KR20120061852A - Insulated burner system for gas-fueled lighters - Google Patents

Abstract

The burner assembly for the gas fuel lighter includes a metal combustion chamber rigidly connected to the fuel metering valve. The burners and fuel valves are tightly connected via insulated coupling parts. This provides a more reliable structure and reduces the heat transfer from the burner to the fuel source, thus reducing the vapor lock condition.

Description

Insulation burner system for gas fuel lighter {INSULATED BURNER SYSTEM FOR GAS-FUELED LIGHTERS}

The present invention relates generally to flame generating pocket lighters, and more particularly to gas fuel pocket lighters.

Two main types of gas fuel pocket lighters are currently in use. The first type of gas fuel lighter device uses a post-mix burner to generate and support the flame. Gas is delivered through a burner that draws combustion oxygen from the surrounding air for combustion. This type of combustion is characterized by a slow, low temperature yellow flame called a traditional or delayed flame.

The second type of gas fuel lighter device is integrated with a pre-mix burner. This type of burner draws ambient air through holes provided in the base of the burner and combines the necessary oxygen from the air with the gaseous fuel prior to combustion. This type of combustion is characterized by high speed and blue flames. Lighters using premixed burners produce significantly higher flame temperatures than those using postmixed burners because of the higher efficient combustion. This device is commonly referred to as a blue flame, a torch flame, or an invisible flame ignition device. Premixed lighter burners that burn at high heat and speed make the flame more stable and less likely to be extinguished by wind or other ambient conditions.

Two main ignition systems are typically used with gas fuel cigarettes or pocket lighters. The first type is flint and wheel ignition mechanism. The hardened striking wheel rotates against flint made of flammable material. The functional coupling of the striking wheel with the flint creates sparks that are directed and ignited as the fuel leaves the gas outlet. Another type of ignition system is a piezo. In this type of ignition system, a high voltage charge occurs when the crystal is hit. A spark is created when this charge is jumped across a preset gap between the electrical contact and the gas nozzle, which consists of a conductor. These sparks ignite the gas as it leaves the nozzle. Flint and wheel type ignition systems offer advantages over piezoelectric ignition systems, which are more reliable, consistent and inexpensive to produce.

The higher flame temperatures created by the premix burners require a way to insulate the rest of the lighter from the high heat generated during combustion to prevent damage to the internal burner and gas supply valve components or ignition of the rest. More typically, the heat produced causes the liquid fuel to boil around the gas supply valve, resulting in a "vapor lock." Vapor lock occurs when liquid fuel changes state from liquid to gas near or around the fuel metering valve. This can interfere with the operation of the fuel system and cause a loss of fuel delivery pressure to the burner. Fuel can vaporize because of excessive heat transfer from the burner. Vapor lock can cause reduced flame height and flame extinction.

One traditional method for preventing damage to pocket lighter components caused by heat transfer from a flame is the use of a ceramic insulated burner chamber. The ceramic chamber is connected directly to the mixing and metering valves surrounding the base of the flame and supplying gaseous fuel. Ceramics are poor thermal conductors and are therefore good insulators. The ceramic material can become quite hot during the operation of the premix burner, but this heat transfer is reduced due to poor heat transfer. Many ceramic materials are also light and useful for the manufacture of pocket lighters. Ceramics, however, have a number of disadvantages, which are brittle materials and are prone to breakage in sudden impacts. Therefore, ceramic insulators do not protect other lighter components located near the flame.

In addition, some prior art designs combine burner chambers and fuel metering valves with plastic tubing for fueling. The plastic material of this tubing acts as an insulator and prevents heat transfer to the fuel supply. However, a disadvantage of this design is that the burner chamber and the mixing valve are not rigidly connected to the fuel metering valve. This unstable connection between critical parts of the fuel supply system increases the chance of the burner assembly being separated from the gas metering valve during use or during the transport of the lighter, which in turn causes a disturbance in the fuel supply to the combustion site. . The burner assembly directly and rigidly connected to the fuel metering valve will ensure that the supply of fuel to the combustion site is uninterrupted.

1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a conventional burner assembly 6. Parts of the burner assembly 6 include an insulation chamber 7, a coupler 8, an intake port 10 and a body 11. 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 illustrating components commonly used in a conventional burner assembly design. The insulation chamber 7 is typically composed of a ceramic material. As described above, the insulation chamber 7 is easily broken when subjected to a sudden impact. 1 and 2, the coupler 8 requires one or more O-rings 14, washers 13 and orifice disk 12 to interface the coupler 8 with the body 11. To combine. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the burner assembly 6 may not be directly and firmly connected to the upstream gas delivery source at the coupler 8 and the coupler 8 does not provide insulation. This will cause a disturbance of the supply of fuel to the combustion site. What is needed in the prior art is a burner assembly that allows for robust mounting and interconnection between the burner and the upstream gas delivery component and also insulates heat transfer therefrom.

The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of brittle ceramic insulating materials and conditions resulting from the transfer of heat into the lighter fuel reservoir.

Even with the use of solid insulators and metal combustion chambers, conventional pocket lighter designs combine plastic burners and fuel metering valves using plastic tubing as the insulator. This inadequate connection increases the chance of shorting or damaging lighter parts. The use of rubber tubing also requires individual gas orifice discs to seal the connection. Such gas orifice discs require one or more additional compression washers and sealing o-rings to ensure the integrity of the seal. The invention utilizes a design consisting of an insulated rigid connection between the fuel metering valve and the burner assembly that significantly reduces heat transfer into the fuel reservoir. The burner coupling that connects the burner assembly to the fuel metering valve consists of a material that is stable at high temperatures and preferably an insulating material, preferably a thermoset plastic or a thermoplastic that is fairly resistant to high temperatures. One example of such a material is polyetherimide, manufactured under the trademark Ultem® from Saudi Basic Industries Corp, Saudi Arabia. Another option is phenolic resin. The use of plastics that withstand high temperatures causes heat containment in the burner assembly to insulate the fuel reservoir from heat generated from fuel combustion. The design of the coupling component also eliminates the need for the individual components used to seal the interface between the burner assembly and the fuel metering valve. The coupling part disclosed herein obviates the use of individual gas orifice discs, compression washers and sealing O-rings because the gas orifice is integrated into the coupling part. This eliminates the possibility of failure of the O-ring caused by exposure to high temperatures, simplifies the assembly process and reduces manufacturing costs.

An insulated ceramic chamber is traditionally integrated within the gas fuel pocket lighter to prevent the transfer of heat from the flame to the fuel supply. Ceramics are generally light materials and are good insulators. However, ceramic materials are brittle and susceptible to breakage or destruction when subjected to sharp impacts and are not suitable for protecting lighter parts from the forces of daily use. The high temperature resistant coupling component of the present invention prevents the transfer of heat from the lighter flame to the fuel supply, making the use of ceramic insulators unnecessary. The improved coupling component allows the use of a metal burner chamber and is preferably composed of a material such as stainless steel or tungsten instead of a typical insulating ceramic. Rigid impact resistant metal combustion chambers protect other lighter components adjacent to the flame.

Rigid fuel supply system connections and the use of hot rigid burner chambers significantly reduce the chance of failures that can result from sudden impacts such as dropping the lighter. These and other advantages and features of the disclosed apparatus will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and description.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a burner design of the prior art.
2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing components used in a burner design of the prior art.
3 is a cross-sectional side view of a complete lighter assembly having a burner system of the present invention.
4 is a side view of the burner system of the present invention in connection with a fuel supply valve.
FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the burner system of the present invention in connection with a fuel supply valve taken along line VV of FIG. 4.
6 is a side cross-sectional view of the burner system of the present invention.
7 is an enlarged side sectional view showing a coupling component of the present invention.

3, a lighter 20 according to the present invention is illustrated. However, other types of lighters may be used in place of the specific design of the lighter 20 shown in FIG. And the lighter 20 shows one example for illustrating one aspect of the present invention. Lighter 20 may be any lighter design that incorporates the burner system described herein.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the lighter 20 includes a fuel reservoir 3, a fuel fill valve 4, a fuel metering valve 5, and a burner assembly 6. Will be easily understood. The lighter 20 includes a gas fuel passage 30 disposed at the center. The centrally arranged gaseous fuel passage 30 is disposed in the center of the burner assembly 6 and extends from the burner assembly 6 to the fuel reservoir 3. The gas fuel passage 30 is shown in FIG. 3 in a round configuration. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other shapes such as square, rectangular, etc. of burner assemblies are possible.

 The gaseous fuel passage 30 is in fluid communication with a fuel reservoir 3 with a valve that typically contains fuel such as butane or similar combustible fuels under pressure to keep the fuel liquid in the reservoir. Operation of the fuel reservoir 3 is apparent to those skilled in the art and will not be described here in detail. Since many of the fuels employed for use in lighters such as butane are volatile, the liquid fuel drops in pressure as it exits the fuel reservoir 3 and turns into combustible vapor. The lighter has a fuel metering valve 5 for measuring butane gas as the butane gas is emitted. The gaseous fuel travels through the fuel metering valve 5 and the gaseous fuel passage 30. Flint 2 and hardened striking wheel 1 constitute an ignition system, which is disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,247,920, issued June 19, 2001 to Pfeil. The igniter system is used to ignite the gaseous fuel as it exits the gaseous fuel passage 30 through the outlet 26. The burner assembly 6 is mounted such that the outlet 26 of the gas fuel passage 30 is arranged in operation with the flint 2 such that sparks from the flint 2 pass the gas fuel passage 30 through the outlet 26. Can ignite the emerging gas. Another method of spark generation for igniting a fuel may employ such a piezoelectric system as described above.

4 and 5, in one implementation of the present invention, the burner assembly 6 is connected in such a way that fluid flows through the coupler 18 to the nozzle 9 of the fuel metering valve 5. The coupler 18 is made of a material that is resistant to high temperatures and is a flexible material, such as, for example, thermotem plastics or thermoplastics that are quite high temperature. As a result, the heat produced by the hot post-mix or blue flame is contained in the burner chamber 16, as described below, and the fuel reservoir 3 is insulated from this heat generated from fuel combustion. This reduction in heat retention and transfer reduces the amount of conducted heat into the fuel reservoir. This in turn reduces the opportunity for vapor lock conditions. Burner assembly 6 is directly and rigidly connected to fuel metering valve 5 to provide a rich and continuous fuel supply to the combustion site. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4, showing detailed parts used in the assembly of the burner assembly 6 with the intake port 10 and the fuel metering valve 5.

The burner chamber 16 is also arranged in connection with the burner assembly 6. The burner chamber 16 is made of a material such as stainless steel instead of a conventional insulating ceramic material. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the burner chamber may be composed of any heat resistant metal. The metal burner chamber 16 protects components adjacent to the flame from the heat of the premixed flame. The metal burner chamber 16 is also stronger and more resistant to external forces than conventional ceramic materials, protecting other components from damage from sudden impacts such as dropping the lighter.

The configuration as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 allows direct connection of burner assembly 6 and burner chamber 16 to fuel metering valve 5 via coupler 18. Unlike conventional configurations using plastic tubing, the coupler 18 provides a rigid and stable connection and therefore reduces the likelihood that the burner assembly 6 is shorted from the fuel metering valve 5. The use of a coupler 18 composed of a stable insulating material that withstands high temperatures also reduces the conduction of heat into the fuel reservoir 3. Coupler 18 allows the use of metal burner chamber 16 instead of ceramic insulation chamber 7 to double the protection of lighter components.

Burner assembly 6 has at least one intake port 10 in fluid communication with gaseous fuel passage 30. During operation of the lighter 20, fuel is delivered through the gaseous fuel passage 30, and air from the ambient air environment enters the intake port 10 where it is mixed with the fuel in the gaseous fuel passage 30 and then exits. Go to burner assembly 6 via 26. When ignited, the air and fuel mixture exiting burner assembly 6 burns in a blue flame pattern.

6 and 7 are enlarged cross-sectional views of the burner assembly of the present invention. This figure shows the burner assembly 6 with the modified coupler 18 inserted. Coupler 18 may be frictionally or threaded into a receptacle formed in body 11 and is frictionally or threaded to fuel metering valve 5. The modified coupler 18 has an integrated gas orifice 24, which is an individual gas orifice disk 12, O-ring 14 or washer 13 illustrated and conventionally used in FIGS. 4 and 5. Eliminate the need for Integration of the conical gas orifice 24 into the modified coupler 18 reduces the need for O-rings and reduces the associated opportunities for failure of the O-rings due to exposure to high temperatures or excessive use. The use of an integrated gas orifice 24, preferably axially centered within the modified coupler 18, also reduces the number of parts required for the construction of the lighter 20 and reduces assembly costs. A modified coupler 18 made of a material that is resistant to high temperatures and insulates also creates an insulating barrier to reduce the conduction of heat into the fuel metering valve 5 through the nozzle 9, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Let's do it.

In practice, the user can create a spark by operating the lighter with a finger to direct fuel flow from the fuel reservoir 3 to the fuel metering valve 5 and the gaseous fuel passage 30. As used herein, the term "fluid" refers to a fluid in a gaseous state, a liquid state, a plasma state, or a combination thereof. The fuel travels through the gas flow gas flow regulator 22 before entering the gas fuel passage 30. Such a system is described in detail in US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0089488, issued October 13, 2006 to McDonough et al., And may include a series of valves and flow restrictors. The fuel travels through a fuel metering valve 5 rigidly connected to the burner assembly 6. The fuel mixes with ambient air entering through intake port 10 in fluid communication with gaseous fuel passage 30. The fuel then exits the gas fuel passageway 30 through the outlet 26 into the burner assembly 6. The fuel is ignited by an ignition system that is similarly operated with the user's finger. The result is a postmixed blue flame and higher heat and stability.

The present invention has been disclosed in connection with certain embodiments, which are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to any particular form, and on the contrary, the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims, including such substitutes, modifications and equivalents. It is included within the scope.

Claims (17)

A combustible fuel burner assembly, comprising:
Fuel source;
A gas passage in fluid communication with the fuel source;
At least one intake port in fluid communication with the gas passage;
A combustion chamber assembly in fluid communication with the gas passage; And
And a rigid, insulated coupler connecting the combustion chamber assembly to the fuel source to which a gas passage is directed. The burner assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupler comprises a thermoplastic that resists high temperatures. 3. The burner assembly of claim 2 wherein the high temperature resistant plastic is selected from the group consisting of phenolic resins and polyetherimides. The burner assembly of claim 1, wherein the combustion chamber assembly comprises a metal. 5. The burner assembly of claim 4, wherein the combustion chamber assembly is made of a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and tungsten. The burner assembly of claim 1, wherein the fuel comprises one or more hydrocarbons. 7. The burner assembly of claim 6, wherein the fuel comprises butane. The burner assembly of claim 1, wherein ambient air enters the gas passage through the intake port and mixes with the fuel. 9. The burner assembly of claim 8, wherein the ambient air is mixed with fuel prior to entering the combustion chamber assembly. The burner assembly of claim 1, wherein the spark from the igniter is directed to the outlet of the burner assembly. 2. The burner assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fuel metering valve disposed in fluid communication with the gas passage between the fuel source and the coupler. 12. The burner assembly of claim 11, wherein the fuel metering valve is secured to the coupler by one of a screw and an interference fit. The burner assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupler is secured to the combustion chamber assembly by one of a screw and an interference fit. The burner assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupler further comprises a gas orifice for measuring gas flow. 15. The burner assembly of claim 14, wherein the coupler gas orifice is centrally located within the coupler and provides a fluid connection between the fuel source and the combustion chamber assembly. 15. The burner assembly of claim 14, wherein the orifice is conical in cross section. A combustible fuel burner assembly, comprising:
Fuel source;
A gas passage in fluid communication with the fuel source;
At least one intake port in fluid communication with the gas passage;
A combustion chamber assembly in fluid communication with the gas passage; And
And a rigid, insulated coupler connecting the combustion chamber assembly to the fuel source to which a gas passage is directed and regulating the flow of gas through the burner assembly.

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