Additional primary air access for surface gas burners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9513012-B2
Application number	US-201314102864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A gas burner unit for a cooktop having a spreader positioned above the top surface of the cooktop. The spreader has a plurality of gas outlets. A venturi is in fluid communication with the gas outlets. An orifice holder secures a gas orifice in position in a main body of the orifice holder and has a plurality of protrusions extending upwardly and defining a plurality of upwardly directed primary air inlets. The plurality of primary air inlets are in fluid communication with the main body of the orifice holder, and the main body is in fluid communication with the venturi. A general primary air inlet allows ambient air from outside the cooktop to enter the area below the cooktop, and the main body of the orifice holder includes openings allowing fluid communication between the area below the cooktop and the main body of the orifice holder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas burner unit for a cooktop, comprising:
a spreader positioned above a top surface of the cooktop at a first distance to define a gap therebetween exposed around at least a portion of a perimeter of the spreader, the spreader having a plurality of gas outlets;
a venturi in fluid communication with the gas outlets; and
an orifice holder having a plurality of protrusions positioned beneath the spreader, each defining a respective one of a plurality of upwardly directed primary air inlets therethrough, wherein each of the plurality of upwardly directed primary air inlets extend through the top surface of the cooktop so as to be in fluid communication with the gap on respective upper ends thereof and with the venturi on respective lower ends thereof.

2. The gas burner unit of claim 1 , wherein each of the upwardly directed primary air inlets has a semi-circular shape.

3. The gas burner unit of claim 1 , having two upwardly directed primary air inlets.

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

5. The gas burner unit of claim 1 , wherein the upwardly directed primary air inlets have a total cross sectional area of about 63 mm 2 or greater.

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 plurality of protrusions extend above the top surface of the cooktop.

9. The gas burner unit of claim 8 , wherein the protrusions extend about 2.9 mm above the top surface of the cooktop.

10. The gas burner unit of claim 1 , wherein the spreader is separated from the top surface of the cooktop by at least about 2 mm to form a path for ambient air to flow from above the cooktop to the plurality of upwardly directed primary air inlets.

11. A cooktop having a gas burner unit, comprising:
a cooktop having a top surface defining an opening;
a venturi extending through the opening and fluidically coupling with the gas burner unit; and
a plurality of upwardly directed primary air inlets defined through a plurality of corresponding projections extending through and at least partially individually surrounded by the top surface of the cooktop, wherein the plurality of upwardly directed primary air inlets are in fluid communication with the venturi to provide ambient air from above the cooktop to the venturi; wherein each of the plurality of projections defines a ridge extending upwardly above the cooktop about a perimeter of each upwardly directed primary air inlet.

12. The cooktop of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of projections further define an edge opposite and beneath the respective ridge and is positioned adjacent the venturi with both the respective ridge and the respective edge located completely above an entrance to the venturi.

13. The cooktop of claim 11 , having two upwardly directed primary air inlets per gas burner unit.

14. The cooktop of claim 11 , wherein a 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 plurality of upwardly directed primary air inlets are defined by an orifice holder and wherein the venturi is defined by a spreader, wherein the orifice holder maintains the spreader in a desired coaxial alignment by having at least one groove which receives a tab extending from the spreader.

16. The cooktop of claim 15 , wherein the orifice holder is aluminum or brass.

17. The cooktop of claim 11 , further comprising:
a plurality of alternate primary air inlets wherein the alternate primary air inlets intake ambient air from a location remote from the gas burner unit and supply it to an area under the cooktop, wherein the area under the cooktop is in fluid connection with the venturi.

18. A cooktop, comprising:
a plurality of gas burner units including a first gas burner unit;
a first primary air inlet located remotely from the gas burner units, which allows the ingress of ambient air to an area below the cooktop to supply primary air to all of the plurality of gas burner units; and
a second primary air inlet associated with one of the plurality of gas burner units, wherein the second primary air inlet allows ingress of ambient air from above a top surface of the cooktop to supply primary air to the first gas burner unit in combination with the primary air from the area below the cooktop, wherein the second primary air inlet is directed upwardly through the top surface of the cooktop.

19. The cooktop of claim 18 , further comprising:
a protrusion extending upwardly around an exterior of the second primary air inlet.

20. The cooktop of claim 18 , wherein the first gas burner unit includes a spreader which is supported above the top surface of the cooktop and wherein the second primary air inlet is located below the spreader.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Gen Tao
• Manrique Victor H
• Mayberry Timothy A

Classifications

• F23M9/02

  in air inlets · CPC title

• F24C3/08 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of burners · 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