Integrated Burner Shutter for Safe, Simplified Fuel Refueling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing burner systems face difficulties in determining whether flames are fully extinguished before refueling, requiring separate snuffers and multiple steps for safe fueling.

Innovation Solution

A burner system with an integrated shutter that moves between a burn position and a fuel position, allowing simultaneous operation and refueling without exposing the burner to flames, featuring a fill cap and snuffer for safe and integrated fueling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a standalone snuffer is used to extinguish flames, then flame safety is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to requiring separate steps and components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflame safetyVSAvoidcomponent separation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shutter integrates the fill cap and snuffer into a single unified component that performs multiple functions: covering the fill port, extinguishing flames, and controlling fuel access. This merging eliminates the need for separate standalone snuffer operations and simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining flame safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The shutter component serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it acts as a fill port cover, a flame extinguisher (snuffer), and a fuel access control mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and streamlines the operation process while ensuring safe flame management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of manufacture

If the fill port is positioned near the burn chamber, then ease of manufacture is improved, but safety deteriorates due to risk of fuel introduction during combustion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent positioningVSAvoidfuel introduction risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The fill port is extracted and positioned on the exterior of the burn chamber, separated from the combustion zone. This spatial extraction eliminates the harmful effect of fuel introduction during combustion while maintaining ease of manufacture through straightforward exterior mounting of the filler component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of repair

If the shutter is made separable from the burner system, then ease of repair is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential loss or misplacement of components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent accessibilityVSAvoidcomponent retention

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The shutter is designed as an integrated, inseparable component of the burner system, eliminating the risk of loss or misplacement that would occur with separable components. While this reduces flexibility in repair, it ensures consistent operational reliability and prevents component degradation from repeated attachment and detachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12359805B1Burner system with integrated shutter and spaced apart fill port

Publication Date: 2025.07.15 SOLO BRANDS LLC

AI summary

A burner system comprises a reservoir configured to store fuel, a filler coupled to the reservoir and including a fill port, a burn chamber coupled to the reservoir; and a shutter including a fill cap and a snuffer. The shutter is movable between a burn position wherein the burn chamber is operable to burn fuel stored in the reservoir and a fuel position wherein the fill port is usable to fill the reservoir with fuel.