GB2375168A

GB2375168A - Height adjustable cooking apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2375168A
Application number: GB0110776A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph Tsang Chi Tim; Lawrence Wong Ve Chung
Original assignee: CHINESE CUISINE TRAINING INST; POLYTEK HONG KONG Ltd
Current assignee: CHINESE CUISINE TRAINING INST; POLYTEK HONG KONG Ltd
Priority date: 2001-05-02
Filing date: 2001-05-02
Publication date: 2002-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 2021-05-02
Also published as: GB0110776D0; GB2375168B; GB2375168A8

Abstract

A cooking installation (1), particularly a wok station, is adjustable in height. The height adjustment is effected by a powered hydraulic lifting and lowering system, (15, 18-26) but may alternatively be effected by a mechanical system, for example a rack and pinion mechanism or a system using threaded rods with engaging ballscrews. These mechanisms may be operated by an electric motor, or manually with a crank handle.

Description

Cooking Apparatus The present invention relates to cooking apparatus, and

is particularly concerned with a kitchen range I particularly adapted for use in conjunction with a Chinese-style wok. The invention is, however, also applicable to conventional kitchen ranges such as are used in domestic kitchens and in commercial catering establishments for heating saucepans, frying pans, etc.

In both domestic and commercial kitchen environments, pans such as saucepans are heated over a gas flame or an electric heating element mounted on a horizontal hob surface. The hob surface may form part of a freestanding cooker, or may be built into a generally horizontal work surface of a kitchen cabinet. In order to produce cookers economically, a standard height above the ground has been adopted for the hob surface.

Likewise, kitchen cabinets are produced in standard sizes which provide a work surface fixed at a predetermined distance above floor level. These predetermined heights are based on the statistical average height for the population, so that they are ideally suited only to persons of average height.

In cooking procedures where the chef must continually attend the contents of a pan, such as is the case in

stir-frying with a wok, the height at which the wok is presented is important. If it is too low, the chef must stoop over the wok and this can induce discomfort and

back pain. If the wok is too high, then working , operations become tiresome on the arms as the arms are lifted to an uncomfortable position. Conventional cooking arrangements are therefore only suitable for the chef if he or she is of"average"height. In cases where the chef is taller or shorter than the average height, then the conventional arrangement is inconvenient.

Furthermore, in a commercial kitchen the same cooking installation may be used by many different chefs, of many different heights. While the conventional arrangement will be suitable for some of the personnel using the installation, others will find the installation inconvenient.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a cooking installation which can be readily adjusted in height to so as to suit the requirements of the user.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide a wok station for use in Chinese cuisine, wherein the height at which the wok is presented to the chef is controllable and adjustable to suit the user.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a cooking installation comprises a substantially horizontal work surface, a heating element mounted to the work surface for heating a cooking utensil, and support means for supporting the work surface, wherein the support means is adjustable to vary the height of the work surface.

The support means advantageously comprises a fixed base mountable to a surface within a building, and a support structure movable vertically relative to the base, the position of the support structure relative to the base being selectively fixable.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the support means comprises a number of piston and cylinder arrangements connecting the base and the support structure, means for providing pressurized fluid to the piston and cylinder arrangements, and control means for controlling the flow of pressurized fluid so as to vary the vertical position of the support structure and the work surface relative to the base. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of support means, each supporting an individual work surface, may derive pressurized fluid from a common source. In such an embodiment, a commercial kitchen may have several work surfaces or"wok stations"which are individually adjustable in the height to suit the requirements of the user, but share a common

supply of pressurized fluid, individually controlled to effect independent adjustment of the height of the work surfaces.

I In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the support means comprises a base and a support structure linked by a mechanical linkage.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a wok station; Figure 2 is a pan view of the wok station of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a right side view of the wok station of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a wok station, showing the height adjusting mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a heightadjustable wok station 1 comprising a generally horizontal work surface 2, on which is mounted a cowl 3 into which a wok 4 is fitted. A gas burner for heating the wok is fitted below the cowl 3, and is connected to

a supply of gas by means of flexible tubing (not shown) or by means of an articulated connection.

Also mounted on the work surface 2 of the wok station 1 I is a raised ring 5, on which the user may support a basket for ingredients, etc. the work surface is also provided with a pot 6, which the user may fill with ingredients or with cooking detritus such as shells, etc. the pot 6 is provided with a water stand pipe 7, which may be swivelled about a vertical axis so as to place the free end of the stand pipe over the pot 6. A condiment preparation area 8 is provided at the forward left-hand side of the work surface 2. This area may comprise a chopping board or other surface for cutting or chopping ingredients prior to cooking.

The work surface 2 is surrounded by a depending skirt 9, on the front surface of which are provided control knobs 10 and 11 to control the water supply to the stand pipe 7, and the gas supply to the burner, respectively. The front surface of the skirt 9 also comprises a control panel 12 for controlling the height adjustment mechanism.

The embodiment illustrated in figure 4 is wall-mounted, so that the floor area below the wok station is unobstructed. The work surface 2 and skirt 9 are mounted to a wall plate 13, for vertical sliding movement

relative thereto in guides 14. The guides 14 ensure that the work surface 2 remains horizontal as the wok station 1 is raised and lowered. In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the work surface 2 and skirt 9 may be mounted to the upper ends of a number of telescopic legs standing on the floor.

As is schematically shown in figure 4, the height adjustment mechanism in this embodiment comprises a number of double-acting piston and cylinder assemblies 15, only one of which is shown. The lower ends of the piston and cylinder assemblies 15 are supported on brackets 16 fixed to the wall plate 13. The upper ends of the piston and cylinder assemblies 15 are fixed to the skirt 9 by means of brackets 17.

The piston and cylinder assemblies 15 are supplied with hydraulic fluid by a control valve 18, which receives pressurized hydraulic fluid from a pump 19 via a duct 20.

The pump 19 draws hydraulic fluid from a reservoir 21.

The control valve 18 is operated by controls positioned on the control panel 12 of the wok station. The controls comprise an"up"button 22 and a"down"button 23. When the"up"button 22 is pressed, the control valve 18 supplies pressurized hydraulic fluid to the lower end of the piston and cylinder assembly 15 via duct 24, and

connects the upper end of the piston and cylinder assembly 15 via ducts 25 and 26 to the reservoir 21. The pressurized fluid lifts the piston, raising the height of the wok station. When the"down"button 22 is pressed, the control valve 18 supplies pressurized hydraulic fluid to the upper end of the piston and cylinder assembly 15 via duct 25, and connects the lower end of the piston and cylinder assembly 15 via ducts 24 and 26 to the reservoir 21. The pressurized fluid moves the piston down, lowering the height of the wok station. When neither of the control buttons is pressed, the control valve 18 prevents any flow of hydraulic fluid to or from the piston and cylinder assembly 15, and the height of the wok station remains fixed.

It will be appreciated that a plurality of wok stations 1, each having its individual control panel 22 and control valve 18, may be commonly supplied with hydraulic fluid from a single pump 19 and reservoir 21.

In the embodiment illustrated, the wok station 1 is supported by a wall plate 13 mounted to a wall (not shown) of a building. In an alternative embodiment, the wok station 1 may be provided with telescopic legs comprising an upper portion attached to the wok station and the lower portion for engaging a floor, with the piston and cylinder assemblies 15 mounted to cause

relative movement between the upper and lower portions of the telescopic legs. A hydraulic system similar to that illustrated in figure 4 may be used to control the extension and retraction of the legs to vary the height of the wok station. In such an installation, the hydraulic system will comprise a flow divider which ensures that each of the legs extends or retract by the same amount as the others, in order to maintain the work surface 2 of the wok station 1 horizontal as the height is adjusted.

The vertical range of movement of the wok station is preferably between 100 and 250 mm. Limit switches are preferably provided, for example by mounting a microswitch on the wall plate 13 adjacent the upper and lower ends of the travel of the wok station 1 in the guides 14 to co-operate with switching abutments mounted to the wok station 1, in order to determine when the wok station is approaching the limits of its travel. When the limit switch is operated by its respective abutment, an indicator light may be illuminated to indicate to the user that the maximum or minimum height adjustment has been reached, and the limit switch may also control the operation of the control valve 18 to prevent further extension or contraction of the piston and cylinder assembly 15.

The control circuitry for the pump 19 is preferably arranged so that the pump operates only when pressurized fluid is required for height adjustment of the wok

station, or of one of a plurality of wok stations served I by the pump 19. The control circuitry may also include a key-operated switch to prevent any unauthorized operation of the system without the correct key.

As an alternative to the use of a hydraulic circuit for raising and lowering the work surface 2, the wall plate 13 may be provided with one or more vertical toothed racks, engageable by toothed gears or pinions mounted to the wok station 1 and driven by an electric motor controlled by the control panel 12. In a further alternative, a number of vertical threaded rods may be fixed to the wall plate 13 or to the work surface 2, each threaded rod being engaged by a nut or ballscrew rotatably mounted to the work surface to or to the wall plate 13, respectively.

The ballscrews may be linked so as to rotate together when driven by a motor, so that the wok station 1 is raised or lowered evenly by rotation of the ballscrews in one or other direction. In both of these mechanical systems, electric motors may be used to power the lifting and lowering of the work surface. In a yet further alternative, the mechanical lifting and lowering mechanism may be manually operated by providing an operating wheel or crank handle accessible to the user.

In a yet further alternative embodiment, a hydraulic lifting system may be used, with the hydraulic fluid

being supplied from a manually-operated pump.

I The present invention thus provides a height-adjustable cooking apparatus for use in domestic or commercial catering establishments, to provide an ergonomically correct adjustment of the apparatus to suit any user.

Claims

Claims: 1. A cooking installation comprising a substantially

horizontal work surface, a heating element mounted to the , work surface for heating a cooking utensil, and support means for supporting the work surface, wherein the support means is adjustable to vary the vertical position of the work surface.

2. A cooking installation according to claim 1, wherein the support means comprises a base mountable to a surface within a building, and a support structure movable vertically relative to the base, the position of the support structure relative to the base being selectively fixable.

3. A cooking installation according to claim 2, wherein the base comprises a wall plate mountable to a vertical surface.

4. A cooking installation according to claim 2, wherein the base is adapted to engage a horizontal surface of a building.

5. A cooking installation according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the support means comprises a number of piston and cylinder assemblies connecting the base and

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the support structure, means for providing pressurized fluid to the piston and cylinder arrangements, and control means for controlling the flow of pressurized

fluid so as to vary the vertical position of the support I structure and the work surface relative to the base.

6. A cooking installation according to claim 5, comprising a plurality of support means each supporting a respective work surface, wherein said plurality of support means are selectively provided with pressurized fluid from a common source.

7. A cooking installation according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support means comprises a base and a support structure linked by a mechanical linkage.

8. A cooking installation according to claim 7, wherein the mechanical linkage comprises a threaded rod attached to one of the base and support structure, and a ballscrew attached to the other of the base and support structure.

9. A cooking installation according to claim 7, wherein the mechanical linkage comprises a toothed rack attached to the base and a rotatable pinion mounted in a fixed relation to the work surface.

10. A cooking installation substantially as described

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herein with reference to figures 1 to 3 or figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

I

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Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1. A cooking installation comprising a work surface for supporting a cooking vessel, a heating element mounted to the work surface for heating the cooking vessel, and support means for supporting the work surface and heating element, wherein the support means comprises: a base mountable to a surface within a building; and lifting and lowering means operable to selectively vary the vertical position of the work surface relative to the base.
2. A cooking installation according to claim 1, wherein

the base comprises a wall plate mountable to ss vertical surface.
3. A cooking installation according to claim 1, wherein the base is adapted to engage a horizontal surface of a building.
4. A cooking installation according to any preceding claim, wherein the lifting and lowering means is a hydraulic system, comprising a number of piston and cylinder arrangements connecting the base to the work surface, and means for providing pressurised fluid to the

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piston and cylinder arrangements.
5. A cooking installation according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lifting and lowering means comprises a threaded rod attached to one of the base and the work surface, where the rod is engaged by a ball screw rotatably mounted to the other of the base and the work surface.
6. A cooking installation according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lifting and lowering means comprises a toothed rack attached to the base, and a rotatable pinion mounted in a fixed relation to the work surface for engagement with the toothed rack.
7. A cooking installation according to any preceding claim, wherein the lifting and lowering means is manually operable.
8. A cooking installation according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lifting and lowering means is motorised, the installation further comprising control means for controlling the lifting and lowering means to raise or lower the work surface.

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9. A cooking installation according to claim 8 as dependent on claim 4, wherein the control means is operable to control the flow of pressurised fluid so as to vary the vertical position of the work surface relative to the base.
10. A cooking installation according to claim 8, comprising control input means for receiving control inputs from a user, and wherein the control means is responsive to said control inputs to operate the lifting and lowering means to vary the vertical position of the work surface from a first position to suit a first user, to a second position to suit a second user.
11. A plurality of cooking installations according to claim 10, each comprising a respective work surface and support means, wherein said support means are selectively provided with pressurised fluid from a common source.
12. A cooking installation substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.