U.S. patent application number 14/363703 was filed with the patent office on 2014-11-27 for grid for cooking equipment.
This patent application is currently assigned to WHIRLPOOL S.A.. The applicant listed for this patent is WHIRPOOL S.A.. Invention is credited to Cirilo Seppi Bresolin, Rodrigo Fregulia de Faveri, Marcos Raphael da Silva.
Application Number | 20140345590 14/363703 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47561003 |
Filed Date | 2014-11-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140345590 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bresolin; Cirilo Seppi ; et
al. |
November 27, 2014 |
GRID FOR COOKING EQUIPMENT
Abstract
The present invention relates to a grid used in stoves which
comprises innovative technical and functional characteristics
capable of increasing the thermal efficiency of the burners. More
preferably, the grid according to the present invention comprises
an upper crown (1) provided with a series of fins (2) arranged
around the burner (3), these fins (2) form passage and distribution
channels (4) of hot gases, and extend to the underside of crown
(1), within an air and/or fuel passage chamber (5) in which it is
preheated before the combustion itself.
Inventors: |
Bresolin; Cirilo Seppi;
(Florianopolis, BR) ; Silva; Marcos Raphael da;
(Joinville,SC, BR) ; Faveri; Rodrigo Fregulia de;
(Joinville, BR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
WHIRPOOL S.A. |
Brooklin Novo, Sao Paulo, SP |
|
BR |
|
|
Assignee: |
WHIRLPOOL S.A.
Sao Paulo -SP
BR
|
Family ID: |
47561003 |
Appl. No.: |
14/363703 |
Filed: |
December 5, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
December 5, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/BR2012/000497 |
371 Date: |
June 6, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/214C |
Current CPC
Class: |
F23D 2900/00003
20130101; F23D 14/08 20130101; Y02E 20/348 20130101; F23D 14/66
20130101; Y02E 20/34 20130101; F24C 15/107 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/214.C |
International
Class: |
F24C 15/10 20060101
F24C015/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 8, 2011 |
BR |
PI1105207-4 |
Claims
1. Grid for cooking equipment, comprising a crown formed by a
plurality of fins, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it comprises: at
least one fin formed by at least one upper projection disposed on
the upper face of crown, and at least one lower projection disposed
on the lower face of crown; at least one lower chamber defined
between the lower face of crown and the upper face of at least one
lower crown; at least one channel defined between at least two
lower projections of at 10 least two fins at least one channel
disposed within at least one lower chamber; and the crown being
provided with a plurality of holes through which a flame crosses
when burner is turned on.
2. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that the lower chamber comprises at least one admission
inlet.
3. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 2, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that the admission inlet is laterally disposed.
4. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 2, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that the admission inlet is disposed on the lower
crown.
5. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that the lower chamber comprises an air passage
chamber.
6. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that the lower chamber comprises a fuel gas passage
chamber.
7. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that the lower chamber comprises a mixing chamber
passage formed by air and fuel gas.
8. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that it also foresees at least one peripheral lower
chamber adjacent and in communication with the at least one lower
chamber.
9. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that at least one fin has its upper projection and its
lower projection physically integrated to crown.
10. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that at least one fin is modular to crown.
11. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that at least one lower projection of at least one fin
is integrally extended along the height of lower chamber.
12. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that at least one lower projection of at least one fin
is partially extended along the height of lower chamber.
13. Grid for cooking equipment, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED
by the fact that lower crown comprises the cooking table of a
cooking equipment.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a grid used in cooking
equipment in general, more specifically in domestic stoves, which
includes technical and functional characteristics capable of
increasing the thermal efficiency of the burners used in such
equipment. More preferably, the grid object of the present
invention is comprised of fins which promote the recovery of heat
generated for heating the cooking utensil and to more properly burn
the air/fuel mixture through its preheating.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Stoves and cooking equipment generally known in the state of
the art are usually equipped with a number of burners over which
there are arranged the cooking utensils, wherein the configuration
of these burners is intended to produce a flame that can heat the
bottom of these utensils and, preferably, such heating should be as
uniform as possible.
[0003] In this regard, according to the state of the art, it is
noticed that the manufacturers of stoves seek to develop burners
that somehow are able to provide a more suitable heating of the
utensils without, thereby, requiring wasteful consumption of fuel,
since that such proposals would make the stoves economically and
ecologically inappropriate.
[0004] In order to obtain increased thermal efficiency, there are
known in the state of the art trivets fitted with elements or
configurations that assist in driving and distribution of the flame
and the hot gas flow beneath the cooking utensils. More
particularly, as can be observed in documents JP 2005009790, JP
60164136, JP 200867808 and JP 2005291583, there are known some
models of burners provided with a set of protrusions and fins
capable of promoting the conduction of the hot gas flow beneath the
cooking utensil.
[0005] However these types of trivet have some drawbacks due to the
fact that they are only flow straighteners, such as the increase of
weight of the assembly and the increase of thermal exchange area
with the environment, causing more heat losses. In other words,
this type of grill known in the art can only partially solve the
problems of conventional burners, because said protrusions and fins
are disposed only on the outer and upper surface of the grid, that
is, they are only designed on the side where there is contact with
the cooking utensil. Thus, the possible increase of the efficiency
of such grids is only related to the fact that the path of the
exhaust gases below the cooking utensils be greater.
[0006] Additionally, as can be seen, the prior art does not
disclose burners and grids capable of promoting recovery of part of
the heat that, eventual and generally, is lost during the burning
of the air/fuel mixture.
[0007] Another drawback of the burners and grids known in the
current state of the art relates to the fact that the air/fuel
mixture admitted to the burner is at a relatively low
temperature--generally, at room temperature. Therefore, as it
should be within the knowledge of the skilled in the art, it
appears that the combustion process, in such conditions, may be
incomplete and inefficient, requiring a fuel consumption higher
than necessary.
[0008] Moreover, due to this low efficiency of burning, the
combustion ultimately results in the emission of undesired
relatively high concentrations of pollutants to the atmosphere,
since it is not possible to obtain the full burning of the
fuel--which, of course, is detrimental to the environment and
health of the user.
[0009] Thus, despite showing functional and efficient, so far it
appears that the burners used in stoves could be improved,
especially with regard to thermal efficiency. More particularly, it
is observed that the stoves of the prior art lack burners able to
perform the burning of the air/fuel mixture more appropriately and
with lower heat losses to the environment, thus resulting in high
thermal efficiency and lower emissions of pollutants to the
environment.
OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Therefore, it is one objective of the present invention to
provide a grid provided with fins to be applied in burners of
cooking devices that is able to efficiently solve the drawbacks and
limitations of the burners known in the state of the art, as
outlined above.
[0011] More particularly, it is also an objective of the present
invention to provide a grid to burners of equipment comprising
innovative technical and functional characteristics that allow
increasing the thermal efficiency by promoting a proper combustion
of the air/fuel mixture.
[0012] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
grate provided with fins capable of recovering heat energy that is
generally lost to the environment, aiming to promote pre-heating
the fuel/air mixture before burning, which consequently results in
increased thermal efficiency of the combustion process.
[0013] It is also an objective of the present invention to provide
a grid provided with fins capable of reducing the speed of
combustion gases and, thereby, increase the residence time of these
gases under the cooking utensil, thus increasing the thermal
efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Thus, in order to achieve the objectives and technical
effects mentioned above, the present invention relates to a grid
for cooking equipment, and comprises a crown comprised of a
plurality of fins. In this sense at least one fin is formed by at
least one upper projection disposed on the upper face of the crown,
and at least one lower projection disposed on the lower face of the
crown.
[0015] According to the present invention, the grid further
comprises at least one lower chamber and at least one channel
defined between at least two lower projections of at least two
fins. Thus, at least one channel is disposed within at least one
lower chamber. The lower chamber which is defined between the lower
face of at least one upper crown and the upper face of at least one
lower crown comprises at least one admission inlet which can be
laterally arranged or inferiorly disposed.
[0016] Broadly, and in accordance with the concepts of the present
invention, the lower chamber comprises an air passage chamber, or
of gas fuel passage, or of passage of the mixture formed by air and
fuel gas.
[0017] Preferably, the present grid for cooking equipment also
provides at least one peripheral lower chamber adjacent and in
communication with at least one lower chamber.
[0018] Also preferably, at least one lower projection of at least
one fin is integrally extended along the height of the lower
chamber. Optionally, at least one lower projection of at least one
fin is partially extended along the height of lower chamber.
[0019] According to the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, at least one upper projection and at least one lower
projection of the same fin are vertically aligned. Moreover, at
least one fin has its upper projection and its lower projection
physically integrated to the crown. Optionally at least one fin can
also be modular to the crown.
[0020] It should also be noted that, optionally, the lower crown
can be understood by the cooking table itself of a cooking
equipment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0021] The features, advantages and technical effects of the
present invention, and as indicated above, will be best understood
by one skilled in the art from the following detailed description,
given by way of example, and not limitation, of a preferred
embodiment and with reference to the appended schematic figures,
which:
[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the grid with fins
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a sectioned perspective view of the grid with
fins illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 3.1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one
embodiment of grids disclosed herein;
[0025] FIG. 3.2 illustrates the preferred flow of burning gases
within the grid of FIG. 3.1;
[0026] FIG. 4.1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another
embodiment of the grid disclosed herein, and
[0027] FIG. 4.2 illustrates the preferred flows of burning gases
within the grid of FIG. 4.1;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] According to the schematic figures indicated above, the grid
for stoves according to the present invention comprises an upper
crown 1, wherein there are disposed fins 2 around the burner 3,
said fins forming channels 4 for the passage and distribution of
hot gases generated by the combustion of the burner, in order to
promote uniform heating of the cooking utensil (not shown) which is
supported preferably on said fins 2.
[0029] Said fins 2 are extended to the underside of crown 1, so
that they are, at least partially, in the region formed by an air
and/or fuel passage chamber 5 that feeds holes 6 of burner 3.
[0030] Preferably, the grid of the present invention comprises a
lower crown 7 which is overlaid by crown 1, forming a piece
preferably and not exclusively cylindrical shaped, comprising
inside said chamber 5 which also provides admission inlets 51.
[0031] In an optional embodiment, and as illustrated by FIG. 2,
said part formed by crowns 1 and 7 is provided with a peripheral
chamber 8 provided with at least one air and/or fuel feed hole 9.
In this case, the admission inlets 51 of chamber 5 ultimately
define communication points between chambers 5 and 8.
[0032] With respect to the above aspect, it is clear that other
embodiments possible for the invention--which are represented in
FIGS. 3.1 and 4.1--may comprise other forms of fluid inlet to the
process, for example, side inlets (single or multiple) or with
lower fluid inlets directly linked to passage chamber.
[0033] In another possible configuration (not shown), the piece may
contain multiple fluid inlets without, however, containing a lower
crown 7 so that the mixing and passage chamber is formed by the
contact of the side walls of the part with the cooking table.
[0034] According to the attached figures, it is noted that said
fins 2 are arranged so that they are divided into an upper portion
21 positioned on the upper surface of crown 1, and a lower portion
22 disposed within the passage chamber 5. Lower portions 22 of fins
2 may be or not supported on the lower crown 7, or alternatively,
it is also possible to arrange a combination of fins with different
heights, such as intercalating some fins supported and others
spaced from the lower crown 7 or possibly from the cooking
table.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, particularly with reference to the
indicative arrows, it appears that the flow of hot gases (arrow A)
is guided through the mentioned channels 4 heating upper portions
21 of fins 2. Upon heating of these upper portions 21, by means of
thermal conduction (arrow B), it occurs the transfer of heat to
lower portions 22 of fins 2, which are arranged inside said passage
chamber 5. Thus, as the air and/or fuel mixture passes over the
chamber 5 (arrow C), lower portions 22, which are heated, promote
heating of the mixture, so that at the time of the combustion the
mixture is preheated, allowing to obtain a more efficient
combustion process.
[0036] In summary, as can be seen, fins 2 arranged in order to pass
over crown 1 are capable of promoting the recovery of part of the
heat that, in many cases, is lost to the environment without any
use. Thus, it is important to highlight that the grid according to
the present invention can greatly enhance the efficiency due to the
recovery of heat through the thermal conduction between the upper
21 and lower 22 portions of fins 2, so that air and/or fuel is
preheated before the combustion itself. Therefore, this preheating
can increase the flame temperature and, consequently, it is
obtained a greater amount of heat that will be supplied for heating
the cooking utensil.
[0037] It is noteworthy that despite these fins 2 are illustrated
in FIGS. 2 with a rectangular shape, nothing prevents that these
fins comprise different formats, being only recommended that they
are capable of forming channels for the uniform conduction and
circulation of hot gases generated in the combustion, and being
extended until the passage chamber 5. Thus, said fins 2 may
comprise a rectangular, arched, elliptical, tilted or even sinuous
format.
[0038] Additionally, it should be noted that the grid according to
the invention can be manufactured by a machining or casting
process, fins 2 may be machined or cast in the crowns themselves.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, said crown 1
can be provided with grooves (not shown) in which said fins 2 can
be inserted and fixed.
[0039] With the construction suggested, the portions of fins 2 that
are arranged on the upper crown 1 are configured to form channels
whose purpose is to carry and distribute more evenly the hot gases
generated by the combustion of the air/fuel mixture by the burner,
especially when accommodating the cooking utensils on said grid. In
this regard, with the passage of hot gases through the channels
mentioned, there occurs the heating the upper portions 21 of fins 2
which, by thermal conduction, transfer heat to the lower portions
22 of said fins 2 which are arranged inside said passage chamber 5
of air/fuel.
[0040] Thus, considering that lower portions 22 of fins 2 are
positioned within the passage chamber 5, when the flow of air
and/or fuel, at room temperature, passes over said chamber, there
is contact with the lower portions 22 of fins 2 which are heated,
in order to cause heat exchange between upper 21 and lower 22
regions of fins 2 and the air and/or fuel. Therefore, because of
this heat exchange, the air/fuel mixture is preheated before
reaching the burner and thereby allows that the fuel burn occurs
more efficiently, with less generation of polluting compounds and
with flame temperature higher than in cases where the air/fuel
mixture is burned at room temperature.
[0041] Among the preferred embodiments of the grid object of the
present invention, the lower portions 22 of fins 2 are, at least
partially, inside the passage chamber 5 of air/fuel. However, as it
should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such lower
portions may also be extended until the inner surface of the lower
crown, in this case, will result in the increase of the contact
area with fins 2 for the heat exchange.
[0042] It is important to note the configuration of the trivet,
according to the present invention, promotes the increase of the
heat transfer capability due to the reduction in speed of the
exhaust gases and the consequent increase in residence time of
gases under the cooking utensil. Additionally, it is noticed that
the arrangement of the fins on the trivet is able to recover the
heat that in many cases ends up being lost to the environment.
[0043] The above description is solely intended to describe such
preferred exemplary embodiments of the grill for cooking equipment,
according to the present invention. Therefore, as well comprise
those skilled in the art, they are possible numerous constructive
modifications variations and combinations of the elements which
exert the same function substantially of the same way to achieve
the same results, which are within the scope of protection defined
by the appended claims.
* * * * *