Patent Publication Number: US-2010107896-A1

Title: Frame for an upper contact grilling or roasting plate

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority of German patent application DE 10 2008 056 476.1, filed on Nov. 5, 2008, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns a frame for an upper contact grilling or roasting plate. 
     It is known that grilling or roasting devices have a grilling or roasting plate on which is placed the material to be grilled or roasted. These grilling or roasting devices can be operated, namely in particular heated, electrically, by gas or in some other ordinary manner. By means of these grilling or roasting plates, the material can be grilled or roasted on one side only. For grilling or roasting the second side, the material must be turned. This has the drawback of a longer grilling or roasting time and an uneven grilling or roasting process. In the event that treatment at the same time, that is, grilling or roasting of two sides of the product at the same time, is desired, the existing grilling or roasting device must be replaced by a contact grilling or roasting device which consists of an upper contact grilling or roasting plate and a lower contact grilling or roasting plate, the upper contact grilling or roasting plate being pivotable relative to the lower contact grilling or roasting plate, so that the upper contact grilling or roasting plate is pivotable out of a standby position into a working position and vice versa. Complete replacement of the whole grilling or roasting unit is, however, very cost-intensive. Moreover, existing contact grilling or roasting devices such as are known from for example EP 0 662 299 B1 with an upper contact grilling or roasting plate and a lower contact grilling or roasting plate are not very space-saving either, because due to the pivotable arrangement a free space is necessary behind the contact grilling or roasting plates in order to allow the free pivot movement. To put it another way, existing contact grilling or roasting devices cannot be positioned directly on a rear boundary, namely usually a wall or the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore the object of the present invention to eliminate the drawbacks existing in the state of the art. 
     This object is achieved by a frame having a horizontally directed stabilising means and a vertically directed supporting means, the frame being adapted and designed for pivotable attachment of an upper contact grilling or roasting plate. As a result, in a surprisingly simple manner an existing grilling or roasting unit which has only one grilling or roasting plate can be upgraded to a contact grilling or roasting device for simultaneously grilling or roasting two sides of a product (upper side and lower side). 
     An appropriate development of the invention is distinguished in that the horizontally directed stabilising means has at least three parallel and spaced-apart struts, the two struts on the outside being shorter than the or each strut located between the two struts on the outside. With this design it is particularly simple to fit an upper contact grilling or roasting plate reliably and safely to an existing ordinary grilling or roasting plate. With the two outer struts, the frame can be attached particularly safely to the existing grilling or roasting plate, while the (centre) strut with the longer length located between the two outer struts produces or has a particularly good stabilising effect. 
     Preferably, the frame is in several parts and consists of two end pieces and at least one centre piece, the end pieces and the or each centre piece being capable of connection to each other by suitable fastening elements. Due to this modular construction, the two end pieces and one centre piece or several centre pieces can be combined as desired, so that an individually adapted frame can be produced, to which can be attached a single upper contact grilling or roasting plate or several upper contact grilling or roasting plates. In other words, due to the construction according to the invention the frame is capable of being adapted to different sizes of existing grilling or roasting plates. 
     A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is distinguished in that the frame according to any of claims  1  to  8  is provided with an upper contact grilling or roasting plate which is pivotably connected to the frame. As a result, an independent grilling or roasting device is produced, which can be fastened in particular as a conversion kit to all common, one-sided grilling or roasting devices, regardless of their construction and manner of operation. 
     Advantageously, the frame has a centre arm by which the upper contact grilling or roasting plate is pivotably linked to the frame. With this design, particularly individual conversion is ensured. 
     A development according to the invention is characterised in that a vertically directed supporting section of the centre arm is attached rigidly but releasably to the vertically directed supporting means, while a holding section of the centre arm with the upper contact grilling or roasting plate is arranged pivotably on the supporting section. As a result, particularly easy and reliable handling is achieved. Due to the fact that the supporting section is rigidly connected, the number of moving parts is reduced, thus increasing the length of life of the component parts. Due to the capacity of the connection for release, individual adaptation can be ensured to increase the individuality. In particular, the supporting means of the centre arm is adjustable in height, so that the distance between the upper contact grilling or roasting plate and any base, but in particular any lower grilling or roasting plate, is variable. 
     A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is characterised in that the pivot shaft of the holding section is formed or arranged approximately at the point of intersection of the centre axes of the holding section on the one hand and the supporting section on the other hand. With this centrally arranged pivot shaft, a particularly space-saving embodiment can be achieved, because during pivoting about the pivot shaft the holding section does not protrude rearwardly beyond the supporting means. In other words, the frame with the upper contact grilling or roasting plate can be moved close up to a boundary, for example a wall, without hindering the pivot operation. The frame with the upper contact grilling or roasting plate can, due to the design according to the invention, even be fastened to a wall or the like and form a grilling or roasting device independently or in combination with a lower grilling or roasting plate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further appropriate and/or preferred features and developments of the invention are apparent from the subsidiary claims and the description. Particularly preferred embodiments are described in more detail with the aid of the attached drawings. The drawings show: 
         FIG. 1  a single-part frame, 
         FIG. 2  a multi-part, modular frame, 
         FIG. 3  the single-part frame having a centre arm, and 
         FIG. 4  the single-part frame having a centre arm as in  FIG. 3 , an upper contact grilling or roasting plate being associated with the centre arm. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The frame shown in the figures as well as the unit composed of frame, centre arm and upper contact grilling or roasting plate serve in particular to convert already existing grilling or roasting plates. Each frame or each above-mentioned unit is however also suitable for use as an independent unit, as an exchange part or as a replacement part. 
     The frame  10  shown in perspective in  FIG. 1  is constructed in one piece. This means that the frame  10  has a definite construction with fixed dimensions, the dimensions not being fixed to a single size. The frame  10  has a horizontally directed stabilising means  11  and a vertically directed supporting means  12 . The horizontal orientation relates to a plane E usually spanned by a base, a table or the like. The horizontal and vertical orientations expressly also include approximately horizontal and vertical orientations. The frame  10  itself is adapted and designed for the pivotable fastening of an upper contact grilling or roasting plate  13 . This means that the frame  10  is suitable with respect to its structural design and material construction to hold and fix an upper contact grilling or roasting plate usually located with respect to weight above its own weight, in a stable and deformation-resistant manner. 
     The frame  10  is preferably made of a metal. Particularly preferred are stainless steels. Furthermore, however, the frame  10  can be made of a plastic or other materials or combinations of materials with comparable material properties. Particularly preferably, the material from which the frame  10  is made is permitted for foodstuffs. 
     The horizontally directed stabilising means  11  has at least three preferably parallel and spaced-apart struts  14 ,  15 ,  16 . The two struts  14 ,  15  on the outside are shorter than the strut  16  located between the two struts on the outside  14 ,  15 , the so-called centre strut. In further embodiments the struts  14  to  16  can also be the same length or have different lengths. There is also the possibility of the struts  14  to  16  running obliquely to each other. Also more than one (centre) strut  16  can be provided. Preferably all the struts  14  to  16  of the horizontally directed stabilising means  11  can, however, be located in one plane E already defined above. In particular embodiments, individual struts  14  to  16  or all struts  14  to  16  can also be cranked or otherwise shaped. 
     The vertically directed supporting means  12  has at least two preferably parallel and spaced-apart struts  17 ,  18 . Particularly preferably, three struts  17 ,  18 ,  19  are provided. The number of struts of the supporting means  12  can vary, however. One of the struts  17  to  19 , preferably the strut  17  defined as the lower strut, connects the struts  14  to  16  of the stabilising means  11  to each other. The struts  17  to  19  of the vertically directed supporting means  12  are connected to each other by vertical struts  28 ,  29 . The definition “at the bottom” is random and can also mean “at the top”. All struts  17  to  19  of the vertically directed supporting means  12  are preferably located in one plane E v . The plane E v  is preferably oriented at a right angle to the plane E of the stabilising means  11 . The angle between the planes E and E v  may however also vary. 
     At least the struts  14 ,  15  on the outside of the stabilising means  11  have openings  20  for fastening elements. The openings  20 , preferably bores and/or oblong holes, are vertically oriented relative to the plane E, so that the frame  10  can be fastened by means of screws or the like to a lower grilling or roasting plate (not shown). Preferably openings  21  for fastening elements are also provided in the struts  17  to  19 , particularly preferably in struts  18  and  19 . The openings  21 , preferably likewise bores and/or oblong holes, are vertically oriented relative to the plane E v , so that the frame  11  or, to be more precise, the supporting means  12  can be connected to a component described below. 
     The frame  10  shown in  FIG. 2  is basically designed comparably to the frame  10  as in  FIG. 1 , so that reference is made to the description for  FIG. 1  to avoid repetition. Identical parts have the same reference number. However, the frame  10  in  FIG. 2  is in several parts. This means that the frame  10  is assembled in modular fashion and can be altered almost as desired. The frame  10  shown consists of two end pieces  22  and  23  and a centre piece  24 . The centre piece  24  can, as an alternative to the embodiment shown, have vertically directed struts which connect the horizontal strut sections to each other. The two end pieces  22  and  23  and the centre piece  24  are connected to each other with suitable fastening elements. Suitable fastening elements are preferably screw connections or the like. Between the end pieces  22 ,  23  can also be arranged several centre pieces  24  and/or adapter pieces (not shown) for extending the frame  10 . 
     The two end pieces  22 ,  23  each hold an outer strut  14 ,  15  of the stabilising means  11 . The or each centre piece  24  carries at least one (centre) strut  16 . The width of the end pieces  22 ,  23  and the width of the or each centre piece  24  is preferably the same. The width relates to the dimension in the longitudinal direction of the centre axes M of the struts  17  to  19  of the supporting means  12 . Thus as it were a kind of grid module can be produced, so that by adding or removing in particular centre pieces  24 , adaptation to common widths of existing lower grilling or roasting plates is made possible. 
     The frame  10  described above is optionally provided with an upper contact grilling or roasting plate  13  which is pivotably connected to the frame  10 . As can be seen from  FIG. 3 , the frame  10  can have a centre arm  25 . The centre arm  25  has a vertically directed supporting section  26  and a holding section  27  arranged pivotably on the supporting section  26 . The supporting section  26  is fastened rigidly but releasably to the vertically directed supporting means  12  of the frame  10 . By the centre arm  25 , the upper contact grilling or roasting plate  13  is pivotably linked to the frame  10  (see  FIG. 4 ). The supporting section  26  of the centre arm  25  can be fastened to the supporting means  12  so as to be variable in height. Depending on the size of the frame  10 , that is, in particular depending on the number of centre pieces  24 , several centre arms  25  can be fastened to the frame  10 , so that several upper contact grilling or roasting plates  13  can be mounted on the frame. 
     With respect to the design of the supporting section  26 , different embodiments are possible. Particularly preferred is an embodiment in which the pivot shaft of the holding section is formed or arranged approximately at the point of intersection of the centre axes M 1  and M 2  of the holding section  27  on the one hand and the supporting section  26  on the other hand. But the supporting section  26  can also be cranked or otherwise shaped, the pivot shaft then being formed or arranged e.g. outside the centre axis of the supporting section  26 .