Patent Application
20230235889
Described herein are hinge systems for a knob mechanism for gas cooktops.
A cooking appliance is used to cook meals and other foodstuffs on a cooktop or within an oven. The cooking appliance typically includes various control switches and electronics to control the heating elements of the cooking appliance.
A knob assembly for a gas cooktop may include a knob configured to control a flow of gas from a burner of a cooktop starting at an off position, a knob mechanism arranged between the knob and the cooktop, the knob mechanism including a first part arranged below an underside of the knob, and a second part connected to the first part via a spring mechanism, where the first part is fixed to the knob and configured to rotate with the knob and the spring mechanism is configured to bias against the rotation.
A knob assembly for a gas cooktop may include a knob configured to rotate between an off position and an on position corresponding to a desired heat setting to control a flow of gas from a burner of a cooktop, and a knob mechanism arranged between the knob and the cooktop, the knob mechanism including a first part fixed to an underside of the knob, and a second part connected to the first part via a spring mechanism, where the first part is fixed to the knob to provide for rotation with the knob and the spring mechanism is configured to bias against the rotation, wherein the spring mechanism has a first end attached to the first part and a second end attached to the second part, the second part defining an elongated channel configured to receive the first end of the spring mechanism such that as the first part rotates with respect to the second part, the second end travels through the channel to impart resistance against the rotation of the knob from the off position due to a bias between the first end and second end of the spring mechanism.
The embodiments of the present disclosure are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. However, other features of the various embodiments will become more apparent and will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
off position;
position.
As required, 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 that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; 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 variously employ the present invention.
Knobs in gas cooktops and freestanding ranges are often sensitive to actuation and may be accidentally turned on. While not intended, such accidental actuations or rotations may release gas unknowingly. As described in detail herein, an improved system allows for a resistance to be applied to the actuation during the start of the spark. This resistance may ensure that any release of gas is in response to actuations that are deliberate and not accidental.
The system may include a knob mechanism arranged between the knob and the cooktop. The knob mechanism may generally include three components, a top part, bottom part, and a spring. The top part may be added to a valve shaft of the knob and the bottom part may be fitted with a switch harness. The spring connects both parts and to provide a resistance against rotation of the knob. From an off position of the knob, a user may start to rotate the knob and the spring will create resistance to that rotation. If the rotation was accidental, the spring will impart a force to return the knob back to the off position. If the rotation was done on purpose by a user, the user will continue to fight against the resistance and rotate the knob until the spark starts to produce a sound and gas is flowing to the burner.
After rotating past the area that creates the spark, the knob may move freely to allow the user to select the desired position of the knob for the desired gas flow. In this example, the knob mechanism is not actuating or applying any resistance against the rotation of the knob.
One or more grates 110 may be arranged above the cooking area 104 in order to maintain cookware thereon a predefined distance above the burners 106. Each grate 110 may be made of metal, iron, or some other thermally conductive element. Each burner 106 may be operable to heat to desired cooking temperatures. In an example, each knob 102 is configured to control the flow of gas to a respective one of the burners 106. The knobs 102 may be labeled to allow a user to identify which knob 102 controls which of the burners 106. The burners 106 are configured to generate controlled flames that may be used to heat cookware arranged on the grate 110. The magnitude of the flame generated by the burners 106 is proportionate to the amount of gas flowing to the burners 106. A user may adjust the flow of gas to the burners 106 using the knobs 102. As the user rotates each of the knobs 102, a gas control valve (not shown) changes the amount of gas flowing to the corresponding burner 106.
While the knobs 102 in the example of
The knob 102 may actuate or rotate in order to vary the flow of gas from the burner 106. In an off position 146, the flow of gas may be stopped, or completely off In an on area 150, a gas line may be opened via a valve to allow variable gas to flow to the burners 106. The knob 102 may control the opening and closing of the valve and provide for a variable amount of gas to flow. The knob 102 may be actuated to a specific position so as to allow a certain flow of gas. Prior to reaching the on position, the knob 102 must first rotate past a predefined distance to open the valve to initiate the flow of gas. This distance is referred to herein as the balance area 140. The balance area 140 may be the area where the rotation of the knob 102 causes the spark to start, which may produce a clicking sound. The clicking sound may indicate to the user that gas has started flowing.
Once the knob 102 has been rotated past the balance area 140, further rotation of the knob 102 may allow for varying levels of gas flow in the on area 150. Immediately past the balance area 140, the gas flow may be at the highest level. As the knob 102 is further rotated, the gas flow may be decreased until a desirable gas flow is achieved or the knob 102 is rotate to its furthest point for the minimum level of gas flow. To turn off the gas flow, the knob 102 is simply rotated in the opposite direction back to the off position 146. In the examples herein, the knob 102 is rotated counterclockwise to move from the off position 146 to an on area 150, and clockwise to return to the off position 146. Of course, an opposite rotation, such as moving clockwise to the on area 150 and counterclockwise to an off position 146 could also be possible.
As best illustrated in
The first top part 122 may be fixed to the knob 102 at its underside such that the first part 122 rotates with the knob 102. The first part 122 may form a semi-circular type shape and have a perimeter. The first part 122 may define an opening 118 configured to receive a valve shaft (not shown). The knob 102 and the first part 122 may rotate about the valve shaft. The first end 132 of the spring 126 may be received by a notch 142 defined at the perimeter of the first part 122. The notch 142 may maintain the first end 132 against a lip 148 as the first part 122 rotates with the knob 102.
The second bottom part 124 may form a quadrilateral type shape and be arranged below the first part 122. However, any shape such as a circle, oval, rhombus, trapezoid, etc. The second part 124 may be maintained in a fixed position with respect to the cooktop 104 so that the first part 122 rotates with respect to the second part 124. The second part 124 may be fitted in a switch harness arranged on or below the cooking area 104.
The second part 124 may define an elongated channel 144 configured to receive the first end 132 of the spring 126. In the example shown in the figures, the elongated channel 144 may be non-linear or curved and may extend across a substantial portion of the second part 124. The elongated channel 144 may follow the path of the first end 132 as the first part 122 rotates with the knob 102. The first end 132 may be received at the notch 142 of the first part 122, as well as the elongated channel 144 of the second part 124.
The example illustrates in
If the knob 102 was intentionally actuated, the user may continue to rotate the knob through the balance area 140. As the knob 102 rotates, so does the first part 122. The first end 132 may move along the elongated channel 144. The channel 144 may serve as a track to force the first part 122 to maintain a certain position relative to the second part 124. Most notably, the elongated channel 144 forces the first end 132 of the spring 126 to compress towards the second end 134 of the spring 126. The spring 126 then creates a bias against the rotation of the first part 122 and in turn against the rotation of the knob 102.
Due to the biasing, the user may be forced to apply a certain level of force or torque to the knob 102 in order to continue the knob 102 through and past the balance area 140 into the on area 150. This may prevent an inadvertent bump of the knob 102 from starting the spark because such a bump would not be able to overcome the bias created by the spring 126. Further, in addition to preventing the spark, the spring 126 may force the first part 122 and the knob 102 to rotate back to the off position 146 in these inadvertent instances.
As the knob 102 rotates, the first end 132 of the spring 126 travels through the channel 144 to impart resistance against the turning of the knob 102. The elongated channel 144 may define a certain spacing of the first part 122 to the second part 124 during rotation of the first part 122, which controls the relative distance between the first end 132 and the second end 134 of the spring 126, and thus control the bias force between the first end 132 and the second end 134 of the spring 126. This may ensure the appropriate amount of bias generated by the spring 126 as the user rotates the knob 102. The first end 132 may be maintained within the notch 142 while the knob 102 is in the balancing area 140.
Accordingly, the resistance created by the biasing of the spring 126 between the first part 122 and second part 124 may be removed and the knob 102 may be freely rotated within the on area 150 to a desired flow of gas. When the user wishes to move the knob 102 back to the off position 146, the first part 122 may rotate in the opposite direction and the lip 148 may abut the first end 132 of the spring 126 and cause the first end 132 of the spring 126 to fall back into the notch 142, similar to
Thus, when the user wishes to start the burner 106, the channel 144 may maintain the first part 122 and the second part 124 in a predetermined spaced relationship with each other to create a defined resistance via the spring 126 against rotation of the knob 102. The resistance generated by the spring 126 varies as the distance between the two ends of the spring 126 vary. The larger the distance, the less resistance for rotating the first part relative to the second. The smaller the distance, the more resistance in rotating the first part relative to the second part. This may ensure that an inadvertent actuation at the knob 102 does not lead to an accidental opening of the gas flow. The notch 142 may maintain the first end 132 of the spring 126 therein until the first end 132 reaches an end of the channel 144 when the rotation of the first part 122 causes the first end 132 to release from the notch 142 and cease the resistance created by the spring 126. The resistance created by the biasing of the spring 126 requires a predefined amount of force at the knob 102 to move the first end 132 of the spring 126 through the channel 144 and the spring 126 is configured to bias the knob 102 back to the off position 146 in response to the predefined amount of force not being exceeded.
Accordingly, a controllable knob 102 is disclosed that prevents inadvertent actuation from releasing gas accidentally.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
For purposes of description herein the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the device as oriented in
The descriptions of the various embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.
Aspects of the present embodiments may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “module” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.
