U.S. patent application number 14/366844 was filed with the patent office on 2015-02-05 for combustion systems for cooking equipment burners.
The applicant listed for this patent is WHIRLPOOL S.A.. Invention is credited to Marcos Raphael Da Silva, Henrique Cesar De Gaspari.
Application Number | 20150037741 14/366844 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47630028 |
Filed Date | 2015-02-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150037741 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Da Silva; Marcos Raphael ;
et al. |
February 5, 2015 |
COMBUSTION SYSTEMS FOR COOKING EQUIPMENT BURNERS
Abstract
The present invention refers to a combustion system applied in
cooking equipments, which comprises technical features capable of
enhancing heat exchange efficiency and capacity of cooking
equipments through a turbulent combustion regime process.
Preferably, the combustion system in accordance with the present
invention comprises a fuel feed duct (1) connected to a cooking
equipment burner (2) by means of an intermittent mechanism (3) for
the purpose of releasing and blocking the fuel flow coming from
said feed duct (1) such that an ignition element (4) causes a fuel
turbulent combustion in said burner (2).
Inventors: |
Da Silva; Marcos Raphael;
(Joinville, BR) ; De Gaspari; Henrique Cesar;
(Joinville, BR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
WHIRLPOOL S.A. |
Sao Paulo - SP |
|
BR |
|
|
Family ID: |
47630028 |
Appl. No.: |
14/366844 |
Filed: |
December 18, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
December 18, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/BR2012/000525 |
371 Date: |
October 24, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
431/73 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24C 3/08 20130101; F23N
2241/08 20200101; Y02B 40/166 20130101; F23N 1/002 20130101; F24C
3/12 20130101; F23N 1/025 20130101; F23D 14/02 20130101; Y02B 40/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
431/73 |
International
Class: |
F23N 1/02 20060101
F23N001/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 20, 2011 |
BR |
PI1105370-4 |
Claims
1. Combustion system for cooking equipment burners, comprising a
fuel feed duct (1) connected to a burner (2), said system being
CHARACTERIZED in that it comprises: at least a combustion chamber
(10) cooperating with an intermittent mechanism (3) for
intermittently feeding fuel, air or an air/fuel mix into said
combustion chamber (10), and at least an ignition element (4)
cooperating with said intermittent mechanism (3), said intermittent
mechanism (3) being mechanic and comprising at least a valve (8)
actuated by a lever (9) to release and block the fuel and/or
air-fuel mix flow in the combustion chamber (10) of said burner
(2).
2. Combustion system, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in
that said valve (8) is interconnected to the lever (9) through at
least a return element (12).
3. Combustion system, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in
that said combustion chamber (10) comprises at least an auxiliary
air or air-fuel inlet at any ratio.
4. Combustion system, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in
that said combustion chamber (10) of burner (2) can be opened or
closed.
5. Combustion system, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in
that said ignition element (4) is electric/electronic or a small
pilot flame fed by a parallel duct (11).
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention refers to a combustion system for
cooking equipment burners, particularly for household stoves. More
specifically, said combustion system, object of the present
invention, comprises new features capable of increasing efficiency
and capacity of heat exchange in cooking equipments by means of a
turbulent regime of the process and combustion.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In accordance with the state of the art, it is common
knowledge that cooking equipments are provided with a cooking table
over which burners responsible for producing flame and heating the
cooking utensils (pans, dishes, and the like) are distributed. In
this regard, it can be observed that manufacturers of these types
of equipment are constantly searching for improvements and
solutions, which will, in some way, lead to technical and
functional benefits, mainly related to efficiency, safety and
practicality. Thus, aiming at achieving these improvements and
results, several models of cooking equipments provided with burners
comprising complementary devices and mechanisms which are capable
of increasing safety or efficiency levels are known from the state
of the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,352 refers to a gas
combustion system provided with means for shutting off the gas
supply upon failure in igniting a burner. As can be noted, said
model known in the art only intends to improve security of the
cooking equipments by eliminating fuel leakage risks, wherein its
functioning is conventional from the moment at which the burner is
ignited. Therefore, it is important to point out that this
state-of-the-art burner model does not lead to any improvement in
the heat exchange efficiency.
[0003] Particularly, with regard to improvement in the efficiency
of burners, reference should be made to U.S. Pat. No. 7,942,143 and
JP 2005156087, which disclose burners provided with complementary
devices and mechanisms intended to produce a flame and a heat flow
with high heat capacity. More specifically, it should be noted that
such models known in the art comprise a constructional arrangement
of their components whose purpose is to provide barrier species
disposed along the heat flow generated by the burner or in the
flame proximities. The objective of such models is to form an
ambient which allows for keeping the heat flow in the burner
region, thereby trying to obtain heat efficiency in cooking
equipments.
[0004] It is also known from the state of the art the document EP 0
757 207 A1, which discloses a combustion system for cooking
equipment burners comprising a fuel duct connected to a burner, a
combustion chamber cooperating with an intermittent mechanism for
intermittently feeding fuel, air or an air/fuel mix into said
combustion chamber and an ignition element cooperating with said
intermittent mechanism. Although EP 0 757 207 A1,reveals an
intermittent fuel flow, it does not predict a mechanical actuator
to said intermittent mechanism, making necessary the use of
electronic controls and other devices, which may enhance costs of
the product.
[0005] As can be inferred, such state-of-the-art models show a
relatively complex configuration, requiring an arrangement
comprising several complementary devices and mechanisms, which end
up resulting in an increase in the costs of manufacturing and
assembling of those cooking equipments.
[0006] Additionally, said cooking equipment models known in the art
lead to a limitation related to fuel consumption once, in an
attempt to obtain an improvement in heat exchange efficiency and
capacity, they end up using means which would affect fuel
consumption. Furthermore, such models require a continuous flame
and, to this effect, there is an uninterrupted fuel flow for the
appropriate functioning of the burners.
[0007] In a brief and concise form, it is verified that the current
techniques do not disclose cooking equipments comprising a
combustion system that would effectively reduce fuel consumption.
And, such current techniques would also not provide an improvement
in yield and efficiency in the heat exchange of burners.
[0008] By this way, it can be noted that, spite of being functional
up to now, these cooking equipments known in the art could be
improved so as increase the efficiency without significantly
affecting manufacture costs and assemblage due to a need for great
adaptations and/or complex implementations.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In view of the foregoing, one of the objects of the present
invention is to provide a combustion system applied in cooking
equipments, wherein said system is capable of simply and
efficiently improving and/or minimizing the drawbacks and
limitations concerning combustion systems already known in the
art.
[0010] More particularly, another object of the present invention
is to provide a combustion system applied in cooking equipment
burners, comprising technical and functional features which enhance
burner heat exchange efficiency.
[0011] The combustion system, object of the present invention, also
intends to improve the fuel combustion process so as to increase
efficiency, or also, promote fuel consumption economy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Therefore, in order to accomplish the above-mentioned
objects and technical effects, the present invention refers to a
combustion system for cooking equipment burners, wherein said
system comprises a fuel feed duct connected to said burner, said
elements being connected by means of at least a intermittent
mechanism that releases and blocks injection of fuel flow in order
to generate a turbulent combustion by means of at least an ignition
element.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment, said intermittent mechanism is
electronic and comprises at least a valve actuated by
electric/electronic signals sent by an electronic controller
capable of controlling the amount of gas and the respective time
intervals at which fuel is injected into the burner.
[0014] Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present
invention, said intermittent mechanism is mechanical and comprises
at least a valve actuated by a lever whose end is disposed at the
fuel feed channel outlet in order to release and block fuel (or an
air-fuel mix) flow in the burner combustion chamber. Preferably, in
this embodiment, said valve is attached to said lever by means of
at least a return element capable of forcing the lever to be
repositioned in the closed position.
[0015] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention,
said combustion chamber can comprise at least an auxiliary air or
air-fuel inlet at any ratio.
[0016] It should be pointed out that the combustion system, in
accordance with the present invention, can be applied in burners
with closed or opened configuration, that is, with opened or closed
chamber.
[0017] It should also be clarified that said ignition element can
be of any type with the provision that it is capable of promoting a
burst in the combustion chamber at a suitable time. Preferably, it
can be electric/electronic or even a small pilot flame fed by a
parallel duct that is also fed by a main feed duct.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 schematically shows a combustion system in accordance
with the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 schematically shows a combustion system in accordance
with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 schematically shows a combustion system in accordance
with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] According to the above-mentioned schematic figures, some
examples of possible embodiments of the present invention will be
described in more details below for only exemplificative,
non-limitative purposes, since the present combustion system can be
built with different aesthetic and dimensional characteristics
without, however, diverting from the desired scope of
protection.
[0022] The combustion system, object of the present invention,
mainly aims at providing an intermittent fuel flow to provide for a
pulsated combustion, such as a pulsating combustor.
[0023] More specifically, the combustion system, in accordance with
the present invention, comprises a fuel (or air-fuel mix) feed duct
1 connected to a cooking equipment burner 2, wherein an
intermittent mechanism 3 is disposed between said parts in order to
release or block fuel (or air-fuel) flow coming from said feed duct
1 such that an ignition element 4 causes the fuel combustion in
said burner 2 when the flow is released by said intermittent
mechanism 3.
[0024] As seen from FIG. 1, the combustion system of the present
invention is applied in a burner 2 whose purpose is to heat a
cooking utensil 5 positioned in a grill or tripod 6. This heating
is carried out by means of a flame coming from a combustion chamber
operating in conjunction with a mechanism that intermittently
supplies fuel and/or air-fuel mix at any ratio to said combustion
chamber in order to generate a turbulent combustion regime, this
being capable of increasing heat exchange efficiency once, as can
been observed, heat transfer rates are directly proportional to the
temperature difference existing between the media.
[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said
combustion system comprises an electronic intermittent mechanism
3', which is constituted by a valve actuated by electric/electronic
signals, such as an electromagnetic valve. In this embodiment, as
illustrated in FIG. 2, said intermittent mechanism 3' is connected
to an electronic controller 7, through which it is possible to
regulate the gas amount and time intervals of injecting fuel in the
burner 2.
[0026] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the combustion
system in accordance with the present invention and comprises a
mechanical intermittent mechanism 3''. In this embodiment, said
intermittent mechanism 3'' comprises a valve 8 actuated by means of
a lever 9 capable of releasing and blocking the fuel flow in the
combustion chamber 10 of burner 2, within which an ignition element
4 is disposed in order to promote pulsated combustion as the fuel
is injected.
[0027] More particularly, it should be mentioned that said lever 9
moves between a closed position and an opened position by virtue of
the pressure variation inside said combustion chamber 10. In other
words, at the moment the burst caused by said ignition element 4
occurs the internal pressure is elevated thus causing said lever 9
to move to a closed position and at the same time a valve 8 is
actuated at the moment in which the pressure inside the combustion
chamber 10 becomes equalized, said lever 9 moving to the opened
position, thus restarting the intermittent process of releasing and
blocking the fuels by the feed duct 1.
[0028] Preferably, said valve is interconnected to lever 9 through
a return element 12, such as a spring. Said return element 12 is
responsible for forcing said lever 9 to return to a closed position
when the pressure is being equalized within the combustion
chamber.
[0029] The combustion system, in accordance with the present
invention, can be applied in burners comprised of opened or closed
combustion chambers, that is, with or without shield or flame
diffuser before the grill or tripod.
[0030] Additionally, it should also be observed that said ignition
element 4 can be of any type with the provision that same is
capable of causing an intermittent burning at the time the fuel
flow is released. Preferably, said ignition element is
electric/electronic or, alternatively, it can be a small pilot
flame fed by a parallel duct 11, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0031] Further, it is important to mention that the present
combustion system preferably and advantageously consists of only
two work stages, that is, totally closed and totally opened, this
being due to the fact that, in accordance with the objects of the
present invention, there is no direct interest in obtaining two
intermediate work stages, that is, variation of the flame between
low values and high values because under these conditions there
would be periods of regimes of constant and non-turbulent
functioning. Logically, such a configuration is merely
preferential, which does not give rise to any type of restriction
to the desired scope of protection.
[0032] It is also clarified that the combustion system of the
present invention does not lead to any alteration in a user's
routine as far as handling of cooking utensils is concerned. This
is because the user will merely continue on actuating the desired
burner so that the system will automatically conduct an
intermittent procedure of opening and blocking injection of the
fuel as indicated above.
[0033] Finally, attention should be drawn to fact that the above
description is only intended to describe, in an exemplary mode,
some preferred embodiments of the combustion system for cooking
equipment burners, in accordance with the present invention. Hence,
as well acquainted by those skilled in the art, there can be a
number of modifications, variations and constructional combinations
of the elements which will exert the same function in substantially
the same way to achieve the same results, which are within the
scope of protection, as limited by the appended claims.
* * * * *