Integrated Gas Burner Cap and Grate for Central Flame Direction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas burners for food cooking appliances face inefficiencies in directing flames towards the central portion of cooking containers, requiring multiple components and ad hoc solutions to prevent grates from becoming unbalanced, leading to increased costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A gas burner design featuring a vertically oriented Venturi effect chamber within a flame divider with integrated appendices and a cap having elongated portions, which are tapered to facilitate central flame direction and integrated with a pan supporting grate, eliminating the need for additional components and ad hoc solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cap is laid on the flame divider with substantially circular design, then the air-gas mixture comes out substantially horizontally, but it becomes very difficult to direct the burner flames upwards towards the central portion of the bottom of cooking containers
Solution Approach 1:
The flame divider is designed with asymmetric appendices extending in specific directions, and the cap has asymmetric elongated portions corresponding to these appendices. This asymmetric configuration guides the flames in specific directions towards the central portion of cooking containers, resolving the inability to direct flames upwards that existed with the symmetric circular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The appendices and elongated portions add a dimensional element to the otherwise planar circular design. By extending these elements radially outward, the design creates three-dimensional flame guidance structures that direct flames vertically upward towards the cooking container center, transforming the two-dimensional horizontal flow into three-dimensional directed flow.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple components are used to ensure adequate heating of different cooking containers, then heating adequacy is improved, but the complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated design combines the cap and pan supporting grate into a single multi-functional component. The cap provides flame direction control while the integrated grate provides pan support, allowing the same component structure to serve multiple functions and adapt to different cooking containers without requiring separate replaceable parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the cap and pan supporting grate into a single integrated component rather than using separate parts. This combination reduces the total number of components while maintaining both flame direction control and pan support functions, thereby reducing complexity and costs while preserving heating adequacy.
3Ease of operation
If a separate pan supporting grate is used, then pan support function is provided, but a positioning system is required to center the grate with respect to the burner, resulting in higher costs
Solution Approach 1:
The pan supporting grate is merged with the cap into a single integrated component. This eliminates the need for separate positioning systems to center the grate with respect to the burner, as the integrated design inherently provides both flame direction control and pan support alignment in one component structure.
4Reliability
If ad hoc solutions are implemented to prevent grates from getting off balance or turning over, then safety is improved, but manufacturing costs increase and assembly becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the pan supporting grate with the cap, the design eliminates the need for ad hoc solutions to prevent grate instability. The integrated structure inherently provides stability and prevents the grate from getting off balance or turning over, as there are no separate moving parts requiring additional stabilization mechanisms.
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
This design enhances burner efficiency by directing flames centrally without requiring component replacements, reduces the number of components needed, and prevents grate instability, thereby lowering costs and simplifying assembly.
Implementation Method 1
a flame divider associated with said cup and comprising a Venturi effect chamber
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a gas burner (1;1'), in particular for a food cooking appliance, said burner (1, 1') comprising: - a cup (10; 10') comprising an injector (11, 11') for letting out gas coming from a duct (12, 12') that supplies gas to said burner (1, 1'); - a flame divider (20; 20') associated with said cup (10, 10') and comprising a Venturi effect chamber (21; 21'), in particular said chamber (21, 21') being positioned substantially coaxial to said injector (11, 11'); - a cap (30; 30') associated with said flame divider (20; 20') so as to allow gas to come out through a plurality of apertures (22; 22') of said flame divider (20; 20') and/or of said cap (30; 30'). The invention is characterized in that said flame divider (20; 20') is so designed as to comprise at least three appendices (23; 23') extending from a central portion (23C; 23C) of the flame divider (20; 20'), and said cap (30; 30') is so designed as to comprise at least three elongated portions (33; 33') coupled to said appendices (23; 23') and extending from a central area (33C; 33C) of said cap (30; 30'). The invention is further characterized in that said cap (30; 30') is integrated with a pan supporting grate (40; 40').