GB2313440A

GB2313440A - Fitting a cooking appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2313440A
Application number: GB9611020A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Adair; Philip Cornes; Paul Murray; John Wilson
Original assignee: Stoves PLC
Current assignee: Stoves PLC
Priority date: 1996-05-25
Filing date: 1996-05-25
Publication date: 1997-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 2016-05-25
Also published as: GB2313440B; GB9611020D0

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 sealing collar 7 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 direction and raising it to a fixing position to facilitate an operating association with the sealing collar 7. The base unit is provided on each side with a pair of spaud apart carries pins 19. Each of two side support brackets 20 provides a runner 22 for the pair of pins 19. The base unit is inserted under the worktop until the rear one of the carrier pins abuts a raised edge on its runner, at which position the base unit is physically raised, to cause the rear pin to locate on a raised portion 24 and to cause the front one of the pins to locate on the top edge 25 of a bracket 26.

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 or grill 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 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 direction and raising said base unit to a fixing position 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 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 each of said slider units include stop means for restricting the rearwards movement of said base unit, and raised support means on to which the cooperating glide means of said base unit are lifted.

Advantageously said slide units are provided with ramp means over which said slide means pass when said base unit is moved in said rearwards direction, and which prevents said base unit iirom inadvertently sliding off said slider units.

It may conveniently be arranged that said slider units are constituted by a pair of side support brackets which suspend said base unit from the upper surface of said worktop.

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.

Advantageously, a lid may be provided pivotally mounted so as to cover said hob member when it is closed.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 depicts a cooking appliance in accordance with the present invention for fitting in a kitchen cabinet/worktop unit; and Fig. 2 is a close up view of one of the slider units of Fig. 1.

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 beneath a hole 6 in the worktop 2, a hob member in the form of sealing collar 7 being provided which is fitted to the worktop 2 to that it extends around the periphery of the hole 6 in the worktop 2, and the lower edge 8 of which makes sealing contact with an integral hob unit 9 provided in the top of the base unit 1.

The base unit 1 shown in Fig. 1, which is shown by way of example only, comprises a front panel 10 which includes a downwards opening top oven/grill door 11 which affords access to an oven/grill cavity 12 mounted on the front panel 10 and supported on each side on a support strap 13, and also a downwards or sideways opening bottom oven door 14 which affords access to a bottom oven cavity 15 which is also mounted on the front panel 10 and supported on each side by the side strap 13.

The integral hob unit 9 of the base unit 1 comprises four gas burners 16, only the burner bowls of which are shown.

Controls 17 for the top oven/grill cavity 12, the bottom oven cavity 15 and the four gas burner units 16 are disposed in a control panel 18 which extends across the top of the front panel 10 above the top oven/grill door 11.

In order to facilitate fitting of the base unit 1 in the space 3 and beneath the hole 6 in the worktop 2, the base unit 1 is provided on each side with a pair of spaced apart carrier pins 19, and two side support brackets 20 are provided which are fitted to opposed sides of the hole 6 and which rest on the top surface of the worktop 2 and which extend downwards through the hole 6 in the worktop 2.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 2, the side support brackets are provided with an inwardly and upwardly formed section 21, the top surface 22 of which provides a runner for the pairs of carrier pins 19 of the base unit 1. In order to fit the base unit 1, the rear one of the pairs of carrier pins 19 is located on the runner surface 22 and the base unit is inserted rearwards until the front one of the pairs of carrier pins 19 locates on the runner surface 22. The base unit 1 is inserted under the worktop 2 until the rear one of the pairs of carriers pins 19 abuts a raised edge on the runner surface 22, at which position the base unit 1 is physically raised, preferably in a manual operation, to cause the rear ones of the carrier pins 19 to locate on a raised portion 24 of the runner surface 22 and to cause the front ones of the pairs of carrier pins 19 to locate on the top edge 25 of a bracket 26 formed in the side wall of the side support brackets 20. In this raised position the base unit 1 is secured, for example, to the kitchen cupboard side members 4 and 5.

In order to prevent the base unit 1 sliding off the runner surfaces 22, they are provided with a ramp and stepped portion 23 over which the rear one of the pairs of carrier pins 19 moves as the base unit is inserted on the carrier surface 22 and which prevents the base unit from sliding forward and inadvertently sliding off the carrier surfaces 22.

The ramp and stepped portion 23 also enables the base unit 1 to be partially slid out from beneath the worktop 2 to enable gas and/or electric connections to be made to the base unit through the hole 6 in the worktop 2.

When suitable connections have been made to the base unit 1, it is inserted fully under the worktop 2 and is raised to its upper fixing position in which the rear ones of the pairs of carrier pins 19 locate on the raised portions 24 of the runner surface 22, and the front ones of the pairs of carrier pins 19 locate on the top edge of the brackets 26. In this position the base unit 1 is fixed, e.g. to the kitchen cupboard side members 4 and 5, and the sealing collar 7 is fitted to the worktop 2 in sealing engagement with the hob unit 9 of the base unit 1.

It should be appreciated that the cooking appliance which has been described has been given by way of example only and may be adapted to suit any particular application. For example, instead of the hob unit 9 being provided integrally with the base unit, a separate hob unit may be provided which is fitted in the hole 6 in the worktop 2, thereby obviating the need for the sealing collar 7. Also, although the hob unit 9 is described as including four gas burners 16, it should be appreciated that electric hotplates could be used in addition to or in place of one or more of the gas burners 16.

Also, although it is not shown in Fig. 1, a lid could be provided pivotally mounted on the top surface of the worktop 2 or directly on a separate hob unit if used, so that when the lid is closed it covers the gas burners 16 and when it is opened it provides access to the gas burners 16. The lid may be provided with a cut-off system as required for cutting off the gas supply to the gas burners 16 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.

Claims

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 direction and raising said base unit to a fixing position 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 1 or 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.

4. 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.

5. An appliance as claimed in claim 4, in which said slider units include stop means for restricting the rearwards movement of said base unit, and raised support means on to which the co-operating glide means of said base unit are lifted.

6. An appliance as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which said slider units are provided with ramp means over which said glide means pass when said base unit is moved in said rearwards direction, and which prevents said base unit from inadvertently sliding off said slider units.

7. An appliance as claimed in any of claims 5 to 6, in which said slider units are constituted by a pair of side support brackets which suspend said base unit from the upper surface of said worktop.

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 any preceding claim, comprising a lid pivotally mounted so as to cover said hob member when it is closed.

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