Torch Canister Flame Guard with Integrated Wick Holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor torches with liquid fuel burning systems face challenges in fueling, refueling, and proper installation of fuel canisters, including positioning the fuel container, attaching a flame guard, and ensuring the wick is properly exposed and set for operation.
Innovation Solution
A torch canister design featuring a fuel reservoir with a side wall, floor, and top, a neck with a wick holder, and a flame guard affixed to the neck, which provides a cover extending over the top and laterally beyond the side wall, ensuring secure attachment and proper wick exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the flame guard is attached separately after fuel canister installation, then the assembly process becomes more complex and time-consuming, but the flame guard can be securely attached
Solution Approach 1:
The flame guard is integrated with the fuel canister by forming it as a single molded unit, eliminating the need for separate attachment steps. The flame guard includes an integrated collar that is pre-formed as part of the same molding process, combining what were previously separate components into one unified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar is pre-formed as an integral part of the flame guard during the molding process, positioning it in the correct location and orientation before the fuel canister is inserted. This preliminary formation of the attachment structure eliminates the need for post-assembly attachment operations.
2Ease of operation
If the wick is exposed and extracted during installation, then proper wick positioning can be achieved, but the wick may lose its ability to draw fuel properly and contact with fuel during extraction creates mess
Solution Approach 1:
The wick is pre-positioned and secured within the flame guard's collar structure before fuel is added to the canister. The collar acts as a retaining structure that holds the wick in the correct position and prevents it from becoming contaminated or mispositioned during the fueling process.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar serves as an intermediary structure between the wick and the fuel reservoir, providing a controlled interface that allows the wick to access fuel through capillary action while preventing direct contact and spillage during installation. The collar structure mediates the interaction between the wick and fuel environment.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the flame guard extends closely over the fuel reservoir, then better flame containment is achieved, but the design becomes less adaptable to different fuel canister sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The flame guard features a frustoconical shape with varying thickness and extension distances from the canister body. The collar portion extends closer to provide flame containment where needed, while the upper portions extend less to accommodate different canister sizes. This localized variation in geometry provides both containment and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flame guard design incorporates a frustoconical geometry with specific angle ranges (30-60 degrees) and variable extension distances that can be adjusted based on the fuel canister dimensions. The collar inner diameter and extension parameters are designed to accommodate a range of canister sizes while maintaining effective flame containment through the conical shape.
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
The design addresses issues of fueling and refueling by providing a secure and easy-to-install fuel canister system, ensuring proper wick exposure for efficient burning and minimizing unburnable fuel, thus enhancing operational convenience and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The collar of the flame guard may be plastically deformed to grip the upright wall portion
Implementation Method 2
a wick retained in the wick holder and having a length that extends from a location above the wick holder sufficient to allow burning or liquid fuel from the wick to the floor of the fuel reservoir
Implementation Method 3
a cap affixed to the threaded connection of the neck sealing the neck against fuel leaks
Data Source
AI summary
A torch canister with a fuel reservoir has a neck extending from the top of the fuel reservoir defining a wick holder. The torch canister has a flame guard affixed to the neck.