Abstract:
Gas burners on modern kitchen cooking appliances are subject to fluctuations caused by drafts, breezes, etc. These burners will require flame stabilization chambers or another suitable engineering solution to overcome this problem. This invention describes a flame stabilization chamber that is constructed exterior to the main burner chamber and covered by the burner cap. The flame stabilization chamber acts to prevent extinguishing of the flame due to a random draft or breeze, by providing additional captured flammable gas/air so as to maintain the flame.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to burner flame rings, and more particularly, to the burner flame rings used on gas cooking appliances as a part of atmospheric gas burners and having a flame stabilization chamber therein. 
         [0003]    2. Summary of the Invention 
         [0004]    Current household cooking appliances are equipped by atmospheric gas burners in different sizes. Regardless of their size, a significant factor in the performance of gas burners is their ability to withstand airflow disturbances in the surroundings, such as room drafts, rapid movement of cabinet doors, or rapid oven door manipulation, especially if the gas burner is working at its minimum gas flow input. Manipulation of the oven door is particularly troublesome because rapid openings and closings of the oven door cause fast changes of pressure conditions within the gas stove, such as under-pressure and over-pressure. 
         [0005]    A large amount of the air that passes through or around the gas burners, significantly affects the flame stability of the burners, and may cause extinction of the flame. This issue is particularly evident in sealed gas burner configurations where primary air, is supplied from the interior of the gas appliance. The cook top surface is closed around the bases of the burners. Thus, all pressure or airflow disturbances occurred within the gas appliance are affected momentarily and directly by the pressure conditions in the burner ports. The flame at the ports is blowing off or into the burner flame ring, where these pressure or air disturbances occur. 
         [0006]    Another common situation during cooking is when the flow volume of gas/air mixture is sharply reduced. A rapid reduction of the gas flow rate from a high gas input rate to a low input rate can cause the flame to be extinguished, because the full primary air flow still continues into the burner. Since the gas flow is now at its minimum volume, the gas/air mixture is momentarily without enough flammable gas to maintain a flame, causing the flame to be extinguished. 
         [0007]    To prevent the extinguishing of the flame in the aforementioned situations, the burners will require flame stabilization chambers or another suitable engineering solution. The flame stabilization chambers are constructed within the burner flame rings or burner caps. This invention describes a flame stabilization chamber constructed exterior to the burner flame ring. 
         [0008]    3. Description of the Prior Art. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,890 B2 by Silvano Todoli May 9, 2006 describes a gas burner for domestic cooking appliances with a bowl-shaped body, a toothed crown with a plurality of flame ports and an upper cap. There is no mention of a chamber to stabilize the flame, as in the current invention. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,454 B2 by Gore et al. Jan. 31, 2006 reveals a gas burner that simulates a wood burning fire, including a glowing ember effect. The current invention is designed for a conventional oven or range, not for a fireplace. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,455 B2 by Jacob Goldman Oct. 4, 2005 shows a system for utilizing a burner with pressurized gas and forced air to burn gas to provide heat for heating and drying purposes such as industrial kilns and drying furnaces. Again, the current invention is used with a gas oven or range found in a kitchen. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,126 B2 by Michael Boyes, Sep. 6, 2005 entitled “Gas Burner” describes a gas burner for use in a domestic heating appliance. Prior such devices were fabricated using welds, which fail over prolonged use. The current invention is not used for such domestic heating applications. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,045 B2 by Eddie Brock entitled. “Gas Burner Module for a Cooking Appliance” shows a gas burner module having a base structure preferably formed from stamped steel upon which is secured at least one gas burner element and a gas orifice defining member in a predetermined alignment. The gas burner module is adapted to be mounted in an oven cavity. The current invention is designed for use on a range top and has a chamber to stabilize the flame which the Brock patent doesn&#39;t have. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,009 B2 by Uwe Harneit entitled “Gas Burner Head Assembly” is an earlier patent designed by the inventor of the current patent. This invention has a burner head, a burner cap and a burner body, the burner head having 2 flame rings and one primary jet. The current invention has a chamber to stabilize the flame, where the 009 patent does not. 
         [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,303 B2 by Bernard Dane, et al. Jul. 20, 2004 entitled “Gas burner for a Cooker” reveals a gas burner for a cooker with a burner head having a frustoconical peripheral side wall and a multiplicity of slots forming flame orifices. This invention attempts to use the geometry of the frustoconical peripheral side to create two operating modes on the burner-a low setting, whereby the small flames remain contained beneath the cap and heat the cap to allow heat transfer to the cooking vessel, and a normal or high setting where the flames go around the cap and heat the cooking vessel directly. The &#39;303 patent does not mention a chamber to stabilize the flame. 
         [0016]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,631 by William Ferlin, et al. May 18, 2004 entitled “Sealed Gas Burner” teaches a sealed gas burner for a cooking range that has a venturi tube assembly which is attached directly to a range top of a cooking range. A burner cap releasably engages the burner cup and defines a plurality of burner ports. The burner ports can be cleaned by removing only the burner cap. This invention is also permanently mounted to the range top, whereas the current invention can be removed. The &#39;631 patent does not teach a chamber to stabilize the flame 
         [0017]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,712,605 B2 by Paolo Moresco Mar. 30, 2004 entitled “Gas Burner for a Cooking Hob” shows a gas burner for a cooking hob that comprises a burner body with a plurality of openings for air; a flame dividing element which defines a gas injector, in conjunction with the burner body and air/gas mixing chamber, for injecting gas into the mixing chamber and a converging/diverging duct that defines a Venturi tube downstream of the gas injector for drawing air into the mixing chamber. The burner body, the flame-dividing element and the converging/diverging duct are in the form of a pressed sheet-metal casing. The &#39;605 patent does not disclose a chamber to stabilize the flame. 
         [0018]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,699 B2 by Bernard Dane, et. al. Jan. 20, 2004 entitled “Gas burner for a Cooker” is similar to U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,303 B2 by Bernard Dane, et. al. Jul. 20, 2004 entitled “Gas burner for a Cooker” mentioned above by the same inventor. This invention also is limited to fewer settings than the current invention as mentioned supra. This invention does not disclose a chamber to stabilize the flame 
         [0019]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,205 by Uwe Harneit by the same inventor as the current invention, describes a burner assembly with 3 flame rings and easy replacement of the gas jets without having to remove the unit from the appliance. This invention does not disclose a chamber to stabilize the flame. 
         [0020]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,978 by Erich J. Schlosser et al. May 30, 2000 entitled “Outdoor Cooking Apparatus with Improved Auxiliary Gas Burner” is an invention for a complete barbeque grill comprising a grilling housing and a gas burner mounted adjacent the grilling housing. The gas burner includes a burner body having a base chamber, a burner head having at least one air and fuel mixture exit port and venturii providing a passage between the burner head and the burner body for the air/fuel mixture. This invention does not disclose a chamber to stabilize the flame. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The following presents a summary of the invention in order to provide a fundamental understanding of some features of the invention. This summary is not a broad overview of the invention. Its purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
         [0022]    A burner flame ring for gas cooking appliances is provided. The burner flame ring includes a top side, a bottom side, an annular boss having a mixing chamber, a main burner chamber, and a sidewall. One or more flame stabilization chambers are located on the sidewall of the burner flame ring. A top side of the burner flame ring is configured to face a corresponding burner cap. The bottom side of the burner flame ring is configured to couple with the burner base assembly. 
         [0023]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a gas burner assembly is provided. The gas burner assembly includes a burner base assembly, a burner flame ring having at least one outer flame stabilization chamber being configured to retain a gas/air mixture therein, and a burner cap. 
         [0024]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the burner flame ring is provided. The burner flame ring includes means for contacting a corresponding burner cap and means for retaining a gas/air mixture therein to preserve flame stabilization when pressure disturbances occur within the cooking appliance. 
         [0025]    Other objects, advantages, novel features, and various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed and the present invention is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents will become apparent from following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the annexed drawings and appended Claims accompanying the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]    The invention is better understood by studying the cited embodiment illustrated in the appended drawings. These drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings: 
           [0027]      FIG. 1  shows an exploded view of a gas burner assembly; 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of a gas burner assembly; 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the burner base assembly; 
           [0030]      FIG. 4  shows a top view of a burner flame ring in a perspective; 
           [0031]      FIG. 5  shows a bottom view of a burner flame ring in perspective 
           [0032]      FIG. 6  shows a bottom view of a burner cap in perspective; 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0033]    The present invention relates to a burner flame ring for a gas burner having at least one flame stabilization chamber provided therein. The flame stabilization chamber serves to retain a small amount of the gas/air mixture and preserve flame stabilization of the burner. The flame stabilization chamber is located on the outer wall of the burner flame ring. The small amount of the gas/air mixture that is caught inside the flame stabilization chamber is relatively isolated from the main burner chamber of the burner flame ring. When any gas/air flow or pressure changes occur in the ports of the burner flame ring, the gas/air mixture contained in the flame stabilization chamber is available to stabilize the flame at the ports and to preserve the correct performance of the burner. 
         [0034]    The present invention is described with reference to the drawings and it is to be appreciated that the various drawings are not drawn to scale from one figure to another nor inside a given figure, and in particular that the size of the components is arbitrarily drawn for facilitating the reading of the drawings. 
         [0035]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 , and  2 , exploded and assembled views of a gas burner assembly ( 100 ) are depicted. The gas burner assembly ( 100 ) consists of a burner base assembly ( 10 ), a burner flame ring ( 2 ), and a burner cap ( 3 ). The burner base assembly ( 10 ) consists of a burner base ( 1 ), a gas jet ( 8 ), and a spark ignition electrode ( 9 ). 
         [0036]    With respect to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , the burner base ( 1 ) includes a gas inlet ( 4 ) that is adapted to attach to a gas supply line (not shown). The gas jet ( 8 ) has a gas flow opening ( 25 ) and is secured to the burner base ( 1 ) allowing the gas jet ( 8 ) to communicate with the gas inlet ( 4 ). The burner flame ring ( 2 ) has an upper cylindrical sidewall ( 7 ) and internally an annular boss ( 13 ), creating a gas burner chamber ( 12 ) therebetween. The annular boss ( 13 ) has a through hole therein defining a gas mixing chamber ( 14 ). This permits the gas fuel to pass through the gas flow opening ( 25 ) and into the gas mixing chamber ( 14 ) of the annular boss ( 13 ) of the burner flame ring ( 2 ). The gas mixing chamber ( 14 ) is located above the gas jet ( 8 ) creating a gap ( 16 ), as shown in  FIG. 2 , thereby, which allows the surrounding air to be mixed with the flammable gas fuel therein. The gas mixing chamber ( 14 ) directs the gas/air mixture into the main burner chamber ( 12 ) of the burner flame ring ( 2 ). 
         [0037]    As shown in drawings  1  through  5 , the burner base ( 1 ) also provides support for the burner flame ring ( 2 ). The burner flame ring ( 2 ) has a ring shaped projection ( 11 ) located on a top surface of the burner base ( 1 ) and is configured to receive a downwardly extending portion ( 15 ) of the annular boss ( 13 ) of the burner flame ring ( 2 ). The ring shaped projection ( 11 ) serves also as a safety component by preventing liquid or solid debris to fall through into the gas cooking appliance. 
         [0038]    In  FIG. 3 , the burner base ( 1 ) further includes an igniter plate ( 18 ) for receiving a spark ignition electrode ( 9 ). The spark ignition electrode ( 9 ) has a body that is fabricated from a ceramic material and a wire formed from electrically conductive material. A lower portion ( 17 ) of the spark ignition electrode ( 9 ) is adapted to connect to a high voltage potential source. The spark ignition electrode ( 9 ) also has an upper portion terminating in an electrode tip ( 19 ). The spark ignition electrode ( 9 ) is fixed onto the burner base ( 1 ) and is positioned in close proximity to an ignition chamber ( 20 ). The ignition chamber ( 20 ) is formed in the burner flame ring ( 2 ), as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0039]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show upper and lower perspective views of the burner flame ring ( 2 ). The burner flame ring ( 2 ) includes a conical-shaped lower portion ( 6 ) attached to the upper cylindrical sidewall ( 7 ) extending axially from the lower portion ( 6 ). The upper cylindrical sidewall ( 7 ) has slots defining a first series of flame ports ( 45 ) and second series of flame ports ( 46 ). The first and second series of flame ports ( 45 ,  46 ) are located on a top portion ( 52 ) of the sidewall ( 7 ). The first series of flame ports ( 45 ) is larger in cross section than the second series of flame ports ( 46 ) thereby providing a higher BTU output. The second series of flame ports ( 46 ) provides a small amount of the gas/air mixture around the entire circumference of the burner flame ring ( 2 ), which is used as crossover lighting on a low BTU rate. The first series of flame ports ( 45 ) and the second series of flame ports ( 46 ) are generally U-shaped. However, it is to be appreciated that any suitable shaped and sized port opening can be provided to support there through. 
         [0040]    The main burner chamber ( 12 ), as previously described, is defined by an inner surface ( 54 ) of the sidewall ( 7 ) and an outer surface ( 56 ) of the annular boss ( 13 ). This allows the main burner chamber ( 12 ) to communicate with the first and second series of flame ports ( 45 ,  46 ). Finally, as described, the burner flame ring ( 2 ) has an ignition chamber ( 20 ) formed therein. The annular boss ( 13 ) has a gas mixing chamber ( 14 ) defined therein, and also has at least one flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) which is located at an outer surface ( 58 ) of the burner flame ring ( 2 ). 
         [0041]    The ignition chamber ( 20 ) is defined by a U-shaped wall ( 21 ) on one side and has an opening ( 60 ) to surrounding air on an opposite side. The ignition chamber ( 20 ) has a bottom surface ( 23 ) located in the burner flame ring ( 2 ). In  FIG. 6 , the bottom surface ( 23 ) has a circular opening ( 62 ) for the ignition spark electrode ( 9 ). The ignition chamber ( 20 ) has a top surface ( 64 ) that mates with a bottom side ( 72 ) of the burner cap ( 3 ). As shown in  FIG. 4 , the top surface ( 64 ) of the U-shaped wall ( 21 ) has at least one port or hole ( 22 ) which allows the main burner chamber ( 12 ) to communicate with the ignition chamber ( 20 ). 
         [0042]    In  FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  5 , the annular boss ( 13 ) has a downwardly extending portion ( 15 ) that communicates with the ring shaped projection ( 11 ) of the burner base ( 1 ). The downwardly extending portion ( 15 ) of the annular boss ( 13 ) securely centers the gas mixing chamber ( 14 ) of the burner flame ring ( 2 ) to the gas jet ( 8 ) and to the gas flow opening ( 25 ). 
         [0043]    In  FIGS. 4 and 6 , the top surface ( 52 ) of the sidewall ( 7 ) is stepped and has a higher portion ( 5 ) at its outer perimeter ( 68 ) and a lower portion ( 42 ) at its inner perimeter ( 70 ). The higher portion ( 5 ) is configured to contact a corresponding portion ( 66 ) of the burner cap ( 3 ) and defines the proper sizes of the flame ports ( 45 ) and ( 46 ). The lower portion ( 42 ) of the sidewall ( 7 ) is recessed and is configured to contact a downward protruding boss ( 35 ) of the cap ( 3 ), as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0044]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention and as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4 , and  5 , the flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) is positioned on the outer surface ( 58 ) of the burner flame ring ( 2 ). However, as was mentioned, the burner flame ring ( 2 ) may have more than one flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ). In the present example, one flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) is provided. The flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) is defined by a portion of the outer surface ( 58 ) of the flame ring ( 2 ) and an appended wall ( 48 ). The flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) may be designed without a solid base, or in other words, the flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) may be provided with an opening on the bottom side ( 74 ) of the flame ring ( 2 ). 
         [0045]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 , and  2 , when the burner cap ( 3 ) is placed upon the burner flame ring ( 2 ), the top of the wall ( 48 ) of the flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) and the bottom side ( 72 ) of the burner cap ( 3 ) defines a gap ( 40 ) therebetween. The outer surface ( 58 ) of the burner flame ring ( 2 ), the appended wall ( 48 ), and the gap ( 40 ) serve to partially isolate the flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) from any pressure or air disturbances that impact the burner or the flames in first series of flame ports ( 45 ) and the second series of flame ports ( 46 ). A small amount of the gas/air mixture will be contained within the flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) and will be available to stabilize the flame output of the gas burner assembly ( 100 ) if there are changes in gas pressure or air disturbances. The outer shape or wall ( 48 ) of the flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) is smaller in its size than an outer shape of the burner cap ( 3 ), protecting the flame stabilization chamber ( 50 ) from liquid or solid debris. 
         [0046]    As was mentioned previously, the burner flame ring ( 2 ) is covered by the burner cap ( 3 ). In  FIG. 6 , the burner cap ( 3 ) has a top side ( 76 ) and a bottom side ( 72 ), where the bottom side ( 72 ) is constructed to prevent dislocation of the burner cap ( 3 ) from the burner flame ring ( 2 ). The bottom side ( 72 ) of the burner cap ( 3 ) has a downward protruding boss ( 35 ) that is adapted to fit the inner portion ( 42 ) of the stepped portion of the sidewall ( 7 ) of the burner flame ring ( 2 ) positionally locating the burner cap ( 3 ).