Dual stacked gas burner and a venturi for improving burner operation

• US 7,291,009 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Cadima, Paul Bryan, Kumar, Shree, Kamal, Azfar, Sadananda Rao, Sudeep Pradhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Price; Carl D.
• Application Number:
  US10/935,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20060051718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 431/286, 431/278, 431/283, 431/284, 431/285, 431/354, 239/548, 239/549, 239/552, 239/554, 239/555, 239/558, 239/560, 239/561, 239/567, 239/568, 126/39.R, 126/39.E, 126/39.N, 126/39.K
• US Class Current: 431/284
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/06 with radial outlets at the burner head
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 2900/14062 for cooking ranges having multiple flame rings
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/085 on ranges
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A cooktop burner assembly is described. The cooktop burner assembly includes a main burner, and a simmer burner located below the main burner, where a diameter of the simmer burner is greater than a diameter of the main burner. The closer placement of the main burner to a cooking vessel placed on top of the cooktop burner assembly as compared to the placement of the simmer burner from the cooking vessel increases thermal efficiency. Moreover, the farther placement of the simmer burner from the cooking vessel facilitates simmering of items in the cooking vessel and the larger diameter of the simmer burner reduces a possibility of overheating the main burner and the cooking vessel.

Claims

1. A cooktop burner assembly comprising:

a main burner; and

a simmer burner positioned in a stacked relationship with and located below said main burner, wherein a diameter of said simmer burner is greater than a diameter of said main burner, said simmer burner comprising a first set of ports configured to output a flame and a second set of ports located behind said first set of ports configured to distribute an air-gas mixture to said first set of ports.

2. A cooktop burner assembly in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a cooktop surface; and

a chamber located below said simmer burner, wherein at least a portion of said chamber is located above said cooktop surface, and said portion is configured to draw primary air from above said cooktop surface for isolating said simmer burner from dynamic air pressure changes below said cooktop surface.

3. A cooktop burner assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said main and simmer burners are concentric with respect to each other.

4. A cooktop burner assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said main burner further comprises ports configured to output air and gas.

5. A cooktop burner assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said simmer burner defines a plurality of ports, at least one of said plurality of ports at least partially defined by a base of said main burner.

6. A cooktop burner assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said main burner further comprises a first wall extending into a chamber at least partially defined by a second wall of said simmer burner, an annular channel defined between said first wall and said simmer second wall.

7. A gas burner assembly for a cooking appliance with a cooktop for surface cooking comprising:

a first burner extending above the cooktop surface;

a second burner extending above the cooktop surface and positioned in a stacked relationship with and located below said first burner, said second burner comprising a first set of ports configured to output a flame and a second set of ports located behind said first set of ports configured to distribute an air-gas mixture to said first set of ports; and

a chamber located below said second burner, wherein said chamber is configured as a primary air reservoir for one of said first and said second burners, at least a portion of said chamber extending above the cooktop surface, said portion being configured to draw primary air from above the cooktop surface for isolating said second burner from the effects of pressure changes occurring below the cooktop surface.

8. A gas burner assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein an output provided by said first burner is higher than an output provided by said second burner.

9. A gas burner assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein said first and second burners are concentric with respect to each other.

10. A gas burner assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein said chamber comprises ports to receive primary air from above the cooktop surface.

11. A gas burner assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein a number of ports included within said second burner is lower than a number of ports included within said first burner.

12. A gas burner assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein the primary air is received by said second burner from said chamber.

13. A gas burner assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein said first burner is configured to output a variable amount of energy and said second burner is configured to output a fixed amount of energy.

14. A gas burner assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein each of said first burner and said second burner is configured to output a variable amount of energy.

15. A gas burner assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein said first burner comprises a first set of ports and a second set of ports, each port within the second set is vertically below each port within the first set.

16. A gas burner assembly in accordance with claim 7 further comprising a venturi configured to supply an air-gas mixture including air and gas to at least one of said first and second burners, wherein dimensions of said venturi conform to a shape of a flow of the air-gas mixture within said venturi for preventing formation of recirculation zones within said venturi.

17. A gas burner comprising a venturi configured to supply a substance to said burner, wherein dimensions of said venturi conform to a shape of a flow of the substance within said venturi to facilitate preventing formation of a recirculation zone within said venturi, said venturi comprising a first wall portion defining a first inner profile and a second wall portion defining a second inner profile different from the first inner profile and substantially parallel to a vertical center axis of said venturi.

18. A gas burner in accordance with claim 17 wherein internal walls of said venturi are configured to contact the substance at a height that ranges between one-half to two-thirds of a total height of said venturi.

19. A gas burner assembly for a cooking appliance with a cooktop for surface cooking comprising:

a first burner extending above the cooktop surface;

a second burner extending above the cooktop surface and positioned in a stacked relationship with and located below said first burner; and

a chamber located below said second burner, said chamber configured as a primary air reservoir for one of said first and said second burners, at least a portion of said chamber extending above the cooktop surface, said portion being configured to draw primary air from above the cooktop surface for isolating said second burner from the effects of pressure changes occurring below the cooktop surface, said first burner comprising a first set of ports and a second set of ports, each port within the second set is vertically lower than each port within the first set, said second burner comprising a third set of ports, and an annular channel is formed between the second and third set of ports.