WO2001077582A1

WO2001077582A1 - Gas heating appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2001077582A1
Application number: PCT/NZ2001/000046
Authority: WO
Inventors: Simon Denzil Brown; Maria May Brenmuhl; Takemasa Hanada
Original assignee: Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited
Priority date: 2000-04-10
Filing date: 2001-03-30
Publication date: 2001-10-18
Also published as: AU2001252780A1

Abstract

A gas heating appliance is described for a number of gas burners. The gas supply is regulated by a number of gas valves (102) each connected to an extruded inlet manifold. The manifold (100) acts as a gas inlet and also part of the casing for each valve. Also described is a flame failure module (200) which can optionally be connected with each valve to provide extra safety and protection.

Description

GAS HEATING APPLIANCE TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a manifold constructed of aluminium or plastic extrusion particularly though not solely for use as a gases inlet manifold for supplying gases to the control valves in a gas heating appliance. BACKGROUND ART

There are a number of methods known in the art for providing a gas supply to gas burners and a gas heating appliance. Commonly individual gas valves are mounted on part of a frame as is common in such appliances and individually connected to the gas supply and each burner. Often in such cases the control shaft for each valve will then protrude through an aperture in the outer casing and then be attached to a control knob. Therefore if the gas valve has not been correctly aligned with the frame the shaft and knob may be skewed and therefore the appearance somewhat untidy. Further the control shaft- may rub on the frame on the outer casing, which may hinder operation or excessive wear and tear.

Therefore it would be desirable in such circumstances to have cheaply manufactured and easily installed system for both supplying gases to each gas valve and for attaching the gas valves to. It would also be desirable to dispense with individual gas supply conduits to each gas valve and provide an easy means of attaching and aligning each gas valve, to improve ease of use and reduce the number of parts. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a manifold which goes some way to achieving the above mentioned desiderata or which will at least give the public a useful choice.

Accordingly in a first aspect the present invention may broadly be said to consist in a manifold apparatus for providing a flow of gases to a plurality of gas valves, each said gas valve including a body portion and a control means, said apparatus comprising: an elongate member of indeterminate length, fastening means for securing said plurality of gas valves to said elongate member, wherein said control means is at least partially supported or housed by said elongate member.

In a second aspect the present invention may broadly be said to consist in a gas flow control apparatus for controlling gases to be supplied to a gas heating appliance, comprising: a main body including a gases inlet in fluid communication with said gases supply, and an outlet in fluid communication with said gas heating appliance, valve means located within said main body and configured to control the flow of gases from said inlet to said outlet, and flame failure means in use associated with said gas heating appliance and configured to actuate said valve means to allow gas flow from said inlet to said outlet when said gas heating appliance is operating correctly, ie. a flame is present, and to block gas flow from said inlet to said outlet when said gas heating appliance is operating incorrectly, ie. no flame is present, wherein said inlet is configured to connect to the outlet of a gas valve, whereby said gas flow control means is readily attachable and detachable to and from said gas valve.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.

One preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the manifold according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a cross section of the manifold according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 3 is a cutaway view the flame failure device connected to the gas valve according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 4 is a blown out view of the flame failure device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the gas valve attached to the flame failure device and the manifold according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is designed to provide a system for simply and easily supporting a number of gas valves as well as suppling gas to the individual gas inlets of each of the valves. The present invention is an extruded member with a gases channel running through the middle as well as a number of flanges designed to allow the gas valves to slip into a position at which point they may be simply fastened a couple of bolts. The gas supply is provided by an aperture in line with each valves gas inlet, to communicate with the gases channel. Extruded manifold

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 we see the extruded manifold 100 according to the present invention in detail. Each gas valve 102, includes a control shaft 104. a valve outlet 106, a valve inlet 108. an internal cavity 110 and a valve member 112. The manifold 100 includes a gases channel 114 running axially the length of the manifold 100. A flange 116 running axially the length of the manifold 100 extends away from the manifold 100. The flange 116 includes a number of apertures 118 to accommodate the shafts 104 from each of the gas valves. The flange 116 acts as a part of the valve by both supporting movement of the shaft 104 and providing a downward force on the valve member 112. The interior of the aperture 118 is carefully machined so that shaft 104 may rotate smoothly but is also robustly supported. Aperture 118 may also provide downward force on shaft 104 (and in turn on the valve member 112) or bear down directly on the valve member 112 to keep it in its correct operating position throughout rotation.

The manifold 100 is designed such that the modular valves 102 can be easily located in place. Prior to attachment apertures 118 will have been machined into the appropriate places in the manifold 100 to accommodate the shafts 104 of the valves 102 as well as providing access to the inner channel 114 for each valve inlet 108. Once in place the valve 102 is secured by the fastening of a couple of bolts (not shown), from the flange 116 into the body of the valve 102. As such the flange completely covers what is the upper face of the valve, once the apparatus is installed. Thus in one embodiment of the present invention the manifold may be used as the actual top cover for the valve. When used in this configuration, an o-ring seal 130 is used to seal the connection between the gases channel 114 and the valve inlet 108. The first flange 116 of the manifold thereby supports the shaft 104 and the valve member 112 with enough pressure to ensure that a gas tight seal is created between the valve member 112 and the internal cavity 110.

At one end of the manifold 132 the gases channel 114 is sealed with a end cap 134. In order to provide a gases flow into the gas channel 114 a supply conduit (not shown) is either connected to the other end of the gas channel 114 or to a spare aperture along the length of the manifold 100, which might otherwise be accommodated by a gas valve. In the latter case the gases supply conduit is connected to one of the normal positions for a gas valve, it might also be provided with a solenoid operated control valve thereby providing electronic control over the overall flow rate of gases flowing into the manifold. Flame failure device

Referring now to Figures 3 to 5, a flame failure device 200 is illustrated attached to the gas valve and manifold previously described. The flame failure device 200 includes wings 202 to allow bolting into a boss 204 on the outlet 106 of gas valve 102. The gas flows from the outlet 106 of the gas valve 102 in the inlet 208 of the flame failure device 200. It then flows through a first channel 210, into the valve channel 212. In the valve channel 212 a sealing flame failure valve member 216 is moveable axially on a springed shaft 214. The springed shaft 214 normally causes the sealing flame failure valve member 216 up against an annular flange 218 around the inner wall of the valve channel 212. In this position the flow of gases is blocked by the seal between the flame failure valve member 216 and the flange 218.

The flame failure valve member 218 may be adjusted into an open position, by the action of a pivoting lever 220, which is actuated by the user depressing the valve shaft 104. Once in this position, the flame failure valve member may be held there by an electromagnetic latch 222, which operates when the thermocouple (not show) is heated by a flame at the gas burner (not shown), the gas then flows through the outlet channel 224, being in fluid communication with the gas burner (not shown). Thus when the gas supply is turned on by the user and lit, the valve member is actuated into the open position, gases are then able to flow, the gases are lit at the burner, and the thermocouple holds the valve member in an open position. If the flame "fails^", ie: goes out, the valve member is released and the gas supply is immediately shut off. In order to re-establish the gas supply the valve may be turned off and then started again by depressing the shaft (to actuate the flame failure valve member into an open position) then rotating.

The flame failure device may be attached to the gas valve in any one of a numer of configurations as is known in the art, eg. threaded connector, push fit connector, the manifold, gas valve and flame failure device are designed such that each gas valve can be independantly operated with or without a flame failure device attached allowing flexibility over the prior art.

It will be appreciated that the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an improved gas heating appliance whereby there are fewer parts to assemble, it is flexible arrangement whereby different number and spacing of gas valves may be easily achieved, that the gas valves may be accurately aligned and located, using fewer screws and more reliable sealing may be achieved since the o-ring seals are against flat surfaces. It will also be appreciated that whereas prior art gas control valves will either include a gas valve and flame failure device combination or simply a gas valve in one embodiment of the present invention it is provided a modularity. In this embodiment the present invention provides a gas valve to which a flame failure device may be easily attached or detached to allow for ether modular manufacturing techniques or easy cleaning and maintenance of the device.

Claims

WO 01/77582 . 5 . PCT/NZO 1/00046CLAIMS:

1. A manifold apparatus for providing a flow of gases to a plurality of gas valves, each said gas valve including a body portion and a control means, said apparatus comprising: an elongate member of indeterminate length, fastening means for securing said plurality of gas valves to said elongate member, wherein said control means is at least partially supported or housed by said elongate member.

2. A manifold apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said gas valve includes a valve inlet, and said elongate member comprising a hollow central channel running axially through said elongate member and a plurality of inlet apertures provided in said elongate member into said central channel in line with each said valve inlet such that said central channel is in fluid communication with each said valve inlet.

3. A manifold apparatus as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein said control means includes a control shaft and said apparatus further comprising a flange extending axially along said elongate member and a plurality of shaft apertures provided in said flange in line with each said control shaft such that in use each said shaft passes through said flange and the movement of said shaft is thereby supported by said flange.

4. A gas flow control apparatus for controlling gases to be supplied to a gas heating appliance, comprising: a main body including a gases inlet in fluid communication with said gases supply, and an outlet in fluid communication with said gas heating appliance, valve means located within said main body and configured to control the flow of gases from said inlet to said outlet, and flame failure means in use associated with said gas heating appliance and configured to actuate said valve means to allow gas flow from said inlet to said outlet when said gas heating appliance is operating correctly, ie. a flame is present, and to block gas flow from said inlet to said outlet when said gas heating appliance is operating incorrectly, ie. no flame is present, wherein said inlet is configured to connect to the outlet of a gas valve, whereby said gas flow control means is readily attachable and detachable to and from said gas valve.

5. A gas flow control means as claimed in claim 4 where said outlet is adapted to connect to a threaded gas conduit connector on the outlet of said gas valve.

6. A gas flow control means as claimed in claim 4 wherein said outlet is adapted to connect to a push fit gas conduit connector on the outlet of said gas valve.

7. A gas flow control means as claimed in claims 4 further comprising a spring actuated valve member, and an electromagnetic latch, said flame failure means including a thermocouple in use located proximate to the combustion zone within said gas heating appliance and control means configured such that when said thermocouple is located proximate to a flame said control means energises said electromagnetic latch to hold said valve member in an open position, and when said thermocouple is not proximate to a flame said control means energises said electromagnetic latch releases said valve member to a closed position.

8. A gas flow control means as claimed in claims 7 further comprising further actuation means to actuate said valve member to an open position when lighting or relighting said gas heating appliance, until a flame occurs proximate to said thermocouple wherein said control means energises said electromagnetic latch to hold said valve member to an open position.

9. A manifold apparatus for supplying a flow of gases to a plurality of gas valves substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

10. A gases flow control means substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.