The present disclosure relates to combustion apparatus, and more particularly, to a burner which may be part of a system including a plurality of interchangeable or modular heat utilizing appliances.
Fuel burners are used to operate heat utilizing appliances, such as cooking grills, cooktops, food smoking apparatus, space heaters, and pyrolyzers. It is a great convenience to use a solid fuel in such a burner, as solid fuels such as firewood, charcoal briquettes, and others are readily available. However, despite availability of solid fuels, it is desirable to optimize efficiency of a burner, and to limit unburned fuel emissions.
It is also desirable to have modular heat utilizing appliances, so that only one burner need be acquired to operate diverse heat utilizing appliances.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an efficient, clean burning burner capable of being used with diverse heat utilizing appliances.
The disclosed concepts address the above stated situation by providing a an efficient, clean burning burner and a system for removably attaching heat utilizing appliances thereto.
The burner has a combustion chamber enclosed by an outer wall surrounding a fuel holder. Air flows both through the fuel holder to support initial combustion, and also around the fuel holder, to be directed to flame and fumes just above the fuel holder to support secondary combustion. A shroud providing a second wall surrounds the outer wall, thereby establishing a flow path for tertiary combustion air also impinging on the flame and fumes, and also providing an external surface cool enough to avoid burns if casually contacted
The burner has legs holding the combustion chamber well above ground level, and a pivotally coupled ash pan. A perforate food grate is pivotally coupled to the burner, and is movable to a deployed position above the flame, and to a stowed position to the side of the combustion chamber and associated outer walls. Opposite the perforate food grate, a cover is pivotally coupled to the burner, enabling the combustion chamber to be closed to prevent inadvertent ingress of dropped items, inadvertent exposure of the user to heat and exhaust fumes, and to suppress escape of live embers.
The burner has manual couplings for removably coupling modular heat utilizing appliances to the burner, the modular heat utilizing appliances including closed and open cookers, a food smoker, a space heater, and a pyrolyzer.
The nature of the disclosed concepts will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the disclosed concepts will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
Referring first to
Referring also to
It should be noted at this point that orientational terms such as over and below refer to the subject drawing as viewed by an observer. The drawing figures depict their subject matter in orientations of normal use, which could obviously change with changes in body posture and position. Therefore, orientational terms must be understood to provide semantic basis for purposes of description only, and do not imply that their subject matter can be used only in one position.
Exhaust outlet 110 is constricted in that transverse dimension 111 of exhaust outlet 110 is less than a corresponding transverse dimension 113 of housing 102. This relationship causes top wall 108 and the immediately overlying portion of outer shroud 128 to channel products of combustion and secondary and tertiary combustion air towards exhaust outlet 110, so that heat may be concentrated advantageously.
In
In
Fuel holder 104 may comprise a perforate receptacle 120 enabling air inducted from air inlet opening 116 to come into combustion support relation to solid fuel 118 in fuel holder 104. Fuel holder 104 may comprise an imperforate lateral wall 124 above perforate receptacle 120. In some implementations (not shown) of burner 100, imperforate lateral wall 124 may be eliminated. Perforate receptacle 120 may be made from metallic wire welded into a mesh, for example. Other components of burner 100 exposed to heat of combustion may be fabricated from a suitable metallic alloy, such as a suitable steel.
Outer shroud 128 may surround and be spaced apart from upper portion 122 of housing 102 of burner 100. Outer shroud 128 may be configured to constrain air immediately outside housing 102 to flow by convection radially inwardly to join exhaust products flowing upwardly from exhaust outlet 110, thereby further supporting secondary combustion and also interposing a thermally insulating barrier between lateral wall 106 of housing 102 and an exterior of burner 100. Similarly, air flowing upwardly past fuel holder 104, between fuel holder 104 and lateral wall 106, cools lateral wall 106 and conserves heat taken therefrom, returning recovered heat to flame and exhaust above exhaust outlet 110. Introduction of secondary and tertiary combustion air will in most cases cause secondary combustion of unburned and partially burned solid fuel 118 to burn so completely that visible smoke is largely eliminated. This decreases both fuel consumption and also air pollution.
An ash pan 130 may be releasably coupled to burner 100 below fuel holder 104. Ash pan 130 may comprise a floor 132 and a vertical peripheral wall 134 projecting upwardly from floor 132. Ash pan 130 thereby forms a sump capable of storing a supply of water 136 to extinguish burning embers (not shown) falling from fuel holder 104.
Referring specifically to
Referring specifically to
Referring specifically to
As seen in
In summary, burner 100 may comprise an air damper controlling volume of air flow through air inlet opening 116, the air damper being air damper 140, or alternatively, ash pan 130 serving as an air damper by virtue of its degree of inclination enabled by multiple position catch 148.
Referring to
As shown in
Burner 100 may further comprise a grill 160 attachable to housing 102 above exhaust outlet 110. Grill 160 includes openings (not shown) to enable hot gases to pass from combustion chamber 126 through grill 160. Burner 100 may further comprise a hinge 164 pivotally coupling grill 160 to housing 102 via an arm 162 supported on a post 166. Hinge 158 of cover 154 may be similarly supported to housing 102 by a post 168. Grill 160 is shown in a deployed position in solid lines and in a stowed position by broken lines in
Turning now to
Again referring to
Cooker 174B presents an open, flat cooking surface 188. Cooker 174B may include internal baffles 190 to establish a serpentine flow path for exhaust gases from burner 100.
Cooker 174C, intended for smoking, may include a smoking chamber 192 enclosing a wire rack 194. Smoking chamber 192 is substantially sealed against loss of smoke, apart from vent pipe 194.
Burner 100 may further comprise a gas-to-gas heat exchanger 198, whereby environmental air can be heated for space heating. Gas-to-gas heat exchanger 198 may include internal baffles 200 and a vent 202. Gas-to-gas heat exchanger may transfer heat by convection, radiation, or both. A powered fan (not shown) may be provided to enhance heat transfer to air.
Referring also to
Referring also to
To these ends, pyrolyzer 204 may further comprise conduit 216, 224, 230, 232, 232A in fluid communication with substantially air-tight heating chamber 206 and with burner 100, whereby vaporized products of pyrolysis may be conducted to burner 100 for supplementing solid fuel 118 in fuel holder 104, or for entirely eliminating use of solid fuel 118. Also, pyrolyzer 204 may further comprise conduits 216, 224, 230, 232, 232B in fluid communication with substantially air-tight heating chamber 206, an outlet (conduit 232B) for conducting vaporized products of pyrolysis to an external conduit or storage receptacle (neither shown), and a shutoff valve 234 in the conduit, the shutoff valve enabling control over flow of vaporized products of pyrolysis conducted to the outlet.
Burner 100 may be provided with a fuel feed feature (not shown) to enable renewing the fuel supply during operation, to enable continuous, long term operation. The fuel feed feature may comprise a door in the outermost wall of burner 100, and optionally, a chute leading from the door to the opening over exhaust outlet 110. Solid fuel loaded through the door and forced along the chute will drop into fuel holder 104.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present embodiments are not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but rather the description is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible.
It should be understood that the various examples of the apparatus(es) disclosed herein may include any of the components, features, and functionalities of any of the other examples of the apparatus(es) disclosed herein in any feasible combination, and all of such possibilities are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Many modifications of examples set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20170363297 A1 | Dec 2017 | US |