IE83836B1 - Improved cooker and boiler appliance - Google Patents

Description

IlMPROVED COOKER AND BOILER APPLIANCE The present invention relates to improved cooker and boiler appliances, particularly cooker and boiler appliances for use in domestic houses and dwellings.

In modern houses and apartments, it is customary to have a separate cooking appliance, usually powered by electricity or gas, having a number of hotplates or cooking rings on the upper surface, a grill and one or two ovens. In a modern kitchen such a cooking appliance slots into an area for a conventional sized cooker typically in a space measuring 600 mm x 600 mm x 900 mm high. Also, forming part of the appliances in a modern dwelling is a separate oil or gas powered boiler for producing heat and domestic hot water for the house or apartment. These domestic boilers can be quite bulky and take up as much space as a typical domestic appliance.

GB 2 314 925 A (Waterford Foundry (Inventions) Limited) discloses a range type cooker of almost twice the width of the standard cooking appliance which can provide all the cooking and heating requirements for a large house. It is provided with two burners, one dedicated to heating and domestic hot water requirements and the other dedicated to the cooking requirements. However these range type cookers are regarded as being too large for the standard urban dwelling where space is at a premium.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a combined cooker and boiler appliance comprising a hob, an oven and a boiler for generating hot water for a heating system, all located within a framework in a stacked arrangement, the boiler having a first power source and the hob plates or rings, and oven having a second power source, and the boiler being located at the base of the stacked arrangement, the boiler extending towards the front of the appliance but spaced apart therefrom, and the first power source comprising a gas or oil fired burner which is located in front of the boiler and towards the front of the appliance, the gas or oil fired burner being operable to fire into a combustion chamber of the boiler.

Advantageously, the appliance is fitted with removable front closure elements manufactured from cast iron. The closure elements may be an oven door and service door to access the boiler.

Preferably, the second power source is a gas or electrical supply.

Advantageously, the boiler is accessible by means of a service door—hatch.

Conveniently, the gas or oil fired burner is attached to the boiler and is operable to fire into the combustion chamber which has an internal baffle arrangement to deflect the fireball created by the burner around passageways for the products of combustion.

The oven optionally includes a grill.

The invention will hereinafter be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show by way of example only, one embodiment of a cooker and boiler appliance and a modified embodiment according to the invention. In the drawings: - Figure 1 is a perspective view from the front and one side of the appliance fitted to a flue outlet; Figure 2 is a further perspective view from the front and the other side of the appliance; Figure 3 is a perspective view from the same position as in Figure 1 with the front and side panels removed; Figure 4 is a perspective view from the same position as in Figure 2 with the front and side panels removed; Figure 5 is a front view of the carcass of the appliance showing the boiler burner in position; Figure 6 is a cross sectional side view of the appliance along the lines A-A of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the appliance modified by the provision of a splash back and hob cover; and Figure 8 is a side View of the modified appliance as shown in Figure 7 with the hob cover in a raised position.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 1 to 6, the combined cooker and boiler appliance of the invention 10 comprises a hob 11 having four hot plates 12, which in the embodiment shown are electrically heated although they can also be operated by gas, an electric or gas cooking oven 13, accessible through an oven door 14, and a boiler 15 accessible through a service door 16. The hob 11, oven 13 and boiler 15 are arranged in a vertical stacked arrangement with the boiler 15 located at the base of the stack, followed by the oven 13 and the hob 11. The hot plates 12 are controlled by controls 43 and the oven , and a grill if provided at the top of the oven 13, are controlled by controls 44.

As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the appliance 10 is built and the vertical stacked arrangement is housed within a carcass 20. The main components of the carcass 20 are a back panel 21, a base 22, a front 25 and a hob frame 27. The boiler burner 17 is controlled by controls 46 mounted on control panel 45. Located within the carcass are the boiler 15, boiler burner 17 and oven 13. Other components shown in Figure 3 are door hinges 24 for supporting the oven door 14 and service door 16.

As shown in Figure 6, the boiler 15 is provided with a flue pipe 40 used to extract the exhaust gases and by-products of combustion through the exhaust manifold 41.

The boiler 15 has an internal baffle arrangement 50, which deflects the flame from the burner 17 within the boiler and around the heat exchanger 51 so as to heat water contained in the boiler 15. Water inlet/outlet connectors 52 allow the boiler 15 to be connected to the heating system of the dwelling.

A modified appliance 110 shown in Figures 6 and 7 is similar to the appliance 10 but additionally includes a splash back 140 fitted to the appliance and a hob cover 50 pivotally mounted on the appliance 110 by means of a pivot 155. A handle 156 is provided on the hob cover 150. Also, a plate rack 145 is provided on the top of the splash back.

When a gas fired burner is used with the boiler 23, then a balanced flue is provided behind the oven 13. The front of the appliance 10, the oven door 14, the service door 16 and the hob 11 are manufactured from cast iron, which can be provided with a high quality finish.

The cast iron components have a high heat retention and will radiate heat into the room in which the appliance is located, thereby replicating what is known as “range cooker ambiance” but having the practicality of an electrical or gas cooking appliance.

Using the appliance of this invention, the householder is able to use one appliance as a substitute for two appliances while obtaining all the functions of both. Additionally, additional space is available for other uses. Where a cast iron front is provided on the appliance, heat generated with the appliance by the boiler or cooking elements will be radiated into the surrounding space.

The typical size of the appliance is generally 600 mm square x 900 mm high although these dimensions can vary within a range of 500 mm to 750 mm by 500 mm to 750 mm and still achieve the benefits and efficiency generated by the invention.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (7)

CLAIMS :

1. A combined cooker and boiler appliance comprising a hob, an oven and a boiler for generating hot water for a heating system, all located within a framework in a stacked arrangement, the boiler having a first power source and the hob plates or rings, and oven having a second power source, and the boiler being located at the base of the stacked arrangement, the boiler extending towards the front of the appliance but spaced apart therefrom, and the first power source comprising a gas or oil fired burner which is located in front of the boiler and towards the front of the appliance, the gas or oil fired burner being operable to fire into a combustion chamber of the boiler.

2. A combined cooker and boiler appliance as claimed in Claim 1, in which the appliance is fitted with removable front closure elements manufactured from cast iron.

3. A combined cooker and boiler appliance as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the second power source is a gas or electrical supply.

4. A combined cooker and boiler appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the boiler is accessible by means of a service door—hatch.

5. A combined cooker and boiler appliance as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, in which the gas or oil fired burner is attached to the boiler and is operable to fire into the combustion chamber which has an internal baffle arrangement to deflect the fireball created by the burner around passageways for the products of combustion.

6. A combined cooker and boiler appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the oven includes a grill.

7. A combined cooker and boiler appliance substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings. MACLACHLAN & DONALDSON, Applicants’ Agents, 47 Merrion Square,