WO2018121835A1

WO2018121835A1 - Improved mounting assembly for use in a cooking appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2018121835A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/082679
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gamze DAG; Yasin Sedat Yirmili; Yalcin OZKAN
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2016-12-27
Filing date: 2016-12-27
Publication date: 2018-07-05
Also published as: TR201715858A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mounting assembly (1) for use in a cooking appliance (2) comprising: a casing (3); one or more heating units (4) which are disposed into the casing (3), wherein the heating unit (4) comprises an induction coil (5), and a sheet metal (6) for electromagnetic shielding, and wherein the sheet metal (6) is fixed to the underside of the induction coil (5); a grounding means for grounding the casing (3); and a top plate which is adapted to cover the upper side of the casing (3) and to support the cooking utensils. The mounting assembly (1) comprises: one or more supports (7) each for supporting the respective heating unit (4).

Description

IMPROVED MOUNTING ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN A COOKING APPLIANCE

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance, in particular to an induction cooking appliance.

Cooking appliances are commonly known in the art. Inductive heating type cooking appliances have become increasingly more favored as they enable a relatively energy-efficient way of cooking food. A cooking appliance generally comprises: a casing; one or more heating units which are disposed into the casing, wherein the heating unit comprises an induction coil, and a sheet metal for electromagnetic shielding, and wherein the sheet metal is fixed to the underside of the induction coil; a grounding means for grounding the casing; a top plate which is adapted to cover the upper side of the casing and to support the cooking utensils; and a mounting assembly which comprises: one or more supports each for supporting the respective heating unit.

DE3613902A1 discloses a cooking appliance.

A problem with the prior art cooking appliance is that the cooking appliance fails to operate effectively when one or more heating units are not correctly mounted or dislocated relative to the top plate, in particular relative to the touch panel and the markings thereon. Such instances may occur during the assembly process of the heating units or during the transportation of the cooking appliance.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a mounting assembly for use in a cooking appliance which solves the aforementioned problems of the prior art in a cost-effective way and which enables an improved assemblage of the heating units.

This objective has been achieved by the mounting assembly as defined in claim 1, and the cooking appliance as defined in claim 14. Further achievements have been attained by the subject-matters respectively defined in the dependent claims.

In the mounting assembly of the present invention the support comprises: a first fixing means which is adapted to fix the body of the support to the casing; and a second fixing means which is adapted to fix the body of the support to the heating unit.

A major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the heating units can be easily, correctly and securely assembled into the casing at their installation positions by virtue of the mounting assembly. Thereby, the heating units can be prevented from dislocating or receiving damages during transportation or the like, and thus the risk of any malfunctioning or reduction in the cooking performance can be eliminated or reduced as much as possible. Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that a large number of heating can be quickly and smoothly assembled into the casing at their installation positions by virtue of the mounting assembly. Thereby, the assembly operation can be expedited, and the production costs can be reduced.

Additional features and additional advantageous effects of the mounting assembly and the cooking appliance of the present invention will become more apparent with the detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 – is a schematic partial sectional view of a cooking appliance which has a mounting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the top plate has been omitted for ease of illustration;

Figure 2 – is a schematic partial perspective exploded view of the cooking appliance of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 – is a schematic partial perspective view of the clip of the mounting assembly of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 – is another schematic partial perspective view of the clip of the mounting assembly of Fig. 1.

The reference signs appearing on the drawings relate to the following technical features.

Mounting assembly
Cooking appliance
Casing
Heating unit
Induction coil
Sheet metal
Support
First fixing means
Body
Second fixing means
Clip
Aperture
Base
Arm
Screw connection
Snap-lock connection
First screw hole
Second screw hole
Screw
Claw
Abutment
Alignment hole
Protrusion

The mounting assembly (1) is suitable for use in a cooking appliance (2) (Fig. 1).

The cooking appliance (2) comprises: a casing (3); one or more heating units (4) which are disposed into the casing (3), wherein the heating unit (4) comprises an induction coil (5), and a sheet metal (6) for electromagnetic shielding, and wherein the sheet metal (6) is fixed to the underside of the induction coil (5); a grounding means (not shown) for grounding the casing (3); and a top plate (not shown) which is adapted to cover the upper side of the casing (3) and to support the cooking utensils (not shown) (Fig. 1).

The mounting assembly (1) comprises: one or more supports (7) each for supporting the respective heating unit (4) (Fig. 1).

In the mounting assembly (1) of the present invention, the support (7) comprises: a first fixing means (8) which is adapted to fix the body (9) of the support (7) to the casing (3); and a second fixing means (10) which is adapted to fix the body (9) of the support (7) to the heating unit (4) (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).

The cooking appliance (2) of the present invention comprises: one or more mounting assemblies (1) according to the present invention (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).

In an embodiment, the first fixing means (8) is further adapted to detachably fix the body (9) of the support (7) to the casing (3). In this embodiment, the second fixing means (10) is further adapted to detachably fix the body (9) of the support (7) to the heating unit (4) (Fig. 1). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the heating unit (4) can be easily detached and reattached during the maintenance.

In another embodiment, the first fixing means (8) is further adapted to fix the body (9) of the support (7) to the bottom of the casing (3). In this embodiment, the second fixing means (10) is further adapted to support the heating unit (4) from below (Fig. 1). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the heating unit (4) can be easily assembled into the casing (3) at its installation position.

In another embodiment, the body (9) of the support (7) is made from an electrically conductive material. In this embodiment, the first fixing means (8) is further adapted to fix the metallic body (9) of the support (7) to the grounded casing (3). In this embodiment, the second fixing means (10) is further adapted to fix the metallic body (9) of the support (7) to the sheet metal (6) of the induction coil (5). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the sheet metal (6) can be effectively grounded, and thus the electromagnetic noise emission can be reduced, and the electromagnetic compatibility of the cooking appliance (2) can be improved.

In another embodiment, the body (9) of the support (7) is made from a flexible material. In this embodiment, the flexible body (9) of the support (7) is further adapted to press the upper surface of the induction coil (5) upwards against the top plate. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the cooking performance, and thus the energy efficiency of the cooking appliance (2) can be further improved.

In another embodiment, the support (7) is provided in form of a clip (11) (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the clip (11) is easy to handle during the assembly process and during the maintenance.

In another embodiment, the sheet metal (6) of the induction coil (5) comprises one or more apertures (12). In this embodiment, the clip (11) comprises: a base (13); and two arms (14) which upwardly extend from the base (13). In this embodiment, the first fixing means (8) comprises a screw connection (15) for fixing the base (13) to the casing (3). In addition, the second fixing means (10) comprises snap-lock connections (16) which are adapted to respectively fix the arms (14) to the edge of the aperture (12) in the sheet metal (6) of the induction coil (5) (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the clip (11) securely fixes the heating unit (4) to the casing (3).

In another embodiment, the base (13) of the clip (11) is rectangular shaped. In this embodiment, each arm (14) of the clip (11) is c-shaped (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the clip (11) has a compact and robust structure.

In another embodiment, a first screw hole (17) is formed into the casing (3). In this embodiment, the screw connection (15) comprises: a second screw hole (18) formed into the base (13). In this embodiment, a screw (19) connects the first screw hole (17) and the second screw hole (18) (Fig. 2 to Fig. 4). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the clip (11) can be securely fixed to the casing (3).

In another embodiment, each snap-lock connection (16) comprises: a claw (20) formed into the arm (14) so as to catch the upper edge of the aperture (12); and an abutment (21) formed into the arm (14) so as to support the lower edge of the aperture (12). In this embodiment, the snap-lock connection (16) is adapted to be released from the aperture (12) when the arms (14) are resiliently retracted (Fig. 1, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the clip (11) can be securely fixed to the sheet metal (6).

In another embodiment, the snap-lock connection (16) is adapted to be released from the aperture (12) when the arms (14) are retracted towards each other to the center of the aperture (12) (Fig. 1). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the clip (11) can be easily detached during the maintenance.

In another embodiment, the casing (3) has one or more alignment holes (22). In this embodiment, the base (13) has one or more protrusions (23) each adapted to fit into the respective alignment hole (22) (Fig. 1). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the clip (11) can be correctly aligned.

In another embodiment, two protrusions (23) are diametrically disposed around the first screw hole (18) (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the clip (11) can be more securely fixed to the casing (3).

In another embodiment, the sheet metal (6) is made from Aluminum. In this embodiment, the sheet metal (6) has a size and shape such that it cover the entire lower side of the induction coil (5) (Fig. 1). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the electromagnetic compatibility of the cooking appliance (2) can be effectively improved.

A major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the heating units (4) can be easily, correctly and securely assembled into the casing (3) at their installation positions by virtue of the mounting assembly (1). Thereby, the heating units (4) can be prevented from dislocating or receiving damages during the transportation or the like, and thus the risk of any malfunctioning or reduction in the cooking performance can be eliminated or reduced as much as possible. Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that a large number of heating units (4) can be quickly and smoothly assembled into the casing (3) at their installation positions by virtue of the mounting assembly (1). Thereby, the assembly operation can be expedited, and the production costs can be reduced. Other additional advantageous effects of the present invention can be taken from the aforementioned particular embodiments.

Claims

A mounting assembly (1) for use in a cooking appliance (2) comprising: a casing (3); one or more heating units (4) which are disposed into the casing (3), wherein the heating unit (4) comprises an induction coil (5), and a sheet metal (6) for electromagnetic shielding, and wherein the sheet metal (6) is fixed to the underside of the induction coil (5); a grounding means for grounding the casing (3); and a top plate which is adapted to cover the upper side of the casing (3) and to support the cooking utensils, the mounting assembly (1) comprising: one or more supports (7) each for supporting the respective heating unit (4), the mounting assembly (1) being characterized in that the support (7) comprises: a first fixing means (8) which is adapted to fix the body (9) of the support (7) to the casing (3); and a second fixing means (10) which is adapted to fix the body (9) of the support (7) to the heating unit (4).
The mounting assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first fixing means (8) is further adapted to detachably fix the body (9) of the support (7) to the casing (3); and the second fixing means (10) is further adapted to detachably fix the body (9) of the support (7) to the heating unit (4).
The mounting assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first fixing means (8) is further adapted to fix the body (9) of the support (7) to the bottom of the casing (3); and the second fixing means (10) is further adapted to support the heating unit (4) from below.
The mounting assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the body (9) of the support (7) is made from an electrically conductive material; the first fixing means (8) is further adapted to fix the metallic body (9) of the support (7) to the grounded casing (3); and the second fixing means (10) is further adapted to fix the metallic body (9) of the support (7) to the sheet metal (6) of the induction coil (5).
The mounting assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the body (9) of the support (7) is made from a flexible material, and further adapted to press the upper surface of the induction coil (5) upwards against the top plate.
The mounting assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the support (7) is provided in form of a clip (11).
The mounting assembly (1) according to claim 6, wherein the sheet metal (6) of the induction coil (5) comprises one or more apertures (12), the mounting assembly (1) being characterized in that the clip (11) comprises: a base (13); and two arms (14) which upwardly extend from the base (13), wherein the first fixing means (8) comprises a screw connection (15) for fixing the base (13) to the casing (3), and wherein the second fixing means (10) comprises snap-lock connections (16) which are adapted to respectively fix the arms (14) to the edge of the aperture (12) in the sheet metal (6) of the induction coil (5).
The mounting assembly (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the base (13) of the clip (11) is rectangular shaped; and each arm (14) of the clip (11) is c-shaped.
The mounting assembly (1) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the casing (3) comprises a first screw hole (17), the mounting assembly (1) being characterized in that the screw connection (15) comprises: a second screw hole (18) formed into the base (13); and a screw (19) for connecting the first screw hole (17) and the second screw hole (18).
The mounting assembly (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that each snap-lock connection (16) comprises: a claw (20) formed into the arm (14) so as to catch the upper edge of the aperture (12); and an abutment (21) formed into the arm (14) so as to support the lower edge of the aperture (12), wherein the snap-lock connection (16) is adapted to be released from the aperture (12) when the arms (14) are resiliently retracted.
The mounting assembly (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the snap-lock connection (16) is adapted to be released from the aperture (12) when the arms (14) are retracted towards each other to the center of the aperture (12).
The mounting assembly (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the casing (3) has one or more alignment holes (22), the mounting assembly (1) being characterized in that the base (13) has one or more protrusions (23) each adapted to fit into the respective alignment hole (22).
The mounting assembly (1) according to claim 12, where dependent on claim 9, characterized in that two protrusions (23) are diametrically disposed around the second screw hole (18).
A cooking appliance (2) comprising: a casing (3); one or more heating units (4) which are disposed into the casing (3), wherein the heating unit (4) comprises an induction coil (5), and a sheet metal (6) for electromagnetic shielding, and wherein the sheet metal (6) is fixed to the underside of the induction coil (5); a grounding means for grounding the casing (3); and a top plate which is adapted to cover the upper side of the casing (3) and to support the cooking utensils, characterized by further comprising: one or more mounting assemblies (1) each as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13.
The cooking appliance (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the sheet metal (6) is made from Aluminum, and adapted to cover the entire lower side of the induction coil (5).