Device for lighting burners in a household appliance, in particular a cooking or barbecue range

Abstract

A device including high voltage generating means accommodated in an electrical insulating casing, spark generating means adapted to be arranged near respective burners of a household appliance to be ignited and electrical connection means between the high voltage generating means and the spark generating means; the high voltage generating means include a single secondary winding of a transformer provided with a single high voltage output contact and a single return contact, connectable to ground; the spark generating means include for each burner a pair of electrodes reciprocally insulated and arranged side-by-side at a predetermined distance such that to allow in use the generation of sparks between the same; the electrical connection means include a single electrical wire connected to a single output of the high voltage generating means connecting in series together all the existing electrode pairs and divided by the electrodes of each pair of a plurality of segments reciprocally and electrically insulated by means of the electrodes of each electrode pair, to form a chain of electrodes coupled two-by-two.

1 . A device for lighting burners in a household appliance, in particular a cooking or barbecue range, comprising high voltage generating means accommodated within an electrically insulating casing, spark generating means adapted to be arranged near respective burners of said household appliance to be ignited and electrical connection means between said high voltage electrical generators and spark generating means; characterised in that, in combination:
 i) said high voltage generating means comprise one single secondary winding of a transformer provided with a single high voltage output contact and a single return contact, connectable to ground;   ii) said spark generating means comprising, for each burner to be ignited, a pair of electrodes reciprocally and electrically insulated and reciprocally arranged side-by-side at a predetermined distance such that to allowsparks to be produced in use between the electrodes of the electrode pair;   iii) said electrical connection means comprise a single electrical wire, a first end of which is connectable to said single output contact of high voltage generating means and a second end of which is connectable to ground; said single electrical wire connecting together in series all said pairs of existing electrodes and being subdivided by the electrodes of each pair of electrodes into a plurality of segments reciprocally and electrically insulated by the electrodes of each pair of electrodes, to form a chain of electrodes paired two-by-two.   
     
     
         2 . A device according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said single secondary winding is dimensioned so as to be adapted to generate a sufficient voltage to produce sparks between the electrodes of each predetermined pair of electrodes and equal to the maximum number of burners applicable to the household appliance. 
     
     
         3 . A device according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said spark generating means comprise a plurality of ignition assemblies, each of which includes an electrically insulating body provided with fastening means to the household appliance; one said pair of electrodes carried by and accommodated in the electrically insulating body except for respective bare ends protrudingly carried side by the side by the insulating body; and a pair of contacts, each connected to a respective electrode and connected in series to respective corresponding contacts of said plurality of ignition assemblies by means of segments of said single electrical wire. 
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 3 , characterised in that one said ignition assembly arranged farther from said high voltage generating means presents its first said contact connected in series to a corresponding opposite contact of an ignition assembly immediately closer to said high voltage generating means and its second said contact connected, by means of a terminal segment of said single electrical wire, to said return contact of the high voltage generating means. 
     
     
         5 . A device according to  claim 1 , characterised in that each said ignition assembly consists of a ceramic spark plug carrying at least partially and internally embedded said electrodes of each pair of electrodes arranged side-by-side. 
     
     
         6 . A burner for a household appliance, in particular for a gas range, comprising a gas ring and a plate arranged in use over the gas ring, characterised in that said gas ring presents a radial recess open towards the plate and accommodating an ignition assembly according to  claim 5  arranged with the electrodes essentially perpendicular to the plate and in radially innermost position within the radial recess, so as to be covered in used by said plate.