The present invention relates to an improved tap, in particular for controlling both a gas burner and an electric or electronic apparatus.

Gas taps to be mounted on built-in cooktops or on free standing cookers, for controlling gas burners, which are also mounted on these apparatuses, are known.

Since a capture hood generally is installed over a cooktop, it already has been proposed to control the activation thereof through the same operating knob of the tap which controls the gas burner mounted on the cooktop.

To this end, it is provided for the tap to be associated with a switch, preferably a microswitch, which according to the angular position of the control knob of the tap itself, acts on the power supply of the capture hood to activate and deactivate it.

A drawback of this known solution consists of the fact of it only allowing the capture hood to be activated or deactivated by means of controlling the gas tap, moreover without being able to correlate the suction power with the amount of gas dispensed in any manner, and therefore with the actual thermal input dispensed by the burner controlled by that tap.

In essence, this known solution allows only two conditions (ON-OFF) of the electric/electronic apparatus operatively associated with the tap itself to be controlled and defined by means of the gas tap; in particular, such a solution allows only the activation (and therefore to have a single activation status/level) of the electric/electronic apparatus to be controlled, without however also being able to control the level/status of said activation. WO2008/002863 describes a solution which comprises a housing for containing a plurality of switches, positioned at different heights, and a rotor which is provided with a plurality of cams at different heights, so that each cam cooperates with one of said switches alone. This solution is particularly complicated to make from a construction viewpoint because it requires making seats for the switches at different heights on said housing, as well as requires the rotor to have several cams. Furthermore, in this solution, the two switches necessarily are to be installed in diametrically opposite positions and facing each other. Not lastly is the fact that this solution is configured so that each switch controls the activation-deactivation status of a corresponding electric/electronic apparatus; in essence, the two switches cooperating with the rotor act on two different electric/electronic apparatuses, thus always and only controlling the respective deactivation or activation thereof.

It is the object of the invention to propose a tap which overcomes the drawbacks of the traditional solutions.

It is another object of the invention to propose an improved tap for controlling both a gas burner and an electric or electronic apparatus, which allows controlling said electric/electronic apparatus so as to control and define several statuses and/or levels of activation of the apparatus itself.

It is another object of the invention to control the power supply in general of any electric or electronic apparatus in any case operatively associated with the gas burner.

It is another object of the invention to propose a tap which can be applied also to existing installations. It is another object of the invention to control the suction power of the capture hood or the power/status of another electric/electronic apparatus according to the thermal input dispensed by the burner.

It is another object of the invention to control the suction power of the capture hood or the power/status of an electric/electronic apparatus in a particularly simple and affordable manner.

It is another object of the invention to control the dispensing power of a capture hood or of another electric/electronic apparatus with the desired control curve.

It is another object of the invention to propose a tap which has an alternative and/or improved characterization, both in terms of construction and operation with respect to traditional ones.

It is another object of the invention to propose a tap which can be made in a simple and quick manner and with contained costs.

All these objects, both individually and in any combination thereof, and other objects which will become apparent from the description below, are achieved according to the invention by a tap for controlling a gas burner and an electric/electronic apparatus as defined in claim 1 , as well as with an installation as defined in claim 31 .

The present invention is hereinbelow further clarified in a preferred practical embodiment thereof, which is described by mere way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 diagrammatically shows an installation of a tap which simultaneously controls the gas which feeds a burner installed in a cooktop and a capture hood mounted over the cooktop, figure 2 shows a perspective view of a tap according to the invention, figure 3 shows a side view of it,

figure 4 shows it according to the section IV-IV in figure 7,

figure 5 shows it according to the section V-V in figure 7,

figure 6 shows it according to the section VI-VI in figure 7,

figure 7 shows a plan view of it, in closed condition of the gas flow with the knob in position 0°,

figure 8 shows a plan view of it, with the knob in position between 75° and

135°,

figure 9 shows a plan view of it, with the knob in position between 135° and

210°, and

figure 10 shows the wiring diagram of the circuit assembly controlled by the two switches associated with the tap.

As shown in the drawings, the gas tap 1 according to the invention is configured to simultaneously control, by means of the rotation of a same knob 24, both a gas burner 14 and an electric/electronic apparatus, which preferably is operatively associated with said burner 14 and/or with the cooktop in which said burner is intended to be installed.

In particular, similarly to traditional gas taps, tap 1 comprises a body 2 internally provided with a cavity for housing a traditional rotating shutter 4 and conveniently also a traditional safety valve 6. Shutter 4 preferably has a truncated-conical shape and is accommodated in a corresponding cavity 16, preferably it also truncated-conical, which is made in body 2.

Conveniently, body 2 is also involved by two openings 8, 8', one 8 of which for the connection with a feed duct 10 of the fuel gas from the network and the other 8' for the connection with a feed duct 12 of a burner 14. Furthermore, channels 18, 18' are obtained in a traditional manner in body 2, the channels putting cavity 16 for accommodating shutter 4 in communication with the two openings 8, 8'. Conveniently, also shutter 4 is involved by a channel 20 in a traditional manner, which channel variously and selectively puts the two channels 18, 18' into communication with each other according to its angular position with respect to its seat 16.

Shutter 4 is restrained to a cylindrical rod 22 which controls the rotation thereof. In particular, rod 22 preferably is coupled to an extension 23 thereof which exits from body 2 of the tap and is configured to be coupled to a traditional operating knob 24 of the tap according to the invention. Conveniently, this extension 23 is axially movable with respect to rod 22, but it is rotationally restrained with respect thereto. Thereby, similarly to traditional taps, also knob 24 may be operated both in axial movement to induce the ignition of burner 14, and in rotation to modulate the amount of gas feeding burner 14 and therefore, to regulate the circle(s) of flames generated thereby.

A rotating element 26, which preferably consists of a cam, is associated with rod 22. Preferably, the rotating element 26 is mounted in an integral manner on the extension 23 of rod 22.

Conveniently, the rotating element 26 has, in plan view, a profile with a side portion 30 which is shaped or protruding with respect to the remaining side portion of the rotating element itself. Advantageously, the rotating element 26 has a single portion 30 which is shaped and/or laterally protrudes.

Preferably, the rotating element 26 overall has discoidal shape and in greater detail, has an upper surface, a lower surface and an overall cylindrical lateral surface, but involved by said shaped and/or protruding portion 30. Conveniently, such a shaped and/or protruding portion 30 extends for a certain angular range related to the shape of shutter 4 and more specifically, related to the path and the position of the channels 18, 18' made in body 2 of the tap, as well as to the shape of channel 20 made in shutter 4.

Conveniently, there are applied, to body 2 of the tap, at least two switches 42, 44 - preferably two microswitches - which are configured and/or positioned at such a height whereby the respective operating buttons 46, 48 may interact - preferably coming into contact with a certain pressure - with the outer surface of the same shaped and/or protruding portion 30 of the rotating element 26.

In greater detail, the respective operating buttons 46, 48 of the switches 42, 44 are positioned so as to be activated by the shaped and/or protruding portion 30 of the rotating element 26, but not by the remaining portion of the element itself not involved by that protruding portion.

Conveniently, the two switches 42, 44 are arranged about the rotating element 26 so that the respective operating buttons 46, 48 are activated in sequence individually and/or simultaneously, but always by the same shaped and/or protruding portion 30 of element 26. This is particularly advantageous because it is sufficient for the rotating element 26 to have a single shaped and/or protruding portion 30, thus simplifying the process for making it.

Preferably, the respective operating buttons 46, 48 of the two switches 42, 44 are positioned at an angular distance which is less than the angular extension of the shaped and/or protruding portion 30 of the rotating element 26. Conveniently, the position of the two switches 42, 44 on body 2 of the tap and both the radial and angular extension of the shaped and/or protruding portion 30 of the rotating element 26 are predefined so that as the angular position of knob 24, and therefore of the rotating element 26, varies, there is or not both the activation of one or both the switches 42, 44 so as in addition to giving rise to a deactivated and resting condition (corresponding to the OFF status of both said switches), it gives rise to at least three operating conditions (defined by the ON status of the first switch 42 alone, by the ON status of both switches, and by the ON status of the second switch 44 alone, respectively) corresponding to different controls, and therefore to at least three separate activation statuses/levels of the electric or electronic apparatus 50 which preferably operatively is associated with the burner controlled by the tap according to the invention.

In essence, there are provided in tap 1 according to the invention, two or more switches 42, 44 and a rotating element 26, which are arranged and configured so that the switches themselves provide three or more activation output signals - which are conveniently different from one another - for the same apparatus 50 according to the activated or deactivated condition of each of said switches, which is correlated with the angular position of said knob 24. Conveniently, according to the invention the switches 42, 44 provide a number of activation output signals for the electric/electronic apparatus 50, which is greater than the number of switches.

Advantageously, there is also applied to the body 2 of tap 1 , preferably in position immediately below the rotating element 26, a further switch 32 (preferably a microswitch), which operating button 34 is below the lower surface of the element itself, which thereby may operate it following the axial movement of rod 22 induced by an axial pressure on knob 24.

The two terminals 36, 38 of said further switch 32 are connected to the circuit of an ignition spark igniter 40 associated with burner 14 so that each time knob 24 is axially pushed, thus activating switch 32, the spark igniter 40 triggers the spark which ignites burner 14. Obviously, burner 14 is ignited only if it is fed with gas and this occurs following the rotation of knob 24 which induces a corresponding rotation of shutter 4 so as to put the channels 18 and 18' into communication with each other.

In particular, the electric/electronic apparatus preferably is a hood 50, but may also consist of any other electric/electronic device, such as for example a series of lights with different colors, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or other.

The terminals 52, 54 and 56, 58 of the two switches 42, 44 conveniently are connected to the electric circuit for powering hood 50 so that according to the angular position of knob 24, and therefore of the rotating element 26, this is powered in a different manner.

In the example embodiment described and shown, there are provided the two switches 42, 44 for controlling hood 50, which switches are controlled by the shaped and/or protruding portion 30 of the rotating element 26. However, more generally the invention provides for more than two switches to be applied to body 2 of the tap, in which in any case the respective activation buttons are always substantially coplanar to each other, and for these to interact, and therefore to be controlled, also by several protruding and/or shaped portions made in the rotating element 26. Moreover, even if in the example depicted there is provided for the two switches 42, 44 to be inserted in the power supply circuit of hood 50, or of another electric/electronic apparatus, and they control it directly according to the angular position of knob 24, the invention advantageously provides for the two switches 42, 44 to be inserted in a control circuit of an electronic board 60 for controlling hood 50 or also of another electric/electronic apparatus associated with the gas tap so that this board 60 can process the output controls of the switches 42, 44 to generate a control signal having shape related to specific needs.

In the simplest embodiment herein described, the connection between the switches 42, 44 and hood 50 or other electric/electronic apparatus is provided via wire, but the invention also provides for it to be of wireless type and different in nature, for example via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, or with other protocol.

In any case, for reasons of disclosure simplicity, the operation of the tap according to the invention is now described in the embodiment illustrated, in which the two switches 42, 44 have the outputs connected via wire to the electronic board 60 according to the diagram shown in fig. 10.

It provides for hood 50, or other electric/electronic apparatus, to be powered with three possible different voltages, preferably generated by the electronic board 60 powered by three separate signals Vi, V2 and V3 through change-over contacts 62', 64' of two relays 62, 64.

More particularly, the two switches 42, 44 are each provided with two pairs of change-over contacts 42', 44' and 42", 44". The contacts 42', 44' are inserted in the power supply circuits of the two relays 62, 64, contacts which like contacts 42" , 44" , are depicted in inactive (resting) condition in fig. 1 0.

In this circumstance, hood 50 is ready to operate as soon as the tap according to the invention is operated to feed burner 14 associated therewith.

Igniting the burner first provides an axial pressure on knob 24, which with the rotating element 26, activates switch 32 for powering the spark igniter 40 to cause it to trigger a sequence of sparks between the electrode thereof and burner 14 so that as soon as the tap is caused to rotate and controls the dispensing of the gas, the fuel m ixture ignites and generates a circle of flames.

So long as knob 24 has not performed a rotation of about 75°, neither of the two switches 42, 44 is activated, and therefore hood 50 remains inactive.

Once the angular range of about 75° is reached, and up to an angular range of about 1 35°, and that is in the stretch in which the dispensing of the gas is maximum according to usual design and operating criteria of a gas tap, the protruding portion 30 of the rotating element 26 activates the first switch 42, but it is still not capable of activating the second switch 44. Therefore, in this condition, and for this whole angular range, the tap provides burner 14 with the maximum amount of gas while the switching of switch 42 activates relay 62 through contact 42' (operating); the activation of relay 62 in turn provides the electronic board 60, through contact 42" (working) and contact 64' (resting), with a signal Vi , which causes the board itself to generate the supply voltage of hood 50 at the maximum suction power.

In the successive stretch of angular range of knob 24, that is in the stretch from about 1 35° to about 1 50°, the tap provides the burner with a decreasing amount of gas from the maximum value to an average value. In this position, the rotating element 26 also activates the second switch 44, which thus activates relay 64 through contact 44' (working); the activation of the second relay 64 in turn provides the electronic board 60, through contact 42" (working) and 64' (resting), with a voltage signal V2, which causes the board itself to generate the supply voltage of hood 50 at the average suction power.

In the successive stretch of angular range of knob 24, and that is in the stretch from about 150° to about 210°, the tap provides the burner with the minimum amount of gas and the same rotation of the knob brings the shaped and/or protruding portion 30 of the rotating element 26 to deactivate the first switch 42 but to keep activated the second switch 44. In this condition, relay 64 alone is activated, which provides the electronic board 60, through contact 44" (working) and contact 62' (resting), with a signal V3, which causes the board itself to generate the supply voltage of hood 50 at the minimum suction power.

In essence, as the position of knob 24 varies, and therefore the amount of gas supplied by the tap to the burner, the suction power of the hood automatically varies, which therefore is always adequate to the operating conditions of the burner.