Automatic instant lighting system for liquid fuel burner

• US 5,417,565 A
• Filed: 10/17/1994
• Issued: 05/23/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coleman Company Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Coleman Company Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Long, Norris R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Application Number:
  US08/324,258
• Time in Patent Office: 218 Days
• Field of Search: 126/41 R, 126/38, 126/44, 126/39 R, 261/69.1, 431/344, 431/203, 431/231, 431/207, 431/123, 137/519.5, 137/893, 137/895, 137/519
• US Class Current: 431/231
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 5/02 Structural details of mounting
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 11/46 Devices on the vaporiser for controlling the feeding of the fuel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7871 Weight biased

Abstract

A fuel control mechanism for a liquid fuel burner includes a fuel regulating valve which is responsive to flow of liquid fuel through a fuel feed tube for movement between a starting position and a running position. When a fuel control valve for the burner is opened, flow of liquid fuel through the fuel feed tube moves the fuel regulating valve to a starting position in which the fuel regulating valve restricts flow of fuel through a fuel inlet. Air is thereby drawn through an air inlet and mixes with the fuel. After the burner is started and liquid fuel is vaporized within the generator, flow of fuel through the fuel feed tube slows, and the fuel regulating valve falls by virtue of its weight to the running position in which the fuel regulating valve does not restrict flow of fuel through the fuel inlet. Air flow through the air inlet is thereby discontinued, and only liquid fuel flows through the fuel feed tube.

Claims

1. A fuel control mechanism for a liquid fuel burner comprising:

a burner,

a fuel tank for storing liquid fuel,

a feed tube assembly mounted in the fuel tank and having upper and lower ends, the lower end adapted to be immersed in liquid fuel and having fuel inlet means for allowing liquid fuel to flow from the fuel tank into the feed tube assembly, the feed tube assembly having a fuel passage extending from adjacent the lower end of the feed tube assembly to the upper end of the feed tube assembly and an air passage extending from adjacent the upper end of the feed tube assembly to the lower end of the fuel passage,

a conduit for conducting fuel from the upper end of the fuel tube assembly to the burner, the conduit including a generator tube positioned adjacent the burner whereby when the generator tube is heated by the burner, fuel within the generator tube is vaporized,

a control valve operably connected to the conduit for opening and closing the conduit,

regulating means movably mounted in the lower end of the fuel feed tube assembly for movement between a starting position in which the regulating means restricts flow of liquid fuel through the fuel inlet means and a running position in which the regulating means allows unrestricted flow of liquid fuel through the fuel inlet means, the regulating means being responsive to flow of liquid fuel through the fuel inlet means when the control valve is opened for moving to the starting position for restricting the flow of liquid fuel through the fuel inlet means whereby air flows from the upper portion of the fuel tank through the air passage and into the fuel passage and is entrained with liquid fuel which flows through the fuel inlet means into the fuel passage, the regulating means falling to the running position when fuel in the generator tube is vaporized whereby flow of liquid fuel through the inlet means is unrestricted and flow of air through the air passage is discontinued.

2. The fuel control mechanism of claim 1 in which the fuel inlet means includes a bottom fuel inlet opening at the lower end of the feed tube assembly and a side fuel inlet opening above the bottom fuel inlet opening, the regulating means substantially closing the bottom fuel inlet opening when the regulating means is in the starting position.

3. The fuel control mechanism of claim 2 in which the regulating means comprises a regulating valve member which is moved against the bottom fuel inlet opening by the flow of liquid fuel when the control valve is opened.

4. The fuel control mechanism of claim 3 including a porous member mounted on the lower end of the fuel tube assembly below the bottom fuel inlet opening for supporting the regulating valve member in the running position.

5. The fuel control mechanism of claim 3 in which the regulating valve member is a ball.

6. The fuel control mechanism of claim 1 in which the fuel inlet means comprises a fuel inlet opening at the lower end of the fuel tube assembly, the regulating means including a restricting rod positioned in the fuel inlet opening and having a small-diameter portion and a large-diameter portion below the small-diameter portion, the large-diameter portion of the restricting rod being positioned in the fuel inlet opening when the regulating means is in the starting position and the small-diameter portion of the restricting rod being positioned in the fuel inlet opening when the regulating means is in the running position.

7. The fuel control mechanism of claim 6 in which the restricting rod includes an elongated shank and a flange which extends transversely outwardly from the shank.

8. A fuel control mechanism for a liquid fuel burner comprising:

a burner,

a generator tube positioned adjacent the burner,

a fuel tank for storing liquid fuel,

a fuel feed tube assembly mounted in the fuel tank and having upper and lower ends, the lower end of the fuel feed tube assembly adapted to be immersed in liquid fuel,

a conduit for conducting fuel from the upper end of the fuel feed tube assembly to the generator tube,

a control valve in the conduit for opening and closing the conduit, the improvement characterized by the fuel feed tube assembly comprising;

an inner fuel tube communicating with said conduit,

an outer air tube surrounding the inner fuel tube and providing an annular air passage therebetween, the fuel tube assembly having an air inlet to the annular air passage in an upper portion of the fuel feed tube assembly,

a fuel tip connected to the air tube at the lower end of the fuel feed tube assembly, fuel tip including a generally cylindrical side wall and a transverse wall which extends below the air tube and fuel tube,

the side wall having a side fuel inlet and the transverse wall having a bottom fuel inlet,

a regulating valve member movably mounted within the cylindrical side wall of the fuel tip below the transverse wall for movement between a starting position in which the regulating valve member restricts flow of liquid fuel through the bottom fuel inlet and a running position in which the regulating valve member does not restrict flow of liquid fuel through the bottom fuel inlet, the regulating valve member being responsive to flow of liquid fuel through the bottom fuel inlet when the control valve is opened for moving to its starting position for restricting the flow of liquid fuel through the bottom fuel inlet whereby air flows from the upper portion of the fuel tank through the air passage and into the fuel passage and is entrained with liquid fuel which flows through the side fuel inlet into the fuel passage, the regulating valve member falling to the running position when fuel in the generator tube is vaporized whereby flow of liquid fuel through the bottom fuel inlet is unrestricted and flow of air through the air passage is discontinued.

9. The fuel control mechanism of claim 8 including a porous member mounted on the lower end of the fuel tube assembly below the bottom fuel inlet opening for supporting the regulating valve member in the running position.

10. The fuel control mechanism of claim 9 in which the regulating valve member is a ball.

11. A fuel control mechanism for a liquid fuel burner comprising:

a burner,

a generator tube positioned adjacent the burner,

a fuel tank for storing liquid fuel,

a fuel feed tube assembly mounted in the fuel tank and having upper and lower ends, the lower end of the fuel feed tube assembly adapted to be immersed in liquid fuel,

a conduit for conducting fuel from the upper end of the fuel tube assembly to the generator tube,

a control valve in the conduit for opening and closing the conduit,

the improvement characterized by the fuel feed tube assembly comprising;

an inner fuel tube communicating with said conduit,

an outer air tube surrounding the inner fuel tube and providing an annular air passage therebetween, the fuel tube assembly having an air inlet to the annular air passage in an upper portion of the fuel feed tube assembly,

a fuel tip connected to the air tube at the lower end of the fuel feed tube assembly, fuel tip including a generally cylindrical side wall and a transverse wall which extends below the air tube and fuel tube, the transverse wall having a bottom fuel inlet,

a restricting rod movably mounted within the bottom fuel inlet and having a small-diameter portion and a large-diameter portion below the small-diameter portion, the restricting rod being movable between a starting position in which the large-diameter portion restricts flow of liquid fuel through the bottom fuel inlet and a running position in which the small-diameter portion is positioned with the bottom fuel inlet, the restricting rod being responsive to flow of liquid fuel through the bottom fuel inlet when the control valve is opened for moving to its starting position for restricting the flow of liquid fuel through the bottom fuel inlet whereby air flows from the upper portion of the fuel tank through the air passage and into the fuel passage and is entrained with liquid fuel which flows through the bottom fuel inlet into the fuel passage, the restricting rod falling to the running position when fuel in the generator tube is vaporized whereby flow of liquid fuel through the bottom fuel inlet is unrestricted and flow of air through the air passage is discontinued.

12. The fuel control mechanism of claim 11 in which the restricting rod includes an elongated shank and a flange which extends transversely outwardly from the shank.