US2931873A - Wall panel cooking unit - Google Patents

Description

April 5, 1960 c. LANG 2,931,873

WALL PANEL COOKING UNIT Filed Sept. 19, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

Char/es Lang INVENTOR April 5, 1960 c. LANG 2,931,873

WALL PANEL COOKING UNIT Filed Sept. 19, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Charles Lang INVENTOR Unit d Sees Patent 2,931,873 WALL PANEL COOKING UNIT Charles Lang, Ship Bottom, NJ. Application September 19, 1958, Serial No. 762,138

1 Claim. (Cl. 200-1365) This invention relates to cooking equipment and, more particularly, to an electrical wall panel cooking unit.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a neat and compact wall cooking unit that is normally maintained in a completely closed position when not in use, so as to provide for a most attractive appearance and most efiicient use of kitchen counter surfaces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wall panel cooking unit that is completely devoid of top stove burners, completely concealed when not in use, and which is particularly useful in congested areas.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a wall panel cooking unit of the above type that can be readily recessed in existing walls or built into new wall construction units, includes a minimum number of parts, and has individual controls for each of the cooking utensils associated therewith.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a wall panel cooking unit bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a food preparation area embodying a wall panel cooking unit made in accordance with one form of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of certain parts of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse cross sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of construction;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of a removable electrical connector forming a part of the present invention; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4, showing a still further modified form of construction.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a wall panel cooking unit made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a wall member 13 having portions defining. a recess 12 adjacent to the counter top 14. A closure panel 16 is hingedly connected adjacent to its lower end, by means of hinge pins 17, to the lowermost extremity of the recess defining portions of the wall 13. The cover panel 16 is also provided with handles 18 adjacent to the opposite extremity, which handles are spaced outwardly from the plane of the lower panel a distance substantially equal to the distance between the hinge 17 and the upper surface of the counter top 14, whereby the cover panel 16 will be substantially parallel to the counter top when in an open position. Spring ball type detents 19 associated with the recessed defining portions of the wall 13 and the cover panel 16 releasably secure the cover panel in a normally closed position when the stove unit is not in use.

, 2,931,873 Patented Apr. 5, 1960 tivelysecure them in a closed inoperative position. Combined handles and feet elements 24 integral with the outer side of each such connector 21 enables the units to be pulled outwardly and downwardly for use, and the en- 'gagement of these feet elements 24 with the inside surface of the cover panel 16 maintain them in a substantially horizontal position. As is more clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, each such connector 21 includes 7 a plurality of bus bars 26 that are connected at one end to the electrical supply line 27 and at the opposite end are provided with individual sockets 29 which slidably ceive the male plugs of various cooking utensils, such as frying pans, percolators, and the like. In addition, each such connector 21 is provided with temperature control knobs 30 which vary the amount of current supplied to the cooking utensil, to thus control the amount of heat produced thereby.

In Figure 4 of the drawing, a modified form of construction 35 is shown wherein a plurality of individual receptacles 36 are mounted within recesses 38 within the main recess 12 of the wall 13. Each such receptacle 36 has a plurality of female sockets 39 that slidably receive the male prongs 41 of associated connectors 42 that have depending feet 43 for supporting them upon the inside surface of the cover panel 16 in a substantially horizontal position. Individual control knobs 46 associated with these connectors 42 control the amount of electrical energy supplied to the cooking utensil having its male prongs connected to the female socket members 44 thereof.

In Figure 6 of the drawing, still another arrangement 50 is shown wherein the cover panel 16 is provided with an integral bay 51 of reentrant portions 53 and alternately spaced apart receptacles 54. Each such receptacle is provided with female sockets 55 for slidably receiving the male prongs of a connector, such as that illustrated in Figure 5, to which the cooking utensil is ultimately connected for energization. Each of these receptacles 54 is provided with an individual control knob 56 for limiting the electrical energy delivered to the utensil, and further includes pilot lamps 58 to indicate which of the receptacles is in use.

In each of the aforementioned embodiments of the present invention, it will be evident that a minimum amount of space is required for mounting the unit in existing wall units or in new construction, such as in homes, cottages, and trailers. When not in use, all of the operating parts are completely concealed and hidden from view, so that all of the usable counter space is available for other purposes. In addition, the unit is particularly easy to clean, requires little maintenance, and is attractive in appearance.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to Patent of the United States is:

A cooking unit comprising a wall having portions adjacent to a counter top defining an enlarged recess, a closure panel hingedly supported at its lower edge upon said wall portions for pivotal movement between a normally closed position and a lowered open position substantially parallel to the counter top, handle means on protect by Letters the closure panel engageable with said counter top to support the closure panel therefrom and parallel thereto and at substantially the same height as the distance of its hinged connection with the recess above the counter top, said recess having a plurality of relatively smaller counter recesses, electrical energy supply units 'pivotally mounted in said recesses at their lower edges and similarly provided with handles engageable with said closure panel when in its lowered open position to support the supply units upon the closure panel and parallel thereto, each of said electrical energy supply units having individual sockets adapted to slidably receive male plugs of various cooking utensils and temperature control elements accessible from the top of the units.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,973,273 Teller et al Sept. 11, 1934 2,109,006 Davis Feb. 22, 1938 2,722,592 Pellegrin -Nov. 1, 1955 2,738,411 Sandin Mar. 13, 1956 2,808,497 Kesling et al. Oct. 1, 1957

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