Pot support with elastic foot and method for fixing elastic foot to a pot support

The invention presents a solution to avoid glue when fixing an elastic foot to a pot support, such as used in ranges and kitchen hobs. The pot support (1000) has a cavity (2200) which is aligned with an elastic foot (1300) which comprises on the other hand a hollow space (3240). By inserting an expansion body (3220, 3450) into the hollow space, a press fit is generated between a support structure (1800) of the pot support and/or elastic material of the foot (1300). Rivets (3450) or bolts (3220) are taught as expansion bodies. The invention also teaches a method to mount an elastic foot to a pot support. The invention provides a solution for avoiding the deteriorating effects of aging glue used in the prior art, which leads to the loss of rubber feet on current pot supports.

In modern kitchen environments and in particular where flush-mounted hobs or ranges are used, it is beneficial to use pot supports usually made of cast iron material in order to keep a predetermined distance between a pot or a pan to be supported above a gas burner. Those supports usually secure the proper distance between the bottom of the cooking vessel and the flame while at the same time promoting a proper placement of the pot regarding efficiency of the gas distribution underneath it.

Usually cooking and preparing of food goes along with the spillage of fluids and thus, it is beneficial that pot supports can be removed in order to be cleaned. As a consequence, pot supports are usually centered around a gas burner and supported on a surface of a range or a hob or a workplate by elastic feet. The elastic feet provide proper dampening and rigid support of the pot support as well as thermal isolation between the surface on which they are positioned and the heat that is guided along the cast iron material of the pot support.

Generally, the elastic feet of a pot support are mounted to it by using a glue. However, due to the constant thermal stress caused by different expansion coefficients of the cast iron material and the elastic material of which the foot consists due to the intermittent heating and cooling processes in the typical use case of a kitchen hob, the glue connection deteriorates over time. This leads to a problem that after some time the feet are no more properly maintained within the pot support. This on the other hand leads to a deteriorated quality impression by the customer.

The German publication DE 10 2005 046589 A1 shows a pot support having foot elements which are consisting of rubber and are inserted into a bore of a basic body of the pot support.

The invention is based on the problem to improve the quality impression of a pot support and in particular the fixing of a foot of a pot support.

This problem is solved by the invention by a pot support according to claim1and by a method for mounting an elastic foot to a pot support according to claim11.

Further developments of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

Advantageously, the pot support according to an embodiment of the present invention makes use of an expansion body that is inserted within an elastic foot in order to create a higher friction force between a cavity provided in the support structure and the elastic material of which the foot consists. In this manner, a secure connection between an elastic foot and the support structure of a pot support can be established without using glue. This has the advantage of a long-term stability of the mechanical connection as no chemical aging process takes place when such a structure is exposed to thermal stress. This is the case when a kitchen hob is used and a pot support is frequently heated and cooled down again due to the different thermal expansion coefficients of the elastic material and the usually used cast iron material of the support structure of the pot support.

Beneficially, according to a further development of an embodiment of the pot support according to the present invention, the elastic foot cooperates with a bore or a stud hole having a different diameter.

Beneficially, the first diameter of the stud hole of the bore being smaller than the second diameter of the elastic foot. In this manner, it is possible to secure an initial friction force between the walls of the bore respectively hole and the elastic foot that is then further increased by the expansion body.

Favorably, according to a further development of an embodiment of the pot support according to the present invention, the expansion body is larger than the hollow space in a manner that creates the press fit at least between the expansion body and the elastic material next to the hollow space. In this manner, the friction force between an elastic foot and a support structure can be increased, e.g. adjusted to a value that guarantees a secure fixture of the elastic foot within or to the support structure.

Beneficially, according to a further development of an embodiment of the pot support according to the present invention, the expansion body has the shape of a bolt. Bolts can easily be manufactured to a predefined diameter and are used in many industrial applications, which makes them cheap and reliable and widely available on the market. This renders them particularly suitable for an application in the household environment, which demands for reliability and availability as well as price performance.

Beneficially, according to a further development of an embodiment of the pot support according to the present invention, the expansion body is fixed within the cavity. In this manner, the elastic foot gets expanded while it is inserted into the cavity and thus an additional manufacturing step during the process of fixing the elastic feet to the support structure can be saved, e.g. the bolts can be an integral part of the support structure and be e.g. cast together with it during the iron casting.

Advantageously, according to a further development of an embodiment of the pot support according to the present invention, the expansion body can be constructed in the form of a rivet. Rivets are widely available on the market, and by selecting the dimension of a rivet, the final pressure between the elastic foot, the rivet, respectively the cavity or bore or hole can be exactly predetermined, once the rivet is in place. In this manner, it is possible to predetermine the friction force between the rivet, respectively the support structure, and the elastic foot.

Beneficially, according to a further development of an embodiment of the pot support according to the present invention, the rivet is in direct contact with the bore, while on the other hand expanding the elastic foot on the outside of the support structure in order to fix it thereto. In this manner, a highly stable metal-to-metal connection between the rivet and the cast iron support structure can be established, which produces a higher friction force, while at the same time not suffering the complications of largely different thermal expansion coefficients, and thus withstands thermal stress a lot better than other designs used in the prior art.

Advantageously, according to a further development of a pot support of the present invention, the elastic material is made of rubber. Rubber is a natural material and is highly stable over time and thus does not suffer deterioration of a rapid aging process giving thus a highly desired quality impression of the pot support to the customer.

Advantageously, the method according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable to fix an elastic foot to a pot support in a minimum number of steps without using glue, thereby in a unique way enhancing the friction force between the foot and the support structure in using an expansion body that is inserted into a hollow space of the foot and thus presses it against a cavity, respectively a bore provided in the support structure in the pot support. In this way, a reliable connection in form of a press fit can be established between the elastic foot and the support structure while omitting glue and the disadvantageous effects of glue, especially its aging as a consequence of thermal stress in heating and cooling and different expansion coefficients between a metallic respectively cast iron structure at a rubber respectively elastic material.

Advantageously, according to a further development of an embodiment of the method of the present invention, the elastic material is pressed against a sidewall of a cavity. In this manner, the friction force can be more easily predetermined due to the known properties and dimensions of the sidewall respectively the elastic material as well as the expansion body. In this manner, the exact friction force can be efficiently predetermined and maintained during a manufacturing process.

Advantageously, according to a further development of an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the expansion body can be prefabricated within the cavity, e.g. by means of a bolt that expands the elastic material, once the foot is inserted within a bore, respectively cavity, respectively stud hole. In this manner, a highly facilitated manufacturing process can be realized.

Advantageously, according to a further development of an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the elastic foot can be pressed against a contact surface by the expansion body and thus secure a rigid connection between the support structure and the elastic foot, while at the same time within the cavity only a metal-to-metal contact is established.

Beneficially, according to a further development of an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, a rivet is used that is inserted into the hollow space and the cavity once the two are aligned. In this manner, an easy manufacturing process can be realized that at the same time allows it to predetermine the final friction force between the rivet and the support structure in a manner that a proper dimensioning of the rivet can be performed by pre-selecting it according to rivet variants available on the market suitable for that purpose.

AsFIG. 1shows in a preferred embodiment, a pot support1000may have four extensions that with a contact surface rest on a range, a hob or a flush-mounted hob in order to securely position a pot above a gas flame, for instance. Within a support structure, elastic feet1100,1200,1300and1400are maintained. Also shown is an access1500,1600that shows where another example1050is cut. In a cut enlarged detail view1700, an elastic foot1300is shown, which may be of any elastic material and especially made of rubber because rubber is highly time-stable and undergoes no particular rapid aging. In this case, the rubber foot has a cylindrical portion which has a diameter1770. The cylindrical portion is inserted into a stud hole1750. Also shown is a sidewall of the support structure1800.

FIG. 2shows a further detail of a pot support according to an embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the inventors have realized that secure connections between elastic feet and a support structure can be established without the use of glue. Here, a bottom contact surface of the support structure1800is shown which is identified by reference sign2000. Within the support structure, a cavity, in this case a bore or a stud hole is provided2200, which has a first diameter2100. Also a bolt2300can be seen which is e.g. built into the stud hole respectively cavity2200and may enter a hollow space within an elastic foot to expand it once it is inserted into the stud hole2200. In an enlarged view1700, the elastic foot1300is shown, and its cylindrical portion has a distance1850to a top and of a stud hole. It is to be noted that the cavity where the elastic foot is inserted or supported does not have to be of a regular shape. On the other hand, it is easier to calculate a friction force between an elastic foot and a sidewall of the cavity built within a support structure in a predetermined manner in order to establish constant manufacturing conditions by providing feet and bores of a certain measurement relationship.

AsFIG. 3shows various examples of mounting an elastic foot to a support structure for forming a pot support are possible. The examples belonging to each other show various stages of the mounting process and those depicted above each other belong together to the same embodiment. In the example3100, a support structure3110is shown and an elastic foot3120is inserted into the support structure3110. The elastic foot has a circular pad-shaped portion3122and a cylindrical barrel-shaped portion3127which is inserted e.g. into a cavity respectively bore or stud hole of the support structure3110. In case of the prior art example shown here, glue3130is used to fix the foot3120in the support structure3110.

In another example3200, a development according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Here, in the support structure3110, a bolt3220is shown. This bolt3220may e.g. be a nail. On the other hand, this bolt may be formed during the iron casting of the support structure110together with it.

Further below, a foot3230is shown. It is inserted into a cavity3225and also features a hollow space3240that is here provided in a central symmetry axis and along with it. On the upper part, it can be seen that the bolt3220enters the hollow space3240of the foot and applies a pressure force to the elastic material in an area3250. In this manner, the friction force between the elastic material in the area3250and applied to a sidewall of the cavity3250can be controlled by the dimensions of the bolt3220and dimensioned in such a manner that the foot3230will be reliably maintained by way of a press fit within the support structure3110, no matter under which thermal conditions the pot support is operated and which thermal stress is created between the foot and the support structure.

At3300, a similar example of an embodiment of the pot support according to the present invention is shown. Here, the bolt is not fixed to the support structure3110. The elastic foot3330is inserted into a cavity into the support structure3110as shown and later a bolt3320is inserted into a central hollow space3340provided along a symmetry axis within the elastic foot3330. In this manner, using the bolt3320as an expansion body, the elastic material will be pressed against the sidewall3360of the cavity in an area3350in order to securely fix the elastic foot to the support structure of the pot support. The insertion of bolt3320may be executed by means of a nail gun or a semi-automatic device or tool which increases the lead time in production lines over hand made processes.

In another example of the pot support according to a further development of an embodiment of the present invention3400, an elastic foot in a similar manner as in the previous examples3430having a hollow space3440is inserted into a support structure3110. In this case, however, a rivet consisting of a central part3450and an outer hollow cylindrical part3455is inserted into the hollow space3440. As further shown, the cylindrical part2455is expanded in a manner that it presses the elastic material of the foot3430against the support structure3110.

By dimensioning the rivet according to the desired pressure after fixing it, the friction force between the support structure and the elastic foot3430can be exactly dimensioned in a manner that it is sufficient to maintain the elastic foot in position when the pot support is exposed to a usual temperature range in question for a kitchen hob or a range.

In a further development of an embodiment according to the present invention, the elastic foot shown in the example3500consists of a pad-shaped portion3530having a hollow space3540that is not inserted in the cavity or bore3525. In this case, also a rivet consisting of an interior part3550and a hollow cylindrical part3555is inserted through the hollow space3540and then expanded. Here, as shown further below, the rivet is attached to a sidewall3560with its exterior part3555. On the other hand, the hollow cylindrical part securely presses the pad-shaped portion of the elastic foot3530against a bottom surface of the support structure3110. Thus, as shown above, various possibilities exist to fix and mount an elastic foot to a support structure of a pot support, respectively pan support.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1000pot support;1100,1200,1300,1400elastic feet;1500,1600cut axis1050cut support structure;1700detailed enlarged view;1800support structure;1770diameter of cylindrical part of elastic foot1750cavity;2000bottom contact surface of support structure;2100diameter of cavity;2200cavity;2300expansion body;1850distance between top end of foot and top end of stud hole;3100prior art;3110support structure;3120elastic foot;3122pad-shaped portion of elastic foot;3140glue;3130glue;3127cylindrical portion of elastic foot;3200other development;3220bolt;3225sidewall of hole/bore;3250press-fit area;3240hollow space;3230pad-shaped portion of elastic foot;3300further example;3330elastic foot;3320bolt;3340hollow space;3400other example;3440hollow space;3430pad-shaped portion of elastic foot;3455cylindrical portion of rivet;3450bolt portion of rivet;3500other example;3525bore:3535pad-shaped portion of elastic foot;3540hollow space;3555hollow cylindrical portion of rivet;3550bolt portion of rivet;3560sidewall of bore in support structure3110.