GB2230850A

GB2230850A - Gas burner inlet

Info

Publication number: GB2230850A
Application number: GB8908130A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David William Homer
Original assignee: Parkinson Cowan Ltd; Parkinson Cowan Appliances Ltd
Current assignee: Parkinson Cowan Ltd; Parkinson Cowan Appliances Ltd
Priority date: 1989-04-11
Filing date: 1989-04-11
Publication date: 1990-10-31
Also published as: GB8908130D0

Abstract

A fabricated gas burner inlet, suitable for the burner of a gas cooker, includes a tubular member 11 and an annular closing member 12 both of metal. The members 11, 12 are clenched together to retain an elastomeric O-ring 14. An annular extension 13 of the member 12 may be deformed to clench the members together (as shown), or an extension of the member 11 may be used. <IMAGE>

Description

Gas Burner Inlet This invention relates to a fabricated burner inlet particularly suitable for a burner of a gas cooker.

It has been common practice to manufacture a gas burner inlet either as a die casting or as a component machined from solid; die castings and machined components are becoming increasingly expensive and moreover restrict design freedom because of the limitations imposed by the method of manufacture.

A further difficulty is to provide an inexpensive method of connecting the gas supply to the burner inlet and of overcoming the problem of tolerance build-up inherent in any assembled component.

The present invention provides an inexpensive fabricated gas burner inlet which overcomes the aforementioned problems.

According to the invention there is provided a gas burner inlet comprising a tubular member having a substantially continuous external flange at one end, an annular closing member in abutment with said flange and an elastomeric O-ring, said members being clinched together by an extension of one of said flange and closing member, the tubular member having a continuous outward step adjacent said flange so as to define with said closing member an annular recess for said O-ring, the inner periphery of the O-ring being radially inward of the aperture of said closing member and the adjacent wall of said tubular member.

The extension may be an upturned lip of the closing member or a downturned lip of the tubular member.

Preferably the extension is continuous.

Such an inlet is economical and simple to manufacture; the O-ring receiving a tubular gas supply component in sealing engagement and being sufficiently flexible to tolerate a reasonable spread of manufacturing tolerance.

In a preferred embodiment the tubular member has an inwardly directed flange at its other end to serve as a stop for the gas supply component. This flange may be upturned to.serve as a clenching flange for an annular mounting plate placed adjacent the outer side of the inwardly directed flange.

Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment shown by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig la is an axial section through three components of a burner inlet in an unclenched condition; Fig ib is a scrap section corresponding to part of Fig la but showing an alternative arrangement of parts; Fig 2 is a plan view of the inlet of Fig 1; Fig 3 is an axial section showing the burner inlet of Fig 1 in clenched condition and a mounting plate in unclenched condition; and Fig 4 is an axial section through a typical burner assembly showing the inlet and mounting plate of Fig 3 in clenched condition and a gas inlet tube.

With reference to Figs la and 2, the burner inlet comprises a tubular member (11) of sheet metal which may be spun or deep drawn or made in any other convenient manner. The member (11) may be of mild steel protected against corrosion by any suitable coating such as hard chrome. The tubular member (11) fits within the continuous upturned lip (13) of an annular closing member (12) and thereby traps within an annular recess, a resilient O-ring (14) of heat resistant plastics or rubber. The closing member (12) may be made of the same material as tubular member (11).

The members (11,12) are clenched together as shown in Fig 3 to provide a unitary assembly in which the 0ring (14) is trapped.

Fig 1b illustrates an alternative arrangement in which the tubular member (11b) is clenched around the periphery of the closing member (12b).

The assembled burner inlet is attached to the remainder of the gas burner assembly by a mounting plate (15) clenched to the upper part of the tubular member (11) as shown in Figs 3 and 4. The tubular member has a preformed step 16 against which the plate 15 rests as illustrated in Fig 3.

Fig 4 illustrates a typical gas burner assembly mounted on the gas cooker 10 by screws 17. The assembly comprises a burner inlet (11,12,15), a burner 18 having the usual burner ports and flame retention ports, a spark ignition electrode 19 and a burner cap 20. A tubular gas supply component 21, which may be a pipe, is pushed into the burner inlet as illustrated, the external diameter of component 21 being chosen to give sufficient compression of the ring 14 to ensure a gas tight seal between the component 21 and inner member 11.

The underside of the step 16 provides a convenient abutment for the component 21 although in practice the component may stop short of the abutment depending on the build up of tolerances within the cooker assembly. The O-ring is dimensioned to give sufficient grip to the component 21 to obviate the need for any additional support within the vicinity of burner assembly.

The clenching flange of the burner inlet components need not be continuous so long as sufficient material is provided to give an adequately strong connection.

The grade and size of the O-ring may be varied to suit different operational requirements and the 0ring may be inserted before or after the clenching operation.

Claims

1. A gas burner inlet comprising a tubular member having a substantially continuous external flange at one end, an annular closing member in abutment with said flange and an elastomeric O-ring, said members being clenched together by an extension of one of said flange and closing member, the tubular member having a continuous outward step adjacent said flange so as to define with said closing member an annular recess for said O-ring, the inner periphery of the 0ring being radially inward of the aperture of said closing member. and the adjacent wall of said tubular member.

2. An inlet according to Claim 1 wherein said extension is an upturned lip of said closing member.

3. An inlet according to Claim 1 wherein said extension is a downturned lip of said tubular member.

4. An inlet according to any preceding Claim wherein said extension is continuous.

5. An inlet according to any preceding Claim wherein said tubular member has a continuous inwardly directed flange at its other end, the inner periphery of the flange being radially inward of the inner periphery of said O-ring.

6. An inlet according to Claim 6 wherein said tubular member extends axially at said other end from the inner periphery of the flange.

7. An inlet according to Claim 6 and further comprising an annular mounting plate in abutment with the outer face of said inwardly directed flange and clenched thereto by deformation of the adjacent axial extension.

8. A gas cooker having a burner inlet according to any preceding Claim.

9. A gas burner inlet substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.