Patent Application
20180238537
The present disclosure generally relates to a burner base having a geometry that contributes to flow distribution within the burner mixture chamber.
One aspect provides a burner base for a burner assembly, where the burner base defines a bottom surface for a gas mixture chamber. The burner base includes a first barrier structure disposed along a perimeter of the gas mixture chamber, a second barrier structure disposed along the perimeter of the gas mixture chamber adjacent to the first barrier structure, and a third barrier structure disposed along a perimeter of the gas mixture chamber adjacent to the second barrier structure. Further, the first barrier structure, the second barrier structure and the third barrier structure have different geometries.
Another aspect provides a burner assembly that defines a gas mixture chamber. The gas mixture chamber includes a structural zone located radially outwardly from a gas injection port. The structural zone includes a geometry having a middle portion and two end portions, and the middle portion geometry of the structural zone is different than end portion geometries of the structural zone.
Still another aspect provides a burner body for a burner assembly, where the burner body defines at least a portion of a gas mixture chamber. The burner body includes a first barrier structure disposed along a perimeter of the burner body, a second barrier structure disposed along the perimeter of the burner body adjacent to the first barrier structure, and a third barrier structure disposed along a perimeter of the burner body adjacent to the second barrier structure. Further, the first barrier structure, the second barrier structure and the third barrier structure have different geometries.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
Further advantages and features according to the present disclosure will become clear from the following detailed description provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings in which:
The present illustrated embodiments reside primarily in combinations of apparatus components related to a burner base 10 for a stack burner assembly 110, for use in a cooking appliance, such as cooking appliance 100. Accordingly, the apparatus components have been represented, where appropriate, by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, like numerals in the description and drawings represent like elements.
It is to be understood that the disclosure may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.
The terms “including,” “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. For example, an element proceeded by “comprises a . . . ” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.
Referring to the attached
The disclosed burner base and burner assembly may be incorporated into a gas cooktop cooking appliance as would be known in the art.
In the illustrated embodiment, burner base 10 is configured as a substantially round disc that includes a perimeter edge structure 12 defining a portion of a perimeter of burner assembly 110. Perimeter edge structure 12 includes a top surface 14 as well as a barrier lip 13. Perimeter top surface 14 and barrier lip 13, together with openings 96 (
According to one embodiment, the geometry of burner base 10 within mixture chamber 112 includes a sloped bottom surface 18 that extends from internal perimeter lip 15 down to first barrier structure 30, a second barrier structure 40, a third barrier structure 50, and fourth barrier structure 60. Burner base 10 also includes an ignition barrier structure 70, adjacent to an ignition passage 24. Ignition passage 24 may be coupled to an ignition source for burner assembly 110. For example, a spark may be introduced through ignition passage 24 to ignite gas contained within mixture chamber 112. Burner base 10 may also include one or more fixation apertures 20 for affixing burner base 10 or burner assembly 110 to a cooking appliance 100.
According to aspects of the present disclosure, a burner base may include structural features, geometries, and zones to help distribute the flow of gas within a mixture chamber in a predictable manner to create a more even flame around the associated burner assembly. For example, in some cases, a burner base may include one or more structural zones around a gas ignition port to help distribute the gas being released from the gas ignition port around the entirety of the burner assembly. In at least one case, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, burner base 10 may include at least four different structural zones to enable the distribution of gas. In the illustrated embodiment, burner base 10 includes a first structural zone having a first barrier structure 30, a second structural zone having a second barrier structure 40, a third structural zone having a third barrier structure 50, a fourth structural zone having a fourth barrier structure 60.
As illustrated, first barrier structure 30 includes a first end 32, a second end 34 and a middle section 36. First end 32 is proximate ignition barrier structure 70, and includes a first end height 33 as measured above bottom surface 18. Second end 34 is proximate second barrier structure 40, and includes a second end height 35 as measured above bottom surface 18. Middle section 36 is proximate gas injection port 26 and includes a middle section height 37 as measured above bottom surface 18. First barrier structure 30 may also include a top surface 38 which may be sloped or may be in the same plane as perimeter top surface 14. As illustrated in
Referring to
As shown in detail in the embodiment depicted in
Third barrier structure 50 includes a first end 54 and a second end 56. First end 54 interfaces with second barrier structure 40 and second end 56 interfaces with fourth barrier structure 60. According to the illustrated embodiment, third barrier structure extends above bottom surface 18 at a height 55. Third barrier structure 50 also includes a top surface 52 which may be sloped or may be in the plane that is parallel to perimeter top surface 14. As illustrated in
Referring to
Fourth barrier structure 60 includes a first end 64 and a second end 66. First end 64 interfaces with third barrier structure 50 and second end 66 interfaces with ignition barrier structure 70. According to the illustrated embodiment, fourth barrier structure 60 extends away from bottom surface 18, without introducing a height to the fourth structural zone. Fourth barrier structure 60 also includes a top surface 62 which may be sloped or may be in a plane that is parallel to perimeter top surface 14. As illustrated in
Ignition barrier structure 70 rises above bottom surface 18 at a plurality of heights. First, ignition barrier structure 70 defines a midpoint height 74 at midpoint 73 from bottom surface 18 to a top surface 72. Ignition barrier structure 70 also defines a first end height 77 and a second end height 79. First end height 77 is defined between bottom surface 18 and top surface 72 where ignition barrier structure 70 interfaces with fourth barrier structure 60. Second end height 79 is defined between bottom surface 18 and top surface 72 where ignition barrier structure 70 interfaces with ignition passage 24. In some cases midpoint height 74 is different than first end height 77 and second end height 79. In at least one embodiment, midpoint height 74 is smaller than first end height 77 and second end height 79. In the illustrated embodiment, first end height 77 and second end height 79 are equal, and larger, than midpoint height 74. Further, as can be seen in
When burner base 10 is coupled with a cover such as burner spreader 80, the various surface geometries of the burner base, together with the bottom surface 84 of burner spreader 80, may define the overall surface structure of mixture chamber 112. In operation, the overall surface structure of mixture chamber 112 may facilitate the flow of gas inside burner mixture chamber 112, enabling a cooking flame to exit the entire circular path of burner assembly 110. More specifically, the variable geometries of the first structural zone, the second structural zone, the third structural zone, and the fourth structural zone, as described herein, may create pressure differentials within mixture chamber 112 that effect the velocity and stability of the gas around the burner assembly 110. Thus, when gas is injected through injection port 26, and ignited by an ignition introduced through ignition passage 24, the pressure differentials created by the structural zones can serve to move the injected gas, and thus the cooking flame, consistently and stably around burner assembly 110.
As described above, the first barrier structure 30 of the first structural zone, the second barrier structure 40 of the second structural zone, the third barrier structure 50 of the third structural zone, the fourth barrier structure 60 of the fourth structural zone, as well as the ignition barrier structure 70, each comprise distinct surface geometries. Accordingly, in at least one embodiment, the radial cross-sectional area of the mixture chamber varies between the structural zones, and in some cases, varies along a single structural zone.
For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the variable height of first barrier structure 30 creates a variable radial cross-sectional area within mixture chamber 112 that causes gas injected through injection port 26 to be drawn away from middle section 36 and around the circle of burner base 10. In particular, because the middle section 36 of the first barrier structure 30 is taller (middle section height 37) than the first end 32 and the second end 34 (first end height 33 and second end height 35), a radial cross-sectional area of the middle section of the first structural zone is smaller than the radial cross-sectional areas at the ends of the first structural zone. Accordingly, the change in area, moving from the middle section, or proximate middle section 36, out to the ends, proximate first end 32 and the second end 34, creates a pressure differential. In at least one embodiment, due to the increase in the area of the mixture chamber 112, the pressure drops from the middle section 36 to the first end 32, and from the middle section to the second end 34. The pressure drop can cause the velocity of the gas to increase and the gas to be drawn from the gas injection port 26 and middle section 36 toward first end 32 and second end 34.
As previously discussed, second barrier structure 40 is geometrically similar to ignition barrier structure 70, which is located diametrically opposite from second barrier structure 40. Accordingly, second barrier structure 40 allows for the flow of gas at the first end 32 of first barrier structure 30 to mimic the flow of gas at the second end 34 of first barrier structure 30, creating a symmetrical flow at these locations within mixture chamber 112. Thus, in at least one embodiment, as the gas is moved toward the first end 32 and the second end 34 due to the geometry of the first structural zone, the symmetric structures of second barrier structure 40 and ignition barrier structure 70 help to ensure the symmetry and stability of the gas and cooking flame at the diametrically opposite areas of mixture chamber 112.
Third barrier structure 50, having a uniform height 57, creates a uniform geometry around the third structural zone as shown in
It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described device and other components is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the device disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.
It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the various aspects of the burner base as shown in the exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.
It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structures and methods without departing from the concepts of the present device. Further, it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
The above description is considered that of the illustrated embodiments only. Modifications of the device will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the device. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above is merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the device, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the Doctrine of Equivalents.
