WO2008015557A2

WO2008015557A2 - Kitchen appliance for preparing and cooking food

Info

Publication number: WO2008015557A2
Application number: PCT/IB2007/002228
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giorgio Malaguti
Original assignee: Glem Gas S.P.A.
Priority date: 2006-08-04
Filing date: 2007-08-03
Publication date: 2008-02-07
Also published as: ITMO20060253A1; WO2008015557A3

Abstract

Kitchen appliance (1) for preparing and cooking food, comprising a support frame (2) for supporting at least one first (3) and one second (5) flame burner, at least one grille (4) for resting kitchen vessels, associable with the support frame above the first burner and suitable for defining a cooktop on which the vessels can be positioned in direct contact with the flame of the first burner, and at least one cooking plate (6) associable with the support frame above the second flame burner, the cooking plate and the cooktop being substantially on the same plane.

Description

KITCHEN APPLIANCE FOR PREPARING AND COOKING FOOD

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a kitchen appliance for preparing and cooking food. Background Art

The use is known of gas cooker appliances comprising a frame that can be fixed to a kitchen unit in horizontal arrangement and supporting a plurality of flame burners.

Suitable grilles are positionable resting on the frame, above the burners, to define a cooktop for supporting the kitchen vessels such as pans, pots, etc.

Such known appliances can be fitted with cooking plates (so-called "fry tops"), on which the food is cooked by direct contact.

The cooking plate generally has side edges positionable resting on the frame, where a flame burner of the cup burner type, for example, is located. To allow air to reach the burner and, therefore, to ensure flame ignition and correct combustion, through slots are obtained in the side edges.

The above known appliances are not however without drawbacks. In fact, because of the overall dimensions of the burner and the need to make slots large enough to allow combustion air to pass through, the supporting edges are of such size that the cooking plate must be positioned higher than the cooktop defined by the grilles.

This makes it hard to move the vessels from the cooktop to the cooking plate and vice versa.

To overcome such drawbacks the use is also known of appliances having cooking plates that are electrically-heated by means of a heating element or the like.

Because they do not occupy the same amount of room as the burner, these cooking plates can be placed at the same height off the ground with respect to the cooktop defined by the grilles (so-called "lowered-centre plates"). These appliances nevertheless also have drawbacks, in particular the use of such plates is not always cost-effective due to the large consumption of electricity and ensuing high operating costs. Object of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a kitchen appliance for preparing and cooking food that allows cooking in a practical and easy way without being complicated from a structural viewpoint and without excessive energy consumption.

Within the scope of such technical aim, another object of the present invention is to provide for a process which allows to overcome the mentioned drawbacks of the prior state of the art with a simple, functional and low cost solution. The above objects have all been achieved by the present kitchen appliance for preparing and cooking food, comprising a support frame for supporting at least one first and one second flame burner, at least one grille for resting kitchen vessels, associable with said support frame above said first burner and suitable for defining a cooktop on which said vessels can be positioned in direct contact with the flame of said first burner, and at least one cooking plate associable with said support frame above said second flame burner, characterized in that said cooking plate and said cooktop are substantially on the same plane. Brief Description of the Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more evident from the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a kitchen appliance for preparing and cooking food, illustrated indicatively by way of non limiting example, in the attached drawings wherein: the figure 1 is a partially sectioned axonometric view of the appliance according to the invention fitted to a kitchen unit; the figure 2 is a front section view of the appliance according to the invention; the figure 3 is an exploded view of a part of the appliance according to the invention; the figure 4 is a front section view of a part of the appliance according to the invention; the figure 5 is a side section view of the appliance according to the invention. Embodiments of the invention

With particular reference to such figures, a kitchen appliance for preparing and cooking food has been globally indicated by 1. The appliance 1 comprises a support frame 2, substantially plate-shaped and which can be fitted and fixed, with substantially horizontal arrangement, inside a housing defined at the upper portion of a kitchen unit A of known type.

It must be emphasised that with the word "upper" in this description and in a non-exclusive way reference is made to the standard arrangement of the kitchen unit A for the correct use of the appliance 1.

On the support frame 2 is fitted at least one first flame burner 3, of the so-called cup type; a grille 4 for supporting kitchen vessels B, such as pots, pans, etc. is supported substantially horizontally by the support frame 2 and is arranged above the first burner 3 to define a cooktop. For cooking food therefore, the vessels B can be positioned on the grille 4, in direct contact with the flame produced by the first burner 3.

With particular, but not exclusive reference to the embodiment shown in the above illustrations, the support frame 2 comprises a base frame 2a, fixable to the unit A and provided with two substantially plate-shaped portions opposite one another, on which are fitted respective pairs of such first flame burners 3 and at which are arranged respective grilles 4.

The appliance 1 comprises a second flame burner 5 of the so-called cup type, fitted on the support frame 2 between the above pairs of first flame burners 3. Different types of the appliance 1 cannot however be ruled out, with a different number and/or arrangement of the first flame burners 3 and of the second flame burner 5.

Advantageously, a cooking plate 6 can be associated with the support frame 2, above the second flame burner 5 and with substantially horizontal arrangement and on the same plane as the cooktop defined by the grilles 4. The cooking plate

6 can be made of metal type material, is heatable by the flame generated by the second flame burner 5 and can be used for cooking by direct contact with food such as meat, etc..

The cooking plate 6 and the cooktop defined by the grilles 4 are, therefore, substantially arranged at the same height, where by height is meant the distance with respect to the ground in the standard arrangement of the unit A.

In particular, the support frame 2 comprises a slab 2b to support the second flame burner 5, associated substantially horizontal with the base frame 2a by the inter-positioning of fixing means, for example, of the threaded type, and on which the cooking plate 6 can be positioned in support.

Alternatively, the slab 2b can be made in a single piece with the base frame 2a. The slab 2b has a seat 7 for housing the cup 8 of the second flame burner 5; at least one air flow opening 9 is defined on the slab 2b, near such seat 7 and below the flame baffle cover 10 of the second flame burner 5 arranged removable on the cup 8.

In the particular embodiment shown in the above illustrations, the flame baffle cover 10 has a perimeter wing that extends substantially divergent downwards, above the openings 9. Another conformation of the flame baffle cover 10 cannot however be ruled out.

Usefully, the second flame burner 5 has a substantially elongated conformation and extends horizontally along a section of the slab 2b, to allow quicker heating of the cooking plate 6, while the air flow openings 9 are arranged in two or more rows near the two opposite sides of the cup 8.

During use, as shown in the figures 4 and 5, the combustion gas is introduced inside the cup 8 by means of a specific pipe and mixes with the air coming from the openings 9 and conveyed inside the cup 8 by means of the flame baffle cover 10. The fuel thus mixed with the air escapes from the perimeter holes on the flame baffle cover 10 and combustion is triggered by an external electric plug.

Advantageously, the cooking plate 6 comprises a supporting element 11 resting against the slab 2b, made up of edges that protrude below the cooking plate 6 and near to the borders of this.

Alternative conformations of the supporting element 11 cannot however be ruled out in which, for example, this is made up of a single edge that extends below the cooking plate 6 and along the entire perimeter of this.

Usefully, the cooking plate 6 comprises a tray 12 for collecting oil, greases or other substances produced or used during food cooking. This tray 12 is defined at one end of the cooking plate 6 and has a sloping section suitable for making it easier to collect the above substances. In the particular embodiment shown, the cooking plate 6 also comprises a series of air flow vents 13 arranged facing upwards, and defined at the end of the cooking plate 6 opposite the tray 12.

It has in fact been ascertained how the described invention achieves the intended objects and in particular, the fact is underlined that the particular "lowered" arrangement of the cooking plate with respect to the appliances of known type, allowed by the presence of the air flow openings on the slab, permits the preparation of the food in a practical and easy way.

In particular, the arrangement of the cooking plate at the same height as the cooktop defined by the grilles permits the easy movement of the kitchen vessels from one place to another.

A further advantage is provided by the low energy consumption of the appliance, ensured by the use of a gas burner to heat the cooking plate.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which falling within the scope of the inventive concept.

Furthermore all the details may be replaced by other elements which are technically equivalent.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements without because of this moving outside the protection scope of the following claims.

Claims

1) Kitchen appliance for preparing and cooking food, comprising a support frame for supporting at least one first and one second flame burner, at least one grille for resting kitchen vessels, associable with said support frame above said first burner and suitable for defining a cooktop on which said vessels can be positioned in direct contact with the flame of said first burner, and at least one cooking plate associable with said support frame above said second flame burner, characterized in that said cooking plate and said cooktop are substantially on the same plane. 2) Appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that said cooking plate and said cooktop are substantially horizontal and arranged at the same height. 3) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said support frame comprises at least one air flow opening defined near said second flame burner. 4) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said support frame is substantially plate-shaped.

5) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said support frame comprises at least one slab to support said second flame burner. 6) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting slab is substantially horizontal.

7) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one between said first and second flame burner is of the cup type.

8) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting slab comprises at least one housing seat of the cup of said second flame burner.

9) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said air flow opening is defined on said supporting slab near said housing seat. 10) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said air flow opening is defined below the flame baffle cover of said second flame burner. 11) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cooking plate comprises at least one supporting element resting against said slab.

12) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting element comprises at least one edge that protrudes below said cooking plate and that extends along at least one section of its perimeter.

13) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting element comprises at least one pair of edges that protrude below said cooking plate and near to its substantially opposite borders. 14) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cooking plate comprises at least one tray for collecting substances produced or used during food cooking.

15) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one air flow vent substantially facing upwards. 16) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said support frame comprises at least one base frame associable with a kitchen unit.

17) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting slab and said base frame are associated by interposition of fixing means.

18) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting slab and said base frame are made up in a single body.

19) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting slab comprises a plurality of said air flow openings. 20) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second flame burner extends horizontally along at least one section of said slab.

21) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of said second flame burners. 22) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of said plates. 23) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said it comprises a plurality of said first flame burners. 24) Appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of said grilles.