A carrier tray providing prevention of assembly errors and ease of assembly in a cooking hob

Abstract

The invention relates to a carrier tray (2) that ensures the alignment of brackets (1.1) located on an upper body (1) from the right and left thanks to at least two protrusions (2.2) extending towards an inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2) in the process of assembling an upper body (1) in a cooking hob to a carrier tray (2), wherein assembly time is reduced and incorrect assembly is prevented along with the alignment being performed correctly (properly).

Description

[0001] A CARRIER TRAY PROVIDING PREVENTION OF ASSEMBLY ERRORS AND EASE OF ASSEMBLY IN A COOKING HOB

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The invention relates to a carrier tray suitable for use in cooking hobs.

[0004] More specifically, it relates to a carrier tray structure that allows for the alignment of brackets located on an upper body from the right and left during the assembly of the upper body to a carrier tray.

[0005] State of the Art

[0006] A cooking hob is a household appliance used for cooking or heating food. This appliance, generally located on a kitchen counter or on top of the counter, is used for heating and cooking meals. There are varieties of cooking hobs such as gas or electricity types.

[0007] Today, one of the most critical production stages, especially for domestic built-in cooking hobs, is the process of connecting the upper body to the lower body (carrier tray). Particularly in cases where brackets are attached to the topmost glass surface (upper body), the assembly of the upper body to the lower body and, similarly, the separation of the upper body from the lower body when desired cannot be performed easily. To solve this problem, screw-connected solutions and snap-fit tab connection solutions, which are more complex and costly than these solutions, exist. However, these solutions are not practical due to their complex structures and high costs.

[0008] In the present applications, in cases where the number of employees is low and a single operator assembles the upper body to the lower body, some faulty assembly situations may arise. The operator cannot sufficiently control the assembly alignment due to the narrowness of the transition area of the bracket to the sheet metal. In such a case, the upper body is not assembled correctly (properly) to the lower body, and the product is sent to the end consumer with defects. In a product sent incorrectly, problems such as the loss of safety functions and shortening of service life arise. Different mechanisms are used to solve the mentioned problem at the end-of-production control stage and to check whether the assembly is proper, or an extra operator is employed for control. In both cases, extra workload and cost are incurred. Furthermore, in the case where the operator performs the control alone, lumbar health is negatively affected, and this creates an uncomfortable working condition. Another negative aspect of the assembly alignment control is that it increases the production time.TR 2023 / 012339 discloses a carrier tray structure for cooking hobs. Thanks to the structure of the carrier tray, assembly errors that may be encountered during the assembly of the upper body to the lower body are prevented. In the mentioned document, there is a slot forming an outward protrusion on one edge of the carrier tray for positioning at least one of the brackets located on the upper body of the cooking hob. Creating an additional extension towards the outside of the carrier tray for positioning and aligning the bracket causes more material to be used in the production of the carrier tray. This situation increases production costs. Additionally, with the slot structure in this document, the regular rectangular outer structure of the cooking hob changes, which makes it difficult to install it in the places prepared for the cooking hob in kitchens.

[0009] US2021285655A1 discloses an electric range structure in which a lower surface of a base plate on which a working coil is disposed may be supported along a widthwise direction of the base plate, thereby preventing bending of the base plate and absorbing an external impact applied to the base plate. This document does not mention the alignment of the brackets on the upper body.

[0010] GB2486802A discloses connection brackets with springs placed inside, which facilitate the assembly of induction coils placed under the glass and increase the contact of the glass with the lower surface. In this invention, a spring mechanism is disclosed, and the alignment of the brackets on the upper body is not disclosed.

[0011] US5852282A discloses a multi-arm bracket design designed in a spider structure for the easy assembly of induction coils placed under the glass and aimed at reducing damages that may occur during connection.

[0012] Consequently, considering the prior art and their disadvantages, there is a need for a design that does not require changing the regular rectangular outer structure of the carrier tray, offers rapid assembly opportunity by providing alignment in a practical way, and allows the upper body and lower body to be assembled without performing assembly alignment control.

[0013] Object and Brief Description of the Invention

[0014] An object of the invention is to ensure the error-free assembly of the upper body to the lower body in the cooking hob thanks to protrusions extending towards the inner part of the carrier tray.

[0015] Another object of the invention is to prevent the brackets located on the upper body from remaining outside the carrier tray without the need for a right and left alignment process during the assembly of the upper body and the carrier tray of a cooking hob.Another object of the invention is to ensure that correct (proper) assembly is performed by aligning the brackets.

[0016] Another object of the invention is to ensure that the operator assembling the upper body and the carrier tray of a cooking hob works comfortably.

[0017] Another object of the invention is to ensure that the assembly of the upper body and the carrier tray of a cooking hob is performed simply and practically.

[0018] A carrier tray which allows multiple brackets located on an upper body to be aligned from the right and left during the assembly of at least one upper body found in a cooking hob to the carrier tray, and thereby prevents these brackets from remaining outside of an edge structure, in order to ensure alignment of the brackets during the assembly of the upper body to the carrier tray, the carrier tray comprising:

[0019] - at least two protrusions located on at least one edge of the carrier tray and extending towards at least one inner portion of the carrier tray, having a gap length therebetween equal to a bracket length or at least partially larger than the bracket length, and between which one of the brackets on the upper body is seated, thereby providing alignment of the other brackets.

[0020] Brief Description of the Figures

[0021] Figure-1 A front angled, perspective view of the components belonging to the cooking hob is provided.

[0022] Figure-2 A top perspective view of the carrier tray and a detailed view of the at least two protrusions thereon are provided.

[0023] Figure-3 A bottom perspective view of the upper body is provided, showing the brackets connected to the upper body and the bracket length.

[0024] Figure-4 A top perspective view of the carrier tray and a detailed view of the at least two protrusions thereon, along with the gap length between the at least two protrusions, are provided.

[0025] Figure-5 A detailed front diagonal perspective view is provided, showing the first assembly line where the upper body will be connected with the carrier tray in the cooking hob, and the cooking hob components.

[0026] Figure-6 A side view is provided, showing the first assembly line where the upper body will be connected with the carrier tray in the cooking hob, and the cooking hob components.Figure-7 A front, angled, detailed view depicting the seating of the bracket into the slot in the cooking hob, and a detailed view of the edges of the bracket seated between at least two protrusions are provided.

[0027] Figure-8 An angled, detailed view is provided, depicting the appearance of the second assembly line ensuring the completion of the assembly of the upper body to the carrier tray after the bracket is seated in the slot.

[0028] Reference Numerals

[0029] 1 Upper body

[0030] 1.1 Bracket

[0031] 2 Carrier tray

[0032] 2.1 Edge

[0033] 2.2 Protrusion

[0034] 2.3 Inner portion

[0035] 3 Heater

[0036] 4 Bottom tray

[0037] a Gap length

[0038] b Bracket length

[0039] M1 First assembly movement

[0040] M2 Second assembly movement

[0041] z Vertical direction

[0042] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0043] The invention relates to a carrier tray (2) structure that ensures the alignment of brackets (1.1) located on an upper body (1) from the right and left thanks to at least two protrusions (2.2) extending towards an inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2) in the process of assembling an upper body (1) in a cooking hob to a carrier tray (2), wherein assembly time is reduced and incorrect assembly is prevented along with the alignment being performed correctly (properly).

[0044] Cooking hobs are generally appliances used for cooking and heating meals and have varieties such as electricity, gas, induction, etc. These cooking hobs are mostly used in the kitchen parts of houses. A cooking hob used in houses consists of, in a vertical direction (z), respectively; at least one bottom tray (4), at least one carrier tray (2), at least one heater (3), and at least one upper body (1) located at the very top. One of the most important processes during the production of cooking hobs is the assembly of the upper body (1) to the carrier tray (2). In this process, if the upper body (1) is not connected / assembled correctly (properly) to the carrier tray (2) for any reason, the relevant cooking hob is considered defective. The present invention ensures that a bracket (1.1) is seated between at least two protrusions (2.2) extending towards the inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2) and,accordingly, the other brackets (1.1) are aligned from the right and left without the need for extra alignment. Thus, assembly errors are prevented, and ease of assembly is provided.

[0045] The invention basically comprises; an upper body (1), a carrier tray (2), an edge (2.1) connected to the carrier tray (2), and at least two protrusions (2.2) extending towards the inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2).

[0046] The upper body (1) is generally a planar cooking table on which heat is provided to at least one cooking vessel and which carries the cooking vessel, and describes the visible part of the cooking hob on the kitchen counter. The upper body (1) joins mutually with said carrier tray (2) to form the skeletal structure of the cooking hob. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper body (1) is configured with rectangular geometry and is made of glass ceramic. The upper body (1) contains multiple bracket (1.1) structures on its surface facing the carrier tray (2). The brackets (1.1) are connected to the upper body (1), preferably by gluing, and ensure the connection of the upper body (1) to the carrier tray (2). In the preferred embodiment of the invention, four of these brackets (1.1) are used and positioned close to the edge boundaries of the rectangular upper body (1), such that they are close to each boundary. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, bracket (1.1) structures can be configured as continuous (without gaps) straight forms or to contain a partial opening of a certain length near their middle parts. The length of at least one bracket (1.1) to be positioned between at least two protrusions (2.2) on at least one edge (2.1) of the carrier tray (2) is designated as the bracket length (b).

[0047] The carrier tray (2) is preferably configured with rectangular geometry. The carrier tray (2) contains necessary recesses and protrusions (e.g., screw hole) on its surface facing the upper body (1) for the assembly of the heaters (3) of the cooking hob. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the rectangular carrier tray (2) comprises four edges (2.1) formed by bending at its boundaries to be perpendicular to the upper body (1). Said edges (2.1) ensure the alignment of the brackets (1.1) and ensure that the brackets (1.1) remain within the carrier tray (2). In this way, the brackets (1.1) are prevented from protruding outwards. The inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2) describes the area located inside the edges (2.1) of the carrier tray (2), providing the carrying function of the carrier tray (2), and on which the heater (3) is positioned. On at least one edge (2.1) in the carrier tray (2), there are at least two protrusions (2.2) extending towards the inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2).

[0048] The protrusion (2.2) extends towards the inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2) from any edge (2.1) in the carrier tray (2). At least two protrusions (2.2) face each other, and there is a gap length (a) distance between them. During assembly, at least one bracket (1.1) located on the upper body (1) is positioned between at least two protrusions (2.2) on the corresponding edge (2.1). Therefore, a gaplength (a), which is the distance between at least two protrusions (2.2), must be equal to a bracket length (b) or at least partially larger than the bracket length (b). The protrusion (2.2) is formed by bending from at least one edge (2.1) towards the inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2) at a perpendicular angle relative to the edge (2.1). While the protrusion (2.2) can be formed by bending, it can also be formed by methods such as screwing, gluing, adding a snap-fit part, etc. By seating at least one bracket (1.1) located on the upper body (1) between at least two protrusions (2.2) on the corresponding edge (2.1), the other brackets (1.1) on the upper body (1) become aligned without needing extra alignment.

[0049] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, when it is desired to assemble the upper body (1) to the carrier tray (2), firstly, at least one bracket (1.1) on the upper body (1) is seated between at least two protrusions (2.2) located on the corresponding edge (2.1) in the carrier tray (2) with the first assembly movement (M1). With the seating of the bracket (1.1) between at least two protrusions (2.2), the other brackets (1.1) become aligned with the edges (2.1) of the carrier tray (2) without the need for extra alignment. Subsequently, the complete connection of the upper body (1) with the carrier tray (2) is ensured by the completion of the second assembly movement (M2). At this stage, with the operator applying pressure from the upper body (1), the other brackets (1.1) are also seated in the parts where they are aligned. The seating process here expresses the situation where all brackets (1.1) remain within the inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2) relative to the edges (2.1) of the carrier tray (2). Thus, the assembly process is completed.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A carrier tray (2) which allows multiple brackets (1.1) located on an upper body (1) to be aligned from the right and left during the assembly of at least one upper body (1) found in a cooking hob to the carrier tray (2), and thereby prevents these brackets (1.1) from remaining outside of an edge (2.1) structure, characterized in that, in order to ensure alignment of the brackets (1.1) during the assembly of the upper body (1) to the carrier tray (2), the carrier tray (2) comprises:- at least two protrusions (2.2) located on at least one edge (2.1) of the carrier tray (2) and extending towards at least one inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2), having a gap length (a) therebetween equal to a bracket length (b) or at least partially larger than the bracket length (b), and between which one of the brackets (1.1) on the upper body (1) is seated, thereby providing alignment of the other brackets (1.1).

2. The carrier tray (2) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the carrier tray (2) comprises at least four edges (2.1).

3. The carrier tray (2) according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least two protrusions (2.2) formed by bending from at least one edge (2.1) towards the inner portion (2.3) of the carrier tray (2) at a perpendicular angle to the edge (2.1).

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