is provided on each side of the base unit, which cooperates with an inclined slider unit (21) secured to the side of each cabinet (4 and 5). Alternatively support brackets may be provided, the top lip of each of which rests on the top surface of the worktop (2).

Description

Cooking Appliances This invention relates to cooking appliances.

It is often required, especially in the leisure e.g. caravan industry, to provide a cooker consisting of a hob unit and at least one oven unit which is adapted to be fitted under a kitchen worktop, and between adjacent kitchen cabinets. In such applications it is advantageous to arrange that the cooker can be fitted and connected in a quick and easy manner whilst still affording a professional fitted appearance.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a cooking appliance.

According to the present invention there is provided a cooking appliance comprising a base unit adapted to be fitted under a kitchen worktop and between spaced apart kitchen cabinets disposed under said worktop, and a hob member adapted to be fined to the top of said worktop in operating relationship with said base unit, said base unit being fitted by sliding said base unit between said kitchen cabinets in a rearwards and upwards direction to facilitate an operating association to said hob member.

Advantageously, said hob member is fitted in a hole in said worktop over said base unit.

In one arrangement according to the invention it may be arranged that said hob member comprises a hob plate having apertures therein corresponding to one or more gas burners and/or electric hotplates provided on said base unit.

In another arrangement according to the invention it may be arranged that said hob member comprises a sealing collar which is fitted around the periphery of the hole in said worktop and in sealing engagement with a hob of said base unit.

In one arrangement for carrying out the invention a slider unit may be provided fixed to each of the cabinet surfaces adjacent the sides of said base unit and co-operating glide means provided on each side of said base unit, in which said slider means may be fixed in inclined manner for defining the rearwards and upwards movement of said base unit when it is fitted.

In another arrangement for carrying out the invention, a pair of side support brackets may be provided for suspending said base unit from the upper surface of said worktop and for defining the rearwards and upwards movement of said base unit.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention it is arranged that said base unit comprises one or more front opening oven units, and one or more gas burner and/or electric hotplate arrangements.

It may be arranged that said gas burner and/or electric hotplate arrangements are spring loaded to effect an operating connection with said hob member.

Advantageously, a lid may be provided pivotally mounted on said hob member.

Some exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 depicts one form of cooking appliance in accordance with the present invention for fitting in a kitchen cabinet/worktop unit; and Fig. 2 depicts a second form of cooking appliance in accordance with the present invention.

The cooking appliance shown in Fig. 1 comprises a base unit 1 which is adapted to be fitted below a kitchen worktop 2 in the space 3 between spaced apart kitchen cupboard side members 4 and 5, and a hob unit 6 which is adapted to be fitted to the worktop 2 over a hole 7 in the worktop 2 above the space 3.

The base unit 1 is fitted by sliding it into the space 3 in a rearwards and upwards direction and fixing it to the side members 4 and 5. Gas and/or electrical connection is then made to the base unit through the hole 7 in the worktop 2 and the hob unit 6 is then fitted to the worktop 2 in operating relationship with the base unit 1.

The base unit 1 shown in the drawing comprises a front panel 8 to which is secured top and bottom horizontally disposed support frames 9 and 10. A support strap 11 extends vertically between the top and bottom support frames 9 and 10 and also across the width of the top support 9. A second intermediate support strap 12 extends across the width of the top support frame 9 between the front panel 8 and the strap 11. The front panel 8 of the base unit 1 includes a downwards opening top oven/grill door 13 which affords access to an oven/grill cavity 14 mounted on the front panel 8 and supported on each side on the support strap 11, and also a downwards or sideways opening bottom oven door 15 which affords access to a bottom oven cavity 16 which is also mounted on the front panel 8 and supported on each side by the side strap 11.

In the top of the base unit 1 are mounted four gas burner units 17 only the burner bowls of which are shown, two of the gas burner units being supported on the strap 11 extending across the width of the top support frame 9 and two being supported on the intermediate support strap 12 extending across the width of the top support frame 9. Advantageously, the gas burner units are spring mounted for making operating engagement with the hob unit as will be described.

The controls 18 for the top oven/grill cavity 14, the bottom oven cavity 16 and the four gas burner units 17 are disposed in a control panel 19 which extends across the top of the front panel 8 above the top oven/grill door 13.

The base unit 1 is therefore an integral unit which may easily be connected to a gas supply (not shown) provided in the space 3, access being made through the hole 7 in the worktop 2.

In order to facilitate fitting of the base unit 1 in the space 3, a glide member 20 is provided on each side of the base unit mounted on the strap 11, and a slider unit 21 is secured to each of the surfaces of the cupboard side members 4 and 5 adjacent the base unit 1, the slider units 21 (only one of which is shown) being mounted in inclined manner. As the base unit 1 is inserted in the space 3, the glide members 20 on each side engage with the respective slider unit 21 in order to afford the required rearwards and upwards fitting of the base unit 1. It will be appreciated that any other suitable mechanism for effecting the rearwards and upwards fitting of the base unit 1 may be used.

When the base unit 1 is fitted under the worktop 2 in the space 3, the hob unit 6 is fitted to the top of the worktop 2. The hob unit 6 is provided with four apertures 22 corresponding to the gas burner units 17 on the base unit 1 and which locate in operating relationship with a respective one of the gas burner units 17. The gas burner units 17 are then provided with respective pan support members (not shown) which locate on the upper surface of the hob unit 6.

Although not shown in Fig. 1, a lid could be provided, pivotally mounted on the hob unit 6 so that when the lid is closed it covers the gas burner units 17 and when it is opened it provides access to the gas burner units 17. The lid may be provided with a cutoff system as required for cutting off the gas supply to the gas burner units 17 when the lid is closed.

In this way a fully fitted cooking appliance is provided which is easily and quickly installed and yet affords a professional fitted appearance.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings there is depicted a modification of the cooking appliance of Fig. 1, in which instead of a separate hob unit 6 being provided, the hob is provided in the top of the base unit 1 and a separate sealing collar 23 is provided which is fitted to the worktop 2 so that it extends around the periphery of the hole 7 in the worktop 2 and the lower edge 24 of which contacts the top 25 of the base unit 1 with an intermediate silicone seal 26 (shown in the enlarged "bubble" view of Fig. 2). In this way, the base unit 1 can be provided with a fully fitted hob with complete gas burner units 17 and the collar 23 is fitted after the base unit 1 has been inserted in the space 3. As with the appliance of Fig.

1, the collar 23 may optionally be provided with a pivoted lid for covering the gas burner units 17.

The cooking appliance of Fig. 2 also differs from that of Fig. 1 in that in place of the slider units 21 there are provided two side support brackets 26 having a generally "Z" shaped cross-section, the top lip 27 of each of which rests on the top surface of the worktop 2 and which extends downwards through the hole 7 in the worktop 2, with the lower lips 28 of the brackets 26 extending inwardly and being inclined upwardly from front to back. The base unit 1 is provided with a glide member 29 on each side of the base unit 1 mounted on the strap 11 so that as the base unit 1 is inserted in the space 3, the glide members 29 on each side engage with the respective support bracket 26 in order to afford the required rearwards and upwards fitting of the base unit 1. In this way the side support brackets 26 may be fitted much easier than the slider units 21 of Fig. 1, and because the base unit 1 is effectively suspended from the top surface of the worktop 2, any problems relating to tolerance build-ups are overcome.

Claims (11)

1. A cooking appliance comprising a base unit adapted to be fitted under a kitchen worktop and between spaced apart kitchen cabinets disposed under said worktop, and a hob member adapted to be fitted to the top of said worktop in operating relationship with said base unit, said base unit being fitted by sliding said base unit between said kitchen cabinets in a rearwards and upwards direction to facilitate an operating association to said hob member.

2. An appliance as claimed in claim 1, in which said hob member is fitted in a hole in said worktop over said base unit.

3. An appliance as claimed in claim 2, in which said hob member comprises a hob plate having apertures therein corresponding to one or more gas burners and/or electric hotplates provided on said base unit.

4. An appliance as claimed in claim 2, in which said hob member comprises a sealing collar which is fitted around the periphery of the hole in said worktop and in sealing engagement with a hob of said base unit.

5. An appliance as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a slider unit fixed to each of the cabinet surfaces adjacent the sides of said base unit and co-operating glide means provided on each side of said base unit.

6. An appliance as claimed in claim 3, in which said slider means are fixed in inclined manner for defining the rearwards and upwards movement of said base unit.

7. An appliance as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a pair of side support brackets for suspending said base unit from the upper surface of said worktop and for defining the rearwards and upwards movement of said base unit.

8. An appliance as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said base unit comprises one or more front opening oven units, and one or more gas burner and/or electric hotplate arrangements disposed in the top thereof.

9. An appliance as claimed in claim 8, in which said gas burner and/or electric hotplate arrangements are spring loaded to effect an operating connection with said hob member.

10. An appliance as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a lid pivotally mounted on said hob member.

11. An appliance substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.