GB2182095A - Electric cookers - Google Patents

Abstract

An electric cooker is described having a lift up hob 15 which is pivoted at or adjacent the rear edge thereof on a spillage tray 1, the hob 15 and the spillage tray 1 being provided with a spaced pair of hinge brackets 2, 5 which co-operate to provide the pivotal axis of the hob 15, the hob hinge brackets 2 being provided with a hinge pin 4 which locates in a slot 7 in a respective hob support bracket 5, the hob support bracket 5 being provided with a notched locking plate 10, the hinge pins 4 being arranged to engage selected notches 11 in the locking plate 10 in order to determine the front-to-back adjustment of the hob 15 relative to the spillage tray 1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electric cookers This invention relates to electric cookers.

In orderto blend in with modern kitchens it is desirable to provide a free standing electric cooker with a hob which is adjustable front-to-back relative to the body of the cookerso thatthe hob can be aligned with an adjacent protruding worktop, whilst the cooker body is aligned generally with adjacent kitchen cabinets. The hob is required to be adjustable because the amount of protrusion ofthe worktop can vary widely.

It is known tithe case of so-called fixed hobs, i.e.

hobs which are not pivoted at their rear edge to enable them t6 be lifted for cleaning purposes, to provide that the hob is secured to the cooker body via slotted holes which enable the front-to-back position of the hob to be adjusted as required. However, in cookers provided with lift-up hobs, providingthefront-to-backadjust- ment is not so straightforward.

According to the present invention there is provided an electric cooker having a lift-up hob unit which is pivoted atoradjacentthe rearedge thereof, the pivotal axis between the hob unit and a hob unit support of said cooker being relatively adjustable to provide front-to-back adjustment of the hob unit In a preferred arrangementforcarrving outthe invention the hob unit will be disposed above a spillage tray on which it is pivoted, the hob unit and the spillage tray being provided with a spaced pair of hinge brackets adjacenttheir rearedgeswhich cooperate to provide the pivotal axis of said hob unit, the spillage tray brackets or the hob unit brackets being slotted and provided with an adjustable knotched locking plate to provide the front-to-back adjustment ofthe hob unit relativeto the spillage tray.

In carrying outthe invention the spillagetray may be provided with a spaced pair of generally 'U' shaped hinge support brackets each having a hinge pin extending through thetop parts thereof, the hob unit being provided with a spaced pair of downwardly extending hinge brackets which co-operate with respective ones ofthe spillagetray hinge support brackets, the hob unit brackets being slotted to receive a respective oneofsaid hinge pins, each hob unit bracket being provided with an adjustable knotched locking plate reieasably secured to it to provide the front-to-back adjustment ofthe hob unit.

An exemplary embodiment ofthe invention will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded viewof a hob hinge assembly of an electriccooker in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 2 is an assembled side view of the hob hinge assembly of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 ofthe drawings there is shown an exploded view of a hob hinge assembly, two of such assemblies being usedto pivotallymounta hob (notshown in Fig.

1) on a spillage tray 1 of a free standing electric cooker (notshown).Thetwo hob hinge assemblies are located adjacent the rear edge of the spillage tray 1 and enablethe hobto be lifted atthefrontofthe cookertoenablethespillagetrayl to be cleaned.

The hob hinge assembly shown in Fig. 1,which is the left hand one ofthetwo hob hinge assemblies provided on the spillagetray 1, comprises a generally 'U' shaped hob hinge support bracket 2 which is spot welded to the spillage tray 1,the upper arms ofthe bracket 2 having aligned holes3thereinforreceivinga hinge pin 4. Secured to the hob (notshown)typically by means of a spot weld, is a support bracket 5, which has a downwardly depending section 6 having a horizontally disposed slot 7 in it, which engages the hinge pin 4 carried in the hob hinge support bracket 2.

When assembledthehob hingepin4extendsthrough theholes3intheupperarmsofthebracket2,through a hob hinge spacer7 and through the slot7 in the section 6 ofthe support bracket 5. The hinge pine 4 is provided with a pair of circlips 8 which locate in corresponding circumferential grooves 9 in the hinge pin 4 and serve to rotatably attach the hob support bracket Sto the spillage tray support bracket 2.

Attached to the section 6 of the hob support bracket 5 is a locking bracket 10 which is provided with three knotches 11 on its upper edge, one ofwhich is arranged to locate with the hinge pin 4, the locking bracket 10 being releasably attached to the section 6 of the support bracket 5 by means of screws 12 (typically self-tapping) which passthrough vertical slots 13 in the locking bracket 10 and engage corresponding holes 14 in the support bracket 5.

The method of adjustment ofthe locking bracket 10 can be more readily seen from Fig. 2 ofthe drawings which depicts an assembled side view of the hob hinge assembly of Fig. 1. As depicted in Fig. 2, the hinge pin 4 is located in the left hand one of the three knotches 11 provided in the upper edge of the locking bracket 10. In this position the hob 15 will be in its most rearward position relative to the spillage tray 1.

In orderto move the hob 1 Sforward relative to the spillage tray 1, the screws 12 securing the locking bracket 10 to the support bracket 5 are slackened, thereby enabling the locking bracket 10, due to the vertical slots 13 therein, to be moved downwards, so that the hob 15 can be moved forwards relative to the spillagetray 1 whereby the hinge pin 4can be aligned with one or other ofthetwo remaining knotches 11 in the locking bracket. When the hinge pin is aligned with the required one of the knotches 11, the locking plate is urged upwards to clamp the hinge pin in the required knotch, and the screws 12 aretightened. In the hinge bracket assembly shown, a 3-position adjustment is shown, affording, typically, a total front-to-back adjustmentofl5mm.

7. An electric cooker having a lift-up hob unit which is pivoted at or adjacent the rear edge thereof,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Electric cookers This invention relates to electric cookers. In orderto blend in with modern kitchens it is desirable to provide a free standing electric cooker with a hob which is adjustable front-to-back relative to the body of the cookerso thatthe hob can be aligned with an adjacent protruding worktop, whilst the cooker body is aligned generally with adjacent kitchen cabinets. The hob is required to be adjustable because the amount of protrusion ofthe worktop can vary widely. It is known tithe case of so-called fixed hobs, i.e. hobs which are not pivoted at their rear edge to enable them t6 be lifted for cleaning purposes, to provide that the hob is secured to the cooker body via slotted holes which enable the front-to-back position of the hob to be adjusted as required. However, in cookers provided with lift-up hobs, providingthefront-to-backadjust- ment is not so straightforward. According to the present invention there is provided an electric cooker having a lift-up hob unit which is pivoted atoradjacentthe rearedge thereof, the pivotal axis between the hob unit and a hob unit support of said cooker being relatively adjustable to provide front-to-back adjustment of the hob unit In a preferred arrangementforcarrving outthe invention the hob unit will be disposed above a spillage tray on which it is pivoted, the hob unit and the spillage tray being provided with a spaced pair of hinge brackets adjacenttheir rearedgeswhich cooperate to provide the pivotal axis of said hob unit, the spillage tray brackets or the hob unit brackets being slotted and provided with an adjustable knotched locking plate to provide the front-to-back adjustment ofthe hob unit relativeto the spillage tray. In carrying outthe invention the spillagetray may be provided with a spaced pair of generally 'U' shaped hinge support brackets each having a hinge pin extending through thetop parts thereof, the hob unit being provided with a spaced pair of downwardly extending hinge brackets which co-operate with respective ones ofthe spillagetray hinge support brackets, the hob unit brackets being slotted to receive a respective oneofsaid hinge pins, each hob unit bracket being provided with an adjustable knotched locking plate reieasably secured to it to provide the front-to-back adjustment ofthe hob unit. An exemplary embodiment ofthe invention will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded viewof a hob hinge assembly of an electriccooker in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 2 is an assembled side view of the hob hinge assembly of Fig. 1. In Fig. 1 ofthe drawings there is shown an exploded view of a hob hinge assembly, two of such assemblies being usedto pivotallymounta hob (notshown in Fig.

1) on a spillage tray 1 of a free standing electric cooker (notshown).Thetwo hob hinge assemblies are located adjacent the rear edge of the spillage tray 1 and enablethe hobto be lifted atthefrontofthe cookertoenablethespillagetrayl to be cleaned.

The hob hinge assembly shown in Fig. 1,which is the left hand one ofthetwo hob hinge assemblies provided on the spillagetray 1, comprises a generally 'U' shaped hob hinge support bracket 2 which is spot welded to the spillage tray 1,the upper arms ofthe bracket 2 having aligned holes3thereinforreceivinga hinge pin 4. Secured to the hob (notshown)typically by means of a spot weld, is a support bracket 5, which has a downwardly depending section 6 having a horizontally disposed slot 7 in it, which engages the hinge pin 4 carried in the hob hinge support bracket 2.

When assembledthehob hingepin4extendsthrough theholes3intheupperarmsofthebracket2,through a hob hinge spacer7 and through the slot7 in the section 6 ofthe support bracket 5. The hinge pine 4 is provided with a pair of circlips 8 which locate in corresponding circumferential grooves 9 in the hinge pin 4 and serve to rotatably attach the hob support bracket Sto the spillage tray support bracket 2.

Attached to the section 6 of the hob support bracket 5 is a locking bracket 10 which is provided with three knotches 11 on its upper edge, one ofwhich is arranged to locate with the hinge pin 4, the locking bracket 10 being releasably attached to the section 6 of the support bracket 5 by means of screws 12 (typically self-tapping) which passthrough vertical slots 13 in the locking bracket 10 and engage corresponding holes 14 in the support bracket 5.

The method of adjustment ofthe locking bracket 10 can be more readily seen from Fig. 2 ofthe drawings which depicts an assembled side view of the hob hinge assembly of Fig. 1. As depicted in Fig. 2, the hinge pin 4 is located in the left hand one of the three knotches 11 provided in the upper edge of the locking bracket 10. In this position the hob 15 will be in its most rearward position relative to the spillage tray 1.

In orderto move the hob 1 Sforward relative to the spillage tray 1, the screws 12 securing the locking bracket 10 to the support bracket 5 are slackened, thereby enabling the locking bracket 10, due to the vertical slots 13 therein, to be moved downwards, so that the hob 15 can be moved forwards relative to the spillagetray 1 whereby the hinge pin 4can be aligned with one or other ofthetwo remaining knotches 11 in the locking bracket. When the hinge pin is aligned with the required one of the knotches 11, the locking plate is urged upwards to clamp the hinge pin in the required knotch, and the screws 12 aretightened. In the hinge bracket assembly shown, a 3-position adjustment is shown, affording, typically, a total front-to-back adjustmentofl5mm.

7. An electric cooker having a lift-up hob unit which is pivoted at or adjacent the rear edge thereof, the pivotal axis between the hob unit and a hob unit supportofsaid cooker being relativelyadjustableto provide front-to-back adjustment ofthe hob unit.

2. An electric cooker as claimed in claim 1, in which the hob unit is disposed above a spillage tray on which it is pivoted, the hob unit and the spillage tray being provided with a spaced pair of hinge brackets adjacent their rear edges which co-operate to providethe pivotal axis of said hob unit.

3. An electric cooker as claimed in claim 2, in which the spillage tray brackets orthe hob unit brackets are slotted and are provided with an adjustable notched locking plate to provide the front-to-back adjustment ofthe hob unit relative to the spillage tray.

4. An electric cooker as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, in which the spillage tray is provided with a spaced pair of generally 'U' shaped hinge support brackets each having a hinge pin extending through the top parts thereof, the hob unit being provided with a spaced pair of downwardly extending hinge brackets which co-operate with respective ones ofthe spillage tray hinge support brackets, the hob unit brackets being slotted to receive a respective one of said hinge pins, each hob unit bracket being provided with an adjustable notched locking platereleasablysecuredto it, the hinge pins of said support brackets engaging with setected notches in said locking plate to deter mine thefront-to-backadjustment of the hob unit.

5. An electric cooker substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.