Cooking appliance with atmospheric burner

Abstract: A cooking appliance comprising: an atmospheric burner (4), a thermal receiver (13), a chamber (7) for distributing the gas/air mixture to the burner (4), and passages for the combustion products to enable their heat to be utilized for cooking, the combustion products passing through a space (14) between the burner (4) and the thermal receiver (13), said space being bounded laterally by a spacer (12) which at one end supports said thermal receiver (13) and which along its extension is provided with passages (12e) for the combustion products such that they leave these passages with a component of their movement substantially perpendicular to the burner (4) and to the thermal receiver (13).

Description: This invention relates to a cooking appliance provided with an atmospheric burner, a thermal receiver, a chamber for distributing the gas/air mixture to the burner, and passages for the combustion products to enable their heat to be utilized for cooking, the combustion products passing through a space between the burner and the thermal receiver. Cooking appliances structured in the aforesaid manner are known, for example from US-A-4,569,328. In this patent the passages for the combustion products are holes passing through the said thermal receiver, with the negative consequence that any pan spillage, or spillage of the liquids used for cleaning the thermal receiver or dirt in general reach the burner, to harm its operation. A heating (cooking) appliance is known from EP-B1-0520913 in which the air/gas mixture is fed centrally into a distribution chamber bounded upperly by the thermal receiver, lowerly by the burner and laterally by a metal ring surrounding the receiver and burner. In this appliance the combustion products do not pass through a space between the atmospheric burner and thermal receiver. FR 2 082 312 A discloses an atmospheric burner to be placed in a tight chamber that is in communication with a chimney. The specific object of the invention is to improve the heating (cooking) appliances of said US patent by eliminating the danger of deactivation of the burner and the fragility of the thermal receiver (due to the holes). This and further objects which will be more apparent from the ensuing detailed description are attained by a cooking appliance in accordance with the teachings of the accompanying claims. The invention will be better understood from the detailed description thereof, given hereinafter by way of non-limiting example with reference to the single figure of the accompanying drawing which schematically reproduces, not to scale, a cooking appliance conforming to the teachings of the invention, the appliance being limited to a single atmospheric burner, it being however apparent that the scope of protection also includes appliances provided with a plurality of burners. In the figure, the reference numeral 1 indicates the appliance box casing, for example of sheet metal, provided preferably with a removable base 2. This casing defines a compartment 1A and presents, in suitable positions not susceptible to occasional blockage (for example on the front and on the rear), wide apertures 3 communicating with the outside such as to enable operationally adequate quantities of combustion air to enter a conventional atmospheric burner 4, for example of channelized ceramic refractory either lined or not lined with a catalyst. The atmospheric burner is preferably and advantageously of discoidal shape and is supported in, and closes, the upper aperture of a sheet metal cup member 5. The atmospheric burner 4 is substantially and advantageously supported at the height of the upper surface 6 of the casing 1 (i.e. of the "cooking hob"). With the cup member 5, the burner 4 defines a chamber 7 for distributing the air/gas mixture which is fed to it via a conventional injector 8 fed with the gas, to draw air from the compartment 1A and hence produce the relative mixing. The injector is connected at one end to the cup member 5 and at its other end to a conventional cock 9 for adjusting the gas flow rate (controlled by the knob 10) and connected to a gas feed conduit 11. On the cooking hob 6, coaxial with the atmospheric burner 4, there is mounted a preferably metal spacer means, indicated overall by 12, of circular symmetry and provided with a preferably frusto-conical annular wall 12a. This spacer means presents a base 12b for its resting on the cooking hob 6 and, on the opposite side, a ring 12c with a side wall 12d forming a support for the thermal receiver represented by a conventional discoidal glass-ceramic body. The discoidal body 13 is supported spaced from the atmospheric burner 4 coaxially to it, and preferably and advantageously has a diameter greater than the base 12b of the spacer means 12. The wall 12a comprises wide apertures 12e for the exit of combustion products from the space 14 lying between the glass-ceramic disc and the atmospheric burner 4. In operation, a considerable fraction of the infrared energy emitted by the atmospheric burner passes through the glass-ceramic disc 13, the rest being absorbed by the latter with the result that it becomes hot. This heating is substantially aided by the combustion products which also graze the saucepan, frying pan or the like placed on the disc 13, to cook its contents. The scope of protection of the present invention also includes the use of a cylindrical instead of frusto-conical shape for the wall 12a of the spacer 12, possibly inclining the axis of the apertures present in this wall.

Claims: A cooking appliance comprising: an atmospheric burner (4), a thermal receiver (13), a chamber (7) for distributing the gas/air mixture to the burner (4), and passages for the combustion products to enable their heat to be utilized for cooking, the combustion products passing through a space (14) between the burner (4) and the thermal receiver (13), wherein said space is bounded laterally by a spacer (12) which at one end supports said thermal receiver (13) and which along its extension is provided with passages (12e) for the exit of combustion products such that they leave these passages with a component of their movement substantially perpendicular to the burner (4) and to the thermal receiver (13). An appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterised by a box casing (1) provided with apertures (3) for communication with the atmosphere which are positioned in faces of said casing which cannot be randomly intercepted. An appliance as claimed in claims 1 and 2, wherein the spacer (12) is of metal and rests on said box casing (1). An appliance as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the burner (4) and the thermal receiver (13) are of discoidal shape, the former having a smaller diameter than the latter. An appliance as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the burner (4) is disposed substantially at the level of the upper surface (6) of the box casing (1). An appliance as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the metal spacer (12) comprises an annular base (12b), a frusto-conical wall (12e) comprising the passages (12e), and at its top a ring with side wall (12c+12d)) for supporting the thermal receiver.

Inventors: BARRERO DAVIDE, DISTASO ALESSANDRO, FRANCHI DANIELE, BARRERO, DAVIDE, DISTASO, ALESSANDRO, FRANCHI, DANIELE, Barrero, Davide, c/o Whirlpool Europe s.r.l., Distaso, Alessandro, c/o Whirlpool Europe s.r.l., Franchi, Daniele, c/o Whirlpool Europe s.r.l.
Applicants: WHIRLPOOL CO, WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Application year: 2001
Main classification: F24C3
IPC codes: F24C3