CERAMIC TOP INFRARED COOKING ASSEMBLY

• US 3,612,829 A
• Filed: 07/17/1970
• Issued: 10/12/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James W. Vannorsdall, Jesse L. Evans
• Original Assignee: James W. Vannorsdall, Jesse L. Evans
• Inventors: Vannorsdall, James W., Evans, Jesse L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayewsky, Volodymyr Y.
• Application Number:
  US05/055,815
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 219/460-461,463-464,467,553 338/280,285
• US Class Current: 219/452.12
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/108 Mounting of hot plate on worktop
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/067 on ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/016 Heaters using particular connecting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/74 Non-metallic plates , e.g. vitroceramic, ceramic or glassceramic hobs, also including power or control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/748 Resistive heating elements, i.e. heating elements exposed to the air, e.g. coil wire heater H05B3/742 takes precedence

Abstract

An infrared radiant cooking assembly supported in a range top opening including a frangible glass-ceramic cover plate and an underlying housing for supporting resistance-element heated blocks of inorganic refractor-fiber material in heat-sealed cushioned contact with the undersurface of the cover plate. Resistance element terminal members are provided with the assembly for achieving ready electrical connection with a power source without exceeding the load-bearing capacity of the heater blocks.

Claims

1. In a radiant cooking assembly of the character described for mounting in a range structure including a top wall having an opening therein, said assembly comprising a frangible cover plate of infrared transmissive matErial including an upper utensil supporting surface, said cover plate positioned in said opening whereby a continuous gap is defined between the edges of said plate and said opening, a lower housing positioned below said cover plate having a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls defining a boxlike receptacle, said end walls terminating in substantially horizontal flexible end wall flanges extending outwardly therefrom, at least one radiant heating unit supported in said housing on a resilient mat formed of thermal insulating material, said heating unit including a refractory heater block having a substantially planar raised peripheral face defining a central recessed area, said recessed area supporting an infrared emissive electrical resistance element thereon in spaced relation below the undersurface of said cover plate, said heater block supported on said resilient mat such that said peripheral face extends a defined minimum distance above said housing end wall flanges, continuous pressure clamping means positioned in said continuous gap embracing the upper peripheral border of said cover plate and engaging the underside of the top wall, said clamping means operative with the underside of said flexible end wall flanges and the top wall thereby biasing said heater block peripheral face into cushioningly supporting thermal sealed contact with said cover plate.

2. The cooking assembly defined in claim 1, wherein said cover plate being rectangular in configuration having longitudinal and transverse edges, said housing being generally rectangular in configuration whereby its overall length is approximately twice its width such that said housing supports a pair of heating units, said housing being oriented whereby said end wall flanges are aligned with and adjacent to corresponding longitudinal edges of said cover plate.

3. The cooking assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said resilient mat having a thickness of approximately one-half the vertical height of said housing end walls, and said heater block having an overall thickness greater than the thickness of said mat such that said heater block peripheral face is located said defined minimum distance above said housing end wall flanges in said assembly.

4. The cooking assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein a pair of identical housings are supported in side-by-side relationship below said cover plate, each said housing supporting a pair of heating units therein of dissimilar size, said housings being reversible to occupy either one of the two operative positions for disposing said heating units so as to provide alternate small and large cover plate heating areas at the front and rear of said cover plate.

5. In a radiant cooking assembly of the character described, a range structure including a top wall having a generally rectangular opening therein, said top wall opening defined by a flange depending from said top wall, a generally rectangular cover plate of infrared transmissive material including an upper utensil supporting surface positioned in said opening with said supporting surface located substantially coplanar with said top wall, a continuous marginal gap defined between the longitudinal and transverse edges of said plate and said depending flange, a pair of generally rectangular sheet metallic housings positioned in side-by-side relationship below said cover plate such that the longitudinal axis of said housings are oriented substantially parallel to the transverse edges of said cover plate, each said housing having a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls defining a boxlike receptacle, said housing overall length being approximately twice its width, said end walls having their upper portions formed into substantially horizontal flexible end wall flanges extending outwardly from said housing, a pair of infrared radiant heating units of dissimilar size supported in each said housing receptacle on a resilient mat formed of thermal insulating material, said mat having a thickness of approximately one-half the vertical height of said housing end walls, each said heating unit including a rigid fibrous-ceramic heater block having a substantially planar raised peripheral face defining a central recessed area, said recessed area supporting an infrared emissive electrical resistance element thereon in spaced relation below said peripheral face, each said heater block having a defined overall thickness exceeding said resilient mat thickness such that said heater block peripheral faces are located a defined minimum distance above said housing end wall flanges, continuous pressure clamping means cooperating with said housing end wall flanges, said cover plate and said top wall for retaining said cooking assemblies in the structure opening, said securing means including a substantially rectangular continuous metal trim ring having a generally T-shaped cross section, said trim ring having a head portion spanning said marginal gap providing an outer horizontal band overlying and sealed to the adjacent perimeteral borders of said top wall and an inner horizontal band overlying and sealed to the adjacent perimeteral borders of said cover plate, said T-shaped trim ring having a vertical stem portion disposed in said marginal gap and having hook means adjacent the lower edge of said stem portion, a plurality of L-shaped clips dispersed beneath said gap along both the longitudinal and transverse edges of said cover plate, said clips having a vertical arm extending upwardly on the outward side of said depending flange engaging the underside of said top wall, each said clip having a generally horizontal body provided with complementary hook means engaging said stem hook means, and pressure screws threaded in said clip bodies having pressure plates thereon engaging, respectively, the underside of said flexible end wall flanges along the longitudinal edges of said cover plate and the undersurface of said cover plate along the transverse edges thereof whereby said cover plate undersurface is biased into impact cushioned heat sealed contact with said heater block peripheral faces.

6. A radiant cooking assembly of the character described, a range structure including a top wall having an opening therein, a frangible cover plate of infrared transmissive material positioned in said top wall opening, a lower housing positioned below said cover plate having a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls defining a boxlike receptacle, at least one radiant heating unit supported in said housing receptacle on a resilient mat formed of thermal insulating material, said heating unit including a rigid fibrous-ceramic heater block having a substantially planar raised peripheral face defining a central recessed area, said recessed area supporting a continuous infrared emissive electrical resistance element thereon in spaced relation below the bottom surface of said cover plate, said heater block supported on said resilient mat such that its peripheral face extends a defined distance above the housing end flanges, continuous clamping means for biasing said cover plate and said housing receptacle in pressure contact in said top wall opening whereby the thickness of said resilient mat is compressed therebetween, a pair of terminal members electrically connected, respectively, to the free ends of said resistance element, said terminal members each comprising an outer insulation column having an axial chamber receiving a terminal blade therein, said insulation column having a central pedestal portion, a reduced upper annular-shaped post portion and a rectangular-shaped base portion, each said post extending through a bore in said heater block, said base portion positioned in a conforming rectangular aperture in said housing bottom wall such that each said insulation column is retained against rotational movement, said pedestal portion providing upper and lower shoulders for abutting the underside of said heater block and said housing bottom wall, respectively, to permit limited vertical movement of said insulation coluMn relative to said heater block, and means for pivotally mounting said connector blade in fixed vertical relation in said insulation column chamber whereby axial forces applied to said terminal blade are resisted alternatively by said pedestal shoulders to allow ready electrical connection and disconnection from said blade without exceeding the load-bearing capacity of said heater block.

7. The radiant cooking assembly as defined in claim 6, wherein said pedestal portion having a vertical height slightly less than the compressed thickness of said resilient mat whereby forces exerted by said continuous clamping means will not be applied to said upper and lower pedestal shoulders.