Charcoal starter with improved performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charcoal lighting devices are expensive, prone to failure due to complex mechanisms, and require liquid hydrocarbon accelerants that can alter food taste, while also taking an unacceptably long time to achieve combustion of charcoal briquettes.
Innovation Solution
A cylindrical charcoal starter with a baffle dividing it into upper and lower chambers, featuring specific aperture configurations that enhance oxygen flow to the upper chamber, optimizing the ratio of the upper chamber's width to its height for faster and more complete charcoal ignition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If liquid hydrocarbon accelerants are used to speed up charcoal ignition, then ignition speed is improved, but food taste is altered and additional cost is incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for liquid hydrocarbon accelerants from the charcoal lighting process. By using a canister-type starter with combustible material in the lower chamber that ignites the charcoal in the upper chamber, the system achieves rapid ignition without introducing harmful chemicals that would contaminate the food or require additional cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The charcoal starter is designed to be self-contained and self-sufficient, using combustible material (such as newspaper) placed in the lower chamber that automatically ignites and transfers combustion to the charcoal in the upper chamber. This eliminates the need for external accelerants and provides a clean, safe ignition method.
2Device complexity
If canister-type starters with standard dimensions are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but ignition time is unacceptably long
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the canister-type starter, specifically setting the ratio of the width of the upper chamber to the height from the baffle to the top of the cylindrical wall to be greater than about 1.69 to 1, and the upper chamber height to be less than about 4.625 inches. These parameter optimizations enable complete charcoal ignition in significantly less time while maintaining the simple canister design without complex mechanisms.
3Speed
If auxiliary heating elements and forced airflow fans are added to improve ignition speed, then ignition performance is improved, but device complexity and failure risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves rapid ignition through natural combustion processes and optimized geometry rather than auxiliary mechanical systems. The combustible material in the lower chamber self-ignites and transfers flame to the charcoal, while the optimized chamber dimensions and aperture configurations enable sufficient oxygen flow without requiring fans or forced airflow mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes auxiliary heating elements and forced airflow fans from the system, relying instead on the fundamental combustion process and geometric optimization to achieve rapid ignition. This eliminates moving parts and electrical components that would increase complexity and failure risk.
4Quantity of substance
If the upper chamber height is increased to accommodate more charcoal, then charcoal capacity is improved, but ignition time increases and combustion completeness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the upper chamber dimensions by setting the height from the baffle to the top of the cylindrical wall to be less than about 4.625 inches and the width-to-height ratio to be greater than 1.69 to 1. This geometric configuration maximizes the surface area to volume ratio, enabling complete and rapid ignition of the charcoal load without requiring excessive height, thus achieving both adequate capacity and fast ignition.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than increasing height vertically to accommodate more charcoal, the invention optimizes the horizontal dimension (width/diameter) to create a broader, shallower chamber configuration. This dimensional shift allows adequate charcoal capacity while maintaining short ignition distances from the flame source, ensuring complete and rapid combustion.
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 solution significantly reduces starting time by half or more, ensuring full combustion of all charcoal briquettes within a shorter period, without the need for auxiliary heating or liquid accelerants, thereby improving performance and taste consistency.
Implementation Method 1
After ignition of the material in the lower chamber, combustion begins at the lowest level of the charcoal in the upper chamber and progresses up until all the charcoal is in some stage of combustion
Implementation Method 2
A second plurality of apertures is defined through the cylindrical wall into the lower chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A solid cooking fuel starter having a cylindrical wall defining an interior of a cylinder, and a baffle dividing the interior of the cylindrical wall into upper and lower chambers. A first plurality of apertures is defined in the baffle and a second plurality of apertures is defined through the cylindrical wall into the lower chamber. A ratio of a width of the upper chamber to a height from the baffle to a top of the cylindrical wall, may be greater than about 1.69 to 1.