GB2316480A

GB2316480A - Modular cooking appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2316480A
Application number: GB9617517A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Benjamin Frank Gostelow; Christopher Parker
Original assignee: Stoves PLC
Current assignee: Stoves PLC
Priority date: 1996-08-21
Filing date: 1996-08-21
Publication date: 1998-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2016-08-21
Also published as: GB9617517D0; GB2316480B

Abstract

A cooking appliance comprises a hob unit which is adapted to be supplied with gas and electricity supplies and which itself comprises a frame portion 1 having a plurality of apertures 2, 3 and 4 therein each for receiving any one of a selection of gas and electric hob modules 5, 6 and 7 which automatically connect to the respective gas or electric supply 8,10 as the hob modules are inserted in the frame portion 1.

Description

Cooking Appliances This invention relates to cooking appliances.

In our co-pending patent application No. 9605538.9 there is described a cooking appliance incorporating two or more base units each comprising one or more oven and/or grill chambers which are coupled together and which is provided with a hob which is integral with or separately attachable to the base units. The purpose of such a cooking appliance is to provide a wide range of gas and/or electric options based on a basic range of gas and electric base units and/or hobs. Whilst such an arrangement is very advantageous, it has been appreciated that as far as the hob units are concerned, the facilities provided are still restricted and it would be advantageous if the hob unit was of modular form which enables a selection of gas and/or electric hob modules to be fitted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooking appliance which includes a hob unit capable of receiving a plurality of individual hob modules.

According to the present invention there is provided a cooking appliance comprising a hob unit adapted to be supplied with gas and electricity supplies, and adapted to receive a plurality of gas and electric hob modules which automatically connect with the appropriate gas or electric supply as the module is inserted in said unit.

In carrying out the invention it may be arranged that said hob unit comprises a frame portion having a plurality of apertures therein in side-by-side relationship for receiving a selection of gas and electric hob modules.

It may be arranged that said gas and electric supplies extend along the length of said hob unit, one towards the rear of said frame portion and the other towards the front of said frame portion.

In one arrangement each of said hob modules is provided with control means thereon for controlling its operation, and in another arrangement said frame portion comprises control means corresponding to each of said apertures therein for controlling the operation of the hob modules inserted in said apertures, in which latter case said control means may comprise an electronic control for controlling gas and electric supplies to said hob modules as required.

Some exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1, is a somewhat pictorial view of a cooking appliance in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 2, is a somewhat pictorial view of a cooking appliance in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

The cooking appliances to be described take the form of a cooking hob which may be formed integrally with a base unit, may be adapted to be mounted on two or more interconnected base units as described in the aforementioned patent application, or may be formed as a separate unit, for example, for mounting in a kitchen worktop.

The cooking hob shown in Fig. 1 comprises a frame portion 1 having three apertures 2, 3 and 4 therein disposed in side-by-side relationship each adapted to receive a gas or electric hob module 5, 6 and 7 respectively. The frame portion 1 of the cooking hob is adapted to be connected to both gas and electricity supplies and is provided with a gas supply pipe 8 which extends along the front 9 of the frame portion 1 and electricity supply cables 10 which extend along the rear 11 of the fame portion 1. Each of the apertures 2, 3 and 4 is provided with a gas supply connection (not shown) below the front edge thereof and fed from the gas pipe 8 and also with an electricity supply connector (not shown) below the rear edge thereof and connected to the electricity supply cables 10. Typically, an electrically operated hob module, such as the module 5 which includes a pair of electric hotplates 12, is provided with a corresponding electricity supply connector at the rear thereof which is mated with the corresponding hob connector as the hob module 5 is inserted in the respective aperture 2 in the frame portion 1. Similarly a gas operated hob module, such as the module 7 which includes a pair of gas burners 13, is provided with a gas connection at the front thereof which is coupled to the corresponding gas supply connection as the hob module 7 is inserted in the respective aperture 4 in the frame portion 1. Each of the hob modules 5, 6 and 7 is provided with respective controls 14 for controlling the gas burners 13 or electric hotplates 12 as the case may be.

Typically, the hob modules 5, 6 and 7 may include gas burners or gas hotplates; electric hotplates e.g. element type, solid type, ceramic or halogen; griddles; chargrills; and deep fat fryers. In this way a cooking hob may be purchased with a required selection of cooking modules which may be substituted for one another according to particular cooking requirements as they occur.

The cooking hob of Fig. 2 is basically similar to that of Fig. 1 except that in this case the controls 14 for the hob modules 5, 6 and 7 are disposed on the front top surface 15 of the frame portion 1 rather than on the individual hob units 5, 6 and 7. Typically the controls 14 would each be of electronic form e.g.

microprocessor controlled for causing respective gas valves or electrical (e.g.

thyristor) controls to be operated for controlling the operation of the gas or electric hob units 5, 6 and 7 as the case may be.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance comprising a hob unit adapted to be supplied with gas and electricity supplies, and adapted to receive a plurality of gas and electric hob modules which automatically connect with the appropriate gas or electric supply as the module is inserted in said unit.

2. An appliance as claimed in claim 1, in which said hob unit comprises a frame portion having a plurality of apertures therein in side-by-side relationship for receiving a selection of gas and electric hob modules

3. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which said gas and electric supplies extend along the length of said hob unit, one towards the rear of said frame portion and the other towards the front of said frame portion.

4. A cooking appliance as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each of said hob modules is provided with control means thereon for controlling its operation.

5. A cooking appliance as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, in which said frame portion comprises control means corresponding to each of said apertures therein for controlling the operation of the hob modules inserted in said apertures.

6. A cooking appliance as claimed in claim 5, in which said control means comprises an electronic control for controlling gas and electric supplies to said hob modules as required.

7. A cooking appliance substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.