Control device for gas taps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9706872-B2
Application number	US-201314403902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2013
Priority date	May 25, 2012
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A control device for gas appliances ( 1 ) comprises:
a manual-control element ( 12, 22 ); a circuit arrangement ( 25 a ) that includes control elements, electrical-interconnection elements, detection elements for detecting actuation of the manual-control element ( 12, 22 ) and supplying corresponding signals to the control elements; and a supporting structure ( 21 ), which can be associated in a stationary way with respect to a gas tap, wherein the supporting structure ( 21 ) includes at least one first part of stationary structure ( 40, 41 ) that defines a housing for at least part of the circuit arrangement ( 25 a ), the first part of structure ( 40, 41 ) being in particular designed for being housed within a body of a gas appliance.

The control elements are designed for counting the time, and the device includes optical warning elements ( 43 ′, LG).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas appliance control device, in particular for appliances that comprise at least one gas tap having a safety valve that includes an electromagnet to be supplied by an electric current generated by a thermo-electric generator, the control device comprising:
a manual-control means;
a circuit arrangement that includes:
control means;
electrical-interconnection means;
detection means, configured for detecting actuation of the manual-control means and supplying corresponding signals to the control means;

a supporting structure, configured to be associated in a stationary way with respect to a gas tap, wherein the supporting structure includes at least one first part of stationary structure that defines a housing for at least part of the circuit arrangement, the first part of structure being designed to be housed within a body of a gas appliance,
wherein the control means are designed for counting the time, and the device includes optical warning means;
wherein the optical warning means comprise one or more light emitters operatively arranged within a casing of the device in the proximity of a passage thereof, and at least one light-guide element;
wherein the light-guide element and a body of the manual-control means are made at least in part of a material designed to transmit light generated by the one or light emitters;
wherein at least one of the light-guide element and the body of the manual-control means includes at least one peripheral wall generally inclined, for causing a light beam generated by the one or more light emitters to be reflected within said light-guide element and said body of body of the manual-control means;
and wherein:
the light guide element has an at least in part substantially frustoconical peripheral profile with a base thereof facing said one or more light emitters, in such a way that the light beam generated by the one or more light-emitters is reflected inside the light-guide element; and/or
fitted or coupled in an axial cavity of the light-guide element is an end portion of the body of the manual-control means, said end portion being generally cylindrical, hollow and having an internal profile that includes a respective inclined wall, in such a way that the light beam generated by the one or more light emitters is reflected inside said cylindrical portion; and/or
the body of the manual-control means has an end portion, fitted or coupled in an axial cavity of the light-guide element, and a flanged portion in a position generally opposite to said end portion, the flanged portion having an internal profile that includes a respective inclined wall, designed to reflect the light beam generated by the one or more light emitters towards an external peripheral profile of the flanged portion.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the body of the manual-control means has an axial cavity, in which a corresponding part of the gas tap is receivable;
the first part of stationary structure comprises said casing that defines said passage, in which a corresponding part of the tap is receivable;
the light-guide element is housed at least partially within said casing and is movable or rotatable together with the body of the manual-control means;
the light-guide element is set between the manual-control means and the one or more light emitters;
the light-guide element has an axial cavity in which a substantially cylindrical portion of the manual-control means is at least partially received in a separable way.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said peripheral wall is inclined at 45°.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said base facing the one or more light emmiters is an end face of the light-guide element.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein:
said at least in art frustoconical peripheral profile has a major base corresponding to said end face; and/or
said flanged portion includes an inclined peripheral wall designed to reflect the light beam again in an axial direction of the flanged portion.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the manual-control means are movable with respect to a first axis, and the detection means comprise a part that is movable with respect to a second axis, there being operatively set between the manual-control means and the movable part of the detection means a transmission arrangement.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit arrangement comprises a circuit board having a respective opening substantially at said passage, and the one or more light emitters are arranged on the circuit board in the proximity of said opening.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical warning means comprise at least one from among:
one or more light emitters mounted on a circuit board of the circuit arrangement;
one or more light emitters arranged in the proximity of said passage of said casing; and
a plurality of light emitters arranged at least approximately according to a circumference or an arc of circumference.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical warning means comprise at least two light-guide elements coupled together.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guide element is made of transparent thermoplastic material.

11. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the light-guide elements comprise at least one from among:
a first light-guide element, having a first part and a second part designed to be positioned on the outside and on the inside of the body of the gas appliance and/or of the supporting structure, respectively, and a second light-guide element housed at least in part within the supporting structure;
a first light-guide element and a second light-guide element associated to each other in a separable way;
at least one light-guide element prearranged for deflecting a light beam;
a first light-guide element having at least one portion with circular profile and a second light-guide element having a hole or seat, said portion with circular profile of the first light-guide being inserted at least partially into the hole or seat of the second light-guide element;
at least one light-guide element prearranged for deflecting a light beam in a plurality of directions substantially angled or orthogonal with respect to one another; and
at least one light-guide element having an at least in part substantially frustoconical outer profile, with an inclination of at least one peripheral wall thereof that is equal or close to 45°, for causing an internal reflection of a light beam.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit arrangement is prearranged for supplying, via the optical warning means, a plurality of different indications designed to notify different operating states of the device, comprising one or more of the following:
an indication that the device is awaiting programming by a user;
an indication of a condition of failure to program the device on the part of a user;
an indication of confirmation of programming of the device by a user;
an indication for notifying that programming has been cancelled by a user;
a forewarning of interruption of supply of gas;
a warning for indicating interruption of supply of gas by the device.

13. A gas appliance, in particular a household appliance, comprising a control device according to claim 1 , the gas appliance comprising at least one gas tap for control of the supply of gas to a burner, the appliance having a body, partially housed within which is the gas tap, the body of the gas appliance having at least one opening at the tap, and wherein the supporting structure of th

Assignees

• Eltek Spa

Inventors

• Moro Marco
• Savini Paolo

Classifications

• F23N5/203

  using electronic means · CPC title

• F24C15/00

  Details · CPC title

• F24C3/126

  on ranges · CPC title

• F23N5/107

  using mechanical means, e.g. safety valves · CPC title

• A47J27/62 Primary

  by devices for automatically controlling the heat supply by switching off heaters or for automatically lifting the cooking-vessels · CPC title