GB2444950A

GB2444950A - Cooking appliance with a heated casing

Info

Publication number: GB2444950A
Application number: GB0625417A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gregory Richard Taylor
Original assignee: Gazco Ltd
Current assignee: Gazco Ltd
Priority date: 2006-12-20
Filing date: 2006-12-20
Publication date: 2008-06-25
Also published as: EP1936278A1; GB0625417D0

Abstract

A cooker comprises a casing (2, fig. 1), a primary heat source for cooking and a secondary heat source 30, 32. The secondary heat source is distributed around the casing for warming the casing. The secondary heat source may comprise an elongate power dissipative heating element which is preferably a resistive electric heating element. However, any form of heating element, such as a pipe or tube containing a heat transfer fluid, could be used. The heating element may be folded back on itself repeatedly to form a substantially planar heating element. Preferably, the secondary heat source is distributed around a front part of the casing, a top part of the casing, or at least one end part of the casing. The secondary heat source may also contact an underside of the casing. Preferably, cooker controls 19 are provided to switch on a front heating element 30 and a top heating element 32, either together or independently. The controls may include a thermostat and/or a timer.

Description

APPLIANCE WITH HEATED CASING

Introduction

This invention relates to an appliance with a heated casing, and particularly, although not exclusively, relates to range cooker with electrically heated ovens and hobs, and a dedicated heating element to heat the casing of the range cooker.

Background

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

Conventional 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.

With the above-described principle of operation, even though the cooker is heavily insulated, it is warm to the touch and gives off heat to its surroundings. Particularly in the winter this is a very welcome feature, but in the summer it can be 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 may not be considered 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 must also have a conventional cooker as a backup to use in the summer months.

The present invention seeks to address these problems and to provide a modern and efficient range cooker, which is warm to the touch, just like a conventional range cooker.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cooker having a casing, a primary heat source for cooking and a secondary heat source for warming the casing, the secondary heat source being distributed around the casing.

It is becoming increasingly important not to waste energy, and consumers are more likely to purchase a range cooker which is energy efficient. Consequently it is desirable to reproduce the traditional look of a range cooker but to include in that cooker conventional ovens and hobs which warm up quickly and conduct little heat to the casing of the cooker.

Consumers may be reluctant to buy such cookers if they do not reproduce the "warm to the touch" character of a conventional range cooker. This problem is addressed in accordance with the present invention, since the casing of the cooker is heated by the secondary heating element. As the secondary heating element is distributed around the casing, a low output secondary heating element can be used to provide sufficient heating of the casing than would be possible with a localised heat source which is not distributed around the casing. Furthermore, the casing can be heated more evenly if the secondary heating element is distributed around the casing.

The secondary heat source may comprise an elongate heating element, which may for example be electrically powered, or comprise a tube filled with hot fluid. The heating element may be a power-dissipative heating element. For example it may be a resistive heating element.

The heating element may be coiled around the casing, or may be folded back on itself repeatedly to form a substantially planar heating element formed from convoluted lengths of elongate heating element.

The secondary heat source may be distributed around a front part of the casing. In addition, or instead, the secondary heat source may be distributed around a top part of the casing. In addition, or instead, the secondary heat source may be distributed around at least one end part of the casing.

The secondary heating element may be controlled by a thermostat. In addition, or instead, it may be controlled by a timer.

If a thermostat is provided in a heating circuit of the secondary heating element, a consumer can set the temperature of the casing as desired, within the capacity of the secondary heating element. If a timer is provided, the secondary heating element could be operated, for example, only during the day, so that during the night, when the casing of the cooker does not need to be warm, the energy consumption of the cooker is minimised.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an appliance having a casing, a primary heat source and a secondary dedicated heat source for heating the casing. The appliance could, for example, be a cooker, an oven, a stove, or a fire.

The various features described above in relation to the first aspect of the invention are also applicable to the second aspect of the invention.

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 two oven range cooker in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 2 shows the two oven range cooker of figure 1 with oven doors removed and with portions of the casing removed to reveal the interior of the cooker.

Referring to figure 1, a two oven range cooker 1 comprises a box shaped casing 2 having a front waIl 4, side walls 6, 8, a top wall 10 and a rear wall 12. Three doors, 14, 16, 18 are attached to the front wall 4, and a hob 20 having two hotplates 22, 24 is mounted in the top wall 10. Lids 26, 28 are pivotably attached to the top wall 10 along an edge of the hob 20 and can be swung down to cover the hotplates 22, 24.

Referring also to figure 2, the oven doors, 16, 18, provide access to conventional electric ovens 15, 17, heated by primary heart sources, for example in the form of conventional electric heating elements (not shown), and the oven door 14 provides access to cooker controls 19 for the ovens 15, 17.

Figure 2 shows the cooker of figure 1 with a portion of the front wall 4 and top waIl 10 cut away to reveal heating elements 30, 32 situated within, and in contact with, the front wall 4 and the top wall 10, respectively. Each heating element 30, 32 comprises a power-dissipative electric heating element in the form of a flexible conductor, which is distributed around the casing 2, so that an even heating effect is achieved in the casing. The power-dissipative heating element may, for example, comprise a resistive heating element. In an alternative embodiment (not illustrated) the heating element could comprise a pipe or tube, in which is circulated a heated fluid. This embodiment is particularly appropriate in a range cooker which has a back boiler, because a proportion of the flow from the back boiler can be diverted into the heating element to heat the casing 2 of the range cooker.

The front heating element 30 behind the front wall 4 of the cooker is folded back on itself repeatedly to form a substantially planar heating element, which heats the top left hand side of the front wall 4 of the cooker. The right hand side of the front wall 4, as viewed in figure 2, is already heated to some extent by the ovens 16, 18, but a free end of the heating element 30 is extended across the top edge 4a of the front wall 4 and down the right hand edge 4b of the front wall 4, so that the entire upper part of the front wall 4 is warm to the touch, when the heating element 30 is switched on.

The top heating element 32 is substantially U-shaped when viewed in plan and extends beneath the two side edges lOa, lOb and the front edge lOc of the top wall 10.

Consequently, the entire exposed edge of the top wall 10 is warm to the touch, when the heating element 32 is switched on.

The cooker controls 19 may include switch gear to switch on the heating elements 30, 32, either together or independently. Furthermore, the controls may include a thermostat and/or a timer for controlling the operation of the heating elements 30, 32, either together or independently. It is envisaged that the total power consumption of both heating elements 30, 32 to achieve a "warm to the touch' feel to the casing 2 could be achieved with a power output of only approximately 40 watts.

Although in the illustrated embodiments the heating elements 30, 32 are shown as electric heating elements, any form of heating element is contemplated. In addition, heating elements such as the heating elements 30, 32, could be situated in any desired position or orientation beneath, or at least partially within the thickness of, the casing 2 of the cooker.

It is contemplated that this invention could extend to any appliance for which it is desirable to achieve and/or maintain a specific surface temperature.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A cooker having casing, a primary heat source and a

secondary heat source, the secondary heat source being distributed around the casing.
2. A cooker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary heat source comprises an elongate heating element.
3. A cooker as claimed in claim 2, wherein the elongate heating element comprises a power-dissipative heating element.
4. A cooker as claimed in claim 3, wherein the heating element comprises a resistive heating element.
5. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating element is folded back on itself repeatedly to form a substantially planar heating element.
6. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary heat source is distributed around a front part of the casing.
7. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary heat source is distributed around a top part of the casing.
8. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary heat source is distributed around at least one end part of the casing.
9. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary heat source contacts an underside of the casing.
10. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary heating element is controlled by a thermostat.
11. A cooker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary heating element is controlled by a timer.
12. A cooker substantialJy as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.