Gas distribution unit for a cooking appliance

Abstract

A gas distributor assembly for a cooking appliance. In one implementation the assembly includes at least one gas burner, a distributor conduit fitted with at least one regulation tap to regulate the passage of a gas flow to the corresponding burner, and a safety valve to open or close the passage of the gas flow to the burners. The distributor conduit is connected to the safety valve, the safety valve having a valve body that includes an inlet conduit for receiving the gas flow, an outlet conduit, and an intermediate conduit that connects the inlet conduit to the outlet conduit, an axial axis of the inlet conduit and an axial axis of the outlet conduit being arranged substantially parallel to each other and not coaxial. An electrovalve housed in the valve body of the safety valve opens or closes the passage of the gas flow to the outlet conduit.

1 . A gas distributor unit assembly for a cooking appliance comprising:
 a first distributor conduit having first and second ends, the second end adapted to be coupled to a gas source;    a second distributor conduit having a first end and adapted to direct gas to a burner of the cooking appliance;   a safety valve situated in the gas flow path between the first and second distributor conduits, the safety valve having an inlet channel with a first axial axis that is coupled to the first end of the distributor conduit, an outlet channel with a second axial axis that is coupled to the first end of the second distributor conduit, an intermediate channel with a third axial axis disposed between and connecting the inlet and outlet channels, and a valve member coupled to an electrical actuator and moveable between a first position and a second position, when in the first position the valve member being situated on a valve seat in the third channel to obstruct gas flow between the first and second channels, when in the second position the valve member being situated away from the valve seat to permit gas flow between the first and second channels, the first axial axis and the second axial axis being substantially parallel to one another and non-coaxial.   
     
     
         2 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the third axial axis is substantially perpendicular to the first and second axial axes. 
     
     
         3 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the third axial axis is not parallel to the first and second axes. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the intermediate channel comprises an upper section of a first interior diameter in which is housed the electrical actuator, an intermediate section of a second interior diameter that receives the gas flow of the inlet conduit, and a lower section of a third interior diameter that is connected to the outlet conduit and includes the valve seat, the first interior diameter being smaller than the second interior diameter and the second interior diameter being greater than the third interior diameter. 
     
     
         11 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second distributor conduits are arranged substantially orthogonal to one another. 
     
     
         12 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the second distributor conduit is coupled to a gas tap that controls the flow of gas to the burner, the gas tap having a control situated on a control panel of the cooking appliance, the second distributor conduit being arranged substantially parallel to the control panel and being arranged substantially orthogonal to the first distributor conduit, 
     
     
         13 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second distributor conduits are curved. 
     
     
         14 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second distributor conduits each section have an angle of curvature of approximately 45 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second distributor conduits are curved. 
     
     
         16 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second distributor conduits each section have an angle of curvature of approximately 45 degrees. 
     
     
         17 . A gas distributor assembly for a cooking appliance comprising:
 a first distributor conduit having a first and second ends, the second end adapted to be coupled to a gas source,   a second distributor conduit having a first end and adapted to direct gas to a burner of the cooking appliance; and   a safety valve situated in the gas flow path between the first and second distributor conduits, the safety valve having an inlet channel with a first axial axis that is coupled to the first end of the distributor conduit, an outlet channel with a second axial axis that is coupled to the first end of the second distributor conduit, an intermediate channel with a third axial axis disposed between and connecting the inlet and outlet channels, and a valve member coupled to an electrical actuator and moveable between a first position and a second position, when in the first position the valve member being situated on a valve seat in the third channel to obstruct gas flow between the first and second channels, when in the second position the valve member being situated away from the valve seat to permit gas flow between the first and second channels, the first axial axis and the second axial axis being substantially orthogonal and substantially coaxial to one another.   
     
     
         18 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the third axial axis is substantially perpendicular to the first and second axial axes. 
     
     
         19 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the third axial axis is not parallel to the first and second axial axes. 
     
     
         20 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein the intermediate channel comprises an upper section of a first interior diameter in which is housed the electrical actuator, an intermediate section of a second interior diameter that receives the gas flow of the inlet conduit, and a lower section of a third interior diameter that is connected to the outlet conduit and includes the valve seat, the first interior diameter being smaller than the second interior diameter and the second interior diameter being greater than the third interior diameter. 
     
     
         21 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the first and second distributor conduits are arranged substantially orthogonal and substantially coaxial to one another. 
     
     
         22 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the second distributor conduit is coupled to a gas tap that controls the flow of gas to the burner, the gas tap having a control situated on a control panel of the cooking appliance, the second distributor conduit being arranged substantially parallel to the control panel and being arranged substantially orthogonal to the first distributor conduit, 
     
     
         23 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 21 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second distributor conduits are curved. 
     
     
         24 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second distributor conduits each section have an angle of curvature of approximately 45 degrees. 
     
     
         25 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 22 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second distributor conduits are curved. 
     
     
         26 . A gas distributor assembly according to  claim 25 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second distributor conduits each section have an angle of curvature of approximately 45 degrees.