Gas Burner Storage Chamber for Pilot Flame Continuity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional gas burners for household cooking appliances face challenges in maintaining a pilot flame during brief interruptions in fuel gas supply, such as when the appliance door is opened or closed, leading to extinguished burner flames without an additional gas supply line for reignition.

Innovation Solution

A gas burner design featuring a storage chamber in fluid communication with the mixture distribution chamber, allowing stored fuel gas/primary air mixture to be used for maintaining a pilot flame, even during interruptions, with an annular geometry open to maximize storage time and distance for the mixture before ignition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional gas burner design is used without a storage chamber, then the device complexity is low, but the pilot flame cannot continue burning during brief fuel gas interruptions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepilot flame continuityVSAvoidburner structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage chamber pre-stores a portion of the fuel gas/primary air mixture before it is needed, allowing the pilot flame to continue burning during brief interruptions in fuel gas supply. This preliminary preparation of the fuel mixture resolves the contradiction by ensuring pilot flame continuity without requiring complex additional gas supply systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The burner is divided into functionally separate chambers: a mixture distribution chamber for active fuel mixing and a storage chamber for reserve fuel storage. This segmentation allows the storage chamber to independently maintain the pilot flame during interruptions, improving reliability while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If the storage chamber is closed and completely surrounds the mixture distribution chamber, then the fuel gas/primary air mixture storage volume is maximized, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel gas/primary air mixture storage volumeVSAvoidburner housing fabrication
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The storage chamber is designed with an open annular geometry rather than a complete closed ring, creating an asymmetric structure that is easier to manufacture. This design maintains sufficient fuel mixture storage volume while simplifying the burning process by allowing easier access and reducing manufacturing complexity compared to a fully enclosed chamber.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Duration of action of moving object

If the storage chamber is positioned close to the mixture distribution chamber, then the fluid communication efficiency is high, but the pilot flame storage time is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepilot flame storage timeVSAvoidfuel gas/primary air mixture flow efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage chamber is positioned at a distance from the mixture distribution chamber along the feed opening path, utilizing spatial arrangement to extend the fuel mixture travel time. This dimensional positioning allows the stored mixture to be discharged more slowly to the pilot flame opening, increasing storage time while maintaining adequate flow efficiency through proper feed opening design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

Ensures continuous burning of the pilot flame during brief fuel gas interruptions, preventing complete burner flame extinguishment and meeting regulatory requirements, such as DIN EN 30, while allowing for reliable flame detection.

Implementation Method 1

a storage chamber (34) that is in fluid communication with the mixture distribution chamber (22) to store a portion of the fuel gas/primary air mixture (B/P) in the storage chamber (34)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid communication:

Implementation Method 2

a pilot flame opening (36) from which the fuel gas/primary air mixture (B/P) stored in the storage chamber (34) can be discharged into the surroundings to generate a pilot flame (41)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Data Source

PatentEP3682165B1Gas burner, gas burner assembly and domestic cooking appliance
Publication Date: 2021.10.27 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP3682165B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3682165B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3682165B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a gas burner (2) for a domestic cooking appliance (1), having a burner housing (12) which comprises: a plurality of mixture outlet openings (21) out of which a fuel gas and primary air mixture (B/P) can be conducted into the surroundings (U) of the gas burner (2) during operation of the gas burner (2) to generate a burner flame (40); a mixture distribution chamber (22) for uniformly distributing the fuel gas and primary air mixture (B/P) to the mixture outlet openings (21); and a storage chamber (34) which is fluid-connected to the mixture distribution chamber (22) to store some of the fuel gas and primary air mixture (B/P) in the storage chamber (34) during operation of the gas burner, wherein the storage chamber (34) comprises a pilot flame opening (36) out of which the fuel gas and primary air mixture (B/P) stored in the storage chamber (34) can be conducted into the surroundings (U) to generate a pilot flame (41).