A PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR THE COOKTOP OF A KITCHEN

Technical field

The present invention refers to the technical field concerning kitchen accessories, for example gas or electric kitchens.

In particular, the invention refers to a protective system, able to protect the cooktop of a kitchen, in such a manner as to reduce its cleaning frequency.

Background art

It is known that a kitchen, for example for domestic or foodservice use, is formed by a cooktop. The cooktop is a surface where burners are arranged for releasing the heat source and where to arrange pots for cooking.

Burners of gas kitchen are holed, circular, cylindrical-shaped bodies emitting gas and therefore generating the flame. Supports are arranged on the kitchen to place pots while cooking.

The burner of electric kitchens heats up and emanates heat through electrical ballasts. It is generally cylindrical-shaped also in this case.

There are also induction kitchens where heat is generated through an electric induction principle and always with a source of heat which can be generally circular-shaped.

Obviously, the kitchen is subjected in use to continuous splashes of food, such that at the end of the day, the same kitchen may be covered by grease, oils and food residues of any kind.

If the cooktop is not cleaned immediately, cleaning in the next days will be more demanding, as the dirt has solidified and its removal is much more difficult.

Moreover, over time the cooktop is damaged, loses its color and brightness when it is rubbed vigorously with cloths and chemical product and therefore the kitchen gets old much earlier.

In addition, the cleanliness of kitchens is a legal obligation for foodservice activities and if it is not carried out daily according to current regulations, it may cause fines due to inspections.

Therefore, catering businesses are compelled to clean the cooktop daily, obviously making a physical and economic effort, as huge amount of cleansers and the operator's work are necessary. For this reason, everything affects strongly the overall costs.

Disclosure of invention

It is therefore the aim of the present invention to provide a device which solves the above-mentioned technical inconveniences.

In particular, the aim of the present invention is to provide a device able to protect the cooktop of a kitchen efficaciously, in such a manner as to save it from dirt and therefore to minimize the cleaning frequency.

The aim of the present invention is also to provide an affordable device with easy application and also preferably disposable.

These and other aims are obtained through the present covering device to protect the cooktop of a kitchen from cooking residues.

Such a device comprises a sheet element (2) able to be laid for covering the cooktop, said sheet element being made of fireproof material and such that preventing at least in part liquids from seeping through it onto the underlying surface covered by it in use.

In this way, by laying it on specific points of the kitchen, these points are protected efficaciously from grease and food residues.

For example, more sheets can be arranged around the burner where cooking occurs.

As cooking ends, it is enough to remove them and the underlying cooktop shows to be clean.

Advantageously, such a sheet element is configured to allow further the passage of the burner/s, covering the cooktop at the same time.

In this way, an easily applicable single sheet can be used, covering the whole cooktop, or most of it, except for the sources of heat emanating from the related opening.

Advantageously, in an embodiment, the sheet element can comprise one or more openings (3) , through which the passage of burners occurs in use.

As alternative, such a sheet element can comprise one or more areas (A) delimited by a weakening line (5) such that the removal of one or more of such areas by ripping along said weakening lines forms corresponding openings (3) configured to allow the passage of burner/s as the sheet is arranged on the cooktop in use.

In this way, if only a burner is used, only an opening may be made, thus protecting also the unused burners from dirt.

Advantageously, such a sheet is at least partially waterproof and/or at least partially absorbing liquids.

In both cases, it prevents liquids from seeping onto the cooktop, as it absorbs them by holding them or protects them completely.

Advantageously, said sheet element can be made of aluminum. As alternative, advantageously, said sheet element can be made of parchment paper.

Advantageously, more concentric areas can be comprised, each one delimited by a weakening line.

Advantageously, in that case, each area, or some of them, can include a plurality of radial incisions towards the external part of the area.

Brief description of drawings

Further features and advantages of the present covering device, according to the invention, will result to be clearer with the description that follows of some embodiments, made to illustrate but not to limit, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a sheet as seen from above, according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows an opening as seen from above, having radial incisions expanding in radial way outwards, in such a manner that the opening can shape to fit different-sized burners;

- Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the invention, wherein the opening can be obtained by tearing off the area A delimited by a weakening line;

Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention with more areas, for example concentric rings delimited by weakening lines, in such a manner that the user can remove the suitable area for the size of the burner where to apply the sheet. In that case, each concentric opening can be provided with radial incisions. Description of some preferred embodiments

A first embodiment of the invention is described with reference to figure 1.

Therefore, the figure shows a surface 1 with any shape concerning perimeter, size and also thickness. It is obvious that the skilled person can easily cut and shape such a surface to lay it onto any type of cooktop, for example comprising different sizes depending on the brand type and model of the cooktop on which it is intended to lay.

Alternatively, it may also be possible to obtain a single standard measure which may also be used in more than one of such surfaces.

The aim of the covering surface is to protect the cooktop from food splashes that can spurt out from the pot itself while cooking or by drips, for example, from the lids or ladles used for the cooking itself.

Therefore, the covering surface must have predetermined features of impermeability and heat resistance, thus proving to be fireproof.

The fireproof feature is essential, as the surface, as explained further, is applied to the cooktop in close contact with the heat source and so it must be able not to burn and not to generate flames as it is subjected to high temperatures .

Various fireproof materials can be used, such as aluminum.

Aluminum sheets for food and baking are already on the market.

They are fireproof.

Therefore, the surface described in the invention can be advantageously made of aluminum, thus creating a factual aluminum sheet.

Other fireproof materials might be used as well.

For example, parchment paper on the market standing up to temperatures above 250 °C, obtained by covering it with silicone materials.

Such a surface or sheet must have the further feature of being at least partially waterproof. Many foods are immersed while cooking or they contain liquid in the form of greases, oils and various gravies.

Therefore, it is important that the covering surface prevents as much as possible a complete passage of the liquid and it is necessary either to shield the whole or absorb it in large part (like a sponge) , thus preventing it in both cases from seeping through the surface itself and then reaching the cooktop.

For this purpose, as mentioned above, materials such as aluminum (totally waterproof) or parchment paper (partially absorbent) may be considered suitable.

Aluminum is generally a totally waterproof material and so the aluminum sheet does not allow the liquid to seep through it.

Parchment paper, even if it is made by silicone covering, is partially waterproof and anyway the minimum part which seeps through paper is possibly absorbed by paper itself.

Introduced that, in the first preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in figure 1, openings which trace shape and position of burners are cut within the area of the sheet .

For example, the sheet can include four circular openings arranged at a predetermined position and of predetermined size, in such a manner as to apply them to a specific cooktop.

Therefore, it is enough to apply the sheet on the cooktop, making sure that openings are centered at the burners so that the burners emerge from the openings and then continue with the normal cooking.

In order to make each opening adaptable to different sizes of burners, each opening may comprise radial incisions of predetermined length.

In this way, if the burner is larger than the original opening, these incisions allow the opening to be enlarged, thus allowing the burner to pass through the opening itself.

Therefore, this solution allows to create protective sheets which are easily adaptable to cooktop of different brands and sizes.

In an embodiment of the invention, as shown in figure 3 and considering the description above, the surface always includes such openings for the burners.

However, such an embodiment includes a pre-cut such that the circular area is not removed but attached to the rest of the sheet through a weakening line, such as lines of material interrupted by lines without material.

In this way, the user may remove circles to obtain openings in selected points before the use. The advantage of such a solution is that it might be necessary to use only a burner while cooking. In this way, by removing the circle related to the burner to be used and by leaving the others intact, the sheet covers the whole cooktop, including unused burners. In this way, also such burners are protected from grease.

In order to shape the opening to different sizes of burners, more concentric circles with different sizes can be provided for removing the most suitable one.

Each concentric circle can include a plurality of radial incisions extending externally to the outer circle.

In this way, the sheet proves to be more functional, i.e. it fits more easily burners with different sizes.

From a productive point of view, required sheets with different sizes can be easily cut out through a suitable blade machine.

The same machine, or a different machine, always through the lowering of special blades shaped according to the shape of the opening, is able to cut the sheet at specific points, thus creating the openings which are then removed with a suitable die cutter.

Alternatively, the weakening line is created through the saw-toothed knife, for example.

Suitable transversal blades can create radial incisions .

Therefore, productive process is very simple and it is enough to have machineries with suitable blades for creating openings and cut sheets to sizes.