Gas Valve Outlet Offset Design for Compact Grill Control Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas grills have spatially inefficient gas valves due to the coaxial alignment of the gas valve outlet with the flow control member and stem, resulting in a bulky control panel chamber.
Innovation Solution
The gas valve design includes a chamber with a flow control member and offset outlet positioning, reducing the front-to-rear distance by locating the outlet above the axis of rotation, allowing for a more compact control panel chamber and closer burner tube placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the outlet of the gas valve is coaxially aligned with the axis of rotation of the flow control member and stem, then the gas valve can be simpler in structure and easier to manufacture, but the control panel chamber becomes bulky and spatially inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet of the gas valve is positioned offset from the axis of rotation of the flow control member and stem, transitioning from a coaxial arrangement to a non-coaxial spatial configuration. This dimensional repositioning allows the outlet to be located at a different radial distance and angular position, enabling more efficient use of space within the control panel chamber while maintaining structural simplicity and manufacturability.
2Volume of moving object
If the outlet of the gas valve is positioned offset from the axis of rotation, then the control panel chamber can be more compact, but the alignment and connection between components become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The gas valve employs an asymmetric configuration where the outlet is deliberately positioned at an offset location relative to the axis of rotation of the flow control member and stem. This asymmetric arrangement, rather than a symmetric coaxial design, allows the outlet to be located at optimal positions for compactness while the internal flow paths and component geometries are designed to accommodate this asymmetry without excessive complexity.
3Productivity
If the burner tube is positioned farther from the control panel chamber, then there is more space for other components, but the grill becomes less compact and larger in overall size
Solution Approach 1:
The offset outlet positioning allows the burner tube to be positioned closer to the control panel chamber by merging or overlapping the spatial zones that would traditionally be separated. This integration of components into a more compact arrangement reduces the overall length and footprint of the grill while maintaining adequate space for all necessary components and their operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Space efficient gas valves for grills are disclosed. An example gas valve includes a chamber, a flow control member, an inlet conduit, an outlet conduit, and a stem. The flow control member is disposed within the chamber and is rotatable between an open position and a closed position. The inlet conduit extends downwardly from the chamber and includes an inlet flow channel having an inlet. The outlet conduit extends upwardly from the chamber and includes an outlet flow channel having an outlet. The stem is operatively coupled to the flow control member such that rotation of the stem about an axis of rotation of the stem causes a corresponding rotation of the flow control member within the chamber about an axis of rotation of the flow control member. The outlet of the outlet flow channel is located above the axis of rotation of the of the flow control member.