Patent Application
20080153047
The present invention claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 and 35 U.S.C. 365 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0130612(filed on Dec. 20, 2006), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a heating cooking appliance, and more particularly, to a heating cooking appliance and a burner system of the heating cooking appliance that are capable of reducing the size of the cooking appliance while obtaining high combustion efficiency and reduced airflow resistance.
A heating cooking appliance is an apparatus that heats and cooks food. The present disclosure particularly addresses a gas cook top that generates heat through gas combustion to heat and cook food. This cook top, which employs a hot plate (also referred to as a ‘hob’), is being used increasingly.
A cook top that operates through gas combustion includes a burner system. The burner system is a device that mixes gas with air for combustion. The burner system discharges gas fuel through a predetermined pipe, uses the air pressure being reduced around the discharged gas fuel, and mixes the gas with air in a burner pot. Then the air-gas mixture that enters the burner pot is mixed uniformly within the burner pot, the uniform mixture is combusted, and heat generated by the combustion is transferred to food through radiation and conduction, whereupon the food is heated and cooked.
In a heating cooking appliance according to the related art, in order to uniformly discharge the air-gas mixture after it enters the inside of the burner, the gas is introduced upward from the bottom of the burner. Thus, there is the limitation of the burner height increasing.
A total height of the heating cooking appliance increases when a height of the burner pot increases, thereby reducing aesthetic for a user, increasing the material cost and the distribution cost, and occupying much space.
Embodiments provide a heating cooking appliance and a burner system of the same, which can improve aesthetic for a user and reduce manufacturing costs by reducing a height of a burner pot.
Embodiments also provide a heating cooking appliance and a burner system of same, which can introduce a maximum amount of air and gas in the burner system to raise gas combustion efficiency and obtain high heat output, and ensure optimum operating reliability even when the burner system is slimmed.
In one aspect, a heating cooking appliance comprises: a case; a plate covering a top of the case; a burner system under the plate; and an exhaust unit at a side of the plate, wherein the burner system includes a burner pot providing a mixing space in which at least gas and air are uniformly mixed, a mixing tube having a venturi defining a boundary between a convergence and a divergence thereof and introducing the gas and air into the burner pot, and a nozzle maintained a predetermined distance from a mixing tube.
In another aspect, a burner system comprises: a burner pot providing a mixing space in which at least gas and air are uniformly mixed; a mixing tube through which the gas and air are supplied into the burner pot; and a nozzle maintained a predetermined distance from a mixing tube unit, wherein the nozzle is provided with a flow guider of which the outer surface diameter is gradually reduced, and a momentum of a gas flow discharged from the nozzle is uniformly transferred to ambient air, such that air flowing along the flow guider flows in concert with the gas flow.
In further aspect, a burner system comprises: a burner pot including a mixing space in which at least gas and air are uniformly mixed; a mixing tube through which the gas and air are supplied into the burner pot; and a nozzle maintaining a predetermined distance apart from the mixing tube, wherein a discharging hole of the nozzle is formed such that a ratio of a length L/a diameter D of the discharging hole is in a range of 0.9 to 1.1, to increase an amount of air introduced into the mixing tube.
A total height of the heating cooking appliance increases when a height of the burner pot increases, thereby reducing aesthetic for a user, increasing the material cost and the distribution cost, and occupying much space.
The present disclosure slims a cooking heating appliance with a burner system that introduces a maximum amount of air and gas into the burner system to raise gas combustion efficiency, improve aesthetic appeal for a user, and reduce various costs such as material, distribution, and installation costs.
Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The internal space defined by the case 2 and the ceramic plate 1 holds a plurality of components for performing gas combustion and exhausting, and controlling of the cooking appliance. A configurative description of the inside will be given.
First, three burner pots 4 are provided to sufficiently mix gas with air to allow uniform combustion afterward. A mixing tube unit 6 is disposed on the side surface of each burner pot 4 to supply a gas mixture through the side surface of the burner pot 4. Also, a nozzle unit 5 is disposed at a uniform distance from the mixing tube unit 6, and discharges gas toward the inlets of the mixing tube unit 6. A nozzle (refer to reference numeral 15 of
The burner frame 11 is disposed on top of the burner pots 4. The burner frame 11 supports the positions of the burner pots 4 and provides an exhaust flow of spent gas combusted on a glow plate 12.
An exhaust unit 10 for externally exhausting spent gas is disposed at the rear of the burner frame 11, and the exhaust grill 13 is disposed above the exhaust unit 10.
The glow plate 12 is disposed on the open upper side of the burner pot 4, and the glow plate 12 is heated at high temperatures generated by the combusting of the air-gas mixture. When the glow plate 12 is heated, radiant energy in a frequency range corresponding to the physical properties of the glow plate 12 is emitted. The radiant energy of the glow plate 12 includes at least visible light and preferably red light frequencies, so that a user can perceive, by means of the visible light, that the heating cooking appliance according to the present disclosure is operating. Of course, the glow plate 12 also functions to heat food, and to heat the ceramic plate 1 that also heats food.
A description of the structure for supplying gas to the nozzle unit 5 will be given.
Gas from the outside is supplied through a main gas supply line 8 to the cooking appliance, and the supply of gas to each burner system is mediated through a gas valve 7 (which is controlled by the switch 14. After passing through the gas valve 7, the gas passes through a respective branch gas supply line 9 to each of the nozzle units 5 and discharge the gas through the nozzle 15.
Referring to
The smaller-sized burner pot 4 in the center of the case 2 is supplied with gas-air mixture from front to rear, and the mixture of air and gas is completely mixed in a second stage within the burner pot. After the gas mixture is combusted on the glow plate 12, the spent gas is exhausted through the exhaust unit at the rear. On the other hand, the two comparatively larger burner pots 4 on either side of the case 2 are supplied with gas and air from rear to front, and the gas mixture is mixed in a second stage within the burner pot, after which the mixture is combusted on the glow plate 12 and then exhausted toward the rear of the burner pot.
The above arrangement of the burner pots 4 is intended to optimally configure a heating burner system.
The burner system of the heating cooking appliance according to the present disclosure provides a structure that can introduce the maximum amount of air and gas and promote mixture of the air and gas to prevent excessive loss of gas combustion efficiency in spite of reducing a height of the burner pot. A feature of the present disclosure is to improve configurations of the nozzle 15 and the mixing tube 61.
Referring to
The nozzle unit 5 includes a plurality of nozzles 15. The plurality of nozzles 15 are fixed to a nozzle holder 16. The mixing tube unit 6 is wholly fixed to the burner pot 4 in a state that a plurality of mixing tubes 61 are fixed to the mixing tube unit 6. Hence, a relative operation fixing the plurality of mixing tubes 61 to the burner pot 4 can be easily performed.
Here, the mixing tube unit 6 is aligned with the openings 42 of the burner pot 4. Also, because the mixing tubes 61 and the openings 42 provided on the mixing tube unit 6 are mutually provided in plurality to respectively align, the amount of air that enters along with the gas is maximized.
A description on the effects of the burner system will be given.
The gas discharged from the nozzle 15 enters the mixing tube unit 6 at high speed. Here, because the gas passes at high speed through the inlet of the mixing tube unit 6, the neighboring region of the opening of the mixing tube unit 6, according to Bernoulli's Theorem, becomes low in pressure. Therefore, outside air also enters the mixing tube 61, and the vapor that passes through the mixing tube 61 becomes a mixture of gas and air. The gas mixture that passes through the mixing tube unit 6 passes through the openings 42 and enters the interior of the burner pot 4, after which it is mixed a second time to combust on the glow plate 12. Also, the combustion heat from the gas mixture heats the glow plate 12 to make the glow plate 12 glow red and generate radiant heat.
Here, a large number of tiny holes are formed in the glow plate 12, through which the gas mixture passes and combusts, and spent gas is exhausted through an exhaust passage 111 and guided to the exhaust unit 10. The exhaust passage 111 is the space defined between the bottom of the ceramic plate 1 and the top of the burner frame 11.
The mixing tube 61 is disposed at a side surface of the burner pot 4 to supply gas and air through the side surface of the burner pot 4. The mixing tube 61 is formed facing the burner pot 4 at the same side surface of the burner pot 4 in a state that a plurality of mixing tubes are fixed to the mixing tube unit 6. Therefore, although a height of the burner pot 4 is low, sufficient gas and air are introduced to increase combustion efficiency.
Since the height of the burner pot 4 is made low in order to slim the heating cooking appliance, suitable configurations of the nozzle 15 and the mixing tube 61 are required.
In detail, a plurality of nozzles and mixing tubes must be provided to introduce much air and gas through upper and lower spaces of the slimmed burner pot 4. The gas discharged from the nozzle 15 and the larger amount of air must be introduced by the momentum of the gas such that a larger amount of air is introduced with the gas. The mixing tube 61 through which the discharged gas passes must not act on airflow resistance against the gas discharged from the nozzle 15 and the air introduced by the gas.
Hereinafter, a burner system suitable for implementing the above will be described in detail.
Referring to
A front end of the discharger 156 is gradually reduced in diameter to increase gas pressure. A discharging hole 155 is formed at the front end of the discharger 156.
A diameter W1 of a body of the discharger 156 is about 5 mm, and a typical diameter of the body of the discharger is about 7 mm. Here, the diameter W1 is reduced as compared to the typical diameter. This is done in order that the discharger 156 is suitable for a burner pot having a low height. A diameter W2 of the end of the discharger 156 is about 4 mm. Here, the diameter W1 of the body of the discharger 156 is greater than the diameter W2 of the end of the discharger 156. This is done in order to guide an airflow flowing along an outer surface of the discharger 156 in a front direction. In other words, an outer surface of the end of the discharger 156 is chamfered.
In detail, gas is discharged at high speed through the discharging hole 155, and air flows along a discharge flow line of the discharged gas. In other words, the air contacting the outer surface of the discharge flow line of the discharged gas flows along the gas by a no slip condition. The momentum of the gas flow line is applied to the surrounding air.
Preferably, the air flows along a flow direction of the gas flow line to allow smooth air cohesion to the gas flow line. Hence, the diameter W2 of the end of the discharger 156 is smaller than the diameter W1 of the body of the discharger 156 such that the air flows from a rear direction to a front direction of the discharger 156. In addition, a flow guider 153 in which a diameter of the discharger 156 is gradually reduced in the end direction is provided between the end and the body of the discharger 156.
Referring to
Preferably, the length L is provided similarly to the diameter D in a size of the discharging hole 155. This is done because a position at which gas flowing from the discharging hole 155 transitions from turbulent flow to laminar flow is detected to promote early transition of the turbulent flow in order to introduce more air and promote mixing of the gas and the air. The longer the length of the discharging hole 155 becomes, gas is further discharged to a laminar condition, and the shorter the length of the discharging hole 155 becomes, the gas transitions earlier to a turbulent condition. Of course, when mixing between gas and air is promoted, combustion performance of the mixed gas is improved.
In order to determine adequacy of the diameter of the discharging hole 155, heat power and air ratio (the ratio of air in the mixed gas) of the heating cooking appliance experiments with changing the ratio of length L/diameter D of the discharging hole 155. Of course, various conditions such as a distance between an outlet of the discharging hole 155 and a mixing tube are maintained as it is.
In the discharging hole according the present disclosure, the ratio of length L/diameter D of the discharging hole is about 0.9 to 1.1. Methanol is used as the fuel gas.
In the above description, the configuration of the nozzle that can exert the maximum effect was proposed. A configuration of the mixing tube that mixes the gas discharged from the nozzle with air introduced along the gas will be described below in detail.
Referring to
The convergence 62 may be the nozzle and the divergence 63 may be called a diffuser. A desirable position of the venturi 66 with respect to a total length of the convergence 62 was examined. The following conditions were considered as a precondition in performing the examination.
In the case where a heating cooking appliance is set to a lower level, gas having a lower pressure, e.g., 180 mmAq, may be discharged from the nozzle. In the case where the heating cooking appliance is set to a higher level, gas having a higher pressure, e.g., 200 mmAq, may be discharged from the nozzle. A configuration of a mixing tube that can be used optimally in two cases mentioned above is proposed because the configuration of the mixing pipe cannot be changed according to operating conditions of the heating cooking appliance.
In the case where a length of the convergence 62 is very short, the amount of intake air is reduced. In the case where a length of the divergence 63 is very short, a flow of turbulent flow does not flow smoothly to prevent mixing of the air. As a result, the gas is not completely burnt, thereby increasing generation of carbon monoxide (CO) and reducing exhaust performance.
In order to solve these problems, various experiments have been performed to detect a relative position of the mixing tube 61 disposed at the venturi 66.
Preferably, the venturi 66 is disposed at a middle part when the total length of the mixing tube is divided into three equal parts. Preferably, in the heating cooking appliance, the venturi 66 is disposed at a third part from an inlet 64 of the mixing tube when the total length of the mixing tube is divided into six equal parts because the discharging hole of the nozzle is adjacent to the inlet 64 of the mixing tube so as to achieve minimization of a burner system. Therefore, the heating cooking appliance can obtain high combustion efficiency without lowering the efficiency when the heating cooking appliance is set to the lower level or the high level.
Referring to
Since a large amount of intake air smoothly flows into the mixing tube and the air is better mixed with gas to generate a stable combustion reaction at a later point.
The present disclosure is proven in the graph in
Referring to
In the round-type flow guider 154, a diameter of the discharger 156 is not suddenly changed but smoothly rounded along a direction of airflow. Hence, the air following the airflow smoothly flows along a discharging direction of gas.
Although an inlet of a flow guider 154 is not rounded and an outlet of the flow guider 154 is rounded, the air directly following a gas flow can be smoothly guided. Therefore, manufacturing costs of the nozzle can be reduced and loss of intake air is low or almost non-existent.
In the case where gas is discharged from an outside of the burner pot 4 toward an inside of the burner pot 4, the configurations, which are suitable for reducing a height of the heating cooking appliance, of the nozzle and the mixing tube are the same as described above. However, the burner system of the present disclosure can be applied to a variety of appliances except the heating cooking appliance. Therefore, many advantages can be obtained in terms of combustion efficiency or the size of an appliance.
Although a plurality of mixing tubes are installed in the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and a single mixing tube and nozzle may be installed. Meanwhile, in case where the plurality of mixing tubes are installed, the burner can generate high temperature heating gas by introducing sufficient gas and air even if a height of an inside of the burner is low, i.e., about 19.5 mm.
As described above, in the heating cooking appliance of the present disclosure, although the height of the burner is reduced, the air sufficiently flows into the burner system to smoothly mix the air with the gas by making the nozzle and the mixing tube with a predetermined configuration and structure. Therefore, high combustion efficiency can be accomplished.
The heating cooking appliance has optimum operating reliability in spite of the slimness of the heating cooking appliance and the burner system.
Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2006-0130612 | Dec 2006 | KR | national |
