Patent Application
20140360486
The invention relates to a gas burner and improvement in flame properties for heating objects.
Flame properties of gas burners are a matter of concern in heating objects. For example, the inefficiency in using straight gas nozzles uniformly arranged to produce a uniform set of vertical flames was addressed in the U.S. Patent No. 2008/0,173,298 to Tsung-Ming Hsu. Vertical nozzles do not provide a high degree of uniform heating when in contact with the bottom surface of a cooking utensil such as a pot or pan according to Tsung-Ming Hsu, so the solution is to configure vertical and slanted gas nozzles so that bias gas flow exhausted from the slanted nozzles are incorporated into straight gas flows exhausted from the vertical nozzles to form a spiraling concentrated gas flow within the burner head assembly. This produces a high degree of uniformity in applying a flame to a heating surface.
Furthermore, it has been found that heating efficiency is improved by means of an air stability or flame deflector ring positioned apart from and opposite the burner ports, deflecting flue products away from the burner ports and toward the object being heated. Also, the heated deflector ring creates thermal currents that move toward the object being heated, according to the U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,020 to Linus K. Hahn. In the U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,561 to Douglas Myron Maxwell et al. a deflector means spaced apart from the burner ports embodying the same principle was disclosed to improve heating efficiency.
In accordance with the present invention, improvement in flame properties such as greater contact area across the surface of the object being heated and improved flame stability is provided by a flared aperture. The flared aperture produces a streamlined circular flame that blankets the preferred surface area along the object being heated. Slanted and vertical nozzles and discrete openings such as gas exit ports of the prior art burner heads are absent. In accordance with the present invention, the flared aperture is uniform, meaning that the aperture is not interrupted, such as, by discrete ports or holes in the burner head, and that the areas bordering the aperture are smooth and not jagged.
More specifically, a flared aperture is disclosed, configured for managing the flue products of a cylindrical burner body that is upright or disposed along a vertical axis, enclosed at the bottom by a circular bottom plate and open at the top; thus defining a cylindrical body interior having a top opening. The open top end of the cylindrical body has an edge defined by a flared lip, projecting outwardly from the burner body and having an interior surface that is slanted toward the cylindrical body interior. A circular top plate is centered over the top opening of the burner body, perpendicular to its vertical axis and spaced apart therefrom having a horizontal interior surface overlying the cylindrical body interior.
In this configuration, the distal portion of the horizontal interior surface of the top plate is opposing the interior slanting surface of the flared lip in converging relationship. The size of the top plate is predetermined so that a uniform circular gap for exhausting gas from the burner body is defined at the circular periphery of the top plate overhanging the interior slanting surface. By virtue of this configuration, gas is subjected to these converging surfaces prior to release through the uniform circular gap.
According to the present invention, the flared lip is configured so that the interior slanting surface is projecting beyond the uniform circular gap. This provides that flue products are subjected to the interior slanting surface of the flared lip outside the burner body.
According to the present invention, a means for securing the circular top plate configured to a predetermined separation from the burner body is provided. The degree of separation of the top plate determines the size of the uniform circular gap. Adjustment in the degree of separation of the top plate is also provided which governs the size of the uniform circular gap for adapting the burner to various conditions surrounding its use.
According to the present invention, a means for delivering a mixture of gas and air to the cylindrical body interior is provided. Such gas delivery means has an adjustable opening for regulating the intake of air.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to improve flame spread and heat transfer.
Other objects of the present invention include improving flame stability, reducing the likelihood of flashback and reducing the time for the flame to reach its full extension during heating of objects.
Now in reference to
According to the principles embodied in the present invention, the flared aperture 13 includes a projection beyond gap 17 illustrated by the projection 20 of the outward flared lip 18 in
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outward flared lip 18 is configured to within a range of 52 to 56 degrees from the vertical axis of the cylindrical body 11 shown by the offset 30 in
According to the present invention, a means is provided for a predetermined separation of the circular periphery 14 from the flared lip 18. This includes a vertical spacer is that is centrally located in the cylindrical body interior 12, between the top plate 15 and the bottom plate 27. The preferred embodiment includes a spacer tube 21 secured by metal-to-metal gas tight sealing engagement 24a and 24b with surfaces 22 and 23 respectively shown in
Adjustment can be made in the degree the circular periphery 14 is spaced apart from the flared lip 18 by a predetermined height of the spacer tube 21. As a result, desired adjustment of the size of gap 17 can be obtained.
In the preferred embodiment, gas is fed to cylindrical body interior 12 from a fuel source by means of a delivery tube 32 illustrated in
According to one embodiment, gap 17 is sized to 1/16 of an inch because of the height of spacer tube 21. In this configuration, the burner 10 will be used in combination with a utensil 38 in a heating assembly illustrated in
Flame 37 illustrated in
A burner 10 embodying the principles of the present invention is suited for use with conventional stoves having a circular burning well in which the burner is positioned underneath utensil 38 supported by apparatus 40 illustrated in
Although the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it is to be clearly understood that this is done only by way of example, and not as limitation to the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
