Cooktop, household appliance comprising a cooktop, method for assembling a cooktop and method for installing a cooktop

Abstract

A cooktop includes a burner box, a heat shield pivotably attached to a bottom of the burner box, a lock for locking the heat shield in a transport position, wherein the heat shield is self-pivotable from the transport position to an operational position after unlocking the lock, and when in the operational position the heat shield is pivoted further from the bottom of the burner box than in the transport position.

Claims

1. A cooktop for receipt into a cooktop receptacle, the cooktop comprising: a burner box; a heat shield pivotably attached to a bottom of the burner box; a blocking member blocking a backward movement of the heat shield along the plurality of slits, the blocking member being separate from the heat shield; a lock for locking the heat shield in a transport position, wherein the heat shield is self-pivotable under action of a gravitational force from the transport position to an operational position after unlocking the lock and in which the heat shield contacts a floor of the cooktop receptacle, and when in the operational position the heat shield is pivoted further from the bottom of the burner box than in the transport position; wherein the heat shield is hinged in the bottom of the burner box and the bottom of the burner box defines a plurality of slits and the heat shield comprises an L-shaped hinge inserted into the plurality of slits and the heat shield is displaced along the plurality of slits, wherein the blocking member comprises a cover that covers an opening in the bottom of the burner box and wherein the blocking member covers a part of each of the plurality of slits if the blocking member is inserted into the opening.

2. The cooktop of claim 1, wherein the heat shield comprises a metal sheet.

3. The cooktop of claim 1, characterized in that the cooktop comprises an induction cooktop.

4. A household appliance with a receptacle receiving a cooktop that comprises: a burner box; a heat shield pivotably attached to a bottom of the burner box; a blocking member blocking a backward movement of the heat shield along the plurality of slits, the blocking member being separate from the heat shield; a lock for locking the heat shield in a transport position, wherein the heat shield is self-pivotable under action of a gravitational force from the transport position to an operational position after unlocking the lock and in which the heat shield contacts a floor of the receptacle, and when in the operational position the heat shield is pivoted further from the bottom of the burner box than in the transport position; wherein the heat shield is hinged in the bottom of the burner box and the bottom of the burner box defines a plurality of slits and the heat shield comprises an L-shaped hinge inserted into the plurality of slits and the heat shield is displaced along the plurality of slits, wherein the blocking member comprises a cover that covers an opening in the bottom of the burner box and wherein the blocking member covers a part of each of the plurality of slits if the blocking member is inserted into the opening.

5. A cooktop for receipt into a cooktop receptacle, the cooktop comprising: a burner box having a bottom that defines a plurality of slits; a heat shield pivotably attached to the bottom of the burner box and movable between a transport position and an operational position in which the heat shield protrudes from the bottom of the burner box and contacts a floor of the cooktop receptacle; and a blocking member which blocks a backward movement of the heat shield along the slit, the blocking member having a cover section that covers an opening in the bottom of the burner box and a blocking section which lies parallel to an upper surface of the bottom of the burner box and engages the bottom of the burner box and covers a part of each of the plurality of slits where the heat shield is not present, the blocking member being separate from the heat shield; wherein the heat shield is hinged in the bottom of the burner box and the heat shield comprises an L-shaped hinge inserted into the plurality of slits and the heat shield is displaced along the plurality of slits.

6. The cooktop of claim 5, wherein the heat shield is self-pivotable under action of its own weight from the transport position to the operational position.

7. The cooktop of claim 5, wherein the heat shield comprises a metal sheet.

8. The cooktop of claim 5, wherein the heat shield comprises a divider section and a hinge element extending from the divider section.

9. The cooktop of claim 8, wherein the hinge element comprises an end section and a connecting section which connects the divider section and the end section.

10. The cooktop of claim 9, wherein the connecting section is bent such that the end section is angled with respect to the divider section.

11. The cooktop of claim 8, wherein an end section extends into the slit of the bottom of the burner box such that the bottom supports the end section and the divider section, respectively.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, an exemplary embodiment is explained and illustrated schematically by means of drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a conventional cooktop;

(3) FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of a cooktop according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention that has been fitted into a standard case;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom of the burner box from the inside, i.e. onto the upper surface of its bottom;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the heat shield;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a blocking member;

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bottom of the burner box from the outside with the heat shield attached in a transport position;

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom of the burner box from the outside with the heat shield attached in an operational position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

(9) FIG. 2 shows a cooktop 201 according to an exemplary embodiment being inserted into the case 102. The cooktop 201 includes a burner box 205 that is equipped with a hinged heat shield 202 which in turn is pivotably attached to a bottom 204 of the burner box 205. The hinged heat shield 202 can pivot from a transport position (continuous line) into an operating position (dashed line). In the operating position, the heat shield 202 is sticking out or protruding further from the burner box 205 than in the transport position.

(10) In the transport position, the heat shield 202 may be attached to the bottom 204 of the burner box 205 in a substantially parallel or contacting way. The heat shield 202 may be secured in the transport position by a lock (shown as screw 624 in FIG. 6). In the transport position, the heat shield 202 may not significantly increase the height of the cooktop 201, so that the cooktop 201 is compact when being stored. Also, in the transport position the heat shield 202 is safe from transport damage, which could occur for example due to shocks.

(11) To transfer the heat shield 202 from its transport position into its operating position, the lock is released. For example, a lock in form of a screw coupling can be released by being unscrewed. After releasing the lock, the heat shield 202 pivots, protrudes, flaps or rotates from the transport position into the operating position due to a gravitational force, i.e. driven by its own weight, if the cooktop 201 is in or is brought into its upright orientation. The pivoting can be supported by a spring (not shown), the spring pushing the heat shield 202 out of the transport position. The provision of the spring bears the advantage that the heat shield 202 is pushed onto the case 102 with additional pressure, thus preventing any substantial gap between the heat shield 202 and the case 102 more effectively. In the operating position, the intermediate space 112 is divided into the first sub space 116 and the second sub space 117.

(12) Since the heat shield 202 reaches its operating position by itself in a flexible and continuous way, it is possible to use the same cooktop 201 with various cases 102 or cooktop receptacles, respectively, of different heights h of the intermediate spaces 112 up to a completely deployed operating position in which the heat shield 202 is standing vertically or almost vertically down from the bottom 204.

(13) Hence, the approach provided advantageously suggests a particularly inexpensive-to-build, easy-to-mount and safe-to-transport means to avoid the thermal shortcut.

(14) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom 204 of the burner box 205 from the inside, i.e. onto the upper surface 306 of the bottom 204. The bottom 204 is surrounded by a peripheral side wall 207. The bottom 204 comprises four slits 308a to 308d, arranged substantially evenly spaced in a row. In the vicinity of one of the slits 308b is an opening 309, one edge 310 of which lies adjacent and parallel to the slit 308 such that this edge 310 and the slit 308b are partially arranged next to each other. Next to the opposite edge 311, a screw opening 312 is provided in the bottom 304. Lying parallel to the slits 308b and 308c, a reinforcement plate 313 is riveted to the upper surface 306. This reinforcement plate 313 comprises a screw hole 314 that also extends through the bottom 204.

(15) FIG. 4 shows the heat shield 202. The heat shield 202 is provided as a substantially band-shaped and integrally formed firm metal sheet. The heat shield 202 includes a substantially rectangular divider section 415 and four hinge elements 416, which are substantially equally spaced along and extending from one edge of the divider section 415. The hinge elements 416 are basically L-shaped and are composed of a longer end section 417 (the leg of the L shape) and a shorter connecting section 418 (the frontal base of the L shape). The end section 417 is thus partially supernatant with respect to the connecting section 418. The connecting section 418 connects the divider section 415 and the end section 417. The connecting section 418 is bent such that the end section 417 is angled with respect to the divider section 415. For example, the end section 417 and the divider section 415 may enclose a right angle.

(16) The hinge elements 416 are formed and positioned such that the end sections 417 can extend into the slits 308a to 308d of the bottom 204 of the burner box 205. This insertion of the heat shield 202 into the bottom 204 can be performed from the outside or underside of the burner box 205 with the divider section lying parallel to the bottom 204. To hinge the heat shield 202 at the bottom 204, the heat shield 202 is then pushed sideways such that the bottom 204 supports the end section 417 and its supernatant part, respectively.

(17) The heat shield 202 further comprises a screw hole 425 for being connected with the bottom 204.

(18) FIG. 5 shows a blocking member 519 that prevents the hinged heat shield 202 from moving backward along the slits 308a to 308d and from dropping out of the bottom 204. The blocking member 519 is formed to cover the opening 309. Hence, the blocking member 519 includes a cover section 520, a blocking section 521, and a screw hole 522. After the hinged heat shield 202 has been inserted into the bottom 204 of the burner box 205, the blocking member 519 is placed over the opening 309 from the outside or from the underside of the burner box 205 with the blocking section 521 sticking into the inside of the bottom 204 and lying basically parallel or on the upper surface 306 of the bottom 204. The blocking section 521 engages the bottom 204 and holds the blocking member 519 in place. To do so, the blocking section 521 is formed as a step-like extension of the cover section 520. To fix the blocking member 519, a screw can be placed via the screw hole 522 and the screw hole 312 of the bottom 204, the screw holes 522 and 312 being positioned on top of each other. The blocking section 521 is formed such that it covers or overlaps a part of the slot 308b where the respective hinge element 416 is not present. In other words, the blocking section 521 acts as a stopper for the hinge element 416 at said slot 308b.

(19) FIG. 6 shows an elevation view onto the outside or underside 623 of the bottom 204 of the burner box 205 with the hinged heat shield 202 attached in the transport position. In this transport position, the divider section 415 of the hinged heat shield 202 lies substantially flat on the bottom 204. To secure the hinged heat shield 202 to the bottom 204, a screw 624 is put through the screw hole 425 and the screw hole 314. At the inside of the burner box 205, the end sections 417 (not shown in FIG. 6) are sticking out in a basically perpendicular orientation with respect to the bottom 204.

(20) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the underside 623 of the bottom 204 of the burner box 205 with the hinged heat shield 202 attached in the operational position. The hinged heat shield 202 is pivoted such that it sticks out (flaps) or protrudes from the bottom 204 in a substantially perpendicular manner, as indicated by the double arrows. At the inside of the burner box 205, the end sections 417 (sketched in dashed lines) are lying flat on the bottom 204 and thus act as stoppers preventing further rotation of the hinged heat shield 202 for easier installation. The end sections 417 may be angled less than 90? with the respect to the divider section 415 to facilitate adjustment of the operating position while fitting the cooktop 201 into the receptacle or case 102.

(21) To transfer the hinged heat shield 202 from the transport position of FIG. 6 to the operational position of FIG. 7, the screw 624 fixing the hinged heat shield 202 can be released, as shown by the double arrows in FIG. 6. If the cooktop 201 is in its upright orientation (as seen, e.g., in FIG. 2) or is brought in its upright orientation, the hinged heat shield 202 simply pivots by virtue of its own weight.

(22) It should be understood that the present invention is not restricted to the shown embodiments.

(23) For example, the heat shield can attached to the bottom of the burner box by pin-joints or by a flexible joint.

(24) Also, the heat shield can be made from a plastic material.