Fire burner

• US 10,197,291 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tropitone Furniture Company Incorporated (Brown Jordan, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tropitone Furniture Company Incorporated (Brown Jordan, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rivera, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Savani, Avinash
• Application Number:
  US15/173,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20160356491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 431353, 126148
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/08 with axial outlets at the burner head
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/58 characterised by the shape or arrangement of the outlet or outlets from the nozzle, e.g. of annular configuration
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/84 Flame spreading or otherwise shaping F23D14/70 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 2203/102 using perforated plates
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/08 Foundations or supports plates; Legs or pillars; Casings; Wheels tops, e.g. hot plates F24C15/10

Abstract

A fire burner can have combustion ports through which fuel combusts. The combustion ports can be arranged in a curved pattern on the fire burner. As the fuel combusts on the fire burner, the fire burner can produce a pattern of combustion heat and combustion byproduct flow that causes the flame to appear to be spiraling, vortexing, and/or twirling with tornado-like characteristics.

Claims

1. A fire burner comprising:

an enclosure comprising an inner volume extending between a center of the enclosure and a periphery of the enclosure;

a fuel port configured to allow combustion gas to enter the inner volume; and

a plurality of combustion ports in fluid communication with the inner volume, the combustion ports configured to allow fuel to leave the inner volume at the combustion ports and combust proximate to the combustion ports, at least some of the plurality of combustion ports positioned in a curved pattern on the enclosure, one or more combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports positioned proximate to the center of the enclosure, and one or more other combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports positioned proximate to the periphery of the enclosure,

wherein upon combustion of the fuel to form combustion byproducts, the combustion byproducts are at a higher temperature proximate to the center of the enclosure relative to the periphery of the enclosure such that combustion byproducts at the periphery are drawn toward the center of the enclosure,

wherein the combustion byproducts proximate to the periphery are drawn toward the center substantially along paths corresponding to the curved pattern of the at least some of the plurality of combustion ports such that the combustion byproducts rotate about the center of the enclosure as the combustion byproducts rise away from the enclosure, and

wherein the inner volume becomes progressively smaller toward the periphery of the enclosure to maintain pressure of the fuel toward the periphery of the enclosure such that at least some of the fuel leaves the inner volume and combusts proximate to the periphery of the enclosure.

2. The fire burner of claim 1, wherein at least some other combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports are positioned in a circular pattern about the center of the enclosure to increase the higher temperature of the combustion byproducts proximate to the center of the enclosure.

3. The fire burner of claim 1, wherein the fuel port is positioned at the center of the enclosure, and wherein the enclosure comprises a central portion positioned over the fuel port, the central portion configured to disperse the fuel toward the periphery of the enclosure within the inner volume when the fuel comes against the central portion.

4. The fire burner of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more other combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports proximate to the periphery of the enclosure has a smaller diameter relative to other combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports to minimize combustion of fuel proximate to the periphery of the enclosure and increase the higher temperature of the combustion byproducts proximate to the center of the enclosure.

5. The fire burner of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more other combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports proximate to the center of the enclosure has a smaller diameter relative to other combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports to facilitate dispersing the fuel in the inner volume toward the periphery of the enclosure.

18. The fire burner of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a sloping surface that slopes downwardly along a direction from the center of the enclosure toward the periphery of the enclosure, wherein the one or more other combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports proximate to the periphery of the enclosure are positioned on the sloping surface such that the one or more other combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports are at a lower height relative to one or more combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports positioned proximate to the center of the enclosure, wherein the combustion byproducts at the periphery are drawn toward the center and upwards toward the combustion byproducts that are at the higher temperature proximate to the center of the enclosure.

6. A fire burner fire pit assembly comprising:

a fire pit comprising a tabletop supported by sides, the tabletop comprising an opening; and

a fire burner in the opening, the fire burner comprising;

a top comprising a periphery, a cap at a center of the top, a wall connecting the periphery to the cap, and a plurality of combustion ports; and

a bottom connected to the top, the bottom comprising a fuel intake at the center of the top,

wherein the top is at a greater height along a central axis of the fire burner relative to the periphery where the wall connecting the cap to the periphery extends at an angle upwards from the periphery to cap such that a height of a volume enclosed by the top and the bottom increases along the central axis from the periphery toward the center of the top up to the cap,

wherein the plurality of combustion ports are arranged in a curved pattern radiating from the center toward the periphery of the top along the wall of the top,

wherein at least a portion of combustion gas entering the enclosed volume through the fuel intake of the bottom comes against the cap and is directed toward the periphery of the top such that at least some of the combustion gas flows out from one or more combustion ports of the plurality of combustion ports most proximate to the periphery,

wherein upon combustion of the combustion gas, combustion heat is concentrated proximate to the cap such that greater combustion heat is generated near the center than at the periphery of the top, wherein as greater combustion heat is generated near the center of the top, combustion byproducts proximate to the center rise faster than combustion byproducts proximate to the periphery and combustion byproducts proximate to the periphery are drawn toward the center substantially along the curved pattern of the plurality of combustion ports to cause the combustion byproducts to vortex substantially about the central axis, and

wherein the curved pattern of the plurality of combustion ports comprises combustion ports proximate to the cap being closer together relative to combustion ports proximate to the periphery, further concentrating the greater combustion heat near the center of the top.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the fire burner comprises substantially a same density of the plurality of combustion ports at the center of the top and the periphery of the top.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the cap is substantially planar perpendicular to the central axis.

9. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the angle of the wall is about 8.2 degrees.

10. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the angle of the wall is determined based on a desired height of combustion byproducts proximate to the cap above a height of combustion byproducts proximate to the periphery such that as the combustion byproducts proximate to the cap rises, the combustion byproducts proximate to the periphery are convectively drawn upward and toward the higher combustion gases proximate to the cap.

11. The assembly of claim 6, wherein at least some of the plurality of combustion ports are about 0.04 inches to about 0.08 inches in diameter.

12. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the curved pattern comprises the plurality of combustion ports forming arc paths extending along the wall of the top from the center of the top to the periphery of the top.

19. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the top further comprises a flange extending about the periphery of the top, the flange configured to connect to the bottom to form the fire burner.

13. A method for providing a vortex pattern in a flame, the method comprising:

producing a flame with a temperature gradient across the flame such that the flame is relatively hotter toward a center of the flame relative to a periphery of the flame;

drawing the flame at the periphery of the flame toward the center of the flame that is hotter substantially along travel paths corresponding to a plurality of nonlinear lines; and

causing the flame to rise and turn in a vortex pattern as the flame at the periphery is drawn toward the center of the flame substantially along the travel paths corresponding to the plurality of nonlinear lines,

wherein drawing the flame at the periphery of the flame toward the center of the flame comprises drawing the flame inward.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the nonlinear lines are curved.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising dispersing a combustion gas from proximate to the center of the flame toward the periphery of the flame before the combustion gas combusts to produce the flame.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising impinging the combustion gas against a planar surface to disperse the combustion gas toward the periphery of the flame.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein dispersing the combustion gas from the center of the flame toward the periphery of the flame comprises directing the combustion gas into a volume that tapers toward the periphery of the flame, the volume containing the combustion gas before the combustion gas combusts to produce the flame.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising maintaining a desired pressure of the combustion gas at the periphery of the flame.