Removable Burner Heat Shield for Deck-Safe Outdoor Cooking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Outdoor cookers often pose a risk of damage or fire when used on combustible or heat-sensitive surfaces, such as wooden decks or plastic tables, due to the high intensity flame not being adequately protected from these materials.
Innovation Solution
A multi-section heat shield is integrated into the burner frame, positioned below the flame to deflect heat away from the underlying support surface, protecting it from damage and potential fires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a high intensity flame is used for cooking, then cooking efficiency is improved, but the risk of damage or fire to underlying support surfaces increases
Solution Approach 1:
A heat shield is introduced as an intermediary component between the high-intensity flame and the underlying support surface. The heat shield intercepts and redirects thermal energy away from combustible surfaces while allowing the flame to maintain its cooking function, thus resolving the contradiction between cooking efficiency and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention redirects the harmful thermal energy that would otherwise damage the support surface and uses it to heat air that circulates to warm a surrounding area. This converts the potentially harmful heat into a beneficial heating effect for the environment, resolving the contradiction between maintaining high-intensity cooking and preventing damage to support surfaces.
2Reliability
If a heat shield is added to protect the support surface, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is constructed from thin, flexible metal sheets that can be easily formed into the required shape and attached to the burner assembly. This approach provides effective thermal protection while minimizing the added weight, bulk, and structural complexity of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat shield is designed as a multi-section structure with radial segments that can be separately attached to the burner. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing and assembly while providing comprehensive heat protection across the entire support surface area.
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 heat shield effectively prevents heat transfer from the burner flame to combustible surfaces, reducing the risk of damage or fire and ensuring safer operation on various support surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
the burner frame includes a heat shield positioned below the flame to deflect heat away from an underlying support surface
Data Source
AI summary
A cooking apparatus includes a frame with an upper section for holding a pot and a lower section for resting upon an underlying support surface. The frame has a burner element that can be a nozzle tube having a commercially available burner nozzle for generating a cooking flame during use. The nozzle can be fueled with propane, butane or the like using a commercially available tank, regulator and supply hose. The frame can include an upper ring, lower rings, the upper ring providing legs, pot support bars or members for holding the bottom of a pot. A heat shield is comprised of multiple specially configured sections that overlap and connect to the frame. The shield is positioned below the flame during use to lessen heat transfer from the flame to the underlying support surface.