WO2021233734A1

WO2021233734A1 - Pan support for a gas cooking range

Info

Publication number: WO2021233734A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/062477
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alvaro Martinez Diez; Emilio Placer Maruri
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2020-05-19
Filing date: 2021-05-11
Publication date: 2021-11-25
Also published as: CN115552175A

Abstract

Pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) for a domestic gas cooking range which is made of a sheet material, wherein a frame portion (11, 12, 111, 112, 113, 114) arranged at a periphery of a heat shield of a cooking field is being formed by a portion of the sheet material with a larger surface of the sheet material arranged in a horizontal plane, at least a leg portion (21, 121, 122, 123, 124) and at least a finger portion (31, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136) is arranged with the sheet material bent upward, characterized in that the pan support is made of at least two parts (10, 101, 102, 103, 104) connected to each other. Preferably, the at least two parts are identical.

Description

Pan support for a gas cooking range

The present invention relates to a pan support for a domestic cooking range.

Pan or pan supports for gas cooking ranges are traditionally manufactured from cast iron as a single part. With modern production technologies, steel has become another suitable material because it is easier to weld than cast iron. Generally, pan supports made of steel are manufactured by connecting several different parts or pieces, like a bar forming a frame surrounding the hob, pan support fingers which are welded to the frame or to legs supporting the fingers. Connecting pieces for the corners of the frame and for connecting frames of neighboring cooking fields to each other may also be used. These parts have to be welded together or connected to each other by a different method, like gluing or pressing.

Chinese Utility Model CN 207539963U discloses a pan support for a burner of a gas cooking range which is manufactured from one single piece of sheet metal. The sheet metal has to undergo two major process steps: a first step of cutting it into shape, like die cutting or stamping, and a second step of bending, like deep drawing into the final shape which will also entail creating the legs and fingers of the pan support.

When such a one-piece solution for the pan support of a gas burner, as described above, is transferred to designs of gas cooking ranges as they are customary in Europe, there arises the problem of a huge waste of material. This is due to the fact that European designs of pan supports do not extend as close to the burner as the design of the utility model mentioned above. In designs for gas cooking ranges in Europe, there is usually a heat shield surrounding the gas burner. The pan support can thus be reduced to a narrow frame at the periphery of the heat shield. In other words, there is a much larger center hole around the gas burner in the pan support for a European design than there is in the design of the utility model described above.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a pan support for a gas burner with a simple design which is easy to manufacture. Accordingly, there is a pan support for a domestic gas cooking range, wherein: the pan support comprises at least two parts made of a sheet material having edges and surfaces, the parts being connected to each other, wherein each part comprises at least a frame portion in a horizontal plane, at least a leg portion and at least a finger portion, wherein a respective leg portion is bent from the frame portion and extends in a plane having an angle with the frame portion, and the finger portion is arranged at the leg portion distal from the bent and wherein the respective frame portion is adapted to be placed on a surface of a cooking hob, and on the finger portion a support surface for a cooking utensil is formed.

If a pan support is formed of at least two parts which can be easily formed by cutting and bending a sheet material, the production of such a pan support becomes easier and quicker. Further, material consumption, especially waste material, can be reduced. An added advantage is that the design flexibility is greater. The design of a pan support with the features mentioned above can be easily changed to be adapted to a new cooktop design. The programming of the cutting machine and the bending machine are the only things that have to be modified with most modern designs of those machines.

According to an embodiment, such a pan support is realized where the at least two parts are of identical shape.

It can be considered an advantage that the at least two parts, which are independent and separate pieces. Allow for a modular assembly of pan or port supports.

Production of such a pan support and design changes become even easier when the parts used for making the pan support are of identical shape, especially in terms of part lists and handling, because the risk is reduced that different parts become mixed or are being used in a wrong model or a wrong place.

According to an embodiment, such a pan support is realized, wherein each part of the at least two parts has one leg portion and one finger portion, and wherein the leg portion is arranged on an end section of a frame portion. Material usage in the manufacturing of a pan support can be further improved it the parts of the pan support contain all the necessary portions for the finished pan support in one and the same part.

In embodiments, a pan support is disclosed, where each part of the at least two parts has two leg portions, each of the two leg portions is arranged on an end section of a frame portion, and the parts are arranged in the pan support so that leg portions and finger portions of two different parts are abutting to each other.

This embodiment allows for easier manufacturing because the parts are assembled at their respective end sections before the connecting process like welding is performed.

Another embodiment of such a pan support is disclosed, wherein on at least one finger portion a top finger portion is formed which extends at least partially in a horizontal plane.

If a top finger portion is formed, it can be made flat and large, so that the finger portions provide a stable support for the cooking utensils.

Another embodiment of such a pan support is disclosed, wherein finger portion extends at least partially in the same plane as the leg portion which plane includes the angle with the horizontal plane.

This embodiment will also allow for easy manufacturing of the pan support, because legs and fingers are formed at the same time by cutting and bending.

Another embodiment of such a pan support is disclosed, wherein the finger portions which are formed on two different parts and which are abutting to each other are arranged so that one finger portion is higher than the other and wherein a top finger portion is arranged at the top of a finger portion so that the sheet material is bent into a horizontal plane.

This embodiment allows for a single smooth surface when the parts of the pan support are connected to each other at the finger portions. This serves to avoid damage to the cooking utensils like pots and pans. In another embodiment, a pan support is disclosed, wherein inserts are added to the leg and/or finger portions.

Supporting inserts may be added to the legs and even to the fingers of the pan support in order to strengthen the pan support so that larger and heavier cooking utensils can be accommodated. In embodiments inserts are added into bent sections of fingers and/or legs of the respective pot support.

Another embodiment of such a pan support is disclosed, wherein the parts are connected to each other by welding, gluing or pressing.

These connections provide a stable pan support.

Further, a method of producing a pan support for a gas cooking range is disclosed, comprising the following steps: cutting, out of sheet material, at least two parts of the pan support into a shape with at least one frame portion, at least one leg portion and at least one finger portion, bending at least one leg portion upward out of the horizontal plane of the frame portions, and connecting the at least two parts of the pan support.

This method allows for easy manufacturing of a pan support with reduced material consumption.

A method of producing a pan support is disclosed, wherein after the bending step, in a second bending step a top finger portion is formed at the top of a finger portion by bending the sheet material back to a horizontal plane parallel to the plane of the frame portions.

This step makes sure that a smooth top surface of the pan support is available so that the cooking utensils are not damaged when sliding on the pan support.

A method of producing a pan support is disclosed, wherein at least one of the bending steps is performed by bending the sheet material such that an intermediate portion is created which is neither in the horizontal plane nor in the plane of the leg portion of the sheet material. The creation of an intermediate portion allows for the bending to be performed in two steps which serves to reduce material fatigue and to simplify manufacturing.

A method for producing a pan support is disclosed which comprises the step of connecting several pan supports, thus creating a pan support for more than one gas burner.

This method allows further simplification in manufacturing.

A method of producing a pan support is disclosed, wherein the bending step is performed by deep drawing.

Deep drawing is a preferred method for forming the parts of the pan support because it allows design flexibility while avoiding material fatigue.

A method of producing a pan support is disclosed, wherein the connecting step is performed by welding, gluing or pressing.

This method allows for a safe connection of the parts forming the pan support.

In the present document, the term of a "horizontal plane" is defined as a plane which is perpendicular to the direction of gravity. This may be a plane in which the top of a domestic gas cooker is oriented so that cooking utensils like pots and pans can be safely placed on the top of the cooker. Liquid content of the cooking utensils will have a top surface which is correspondingly also oriented in a horizontal plane. Any plane which is oriented in a perpendicular direction to such a horizontal plane will be designated as a "vertical plane". These vertical planes will always contain the direction of gravity. Correspondingly, the term "upward" is defined as a direction which runs against the direction of gravity. The terms "upper" and "lower" are also defined with respect to the direction of gravity.

The embodiments and features described with reference to the apparatus of the present invention apply mutatis mutandis to the method of the present invention. Further possible implementations or alternative solutions of the invention also encompass combinations - that are not explicitly mentioned herein - of features described above or below with regard to the embodiments. The person skilled in the art may also add individual or isolated aspects and features to the most basic form of the invention.

Further embodiments, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and dependent claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a pan support according to prior art made of cast iron;

Fig. 2 shows a pan support according to prior art made of steel;

Fig. 3 shows a part of a pan support according to an embodiment;

Fig. 4 shows the spatial arrangement of four parts according to the embodiment of

Fig. 3 before they are connected to a pan support;

Fig. 5 shows the four parts according to the embodiment of Fig. 3 when they are connected to a pan support;

Fig. 6 shows a part of a pan support according to another embodiment;

Fig. 7 shows the four parts according to the embodiment of Fig. 6 when they are connected to a pan support;

Fig. 8 shows a part of a pan support according to yet another embodiment;

Fig. 9 shows the four parts according to the embodiment of Fig. 8 when they are connected to a pan support;

Fig. 10 shows a pan support made by connecting two parts according to a further embodiment; Fig. 11 shows a detail of the pan support of Fig. 10 where the two parts are connected to each other;

Fig. 12 shows a modification of a pan support of Fig. 10.

In the Figures, like reference numerals designate like or functionally equivalent elements, unless otherwise indicated. Further, letters A, B C, and D are added to distinguish identical parts. These parts are drawn in a closed geometry, and the additional letters are applied in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from above. If identical parts are used more than four times, in one instance letters E and H are used, to designate first and last of another set of four parts, also counting counterclockwise.

A pan support 200 according to the prior art which is made of cast iron is shown in Fig. 1. This pan support consists of a single part as described in the introduction. This pan support 200 has frame portions 201 , leg portions 204 extending upward and finger portions 207 which extend inward from the leg portions 204 and onto which the cooking utensils, like pots or pans, are being placed. In general, the embodiments of pan supports described in this document are formed with a frame portion forming a closed geometry like a square or other polygon. This frame is meant to be placed on top of or at the outer periphery of a heat shield so that both heat shield and frame surround a gas burner of the cooking range.

Another pan support 300 according to the prior art which is made of steel is shown in Fig. 2. This pan support 300 is made by connecting several parts together by e.g. welding. The pan support 300 has a frame part 301 and four finger parts. The frame part 301 is formed like a bar, a rod or a tube and may be put together by connecting several parts. Each of the finger parts has a leg portion 304 and a finger portion 307. The leg portion 304 of the finger part extends upward from the frame part 301. Usually, this leg portion 304 is connected to the frame part 301 by welding. The finger portion 307 of the finger part is the upper portion of the finger part and extends from the leg portion inwards towards the gas burner (which is not shown). The upper surface of the finger portion 307 serves as support surface for the cooking utensils. Fig. 3 shows a part 10 of a pan support according to a first embodiment. This part 10 is made by cutting a single piece out of a sheet material like steel. The cutting method may be stamping, die-cutting or laser cutting. For reference, this single part 10 is subdivided into several portions: two frame portions 11 and 12, an intermediate portion 41 , a leg portion 21 and a finger portion 31. The frame portions 11 and 12 are meant to be placed in a horizontal plane at the top of the cooking hob. The lower surface of the frame portion serves as contact surface with respect to the final mounting situation of the finished pan support on the cooking hob. The horizontal plane of the frame portions 11 and 12 runs parallel to the plane of a heat shield (not shown). The intermediate portion 41 is a bent portion which is bent out of this plane in order to form a transition to the leg portion 21.

The leg portion 21 extends upwards out of the horizontal plane into a plane which is oriented more or less vertically. "Upward" designates the direction towards the side which will be the upper side in the final mounting situation. In Fig. 3, the orientation of the leg portion 21 is shown close to the vertical orientation. Away from the leg portion 21 and on the upper portion of it, a finger portion 31 extends inward towards the gas burner when installed on a top plate of a cooking hob. The part 10 can be used to form a complete pan support in a modular fashion.

Fig. 4 shows the spatial arrangement of four parts 10A, 10B, 10C and 10D according to the embodiment of Fig. 3 before they are connected to a complete pan support. These four parts 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D are put together so that each of the frame portions 12 is oriented to the lower part of the leg portion 21 of another of the parts 10. For example, the frame portion 12A will abut to the underside of the leg portion 21 B and to the intermediate portion 41 B or the frame portion 11 B of the next part 10B.

Fig. 5 shows the four parts 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D according to the embodiment of Fig. 3 when they are connected to form a finished pan support 1. The connection between the individual parts 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D can be performed e. g. by welding or any other suitable method for connecting the respective sheet material, like soldering or gluing. The weld is performed at the end of each frame portion 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D of a pan support part 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D and connects this frame portion 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D to the underside of the leg portion 21 B, 21C, 21 D, 21A, respectively of the next pan support part 10B, 10C, 10D, 10A abutting the frame portion 11 B, 11 C, 11D, 11 A. In Figs. 3 - 5, the orientation of the leg portions 21 is shown to be in a vertical plane. Correspondingly, in this embodiment the surface which serves to support a pot or pan is formed by a surface of the sheet material which is formed by a cutting edge of the sheet.

Fig. 6 shows a second embodiment of a part of a pan support 101. The frame portions 111 and 112 are similar to the frame portions 11 and 12 as shown in Fig. 3. Intermediate portion 141 , leg portion 121 and finger portion 131 are identical to the respective parts 41, 21 and 31 in Fig. 3. As compared to the part 10 of Fig. 3, the part 101 of the pan support has, on the right-hand side at the end of frame portion 112, a second intermediate portion 142, a second leg portion 122 and a second finger portion 132. This second finger portion 132, which is arranged at the right-hand side of part 101, extends further upward than the finger portion 131 on the left-hand side of part 101. In this embodiment, the intermediate portions 141 , 142 and the leg portions 121 and 122 are formed by bending the part 101 out of the horizontal plane into an orientation where the legs 121 and 122 are in an approximately vertical orientation. It should be noted that the portion, by which the finger portion 132 on the right-hand side is higher than the finger portion 131 on the left-hand side, is bent back into a horizontal orientation so that it forms a top finger portion 161. Further in Fig. 6, there is the angle 180, by which the leg portion 121 is bent away from the frame portion of part 101. This angle is close to 90°. In other words, the leg portions are oriented in a vertical plane.

Fig. 7 shows a finished pan support 2 made by connecting four parts 101 A, 101 B, 101 C, 101 D according to the embodiment of Fig. 6. When connecting the four parts 101 A,

101 B, 101C and 101 D, the top finger portions 161A, 161 B, 161 C, 161 D of the right hand fingers 132A, 132B, 132C, 133D parts 101 A, 101 B, 101 C, 101 D cover the finger portions 131 B, 131 C, 131 D, 131A on the left hand side of the next part 101 B, 101C, 101 D, 101A, respectively. The upper surface of these top finger portions 161 can now be made bigger than the top surfaces of the embodiments in Figs. 3 - 5. Such a bigger surface allows a bigger support surface for pots and pans. This contributes to the feeling of stability experienced by the user when placing a pot or a pan onto the pan support. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the upper surface of the top finger portions 161 is formed by the same surface of the sheet material as the upper side of the frame portions, in contrast to the embodiment in Figs. 3 - 5. When the bending process to form the top finger portion 161 is done, it is possible to create a further intermediate portion 143 which has neither the approximately vertical orientation of the finger portion 132 nor the horizontal orientation of the top finger portion 161. In the embodiment of Figs. 6 and 7, the connection of respective parts 101 is done at the underside of the top finger portion 161, which is part of the finger portion 132, connecting to the top of finger portion 131 on the left-hand side of the next part 101.

Figs. 8 and 9 show a third embodiment which is similar to the embodiment of Figs. 6 and 7. In this embodiment of Figs. 8 and 9, the finger portions 131 and 132 of the pan support part 102 are of identical height, so that the cutting edges 151, 152 of these finger portions form the top of the respective fingers 131 and 132, similar to the configuration in Figs 3 - 5. Four parts 102A, 102B, 102C and 102D are connected to each other to form a square pan support 3A with respective leg portion 121A of e.g. part 102A abutting to the corresponding leg portion 122D of part 102D and leg portion and 122A abutting to leg portion 121 B of part 102B. In this embodiment, the connection of two parts 102 is done at the top of the fingers 131 and 132 e.g. by welding. In a modification of this embodiment, it is possible that both fingers 131 and 132 are not bent out of the horizontal plane totally into the vertical plane, but only to a lesser degree. In this case, there may be sufficient space on the underside of the finger portions 131 and 132 and between the leg portions 121 and 122 so that welding may be performed at the underside of the finger portions 131 and 132.

Further, the right-hand side of Fig. 9 shows a partial view of two more parts 102E and 102H which belong to a second pan support 3B and which form part of the pan support for an adjacent gas burner. This second pan support is formed in the same manner as the pan support described above. This second pan support 3B is connected to the pan support 3A which is shown in the main section of Fig. 9 so that their lateral faces are mounted together.

Fig. 10 shows another embodiment where a pan support 8 is formed of two parts 103A and 103B. Here, the parts 103A and 103B are connected at two of the four corners surrounding the heat shield and the gas burner. This is indicated by line 170 separating parts 103A and 103B in Fig. 10. The connection may be performed by welding. Frame parts 103A and 103B have two pairs of leg portions each. They consist of leg portions 121 and 122 as well as two further leg portions 123 and 124. Connecting each pair of leg portions 121, 122 and 123 and 124, there are further finger portions 131, 132 and 133,

134 which may also have top finger portions 137. All leg portions 121, 122, 123 and 124 are bent away from the horizontal plane so that they are not completely in a vertical orientation. The angle 180 between frame portions and leg portion is, in this example, more than 90°. Thus, an empty space 150 is created between each pair of leg portions. Leg portions 121 and 122 have finger portions 131 and 132 and may also have a top finger portion 161A, which is shown in greater detail in Fig. 11. In Fig. 10, there is a circular cutout X which is shown in an enlarged version in Fig. 11.

Fig. 12 has a modification of the embodiment of a pan support as shown in Figs 10 and 11. Here, four inserts 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D are added between each pair of leg portions as additional supports. These inserts can also be connected to the pan support 8' by welding, gluing or pressing. The inserts 50 serve to strengthen the pan supporting legs and maybe even the fingers so that heavier cooking utensils like pots or pans can be supported by the pan support 8 of Fig. 12 which has been modified by adding the inserts 50.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

I, 2, 3, 8 Pan support

10, 101, 102, 103, 104 Part of pan support

I I, 12, 111 , 112, 113, 114 Frame portion 21, 121, 122, 123, 124 Leg portion

31, 131, 132, 135, 136 Finger portion 41, 141, 142, 143 Intermediate portion 50 Support (leg insert)

151 , 152 Cutting edge 161 , 162 Top finger portion

170 Separating line 200 Pan support made of cast iron 201 Frame portion

204, 304 Leg portion 207, 307 Finger portion

300 Pan support made of steel

301 Frame part

Claims

1. A pan support (1 , 2, 3, 8) for a domestic gas cooking range, wherein: the pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) comprises at least two parts (10, 101, 102, 103) made of a sheet material having edges and surfaces, the parts being connected to each other, wherein each part comprises at least a frame portion (11, 12, 111, 112, 113, 114) in a horizontal plane, at least a leg portion (21, 121, 122, 123, 124) and at least a finger portion (31, 131, 132, 133, 134, 136), wherein a respective leg portion (21, 121, 122, 123, 124) is bent from the frame portion (11, 12, 111, 112, 113, 114) and extends in a plane having an angle (180), and the finger portion (31, 131, 132, 133, 134, 136) is arranged at the leg portion (21, 121, 122, 123,

124) distal from the bent (41) and wherein the respective frame portion (11, 12, 111, 112, 113, 114) is adapted to be placed on a surface of a cooking hob, and on the finger portion (31, 131, 132, 133, 134, 136) a support surface for a cooking utensil is formed.

2. Pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) according to claim 1, wherein the at least two parts (10, 101, 102, 103) are of identical shape.

3. Pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each part (10, 101, 102, 103) of the at least two parts has one leg portion (21) and one finger portion (31), and wherein the leg portion (21) is arranged on an end section of a frame portion (11).

4. Pan support (2, 3) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each part (101, 102) of the at least two parts has two leg portions, (121, 122), each of the two leg portions (121 , 122) is arranged on an end section of a frame portion (111, 112), and the parts (101, 102) are arranged in the pan support so that leg portions (121, 122) and finger portions (131, 132) of two different parts (101, 102) are abutting to each other.

5. Pan support (2) according to any of claims 1 - 4, wherein on at least one finger portion (31, 131, 132, 133, 134, 136) a top finger portion (161, 162) is formed which extends at least partially in a horizontal plane.

6. Pan support (2) according to any of claims 1 - 5, wherein the finger portion (31, 131,

132, 133, 134, 136) extends at least partially in the same plane as the leg portion (21,

121, 122, 123, 124) which plane includes the angle (180) with the horizontal plane.

7. Pan support (2) according to any of claims 1 - 6, wherein the finger portions (131, 132) which are formed on two different parts (101) and which are abutting to each other are arranged so that one finger portion (132) is higher than the other, and wherein a top finger portion (161, 162) is arranged at the top of a finger portion (131, 132) so that the sheet material is bent into a horizontal plane.

8. Pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein supports (50) are added to the leg portions (21, 121, 122, 123, 124) and/or finger portions (31, 131, 132,

133, 134, 136).

9. Pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the parts (10, 101, 102, 103, 104) are connected to each other by welding, gluing or pressing.

10. Method of producing a pan support (1 , 2, 3, 8) for a gas cooking range, comprising the following steps: cutting, out of sheet material, at least two parts (10, 101, 102, 103, 104) of the pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) into a shape with at least one frame portion (11, 12, 111, 112, 113, 114), at least one leg portion (21 , 121 , 122, 123, 124) and at least one finger portion (31, 131, 132, 135, 136), bending at least one leg portion (21, 121, 122, 123, 124) upward out of the horizontal plane of the frame portions (11, 12, 111, 112, 113, 114), and connecting the at least two parts (10, 101, 102, 103, 104) of the pan support (1, 2, 3, 8).

11. Method of producing a pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) according to claim 10, wherein after the bending step, in a second bending step a top finger portion (161, 162) is formed at the top of a finger portion (31, 131, 132, 133, 134, 136) by bending the sheet material back to a horizontal plane parallel to the plane of the frame portions (11, 12, 111, 112, 113, 114).

12. Method of producing a pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the bending steps is performed by bending the sheet material such that an intermediate portion (41, 141, 142, 143) is created which is neither in the horizontal plane nor in the plane of the leg portion (21, 121, 122, 123, 124) of the sheet material.

13. Method of producing a pan support (1 , 2, 3, 8) according to any of claims 10 - 12, further comprising the step of connecting several pan supports (1, 2, 3, 8) and creating a pan support for more than one gas burner.

14. Method of producing a pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) according to any of claims 10 - 12, wherein the bending step is performed by deep drawing.

15. Method of producing a pan support (1, 2, 3, 8) according to any of claims 10 - 14, wherein the connecting step is performed by welding, gluing or pressing.