Burner head of burner for gas cooktop, burner for gas cooktop, and gas cooktop

Abstract

A burner head of a burner for a gas cooktop, a burner, and a gas cooktop are provided. The burner head includes a plurality of supports, where each support includes a support surface for supporting a cooking utensil, the support is further provided with a plurality of gas ports from which gas flows out and forms a flame, and each support has a first working position and a second working position. When the supports are in the first working position, the burner head has a flat upper surface, and the support surfaces of the supports constitute the upper surface, and when the supports are in the second working position, the burner head has a concave surface, and the support surfaces of the supports constitute the concave surface. The shape of the burner head is changeable, so as to adapt to cooking utensils having different bottom outlines.

Claims

1. A burner head of a burner for a gas cooktop, said burner head comprising a plurality of supports, each support comprising a support surface for supporting a cooking utensil and a plurality of gas ports for gas to flow out and to form a flame, said supports being movable between a first working position in which the support surfaces of the supports form a flat upper surface of the burner head, and a second working position in which the support surfaces of the supports form a concave surface of the burner head, wherein at least three of the supports are provided, with a gap being defined between any two neighboring supports of the supports.

2. The burner head of claim 1, wherein each support comprises a smooth side wall, said gas ports of each support being formed only on said side wall, wherein the gas ports of the supports face a same direction and are along a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction of the burner head.

3. The burner head of claim 1, wherein each support comprises two oppositely disposed smooth side walls, said gas ports being formed on both said side walls.

4. The burner head of claim 1, wherein each support is of a wedged shape defining a pointed end which is disposed outward.

5. The burner head of claim 1, wherein the supports gather together, or the supports are connected together.

6. The burner head of claim 1, wherein the supports extend radially outward away from a center of the burner head.

7. The burner head of claim 1, further comprising an automatic detection apparatus configured to automatically detect a bottom outline of the cooking utensil placed on the burner head, said supports assuming one of the first and second working position in response to a detection result by the detection apparatus so that the burner head automatically matches the bottom outline of the cooking utensil.

8. The burner head of claim 1, wherein the supports are configured to be electrically driven to the first working position and the second working position.

9. A burner for a gas cooktop, comprising a burner head, said burner head comprising a plurality of supports, each support comprising a support surface for supporting a cooking utensil and a plurality of gas ports for gas to flow out and to form a flame, said supports being movable between a first working position in which the support surfaces of the supports form a flat upper surface of the burner head, and a second working position in which the support surfaces of the supports define a concave surface of the burner head, wherein the supports extend radially outward away from a center of the burner head.

10. The burner of claim 9, wherein at least three of the supports are provided, with a gap being defined between any two neighboring supports of the supports.

11. The burner of claim 9, wherein each support comprises a smooth side wall, said gas ports of each support being formed only on said side wall, wherein the gas ports of the supports face a same direction and are along a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction of the burner head.

12. The burner of claim 9, wherein each support comprises two oppositely disposed smooth side walls, said gas ports being formed on both said side walls.

13. The burner of claim 9, wherein each support is of a wedged shape defining a pointed end which is disposed outward.

14. The burner of claim 9, wherein the supports gather together, or the supports are connected together.

15. The burner of claim 9, wherein the burner head includes an automatic detection apparatus configured to automatically detect a bottom outline of the cooking utensil placed on the burner head, said supports assuming one of the first and second working position in response to a detection result by the detection apparatus so that the burner head automatically matches the bottom outline of the cooking utensil.

16. The burner of claim 9, wherein the supports are configured to be electrically driven to the first working position and the second working position.

17. A gas cooktop, comprising a burner comprising a burner head which includes a plurality of supports, each support comprising a support surface for supporting a cooking utensil and a plurality of gas ports for gas to flow out and to form a flame, said supports being movable between a first working position in which the support surfaces of the supports form a flat upper surface of the burner head, and a second working position in which the support surfaces of the supports of the burner head form a concave surface of the burner head and a panel, said support surface of each support extending in the first working position in parallel relationship to the panel; and in the second working position at an incline in relation to the panel.

18. The gas cooktop of claim 17, wherein the burner head is disposed above the panel, with a gap being defined between the supports and the panel, when the supports are in any of the first and second working positions.

19. The gas cooktop of claim 17, further comprising base mechanisms configured to support the supports in one-to-one correspondence, each said base mechanism comprising a rotating shaft to enable the support to be rotatable and to adapt to bottom outlines of different cooking utensils.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of a gas cooktop when all supports are in a first working position according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a burner head of the gas cooktop according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is a front view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of a gas cooktop when supports of one burner head are in a first working position and supports of the other burner head are in a second working position according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 5 is a front view of the gas cooktop according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4;

(6) FIG. 6 is schematic top view of a burner head of the gas cooktop according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

(7) FIG. 7 is schematic diagram of a burner head of the gas cooktop according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(8) 1: Gas cooktop; 2: Burner head; 3: Panel; 4: Operating knob; 10: Base mechanism; 20: Support; 21: Support surface; 22 and 23: Side wall; 200: Gas port; 1S: Upper surface; 2S: Concave surface; and G1 and G2: Gap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) To further understand the objective, construction, features, and functions of the present invention, descriptions are provided in detail with reference to embodiments as follows.

(10) FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of a gas cooktop when all supports are in a first working position according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a burner head of the gas cooktop according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 only shows a part of the gas cooktop located on a panel. FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of a gas cooktop when supports of one burner head are in a first working position and supports of the other burner head are in a second working position according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a front view of the gas cooktop according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 only shows a part of the gas cooktop located on a panel.

(11) The gas cooktop 1 includes a panel 3 and two burner heads 2. An operating knob 4 is correspondingly disposed for a burner head 2 on the panel 3, so that a user enables and disables the burner head 2 and controls fire in the burner head 2 by using the operating knob 4. Certainly, to ensure integrity of the panel 3, the gas cooktop 1 to have a simpler appearance, and the user to clean the panel more conveniently, the panel 3 may be provided with a touch unit to replace the operating knob 4 to control the burner head. In addition, a projection apparatus may be disposed on a cooker hood above the gas cooktop 1, to project control information on the panel 3. The panel 3 is preferably made of black glass. An operation action of the user on the panel 3 may be captured and converted into a control instruction to control the gas cooktop 1.

(12) In this embodiment, the burner head 2 of a burner for the gas cooktop includes four supports 20. Four ends of the four supports 20 gather together, and a gap exists between any two neighboring supports 20. The supports 20 extend radially outward away from the center of the burner head 2, and the four supports 20 form a cross-shaped burner head 2.

(13) For a specific structure of the supports 20, descriptions are provided below.

(14) Specifically, each support 20 includes a support surface 21 configured to support a cooking utensil. The support 20 is further provided with a plurality of gas ports 200 from which gas flows out and forms a flame. As shown in FIG. 2, each support 20 includes two oppositely disposed side walls 22 and 23 that smoothly extend, and the side walls 22 and 23 are respectively connected to the support surface 21. A plurality of gas ports 200 is formed on both of the side walls 22 and 23. To prevent soup and overflow from splashing on the support and blocking the gas ports 200, in an embodiment of the present invention, a convex edge (not shown) protruding outward is formed at a connection position of the side wall 22 or 23 and the support surface 21. In an exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the gas ports (200) are only formed on one side wall (22) of each support (20), and the gas ports (200) on the supports (20) face a same direction and are along a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction of the burner head (2).

(15) In this embodiment, the support 20 is of a wedged shape, and a tip of the support 20 is disposed facing outward. The side walls 22 and 23 are triangular. The gas port 200 is a long narrow strip-shaped hole, and a length direction of the gas port 200 is perpendicular to an extension direction of the support 20. The plurality of gas ports 200 on each side wall is distributed in such a way that the size of the gas port 200 is gradually decreasing from a center of the burner head 2 toward the periphery. If an end of the support 20 located at the center of the burner head is defined as a head end, and an end of the support 20 away from the center of the burner head is defined as a tail end, from the head end to the tail end of the support, the gas port 200 on each side wall has a gradually decreasing size in the length direction.

(16) A gas channel that has a same extension direction as that of the support 20 may be formed inside the support 20, and each gas port 200 is in communication with the gas channel. Preferably, the gas channel is also of a wedged shape. Gas may be fed to the gas channel by using a related channel in a base mechanism 10 formed below the support 20.

(17) Each support 20 has at least two working positions, and the at least two working positions include a first working position and a second working position. When the supports 20 are in the first working position, the burner head 2 has a flat upper surface 1S, and the support surfaces 21 of the supports 20 constitute the upper surface 1S, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. In this case, the burner head 2 is more appropriate to support a flat-bottomed cooking utensil, for example, a frying pan. When the supports 20 are in the second working position, the burner head 2 has a concave surface 2S, and the support surfaces 21 of the supports 20 constitute the concave surface 2S, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. In this case, the burner head 2 is more appropriate to support an arc-bottomed cooking utensil, for example, a round-bottomed frying wok.

(18) When the support 20 is in the first working position, the support surface 21 of the support 20 is parallel to the panel 3, so that the burner head 2 has a flat upper surface 1S. When the support 20 is in the second working position, the support surface 21 of the support 20 inclines to the panel 3, so that the burner head 2 has a concave surface 2S. In this case, the burner head 2 is of a concave shape as a whole.

(19) As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the burner head 2 is disposed above the panel 3. When the support 20 is in the first working position, a gap G1 exists between the support 20 and the panel 3. When the support 20 is in the second working position, a gap G2 exists between the support 20 and the panel 3. More sufficient secondary air for burning of gas from the gas port 200 may be supplied by arrangement of the gaps G1 and G2.

(20) The gas cooktop 1 further includes a base mechanism 10 for supporting the support 20. In fact, an opening hole is formed on the panel 3 corresponding to the base mechanism 10, and the base mechanism 10 partially extends into the gas cooktop 1 through the opening hole. The base mechanism 10 includes a rotating shaft 12 (as schematically shown in FIG. 5) to enable the support 20 to be rotatable. Therefore, the support 20 may rotate from the first working position to the second working position, and rotate from the second working position to the first working position, so as to adapt to bottom outlines of different cooking utensils.

(21) In this embodiment, the supports 20 are configured to be electrically driven to the first working position and the second working position. In this way, the user may control the working position of the supports by using the operating knob 4 or the touch unit disposed on the panel 3. A mechanism driving the supports 20 to rotate may be a motor, for example, a stepper motor. A person skilled in the art should recognize that, conversion between the first working position and the second working position of the supports may alternatively be implemented in another actuating manner, for example, a mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or manual operation manner. For example, a mechanical structure including a spring is used. The user manually presses a cooking utensil to apply a force to the supports, and the supports automatically bounce from the first working position to the second working position after being pressed down. When the user presses the cooking utensil again to press down the supports, the supports return from the second working position to the first working position. However, this solution is applicable to supports each having two working positions. For supports each having more working positions, it is complex to use this solution.

(22) The foregoing is merely an embodiment of the present invention, and more embodiments of the present invention may be obtained by means of changes, modifications, and combinations. For example, the support 20 further includes more working positions in addition to the first working position and the second working position. For example, the support may have three working positions. When the support is respectively in the three working positions, angles between the support surface 21 and the panel 3 are 0°, 30°, and 60° respectively, to adapt to cooking utensils having different bottom outlines. In another embodiment, the support 20 may be adjusted steplessly, so that the support 20 may stay in any working position where the support surface 21 is parallel to the panel 3 or perpendicular to the panel 3. In an embodiment, the burner head 2 of the burner for the gas cooktop further includes an automatic detection apparatus 30, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 5. The automatic detection apparatus is configured to automatically detect a bottom outline of the cooking utensil placed on the burner head 2, and the burner head 2 is further configured to be automatically located, based on a detection result of the automatic detection apparatus, in a working position that matches the bottom outline of the cooking utensil.

(23) In addition to the foregoing wedged shape, the support 20 may further be constructed into another shape. In an embodiment, the support is constructed into such a shape that enables a gap, for example, an L-shaped gap or a U-shaped gap, to exist between the support and the panel when the support is in any working position.

(24) For another example, in another embodiment of the present invention, the base mechanism 10 further includes a lifting structure 14 (as schematically illustrated in FIG. L that enables the support 20 to move up and down. In this way, when the gas cooktop 1 is disabled, the support 20 returns to the first working position. That is, the support 20 returns to a working position where the support surface 21 of the support 20 is parallel to the panel of the gas cooktop. Subsequently, by using the lifting structure 14, the support is lowered to a position where the support surface 21 is basically flush with the panel of the gas cooktop. In this way, after the gas cooktop is disabled, the entire gas cooktop may be a flat entirety that smoothly extends on the panel, other than the operating knob. Certainly, the operating knob may also be constructed as a removable magnetic knob, or be constructed as a touch unit on the panel. In this way, when in a disabled state, the gas cooktop is presented as a panel that smoothly extends. In this embodiment, the support may be constructed into a shape of a spherical cap, or be constructed into a shape of a remaining part of a cylinder after the cylinder is cut by a plane parallel to an axis of the cylinder.

(25) In other embodiments of the present invention, the burner head may include three, five, six, or more supports. Three supports constitute a Y-shaped burner head, as schematically illustrated, for example, in FIG. 6. Five supports constitute a pentagram-shaped burner head. Six supports constitute an eight-spoked-asterisk-shaped burner head.

(26) In another embodiment of the present invention, the supports 20 included by the burner head 2 gather together in such a way that head ends of the supports are spaced apart from each other. However, in another embodiment, the supports 20 are connected together.

(27) For another example, a difference between the another embodiment of the present invention and the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 lies in that the burner head 2 includes six supports, the gas ports 200 are only formed on one side wall 22 of each support 20, and the gas ports 200 on the supports 20 face a same direction and are along a counterclockwise direction of the burner head 2.

(28) The present invention further provides a burner for a gas cooktop 1, including the burner head 2 according to any one of the foregoing embodiments.

(29) The embodiments of single parts described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 may be combined with each other in any given manner to achieve advantages of the present invention.

(30) The present invention is described by the foregoing related embodiments. However, the foregoing embodiments are merely examples for implementing the present invention. It should be noted that, the disclosed embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. On the contrary, variations and modifications made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention fall within the patent protection scope of the present invention.