US20090095275A1

US20090095275A1 - Ceramic stove top kit

Info

Publication number: US20090095275A1
Application number: US12/235,273
Authority: US
Inventors: Marlene Duran
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-10-16
Filing date: 2008-09-22
Publication date: 2009-04-16

Abstract

A ceramic stove top kit used to convert a drop in range, a drop in range being a stove top wherein at least one cut out is defined in the countertop of the stove top and wherein below the cut out of the stove top there is at least one electric outlet attached to the stove top, into a flat countertop range, the kit comprises of a heating element, a circular frame, and a glass ceramic. The heating element is connected to an electric source that comes pre-built within the stove top. The circular frame is mounted on the drop in range and is inserted within the stove top's cutouts and rests on the stove top's countertop, the circular frame has a lip that runs along the circular frame and extends outward from the circular frame, the lip rests on the countertop of the stove top and a ledge runs along the circular frame and extends inward from the circular frame. The glass ceramic cook top is circular and has a diameter that fits within the circular frame and rests on the ledge of the circular frame.

Description

I hereby claim my priority to my earlier filed provisional application having provisional application No. 61/007,537 which was filed on Oct. 17, 2007.

BACKGROUND

At the present time, it is common to purchase a glass-ceramic stove top wherein the stove tops burners are within the ceramic stove top/countertop. The ceramic stove tops are flat and thereby lend themselves to be easily cleaned. Simply by using a sponge and a ceramic stove top cleaner the ceramic stove tops are cleaned.
The present invention is directed to a kit that can be inserted into a drop in range. A drop-in range is a stove top wherein a cut out is defined in the countertop of the range. Below the cutout there is an electric outlet near one of the sides of the cutout. A burner pan is mounted on the ledges surrounding the cutout of the countertop. A burner is attached to the electric outlets and the burner usually made to rest on a support that rests on the burner pan and sustains the weight of the burner and any cookware placed on the burner.
The problem faced by users of drop in ranges is that runoff of the cookware is spilled within the burner pan. Users of the drop in ranges knew and realized that the burner pans had to be continuously cleaned or foul odors and pests would soon after follow. Many users lined the burner pans with aluminum foil to facilitate the cleaning process of the burner. Lining the burner pans was laborious and wasteful.
The inventor of the present invention decided that she had to invent a kit that would convert a drop in range into a semi-ceramic flat stove top range.
An object of the present invention is to facilitate the cleaning of a drop in range.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent the waste of aluminum foil when cleaning a drop in range.
A further object of the present invention is to prevent the accumulation of food runoff when cooking and thereby minimizing the odors created by the runoff.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a ceramic stove top kit used with drop in ranges. The kit satisfies the need of using aluminum foil to facilitate the cleaning of drop in ranges and eases the cleaning of same when not using aluminum foil. The ceramic stove top kit is used to convert a drop in range, a drop in range being a stove top wherein at least one cut out is defined in the countertop of the stove top and wherein below the cut out of the stove top there is at least one electric outlet attached to the stove top, into a flat countertop range, the kit comprises of a heating element, a circular frame, and a glass ceramic cook top. The heating element might be the same heating element currently used in drop in ranges, the heating element is connected to an electric connection that comes pre-built within the drop in range. The circular frame is mounted on the drop in range and is inserted within the stove top's cutouts and rests on the stove top's countertop, the circular frame has a lip that runs along the circular frame and extends outward from the circular frame, the lip rests on the countertop of the stove top and a ledge runs along the circular frame and extends inward from the circular frame. The glass ceramic cook top is circular and has a diameter that fits within the circular frame and rests on the ledge of the circular frame.
The present invention is used in the same way that a modern glass ceramic stove top is used. The present invention is cleaned in the same manner that a modern ceramic stove top is cleaned.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a ceramic stove top kit used to convert a drop in range into a flat countertop range, the kit comprises of a heating element, a circular frame, and a glass ceramic cook top;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the kit on the drop in range, the figure shows the circular frame and the glass ceramic cook top; and

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the kit on the drop in range, the figure shows the heating element and how it connects to the electric connection provided by the drop in range and the circular frame on which the glass ceramic cook top rests.

DESCRIPTION

As seen in FIG. 1, a ceramic stove top kit used with drop in range, a drop in range being a stove top wherein at least one cut out is defined in the countertop of the stove top and wherein below the cut out of the stove top there is at least one electric outlet attached to the stove top, the kit comprises of a heating element 10, a circular frame 12, and a glass ceramic cook top 14. The heating element 10 is connected to the electric outlet of the stove top. The circular frame 12 is mounted on the drop in range and is inserted within the range's cut out and rests on the range's countertop, the circular frame 12 has a lip 12 a that runs along the circular frame 12 and extends outward from the circular frame 12, the lip 12 a rests on the countertop of the stove top and a ledge 12 b runs along the circular frame 12 and extends inward from the circular frame 12. The glass ceramic cook top 14 is circular and has a diameter that fits within the circular frame 12 and rests on the ledge 12 b of the circular frame 12.
An advantage of the present invention is that it facilitates the cleaning of drop in ranges.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it prevents the waste of aluminum foil when cleaning drop in ranges.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it prevents the accumulation of food runoff when cooking and thereby minimizing the odors created by the runoff.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore the spirit and the scope of the claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.

Claims

1. A ceramic stove top kit used to convert a drop in range, a drop in range being a stove top wherein at least one cut out is defined in the countertop of the stove top and wherein below the cut out of the stove top there is at least one electric outlet attached to the stove top, into a flat countertop range, the kit comprises:

a heating element, the heating element is connected to the electric outlet of the drop in range;

a circular frame is mounted on the drop in range and is inserted within the drop in the stove top's cutouts and rests on the stove top's countertop, the circular frame has a lip that runs along the circular frame and extends outward from the circular frame, the lip rests on the countertop of the stove top and a ledge runs along the circular frame and extends inward from the circular frame; and

a glass ceramic cook top, the ceramic cook top is circular in and has a diameter that fits within the circular frame and rests on the ledge of the circular frame.