Abstract:
I lighting arrangement for a barbeque hood. The lighting arrangement includes a light housing and at least one light. The light housing is adapted for mounting adjacent an interior surface of the hood. The at least one light is mounted to the light housing.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a barbeque hood and an associated lighting arrangement. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Hitherto, one approach for attempting to illuminate barbeque cooking surfaces used external lamps mounted to the side of the barbeque hood or clamped to the serveries. The lamps use a flexible neck to help position them appropriately. Another approach used lamps connected to the handle of the hood, which illuminate from above when the hood is open. The disadvantages associated with the above approaches include: that the light source shining in from the side does not give optimum illumination to the cooking surface; the inability to illuminate the inside of the barbeque when the hood is closed; that they can get in the way when cooking; and that they are not aesthetically pleasing. 
       OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    It is the object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the above disadvantages. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a lighting arrangement for a barbeque hood, the lighting arrangement including:
       a light housing adapted for mounting adjacent an interior surface of the hood; and   at least one light mounted to the light housing.       
 
         [0007]    The lighting arrangement preferably includes at least one bracket between the hood and the light housing. The bracket(s) is/are preferably attached to the hood by welding and to the light housing by screws. 
         [0008]    In a second aspect, the present invention provides a barbeque hood, the hood including:
       a hood panel with an exterior and an interior surface   a light housing mounted adjacent the interior surface of the hood; and   at least one light mounted to the light housing.       
 
         [0012]    The hood preferably includes at least one bracket between the hood panel and the light housing. The bracket(s) is/are preferably attached to the hood panel by welding and to the light housing by screws. 
         [0013]    The light housing and the hood panel together define an enclosed volume and the hood preferably also includes a fan adapted to remove air from the volume. The light housing preferably includes at least one vent opening therein. The fan is preferably in fluid communication with the volume via a duct, which is preferably mounted to the hood panel. 
         [0014]    The hood preferably also includes at least one hood lining mounted to, and spaced apart, from the hood panel. 
         [0015]    The hood preferably includes a rear part and a front part. The rear part is preferably fixed to the barbeque. The light housing is preferably mounted to the rear part. The front part is preferably pivotally mounted to the rear part. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of first embodiments of a barbeque hood and a lighting arrangement, in a closed orientation; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the barbeque hood and the lighting arrangement shown in  FIG. 1 , in an open orientation; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the rear part of the barbeque hood and the lighting arrangement shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the rear part and the lighting arrangement shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the rear part and the lighting arrangement shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of second embodiments of a rear part of a barbeque hood and a lighting arrangement; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of the rear part and the lighting arrangement shown in  FIG. 6  along line  7 - 7 ; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of the rear part and the lighting arrangement shown in  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]      FIGS. 1 to 5  show first embodiments of a barbeque hood  10  and an associated lighting arrangement  12 . The hood  10  includes a rear hood part  10   a,  which is fixed to the barbeque (not shown), and a front hood part  10   b,  which is pivotally mounted to the rear hood part  10   a.  The front hood part  10   b  includes a transparent glass panel  11  and a handle  13 . 
         [0026]    As best shown in  FIGS. 3 to 5 , the lighting arrangement  12  includes a light housing  14  with a pair of lights  16  mounted thereto. The lights  16  are 12 Volt halogen oven lamps and are mounted to the housing  14  by metal spring clips and screws (not shown). The rear hood part  10   a  includes a hood panel  18  with an exterior surface  18   a  and an interior surface  18   b.  The housing  14  is mounted adjacent the interior surface  18   b  of the hood panel  18  with three brackets  20 . The brackets  20  are attached to the housing  14  by screws (not shown) and to the interior surface  18   b  of the hood panel  18  by welding. 
         [0027]    The rear hood part  10   a  also includes a hood lining  22  mounted adjacent to, and spaced apart from, the interior surface  18   b  of the hood  18 . The hood lining  22  is mounted to the hood panel  18  by six brackets  24 . The brackets  24  are attached to the hood lining  22  by screws (not shown) and to the hood panel  18  by welding. 
         [0028]    The electrical wiring (not shown) for the lights  16  passes between the housing/lining  14 / 22  and the hood panel  18 . 
         [0029]    As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the illumination I emitted from the lights  16  is directed on to a cooking surface  26  of a barbeque. 
         [0030]    The advantages of the hood and lighting arrangement embodiments described above are numerous. Firstly, they avoid the use of unsightly fixings protruding through to the exterior surface of the hood. Secondly, the interior volume created between the hood panel and the light housing creates an insulative air gap, which protects the wires providing electrical power to the lights. Thirdly, the volume between the exterior of the hood lining and the interior of the hood panel creates an insulative air gap which reduces the heating of the hood panel exterior surface, thereby improving safety. Fourthly, the hood and lighting arrangement can be manufactured relatively easily and cost-effectively due to the majority of the components being formed from folded steel sheet. Finally, the lights illuminate the barbeque&#39;s cooking surface regardless of whether the front hood part is open or closed. 
         [0031]    A second embodiment of hood rear part  10   a′  and lighting arrangement  12 ′ are shown in  FIGS. 6 to 8 . The arrangements  10   a′,    12 ′ are similar to those previously described and like reference numerals are used to indicate like features. However, in the second embodiments, the light housing  14  includes a number of slotted vent openings  28 , which are in fluid communication with the volume enclosed between the light housing  14  and the hood panel  18 . That volume is also in fluid communication with an exhaust fan  30  via a duct  32 . Accordingly, when the fan is energised, gases (for example, smoke from cooking) are advantageously evacuated from adjacent the barbeque cooking surface  26 . 
         [0032]    Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by those persons skilled in the art that the invention can be embodied in many other forms.