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[0001] The following invention relates generally to a gas burner, and more specifically to a radiative heat gas burner of the type which are commonly incorporated in conventional gas cookers in the grills thereof.
[0002] The type of burners to which this invention relates are also known as atmospheric burners because combustion occurs on the surface of the burner with oxygen from the ambient atmosphere fueling the combustion, but it to be understood that the invention may have wider application, in particular to premix burners in which air is mixed with assistance from a fan to a certain extent with the combustion gas prior to combustion thereof. In the interests of brevity however, the following description relates only to atmospheric burners.
[0003] Atmospheric burners are used to provide the grill in conventional gas cookers. One configuration of burner typically consists of a plenum chamber fabricated by pressing a steel or aluminum sheet to form a cavity with an inlet port to which a gas feed tube is brazed, welded or otherwise connected.
[0004] A flow of combustion gas, usually methane, is introduced into the cavity from the feed tube from which it disperses within the cavity and flows substantially evenly beneath two perpendicularly disposed sheets of gauze and a punched hardened steel sheet superimposed on the gauze sheets on the surface of which combustion occurs. The hardened steel sheet is provided with a plurality of holes through which the combustion gas passes, after first having passed through the gauze sheets from the cavity, the arrangement of holes being such that a substantially uniform flame distribution is achieved over the surface of the plate. In a burner measuring 20 cm by 30 cm, the holes in the hardened steel sheet may be of the order of 3 cm in diameter.
[0005] The cavity is sealed both at the connection of the feed tube with the inlet port, and also around the periphery of the plate and the sheets of gauze by folding an edge of the steel pressing over the edges of the plate and sheets of gauze.
[0006] The steel sheet is generally provided with at least one indentation to interrupt its otherwise substantially planer profile. The indentations are provided to mitigate against the buckling effects of the sheet during the expansion thereof experienced as combustion occurs on its surface. Such buckling effects result from the method by which the seal around the edge of the plate is effected in that the folding of an edge of the steel pressing around the entire periphery of the plate prevents the expansion of the said plate. To further ensure that the profile of the sheet is not substantially affected by its expansion, the sheet may be spot welded a portion of the pressing proximate the centre thereof to prevent its outward bulging during combustion which adversely affects the flame profile on the surface of said plate.
[0007] The fundamental disadvantage of the burner construction described is one of cost. The particular components which constitute the burner are chosen to achieve a substantially uniform flame profile over the surface of the hardened steel plate, both to ensure that food products being cooked underneath the burner are not singed or burned, and to ensure that the gauze portions revealed by the holes glow with a dull, reddish color. The glowing of the gauze portions has previously been considered essential to provide radiative heat transfer from the burner to the food and thus effective cooking thereof, the conventional disposition of the burner above the food during grilling thereof precluding convective heat transfer and the low thermal conductivity of air precluding conductive heat transfer.
[0008] Other burner configurations have been proposed, but all configurations are directed towards the provision of radiative heat transfer from the burner to a food product being grilled underneath. For instance a “poker” type burner has been considered which comprises a cylindrical tube mounted substantially centrally of the burner from which the combustion gas flows through apertures arranged linearly along the length of the tube and on both sides thereof. Disposed above the line of apertures are provided a pair of fins angled towards each other and provided with a series of indentations over the surface. In use, combustion occurs on the lower surface of the fins with the indentations glowing and thus radiating heat downwardly onto a food product beneath the burner.
[0009] Again, the disadvantages associated with this burner are its cost, and its complexity of construction.
[0010] It is an object of the invention to provide a burner which is inexpensive and simple to construct and which nevertheless provides sufficient heat radiation downwardly of its surface when disposed above a food product to cook same when in use as a grill.
[0011] According to the invention there is provided a burner head having an inlet port by which the burner is provided with a combustible gas, a chamber in which the combustion gas flows prior to combustion, and a combustion surface through which the gas passes from the chamber to combust thereon or proximate thereto, characterized in that the combustion surface is provided with a pattern of perforations, the total area of perforation as compared to the area of the combustion surface being sufficient to permit a sufficient quantity of gas to flow therethrough, and each perforation being of size which prevents any burn back within the chamber.
[0012] These and other objects will be made manifest when considering the following detailed specification when taken in conjunction with the appended drawing figures.
[0013] The removal of the sheets of gauze from the construction of the burner has never previously been considered because of the requirement of heat radiation therefrom. The applicant has established that by simply providing a perforated combustion surface through which the combustion gas passes directly from the chamber, sufficient radiation of heat from the said combustion surface can be achieved without any requirement for portions of the combustion surface to glow.
[0014] The combustion surface is preferably formed from a sheet of stainless steel.
[0015] Preferably the pattern of perforations within the sheet creates a substantially uniform flame profile on or proximate the surface thereof.
[0016] Preferably the combustion surface is provided with indentations to prevent significant buckling of the said surface during combustion thereon.
[0017] Preferably baffle means are provided internally of the chamber to ensure substantially even distribution of the combustion gas within the chamber and underneath the combustion surface.
[0018] Preferably the burner head is incorporated in a conventional gas cooker and provides a grill function therefor. In this particular configuration, the burner head is preferably disposed with its combustion surface facing downwardly above a tray on which food products to be cooked are placed.
[0019] Preferably the combustion surface is provided with means for generating a spark to ignite the combustion gas.
[0020] Preferably the sparking means is affixed through the combustion surface, an indentation being provided on said combustion surface which acts as the sparking contact against which the spark discharges.
[0021] It is believed that the combustion surface of the burner radiates sufficient heat notwithstanding that no portion thereof glows, and it is this realization which has given rise to the present invention.
[0022] A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagram wherein:
[0023]
[0024]
[0025]
[0026] Referring firstly to
[0027] The combustion surface
[0028] The combustion of the gas approximate or on the combustion surface
[0029] The template
[0030] Referring now to
[0031] The combustion surface
[0032] The sheet
[0033] A suitable sparking means, such as a piezo electric sparking device may thus be mounted through the aperture
[0034] Referring finally to
[0035] It will be understood from the foregoing, and particularly with reference to
[0036] As can be seen from
[0037] The patterned effect provides a means by which burner resonance can be reduced during operation.
[0038] Moreover, having thus described the invention, it should be apparent that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope and fair meaning of the instant invention as set forth hereinabove and as described hereinbelow by the claims.