Gas Burner Insulator Pad for Fuel Line Heat Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas burners in cooktop appliances experience significant heat transfer to fuel lines and gas fittings, leading to annealing and expansion, which can loosen connections during high-heat operations.
Innovation Solution
A cooktop appliance design featuring a gas burner with an insulator pad positioned between the burner body and the injet bracket to restrict heat transfer, using a top panel with defined openings for the burner body and fuel tubes, and separate fuel lines to the injet bracket to minimize heat conduction to the fuel lines and fittings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If gas burners operate at high heat, then heating performance is improved, but heat transfer to fuel lines and gas fittings increases causing annealing and expansion
Solution Approach 1:
An insulator pad is introduced as an intermediary component between the burner body and the injet bracket (which holds fuel lines and gas fittings). This mediator blocks the harmful heat transfer path while allowing the burner to operate at high power for improved heating performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful thermal effect is extracted or isolated from the fuel line connection area by placing the insulator pad specifically at the interface between the burner body and injet bracket, protecting the fuel lines from heat exposure while maintaining burner operation.
2Loss of energy
If heat is transmitted to fuel lines and gas fittings, then thermal energy is transferred, but connector nuts and gas fittings become loose undermining connections
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator pad serves as a thermal barrier that stops heat transmission to the fuel lines and gas fittings, preventing the thermal expansion and annealing that would otherwise cause connector nuts and fittings to become loose.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulator pad provides beforehand protection by blocking heat transfer before it can reach the fuel lines and gas fittings, preventing the harmful effects of thermal expansion and annealing that would compromise connection reliability.
3Reliability
If insulator pad is added to restrict heat transfer, then connection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator pad is a simple, inexpensive component that can be easily replaced if needed. Despite being a minor addition, it provides significant reliability improvement by preventing heat-related connection failures without requiring complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
A simple insulator pad material is used as the intermediary component, which is straightforward to install and replace. This minimal addition to the burner assembly provides effective thermal isolation without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
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 insulator pad effectively limits heat transfer from the burner body to the lower components, preventing annealing and expansion, thus maintaining a secure connection between the fuel lines and gas burner.
Implementation Method 1
The insulator pad may be disposed between the burner body and the injet bracket to restrict heat transfer therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
A cooktop appliance may include a top panel and a gas burner. The top panel may define an opening. The gas burner may include a burner body, a fuel tube, an injet bracket, and an insulator pad. The burner body may be positioned on the top panel at the opening. The fuel tube may extend below the burner body in upstream fluid communication therewith. The injet bracket may be mounted below the burner body. The injet bracket may define a fuel orifice disposed upstream from the fuel tube and below the top panel. The insulator pad may be disposed between the burner body and the injet bracket to restrict heat transfer therebetween.