GB2504619A

GB2504619A - Heating element arrangement for a cooking or heating device

Info

Publication number: GB2504619A
Application number: GB1313672.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Craig Nutter
Original assignee: ESSE ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: ESSE ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 2012-07-31
Filing date: 2013-07-31
Publication date: 2014-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 2033-07-31
Also published as: GB201313672D0; GB201213611D0; GB2504619B

Abstract

Disclosed is a cooking or heating device 10 comprising a heating element 28 that has a shape that follows the vertices of an oven space 20 so that the element stays close to the corners of the oven walls. The heating element may be an electrical heating element. The cooker may be a range cooker with the heating element used in more than one oven space 26, 28.

Description

CookinglHeating Device This invention relates to a cooking/heating device.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electrically powered cooking/heating apparatus.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus and method as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent

claims, and the description which follows.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a cooking/heating device, wherein an electric heating element thereof is located to run along vertices of an oven section of the cooking/heating device.

Preferably the heating element runs within approximately 7mm, or 5mm or 3mm, or 1mm, of vertices of the oven section.

The electric heating element may extend along side and rear vertices of an upper part of the oven section. The electric heating element may extend along side and rear vertices of a lower part of the oven section. Upper and lower parts of the electric heating element may be joined by upright sections extending along left and right front vertices of the oven section.

A second oven section may be provided having another electric heating element therein. The other electric heating element is preferably located to run along vertices of the second oven section. The other electric heating element may extend along side and rear vertices of an upper part of the second oven section. The other electric heating element may extend along side and rear vertices of a lower part of the second oven section. Upper and lower parts of the other electric heating element may be joined by upright sections extending along left and right front vertices of the second oven section.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a cooking/heating device, the device being operable to be heated by both a solid fuel and electric power, wherein a first electric heating element thereof is located in a flue adapted to guide solid fuel combustion gases around the cooking/heating device.

The first electric heating element may be adapted to heat a hob section of the cooking/heating device.

A second electric heating element of the cooking/heating device is preferably located in an oven section of the cooking/heating device.

The second electric heating element is preferably located to run along vertices of the oven section. Preferably the second heating element runs within approximately 7mm, or 5mm or 3mm, or 1mm, of vertices of the oven section.

The second electric heating element may extend along side and rear vertices of an upper part of the oven section. The second electric heating element may extend along side and rear vertices of a lower part of the oven section. Upper and lower parts of the second electric heating element may be joined by upright sections extending along left and right front vertices of the oven section.

A second oven section may be provide having a third electric heating element therein. The third electric heating element is preferably located to run along vertices of the second oven section. The third electric heating element may extend along side and rear vertices of an upper part of the second oven section. The third electric heating element may extend along side and rear vertices of a lower part of the second oven section. Upper and lower parts of the third electric heating element may be joined by upright sections extending along left and right front vertices of the second oven section.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a cooking/heating device, the device being operable to be heated by both a solid fuel and electric power, wherein a second electric heating element is located to run along vertices of an oven section of the cooking/heating device.

A first electric heating element of the cooking/heating device may be located in a flue adapted to guide solid fuel combustion gases around the cooking/heating device.

Internal faces of the oven section may be substantially free of the second heating element.

Preferably, no thermal insulation is provided between the flue and the oven section.

The cooking/heating device may include a burner section, which may be a wood burning section, a gas burning section, an oil burning section, or similar. The burner section may be adapted to supply hot combustion gases to the flue for heating the cooking/heating device.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a combination solid fuel and electricity powered cooking/heating device; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective front view of the cooking/heating device shown in Figure I Figures 3a to 3d are schematic side, perspective, top and end views of a hob element of the heating/cooking apparatus; Figures 4a to 4d are schematic top, perspective, side and front views of a heating element for a bottom oven of the cooking/heating device; and Figures 5a to 5d are schematic top, perspective, side and front views of a heating element of a top of the cooking/heating device.

Figure 1 shows a combination electric and wood burning cooking/heating device 10. A tirebox 12 (which could be replaced by a burner in the event that oil or gas fuel is used) leads to a flue 14, which directs hot combustion gases towards a hot plate section 16 to heat the hot plate and down past the side of a top oven 18, between the top oven 18 and a bottom oven 20, up the rear of the main oven and then on out to an exit flue 22.

The hot plate 16 and sidewalls of the flue 14, top oven 18, and bottom oven 20 are relatively thick to accumulate and retain heat. So that the heat can pass from the flue into the ovens no insulation is used around or between the ovens and the flue 14.

As shown more clearly in Figure 2, in addition to the flue 14 for the passage of hot combustion gases there are also an electric bob element 24, an electric top oven element 26 and an electric bottom oven element 28, which are described in more detail below. These elements are used either in addition to or instead of the wood burning (or oil/gas burning) heating aspects of the cooking/heating device 10. The presence of the electric heating elements 24 to 28 allows the cooking/heating device 10 to be used with electric power when wood is not available or it is inconvenient to heat the stove using the wood in a short period of time of for a brief period of time.

The electric elements work in the usual way for electric ovens to provide heat the ovens 18 and 20 or to the hob 16 As shown in Figures 3a to 3d the hob element 24 has a convoluted shape to allow for it to extend over a large surface are beneath the hot plate 16 in order to transfer a sufficient amount of heat from the element 24 to the hot plate 16. In addition, the hob element 24 is mounted in contact with the hot plate 16 tc transfer heat as quickly, directly and efficiently as possible. The hob element 24 is located in the flue 14 below the hot plate 16. The hob element 24 has a similar shape and construction to that of a grill element of an electric oven.

Materials for the manufacture of the elements 24, 26 and 28 may be the same or similar to those used for electric oven grill elements.

The bottom oven element 28 is shown in Figures 4a to 4d and has a markedly different shape to the usual convoluted oven element shape of the hob element. As shown most clearly in Figure 4b the bottom oven element 28 has a shape that follows top left and hght vertices, front left and right vertices and rear top and bottom vertices of the bottom oven 20. Thus, the electrical element 28 does not extend over the top, bottom, rear or side faces of the oven cavity 20, but only along the above mentioned vertices of the bottom oven 20. It has been found that surprisingly this arrangement has very good properties for radiating heat from the element 28 into the bottom oven cavity 20 with minimal radiation of heat out of the cavity 20 and into the flue 14. As mentioned above, in order to allow for heat to pass from the combustion gases in the flue 14 to the oven 20 there is no insulation between the flue 14 and the ovens 18/20. Thus, it is highly advantageous to use the element 28 as described above to ensure the maximum of radiation of heat into the bottom oven cavity 20 with minimal radiation heat out of the bottom oven cavity 20. The shape of the elements 28 and 26 has been developed to heat all areas of an oven evenly, whilst not interfering with an existing oven shelf support system (not shown, but the shelves are normally held on rails extending along sidewalls of an oven).

Similarly, in Figures 5a to 5d the top oven heating element 26 is also arranged around top left and right vertices, top and bottom rear vertices, and left and right front vertices of the top oven 18. It has again been found to be surprisingly advantageous to locate the element 26 of the top oven 18 around vertices of the top oven cavity 18. The reasons and benefits are set out above in relation to the bottom oven 20.

All of the electrical elements 24, 26 and 28 are used in the usual way for heating the ovens 18, or the hot plate 16 to cook or heat food or the like and also to provide heat to a room.

Controls 30 are also the same as prior art versions for controlling the elements to give adjustable levels of heat to the ovens 18,20 and hot plate 16.

The hob element 24 differs in location from other hob elements in that it is located within the combustion gas flue 14 of the cooking/heating device 10. However, the elements 26 and 28 are located within the cooking cavities as is the case with grill elements in prior art electrical ovens. It is the position of the elements 26,28 around the vertices of the ovens 18,20 that has significant advantages over the prior art arrangements.

In use, the cooking/heating device I 0 can be used with wood in the fire box 12 or with the optional oil/gas burner in place of the fire box 12. In addition, or instead of, the fossil fuel heating mentioned above, the electrical elements 24, 26 and 28 can be used to provide heat to the hot plate 16, top oven 18 or bottom oven 20 respectively. Otherwise, the cooking/heating device is used in the usual way.

A device according to the invention can comprise only electric heating elements as shown in Figures 4a-4d and 5a-5d, i.e. the invention also encompasses a cooking/heating device that has only the electric heating elements described herein, instead of the dual fuel system described herein. The hob element, if present, in such an alternative embodiment may be powered by any suitable method, but the oven is heated by the elements located at vertices of the oven cavity. This arrangement of elements has been found to be particularly effective when compared to the convoluted elements normally located at upper and lower faces of an

oven cavity in prior art examples.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open tc public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A cooking/heating device, wherein a heating element thereof is located to run along vertices of an oven section of the cooking/heating device.
2. A cooking/heating device as claimed in claim 1, in which the heating element runs within approximately 7mm of vertices of the oven section.
3. A cooking/heating device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the heating element is electric.
4. A cooking/heating device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the heating element extends along side and rear vertices of an upper part of the oven section.
5. A cooking/heating device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the heating element extends along side and rear vertices of a lower part of the oven section.
6. A cooking/heating device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which upper and lower parts of the heating element are joined by upright sections extending along eft and right front vertices of the oven section.
7. A cooking/heating device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a second oven section is provided having another heating element therein, with the other heating element being located to run along vertices of the second oven section.
8. A cooking/heating device as claimed in claim 7, in which the other heating element extends along side and rear vertices of an upper part of the second oven section.