Patent Application
20180172279
The present invention pertains to cooking appliances and, more particularly, to grates for gas cooktops.
Typically, a gas cooktop includes grates for supporting cookware above the burners of the cooktop. Gas is ignited by these burners to provide the flames used to heat the cookware. As a result, the contents of the cookware are also heated. Generally, the grates are designed to be universal. In other words, the grates are designed to be usable with many different types of cookware rather than one particular type. The grates usually also provide a fixed amount of vertical space between the cookware and the burners, i.e., the spacing is not adjustable.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide grates for gas cooktops that are usable with many different types of cookware, as in the prior art, while also being reconfigurable for specific types of cookware and cooking tasks.
The present invention is directed to a gas cooktop comprising a gas burner and a grate configured to support cookware above the gas burner. The grate includes a removable insert, having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a plurality of tines configured to support the removable insert. When the lower surface of the removable insert is contacting the plurality of tines, the grate is configured to support flat-bottomed cookware on the removable insert at a first height above the gas burner. When the upper surface of the removable insert is contacting the plurality of tines, the grate is configured to support flat-bottomed cookware on the removable insert at a second height above the gas burner, with the second height being greater than the first height. When the insert is removed so as not to be in contact with the plurality of tines, the grate is configured to support round-bottomed cookware on the plurality of tines.
Preferably, the removable insert has a raised portion extending from the lower surface. When the upper surface of the removable insert is contacting the plurality of tines, the grate is configured to support flat-bottomed cookware on the raised portion. The upper surface and the raised portion of the removable insert are flat. In addition, the grate further includes an outer rim. Each of the plurality of tines extends inward and horizontally from the outer rim. When the upper surface of the removable insert is contacting the plurality of tines, the raised portion of the removable insert extends upward relative to the outer rim of the grate.
Preferably, each of the plurality of tines includes a rounded end. When the removable insert is not contacting the plurality of tines, the grate is configured to support round-bottomed cookware on the rounded ends. When the lower surface of the removable insert is contacting the plurality of tines, the lower surface contacts the rounded ends. When the upper surface of the removable insert is contacting the plurality of tines, the upper surface contacts the rounded ends.
Preferably, the removable insert has an outer edge. When the lower surface or the upper surface of the removable insert is contacting the plurality of tines, each of the plurality of tines contacts the outer edge.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to common parts in the several views.
Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention.
In addition, any specific numerical value listed herein includes a margin of error of +/−5%. Accordingly, a length of 1.0 inch includes lengths between 0.95 and 1.05 inches. Similarly, a range of 0.8-1.2 inches includes lengths between 0.76 and 1.26 inches. The term “approximately” increases the margin of error to 10%. Also, as used in connection with the present invention, terms such as “horizontal” and “flat” do not necessarily require that the relevant structure be perfectly horizontal or flat. Instead, these terms are intended to encompass structure that is sufficiently horizontal or flat, for example, so as to function essentially the same as structure that is perfectly horizontal or flat.
With initial reference to
With reference now to
As known in the art, cooktop grates typically include various horizontally extending supports to help support cookware placed thereon. With respect to grate 135 in particular, grate 135 includes an outer rim 210 connecting legs 200-203. Outer rim 210 generally defines a quadrilateral having four sides 215-218, although grates constructed in accordance with the present invention can take other shapes. Tines 220-227 extend inward from outer rim 210. Tines 220, 222, 224 and 226 directly contact and support a removable insert 230. In particular, tines 220, 222, 224 and 226 directly contact an outer edge 235 of insert 230. Tines 220, 222, 224 and 226 also directly contact a lower surface of insert 230, although this is not visible in
With reference now to
With reference now to
In the low temperature, flat bottom utensil cooking mode, when cookware is placed on grate 135, the cookware directly contacts lower surface 400. In particular, the cookware directly contacts a raised portion 405 of insert 230 that extends upward relative to upper surface 205 of grate 135. Preferably, raised portion 405 extends upward by a minimum of 3 mm, and preferably from 3 mm to approximately 20 mm, relative to upper surface 205. This provides additional vertical space between the cookware and burner 130 (not shown). As a result, less heat is applied to the cookware by burner 130 for any given burner setting. Specifically, temperatures below 200° F. are achievable in the low temperature, flat bottom utensil cooking mode, which is beneficial when trying to melt or simmer food. Such temperatures are not typically achievable with prior art grates. The low temperature, flat bottom utensil cooking mode is preferably used in conjunction with relatively smaller flat-bottomed cookware (e.g., cookware having a diameter of 4-6 inches) since raised portion 405 is flat and does not span the full width of grate 135.
In connection with discussing certain features of the present invention, cookware has been described as being flat- or round-bottomed. These terms are not meant to refer to the circumference of the cookware (i.e., the outer wall). Instead, these terms refer to the portion of the cookware that contacts grate 135 (i.e., the bottom) when this portion is viewed in cross section.
Based on the above, it should be readily apparent that the present invention provides grates for gas cooktops that are usable with many different types of cookware while also being reconfigurable for specific types of cookware and cooking tasks. Although described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be readily understood that various changes or modifications could be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, some or all of grates 130-133 can be formed integrally with one another such that a single grate is associated with more than one burner and has more than one insert. However, it should also be recognized that not every grate of a cooking appliance constructed in accordance with the present invention need be reconfigurable. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.
