GB1568705A

GB1568705A - Control panels for cooking appliances

Info

Publication number: GB1568705A
Application number: GB19978/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Belling and Co Ltd
Current assignee: Belling and Co Ltd
Priority date: 1977-07-18
Filing date: 1977-07-18
Publication date: 1980-06-04

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTROL PANELS FOR COOKING APPLIANCES (71) We, BELLING & COMPANY LIMITED, a British Company of British Works, Southbury Road, Enfield, Middlesex., do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly descri bed in and by the following statement: This invention is concerned with a control panel assembly for cooking appliances, and to an oven unit and a cooking hob for flush mounting into a working surface to which such a con trol panel is fitted.

It is known to provide a cooking hob for flush mounting in a horizontal working surface in which two or more control knobs each con trolling the heat supply to a respective cooking area of the hob are mounted along one side edge thereof. However, such control knobs are exposed to grease and other cooking deposits which make them difficult to control. Further more, if edge control of the knob is used, a gap is required in the fascia where the edge pro trudes which allows entry for cooking deposits.

It is also desirable to use large control knobs, since small knobs are difficult to grasp with greasy or wet hands as arise during cooking, or by people having arthritic hands or similar diff iculties. Knobs with edge control are even more difficult to operate in such circumstances.

In one aspect the invention provides a con trol panel assembly for a cooking appliance com prising an elongate control mounting panel, a plurality of cooker control discs positioned at intervals longitudinally of the control panel, each control disc having a generally planar top -surface and being connected via a connection means formed in its lower surface to a cooker control positioned beneath the control mount ing panel, and an elongate cover plate hinged at 1 one longitudinal edge between a raised position in which the control discs are exposed for access thereto and a lowered position in which it overlies the control discs to form a guard for the control discs with edge portions protruding from beneath the other longitudinal edge of the cover plate whereby to permit edge adjustment of said control discs.

The control panel assembly according to the invention, preferably has each control knob marked with setting markings disposed along an arc on its upper surface and the cover plate is predominantly opaque but has transparent areas each positioned to overlie one of the control discs and dimensioned so that a single position marking is visible from above when the cover plate is lowered. Each control knob prefer ably has an "OFF" setting and a progressive range of heat supply settings, a panel light is positioned adjacent each control disc and ar ranged to be illuminated when the control disc adjacent said panel light is set to a heat supply setting, and the cover plate has transparent areas positioned in register with each panel light through which said panel light may be viewed from above when the cover is lowered.

From another aspect the invention provides a cooking hob for flush mounting into a hori zontal working surface, comprising a cooking surface having at least two cooking areas each having a heating element associated therewith, and a control panel assembly as aforesaid pos itioned with the longitudinal edge to which the cover plate is pivoted adjacent an edge of the cooking surface.

In such an application the control mounting panel preferably additionally comprises a warn ing light arranged to be illuminated when any of the cooking areas is above a safe temperature to touch and a transparent area in the cover plate is positioned to overlie the warning light when the cover plate is lowered.

From yet another aspect the invention provides an oven unit for fitting into a kitchen furniture housing, said oven having a control panel assembly as aforesaid.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the same numerals denote the same parts and Figure 1 is a vertical section through a cooker control panel assembly: Figure 2 is an oblique side view from above of a cooker hob to which the control panel assembly of Figure 1 is fitted, the cover being in its lowered position; Figure 3 is an oblique side view from above of the top surface of the control panel end of the cooker hob shown in Figure 1 with the cover in its fully raised position; and Figure 4 is an oblique end view of the control panel end of the cooker hob shown in Figure 1 with the cover in its lowered position.

Referring to Figure 1 an elongate control panel for a cooker hob to be incorporated into a horizontal worksurface is provided with a plurality of control knobs or discs 1 each having a planar circular top surface and knurled peripheral edges. The control knobs are arranged in a row longitudinally of the control panel and the panel is positioned adjacent a side edge of the cooking hob. The hubs in the undersurfaces of the control knobs 1 are push-fitted to vertically extending shafts of cooker controls 3 mounted beneath the control panel and the knobs are each rotatable about their vertical axes to effect alteration of the respective control setting.A glass cover sheet or plate 2 of substantially the same length as the control panel but of less width is hingedly supported at a longitudinal edge on a support 5 positioned at a marginal edge of the control panel adjacent the cooking surface. The cover sheet 2 is moveable from a horizontal position 2a in which it is parallel to and vertically spaced from the control panel with minor arcuate segments of the control knobs 1 protruding outward from its free edge. In this position, the cover plate forms a guard for the control discs with edge portions of the control discs protruding from beneath the edge of the cover plate whereby to permit edge adjustment of the control discs. The cover plate is moveable from the horizontal position into a vertical position 2b in which the control knobs are fully exposed for access thereto.

When retained in the vertical position eg by frictional forces the cover sheet forms a wall between the cooking surface and the control panel.

Referring to Figures 2 to 4, a glass-ceramics cooking surface 6 incorporates four cooking areas 7 each having an electrical heating element positioned beneath it and controlled by one of the knobs 1. The cooking surface, heating elements and control panel are housed within a box-shaped housing 8 to be fitted into an aperture cut in the working surface and a peripheral flange 9 rests on the working surface.

The control panel area 10 is fitted at opposite longitudinal ends with studs 11 and 12 upon which the free end of the cover plate 2 rests when the cover plate is in the horizontal position. The cover plate is coloured black except in a first set of transparent areas 13 positioned in a row each in register with a control knob 1.

The setting markings (eg figures) are positioned about an arc of the control knob and the transparent area 13 is dimensioned and positioned so that one setting marking at a time may be brought into register with said transparent area so that the setting of each cooker control may be read through the respective transparent area 13 when the cover is lowered. A second set of transparent areas 14 is disposed in alignment with one another on the cover plate 2 in such positions as to overlie warning lamps in the control panel each positioned adjacent one of the control knobs and arranged to be illuminated when the respective heating element is switched on.In addition a warning light 15 on the control panel is operated by means of a thermostatically operated control circuit to give a visible warning when any one of the hotplate areas is too hot to touch and is in register with a corresponding transparent area 16 on the control panel when said control panel is in its lowered position.

In a modified arrangement, a control panel assembly cover similar to that described herein may be fitted to an electric oven assembly adapted to be fitted into a built-in kitchen furniture unit and having a large upper oven and a smaller lower oven which also can be used as a grill.

The door of the upper oven may be hinged at its sides or at its bottom. The control panel is normally fitted in approximately the plane of the oven doors above the upper oven with the upper longitudinal edge of the cover plate hinged and the lower longitudinal edge and the arcuate sections of the control knobs projecting therefrom directed downwardly towards the top edge of the door of the upper oven. The control panel may be fitted with an electric clock having an analogue or digital readout, a control knob for setting the clock and an "ON" and "OFF" delay control knob for setting a delayed cooking period. At least in the area of the cover plate overlying the clock is normally positioned a transparent area through which it may be read.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A control panel assembly for a cooking appliance comprising an elongate control mounting panel, a plurality of cooker control discs positioned at intervals longitudinally of the control panel, each control disc having a generally planar top surface and being connected via a connection means formed in its lower surface to a cooker control positioned beneath the control mounting panel, and an elongate cover plate hinged at one longitudinal edge between a

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. when the cover plate is lowered. From yet another aspect the invention provides an oven unit for fitting into a kitchen furniture housing, said oven having a control panel assembly as aforesaid. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the same numerals denote the same parts and Figure 1 is a vertical section through a cooker control panel assembly: Figure 2 is an oblique side view from above of a cooker hob to which the control panel assembly of Figure 1 is fitted, the cover being in its lowered position; Figure 3 is an oblique side view from above of the top surface of the control panel end of the cooker hob shown in Figure 1 with the cover in its fully raised position; and Figure 4 is an oblique end view of the control panel end of the cooker hob shown in Figure 1 with the cover in its lowered position. Referring to Figure 1 an elongate control panel for a cooker hob to be incorporated into a horizontal worksurface is provided with a plurality of control knobs or discs 1 each having a planar circular top surface and knurled peripheral edges. The control knobs are arranged in a row longitudinally of the control panel and the panel is positioned adjacent a side edge of the cooking hob. The hubs in the undersurfaces of the control knobs 1 are push-fitted to vertically extending shafts of cooker controls 3 mounted beneath the control panel and the knobs are each rotatable about their vertical axes to effect alteration of the respective control setting.A glass cover sheet or plate 2 of substantially the same length as the control panel but of less width is hingedly supported at a longitudinal edge on a support 5 positioned at a marginal edge of the control panel adjacent the cooking surface. The cover sheet 2 is moveable from a horizontal position 2a in which it is parallel to and vertically spaced from the control panel with minor arcuate segments of the control knobs 1 protruding outward from its free edge. In this position, the cover plate forms a guard for the control discs with edge portions of the control discs protruding from beneath the edge of the cover plate whereby to permit edge adjustment of the control discs. The cover plate is moveable from the horizontal position into a vertical position 2b in which the control knobs are fully exposed for access thereto. When retained in the vertical position eg by frictional forces the cover sheet forms a wall between the cooking surface and the control panel. Referring to Figures 2 to 4, a glass-ceramics cooking surface 6 incorporates four cooking areas 7 each having an electrical heating element positioned beneath it and controlled by one of the knobs 1. The cooking surface, heating elements and control panel are housed within a box-shaped housing 8 to be fitted into an aperture cut in the working surface and a peripheral flange 9 rests on the working surface. The control panel area 10 is fitted at opposite longitudinal ends with studs 11 and 12 upon which the free end of the cover plate 2 rests when the cover plate is in the horizontal position. The cover plate is coloured black except in a first set of transparent areas 13 positioned in a row each in register with a control knob 1. The setting markings (eg figures) are positioned about an arc of the control knob and the transparent area 13 is dimensioned and positioned so that one setting marking at a time may be brought into register with said transparent area so that the setting of each cooker control may be read through the respective transparent area 13 when the cover is lowered. A second set of transparent areas 14 is disposed in alignment with one another on the cover plate 2 in such positions as to overlie warning lamps in the control panel each positioned adjacent one of the control knobs and arranged to be illuminated when the respective heating element is switched on.In addition a warning light 15 on the control panel is operated by means of a thermostatically operated control circuit to give a visible warning when any one of the hotplate areas is too hot to touch and is in register with a corresponding transparent area 16 on the control panel when said control panel is in its lowered position. In a modified arrangement, a control panel assembly cover similar to that described herein may be fitted to an electric oven assembly adapted to be fitted into a built-in kitchen furniture unit and having a large upper oven and a smaller lower oven which also can be used as a grill. The door of the upper oven may be hinged at its sides or at its bottom. The control panel is normally fitted in approximately the plane of the oven doors above the upper oven with the upper longitudinal edge of the cover plate hinged and the lower longitudinal edge and the arcuate sections of the control knobs projecting therefrom directed downwardly towards the top edge of the door of the upper oven. The control panel may be fitted with an electric clock having an analogue or digital readout, a control knob for setting the clock and an "ON" and "OFF" delay control knob for setting a delayed cooking period. At least in the area of the cover plate overlying the clock is normally positioned a transparent area through which it may be read. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A control panel assembly for a cooking appliance comprising an elongate control mounting panel, a plurality of cooker control discs positioned at intervals longitudinally of the control panel, each control disc having a generally planar top surface and being connected via a connection means formed in its lower surface to a cooker control positioned beneath the control mounting panel, and an elongate cover plate hinged at one longitudinal edge between a

raised position in which the control discs are exposed for access thereto and a lowered position in which it overlies the control discs to form a guard for the control discs with edge portions thereof protruding from beneath the other longitudinal edge of the cover plate whereby to permit edge adjustment of said control discs.

2. A control assembly according to Claim 1, wherein each control disc has setting markings disposed on its upper surface and the cover plate is predominantly opaque but has transparent areas each positioned to overlie one of the control discs and dimensioned so that a single position marking is visible from above when the cover plate is lowered.

3. A control panel assembly according to Claims 1 or 2, wherein each control disc has an "OFF" setting and a progressive range of heat supply settings, a panel light is positioned adjacent each control disc and arranged to be illuminated when the control disc adjacent said panel light is set to a heat supply setting and the cover plate has transparent areas positioned in register with each panel light through which said panel light may be viewed from above when the cover is lowered.

4. A control panel assembly for a cooking appliance substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A cooking hob for flush mounting into a horizontal working surface, comprising a cooking surface having at least two cooking areas each having a heating element associated therewith, and a control panel assembly as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4 positioned with the longitudinal edge to which the cover plate is pivoted adjacent an edge of the cooking surface.

6. A cooking hob as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the control mounting panel additionally comprises a warning light arranged to be illuminated when any of the cooking areas is above a safe temperature to touch and a transparent area in the cover plate is positioned to overlie the warning light when the cover plate is lowered.

7. A cooking hob for flush mounting into a horizontal working surface substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in, the accompanying srawings.

8. An oven unit for mounting into a kitchen furniture housing, said oven being fitted with a control panel as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4.

9. An oven unit as claimed in Claim 8, wherein there is additionally fitted to the control panel an analogue or digital clock and a transparent area inthe cover plate is positioned to overlie the digital clock when the cover plate is in the lowered position.