PAN SUPPORT, GAS HOB AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A PAN SUPPORT

Abstract

A pan support for a gas hob includes self-supporting arms, which each have a bearing surface for a cooking vessel and a plurality of gas-outlet openings for supplying a fuel-gas/air mixture for forming a flame beneath the cooking vessel.

Claims

1-15 (canceled)

16. A pan support for a gas hob, said pan support comprising self-supporting arms, which each have a bearing surface for a cooking vessel and a plurality of gas-outlet openings for supplying a fuel-gas/air mixture for forming a flame beneath the cooking vessel.

17. The pan support of claim 16, wherein the self-supporting arms each run radially outward from a central area of the pan support, said central area of the pan support configured to form a single connecting segment for connecting the self-supporting arms to a hob plate of the gas hob.

18. The pan support of claim 17, wherein the self-supporting arms run obliquely upward from the central area.

19. The pan support of claim 16, wherein the bearing surface of the self-supporting arms is arranged radially outside the plurality of gas outlet openings.

20. The pan support of claim 16, wherein the self-supporting arms have a free end formed with a bulge, with the bearing surface for the cooking vessel being realized by a surface of the bulge.

21. The pan support of claim 16, wherein the bearing surface has a horizontal segment and a sloping segment.

22. The pan support of claim 21, wherein the bearing surface has a curved segment between the horizontal segment and the sloping segment.

23. The pan support of claim 16, wherein the self-supporting arms each have two arm segments distanced from each other by an interspace in a peripheral direction, said plurality of gas outlet openings being arranged on the two arm segments and comprising inner gas outlet openings which are open to the interspace and outer gas outlet openings which are open to an outside.

24. The pan support of claim 23, wherein the self-supporting arms each run radially outward from a central area of the pan support, said central area of the pan support configured to form a single connecting segment for connecting the self-supporting arms to a hob plate of the gas hob, wherein the inner gas outlet openings of the arm segments are connected to a first channel and the outer gas outlet openings of the arm segments are connected to a second channel, the first channel being connected to a first gas connection and the second channel being connected to a second gas connection of the connecting segment.

25. The pan support of claim 23, wherein two adjacent ones of the self-supporting arms form a corner with each other, with the interspaces of the adjacent self-supporting arms and the corner being connected by an ignition channel.

26. The pan support of claim 16, wherein the self-supporting arms are realized in the form of a single-piece or single-material support structure.

27. A gas hob, comprising: a hob plate; and a pan support disposed on the hob plate and comprising self-supporting arms, which each have a bearing surface for a cooking vessel and a plurality of gas-outlet openings for supplying a fuel-gas/air mixture for forming a flame beneath the cooking vessel.

28. The gas hob of claim 27, wherein the pan support is connected to the hob plate in a detachable manner.

29. The gas hob of claim 27, wherein the pan support is connected to the hob plate via a screw connection, which is detachable by twisting the pan support with respect to the hob plate.

30. The gas hob of claim 27, wherein the self-supporting arms of the pan support each run radially outward from a central area of the pan support, said central area of the pan support configured to form a single connecting segment for connecting the self-supporting arms to the hob plate.

31. The gas hob of claim 30, wherein the self-supporting arms each have two arm segments distanced from each other by an interspace in a peripheral direction, said plurality of gas outlet openings being arranged on the two arm segments and comprising inner gas outlet openings which are open to the interspace and outer gas outlet openings which are open to an outside, said self-supporting arms each running radially outward from a central area of the pan support, said central area of the pan support configured to form a single connecting segment for connecting the self-supporting arms to the hob plate, wherein the inner gas outlet openings of the arm segments are connected to a first channel and the outer gas outlet openings of the arm segments are connected to a second channel, the first channel being connected to a first gas connection and the second channel being connected to a second gas connection of the connecting segment.

32. A method, comprising producing a pan support for a gas hob by a 3D printing process.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the 3D printing process comprises selective laser melting.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the pan support is produced by forming self-supporting arms such as to each have a bearing surface for a cooking vessel and a plurality of gas-outlet openings for supplying a fuel-gas/air mixture for forming a flame beneath the cooking vessel.

Description

[0080] In the figures identical or functionally identical elements have been labeled with the same reference symbols unless indicated otherwise.

[0081] FIG. 1 shows a gas cooking point 1 with a pan support 2 according to a first exemplary embodiment in schematic form, and FIG. 2 shows a gas hob 4 with two gas coking pints 1 in a cross section II-II in FIG. 1. The first exemplary embodiment is described on the basis of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2

[0082] The gas hob 4 is an example of a household appliance and can be built in to an item of furniture 3, such as a base unit, for example. The gas hob 4 has a hob plate 8 with two gas cooking points 1. It is understood however that the quantity of gas cooking points 1 can be as required. The hob plate 8 can be a steel sheet, a glass plate, or a glass-ceramic plate for example.

[0083] Each gas cooking point 1 has a pan support 2 according to the first exemplary embodiment. Each pan support 2 of the gas hob 4 has four self-supporting arms 5. Each self-supporting arm 5 has a quantity of gas outlet openings 6 and also a bearing surface 7 for a cooking vessel (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The pan supports 2 are attached to a hob plate 8 of the gas hob 4.

[0084] The respective pan support 2 is set up to support a cooking vessel (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) placed on the bearing surfaces 7 with the aid of a support structure formed out of the four self-supporting arms 5. Additionally the respective pan support 2 is set up to form a flame beneath the cooking vessel. To do this a fuel-gas/air mixture can be supplied at the gas outlet openings 6 of the self-supporting arms 5, which in particular can be ignited to provide the flame. Ignition can be effected manually by a user or automatically by an igniter (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0085] Each gas cooking point 1 furthermore has a control element 9. The control element 9 is set up to regulate at least one gas valve or gas control valve (not shown) arranged beneath the hob plate 8, with the aid of which a fuel-gas/air mixture stream supplied to the respective pan support 2 can be optionally switched on, switched off and, activated in particular in a stepless manner. Alternatively the gas control valves can also be set up to regulate the fuel-gas/air mixture stream supplied to the respective pan support 2 in a stepped manner. That is to say the gas control valves can be realized in the form of stepped gas control valves or in the form of so-called step valves.

[0086] It can be seen especially in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 that a respective self-supporting arm 5 is only connected to the hob plate 8 at a supported side of same and accordingly is supported by the hob plate 8.

[0087] In the particularly preferred variant of the first exemplary embodiment illustrated the supported sides of all self-supporting arms 5 of a respective pan support 1 are located in a central area 10 of the pan support 1. To put it another way the self-supporting arms 5 run radially outward from the central area 10 of the pan support 2. A single connecting segment 11 is realized in the central area 10 for connecting the self-supporting arms 5 to the hob plate 8 of the gas hob 4. The connecting segment 11 therefore serves as a single base or foot that supports the entire pan support 2.

[0088] FIG. 3 shows a pan support 2 attached to a hob plate 8 according to a second exemplary embodiment and a pan 12 placed on same.

[0089] In contrast to the pan support 2 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 the self-supporting arms 5 in the case of the pan support 2 in FIG. 3 run, in their radial path outward from the central area 10, obliquely upward 13, i.e. away from the hob plate 8. In this regard the gas outlet openings 6 are realized in a radially inner segment of the respective self-supporting arms 5. In a radially outer segment the respective self-supporting arm 5 has a bulge 14 bulging in an upward direction. The respective bulge 14 has a surface that serves as a bearing surface 7 for the cooking vessel 12.

[0090] In particular the radially outer segment of the respective self-supporting arm 5 with the bearing surface 7 is therefore arranged further up than the radially inner segment of the gas outlet openings 6. Therefore the distance between the bottom of the pan 12 and the gas outlet openings 6 is larger than would be the case for the horizontally running self-supporting arms 5 shown in FIG. 1, and the flames at the gas outlet openings 6 can be supplied centrally under the bottom of the pan 12. As a result an efficient transfer of energy to the contents of the pan 12 can be ensured.

[0091] In particular the bearing surface 7 has a horizontal segment 15 and a sloping segment 16. The horizontal segment 15 runs parallel to the hob plate 8. The sloping segment 16 points inward with reference to the pan support 2, i.e. it is tilted in the direction of the central segment 10.

[0092] The pan 12 can be placed on the horizontal segments 15 of the bearing surfaces 7 in particular in a stable manner.

[0093] FIG. 4 shows the pan support 2 in FIG. 3 with a wok placed on same.

[0094] The wok 19 has a rounded bottom. Consequently, unlike the pan 12 in FIG. 3, the wok 19 is not placed on the horizontal segments 15 of the bearing surfaces 7 but instead is inserted between the sloping segments 16 of the bearing surfaces 7.

[0095] The pan support 2 in FIGS. 3 and 4 is inserted with its connecting segment 11 in to an opening 17 of the hob plate. In particular the connection between the pan support 2 and the hob plate 8 is detachable. For example the detachable connection between the connecting segment 11 and the opening 17 in the hob plate 8 can be a screw connection.

[0096] In particular a sealing mechanism (not shown) can be provided. Whenever the pan support 2 is unscrewed or removed respectively from the hob plate 2, the said sealing mechanism can ensure that the opening 17 in the hob plate 8 is closed in a liquid-tight, gas-tight, and dust-tight manner.

[0097] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a pan support 2 according to a third exemplary embodiment.

[0098] The pan support 2 comprises for example four self-supporting arms 5, one of which is described below by way of example.

[0099] In a radial area in which the gas outlet openings 6 are realized the self-supporting arm 5 has two arm segments 21, 22 spaced apart in the peripheral direction 20. An interspace 23 is realized between the two arm segments 21, 22. Each of the arm segments 21, 22 has inner gas outlet openings 24, which face the interspace 23, and also outer gas outlet openings 25, which point outward.

[0100] The interspace 23 of the self-supporting arm 5 reaches in the radial direction from the central area 10 of the pan support 22 to the radially inner side of the bulge 14. The bearing surface 7 additionally has a curved segment 16 between the horizontal segment 15 and the sloping segment 26.

[0101] FIG. 6 illustrates a configuration for feeding in the fuel-gas/air mixture in the case of the pan support 2 in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 especially shows a schematic horizontal section through the pan support 2 in FIG. 5.

[0102] As can be seen in FIG. 6 the inner gas outlet openings 24 of the two arm segments 21, 22 are connected to a respective first channel 27. The outer gas outlet openings 25 are connected to a respective second channel 28.

[0103] The two first channels 27 are connected to a first gas connection 29, which is only shown in schematic form in FIG. 6, and which is arranged on the underside (not shown in FIG. 6) of the connecting segment 11 in the central area 10 of the pan support 2. The two second channels 28 are connected to a second gas connection 30, which is likewise arranged on the underside of the connecting segment 11.

[0104] The pan support 2 set up in such a manner can be attached to a corresponding hob plate 8 (FIGS. 1, 2), in which two corresponding gas valves (not shown) are provided for each gas cooking point (FIG. 2). The control elements 9 (FIG. 2) can be set up such that they enable separate switching on or off for each of the two gas valves of the gas cooking point 1 (FIG. 2). Therefore a fuel-gas supply through the channels 27 to the inner gas outlet openings 24 and a fuel-gas supply through the channels 28 to the outer gas outlet openings 25 can be switched on and off independently of each other.

[0105] The pan support 2 of the present exemplary embodiment therefore permits the burner output of the gas cooking point 1 (FIG. 2) to be regulated according to need, in that a flame can be provided either just at the inner gas outlet openings 24, just at the outer gas outlet openings 25, or both at the inner 24 and also at the outer gas outlet openings 25 as needed.

[0106] FIGS. 7a-7d illustrate an ignition process in the case of the pan support 2 in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIGS. 7a-7d especially show schematic horizontal sections through the pan support 2.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 7a two respective self-supporting arms 5a-5d, being adjacent in the peripheral direction 20, of the pan support 2 form a respective corner 31a-31d. A respective ignition channel 32a-32d is realized in the interior of the pan support 2, which connects the interspaces 23 of each two adjacent self-supporting arms 5a-d and the corner 31a-d realized between the two adjacent self-supporting arms 5a-d to each other. An electrically operable igniter 33a, 33c is arranged in two of the four corners 31a, 31c.

[0108] The ignition process is now described on the basis of FIGS. 7b to 7d in conjunction with FIG. 6.

[0109] At the start of the ignition process the fuel-gas/air mixture is fed to the two gas connections 29, 30 of the connecting segment 11. The igniters 33a, 33c are then operated. For example a spark is generated with the aid of the igniter 33a, 33c by means of electric current. The spark ignites the fuel-gas/air mixture, which flows out of those of the outer gas outlet openings 25 that are adjacent to one of the corners 33a, 33c. This results in flames 34 being provided at those outer gas outlet openings 25 that face the corners 33a, 33c, as shown in FIG. 7b.

[0110] The burning fuel-gas/air mixture can then flow through the ignition channels 32a, 32c in to all four interspaces 23. This results in ignition of the fuel-gas/air mixture flowing out of the inner gas outlet openings 24. From the interspaces 23 the burning fuel-gas/air mixture can flow onward through the ignition channels 32b, 32d in to the corners 31b and 31d and there ignite the fuel-gas/air mixture flowing out of the outer gas outlet openings 25 facing the said corners 31d, 31d.

[0111] Accordingly corresponding flames 34 are provided at all inner 24 and outer 25 gas outlet openings, as shown in FIG. 7c.

[0112] In some cases only a small burner output is required, for example because a small cooking vessel 12, 19 (FIGS. 3, 4) is placed on the bearing surfaces 7 (FIGS. 3, 4 5). In this case the user can use the control element 9 (FIG. 2), after the ignition process, as described on the basis of FIGS. 7a-c, to switch off the gas feed to one of the two gas connections 29. 30. FIG. 7d shows a case in which the gas feed has been switched off to the gas connection 30, which is connected to the outer gas outlet openings 25 via the second channels 28. As can be seen in FIG. 7d corresponding flames 34 are then only provided at the inner gas outlet openings 24.

[0113] The pan support 2 therefore permits a flexible regulation of the burner output as required.

[0114] FIG. 8 shows a pan support 2 according to a fourth exemplary embodiment. The pan support 2 in FIG. 8 has five self-supporting arms 5 in place of four.

[0115] FIG. 9 shows a pan support 2 according to a fifth exemplary embodiment. In the pan support 2 in FIG. 9 the interspace 23 extends outward from the central area 10 via the entire radial extent of the self-supporting arm 5. Correspondingly the arm segments 21, 22 also extend via the entire radial extent of the self-supporting arm 5. The interspace 23 is open to the outside in the radial direction.

[0116] The respective self-supporting arm 5 has no bulge (14 in FIGS. 5, 8). Instead a bearing surface 7 is realized by means of upward-pointing 13 surfaces of the arm segments 21, 22. The pan support in FIG. 9 is therefore suitable in particular for a wok 19 (FIG. 4).

[0117] The pan support 2 according to the exemplary embodiments in FIGS. 1 to 9 is produced for example by means of 3D printing, in particular selective laser melting. In this regard it is possible to produce the self-supporting arms 5 and/or the connecting segment 11 as a single-material component, in particular with first and second channels 27, 28 provided in same and/or ignition channels 32 provided in same, and/or gas outlet openings 6, 24, 25 provided in same. For example the pan support 2 is fabricated from one metal or the pan support has one metal.

[0118] Although the present invention has been described on the basis of exemplary embodiments it can be modified in multiple ways.

[0119] It is not a requirement to realize the pan support 2 in a single-material manner. It is also conceivable to realize the pan support 2 in the form of a set of separate self-supporting arms 5, which can be inserted separately in to an opening 17 in the hob plate 8, wherein the one single connecting segment 11 is produced in that the supported ends of the self-supporting arms 5 lie against each other in the inserted position of the self-supporting arms 5, and therefore configure a shared connecting segment 11. In the conceived embodiment a respective gas connection or respective gas connections 29, 30 can be realized separately in each supported end of each self-supporting arm 5.

[0120] In the pan support in FIG. 9 two bulges 14 can also be provided, in a radially outer manner on a respective self-supporting arm 5, on the arm segments 21, 22 on both sides of the interspace 23.

REFERENCE NUMERALS USED

[0121] 1 Gas cooking point [0122] 2 Pan support [0123] 3 Furniture item [0124] 4 Gas hob [0125] 5 Self-supporting arm [0126] 6 Gas outlet openings [0127] 7 Bearing surface [0128] 8 Hob plate [0129] 9 Control element [0130] 10 Central area [0131] 11 Connecting segment [0132] 12 Cooking vessel (pan) [0133] 13 Up direction [0134] 14 Bulge [0135] 15 Horizontal segment [0136] 16 Sloping segment [0137] 17 Opening [0138] 18 Gas pipe [0139] 19 Cooking vessel (wok) [0140] 20 Peripheral direction [0141] 21 Arm segment [0142] 22 Arm segment [0143] 23 Interspace [0144] 24 Inner gas outlet openings [0145] 25 Outer gas outlet openings [0146] 26 Curved segment [0147] 27 First channel [0148] 28 Second channel [0149] 29 First gas connection [0150] 30 Second gas connection [0151] 31 Corner [0152] 32 Ignition channel [0153] 33 Igniter [0154] 34 Flame