GB2434860A

GB2434860A - Kitchen range type cooker having two heat sources.

Info

Publication number: GB2434860A
Application number: GB0604351A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gregory Richard Taylor
Original assignee: Gazco Ltd
Current assignee: Gazco Ltd
Priority date: 2006-02-02
Filing date: 2006-03-03
Publication date: 2007-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 2026-03-03
Also published as: GB0604351D0; GB2434860B; GB0602181D0

Abstract

A kitchen range type cooker 2 comprises a first and second oven. The first oven is heated by a primary source located outside the oven 4, such as a burner 12. Preferably the first oven is of a thick walled type of construction and made from cast iron or steel plates greater than 5mm in thickness. A second oven is also heated by the primary heat source but also has a second heat source, such as a heating element 18, provided within the oven cavity. Preferably, the second oven is a thin walled construction. The walls of the second oven may be made from sheet or pressed steel. The first heat source is preferably a solid fuel, gas or oil burner. The second heat source may be gas burner or electric heating device. The first heat source may heat the oven by conduction. In a particular embodiment, the second heat source allows the range to be operated, for example in summer, when the primary heat source would result in excess heat being generated.

Description

I

COOKER

INTRODUCTION

This invention relates to a cooker with multiple heat sources, and particularly, although not exclusively relates to an oil or gas fired range cooker incorporating a conventional oven with electric heating elements.

BACKGROUND

Range cookers have been in common use for many decades and their principle of operation is well known.

Range cookers use a single heat source to heat at least two ovens and usually also two hot plates on top of the cooker. The cooker is constructed using massive cast iron components that store the heat and distribute this heat to the various cooking surfaces and ovens. The spaces around these massive cast iron components are heavily insulated to prevent excessive heat loss. The heat source has a relatively low power rating but runs continuously to bring the cooker up to the required temperature.

One of the most aesthetically popular models of range cooker is one that has 4 ovens, all of which are heated by a single heat source. The ovens are generally at different temperatures. In a typical range cooker, the top right hand oven is a roasting oven and is heated to about 240 C, the bottom right hand oven is a baking oven and is heated to about 180 C, the top left hand oven is a simmering oven and is heated to about 100 C and the bottom left hand oven is a warming oven and is heated to about 50 C.

The problem with this principle of operation is that even though the cooker is heavily insulated, it gives off heat to the room. Whilst in the winter this is a welcome feature, in the summer it is less welcome and some users turn their cookers off in the summer.

Because the cooker needs several hours to come back up to temperature it is not practical to turn the cooker back on until the cold weather starts again. To overcome the problem of not having the range cooker working, these users also have a conventional cooker as a back up to use in the summer months.

The present invention seeks to address the problem and to provide a serviceable oven, even when the cooker's main heat source is not turned on.

According to the present invention there is provided a cooker comprising: a first oven heated by a primary heat source external to an oven cavity of the first oven, and a second oven which is heated by the primary heat source, and has a secondary heat source positioned within an oven cavity of the second oven, the second oven being of thinner walled construction than the first oven.

A wall of the first oven may be greater than or equal to 5mm thick.

The first and second ovens may be contained within a single enclosure.

The second oven may be connected to the primary heat source through a frame of the cooker, so that heat can be conducted directly from the primary heat source to the second oven. Consequently, the second oven can function without the primary heat source being turned on. More specifically, the second oven can be warmed by the primary heat source, even when the secondary heat source is turned off.

The primary heat source may be powered by a different energy source from the secondary heat source. For example, the primary heat source may be a solid fuel, oil or gas burner, and the secondary heat source may be an electric heating device or a gas burner.

The primary heat source may heat the first and/or second ovens by conduction through a frame of the cooker.

A wall of the second oven may be formed from sheet steel, for example by press forming.

The dual heat source provides cooking performance on demand during periods when the range cooker main burner is not being used. It will also improve the versatility of the range cooker by allowing the oven to be hotter than it would normally be for times when the oven is required for roasting or baking.

In a particular embodiment, there is provided a four oven Range Cooker whereby two of the ovens are redesigned to provide modern electric oven performance, typically to include: (1) a fan assisted oven, (2) an electric grill, and/or (3) a conventional electric oven.

The ease of use of the cooker may be further enhanced by the addition of a modern gas or electric hob.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a range cooker having an electric or gas oven mounted within a frame of the range cooker and having at least one wall which is less than or equal to 5 mm thick.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a range cooker having at least two ovens, the first oven being heated only by a first heat source, which is a main heat source of the range cooker and the second oven comprising a conventional electric or gas oven heated by a second heat source, means being provided to conduct heat from the first heat source into the second oven.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a range cooker heated by a primary heat source and having an oven including a secondary heat source, the oven being of thin walled construction and mounted within a frame of the range cooker.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 shows a four oven range cooker in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 2 shows the four oven range cooker of Figure 1 with oven doors removed and with portions of the casing removed to reveal the interior of the cooker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, a range cooker 2 comprises four main ovens 4, 6, 8, 10 which are disposed around a central oil or gas fired burner 12 and a control panel 14.

Heat from the burner 12 is conducted to the ovens 4, 6, 8, 10 through substantial iron castings, such as the casting 16 which interconnects the burner 12 and the oven 4.

The castings may form a frame of the cooker 2 or may be situated on or in the frame.

Additional electric heating elements, such as the element 18 in the top left hand oven 4, provide additional or alternative heating for the top left hand oven 4 and bottom left hand oven 6. The heating elements may be provided in or adjacent a food receiving space (or "oven cavity") of the oven, as in a conventional electric oven and/or grill.

Conventional hot plates 20 are provided above the burner 12 and are heated by the burner 12 by conduction through the castings of the cooker 2. Additional electric or gas hot plates 22 are provided on a separate hob located above the top left oven 4.

The ovens 4, 6 are constructed in the manner of a conventional gas or electric oven and are of relatively thin walled construction. In the illustrated embodiment, the walls of the cooker are formed from pressed steel and are less than 2 mm thick. Consequently, although the oven 4 receives heat from the burner 12 via the casting 16, it does not loose excessive heat into other parts of the range cooker such as the frame of the range cooker 2. This is particularly important if the oven 4 is being heated primarily by the electric elements, such as the element 18. The oven 6 is of similar thin walled construction having walls of pressed steel sheet. Consequently, the ovens 4, 6 are as efficient in operation as a conventional gas or electric oven, even though they are incorporated into a range cooker.

The ovens 8, 10 are of thick walled construction, as is conventional for a range cooker.

The walls may be formed from cast iron or thick steel sheet. For example the walls of the ovens 8, 10 may be 5mm thick, whereas the walls of the ovens 4, 6 are less than 5mm in thickness, and would preferably be less than 2mm in thickness. For example, in a typical application the walls of the ovens 4, 6 might be approximately 1 mm thick.

As a result of the thicker wall construction of the ovens 8, 10, more of the heat from the burner 12 is transferred into the ovens 8, 10, so that under normal operation of the range cooker with the burner 12 running, the ovens 8, 10 will be hotter than the ovens 4, 6. However, the ovens 8, 10 include no additional heating elements 18, so that the temperature of those ovens is less easy to adjust, than the temperature of the ovens 4, 6. Furthermore, if the range cooker burner 12 is switched off during the summer months, the ovens 8, 10 cannot be used, whereas the ovens 4, 6 can be used in the same way as a conventional gas or electric oven. Furthermore, because of the thin walled construction of the ovens 4, 6, very little heat is lost into the frame of the range cooker 2, so that the operation of the ovens 4, 6 is as efficient as a conventional gas or electric oven. This provides a considerable advantage over existing range cookers which incorporate electric heating elements, because these conventional range cookers are all of thick wall construction using cast iron or steel walls, typically of 5mm or greater thickness. Operation of such range cookers using electric heating elements when the main burner of the range cooker is switched off is very inefficient, since much of the heat from the electric heating element is lost into the frame of the range cooker.

In normal operation of the cooker, the burner is run continuously, so that the ovens 4, 6, 8, 10 are all heated. Due to the disposition of the ovens in the cooker, the differing conduction paths of heat through castings of the cooker, such as the casting 16 and the thicker walled construction of the ovens 8, 10, the ovens 4, 6, 8, 10 are normally at different temperatures. The arrangement is such that the left hand ovens 4, 6 are maintained at a lower temperature under normal operating conditions than the right hand ovens 8, 10 so that various different food stuffs can be cooked or warmed, as appropriate.

If roasting, baking or other cooking requiring a higher temperature than is otherwise present in the left hand ovens 4, 6 is required, the relevant heating elements 18 in either or both of the left hand ovens 4, 6, can be switched on via the control panel 14 to increase the temperature of one or both left hand ovens. In addition, in the summer, when the heat given off by the cooker would make the kitchen stuffy or uncomfortably hot, the burner 12 can be switched off. Cooking can still take place in the ovens 4, 6 simply using the electric elements, such as the heating element 18 in the upper left hand oven 4. Thus, a cooker in accordance with the present invention is extremely flexible in operation and can provide cooking all year round. Indeed the flexibility of the cooker enables it to benefit from the advantages of a traditional range cooker, as well as the convenience of a modern electric cooker. Furthermore, cooking in the upper left hand oven 4 and lower left hand oven 6 is made more efficient by heat conduction into the ovens 4, 6 when the burner 12 is switched on and the thin walled construction of the ovens 4, 6, which minimises heat conduction out of the ovens into the frame of the cooker, when the burner 12 is turned off. In addition, the upper and lower left hand electrically heated ovens 4, 6 are always kept warm, whilst the burner 12 is in operation, so that any desired cooking temperature in those ovens can be achieved more quickly, when the electric heating elements are switched on, than in a conventional electric oven.

In the above-described embodiment, a range cooker having four ovens and six hobs is illustrated, but the invention can be applied to any range cooker having any number of ovens and/or hobs.

Claims

CLAIM S

1. A cooker comprising: a first oven heated by a primary heat source external to an oven cavity of the first oven, the first oven being of thick walled construction; and a second oven which is heated by the primary heat source, and has a secondary heat source positioned within an oven cavity of the second oven, the second oven being of thinner walled construction than the first oven.

2. A cooker as claimed in claim 1, wherein walls of the first oven are greater than or equal to the 5mm thick.

3. A cooker as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second ovens are contained within a single enclosure.

4. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second oven is connected to the primary heat source through a frame of the cooker, so that heat can be conducted directly from the primary heat source to the second oven.

5. A cooker as claimed in claim 4, wherein the heat is conducted from the primary heat source to the second oven by means of cast iron or steel plates which are greater than or equal to 5 mm in thickness.

6. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the second oven is heated by the primary heat source, even when the secondary heat source is switched off.

7. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the primary heat source is powered by a different energy source from the secondary heat source.

8. A cooker as claimed in claim 7, in which the primary heat source is a solid fuel, oil or gas burner.

9. A cooker as claimed in claim 7 or 8, in which the secondary heat source is an electric heating device or a gas burner.

10. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the primary heat source heats the first and/or second ovens by conduction through a frame of the cooker.

11. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the walls of the second oven are formed from sheet steel.

12. A cooker as claimed in claim 11 in which the walls of the second oven are formed from pressed steel.

13. A cooker substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.