US3739149A

US3739149A - Cooking appliances

Info

Publication number: US3739149A
Application number: US00115324A
Authority: US
Inventors: K Fischer; F Schreder
Original assignee: EGO Elektro Gerate Blanc und Fischer GmbH
Current assignee: EGO Elektro Geratebau GmbH
Priority date: 1970-02-17
Filing date: 1971-02-16
Publication date: 1973-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-12
Also published as: GB1341753A; FI54741B; FI54741C; FR2078661A5; DE2007145B2; DE2007145C3; DE2007145A1; YU33222B; YU35171A; SE369957B

Abstract

An electric cooking appliance comprises one or several hotplates fitted in respective openings in a top plate. A ring encircles each hot-plate with a peripheral flange of the hotplate resting on said ring. The outer edge of the ring and the inner edge of the opening in the top plate have downwardly directed continuous flanges which are sealed to one another and fixed to one another. A frame by which the appliance can be mounted on a base has an opening provided with a downwardly directed flange in which the top plate is fitted with an outer downwardly directed flange on the top plate adjoining and secured to the frame flange.

Description

United States Patent 1 91 Fischer et al.

[ June 12, 1973 COOKING APPLIANCES 2,761,054 8/1956 Locher 219/445 2,261,496 11 1941 Happe et al. 219 464 [75 l lnvemorsi Fell schreder both of 2,320,041 5/1943 McCormick 219/445 Oberderdmgen, Germany 2,727,133 12/1955 Scofield 219/464 x Assignee E G 0 Elektm Gerate Bianc U. 3,355,575 11/1967 Bassett,.lr. et al. 219/464 Fischer, Kommanditgesellschaft, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Germany 1,049,727 8/1953 France 219/445 138,547 6/1930 Switzerland... 219/445 [22] Flled: 1971 157,610 12 1932 Switzerland... 219 445 21 Appl. No.: 115,324 171,628 6/1952 Austria 219/445 A r P t D Primary ExaminerVolodymyr Y. Mayewsky [30] Pp canon y Attorney-Brumbaugh, Graves, Donohue & Raymond Feb. 17, 1970 Germany P 20 07 145.8

ABSTRACT [52] 219/445 99/324 An electric cooking appliance comprises one or several 51 I t Cl Hush 3/68 hot-plates fitted in respective openings in a top plate. 1 1 A ring encircles each hot-plate with a peripheral flange [58] F1eld of Search ..2l9/445447,

458 459 463 464 of the hot-plate restmg on sa1d r1ng. The outer edge of g 4 the ring and the inner edge of the opening in the top l plate have downwardly directed continuous flanges [56] References which are sealed to one another and fixed to one an- UNITED STATES PATENTS other. A frame by which the appliance can be mounted 2,551,759 5/1951 on a base has an opening provided with a downwardly 3,017,489 1/1962 directed flange in which the two plate is fitted with an 3,023,298 2/1962 outer downwardly directed flange on the top plate adjoining and secured to the frame flange. 1:747:242 2 193 31 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures 16 I 3b 23 2i 43 t 45 l Q SHEET 1 0F 5 PAFENIED 1 2 1N VENTORS ATTORNE KARL FISCHER 8| FELIX SCHREDER their PMENTEU 2W3 SHEUZUS their 7 R M I ATTORNE 5.

PAIENIEU 3.739.149

sum 3 0F 5 Fig. 7 L731,

INVENTORS.

KARL FISCHER a FELIX SCHREDER I M.QM. 87$ m k ATTORNEYS.

'lhel Pmmenm 2m sum MIF 5 n m s INVENTORS KARL FISCHER 8: FELIX SCHREDER 3wM ATTORN E their PAIENIED Jul 1 21973 SHEEI 5 OF 5 III COOKING APPLIANCES The invention relates to an electric cooking appliance having at least one electric hot-plate, and is applicable to cooking appliances which are fitted in cooking ranges, cooking appliances which may be fitted into kitchen furniture, table tops etc., and flat cooking units which may be placed on a table.

Normal cooking appliances are of relatively great vertical dimension, i.e., when measured at right angles to the cooking surface. Furthermore, they are usually constructed such that the actual cooking surface is located considerably above the level of the surrounding mounting, so that a pan which is to be removed from the cooking surface has to be lifted. These disadvantages are attributable to various difficulties. On the one hand, the hot-plates and the mounting have to be effectively sealed relative to one another in order to prevent overflowing cooked commodity from running into the interior of the cooking appliance and, on the other hand, good thermal insulation has to be provided, with the minimum spatial requirements, such that the plate can be of very low construction. Furthermore, owing to inadequate thermal insulation, it has hitherto been impossible to fit the cooking appliances in furniture parts made from inflammable material such as wood, chipboard or plastics material.

A feature of the invention is to provide an electric cooking appliance of the initially mentioned kind which does not have the above-mentioned disadvantages.

In accordance with the invention, an electric cooking appliance comprises an inner mounting made from flat material in which at least one electric hot-plate is accommodated, the inner mounting having an upper surface substantially parallel to the cooking surface of the electric hot-plate and an outer edge which has a continuous, downwardly directed angled portion, and an outer mounting made from flat material which has an upper surface substantially parallel to the cooking surface of the electric hot-plate and at least one opening in the inner edge of which has a continuous, downwardly directed angled portion, the inner mounting being arranged in the opening in the outer mounting, the two angled portions being located close to one another and extending parallel to one another, and fastening means on the angled portions for the purpose of securing the two mountings to one another.

This advantageous construction provides an advantageous possibility of installation in which the upper surfaces of the two mountings may be located substantially at the same height. The joints between the two mountings may be sealed satisfactorily, and, circumstances permitting, an annular gap providing thermal insulation may be formed between the two angled portions. Furthermore, the radiation heat, which is particularly undesirable, is intercepted and dissipated by the angled portions. In the same advantageous manner, the ring directly surrounding the electric hot-plate may be connected to a plate such as a stove plate, and the stove plate may be connected to a rim surrounding the entire cooking unit.

The invention is further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially fragmented section through an installed cooking unit, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the unit illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail section, corresponding to FIG. 1, but through a portion of a second embodiment;

FIGS. 4 to 9 are detail sections through various other embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a section, drawn to an enlarged scale, through a detail before completion of installation; and

FIG. 11 is a section, corresponding to FIG. 10, in the fitted state.

FIG. 12 is a schematic circuit diagram showing an electrical circuit which may be used with the cooking appliance of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a unit 11 comprising two hotplates with the associated regulator has an enamelled top 12 made from sheet steel. Solid electric hot-plates 13, each having a cover member 13a formed of conventional metal or ceramic heat conducting and refractory material, and heated from beneath by conventional electric heaters shown schematically at 13b, and embedded in a conventional electrically insulating, heat conducting material 13C are fitted in the top 12 in two openings having flanged edges and, in the illustrated embodiment, are provided with central temperature sensors 14 in a conventional manner.

The rim region of the top 12 is provided with a protuberance 15 which is formed by an upwardly bent portion and which has contiguous thereto a relatively long, downwardly directed flange 16. Bow-shaped brackets 17, to which a lower cover 18 may be screwed, are mounted on the enamelled top 12. The top 12 is surrounded by a frame 19 which is made from a rustless sheet steel. The frame 19 has an outwardly directed flange 20 which may abut against a base 22 by means of an offset edge 21. The edge of the frame adjacent the enamelled top 12 has a downwardly directed flange 23 which extends parallel to the flange 16 of the top. The two

flanges

16 and 23 are connected to one another by means of hollow rivets 24. It may be seen that the flange 16 of the top 12 extends almost the entire depth of the unit, while the flange 23 may be considerably shorter, thus simplifying its manufacture as an integral component part of the frame. The unit 11 is fitted into an opening in the base 22 which, for example, may be a table top, a working top of a kitchen unit, or the like. For the purpose of installation, a hook of a clamping bolt 26 is inserted into an opening 25 in the flange 16. A nut, preferably a wing nut, is screwed onto the clamping bolt 26 and presses a clamp 28 against the undersides of the base 22 and the unit 11. It may be seen that the unit 11 may be fitted in this manner by only a few manipulations.

One of the short sides of the frame 19 is relatively wide and is provided with an upwardly raised portion or plateau 29. The regulating and switching components are fitted into the portion 29. Two regulators 30 having adjusting knobs 31 are provided for the two hotplates 13. In contrast to the conventional regulators, the regulators 30 have no contactors for phase separation; that is, each regulator 30 is inserted in only one of the two lead wires to the respective hot-plate and has no contact in the other lead wire. Thus, the regulators may be constructed with an extremely low overall height and very economically. The regulators 30 may be thermostat'controlled regulators or they may be of the kind which turn the power on and off at adjustable time intervals.

A two-pole mains on-off switch in the form of a pushbutton switch 32 is arranged between the two regulators 30, the push-button 33 of the switch being transparent and of relatively large area. Two lamps are arranged in the push-button and indicate whether or not power is being supplied to the associated hot-plate. The two corresponding zones of the push-button 33, which are illuminated by the lamps, adjoin the respective regulators 30.

Preferably, the push-button 33 and the associated lamps form a unit which may be attached to the pushbutton switch 32 and which may be interchanged as a unit if one of the lamps should fail. Furthermore, there is provided a pilot lamp 34 which is particularly useful when a plurality of cooking plates are arranged in one unit and which indicates whether the push-button switch 32 is in its on position or off position, i.e., whether the unit is connected to the mains supply or not. For this purpose, the push-button switch 32 contains a contactor for supplying the pilot lamp in addition to the two contactors for the two mains lead wires.

In the illustrated embodiment, the two regulators, the push-button switch, and the pilot lamp are fitted into a cover 35 to form a switch panel which is subsequently inserted into an opening in the raised frame portion 29. Combining together the regulators, the switch and, if provided, the pilot lamp, to form a unit has the advantage that the entire switch panel may be wired before it is installed. The pre-assembled switch panel is then merely installed, connected to the hot-plates, and provided with a mains supply line.

Referring to FIG. 1, the hot-plate 13 is fitted into the top 12 by means of a ring 40. For this purpose, the top 12 has a downwardly directed flange 42 defining the opening 41 for fitting the hot-plate. A small flange 43 at the bottom of the vertical flange 42 extends horizontally into the opening. The ring 40 has an upper, plane, annular portion 44, a downwardly directed flange 45 at the outside thereof and a downwardly directed flange 46 at the inside thereof. Thus, the ring 40 essentially has a downwardly open, U-shaped cross section whose inner limb is usually shorter. Preferably, the ring 40 is made from rustless sheet steel. The cooking surface 47, i.e., the upper surface of the hot-plate 13, protrudes somewhat above the ring 40 and a peripheral flange 48 of the cover member 13a abuts against the annular portion 44 of the ring 40. The downwardly directed flange 46 abuts against the periphery of the hot-plate 13 below the flange 48 and may be pressed onto the latter, for example.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the outer flange 45 of the ring 40 is also dimensioned such that it abuts tightly against the flange 42 of the top 12 and thus tightly seals the gap. The lower edge of the flange 45 of the ring abuts against the flange 43 and forms a downward support. To ensure that the hot-plate 13 does not lift out of the top of the opening, it may be retained by means of a clamping device (not illustrated). It may be seen that it is a particularly simple matter to fit the hot-plate 13 into the top 12 in this manner, and that the hot-plate projects only slightly above the top 12 and the transmission of heat from the hot-plate 13 to the top 12 is not undesirably high.

A different embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3 in which the frame 19' is made from a plastics material reinforced with glass fiber. Such a frame is particularly simple to manufacture, has very good heat insulating properties, and its color may be matched to the color of the base 22 or of the top 12. The fastening and clamping device can be identical to the device illustrated in FIG. 1. However, in the present embodiment, the bottom cover 18 is so constructed that it terminates at a distance from the rim 16. This results in satisfactory cooling of the edge region, and convection heat is prevented from directly approaching the edge from the interior of the unit.

FIG. 3 shows a connection between the hot-plate l3 and the top 12 in which the ring 40 has an obliquely inwardly and downwardly extending flange 49 against which abuts a conical flange 50 of the hot-plate 13. The flange 49 may be so dimensioned that, after the ring 40 has been pressed onto the hot-plate, the inner boundary of the flange 49, i.e., its inner sharp edge, abuts against a cylindrical surface 51 on the hot-plate and prevents the latter from being lifted upwardly. The outer flange 45 of the ring 40 forms an air gap with the flange 42 of the top 12. Its lower edge abuts against a sealing ring 52 which is preferably made from silicone rubber. The sealing ring 52 is located in an upwardly open annular recess which is formed by the flange 43 and an upwardly bent rim 53 on the flange 43.

This embodiment provides a particularly good facility for fitting the hot-plates and heat insulation. The air gap and the abutment against the sealing ring 52 avoid any metal-to-metal contact. Furthermore, the sealing ring 52 prevents any overflowing liquid from entering the interior of the cooking unit.

Details of further embodiments are illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 8. FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment which is identical to FIG. 1 with respect to the securing of the ring 40 to the hot-plate 13, i.e., the flange 46 etc. The outer flange 45 of the ring and its co-operation with the top 12 corresponds to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 corresponds to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 with respect to the securing of the hot-plate, although the top 12 has in the region of the opening 41 a depression 55 whose depth corresponds to the height of the hot-plate peripheral flange 48. By virtue of this feature, the cooking surface 47 is located on a level with the top 12 outside the depression 55. Thus, it is possible to slide a cooking pan from the top 12 onto and off of the cooking surface 47, without any tendency for the pan to tilt. Furthermore, the pan is prevented from coming into undesirable contact with the top 12 when the pot is not located centrally on the cooking surface 47. The depression 55 extends annularly around the entire hot-plate and forms a receptacle for cooked commodity which has overflowed.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, the manner in which the ring 40 and the hot-plate 13 are secured to one another also corresponds to that in the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5. However, the ring 40 has instead of the flange 45 an obliquely outwardly and downwardly directed portion 56 which abuts against an obliquely upwardly directed portion 57 of the top 12 inwardly adjoining the depression 55. However, an air gap may be formed between the

portions

56 and 57, since the portion 57 has a continuous annular recess 58 into which a seal 52 is inserted. The portion 56 abuts against this seal and thus prevents cooked commodity which has overflowed, and which fills the depression 55, from running into the interior of the cooking unit. In FIG. 6 also, the cooking surface 47 is located on a level with the main surface of the top 12.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment which corresponds to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 with respect to the interior part of the ring 40, while the outer part of the ring and the corresponding construction of the top 12 corresponds to those shown in FIG. 1. It may be seen that, in this embodiment, the hot-plate 13 may project above the top 12 by only a small amount.

Thus, as may be seen from FIG. 8, only a very slight depression 55 is required in order to adapt the level of the cooking surface 47 to the level of the top 12 with otherwise the same construction of the ring and the hot-plate as illustrated in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment which corresponds to FIGS. 3, 7 and 8 with respect to the hot-plate 13 having the flange 50 and the inner flange 49 of the ring, while the top 12 and the outer portion 56 of the ring may be constructed corresponding to FIG. 6.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show a modified embodiment of the V mounting for the hot-plate. The construction of the top 12, the flange 42, and the small flange 43 corresponds essentially to the construction illustrated in FIG. 5. However, the ring 40' is so constructed that at least portions of its periphery do not abut against the flange 42 before the ring is in its fully fitted state. In the illustrated embodiment, its periphery or its outer flange 45 initially has a downwardly widening conical configuration. The lower edge of this flange 45 comes into abutment against the small flange 43 when the hot-plate is installed. Pressure is then exerted onto the electric hotplate 13 in the direction of the arrow 60 and permanently deforms the ring 40' into the shape illustrated in FIG. 11. Thus, after deformation, the ring 40' has assumed substantially the shape of the ring illustrated in FIG. 5. It may be seen that this enables installation to be effected in a particularly satisfactory and tight manner. In this embodiment also, additional sealing may be effected by specially inserted seals in the region of the small flange 43 or between the

vertical flanges

42 and 45.

We claim:

1. An electric cooking appliance comprising an inher-mounting made from flat rigid metallic material; at least one electric hotplate formed of refractory material accommodated in said inner mounting with an upper surface of said inner mounting substantially parallel to the cooking surface of the electric cooking hotplate; an outer mounting made from flat rigid material having means defining at least one opening therein for receiving and supporting said inner mounting; said outer mounting having a raised plateau in its upper surface; regulating means mounted on said raised plateau for controlling the temperature of the electric hotplate, said regulating means including at least one electric regulator having an adjusting knob for said one hotplate and a separate two-pole electric main switch; and said outer mounting having an outwardly directed flange for abutment against the edge region ofa mounting opening in an upper plate of a kitchen furniture.

2. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim I in which at least one of said mountings comprises material having poor heat-conducting properties.

3. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one of said mountings comprises rustless steel plate.

4. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 1 in which said inner mounting comprises a top plate and said outer mounting comprises a frame which surrounds said top plate.

5. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 4 further comprising clamping means for acting upon at least one of said mountings and upon said base to press said outwardly directed flange against said base.

6. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 4 in which said frame comprises glass fiber reinforced plastics material.

7. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 4 in which said top plate comprises enamelled sheet metal.

8. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a bottom cover underlying said hot-plate and the surrounding portion of said top plate but terminates short of the outer periphery of said top plate.

9. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 4 in which said top plate has at least one opening therein, and which further comprises a ring closely surrounding said hot-plate and disposed in the lastmentioned opening and means sealing said ring to said top plate.

10. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 9 in which said top plate has a continuous, downwardly directed inner flange around its inner edge defining said last-mentioned opening, and in which said ring has a continuous, downwardly directed outer flange about its outer edge, said ring being arranged in said lastmentioned opening with said top plate inner flange located adjacent and parallel to said ring outer flange, said flanges at least in part comprising said sealing means.

11. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 17 in which said electric hot-plate has a continuous peripheral flange by which the electrical hot-plate abuts against said ring.

12. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 9 in which said cooking surface is located in substantially the same plane as the upper surface of said top plate, and in which said top plate has a shallow continuous depression formed therein encircling said hotplate, and in which said ring has an obliquely downwardly outwardly directed portion which abuts against an obliquely upwardly inwardly directed portion of said top plate adjoining said depression.

13. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 1 in which said regulating means includes a pilot lamp and said switch comprises a push-button type switch including contact means for said pilot lamp.

14. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 1 in which said regulating means includes a panel on which said regulator and said main switch are mounted, said plateau having an opening in which said panel is fitted as a cover.

15. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 14 in which said main switch has a transparent pushbutton and at least one indicator lamp therebehind for an associated regulator.

16. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 15 in which said transparent push-button together with said indicator lamp comprises an interchangeable subassembly.

17. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 1 in which said inner mounting comprises a ring which closely surrounds the electric hotplate, said electric hotplate having a continuous peripheral flange and an underlying continuous substantially cylindrical surface by which the electric hotplate abuts against and seals to said ring, and said inner mounting further comprises a flange which has a continuous portion parallel to a continuous portion of said ring and is sealed thereto.

18. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 17 in which said flange on said inner mounting has on its lower edge a small inward flange, and said continuous portion of said ring rests against said small inward flange.

19. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 18 in which said ring has about its inner edge a downwardly directed portion abutting against the hot-plate.

20. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 18 in which said ring has about its inner edge an obliquely inwardly and downwardly extending flange and said outer peripheral flange of said hot-plate has a complementary conical lower surface resting on said inwardly and downwardly extending flange.

21. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 18 further comprising a sealing ring between said ring and said top plate.

22. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 21 in which said sealing ring comprises silicone rubber.

23. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 21 in which said inner flange of said top plate has an upwardly open channel wherein said sealing ring is received and the edge of said outer flange of said ring abuts against said sealing ring.

24. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 18 in which the cooking surface of the hot-plate is at a level at least as high as the top surface of said top plate.

25. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 24 in which said cooking surface is located in substantially the same plane as the upper surface of said top plate, and in which said top plate has a shallow continuous depression formed therein and encircling said hotplate.

26. An electric cooking appliance comprising:

an inner mounting including a top platemade from flat rigid material;

at least one electric hotplate formed of refractory material accommodated in said inner mounting, said electric hotplate including a continuous peripheral flange and an underlying substantially cylindrical surface having an outside diameter smaller than the maximum outside diameter of said peripheral flange;

said inner mounting including ring means for supporting, insulating and sealing said electric hotplate in said top plate with the cooking surface of the electric hotplate substantially parallel and closely adjacent to the plane of the upper surface of said top plate, said ring means including a metal ring having an inner opening defined by an inner edge which receives and tightly engages said cylindrical surface, said ring underlying and abutting said peripheral flange of said hotplate, said metal ring also including an outer peripheral flange which engages and is supported by said top plate; and

an outer mounting made from flat rigid material having means defining at least one opening therein for receiving and supporting said top plate.

27. An electrical cooking appliance as defined in claim 1, wherein said ring further includes an outer downturned flange, and said top plate includes an inner downturned flange defining an opening in which said electric hot-plate is accommodated, said inner downturned flange having a continuous portion continuously parallel to said outer downturned flange of said ring, and sealing means for sealing said ring outer flange to said top plate inner flange.

28. An electrical cooking appliance as defined in claim 27, wherein the underside of said peripheral flange is parallel to the top surface of said hot-plate.

29. An electrical cooking appliance as defined in claim 27, wherein the underside of said peripheral flange is a downwardly directed truncated conical surface, and said inner downturned flange of said ring has a complementary conical upper surface engaging and supporting said underside of said peripheral flange.

30. An electrical cooking appliance as defined in claim 27, wherein the underside of the outer downturned flange of said ring describes an upwardly directed truncated conical surface, and the inner downturned flange of said top plate includes a portion having an upper surface defining a complementary upwardly directed truncated conical surface with said outer flange of said ring, and said ring outer flange overlies and is sealed to said top plate inner flange.

31. An electrical cooking appliance as defined in claim 29, wherein the underside of the outer downturned flange of said ring describes an upwardly directed truncated conical surface, and the inner downturned flange of said top plate includes a portion having an upper surface defining a complementary upwardly directed truncated conical surface with said outer flange of said ring, and said ring outer flange overlies and is to said top plate inner flange.

File 21168 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 5539 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,732,139 Dated {[2316 12, 1973 Inventor(s) I It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are 'hereby corrected as shown below:

Inventors -"Krl", should be -Karl-;

Abstract, line 10, "two", should be--top-;

Column 6, line 37, claim 11, "17" should be --9-'-.

Signed and sealed this 26th day of March 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. 'C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents File 21168 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,739,149 Dated June 12, 1973 Inventofls) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Inventors -"Krl", should be -Karl--;

Abstract, line 10, "two", should be-top--;

Column 6, line 37, claim 11, "17" should be --9--.

Signed and sealed this 26th day of March 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. 'C. MARSHALL DANN Attescing Officer v Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. An electric cooking appliance comprising an inner-mounting made from flat rigid metallic material; at least one electric hotplate formed of refractory material accommodated in said inner mounting with an upper surface of said inner mounting substantially parallel to the cooking surface of the electric cooking hotplate; an outer mounting made from flat rigid material having means defining at least one opening therein for receiving and supporting said inner mounting; said outer mounting having a raised plateau in its upper surface; regulating means mounted on said raised plateau for controlling the temperature of the electric hotplate, said regulating means including at least one electric regulator having an adjusting knob for said one hotplate and a separate two-pole electric main switch; and said outer mounting having an outwardly directed flange for abutment against the edge region of a mounting opening in an upper plate of a kitchen furniture.

2. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one of said mountings comprises material having poor heat-conducting properties.

9. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 4 in which said top plate has at least one opening therein, and which further comprises a ring closely surrounding said hot-plate and disposed in the last-mentioNed opening and means sealing said ring to said top plate.

10. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 9 in which said top plate has a continuous, downwardly directed inner flange around its inner edge defining said last-mentioned opening, and in which said ring has a continuous, downwardly directed outer flange about its outer edge, said ring being arranged in said last-mentioned opening with said top plate inner flange located adjacent and parallel to said ring outer flange, said flanges at least in part comprising said sealing means.

12. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 9 in which said cooking surface is located in substantially the same plane as the upper surface of said top plate, and in which said top plate has a shallow continuous depression formed therein encircling said hot-plate, and in which said ring has an obliquely downwardly outwardly directed portion which abuts against an obliquely upwardly inwardly directed portion of said top plate adjoining said depression.

15. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 14 in which said main switch has a transparent push-button and at least one indicator lamp therebehind for an associated regulator.

16. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 15 in which said transparent push-button together with said indicator lamp comprises an interchangeable sub-assembly.

25. An electric cooking appliance as claimed in claim 24 in which said cooking surface is located in substantially the same plane as the upper surfacE of said top plate, and in which said top plate has a shallow continuous depression formed therein and encircling said hot-plate.

26. An electric cooking appliance comprising: an inner mounting including a top plate made from flat rigid material; at least one electric hotplate formed of refractory material accommodated in said inner mounting, said electric hotplate including a continuous peripheral flange and an underlying substantially cylindrical surface having an outside diameter smaller than the maximum outside diameter of said peripheral flange; said inner mounting including ring means for supporting, insulating and sealing said electric hotplate in said top plate with the cooking surface of the electric hotplate substantially parallel and closely adjacent to the plane of the upper surface of said top plate, said ring means including a metal ring having an inner opening defined by an inner edge which receives and tightly engages said cylindrical surface, said ring underlying and abutting said peripheral flange of said hotplate, said metal ring also including an outer peripheral flange which engages and is supported by said top plate; and an outer mounting made from flat rigid material having means defining at least one opening therein for receiving and supporting said top plate.