GB2452336A

GB2452336A - Clamping means for cooker hotplate

Info

Publication number: GB2452336A
Application number: GB0717061A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Hattrick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-09-03
Filing date: 2007-09-03
Publication date: 2009-03-04
Also published as: GB0717061D0

Abstract

A hotplate surface 1 has a heater 2 and a backing plate 3 fastened to it by the action of a heater clamp 4 the heater clamp is made up of a bracket with bars 5 attached to it. A fixture 6 which is attached to the hotplate has cutouts in it, The heater clamp is located in the cutouts. A fixing stud 7 attached to the heater clamp slots through the hole of a securing plate 8 that is attached to the hotplate. The stud is drawn forward by the action of a locknut 9 acting on the securing plate. The heater is clamped to the hotplate by the wedging action of the bars of the heater clamp on the cutouts in the fixture.

Description

CLAMP

CLAMPS ARE USED TO FASTEN ITEMS TOGETHER AND THERE ARE MANY

APPLICATIONS FOR THERE USE. THE CLAMP PRESENTLY PROPOSED MAY HAVE VARIOUS USES, ONE OF WHICH IS THE CLAMPING OF HEATERS TO SURFACES IN ORDER TO HEAT THEM. EXAMPLES OF WHICH ARE COOKERS HOTPLATES AND OTHER TYPES OF EQUIPMENT. VARIOUS METHODS EXIST

FOR CLAMPING HEATERS TO THESE SURFACES TO PROVIDE GOOD

CONTACT FOR HEAT TRANSFER.

HOWEVER, THE USUAL METHODS ARE BY WELDING OR ATTACHING

STUDS TO THE BACK OF THE HOTPLATE TO WHICH A BACKING PLATE IS

CLAMPED USING NUTS AND SAND WICHING THE HEATER BETWEEN THE

HOTPLATE AND THE BACKING PLATE. IF THE HEATERS NEED TO BE

RENEWED THEN THE BACKING PLATE NEEDS TO BE REMOVED WHICH

USUALLY INVOLVES THE REMOVAL OF THE HOTPLATE FROM WHICHEVER

PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IT IS FITTED TO AND UNFASTENING ALL THE STUD

SCREWS IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE HEATER.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRESENT INVENTION THERE IS PROVIDED A

CLAMP SUITABLE FOR A HEATER COMPRISING (I) A BRACKET WITH AT LEAST ONE FIRST ELEMENT PROTRUDING THEREFORE; AND (II) A CO-OPERATING ELEMENT HAVING AT LEAST ONE REBATE, WHEREIN ONE

OF SAID BRACKET AND SAID CO-OPERATING ELEMENT IS MOUNTABLE

TO A HOTPLATE, WHEREIN SAID BRACKET IS ATTACHABLE TO SAID

CO-OPERATING ELEMENT BY MEANS OF LOCATION OF AT LEAST ONE

SAID FIRST ELEMENT IN AT LEAST ONE SAID REBATE.

THE PRESENT INVENTION WILL NOW BE DESCRIBED BY EXAMPLE ONLY,

WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS IN WHICH -

FIGURE 1.

SHOWS AN EXAMPLE OF THE CLAMPING MECHANISM WHEN ASSEMBLED, SHOWN IN SIDE VIEW.

FIGURE 2

SHOWS THE EXPLODED VIEW OF THE CLAMPING MECHANISM

IN FIGURE 1.

A HOTPLATE SURFACE I HAS A HEATER 2 AND A BACKING PLATE 3 FASTENED TO IT BY THE ACTION OF A HEATER CLAMP 4. THE HEATER CLAMP IS MADE UP OF A METAL BRACKET WITH METAL BARS 5 (FIRST ELEMENT IN THIS EXAMPLE) ATTACHED TO IT AND A METAL FIXTURE 6 ( CO-OPERATING ELEMENT IN THIS EXAMPLE) WHICH iS ATTACHED TO THE HOTPLATE. THE FIXTURE COMPONENT HAS CUTOUTS OR REBATES IN IT.

THE BARS OF THE BRACKET ARE LOCATED IN THE CUTOUTS. A FIXING STUD 7 ATTACHED TO THE HEATER CLAMP SLOTS THROUGH THE HOLE OF A SECURING PLATE 8,THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE HOTPLATE. THE STUD IS DRAWN FORWARD BY THE ACTION OF A LOCKNUT 9 ACTING ON THE SECURING PLATE. THE HEATER IS CLAMPED TO THE HOTPLATE BY THE

WEDGING ACTION OF THE BARS OF THE OF THE BRACKET ON THE

CUTOUTS OF IN THE FIXTURE WHICH PRODUCES A PREDOMINANTLY

PERPENDICULAR FORCE TO THAT OF THE FORCE GENERATED BY THE

STUD AND LOCKNT WHEN TIGHTENED..

IN FIGURE 3

THE SAME CONFIGURATION IS SHOWN BUT WITH A FABRICATED ANGLE

PLATE tO FITTED TO THE HEATER CLAMP BRACKET,THAT PROVIDES THE SAME WEDGING ACTION TO CLAMP THE HEATER.

THE CLAMP ALSO CLAMPS WITH EQUAL PRESSURE AT EACH POINT

WHERE THE BARS ATTACHED TO THE BRACKET INTERFACE WITH THE

CUTOUTS IN THE FIXTURE, TO ACHIEVE AN ALMOST SIMIJLTANIOUS CLAMPING FORCE AT THESE POINTS. THE EXAMPLE SHOWS THE CLAMP

WITH BARS FITTED TO THE BRACKET AND CUTOUTS IN THE FIXTURE BUT 3.

THE CUTOUTS COULD BE REBATED SLOTS THAT DO NOT EXTEND FULLY

THROUGH THE FIXTURE. INSTEAD OF SLOTS IN THE FIXTURE, THE

FIXTURE COULD HAVE PROTUSIONS THAT PROVIDE THE SAME EFFECT AS

HAVING SLOTS.

THE CLAMPING ACTION CAN BE ACHIEVED BY HAVING THE BARS ANGLED

RATHER THAN THE SLOTS.

THE CLAMP IS SHOWN IN THIS EXAMPLE WITH TIGHTENING STUDS AND

NUTS THAT PROVIDE THE LATERAL FORCE THAT WEDGES THE BRACKET

TO THE FIXTURE, HOWEVER THIS ONLY AN EXAMPLE AND SOME OTHER METHOD CAN BE PROVIDED SUCH AS A SPRING TYPE LEVER DEVICE.

IN THE DESCRIBED EXAMPLE THE BRACKET IS THE LOOSE OR MOVABLE

PART OF THE CLAMP AND THE FIXTURE IS THE FIXED PART. HOWEVER THE REVERSE CAN BE THE CASE.

THE BRACKET IS SHOWN IN THIS EXAMPLE WITH BARS THAT MOVE IN THE

CUTOUTS OR REBATES OF THE FIXTURE, HOWEVER FOR EXAMPLE, THE

BRACKET COULD BE FITTED WITH THE CUTOUTS AND THE FIXTURE

COULD BE FITTED WITH THE BARS. THE CUTOUTS OR REBATES IN THE

FIXTURE HAVE A HORIZONTAL COMPONENT AS WELL AS A VERTICAL

COMPONENT, THEY ALSO HAVE AN ANGLED SHAPED COMPONENT.

THE BARS THAT LOCATE iN THE CUTOUTS; PROTRUDE FROM THE BRACKET BY AN INDETERMNED DISTANCE FROM THE BRACKET.

THE BARS ARE SHOWN AS ROUND IN THiS EXAMPLE BUT CAN HAVE A PLURALITY OF SHAPES. 4.

Claims

(I) A CLAMP SUITABLE FOR A HEATER COMPRISING (I) A BRACKET WITH AT LEAST ONE FiRST ELEMENT PROTRUDING THEREFORE; AND (II) A CO-OPERATING ELEMENT HAVING AT LEAST ONE REBATE, WHEREIN ONE OF SAID BRACKET AND SAID CO-OPERATING ELEMENT IS MOUNTABLE TO A HOTPLATE, WHEREIN SAID BRACKET

IS ATTACHABLE TO SAID CO-OPERATING ELEMENT BY MEANS OF

LOCATION OF AT LEAST ONE SAID FIRST ELEMENT ff4 AT LEAST ONE SAID REBATE.

(2) A CLAMP ACCORDING TO CLAIM (I) WHEREIN SAID REBATE IS

DISPOSED SUCH AS TO GENERATE A CLAMPING ACTION ON AT

LEAST ONE SAID FiRST ELEMENT WHEN SAID FIRST ELEMENTS IS

LOCATED IN SAID REBATE

(3) A CLAMP ACCORDING TO CLAIM I OR 2, WHEREIN SAID REBATE COMPRISES A FIRST REBATE PART, AND A SECOND REBATE PART SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FIRST REBATE PART.

(4) A CLAMP ACCORDING TO CLAIM I, WHERE THE WEDGING ACTION IS PROVIDED BY AN ELEMENT;HAVING A PLURALITY OF SHAPES,

ACTING ON A REBATE IN A FIXTURE

(5) A CLAMP ACCORDING TO CLAIM I WHERE THE WEDGING ACTION IS

PROVIDED BY AN ANGLED PART ACTING ON THE REBATE IN THE

FIXTURE.

(6) A CLAMP ACCORDING TO CLAIM 1, WHERE THE CLAMPING FORCE IS

APPLIED EVENLY AT EACH INTERFACE BETWEEN THE PROTRUDING

ELEMENT AND EACH CO-OPERATING ELEMENT.

(7) A CLAMP ACCORDING TO ANYONE I CLAIM I OR 2, WHEREIN THE

CLAMPING ACTION IS BY THE ACTION OF FIRST ELEMENT ACTING

ON PROTRUSIONS ON COOPERATING ELEMENT.

(8) A CLAMP ACCORDING TO ANYONE I CLAIM I OR 2, WHEREIN THE

CLAMPING ACTION IS BY THE ACTION OF COOPERATING ELEMENT

ACTING ON PROTRUSIONS ON FIRST ELEMENT.