WO2015151000A1 - Grid for a cooking hob and cooking hob comprising such a grid - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a grid (10) for a cooking hob (100) and a cooking hob (100) using at least one of such grids (10). The cooking hob (100) is provided with gas burners (110). The grid (10) according to the invention comprises a base element (11) which defines a resting plane for resting on the cooking hob (100) and to which at least three support elements (12a, 12b, 12c) are constrained, the support elements (12a, 12b, 12c) being configured so as to define a support plane which is raised and parallel with respect to the resting plane. The base element (11) encloses an internal space (11a) which is configured to house a single gas burner (110) of said cooking hob (100). At least one of said at least three support elements (12a) has a different shape than the other support elements (12b, 12c) and/or it has a relative orientation with respect to the base element (11) different than the relative orientation of the other support elements (12b, 12c). Said at least three support elements (12a, 12b, 12c; 15a, 15b) extend from said base element (11) toward the outside with respect to said internal space (11a).

Description

Grid for a cooking hob and cooking hob comprising such a grid

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The present invention relates to a grid for a cooking hob and a cooking hob using at least one of such grids, in particular a cooking hob that is provided with gas burners.

Preferably, the grid and the cooking hob of the present invention are used in house kitchens.

Throughout the description and in the following claims, by "lower", "upper", "below", "above" or similar expressions, reference is made to positions in space of the grid, of the elements that constitute the grid and/or of the cooking hob with respect to the operative arrangement taken up by them on a horizontal plane or kitchen top.

Cooking hobs comprising gas burners are provided with grids that are positioned at the gas burners so as to support, in a stable manner, one or more saucepans above respective gas burners.

It is in particular known to make such grids with wide dimensions, so that they can be associated with a plurality of gas burners, or as a single element, which can be associated with a single gas burner.

In the first case, the grid consists of a set of linear support elements, possibly arranged crossing one another, which rise from a peripheral base for resting on the cooking hob. Such a peripheral base has a size such as to surround a plurality of gas burners. The linear support elements define a raised support plane with respect to the peripheral base, which makes it possible to support many saucepans above the gas burners and each at a gas burner.

In the second case, the support elements rise from a base element having a size such as to exclusively surround the gas burner which the grid is associated to, and are shaped so as to define a support plane for supporting saucepans at and above such a burner. Such a single element grid according to the state of the art is illustrated in figure 1 .

The Applicant has focused his attention on single element grids.

Both in terms of logistics and of daily use, the grid with the single element overall has less volume and can be more easily managed with respect to a grid for many gas burners. It is sufficient to think about the greater ease of cleaning, making it is possible and certainly easier to house single element grids inside household dishwashers.

The single element grid is moreover preferred where it is desired to cover as less as possible a cooking hob that has a particular appearance (for example in the case in which the cooking hobs are all made from glass with a mirror finish).

The Applicant has observed that in the developing of new grids for cooking hobs, a strong incentive for innovation is directed to the appearance and the design of such grids. The Applicant has indeed found that the appearance and the design of furnishing objects in general and, in particular, of the elements that make up the furnishing and the fitting out of home kitchens, has gained considerable commercial importance over the last few years.

The Applicant has moreover observed that the provision of a pleasant aesthetic appearance does not always combine with the need for a certain element or device to carry out a specific technical function. It is probably for this reason that, although designers of cooking hobs have given particular attention to the aesthetic appearance of the grids, to this day such grids all have a geometrical shape and symmetry that is not provided with a particularly attractive appearance.

The Applicant has moreover observed that to this day the user is not inclined to change the aesthetic appearance of a cooking hob once the cooking hob has been chosen and purchased. Therefore, if for example there is the need of replacing a damaged or ruined grid, this will be replaced with a grid having an identical shape as the original one so as to restore the original aesthetic appearance of the cooking hob.

The technical problem at the basis of the present invention is that of avoiding the aforementioned technical prejudices, by providing a grid for a cooking hob that is capable of satisfying the requirements in terms of appearance that are required by the market today and giving the cooking hob a different aesthetic appearance from the original one, respecting the technical functions for which it was originally conceived.

The idea of solution of the present invention is that of altering the original appearance of the cooking hob changing the conventional geometry and symmetry of the grids for cooking hobs while keeping unaltered the function of making a stable support plane which is defined at the top of the gas burner to which the grid is associated.

The present invention thus relates, in a first aspect thereof, to a grid for a cooking hob according to claim 1 .

Preferred characteristics of the grid for cooking hob are described in claims 2-7.

In particular, the grid for cooking hob according to the present invention comprises a base element in which a resting plane is defined for resting on the cooking hob and to which at least three support elements are constrained, wherein the at least three support elements are shaped so as to define a support plane which is raised and parallel with respect to the resting plane, the base element enclosing an internal space which is configured to house a single gas burner of the cooking hob. According to the invention, at least one of the at least three support elements has a different shape with respect to the other support elements and/or it has a relative orientation with respect to the base element different than the relative orientation of the other support elements, wherein the at least three support elements extend from the base element toward the outside with respect to said internal space.

Advantageously, the grid for cooking hob of the present invention, despite keeping unaltered its function of stably resting on the cooking hob and stably supporting a saucepan, additionally has a pleasant and certainly original aesthetic appearance, thanks to the choice of replacing the support elements having a substantially linear shape with support elements having a shape or a relative arrangement that is not homogeneous.

It is thus lost the strictly symmetrical and linear design that characterises grids of the prior art, by introducing one or more atypical elements into the design and therefore into the resulting aesthetic appearance of grids for cooking hobs.

In this way a greater appeal in terms of appearance is obtained in addition to a wide range of freedom in the possibility of personalising according to ones tastes the aesthetic appearance of the cooking hobs using one or more grids made in this way.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a cooking hob according to claim 8. Preferred characteristics of the gas cooking hob are recited in claims 9 and 10.

In particular, the cooking hob according to the present invention comprises at least one gas burner and at least one grid, each grid enclosing a single gas burner. According to the present invention such a grid is made according to what has been described so far.

Advantageously, the cooking hob according to the invention achieves the technical and appearance effects described above with respect to the cooking hob grid.

In at least one of the aforementioned aspects, the present invention can have at least one of the following preferred characteristics; the latter in particular can be combined with one another as desired with the purpose of satisfying specific requirements of application.

Preferably, the grid comprises at least four support elements that are constrained to the base element in an angularly asymmetric fashion.

In such a way, it is introduced a further degree of ]freedom of personalisation and characterisation of the appearance of the grid and, consequently, of the cooking hob using such a grid. The support elements therefore are not homogeneous not only in their shape and/or in their orientation with respect to the base element, but also in the angular distribution around such a base element.

In such a way a design further moving away from a strictly symmetrical and linear design that is characteristic of grids of the prior art is obtained. Preferably, each of the support elements comprises at least one upper surface portion that is comprised in its support plane.

More preferably, the at least one upper surface portion is substantially flat.

In such a way, the saucepan directly rests on a plurality of substantially flat surface portions belonging to the support elements of the grid. A stable support for the saucepan above the burner of the cooking hob which the grid is associated to is thus obtained.

Even more preferably, at least one of the support elements comprises a plurality of substantially flat surface portions.

Advantageously, such a provision makes it possible to arrange the support elements according to a plurality of relative orientations with respect to the base element, ensuring always the stable support of the saucepan. Indeed, in each of the allowed relative orientations, the support element has one of its substantially flat surface portions that is facing upwards, contributing to define the stable support plane.

The plurality of possible orientations of the support elements makes it possible to even more drastically vary the conventional geometry and symmetry of the grids for cooking hobs.

In the preferred embodiments of the grid according to the present invention, at least one of the support elements has a substantially two- dimensional or three-dimensional shape.

More preferably, the support elements with a substantially two- dimensional shape comprise at least one stamped plate obtained by positively or negatively removing material, for making an ornamental design.

As an alternative or in addition thereto, the support elements with a substantially two-dimensional shape comprise at least one plate having a peripheral edge that is shaped according to an ornamental design.

The possibility of using a plurality of shapes and structures for the support elements offers further degrees of freedom in characterising the grid, making it possible to achieve high level aesthetic effects. Preferably, at least one of the support elements is coloured.

More preferably, at least one of the support elements has a different colour than the other support elements.

The colouring therefore constitutes a further possibility of characterising the grids so as to give them a pleasing aesthetic appearance.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to even further move away from the conventional aesthetic appearance of conventional grids of the prior art, usually made all of the same dark or metal colour, while keeping the functionality unaltered.

In the cooking hob according to the present invention, the gas burner preferably comprises an annular slot that is configured for supplying an air/gas mixture to a laminar flame exiting from the gas burner, preferably in a substantially vertical direction.

In such a way it is ensured that the flame does not come into contact with the support elements thus reducing wearing thereof.

Moreover, the generation of a laminar flame further contributes to characterise the appearance of the cooking hob.

Preferably, around the at least one gas burner a housing seat is made, wherein the at least one grid is stopped with respect to radial movements by a shape-coupling with such a housing seat and it is free to be coupled with the housing seat in a plurality of relative angular positions.

The stopping with respect to radial movements ensures that there is a stable support of a saucepan at a gas burner, whereas the freedom of angular arrangement between the grid and the housing seat offers a wide range of freedom to the user in positioning the support elements of the grid to the angular position he likes.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention shall become clearer from the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments thereof, given with reference to the attached drawings. The different characteristics in the single embodiments can be combined with one another as desired according to the description above. In such drawings:

figure 1 is a perspective view of a grid for a cooking hob according to the prior art;

figure 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a grid for a cooking hob according to the present invention;

figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a grid for a cooking hob according to the present invention;

figure 4a is a perspective view of a first cooking hob using a plurality of grids according to the present invention;

- figure 4b is a top side view of a grid of figure 4a, in an operative configuration in which it acts as a support for a saucepan;

figure 5a is a perspective view of a second cooking hob using a plurality of grids according to the present invention;

figure 5b is a top side view of a grid of figure 5a, in an operative configuration in which it acts as a support for a saucepan;

figures 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views of a third, fourth and fifth cooking hob, respectively, using a plurality of grids according to the present invention.

In the following description, for illustrating the figures identical reference numerals are used to indicate constructive elements having the same function. Moreover, for the sake of making the illustrations clearer, some reference numerals may not be repeated in all the figures.

With reference to figure 2, a first embodiment of a grid for a cooking hob according to the present invention is shown, wholly indicated with reference numeral 10.

The grid 10 comprises a perimetric base element 1 1 that is shaped as a flat closed ring. The base element 1 1 defines a resting plane to a cooking hob 100.

The base element 1 1 encloses an internal space 1 1 a which houses a single gas burner 1 10 of the cooking hob 100. In other words, the base element 1 1 has a shape and size such as to enclose a single gas burner 1 10 of the cooking hob 100, as shown in figure 4a, thus achieving a grid 10 of the type with a single element.

In the embodiment of figure 2, three support elements 12a, 12b, 12c are constrained to the base element 1 1 of which one first support element 12a has a first shape, specifically it is pear-shaped, and a pair of second support elements 12b, 12c have a second shape that is different from the first one, specifically apple-shaped. The three support elements 12a, 12b, 12c are angularly arranged at around 120° from one another.

The support elements 12a, 12b, 12c extend from the base element

1 1 toward the outside with respect to said internal space 1 1 a.

All the support elements 12a, 12b, 12c are associated (preferably welded) to respective flat base plates 18, in the specific case they are leaf/leaves-shaped in turn associated (preferably welded) to the base element 1 1 .

Moreover, the elements of the pair of second apple-shaped support elements 12b, 12c have an orientation that is different with respect to the base element 1 1 . In particular, taken as a reference the base element 1 1 , a first apple-shaped element 12b has a vertical orientation, therefore with the stalk 14 facing upwards, whereas the second apple-shaped element 12c has an orientation that rests on one side, therefore with the stalk 14 facing one side.

The first support element 12a can have a different colour with respect to the pair of second support elements 12b, 12c.

The support elements 12a, 12b, 12c define a support plane which is raised and parallel with respect to the resting plane that is defined by the base element 1 1 . In particular, as shown in figure 4b, the support elements 12a, 12b, 12c define a support area such as to allow the positioning of a saucepan 20. In the specific case illustrated herein, such a support area is above the area that is enclosed by the base element 1 1 .

In order to define a stable support, each support element 12a, 12b, 12c comprises at least one substantially flat surface portion 13', 13", 13"'. The support elements 12a, 12b, 12c are oriented, with respect to the base element 1 1 , so that the at least one substantially flat surface portion 13', 13", 13"' faces upwards so as to be comprised in the raised support plane.

Preferably, the support elements 12a, 12b, 12c comprise many substantially flat surface portions 13', 13", 13"' that allow them to take up different orientations with respect to the base element 1 1 and, in each of the allowed orientations, to have their substantially flat surface portion 13', 13", 13"' facing upwards, therefore enclosed in the raised support plane.

With specific reference to the embodiment of figure 2 and purely as an example, the substantially flat surface portions 13', 13" of the apple- shaped support element 12b, 12c consist of the upper surface 13' of the apple in which the stalk 14 is drawn, and by at least one portion 13" of the surface that makes an angle between the upper surface 13' and the side wall 17 of the apple.

In the case of the pear-shaped support element 12a, the substantially flat surface portion 13"' consists of a side portion 13"' of the rounded bottom portion of the pear.

In the embodiment illustrated in figure 2, the support elements 12a, 12b, 12c have a substantially three-dimensional shape. However, it is also suitable the use of support elements 15b that have a mainly flat or two-dimensional shape, as shown in figures 3, 6, 7 and 8.

With reference to figure 3, a second embodiment of a grid for cooking hob according to the present invention is shown, comprising in detail, four support elements 15a, 15b of which one group of first support elements 15a has a first shape, specifically the shaped of a three- dimensional bird, and a second support element 15b has a second shape that is different from the first one, in detail the shape of a two-dimensional or flat bird. Each bird is welded to the base element 1 1 at the respective beak.

The support elements 15a, 15b extend from the base element 1 1 toward the outside with respect to the internal space 1 1 a.

The special shape of the flat support element 15b is obtained by the bird-shaped edge of a pair of flat plates that form the second support element 15b.

Even in this case, all the support elements 15a, 15b can be coloured, possibly in a different manner from one another, and are associated (preferably welded) to flat base plates 18, in this case having a substantially quadrangular or triangular shape.

The four support elements 15a, 15b are angularly arranged at about 90° from one another.

Even in this embodiment, the support elements 15a, 15b define a support plane which is raised and parallel with respect to a resting plane defined by the base element 1 1 . In particular, as shown in figure 5b, the support elements 15a, 15b define a support area such as to allow a saucepan 20 to be positioned above the area that is enclosed by the base element 1 1 .

In order to define a stable support, each support element 15a, 15b comprises at least one substantially flat surface portion 16', 16" facing upwards so as to be comprised in the raised support plane. With specific reference to the support element 15b with a two-dimensional configuration illustrated in figure 3, the substantially flat surface portion 16" corresponds to a portion of the thickness 16" of the two plates that form the support element 15b.

In the case of support elements 15b made up of flat plates, the orientation of the plates with respect to the base element 1 1 is such that the flat surface thereof is arranged inclined with respect to the resting plane defined by the base element 1 1 or, in a corresponding manner, with respect to the support plane defined by the support elements 15a, 15b themselves. Preferably, as shown in figure 3, the flat surfaces of the plates that constitute the support element 15b are arranged perpendicular with respect to such planes.

With reference to figure 4a, a first embodiment of a cooking hob

100 according to the present invention is shown, comprising five gas burners 1 10 to which grids 10 according to what has been described above with particular reference to figure 2 are associated, respectively. The support elements 12a, 12b, 12c indeed have the three-dimensional designs of the apple 12b, 12c and of the pear 12a.

The arrangement of the support elements that form some of the grids 10 illustrated in figure 4a is angularly asymmetrical. For example, in the grid illustrated furthest to the right, the apple-shaped support elements 12b, 12c are at a shorter angular distance from one another, with respect to the angular distance from the pear-shaped support element 12b.

It is easy to understand from figure 4a, that even with a small number of types of support elements 12a, 12b, 12c it is possible to obtain a great number of versions of grids 10 according to the present invention and therefore provide the relative cooking hob 100 with a personalised and specific aesthetic appearance. Indeed, the grid 10 according to the present invention can vary in number, shape (apple/pear, cut/whole), orientation and angular distribution of the support elements 12a, 12b, 12c, whilst still ensuring a stable support for saucepans 20 above the relative burner 1 10.

Preferably, the gas burners 100 are of the type provided with an annular slot 1 1 1 that is configured for supplying an air/gas mixture to a laminar flame exiting from the gas burner in a substantially vertical direction.

Moreover, the cooking hob 100 comprises, at each burner 1 10, a seat 1 12 for housing a grid 10 as described above.

Once it has been inserted in the housing seat 1 12, the grid 10 is held against radial movements by a shape-coupling with such a housing seat 1 12 and is able to be coupled with the housing seat 1 12 in a plurality of relative angular positions.

With reference to figure 5a, a second embodiment of a cooking hob 100 according to the invention is shown that differs from the cooking hob of figure 4a in the type of grids 10 used which, in detail, have the design of the three-dimensional and two-dimensional birds described above with particular reference to figure 3. With reference to figures 6, 7 and 8, a third, a fourth and a fifth embodiment of a cooking hob 100 are respectively shown, using different types of grids 10 according to the present invention.

In the embodiments illustrated in figures 6 and 7, the grids 10 are made up of flat support elements 19, whose special shape is given by the stamp of an ornamental design on a plate by positively or negatively removing material , specifically a branch with leaves in the embodiment illustrated in figure 6, and fruit (apple/pear) in the embodiment illustrated in figure 7.

In the embodiment illustrated in figure 8, the grids 10 are made up of flat support elements 15b, 15b' consisting of a single flat plate 15b' in the shape of a bird or a pair of flat plates 15b in the shape of a bird.

The support elements 15b, 15b', 19 of figures 6-8 extend from the base element 1 1 toward the outside with respect to it, i.e. in opposite direction with respect to the internal space 1 1 a.

Starting from the embodiments described above further variants are still possible, without departing from the teaching of the invention.

It is finally clear that the grid for cooking hobs thus conceived can be subjected to numerous modifications and variants, all covered by the invention; moreover, all the details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements. In practice the materials used, as well as the dimensions, can vary according to the technical requirements.

Claims

1 . Grid (10) for cooking hob (100), comprising a base element (1 1 ) which defines a resting plane for resting on the cooking hob (100) and to which at least three support elements (12a, 12b, 12c; 15a, 15b) are constrained, said at least three support elements (12a, 12b, 12c; 15a, 15b) being configured so as to define a support plane which is raised and parallel with respect to the resting plane, said base element (1 1 ) enclosing an internal space (1 1 a) which is configured to house a single gas burner (1 10) of said cooking hob (10), characterised in that at least one of said at least three support elements (12a; 15a) has a different shape than the other support elements (12b, 12c; 15b) and/or it has a relative orientation with respect to said base element (1 1 ) different than the relative orientation of said other support elements (12b, 12c; 15b), wherein the at least three support elements (12a, 12b, 12c; 15a, 15b) extend from the base element (1 1 ) toward the outside with respect to said internal space (1 1 a).

2. Grid according to claim 1 , comprising at least four support elements (12a, 12b, 12c; 15a, 15b) constrained to said base element (1 1 ) in an angularly asymmetric fashion.

3. Grid according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said support elements (12a, 12b, 12c; 15a, 15b) comprises at least one upper surface portion (13', 13", 13"'; 16', 16") comprised in said support plane.

4. Grid according to claim 3, wherein said at least one upper surface portion (Ι ϊ,Ι ^', Ι ^ Ι β', Ι β") is substantially flat.

5. Grid according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said support elements (12a, 12b, 12c; 15a, 15b) comprises a plurality of substantially flat surface portions (13', 13"; 13"', 16', 16").

6. Grid according to any one of the previous claims, wherein at least one of said support elements (12a, 12b, 12c; 15a, 15b) has a substantially two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape.

7. Grid according to any one of the previous claims, wherein at least one of said support elements (12a, 12b, 12c; 15a, 15b) is coloured, preferably with a different colour than the other support elements (12a, 12b, 12c; 15a, 15b).

8. Cooking hob (100) comprising at least one gas burner (1 10) and at least one grid (10), each grid (10) enclosing a single gas burner (1 10), characterised in that said at least one grid (10) is made according to any one of the previous claims.

9. Cooking hob (100) according to claim 8, wherein said at least one gas burner (1 10) comprises an annular slot (1 1 1 ) configured for supplying an air/gas mixture to a laminar flame exiting from the gas burner, preferably in a substantially vertical direction.

10. Cooking hob (100) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein a housing seat (1 12) is provided peripherally with respect to said at least one gas burner (1 10), said at least one grid (10) being stopped with respect to radial movements by a shape-coupling with said housing seat (1 12) and being free to be coupled with said housing seat (1 12) in a plurality of relative angular positions.