Abstract: The method produces a reshaped glass-ceramic article by forced reshaping of a flat green glass part during a ceramicizing process with temporarily lowered viscosity due to crystallization heat. To perform the forced reshaping economically the forced reshaping takes place in a continuous oven for ceramicizing and in an oven section in which the viscosity of the green glass part is temporarily lowered as a result of crystallization heat. An apparatus for performing the process is provided in the continuous oven including different active reshaping devices and/or a hollow mold. The method produces glass-ceramic articles with undamaged surfaces corresponding to surfaces produced during the making of the green glass part (smooth or structured, e.g. knobbed).

Abstract: The apparatus performs a forced reshaping of a flat green glass part during a ceramicizing process in which the viscosity of the glass is temporarily lowered due to crystallization heat. The apparatus includes a continuous furnace (3) for the ceramicizing process: a reshaping device (2?) provided with activating openings (6); and vertically movable pressure-operated reshaping tools (9) arranged in the reshaping device (2?). The furnace (3) is provided with lateral openings (4) for temporarily connecting activating lines (8) to the activating openings (6) of the reshaping device (2?) in a sealed manner in order to operate the reshaping tools (9) by supplying pressurized air to the reshaping device or by producing a low pressure in the reshaping device (2?).

Abstract: The method produces a reshaped glass-ceramic article by forced reshaping of a flat green glass part during a ceramicizing process with temporarily lowered viscosity due to crystallization heat. To perform the forced reshaping economically the forced reshaping takes place in a continuous oven for ceramicizing and in an oven section in which the viscosity of the green glass part is temporarily lowered as a result of crystallization heat. An apparatus for performing the process is provided in the continuous oven including different active reshaping devices and/or a hollow mold. The method produces glass-ceramic articles with undamaged surfaces corresponding to surfaces produced during the making of the green glass part (smooth or structured, e.g. knobbed).

Abstract: The method produces a reshaped glass-ceramic article by forced reshaping of a flat green glass part during a ceramicizing process with temporarily lowered viscosity due to crystallization heat. To perform the forced reshaping economically the forced reshaping takes place in a continuous oven for ceramicizing and in an oven section in which the viscosity of the green glass part is temporarily lowered as a result of crystallization heat. An apparatus for performing the process is provided in the continuous oven including different active reshaping devices and/or a hollow mold. The method produces glass-ceramic articles with undamaged surfaces corresponding to surfaces produced during the making of the green glass part (smooth or structured, e.g. knobbed).

Abstract: An apparatus for combusting a fuel and air mixture within a combustion chamber, particularly a combustion chamber of a gaseous fuel fired water heater. A pressure relief void is intentionally formed so that a combustion chamber forms communication with a surrounding environment through a peripheral gap between the combustion chamber wall and a vessel wall of a vessel. During ignition, the pressure relief void allows pre-combustion fluid within the combustion chamber to escape through both the pressure relief void and the exhaust flue. The pressure relief void reduces or eliminates undesirable noise associated with start-up and operation of conventional water heater combustion chambers with premixed burner systems. The pressure relief void of this invention is sized large enough to relieve an ignition pressure pulse from the combustion chamber upon ignition and yet is sized small enough to prevent a combustion flame from passing through the pressure relief void during ignition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for combusting a fuel and air mixture within a combustion chamber, particularly a combustion chamber of a gaseous fuel fired water heater. A pressure relief void is intentionally formed so that a combustion chamber forms communication with a surrounding environment through means other than the exhaust flue and/or a fuel and/or air inlet. During ignition, the pressure relief void allows pre-combustion fluid within the combustion chamber to escape through both the pressure relief void and the exhaust flue. The pressure relief void reduces or eliminates undesirable noise associated with start-up and operation of conventional water heater combustion chambers with premixed burner systems. The pressure relief void of this invention is preferably sized large enough to relieve an ignition pressure pulse from the combustion chamber upon ignition and yet is sized small enough to prevent a combustion flame from passing through the pressure relief void during ignition and/or operational combustion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for combusting a fuel and air mixture within a combustion chamber, particularly a combustion chamber of a gaseous fuel fired water heater. A pressure relief void is intentionally formed so that a combustion chamber forms communication with a surrounding environment through means other than the exhaust flue and/or a fuel and/or air inlet. During ignition, the pressure relief void allows pre-combustion fluid within the combustion chamber to escape through both the pressure relief void and the exhaust flue. The pressure relief void reduces or eliminates undesirable noise associated with start-up and operation of conventional water heater combustion chambers with premixed burner systems. The pressure relief void of this invention is preferably sized large enough to relieve an ignition pressure pulse from the combustion chamber upon ignition and yet is sized small enough to prevent a combustion flame from passing through the pressure relief void during ignition and/or operational combustion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for combusting a fuel and air mixture within a combustion chamber, particularly a combustion chamber of a gaseous fuel fired water heater. A pressure relief void is intentionally formed so that a combustion chamber forms communication with a surrounding environment through means other than the exhaust flue and/or a fuel and/or air inlet. During ignition, the pressure relief void allows pre-combustion fluid within the combustion chamber to escape through both the pressure relief void and the exhaust flue. The pressure relief void reduces or eliminates undesirable noise associated with start-up and operation of conventional water heater combustion chambers with premixed burner systems. The pressure relief void of this invention is preferably sized large enough to relieve an ignition pressure pulse from the combustion chamber upon ignition and yet is sized small enough to prevent a combustion flame from passing through the pressure relief void during ignition and/or operational combustion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for combusting a fuel and air mixture within a combustion chamber, particularly a combustion chamber of a gaseous fuel fired water heater. A pressure relief void is intentionally formed so that a combustion chamber forms communication with a surrounding environment through means other than the exhaust flue and/or a fuel and/or air inlet. During ignition, the pressure relief void allows pre-combustion fluid within the combustion chamber to escape through both the pressure relief void and the exhaust flue. The pressure relief void reduces or eliminates undesirable noise associated with start-up and operation of conventional water heater combustion chambers with premixed burner systems. The pressure relief void of this invention is preferably sized large enough to relieve an ignition pressure pulse from the combustion chamber upon ignition and yet is sized small enough to prevent a combustion flame from passing through the pressure relief void during ignition and/or operational combustion.

Abstract: The cooking apparatus includes a glass or glass-ceramic plate (1) providing a cooking surface with one or more cooking areas with a throughgoing opening (2) in each cooking area and with an annular atmospheric gas burner under each opening (2). The annular atmospheric gas burner is an annular pipe (19b) provided with a plurality of circumferentially distributed orifices (19c) for supporting flames (19a). The annular pipe (19b) has a circular transverse cross-section and bounds a central opening (19d). An overflow catching container (20) may be provided under the gas burner to catch overflowing cooking material falling through the throughgoing opening (2). The peripheral -edge (1a) of the glass or glass-ceramic plate (1) around the throughgoing opening (2) is preferably curved upward from the cooking surface, which also assists in handling overflowing material.

Abstract: The cooking apparatus includes a glass or glass-ceramic plate (1) providing a cooking surface with a cooking area and provided with a throughgoing opening (2) in the cooking area; a gas burner (3, 19, 21) arranged in or under the throughgoing opening (2) in the glass or glass-ceramic plate (1), which has a burner ring (3b) for supporting an open flame (3a, 19a, 21a); a cooking vessel support (5,5a) arranged on the glass or glass-ceramic plate over the throughgoing opening (2) which has a resting surface for a cooking vessel (6) and a device for supplying a mixture of combustible gas and primary air to the burner ring (3b) to form the open flame, whereby substantially all of the secondary air is drawn from a chamber or space under the glass or glass-ceramic plate (1). Because the secondary air is drawn from below the glass or glass-ceramic plate the height of the resting surface of the cooking vessel support (5,5a) can be substantially reduced to less than 10 mm without impairing the combustion process.

Abstract: For obtaining firmly adhering decorative layers of ceramic colors applied to glass or glass ceramic substrates, prior to stoving, optically inactive inorganic substances, e.g., mica, which are chemically inert with respect to the base enamel and the pigments are added to the base enamel together with the pigments in fine-particle form, e.g., 20-40 &mgr;m, in a quantity of 1-20 wt. %.

Abstract: Unit with at least one plate made of a material, which material is permeable to thermal radiation, such as glass ceramic, glass, ceramic or a similar material, as a surface for cooking, frying and/or keeping warm. The unit with at least one plate is on a frame construction with different types of adjustable heat sources distributed underneath and on the plate. Some of the heat sources are distributed under the plate in the form of radiant burners and act indirectly by radiation through the plate. Other heat sources are located above the level of the plate in the form of open atmospheric or atmospheric pressure gas burners and transmit heat directly by producing open flames. The respective heat sources correspond to the cooking, frying and/or warming positions.

Abstract: A gas burner has a perforated, hollow body around and defining a combustion chamber. Gaseous fuel is fed to one side of the body, combustion occurs on the other side and the perforations provide a spatial connection between the fuel feed side and the combustion side. The new burner reduces exhaust gas emissions and offers a wide range of performance in the amount of heat energy provided, in the permissible range of gas pressure and in the range of fuels and fuel/air mixtures that can be used with it.

Abstract: A transport shield is provided for brittle glass and glass ceramic panels susceptible to scratching and fracturing to be integrated into a cooker, in particular as cooking surfaces. The transport shield remains permanently joined to the panel during installation, assembly and operation and is formed to act as a protector during mounting, a positioning aid, a separator, an elongation compensating medium and/or a sealing member and/or an inspection window in profiled panels.

Abstract: A transport shield is provided for brittle glass and glass ceramic panels susceptible to scratching and fracturing to be integrated into a cooker, in particular as cooking surfaces. The transport shield remains permanently joined to the panel during installation, assembly and operation and is formed to act as a protector during mounting, a positioning aid, a separator, an elongation compensating medium and/or a sealing member and/or an inspection window in profiled panels.

Abstract: Unit with at least one plate made of a material, which material is permeable to thermal radiation, such as glass ceramic, glass, ceramic or a similar material, as a surface for cooking, frying and/or keeping warm. The unit with at least one plate is on a frame construction with different types of adjustable heat sources distributed underneath and on the plate. Some of the heat sources are distributed under the plate in the form of radiant burners and act indirectly by radiation through the plate. Other heat sources are located above the level of the plate in the form of open atmospheric or atmospheric pressure gas burners and transmit heat directly by producing open flames. The respective heat sources correspond to the cooking, frying and/or warming positions.

Abstract: Shaped articles made of brittle material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion, for example designed as glass or glass-ceramic plates, are typically encapsulated with a holding frame made of plastic, which is produced by directly encapsulating the edges of the shaped article with plastic by injection moulding. In order to avoid stress concentrations in the shaped article, which inevitably form as a consequence of the differences in thermal expansion and the material-dependent shrinkage behaviour, according to the invention shrinkage-absorbing elements are embedded between the holding frame and the shaped article, which elements additionally ensure a permanently elastic bearing of the shaped articles when used in practice and provide sufficient sealing during use.

Abstract: An arrangement displays information and operating states on an apparatus such as a cooking apparatus having a plate made of glass and/or glass ceramic and defining a lower surface and a transparent upper surface area where the information is viewed by an operator. The arrangement includes an attachment member; an adhesive for fixedly mounting the attachment member to the lower surface; a display device for generating a light display of the information and operating states below the plate to permit an operator to view the information and operating states through the plate by looking at the upper surface thereof; and, a connecting device for connecting the display device to the attachment member.

Abstract: Cooking ranges with cooking surfaces in the form of a glass ceramic cover include functional elements such as operation and signal elements integrated into the cooking range. For improved utility and maintenance these functional elements are combined in at least one functional area forming a functional part (unit) arranged to be spatially separate from the cooking surface and independently replaceable.