Switch structure for a heating device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6522235
  • Patent Number
    6,522,235
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, January 10, 2001
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, February 18, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Vortman; Anatoly
    Agents
    • Lei; Leong C.
Abstract
A switch structure for a heating device having a passage formed within the main body of the structure, an air inlet, a main flame air outlet, a second air outlet and a thermocouple insertion hole connected to the passage being formed on the main body, and a manual control rod having a stopper being provided within the passage of the main body, two through holes being formed corresponding to the main flame air outlet and the second flame air outlet; characterized in that the main flame air outlet, the thermocouple insertion hole and the second flame air outlet have upward direction openings of similar direction, and the main flame air outlet and the air inlet are located on the same axis, and a stopper is suitably mounted between the main flame outlet and the air inlet, thereby the lighting rod of the switch, the thermocouple and the second air tube are extended in same direction to form an easy assemble, safe and stable switch for the heater.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




(a) Technical Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a heating device switch, and in particular, a switch structure with a main flame air outlet, a second flame outlet and a thermocouple insertion hole having an opening facing upward.




(b) Description of the Prior Art




A conventional heating device which is used to provide heat to a room is shown in FIG.


1


. The lower end of the heating device is provided with a gas tank


12


and the top end of the heating device is provided with a cylindrical housing


11


. The top end opening of the gas tank


12


is connected to an air tube


13


and the middle section of the air tube


13


is provided with a switch


20


. The manual control rod


26


of the switch


20


passes through the housing


10


for the operation of the user. The top end of the air tube


13


is provided with a burner


15


. When t user turns on the switch


20


, the gas tank


12


provides gas to produce heat, and the top end of the housing


10


is provided with an arc-shaped reflective hood


16


so as to allow heat energy to disperse downward.




The structure of he switch


20


is shown in

FIGS. 2 and 3

. The main body


21


of the conventional switch


20


is formed into a passage


22


. The passage


22


has an air inlet


23


with an opening facing downward, and an air outlet


24


with an opening facing award and the main body


21


is formed into a second flame air outlet


25


of horizontal shape, and the second flame outlet


25


is a horizontal thermocouple insertion hole


28


with a 90 degree inclination angle. The interior of the passage


22


is mounted with a manual control rod


26


, and a stopper


27


is mounted on the manual control rod


26


. On the stopper


27


, there are two through holes


270


corresponding to the flame outlet


24


and the second flame outlet


25


such that when the manual control rod


26


rotates, the respective holes


270


align with the main flame outlet


24


and the second flame air outlet


25


. The passage


22


within the thermocouple insertion hole


28


is provided with an electromagnetic valve


29


, and the electro-magnetic valve


29


is provided with a plug body


290


having a stepped, protruded edge


220


to block the step so as to block the air inlet


23


and the passage


22


between the main flame air outlet


24


and the second flame air outlet


25


.




The main flame air outlet


24


is connected to the burner


15


, and the air inlet


23


is connected to the gas tank


12


. The second flame air outlet


25


employs a soft tube to guide the air to the surrounding of the thermocouple insertion hole


28


for the thermocouple after the electromagnetic valve


29


is in alignment (not shown). When the user presses downward and rotates the manual control rod


26


, the plug body


290


of the electromagnetic valve


29


is suitably pushed, and the gas flows via the passage


22


and the through hole


270


of the stopper


27


to the main flame air outlet


24


and the second flame air outlet


25


. Due to rotating of the manual control rod


26


, the burner


15


is triggered and the gas from the second flame air outlet is burnt and heat is provided. The electromagnetic valve


29


attracts the plug body


290


such that the gas from the main flame air outlet


24


to the burner


15


is maintained until the manual control rod


26


is rotated to its original position. The through holes


270


do not align with the main flame air outlet


24


md the second air outlet


25


, and the gas supply is cut off and the thermocouple is not heated, and the plug body


290


is restored to cut off the passage


22


. This will close the burner


15


.




The above conventional structure has the following drawbacks:




(1) Assemble problem




the air inlet


23


and thee flame air outlet


24


are not on the same axis, and the direction of openings of the outlet


24


and the second flame air outlet


25


is different. A conversion connector


30


is employed to the main flame air outlet


24


such that the air inlet hole


23


and the man flame outlet


24


are stopped at one axis. In addition, a soft tube has to bused in order to guide gas from the outlet


25


to the thermocouple. Thus, the assemble procedures of this structure are complicated and not convenient.




(2) Passage of flow is not smooth




The design of the passage


22


within the main body


21


of the switch


20


is not appropriate. The inlet


23


and the various outlets are not at the same direction. Thus, the flow of air stream is not smooth and the complete burning of gas is affected.




(3) High cost of production




in view of the above, due to the complicated assembly, or the parts of the structure more man power, time and production cost are involved and is will lower the production rate. As a result, the production cost is increased.




(4) Low safety




The safety of the structure is low for the reason that the burning of the gas is incomplete. The soft tube can be easily torn and gas will leak.




(5) Low stability




Due to the positions of the openings being not at the same direction, the weight center of the heater is biased at one side.




This will affect the stability of the heating device.




Accordingly it is a main object to mitigate the above drawbacks by providing a switch structure for a heating device.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a switch structure for a heating device wherein the main flame air outlet, the thermocouple insertion hole and the second flame air outlet are opened in an upward direction, and the main flame air outlet and the air inlet are located on the same axis, thereby the assemble of the lighting rod, the thermocouple and the main flame air tube is convenient, and the weight center of the heating device after the pipes are mounted will maintaining at the center point to increase the stability of the heating device.




Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a switch structure for a heating device, wherein the guiding hole between the switch passage and the second flame outlet is provided with an adjusting screw, the adjusting screw is mounted with a sealing element which can provide air sealing, and the adjusting screw, corresponding to the second flame outlet hole, is provided with a cylindrical plug so as to control the size of air venting of second flame air outlet to achieve the object of controlling the size of the second flame.




The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a schematic view of a conventional switch applied in the heating device.





FIG. 2

is a sectional view of the interior of the conventional switch.





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of the conventional switch mounted with a conversion head.





FIG. 4

is a sectional view of the switch of the present invention.





FIG. 5

is a sectional view of an enlarged portion on one portion of the present invention.





FIG. 6

is a schematic view of the second flame tube, the lighter, and the thermocouple in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 7

is a schematic view of the second flame adjusting structure of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings. Specific language will be used to describe same. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.




Referring to

FIGS. 4 and 5

, there is shown a switch structure for a heating device. The interior of the main body


50


has a passage


52


and an air inlet


51


a main flame air outlet


53


, a second flame air outlet


55


which is connected to the passage


52


, and a thermocouple insertion hole


54


is also provided at the main body


50


. The interior of the passage


52


is mounted with a manual control rod


56


on which is arranged a stopper


57


. On the stopper


57


, there are two through holes


570


corresponding to the main flame air outlet


53


and the second flame air outlet


55


. The interior of the thermocouple insertion hole


54


is provided with an electromagnetic valve


58


having a plug body


580


. The plug


580


is suited to cut off the passage


52


from the air inlet


51


to air outlet


53


and the second flame outlet


55


. The middle section of the manual control rod


56


is extended downward to a triggering rod


560


and the triggering rod


560


is suited to urge at the impact needle


71


of a lighter


70


. As shown in

FIG. 6

, the socket


72


of the lighter


70


is provided with a lighting rod


75


. The thermocouple on hole


54


and the second flame air outlet


55


are provided with the thermocouple


80


and the second flame air tube


90


such that when the user presses down are rotates the manual control rod


56


, the plug body


580


of the electro-magnetic valve


58


is pushed to open, and gas passes through from the passage


52


and the through hole


570


to the main flame air outlet


53


and the second flame air outlet


55


. At the same time, the rotating of the manual control rod


56


causes the triggering rod


560


to push the impact needle


71


, such that the impact needle


71


is reflected to impact the lighting rod


75


of the lighter


70


, and lights the gas from the second flame air tube


90


to heat the thermocouple


80


. The electro-magnetic valve


58


attracts the plug body


580


, and gas is continuously supplied to the burner of the main flame air inlet


53


.




Referring to FIGS.


4


,and


5


, the flame air outlet


53


, the thermocouple insertion hole


54


and the second flame air outlet


55


are opened upward and all are of similar direction. The main flame air outlet


53


and the air inlet


51


are on the same axis, and the stopper


57


is suitably positioned in between the main flame air outlet


53


and the air inlet


51


, such that the lighting rod


75


, the thermocouple


80


and the second flame air tube


90


are extended in the same direction and are mounted thereto, as shown in FIG.


6


.




Referring to

FIG. 7

a guiding hole


59


is formed between the passage


52


and the second flame air outlet


55


. The guiding hole


59


is provided with the internal screw threads


590


for the mounting with an adjusting screw


60


. A sealing element


61


is provided to the adjusting screw


60


so as to provide a sealing effect. The adjusting screw


60


, corresponding to the second flame air outlet


55


, is provided with a cylindrical plug


62


such that when the user turns the adjusting screw


60


, the size of venting of the second flame air outlet


55


can be controlled.




In view of the above, in practice, the following advantages are obtained:




(1) Easy to assemble




As the direction of the openings of the main flame outlet


53


, the second flame air outlet


55


and the thermocouple insertion hole


54


are of same direction, the lighting rod


75


, the t couple


80


and the second flame air tube


90


arc directly mounted without using a curved conduit. Besides, the air inlet


51


and the main flame outlet


53


are located on the same axis, no conversion connector is required. Thus the assembly operation is simple and easier.




(2) Smooth Passage




In view of the above, the main flame air outlet and the air inlet being on the same axis, this will improve the smoothness of gas flow, and the burning in of gas is complete. Therefore, the safety of application is greatly enhanced.




(3) Lower cost of production




As the assembly operation is easy, time taken for the assemble operation is sorter and therefore, the required cost of production is greatly reduced.




(4) High stability




As the various air holes have opening of similar directions, the weight center of the gas heating device a the pipes have been fitted, the cost on the additional conversion connector and the soft pipes are not required, and these will not affect the weight center of the entire heater. The stability of the present invention is far higher than that of the conventional invention.




While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spit of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A switch structure for a heating device having a passage formed within the main body of the structure, an air inlet, a main flame air outlet, a second air outlet and a thermocouple insertion hole connected to the passage being formed on the main body, and a manual control rod having a stopper being provided within the passage of the main body, two through holes being formed corresponding to the main flame air outlet and the second flame air outlet; characterized in that the main flame air outlet, the thermocouple insertion hole and the second flame air outlet have upward direction openings of similar direction, and the main flame air outlet and the air inlet are located on the same axis, and the stopper is suitably mounted between the main flame outlet and the air inlet, thereby a lighting rod of the switch, the thermocouple and a second air tube are extended in same direction to form an easy to assemble, safe and stable switch for the heater.
  • 2. The switch structure for a heater as set forth in claim 1, wherein a guiding hole with screw threads is formed between the main passage and the second flame air outlet, and the guiding hole is locked by a screw having a sealing element, and an adjusting screw, corresponding to the second flame air outlet, is provided with a cylindrical plug for the controlling of the size of the second flame.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Number Name Date Kind
3597138 Ray Aug 1971 A
3685730 Katchka Aug 1972 A
3763875 Mobus et al. Oct 1973 A
3810249 McGowan May 1974 A
3843049 Baysinger Oct 1974 A
4267859 Dykzeul May 1981 A
4285662 Katchka et al. Aug 1981 A
4304249 White Dec 1981 A
5326029 Schultz Jul 1994 A
5484103 Schultz Jan 1996 A
6027335 Griffioen Feb 2000 A
20010022198 Kuriyama et al. Sep 2001 A1
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
3105391 Sep 1982 DE