Burner module for a cooker, a cooker or hob and method for manufacturing thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a burner module for a cooker and a cooker and a method for such a burner module. The burner module according to the invention comprises: a carrier with which the burner module can be placed as a unit on a worktop; an outlet for gas provided on the carrier; an inlet provided on the carrier for supplying gas; and control means provided between an inlet and the outlet for realizing a gas flame.

Claims

1. A cooker system comprising: a freestanding worktop; a cooker burner module, wherein the cooker burner module includes a carrier having a plurality of gas burners coupled to a surface of the carrier, wherein each of the gas burners are installed from below the worktop and has a portion extending above a top of the carrier, wherein the carrier further includes adjusting screws positioned between the gas burners, and wherein the carrier is coupled to an underside of the worktop by the adjusting screws which have at least one end thereof in direct contact with the underside of the worktop; a heat-conductive element between the top of the carrier and coupled directly to the underside of the worktop, wherein the heat-conductive element is disposed over an entire length of the carrier that includes continuous span across the plurality of gas burners, wherein the heat-conductive element provides additional support to the worktop, reduces point loads from fastening elements, and improves heat discharge from the worktop, and wherein the adjusting screws press the heat-conductive element against the underside of the worktop; an inlet provided on the carrier for supplying gas; and supply means provided between the inlet and the gas burners.

2. The cooker system of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises additional adjusting screws positioned at ends of the carrier and connecting the carrier to the worktop.

3. The cooker system of claim 2, wherein the worktop has a thickness in a range of 1 to 50 mm.

4. The cooker system of claim 1, further comprising a control knob mounted on the worktop and configured to control a valve coupled to the supply means, and wherein a sealing ring is provided for sealing and/or positioning the control knob relative to the worktop.

5. The cooker system of claim 1, further comprising a lengthening means operatively connected to the supply means.

6. The cooker system of claim 1, further comprising a flexible control cable operatively connecting an operating means to a valve operatively connected to the supply means.

7. The cooker system of claim 2, further comprising a cover plate positioned on one of the gas burners on an upper surface of the worktop, and wherein the cover plate has a reverse U-shape.

8. The cooker system of claim 7, wherein the cover plate extends in a radially outward direction over the upper surface of the worktop, wherein the cover plate is fixed to the one of the gas burners, and wherein the additional adjusting screws engage the underside of the worktop and tighten the cover plate against the upper surface of the worktop.

9. The cooker system of claim 7, wherein the cover plate comprises spacer means with which the cover plate can be provided at a distance from the worktop.

10. The cooker system of claim 9, wherein the spacer is formed by a ring.

11. The cooker system of claim 1, further comprising a pan support comprising of a plurality of supports disposed on an outer ring, wherein the outer ring comprises an increasing thickness from a center of the outer ring toward the periphery.

12. The cooker system of claim 1, wherein the worktop comprises a plurality of through-holes, wherein each of the gas burners extends into a corresponding one of the through-holes, and wherein each of the gas burners is enclosed by a heat plate on a top of the worktop.

13. The cooker system of claim 12, wherein each of the gas burners is surrounded by a bush, each of the bushes extends from the top of the carrier, the heat plates form parts of housings for the gas burners, and wherein other portions of the housings are formed by the bushes.

14. The cooker system of claim 12, wherein the heat plates form a support for burner body parts/flame distributors releasable therefrom without tools.

15. A kitchen provided with the cooker system as claimed in claim 12.

16. The cooker system of claim 1, wherein the heat-conductive element is one of a plate, a mesh or a grid.

17. The cooker system of claim 1, wherein the heat-conductive element is a plate-like element.

18. The cooker system of claim 1, wherein each of the gas burners is surrounded by a bush, and wherein each of the bushes extends from the top of the carrier.

19. Method for manufacturing a cooker system, comprising the steps of: providing a freestanding worktop; providing a plurality of recesses in the worktop; placing a heat-conductive element over a top side of a carrier of a cooker burner module, wherein the cooker burner module includes a plurality of gas burners coupled to a surface of the carrier, wherein portions of each of the gas burners extend above a top of the carrier, wherein the heat-conductive element is disposed over an entire length of the carrier that includes a continuous span across the plurality of gas burners, wherein the carrier includes an inlet for supplying gas and pipes provided between the inlet and the gas burners, and wherein the carrier further comprises adjusting screws positioned between the gas burners and adjusting screws located at ends of the carrier; after placing the heat-conductive element over the top side of the carrier, installing the cooker burner module on an underside of the worktop so that the heat-conductive element is disposed directly against the underside of the worktop, the carrier is under the heat-conductive element, and each of the gas burners is located in a corresponding one of the recesses; and tightening the adjusting screws positioned between the gas burners and the adjusting screws located at ends of the carrier, wherein the adjusting screws positioned between the gas burners have at least one end thereof in direct contact with the underside of the worktop and press the heat-conductive element against the underside of the worktop.

20. Method as claimed in 19, wherein a dish is placed from above onto the worktop and fixed to the carrier, and is tightened downward relative to an upper surface of the carrier.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the heat-conductive element is one of a plate, a mesh or a grid.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the gas burners is surrounded by a bush, and wherein each of the bushes extends from the top of the carrier.

Description

(1) Further advantages, features and details of the invention are elucidated on the basis of preferred embodiments thereof, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1A1-1C show side views of burner modules according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a top view of a cooker with burner module according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a system of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 shows views of the burner module of FIG. 1;

(6) FIGS. 5A and B show views of a burner module with respectively fixed and flexible operating means;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a view of a pan support;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a view of a pan support according to the invention;

(9) FIG. 8 is a top view of possible configurations of burner modules in a cooker;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a detail of the control knob according to the invention;

(11) FIG. 10 shows views of an alternative rectangular embodiment.

(12) A cooker system 2 (FIG. 1A1) comprises a worktop 4 provided with a burner module 6. A galvanized lower tray or carrier 8 is provided under worktop 4. Carrier 8 is placed with adjusting screws 10 against worktop 4. In the shown embodiment worktop 4 has a thickness of about 30 mm. The space between carrier 8 and worktop 4 depends on the thickness of worktop 4 and the length of adjusting screw 10. Provided in this space in the shown embodiment is an aluminium heat-conductive plate 9 about 5 mm thick which is placed with adjusting screws 11 against the underside of worktop 4. In an alternate embodiment cooker system 2, and as shown in FIG. 1A2, plate 9 may instead be a mesh 9. In another alternate embodiment cooker system 2, and as shown in FIG. 1A3, plate 9 may instead be a grid 9. Outlets or gas rings 12 are provided on worktop 4 and are operated using anodized aluminium control knobs 14. In the shown embodiment control knobs 14 are provided on the upper side of worktop 4 and placed inside a rosette 16 mounted on worktop 4 using double-sided tape 18. Other mounting methods are also possible. Gas ring 12 is combined with an enamelled steel pan support 20 which is positioned around an enamelled steel cover plate 22 provided on the underside with a rubber sealing ring 24. Ring 24 creates a distance 25 between plate 22 and worktop 4. This prevents undesirable heat transfer to worktop 4 and imparts height to the pan support. In the shown embodiment cover plate 22 is provided in a kind of reverse U-shape wherein the centre of cover plate 22 is at a higher position than the edge of cover plate 22. A more conventional positioning of cover plate 22, wherein the centre of cover plate 22 is at a lower position than the edge of cover plate 22, is also possible in cooker system 2 according to the invention.

(13) Diverse alternative embodiments of system 2 are possible. The substructure unit 101 (FIG. 1B) thus comprises a box 102 with a bottom plate 105 and a top plate 103. Made in top plate 103 are round holes, at the edge of which cylindrical bushes 106a-e are fixed to top plate 103. Extending inside bushes 106a-e are burner bodies 108a-e which are dish-shaped and provided in the peripheral walls 161a-e with igniters 180a-e and with bolt holes. Peripheral conduit and fitting spaces 109a-e are left clear between the walls 112a-e of bushes 106a-e and the burner bodies 108a-e.

(14) Substructure unit 101 is supplied from below in direction A to a worktop 120, wherein bushes 106a-e are inserted from below into holes 121 of their own intended for this purpose, just as in the embodiment discussed in the foregoing, wherein walls 112 extend with some clearance in holes 121. FIG. 1C once again shows only a part of substructure unit 101, wherein the indices a are omitted for illustrative reasons.

(15) As soon as the substructure unit has been brought to roughly the correct height, a temporary support is arranged therefor. This can for instance be several rods supporting on the ground. The fitter then places heat plate 111 over hole 121. He then inserts bolts into holes 160 in heat plate 111 and the bolt holes 162 on peripheral wall 161 and thereby tightens heat plate 111 onto burner body 144. Substructure unit 101 is then as it were suspended from heat plate 111 which supports on worktop 120.

(16) Utilized for the purpose of fixing substructure unit 101 to worktop 120 are adjusting bolts 170, the heads 173 of which are accessible from below by a tool through a hole intended for this purpose in bottom plate 105. Adjusting bolts 170 are screwed into nuts 171 attached to top plate 103 and extend through a suitable hole in this top plate 103 and the end 172 thereof comes up against the lower surface 125, preferably with plate 9 therebetween, of worktop 120 after rotation of adjusting bolt 170 in direction B. Further rotation of adjusting bolts 170 urges the substructure unit 101 downward in direction C, wherein heat plate 111 is also pulled downward in direction D. Heat plate 111 can thus be tightened against upper surface 124 of worktop 120 and substructure unit 101 can be fixed in place. In this embodiment heat plate 111 will not need to make contact with bush 106, but does however cover it. Flame distributor 140, burner cover 141 and the pan support are subsequently placed from above.

(17) Heat plate 111 has a downward flanged edge 114 for causing the horizontal upper surface of heat plate 111 to extend about 1 cm above upper surface 124, this being favourable for the purpose of keeping heat away from the worktop, and for holding a U-shaped sealing profile 115 with which a seal is realized against upper surface 124. Flanged edge 114 moreover forms a placing aid for the pan support 142/146 when the inner diameter thereof corresponds to the outer diameter of heat plate 111.

(18) In the shown embodiment (FIG. 1A1) four gas rings 12 (FIG. 2) are positioned on worktop 4. Control knobs 14 are positioned in the shown embodiment in twos in the corners of worktop 4. In the shown embodiment both gas rings 20 at the sides of worktop 5 are of a 5 kW type, while the two other gas rings 12 are of respectively 3 and 2 kW type. In the shown embodiment worktop 4 has dimensions of about 503 mm wide and 853 mm long.

(19) Provided on the underside of cooker system 2 (FIG. 3) is a copper gas pipe 28 with a diameter of 15 mm and a wall thickness of 1 mm. Gas pipe 28 forms the inlet for cooker system 2 and carries the supplied gas to gas valves 30. Gas ring 12 is supplied from gas valves 30 using aluminium pipe 32 with a diameter of 8 mm and a wall thickness of 1 mm. The two largest gas rings 12 of the 5 kW type are additionally provided with a copper feed with a diameter of 4 mm and a wall thickness of 1 mm. Gas rings 12 are also each individually provided with ignition mechanisms 36. Gas valve 30 can be controlled using control knob 14.

(20) The height of the whole burner module 6 is about 8 mm in the shown embodiment. Rotary knobs or control knobs 14 are connected using a connecting tube 26 to carrier 8 (shown in FIG. 4 without worktop 4). The thickness of carrier 8 is about 95 mm in the shown embodiment.

(21) A cooker system 2 can be embodied as a configuration 38 with a fixed position for control knob 14 (FIG. 5A) and as a configuration 40 wherein control knob 14 is provided in a control box 44 operatively connected to gas valves 30 by means of a flexible control cable 42 (FIG. 5B). Using configuration 40 the control can be placed freely on a worktop 4. The width of configurations 38, 40 amount in the shown embodiment to about 275 mm and the length to for instance about 389 mm.

(22) A pan support 46 (FIG. 6) is provided with an outer ring 48 and, in the shown embodiment, four legs or supports 50. In the shown embodiment outer ring 48 has an outer diameter of about 228 mm and amounts at the position of the pan support to about 44.5 mm.

(23) An alternative pan support 52 (FIG. 7) is provided with an outer ring 54 with four supports 56. Outer edge 54 is provided with an increasing thickness as seen from the centre of ring 54. In the shown embodiment the thickness increases from 6 mm to 12 mm.

(24) Burner module 6 can be provided in modular manner such that diverse configurations can be obtained for cooker systems 2 (FIG. 8). Diverse configurations can for instance thus be assembled, making use of different types of burner such as for instance the 2, 3 and 5 kW types. The number of gas rings 12 can likewise be varied here from for instance one to five. Shown configurations 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88 and 90 are assembled from such modular burner modules 6. Other configurations are of course also possible.

(25) Control knob 14 (FIG. 9) is placed in a sealing ring 16 which in the shown embodiment is connected with double-sided tape 18 to worktop 4. Control knob 14 is connected via tube 26 to burner module 6. Sealing ring 16 serves here as guide and positioning for control knob 14.

(26) In an alternative embodiment cooker system 92 (FIG. 10) is provided with rectangular gas rings 94. The other parts are preferably the same here as shown for cooker system 2. The overall width of system 92 amounts to about 853 mm and the depth to 503 mm. The overall thickness including worktop and including substructure amounts to about 88 mm from the upper side of the worktop.

(27) A burner module 6 is assembled in a controlled environment. If desired at a user location, or alternatively also in a controlled environment such as in a factory, burner module 6 is preferably attached to the underside of worktop 4 using a number of adjusting screws 10. Control knobs 14, cover plates 22 and pan supports 20 are then arranged from the upper side of worktop 4. Prior to placing of burner module 6 on worktop 4 recesses are provided on worktop 4 at the positions desired by the user. After placing of the burner module as a unit on worktop 4 the gas connection is connected to the inlet, after which cooker system 2 is ready for use.

(28) The assembly of the burner module and cooker is elucidated below in more detail on the basis of a number of steps to be followed. Check whether the number of control knobs and sealing dishes therefor, as well as the number of heat shields (or heat plates or dishes) is the same as the number of burners; Unscrew the heat shields from the module or unit; Check whether the number of silicone sealing rings or spacers is the same as the number of burners; Press the sealing ring carefully over the edge of the heat shield, particularly pressing the final part with both thumbs over the edge, and check whether the ring fits properly as a whole; Screw the adjusting screws 10,11 at positions 206 back to about 3 mm above the unit; Place the heat conductor on the unit and check the position; Position the unit carefully under the worktop; Place the unit as a whole through the pattern of holes to a position closely against the underside of the worktop and, if necessary, support temporarily; Place the heat shields over the burners, wherein care is taken with possible recesses and with the electrical spark ignition 200 which is susceptible to breakage; Tighten the heat shields by hand at the position where heat shields and shaft 204 of the burner lie in line with fixation pin 202 so that no blockage is created and the burner operates properly; Check whether the sealing ring is fixed flat against the top and does not protrude outside the heat shield; Place all burner components at the associated burner housings; Place the flame distributor(s) on the gas housing and assemble the burner; Place the outer ring and the inner ring and take care with the stabilizing fixation pin 202 during placing of the pan support, wherein pin 202 positions the pan support correctly so that the burner functions properly; Connect the gas hose and place the plug in an earthed wall socket and tighten at adjustment positions by hand so that the heat conductor moves (upward) into position; Tighten screws 11 for the heat-conductive plate by hand at adjustment positions 206 in the centre and then tighten screws 10 by hand at uppermost positions 206 in FIG. 2; Place the adjusting spanner 208 straight on stop of gas valve, wherein the two measurement points are only a few millimetres directly above the top as a kind of depth gauge; Ensure that adjusting spanner 208 is placed against the flat side of the gas valve and that the underside of the adjustment spanner comes directly against the stop; Tighten screws 10 at lowest adjustment positions 206 in FIG. 2 until spanner 208 makes contact with the worktop, and take care that the measurement points make contact simultaneously with the worktop; Place the sealing dish and control knob loosely on the worktop, wherein these are adhered fixedly only after testing and wherein the gas valve is as it were lengthened by the control knob; Open the control knob and release upon ignition and, if the burner goes out upon release, this is usually because the lowest positions 206 in FIG. 2 have been screwed too tightly; Ensure that the indicator of the control knob corresponds to the indicator of the sealing dish; Remove the adhesive strip of the sealing dish; Position the control knob with the sealing dish on the worktop and press the knob firmly with sealing dish onto the worktop.

(29) The present invention is by no means limited to the above described preferred embodiments thereof. The rights sought are defined by the following claims, within the scope of which many modifications can be envisaged. Although the invention is specifically advantageous when used for the purpose of gas burners, other applications are also possible, such as electrical or combinations thereof with gas.