Torch Attachment Combustion Cone and Radiators
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld gas-fueled torches in kitchens face safety risks due to exposed, focused flames, leading to incomplete combustion and uneven heating, which results in undesirable 'torch taste' and limited cooking versatility.
Innovation Solution
A burner attachment with a diverging combustion cone and apertured radiators that spread and diffuse the flame within a combustion chamber, converting fuel combustion to infrared radiation for uniform heating, combined with a tipping-resistant holder to prevent the fuel canister from tipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a focused, pencil-shaped flame is used, then the torch produces intense heat, but the flame is difficult to control and creates safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the concentrated flame into multiple smaller flame elements by incorporating air holes and fuel delivery openings distributed across the torch head surface. This segmentation disperses the intense heat into a broader, more controllable pattern, reducing safety risks while maintaining cooking effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces air holes as an intermediary element between the fuel source and the cooking surface. These air holes allow controlled air intake that moderates the flame characteristics, transforming the naked concentrated flame into a more manageable heat distribution pattern.
2Device complexity
If a thin, pencil-like flame is used, then the torch structure is simple, but it is time-consuming to evenly heat a broad area
Solution Approach 1:
The torch head is segmented with multiple fuel delivery openings and air holes distributed across its surface, creating numerous small flame sources that cover a broader area simultaneously. This allows efficient heating of large surfaces without requiring complex mechanical movement or adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point flame (zero-dimensional) to a distributed surface flame pattern (two-dimensional) by arranging multiple openings across the torch head surface. This dimensional change enables broad area heating while maintaining a relatively simple torch structure.
3Temperature
If the flame is not properly adjusted or is too hot, then the torch produces intense heat, but incomplete combustion creates undesirable torch taste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates air holes that provide controlled air intake to the combustion process. This air supply acts as a feedback mechanism that ensures adequate oxygen for complete combustion, preventing the formation of uncombusted hydrocarbons that cause torch taste while maintaining the desired heat intensity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces additional air through the air holes to enhance the oxidation process during combustion. This increased oxygen supply promotes complete combustion of the fuel, eliminating uncombusted hydrocarbons and the associated undesirable torch taste while preserving heat intensity.
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
Enhances safety by containing the flame, ensuring complete fuel combustion, and providing uniform infrared radiation for efficient cooking over a broad area, reducing the risk of kitchen fires and undesirable flavors.
Implementation Method 1
a spark generated by a piezoelectric igniter
Implementation Method 2
fuel combustion
Implementation Method 3
substantially converts the fuel combustion to thermal radiation, especially infrared radiation
Implementation Method 4
converting fuel combustion to infrared radiation to heat and cook foods by irradiation
Data Source
AI summary
An attachment for a torch includes a combustion cone mounted on a fuel delivery tube. The combustion cone bounds a combustion chamber and has an inlet through which fuel from the tube enters the chamber to create a flame when the torch ignites the fuel. The cone diverges away from the inlet and to an outlet to enable the flame to diverge and spread within the chamber. The chamber substantially contains the flame therein. At least one apertured radiator, and preferably, a pair of apertured radiators, is mounted in the chamber in direct contact with the flame, and heated by the flame to a temperature sufficient to cause each radiator to radiate infrared radiation through and past the outlet. A tipping-resistant holder holds a fuel canister of the torch upright when placed on a support surface.