EP3126742A1

EP3126742A1 - Gas cooking appliance with improved heat protection

Info

Publication number: EP3126742A1
Application number: EP14713498.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Guven ERAKTAS; Osman AY; Yalcin OZKAN
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2014-03-31
Filing date: 2014-03-31
Publication date: 2017-02-08
Also published as: WO2015149829A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gas cooking appliance (1) comprising a casing (2) which has an upper cover (3), a base cover (4) and a plurality of gas burner assemblies (6a to 6d). The gas cooking appliance (1) of the present invention comprises a metal support plate (5) which is connected to the base cover (4) so as to reinforce and support from below the upper cover (3) and the functional components (7) are arranged into a space between the support plate (5) and the base cover (4).

Description

GAS COOKING APPLIANCE WITH IMPROVED HEAT PROTECTION

The present invention relates to a gas cooking appliance, in particular a built-in gas cooking appliance for use on a countertop. The present invention more particularly relates to a heat protective facility which is utilized to protect thermal sensitive functional components inside a gas cooking appliance.
In a gas cooking appliance using flammable gases such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), usually an ignition spark plug (also known as igniter) is utilized to ignite the gas flowing out of a gas outlet of a gas burner assembly. The gas burner assembly is generally recessed into an upper cover of a casing. The igniter is usually built into the gas burner assembly at a position close to the gas outlet. The functional components which constitute the component parts of the electrical circuit or the gas circuit of the gas cooking appliance are generally arranged in a space between the upper cover and a base cover of the casing. A highly thermal sensitive functional component is the ignition coil which is utilized to generate high tension electricity for the igniter. Other thermal sensitive functional components are electrical cable connectors, gas flow regulating elements, gas conduits, and the like.
When the gas cooking appliance is put into operation, the heat given off by the gas flames is absorbed by the casing and dissipated to an interior of the casing. The functional components inside the casing usually have relatively low operating temperature limits which can be easily exceeded when the gas cooking appliance is operated at its maximum capacity. When these temperature limits are exceeded, the functional components fail to properly operate and pose a serious risk to the customer. Thus, an operating temperature of each functional component must be kept within its normal operating limit to ensure safe operation of the gas cooking appliance.
EP 2 267 372 A1 discloses a gas hob which has a hob cover and a hob base. The hob cover supports at least one gas burner assembly. The gas hob also includes thermal sensitive functional components which are arranged between the hob cover and the hob base. A metal sheet is glued to an underside of the hob cover.
A drawback of this conventional gas hob is that only a fraction of the radiant heat emanated from the gas burners can be reflected away by the metal plate while the rest is absorbed and partly radiated into a space between the hob cover and the hob base. Thus, in the steady-state operation the functional components are still exposed to a relatively high amount of thermal radiation.
Recently there is a general tendency to increase the capacities of the gas burner assemblies in domestic gas cooking appliances to better meet consumer requirements. However, in a gas cooking appliance having an increased capacity, the temperature prevailing inside the casing also increases. Thus, the functional components become vulnerable to overheating, early aging, and malfunctioning.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a gas cooking appliance which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art in a cost-effective and reliable way and which enables effective thermal insulation of the functional components even at relatively high gas combustion capacities.
This objective has been achieved by the gas cooking appliance as defined in claim 1. Further achievements have been attained by the subject-matters respectively defined in the dependent claims.
The gas cooking appliance of the present invention comprises a metal support plate which is connected to the base cover so as to reinforce and support from below the upper cover. The functional components are arranged into a space between the support plate and the base cover. In the gas cooking appliance of the present invention the support plate has at least one heat protective bent portion which is an integral part thereof. This bent portion is bent downwards into an intermediate region which is immediately located between a functional component and the gas burner assembly which is close to that functional component so as to screen a side surface thereof which is exposed to the radiant heat emanated in operation from the close gas burner assembly.
In an embodiment, the support plate has at least two heat protective bent portions which are bent downwards so as to screen two adjacent side surfaces of the same functional component which are exposed to the radiant heat emanated in operation from the close gas burner assembly or assemblies.
In a version of this embodiment, the two heat protective bent portions are perpendicular to each other and form a rectangular parallelepiped structure which partly encloses the functional component.
In another embodiment, the functional component comprises an ignition coil for use with the igniters. In alternative embodiments the functional component comprises an electrical cable connector or a gas flow regulating element. Thus, the present invention is not limited to a particular type or a particular number of functional components, but is specifically applicable to any heat sensitive element comprised by the gas cooking appliance.
In another embodiment, the base cover is made of metal and the upper cover is made of a non-metallic heat resistant material which is lend an attractive decorative appearance.
By the present invention, the heat protective bent portions have been formed in close proximity of the functional components such that the surfaces of the functional components which are exposed to the radiant heat emanated from the close gas burner assembly or assemblies in operation can be effectively screened, and operating temperatures thereof can be effectively reduced to relatively low levels even at relatively high gas combustion capacities. Thereby, the legally prescribed temperature limits can be reliably complied with. Moreover, the functional components can be prevented from early aging. By the heat protective bent portions, the costs for material and labor have been comparatively reduced. In the manufacturing process, since the heat protective bent portions are integrally provided with the metal support plate, the need of any auxiliary fastening means such as screws or the like have been obviated, and the heat protective metal bent portions can be easily bent downwards to enable heat protective shielding of the functional components. Thus, by the heat protective bent portions the overall manufacturing process of the gas cooking appliance has been facilitated.
Additional advantages of the gas cooking appliance of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 – is a schematic perspective view of a gas cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 – is a schematic partial perspective view of the gas cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein an upper cover has been removed;
Figure 3 – is a schematic vertical cross sectional view of the gas cooking appliance shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line A-A;
Figure 4 – is another schematic vertical cross sectional view of the gas cooking appliance shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line B-B.
The reference signs appearing on the drawings relate to the following technical features.

Gas cooking appliance
Casing
Upper cover
Base cover
Support plate

5a. Bent portion
6a., 6b., 6c., 6d. Gas burner assembly
7. Functional component
8. Intermediate region
9. Upper edge
10. Igniter
11. Decorative panel
The gas cooking appliance (1) comprises a casing (2). The casing (2) has an upper cover (3) and a base cover (4) (Fig. 1).
The gas cooking appliance (1) of the present invention comprises a metal support plate (5) which is directly connected to the base cover (4). The upper cover (3) is reinforced and supported from below by the support plate (5). One or more than one gas burner assembly (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) is recessed into the upper cover (3) and the support plate (5). Functional components (7) are arranged into a space between the support plate (5) and the base cover (4). The support plate (5) has a one or more than one heat protective bent portion (5a). Each heat protective bent portion (5a) is an integral part of the support plate (5). At least one bent portion (5a) is bent downwards into an intermediate region (8) which is immediately located between a functional component (7) and the gas burner assembly (6a) which is close to that functional component (7) so as to screen a side surface of that functional component (7) which is exposed to the radiant heat emanated in operation from the close gas burner assembly (6a) (Fig. 1 to Fig. 3).
In an embodiment, the support plate (5) has another one heat protective bent portion (not shown) which is also bent downwards so as to screen another side surface of the same functional component (7) which is adjacent to the side surface of the functional component (7) screened by the other bent portion (5a). Thereby, two adjacent side surfaces of the same functional component (7) are respectively screened by two heat protective bent portions (5a) (only one is shown).
In another embodiment, the two heat protective bent portions (5a) (only one is shown) which screen the adjacent side surfaces of the functional component (7) are perpendicular to each other so as to form part of rectangular parallelepiped structure which partly encloses the functional component (7).
In another embodiment, each heat protective bent portion (5a) has a rectangular shape (Figs. 3 to 4). In this embodiment, an upper edge of (9) each heat protective bent portion (5a) is integrally connected to the support plate (5) (Figs. 2 to 4).
In another embodiment, the upper edge (9) of each heat protective bent portion (5a) has a folding perforation (not shown).
In another embodiment, each heat protective bent portion (5a) extends either slantingly or vertically downwards (Figs. 2 to 4).
In another embodiment, the functional component (7) comprises a coil (not shown) for separately driving an igniter (10) of each gas burner assembly (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d).
In another embodiment, the functional component (7) comprises one of an electrical cable connector (not shown) or a gas flow regulating element (not shown).
In another embodiment, the upper cover (3) comprises a heat resistant decorative panel (11). The decorative panel (11) is reinforced and supported from below by the metal support plate (5) (Fig. 1).
In another embodiment, the support plate (5) is fixed to the side walls of the base cover (4) so as to span across an opening of the base cover (4) (Figs. 3 to 4).
In another embodiment, the gas cooking appliance is provided as a built-in appliance. In this embodiment, the casing (2) has a shape and size which allows installation thereof into a kitchen countertop (not shown).
By virtue of the heat protective bent portions (5a) the functional components (7) can be effectively screened from the radiant-heat given off by the gas burner assemblies (6a to 6d) so that the operating temperatures thereof can be effectively reduced to relatively low levels. Thus, the legally prescribed limits can be easily complied with. By the heat protective bent portions (5a), the overall manufacturing process of the gas cooking appliance (1) has been facilitated. The costs for material and labor have been comparatively reduced. In addition an early aging of the functional components (7) has been eliminated (Figs. 1 to 4).

Claims

A gas cooking appliance (1) comprising a casing (2) which has an upper cover (3) and a base cover (4),

characterized in that

- a metal support plate (5) which is directly connected to the base cover (4), wherein upper cover (3) is reinforced and supported from below by the support plate (5),

- one or more than one gas burner assembly (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) each being recessed into the upper cover (3) and the support plate (5) and

- a functional component (7) which is arranged into a space between the support plate (5) and the base cover (4),

wherein support plate (5) has a one or more than one heat protective bent portion (5a) each being an integral part thereof, wherein one bent portion (5a) is bent downwards into an intermediate region (8) which is immediately located between the functional component (7) and the gas burner assembly (6a) which is close to the functional component (7) so as to screen a side surface of the functional component (7) which is exposed to the radiant heat emanated in operation from the close gas burner assembly (6a).
The gas cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the support plate (5) has another one heat protective bent portion (5a) which is bent downwards so as to screen another side surface of the functional component (7) which is adjacent to the side surface of the functional component (7) screened by the other bent portion (5a).
The gas cooking appliance (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that

the two heat protective bent portions (5a) which screen the adjacent side surfaces of the functional component (7) are perpendicular to each other so as to form part of rectangular parallelepiped structure which partly encloses the functional component (7).
The gas cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each heat protective bent portion (5a) has a rectangular shape, wherein an upper edge of (9) each heat protective bent portion (5a) is integrally connected to the support plate (5).
The gas cooking appliance (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the upper edge (9) of each heat protective bent portion (5a) has a folding perforation.
The gas cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each heat protective bent portion (5a) extends either slantingly or vertically downwards.
The gas cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the functional component (7) comprises a coil for separately driving an igniter (10) of each gas burner assembly (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d).
The gas cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the functional component (7) comprises one of an electrical cable connector, a gas flow regulating element or a gas conduit.
The gas cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the upper cover (3) comprises a heat resistant decorative panel (11).
The gas cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the support plate (5) is fixed to the side walls of the base cover (4) so as to span across an opening of the base cover (4).
The gas cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the casing (2) is adapted to be built into a countertop.