Additional primary air access for surface gas burners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11098891-B2
Application number	US-201916251861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A gas burner unit for a cooktop includes a spreader having a first side with a plurality of gas outlets and a second side opposite the first side and defining a portion of a fluid path. The spreader further defines a venturi in fluid communication with the gas outlets and extending away from the second side. The gas burner unit further includes an orifice holder having a protrusion defining an upwardly directed primary air inlet therethrough. The upwardly directed primary air inlet is in fluid communication with the fluid path associated with the spreader on a first end thereof and with the venturi on a second end thereof opposite the first end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas burner unit for a cooktop, comprising:
a spreader having a mixing chamber defined on a first side of the spreader, with a plurality of gas outlets on the first side and in communication with the mixing chamber, and a portion of a fluid path on a second side of the spreader opposite the first side, the spreader further defining a venturi in fluid communication with the gas outlets via the mixing chamber and extending away from the second side; and
an orifice holder having a protrusion defining an upwardly directed primary air inlet therethrough, wherein the upwardly directed primary air inlet is open toward the second side of the spreader on a first end thereof to direct air from the first portion of the fluid path into the orifice holder away from the spreader and open toward an opening to a main body of the orifice holder on a second end thereof opposite the first end to allow the air to flow into the venturi.

2. The gas burner unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the orifice holder further has a central cylindrical portion removably receiving a portion of the spreader; and
the upwardly directed primary air inlet is immediately adjacent the central cylindrical portion and defines a semi-circular shape extending away from the central cylindrical portion.

3. The gas burner unit of claim 1 , wherein the upwardly directed primary air inlet is included in a plurality of upwardly directed primary air inlets defined by the orifice holder.

4. The gas burner unit of claim 1 , wherein the spreader is secured to the orifice holder using a groove and a mating alignment tab to maintain a desired coaxial alignment between the gas burner spreader and the orifice holder.

5. The gas burner unit of claim 4 , wherein the spreader is secured to the orifice holder with the second side of the spreader at a predetermined distance from the first end of the upwardly directed primary air inlet to define the portion of the fluid path.

6. The gas burner unit of claim 1 , wherein the orifice holder has a main body portion in which a gas orifice is mechanically secured in coaxial alignment with the venturi, and wherein the main body is in fluid connection with the venturi.

7. The gas burner unit of claim 6 , further comprising:
a plurality of alternate primary air inlets that are in fluid communication with ambient air and in fluid communication with an area below the cooktop, and wherein the main body has openings which permit fluid communication between the main body and the area below the cooktop.

8. The gas burner unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the venturi defines an inlet end spaced away from the second side of the spreader; and
the first end of the upwardly directed primary air inlet is positioned between the inlet end of the venturi and the second surface of the spreader.

9. The gas burner unit of claim 8 , wherein the second end of the upwardly directed primary air inlet is positioned between the inlet end of the venturi and the second surface of the spreader.

10. The gas burner unit of claim 1 , wherein the flow path extends from an outer perimeter of the spreader to the first end of the upwardly directed primary air inlet.

11. A cooktop having at least one gas burner unit, comprising:
a primary surface defining an opening;
a gas burner unit including a spreader having a mixing chamber defined on a first side of the spreader with a plurality of gas outlets on the first side and in communication with the mixing chamber, and a second side opposite the first side and spaced from the primary surface to define a fluid path therebetween, the spreader further defining a venturi extending through the opening and in communication with the gas outlets via the mixing chamber and extending away from the second side; and
an upwardly directed primary air inlet extending through the primary surface and open toward the second side of the spreader on a first end thereof to direct air from the away from the spreader and through the primary surface and positioned adjacent the venturi on a second end thereof opposite the first end to direct air from the second end toward the venturi, wherein the first end is positioned between the primary surface and the second side of the spreader.

12. The cooktop of claim 11 , wherein the second end of the upwardly directed primary air inlet is adjacent and parallel to the venturi.

13. The cooktop of claim 11 , wherein the upwardly directed primary air inlet is included in a plurality of upwardly directed primary air inlets, each in fluid communication with the fluid path on respective first ends thereof and with the venturi on respective second ends thereof opposite the first end.

14. The cooktop of claim 11 , wherein the total cross sectional area of the upwardly directed primary air inlets is about 63 mm 2 or greater.

15. The cooktop of claim 11 , wherein:
the upwardly directed primary air inlet is defined by an orifice holder; and
the orifice holder removably maintains the spreader in a desired coaxial alignment with the orifice holder by at least one groove that receives a tab extending from the spreader.

16. The cooktop of claim 15 , wherein the orifice holder is mounted on the cooktop on an interior opposite the primary surface with the protrusions extending upwardly beyond the primary surface.

17. The cooktop of claim 11 , further comprising
an alternate air inlet;
wherein:
the alternate air inlet intakes ambient air from a location remote from the gas burner unit and supply the ambient air to an interior area of the cooktop beneath the primary surface; and

the interior area is in fluid connection with the venturi.

18. A cooktop, comprising:
a primary surface defining an opening;
a gas burner unit including:
a spreader having a mixing chamber defined on a first side of the spreader, a second side of the spreader opposite the first side facing the primary surface, the spreader defining a fluid path between the second side of the spreader and the primary surface; and
an orifice holder mounted with the cooktop on an interior thereof opposite the primary surface, the orifice holder supporting the spreader with the second side thereof spaced apart from the primary surface and defining a protrusion with an upwardly directed primary air inlet from the fluid path between the second side of the spreader and the primary surface and through the orifice holder, a first end of the upwardly directed primary air inlet positioned between the primary surface and the second side of the spreader and facing the second side of the spreader and second end thereof positioned within and open to the interior of the cooktop.

19. The cooktop of claim 18 , wherein the protrusion extends upwardly beyond the primary surface to define a ridge associated with the first end.

20. The cooktop of claim 18 , wherein the fluid path is in communication with the interior of the cooktop through the upwardly directed primary air inlet.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Geng Tao
• Manrique Victor H
• Mayberry Timothy A

Classifications

• F23M9/02

  in air inlets · CPC title

• F23D14/06 Primary

  with radial outlets at the burner head · CPC title

• F23L1/00

  Passages or apertures for delivering primary air for combustion  (baffles or deflectors in air inlets F23M9/02) · CPC title

• F24C3/08

  Arrangement or mounting of burners · CPC title