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EP-4464942-B1 - RADIANT HEATER FOR A COOKING APPARATUS

EP4464942B1EP 4464942 B1EP4464942 B1EP 4464942B1EP-4464942-B1

Inventors

  • Etxebarrieta Alonso, Agustín
  • AZPIRITXAGA ZALBIDE, JON ENDIKA
  • de la Torre Abaunza, Asier

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230518

Claims (11)

  1. Radiant heater for a cooking appliance, comprising an insulating base (2), at least one radiant heating element (5), a metal housing (4) at least partially housing the insulating base (2), a temperature sensor (20) suitable for measuring the temperature inside the radiant heater (1;1') when the radiant heater (1;1') is in use, and a support (10;10') of the temperature sensor (20) comprising an inner body (12;12') supporting the temperature sensor (20), an outer body (11;11') surrounding the inner body (12;12') and a base (14, 14') connecting the inner body (12; 12') with the outer body (11;11'), the base (14;14') being located below an upper face (2a) of the insulating base (2) on which the heating element (5) is fixed, the base (14; 14') being arranged on the outside of the metal housing (4), characterised in that the outer body (11;11'), the inner body (12;12') and the base (14,14') form a single piece made of a ceramic material, the base (14;14') being arranged in alignment with the metal housing (4), the outer body (11;11'), the inner body (12;12') and the base (14;14') being delimited by an air chamber (13;13') configured to thermally insulate the inner body (12;12'), the thermal conduction between the outer body (11;11') and the inner body (12;12') being reduced, reducing the effect of the direct radiation on the reading of the temperature sensor (20).
  2. Radiant heater according to the preceding claim, wherein the air chamber (13;13') surrounds the inner body (12;12').
  3. Radiant heater according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the air chamber (13;13') has a thickness of between 0.5 mm and 5 mm, preferably of 2 mm.
  4. Radiant heater according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the outer body (11;11') has a height (H1) that allows thermally insulating the inner body (12;12') from direct radiations of the radiant heating element (5).
  5. Radiant heater according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, the outer body (11;11') protrudes in height with respect to the inner body (12;12'),
  6. Radiant heater according to the preceding claim, wherein the outer body (11;11') protrudes a height of between 0.25 mm to 5 mm with respect to the inner body (12;12'), preferably of 2 mm.
  7. Radiant heater according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the temperature sensor (20) is arranged supported on the inner body (12;12'), wherein the inner body (12;12') includes holes (15) which are traversed by wires (21,22) of the temperature sensor (20).
  8. Radiant heater according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the base (14') of the support (10') comprises openings (16') that communicate the air chamber (13') with the outside of the radiant heater (1').
  9. Radiant heater according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support (10;10') is fixed to the insulating base (2) and to the metal casing (4) through the base (14;14').
  10. Radiant heater according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the temperature sensor (20) is a thermocouple.
  11. Cooking appliance comprising a plurality of radiant heaters (1;1') according to any of the preceding claims.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a radiant heater for a cooking appliance, preferably a glass ceramic cooker. PRIOR ART Cooking appliances comprising radiant heaters with safety devices against overheating of the glass ceramic hob of the cooking appliance are known in the state of the art. These devices are usually electromechanical devices which pass through an insulating ring of the radiant heater and are mounted on the corresponding radiant element of the radiant heater. There are also known radiant heaters which include, in addition to the safety device or replacing the safety device, temperature sensors whose purpose is to measure the temperature of the glass-ceramic hob through which the temperature of the vessel above the corresponding radiant heaters can be controlled. These sensors pass orthogonally through the insulating base of the radiant heater. DE102013216258A1 discloses a radiant heater with a temperature sensor fixed to a conductive plate in direct contact with the glass ceramic plate. The sensor is housed in a support element made of a thermally insulating material that protects the sensor from the direct effects of thermal radiation from the radiant elements of the radiant heater The support element is cylindrical, has one or two through holes for passing the temperature sensor connection cables, and has a recess where the conductive plate is housed together with the sensor. WO2022144475A1 discloses a radiant heater with a temperature sensor housed inside a ceramic cylinder. The ceramic cylinder comprises a housing at one end in which the temperature sensor is arranged. The housing is bounded by sidewalls that thermally shield the temperature sensor from direct radiation from the radiant elements of the radiant heater, thereby increasing the accuracy of the temperature sensor reading. US2016/174299A1 discloses a radiant heater comprising a temperature sensor suitable for measuring the temperature of the cooktop and elastic means suitable for keeping the temperature sensor in permanent contact with the cooktop in a final assembly position. The radiant heater comprises a support supported on an insulating base of the radiant heater, which protects the temperature sensor from receiving direct infrared radiation. DE202020102221 U1 also discloses a radiant heater comprising a temperature sensor housed inside a ceramic cylinder. The radiant heater further comprises isolation means for isolating the temperature sensor and the ceramic cylinder. The isolating means comprises a base, a projection surrounding the ceramic cylinder, and pushing means configured to keep the temperature sensor in contact with the hob. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to provide a radiant heater for a cooking appliance, as defined in the claims. The radiant heater according to the invention comprises an insulating base, at least one radiant heating element, a metallic housing at least partially housing the insulating base, a temperature sensor suitable for measuring the temperature inside the radiant heater when the radiant heater is in use, and a temperature sensor support. The support comprises an inner body that supports the temperature sensor, an outer body that surrounds the inner body, and a base that joins the inner body to the outer body, the outer body, the inner body and the base being delimited by an air chamber configured to thermally insulate the inner body. In this way, the outer body protects the inner body from direct radiation from the heating element, so that the radiation from the heating element does not directly hit the temperature sensor, and as a consequence, the temperature reading of the temperature sensor does not suffer very sudden changes in value that make it difficult to read and interpret the data. Moreover, the outer body, the inner body and the base form a single piece made of a ceramic material, the base being located below an upper face of the insulating base on which the heating element is fixed. The base is arranged in alignment with the metal housing, on the outside of the metal housing. The thermal conduction between the outer body and the inner body is reduced, reducing the effect of direct radiation on the reading of the temperature sensor. Furthermore, thanks to the air chamber, heat conduction in the substrate is minimised, so that thermal conduction from the inner body to the temperature sensor, in particular to the temperature sensor wires, is reduced. In this way, the temperature reading of the temperature sensor does not undergo sudden changes in value that make it difficult to read and interpret the data, and in addition, the temperature sensor is more sensitive to the temperature of the glass ceramic plate or the pan placed on the radiant heater, i.e. the measured value of the temperature sensor reflects more accurately the temperature of the glass ceramic plate or the pan placed on the radiant heater, which is the purpose of the me