Vertical Gas Burner Mixing Tube for Easy Fuel Orifice Conversion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cooktop appliances with long mixing throats require tedious and time-consuming disassembly to switch between natural gas and propane fuel orifices due to horizontal orientation, which complicates the conversion process.
Innovation Solution
A cooktop design featuring a top panel with a removable opening allowing access to both vertically and horizontally positioned fuel orifices, enabling easy switching without disassembling the appliance, with vertical and horizontal mixing tubes positioned to facilitate air entrainment and combustion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a long horizontal mixing throat is used, then air entrainment and fuel mixing performance is improved, but accessibility to fuel orifices for conversion between gas types deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing tube is reoriented from a horizontal configuration to a vertical configuration, changing the spatial dimension of the mixing throat. This vertical orientation allows the fuel orifice to be positioned at the bottom of the mixing tube, making it accessible through the opening in the top panel, thereby resolving the accessibility issue while preserving the long mixing throat design for proper air entrainment
2Stability of the object's composition
If a long mixing throat is used, then homogeneous fuel-air mixture formation is improved, but disassembly complexity increases for orifice replacement
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the mixing tube from horizontal to vertical orientation, the fuel orifice becomes accessible through the top panel opening without requiring disassembly of the burner assembly. This dimensional change simplifies the conversion process while maintaining the long mixing throat necessary for homogeneous mixture formation
3Volume of moving object
If horizontal mixing tube configuration is used, then space utilization within cooktop is improved, but fuel orifice replacement time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical orientation of the mixing tube repositions the fuel orifice at the bottom of the tube, directly accessible through the opening in the top panel. This eliminates the need to disassemble the burner assembly to reach the orifice, significantly reducing replacement time while the vertical tube still efficiently utilizes the available space within the cooktop structure
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
Simplifies the conversion process between fuel types by allowing direct access to fuel orifices through a common opening, reducing the time and effort required for switching, while maintaining efficient air entrainment and combustion performance.
Implementation Method 1
One mechanism to improve air entrainment is to use a long mixing throat
Implementation Method 2
gas burners for heating pots, pans, griddles, etc
Data Source
AI summary
A cooktop appliance includes a top panel that defines an opening. A first gas burner is positioned on the top panel at the opening of the top panel. A second gas burner includes a burner body, a horizontal mixing tube and a fuel orifice. The burner body is positioned on the top panel away from the opening of the top panel. The horizontal mixing tube is positioned below the top panel and extends between the burner body and the fuel orifice. The fuel orifice is positioned below the top panel at the opening of the top panel.