US20140345598A1

US20140345598A1 - Burner for cooking equipments

Info

Publication number: US20140345598A1
Application number: US14/366,928
Authority: US
Inventors: Marcos Raphael Da Silva; Henrique Cesar De Gaspari
Original assignee: Whirlpool SA
Current assignee: Whirlpool SA
Priority date: 2011-12-21
Filing date: 2012-12-18
Publication date: 2014-11-27
Also published as: MX2014007609A; WO2013091054A1; EP2795192A1; BRPI1105194A2

Abstract

The present invention refers to a burner for cooking equipments which comprises a configuration whose purpose is to ensure the integrity of the flames of the main openings by maintaining the pressure originated in the burner. Particularly, the present invention refers to a burner which comprises a base (1) containing a cavity (2), in which a sustaining element (3) that supports a cover (4) is placed; wherein, between said sustaining element (3) and said cover (4), it is formed a channel (5), which, at least partially, encircles the cited cavity (2) to form at least one pilot flame at the end (6) of said channel (5) that is provided in the periphery of the edge of the cavity (2).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a burner for cooking equipments, which comprises technical and functional features that are capable of enhancing the safety levels of such equipments. Particularly, the cited burner for cooking equipments, in accordance with the present invention, refers to an improvement to burners of cooking equipments which comprise a configuration whose purpose is to ensure the integrity of the flames in the main openings (porticos) by maintaining the pressure originated in the burner balanced, especially those of the type defined in patent BR 0804615, filed by the same applicant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

According to the prior art, it is broadly known that the gas cooking equipments are composed of a cook top containing some burners that are responsible for promoting the flame and the heating of the utensils (cooking pots, roasting pans, and the like). Normally, said burners are composed of a body comprising several openings that allow the formation of the flames. Such openings are orifices that fluidically connect the internal chamber of the burner to the atmosphere.
Nowadays, there are several models of burners, which had been developed in order to enhance the efficiency or to help with the tasks and daily utilization by the users. However, it is noted that the most conventional techniques are not able to harmonically and efficiently combine the aspects related to the thermal efficiency with the simplification for handling and cleaning the cooking equipments, besides the safety factors which are, from day to day, becoming fundamental features for the cooking equipments.
As already known by the skilled in the art, the conventional burners lack solutions whose constituting parts present configurations that are capable of simultaneously providing the enhance of thermal efficiency, the aid in the cleaning, and safety in relation to the stability of the flames. This is due to the fact that these burners present a relative truncated geometry having several “sharp corners” and small orifices which are difficult to be cleaned, enhancing the deposit of impurities. As another consequence of such geometries, it is verified that the produced flames impair the thermal efficiency, resulting in the prolongation of the time spent for the preparation of the food in the cooking equipments, or a greater consumption of combustible gas.
The prior art includes, for example, the following documents JP 62091728, U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,615, GB 907619, JP 2001215019, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,479, which reveal solutions to solve problems and inconvenient aspects related to the production and manufacture of burners for cooking equipments, but these solutions still impair or do not meet at all the requirements related to the thermal efficiency, to the procedures of cleaning and operational safety of the cooking equipments.
With respect to the safety aspects, the conventional prior art burners are commonly subjected to eventual disturbances due to the environmental conditions of the place, mainly with gusts and streams of wind, even resulting in the extinguishment of the assembly of flames that is produced by the openings of the burner, possibly causing the leakage of gas and eventual accidents. In this sense, it is known several techniques to avoid these problems and accidents, such as, for example, systems and devices which are applied to the feed valves with appropriate mechanisms to interrupt the supply of gas in the absence of flame. Moreover, there are also some burners containing pilot flames, or secondary flames, whose purpose is to keep the flames burning or relight the flames which have been eventually extinguished by an external disturbance.
For example, documents BR 9205865, BR 0902703, U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,006, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,420 define burners that reveal the general concept of considering a pilot flame to relight the flames of the main openings in case of such flames being extinguished by an external event. However, in spite of containing such basic function of maintaining the assembly of flames, it is noted that these burners still present some inconvenient aspects and/or technical and functional limitations which impair the suitable operation of such essential parts of the cooking equipments. More specifically, it is noted that such pilot flames are almost individualized and/or discontinued around the periphery of the burners. Moreover, these documents reveal configurations that are quite complex and also difficult to be manufactured and cleaned, but such configurations are mainly not capable of promoting the suitable stabilization and balance of the pressure of the air/combustible mixed flow.
More particularly, it is verified that some burners aim, as one of the objectives thereof, the increase in the ratio of the flame power, which determinates the amplitude of the levels of power of the burners, i.e. the ratio between the value of maximum power and minimum power of the burners. In this sense, it is known that a greater ratio of power enables the preparation of different types of food with the same burner. For example, the burner has the flexibility of melting, in a slow way, a chocolate bar and cooking a more sophisticated dish which requires a greater power. However, in practice, it is noted that, mainly in the conventional and residential cooking equipments, such ratio of flame power is considered too low, the reason why it is not possible to obtain a burner that is capable of generating, in an effective manner, low flames and high power, requiring, therefore, the development and application of burners with intermediate rates.
Additionally, as it presents a ratio of flame power that is considered rather low, some models of cooking equipments cannot work in an efficient and safety manner when the same are provided to work at low power, since the flames produced by the main openings are rather weak and easily disturbed and/or extinguished, revealing the high index of instability of the flame assembly.
It is further noted that some models of burners from the prior art do not comprise means that are capable of providing the balance of pressure for the combustible flow inside the distribution chamber, causing inconvenient situations when such burners are working at maximum power, condition during which the pressure of the combustible flow increases in a significant manner. In these cases, due to the increase in pressure, it is likely to face the risk of the produced flames coming out from the main openings, directly affecting the quality of the combustible burn and, eventually, causing the extinguishment of the burner.
Moreover, considering that there is no simple and safety way of obtaining the balance of pressure of the combustible flow in the distribution chamber, the air/combustible ratio becomes different, remaining an imbalanced amount of combustible, resulting in an incomplete or deficient reaction, and affecting, therefore, the thermal efficiency of the burner.
As an attempt to solve the problems and inconvenient aspects of such prior art burners, it has been developed an assembly of base and cover for burners, which is the object of patent BR 0804615, filed by the proper applicant, which comprises a smooth geometrical configuration, without “sharp corners”, to facilitate the cleaning process, and whose openings are designed so as to produce flames that are capable of increasing the thermal efficiency of the cooking equipments. Shortly, in accordance with the appended FIG. 1, this assembly is composed of a base 100 which holds a cover 110 in a cavity 120, wherein the most external periphery of the cited cover 110 is composed of adjacent primary 130 and secondary 140 openings, whose shapes are preferably concave and convex, respectively.
Although extremely functional, it was noted that the cited burner would be even more improved, in especial in relation to the safety aspects, mainly in relation to the stabilization of the flames that are produced by the primary and secondary openings.
Thus, it is noted that the prior art burners for cooking equipments would be improved, in especial the one defined by patent BR 0804615, so as to provide an increase in the ratio of the flame power, without affecting the operation and enhancing the risks of extinguishment or impairment of the assembly of flames, as well as the obtainment of a simplification of the structures and assembly of the burners, so as to promote the stability and efficiency of the flame assembly, whatever in low or high power of working.

Objectives of the Invention

In view of the foregoing, it is one of the objectives of the present invention the provision of a burner for cooking equipments which is capable of improving and/or minimizing, in a simple and efficient manner, the inconvenient aspects and limitations of the burners that are already known in the prior art.
Particularly, it is one of the objectives of the present invention the provision of a burner for cooking equipments which is capable of improving the assembly of base and cover for the burner that is defined in patent BR 0804615.
More particularly, it is one of the objectives of the present invention the provision of a burner for cooking equipments whose features enhance the safety levels, as well as ensure the functioning of the burners by maintaining the pressure of the flow of air and combustible balanced, stabilizing, thus, the assembly of flames that is produced by the openings of the burner.
According to the present invention, the burner comprises a configuration that allows the increase of the ratio of the flame power, so as to enable that the same burner works with a power amplitude that is greater than the one in conventional burners, especially ensuring the stabilization of the flames in low power due to the formation of a pilot flame that is continuous and substantially uniform under the main openings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, in order to obtain the above-mentioned objectives and technical effects, the present invention refers to a burner for cooking equipments which is composed of a base in which a sustaining element of a cover is placed, wherein the cited burner comprises a continuous and uniform channel between the sustaining element and the cavity body, and whose end produces at least one pilot flame along the extension of the periphery of the edge of the cavity.
According to an alternative embodiment, the pilot flame produced by said channel is continuous along the entire extension of the edge of the cavity.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the burner for cooking equipments comprises a cover whose lower peripheral surface has a geometrical configuration that is composed of primary openings and secondary openings, which preferably have a substantially concave and convex shape, respectively.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the burner for cooking equipments comprises a sustaining element including a surface whose geometrical configuration is composed of primary openings and secondary openings, which preferably present a substantially concave and convex shape, respectively.
Alternatively, the cited burner for cooking equipments, in accordance with the present invention, comprises one cover having primary openings, only.
Also considering another embodiment of the present invention, the base, the sustaining element and the cover of the burner comprise guide means to facilitate orientating and positioning such components, in relation one to the others, during the assembly process.
It is also another objective of the present invention the improvement to the burner assembly that is defined in patent BR 0804615, whose content is considered a reference to the present specification.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1—illustrates an exploded perspective view of a prior art burner, which is defined in patent BR 0804615;

FIG. 2—illustrates an exploded side view of the burner for cooking equipments, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A—illustrates an extended cut view of the sustaining element fixed to the base of the burner, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3—illustrates an exploded perspective of the side view of the burner for cooking equipments, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4—illustrates an extended perspective view of the edge of the burner that is illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5—illustrates a schematic cut view of the burner, in accordance with the present invention, indicating the formation of the flames though the main openings and the formation of the pilot flame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the above-mentioned figures, it will be described below, in a more detail manner, some examples of feasible embodiments of the present invention, emphasizing that it refers to a mere exemplificative and non-restricting description, since the present burner may be constituted by different sizing and aesthetical features without escaping from the desired scope of protection.
The burner for cooking equipments, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a base 1 containing a cavity 2, in which a sustaining element that supports a cover is placed; wherein, between said sustaining element and said cavity, it is formed a channel which encircles the entire periphery of the edge of said cavity 2, forming a pilot flame at the superior end 6 of said channel 5.
According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, it is noted that said cover 4 comprises a lower peripheral surface whose geometrical configuration is composed of primary openings 30 and secondary openings 40, which preferably have a substantially concave and convex shape, respectively.
Thus, in accordance with the present invention, due to the arrangement of the cited sustaining element 3, it is possible to obtain a pilot flame that is relative small, constant and continuous along the entire periphery of the edge of the cited cavity 2 of the base 1. In other words, said pilot flame is placed just below the cited primary openings 30 and secondary openings 40, so as to ensure, in case of affecting the flame of said openings due to any external disturbance, automatic igniting, eliminating the risk of extinguishment of the flame of any opening or the leakage of combustible.
Additionally, upon attaching the cited cover 4 to the burner, the cavity 2 forms a kind of distribution chamber for the mixture air and combustible, wherein, due to the arrangements of the cited sustaining elements 3 inside the cited cavity, it is possible to obtain the balance of pressure of the mixed flow towards the atmosphere. This is due to the fact that the cited flow is divided, inside the cavity 2, into a main flow that runs towards the cited primary openings 30 and secondary openings 40, and a parallel flow that passes through a channel 5 whose profile is so constant that the volume of flow in the channel 5 will not be subjected to any extreme variation when the pressure in the burner changes. Consequently, the cited pilot flame will be kept uniformly at the end 6.
According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, and in accordance with the schematic illustration of FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the burner for cooking equipments, according to the present invention, comprises a base 1 containing a cavity 2, in which a sustaining element that supports a cover is placed. In this embodiment, the peripheral surface of the sustaining element 3 comprises a geometrical configuration that includes the primary openings 30 and the secondary openings 40, which preferably present a substantially concave and convex shape, respectively. The cited cover 4, in this case, has a complementary configuration to close the cavity 2 and simultaneously and literally form the passages of said openings 30, 40.
Shortly, it can be informed that the difference between the preferable embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings is basically due to the positioning of the surface that includes the geometry of formation of the primary openings 30 and secondary openings 40, i.e. in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, said surface is arranged on the cover, while in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, said surface is formed in the body of the sustaining element 3.
As can be verified by the skilled in the art, in a simpler embodiment, it is possible to provide a burner whose cover 4 or sustaining element is only configured with primary openings, eliminating the secondary openings 40.
More objectively, the burner of the cooking equipments, which is the objet of the present invention, comprises a configuration whose arrangement of the sustaining element 3 inside the cavity 2 enables the generation of a continuous and uniform flame along the entire periphery of the edge of the cavity and, consequently, even with a air/combustible flow at low pressure, it is noted that the cited pilot flame can maintain the stability of the assembly of flames, produced by the primary and secondary openings, safety and efficient, since the uniform and continuous formation thereof ensure that, during an eventual disturbance of the main openings, the same will be automatically and immediately ignited.
Still in this context, the arrangement of the sustaining element 4 inside the cavity 2 enables to set the pressure that flows towards the atmosphere though the primary openings, secondary openings and channel 5, avoiding, thus, that during the operation of the burner at maximum power, the flame to come out, and, consequently, obtaining a flame of better quality.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the cited base 1, the sustaining element 3, and the cover 4 comprise guide means to facilitate the orientation and positioning of these components during the assembly of the burner.
Although the figures show a burner whose shape is circular, it shall be further emphasized that this shape can vary in accordance with the technical or ornamental configuration of the burner and also in accordance with the configuration of the proper cooking equipment.
Finally, it is important to corroborate that the above description has the simple objective of describing, as an exemplificative manner, some preferable embodiments of the burner for cooking equipments, in accordance with the present invention. Thus, as already known by the skilled in the art, it is possible to effectuate several constructive modifications, variations, and combinations considering the elements that have the same function and the same substantial form to achieve the same results, which are within the scope of protection, as restricted by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A burner for cooking equipments, which is composed of a base (1) containing a cavity (2), CHARACTERIZED in that it comprises a sustaining element (3) placed in the interior of said cavity (2), which supports a cover (4), wherein, between said sustaining element (3) and said cavity (2), it is formed a channel (5) which, at least partially, encircles the periphery of the cavity (2); and the end (6) of said channel (5) being capable of producing at least one pilot flame along said cavity (2).

2. A burner, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said channel (5) is continuous and encircles the entire periphery of the cavity (2), being configured to produce an uniform flame along the entire extension of the edge of said cavity (2).

3. A burner, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said cover (4) comprises a lower peripheral surface whose geometrical configuration includes primary openings (30) and secondary openings (40), which preferably have a substantially concave and convex shape, respectively.

4. A burner, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said sustaining element (4) comprises a surface whose geometrical configuration includes primary openings (30) and secondary openings (40), which preferably have a substantially concave and convex shape, respectively.

5. A burner, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said cover (4) only comprises primary openings (30).

6. A burner, in accordance with claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said base (1), the cited sustaining element (3) and the cover (4) comprises orientating and positioning guide means for such components during the assembly of the burner.