Glass-ceramic plate for a worktop or a piece of furniture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11280499-B2
Application number	US-201716095585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2017
Priority date	Apr 25, 2016
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A novel glass-ceramic sheet intended in particular to be used as a surface of a furniture unit or as a worktop, the sheet includes, in at least one of its faces, at least one connection element of a height less than 10 cm and of which the cross section is inscribed inside a circle of a diameter less than 3 cm, the connection element being made from a material able to withstand at least 70° C. and including at least one fixing system allowing fixing along at least two axes or in two movements in particular obtained by at least two different translational or rotational movements or able to exert a force directed toward the glass-ceramic sheet. A worktop or a furniture unit incorporating the sheet, and to a method for mounting accessories or elements that are to be added to said sheet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A glass-ceramic sheet in particular for a surface of at least one of a furniture unit and as a worktop, comprising:
at least one connection element on a lower face of the glass-ceramic sheet, the at least one connection element having a height less than 10 cm and of which the cross section can be inscribed inside a circle of a diameter less than 3 cm,
wherein said connection element is made from a material able to withstand at least 70° C.,
wherein the connection element includes at least one fixing system allowing fixing to the connection element along at least two axes or in at least two movements or both, obtained by at least two different translational or rotational movements, or able to exert a force directed toward the glass-ceramic sheet or both,
wherein at least part of said connection element is configured to removably accept at least one or more support elements to be added,
wherein the one or more support elements to be added are each provided with at least one fixing portion that complements the fixing system belonging to said connection element, and
wherein a direction in which the complimentary fixing portion of the support element that is to be added is introduced into the connection element is perpendicular to a direction of the force exerted by the fixing system directed toward the glass-ceramic sheet.

2. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said connection element has a height less than 6 cm, advantageously less than or equal to 4 cm, and a cross section that can be inscribed inside a circle of a diameter less than 2 cm.

3. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said connection element includes one or more parts and has the external appearance of a cylindrical stud or pin, including one or more hollowed parts or equipped with one or more other external or internal constituent components.

4. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said connection element is formed, at least in part, of refractory or non-magnetic material(s) or both.

5. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 , the sheet comprising:
a plurality of connection elements positioned under the lower face of the sheet.

6. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more support elements are configured to accept at least part of an accessory that is to be associated with the support element.

7. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one or more support elements are the casing or plate type, configured to accept one or more accessories, the one or more accessories including heating element(s), display system(s), electronic board(s), light source(s), control unit(s) or interface(s) or sensor(s) type.

8. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fixing system includes at least one pressing element with a stop element keeping the pressing element in compression once the fixing portion of the added element has been introduced into the connection element.

9. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fixing system includes at least one magnet.

10. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fixing system is formed at least by an end of the connection element which is threaded or provided with a system that allows fixing of the bayonet or sliding pivot type, this end allowing the fixing, along at least two axes or in two movements or both, of an attached additional element.

11. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said sheet is a monolithic sheet having a thickness of less than 15 mm, an expansion coefficient of less than 30×10 −7 K −1 between 20° C. and 400° C., and a surface area of greater than or equal to 0.7 m 2 .

12. An item of at least one of furniture and household equipment, particularly a worktop or furniture unit, comprising at least one glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 1 .

13. The item of at least one of furniture and household equipment as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said sheet occupies at least 50% or even all of the top face of said item of at least one of furniture and household equipment, and is mounted horizontally on one or more support elements so as to offer a continuous stable surface intended for various uses.

14. The item of at least one of furniture and household equipment as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said sheet is equipped with accessories or equipment of the heating element(s), light source(s), audible or vibrating component(s), display system(s), electronic board(s), control unit(s) or interface(s) or sensor(s) type.

15. A method for assembling an added element or an accessory on the sheet as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising mounting the added element or the accessory on at least one connection element of the sheet by performing one or more movements along at least two different axes or by performing at least two movements or both,
wherein the at least two movements are at least one of translational and rotational movements, the two movements including at least one screw-fastening, a mounting by bayonet or sliding pivot, and by exerting a force, on at least part of the added element, the force being oriented toward the glass-ceramic sheet.

16. The glass-ceramic sheet as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the pressing element is a spring, and the stop element is a pin.

Assignees

• Eurokera

Inventors

• Roux Nicolas
• Vilato Pablo
• Demol Franck
• Debreyer Gregory
• Ravel Michael
• Charpentier Bertrand

Classifications

• F24C7/083

  on tops, hot plates · CPC title

• F24C7/067

  on ranges · CPC title

• H05B6/1245

  with special coil arrangements · CPC title

• F24C15/102 Primary

  electrically heated · CPC title

• H05B2206/022

  Special supports for the induction coils · CPC title