Oven broiler gas burner for cooking appliance with variable electromechanical valve

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Solution Overview

Problem

Gas ovens face sub-optimal combustion and burner operating characteristics during warm-up due to unestablished thermal gradients and air flow paths, leading to issues like flame lifting and increased carbon monoxide generation, and broiling is challenging due to lack of control over gas burner power levels.

Innovation Solution

A cooking appliance with a variable electromechanical valve to regulate the output power level of the broiler gas burner, allowing for reduced power levels during warm-up and broil operations, decoupling broiler control from oven warm-up and enabling user-controlled or automated power settings and profiles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If a gas burner operates at maximum output power level during oven warm-up, then heating speed is improved, but combustion efficiency deteriorates leading to increased carbon monoxide generation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating speedVSAvoidcarbon monoxide generation

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by transitioning the gas burner from static on/off control to dynamic multi-level power control. The variable electromechanical valve enables the burner to operate at different power levels (first, second, and third levels) during warm-up, allowing the system to adapt heating intensity to actual combustion conditions and reduce harmful emissions while maintaining heating effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If a broiler gas burner operates at fully on position to generate high output power, then cooking efficiency is improved, but food burning risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooking efficiencyVSAvoidfood burning

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by enabling dynamic adjustment of broiler gas burner power levels. The variable electromechanical valve allows the controller to select from multiple output power levels (first, second, third levels) to match different cooking requirements, providing precise heat management that maintains cooking efficiency while preventing food burning through real-time power modulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If a bi-metal oven valve controls gas burners in fully on or fully off positions, then device complexity is reduced, but control precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve control mechanismVSAvoidpower level control precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the static bi-metal valve with a dynamic electromechanical variable valve that can assume multiple positions corresponding to different power levels. This dynamic control mechanism enables precise modulation of gas flow and burner output, transforming the binary on/off control into a multi-level continuous control system that achieves both simplicity and precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent substitutes the purely mechanical bi-metal valve system with an electromechanical variable valve controlled by an electronic controller. This replacement allows for more precise and flexible control of gas burner power levels, enabling the system to select from multiple discrete power levels based on cooking conditions, thereby improving control precision while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

Improves combustion efficiency by reducing carbon monoxide emissions and enhances broiling control by allowing precise heat management, preventing food from burning and ensuring even cooking.

Implementation Method 1

a variable electromechanical valve configured to couple the broiler gas burner to a gas supply and to regulate an output power level of the broiler gas burner

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromechanical actuation:

Implementation Method 2

gas burners being among the most common. In particular, gas oven burners generally use as an energy source a combustible gas such as natural gas or liquified petroleum (LP) gas (also referred to as propane), and generate heat by combusting and burning the gas

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 3

Among other benefits, in some instances broiler control during cooking may be decoupled from oven warm-up

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectControl system decoupling:

Data Source

PatentUS11739933B2Oven broiler gas burner for cooking appliance with variable electromechanical valve

Publication Date: 2023.08.29 MIDEA GROUP CO LTD

AI summary

A cooking appliance and method of operating the same utilize a variable electromechanical valve to regulate an output power level of an oven broiler gas burner for a cooking appliance. Among other benefits, in some instances broiler control during cooking may be decoupled from oven warm-up, and in some instances support may be provided for automatic and/or user controlled broiler output power levels and/or automated broil profiles.