Brazier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor braziers for burning wood and similar fuels face issues such as ember fallout, uncontrolled flare-ups, and cumbersome fire disposal due to their design, which poses safety risks and difficulties in cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A brazier design featuring a pivotally mounted, bowl-shaped fire pan within a sheet steel basket that can be tilted to encase embers and smother the fire, with openings for air supply during operation and a lid for easy cleaning, and support strips for height adjustment and stability, ensuring safe operation and extinguishing without additives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a traditional open-bottom brazier design is used, then air supply for combustion is improved, but embers fall out and fire damages occur
Solution Approach 1:
The brazier is divided into two functional parts: an outer basket structure and an inner fire pan. The fire pan is a separate removable component that contains the fuel and embers, while the outer basket provides structural support and air supply. This segmentation allows the fire pan to be tilted for extinguishing while maintaining air flow through the outer basket structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The fire pan is mounted on pivot bearings that allow it to be tilted dynamically between a horizontal operating position (for combustion) and an overhead extinguishing position. This dynamic capability enables the user to control the fire by tilting the pan to block air supply or to facilitate cooling and extinguishing.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the brazier bottom is kept low for stability, then structural stability is improved, but fire disposal and cleaning become cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The fire pan's pivotal mounting allows it to be tilted to an overhead position for easy disposal of ashes and embers. The pan can be tilted forward to dump contents or tilted overhead for complete extinguishing, making fire disposal simple regardless of the brazier's height or stability configuration.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the fire pan is made open for air supply, then combustion efficiency is improved, but uncontrolled flare-ups occur
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotal mounting of the fire pan provides dynamic control over air supply to the combustion zone. By tilting the pan, the user can control the flow of air through the fuel bed, thereby controlling the intensity of combustion and preventing uncontrolled flare-ups while maintaining efficient burning when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The design provides tactile feedback through the pivot mechanism that allows the user to sense and control the air flow to the fire. The mechanical connection between the pan tilt and air supply creates an intuitive control system where the user can immediately feel the effect of tilting on combustion intensity.
4Reliability
If sand is used to extinguish the fire, then fire extinguishing is achieved, but disposal of sand becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The fire pan is extracted as a separate removable component from the outer basket. This allows the pan to be easily removed, tilted for extinguishing, and then disposed of or cleaned separately without dealing with sand or other extinguishing agents. The pan itself becomes the extinguishing mechanism through tilting, eliminating the need for additional extinguishing materials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design prevents ember fallout, ensures safe cooling and extinguishing of fires, facilitates easy cleaning, and allows for safe and controlled burning for barbecue and lighting purposes, while enabling space-saving storage and adjustable height for enhanced lighting effects.
Implementation Method 1
the resulting carbon monoxide sinks down and thus blocks air supply to the fire pan and the fuel in it
Implementation Method 2
the basket and the fire pan are made of sheet steel, possibly also made of stainless steel or aluminium in a conical form, thus providing a large heat sink area
Implementation Method 3
the resulting carbon monoxide sinks down and thus blocks air supply to the fire pan and the fuel in it
Data Source
AI summary
In order to improve the safety and handling of a brazier (1) for burning wood and similar fuels, comprising a substantially pot-shaped basket (2) and a fire pan (4), it is suggested that the fire pan (4) is mounted on the basket (2) such that these can pivot relative to one another, particularly tipping by 180° or “overend” from the operating position into a fire-extinguishing position, the basket (2) that lies above when in said extinguishing position serving as the cover hood that puts out the fire. This brazier can also be in the form of a tea light, a standard or table lamp or a pendant lamp.