Abstract:
A gas-supply regulating device for use in a gas burner assembly, includes a housing defining a first delivery port communicated with a first burner tube, a second delivery port extending radially, and a gas inlet extending radially, a valve member rotatably disposed within the housing and provided with a duct unit such that rotation of the valve member results in shifting of gas supply of the gas inlet to different modes, and an actuator operable to rotate the valve member and to be shiftable between retained and released positions. Thus, the size of flames from the first and/or second burner tubes can be adjusted to meet the user&#39;s requirement during barbecuing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to a gas burner assembly, more particularly to a gas-supply regulating device for use in a gas burner assembly. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Barbecued food has a special flavor and is therefore quite popular. However, the traditional use of wood or charcoal in barbecuing produces a lot of smoke, which is detrimental to the environment. In addition, charred food contains carcinogenic substances. Due to promotion of environmental protection and healthy lifestyles, the use of charcoal has been gradually replaced by the use of propane gas (or natural gas) in preparing barbecued food. 
         [0005]    Generally, during the process of barbecuing, a small fire is used to broil the food till it is nearly done. Then a large fire is used to instantly heat the surface of the food so that it turns golden brown. However, with a conventional gas grill, since a gas control valve thereof is generally provided with only one gas outlet, the size of the flame is not readily adjustable to provide a large flame when desired. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The object of the present invention is to provide a gas-supply regulating device for use in a gas burner assembly, which can regulate the amount of gas supplied to burner outlet ports so as to adjust the size of the flame. 
         [0007]    According to this invention, the gas-supply regulating device is for use in a gas burner assembly which includes a first elongated burner tube that has a plurality of first burner outlet ports and a first intake port disposed upstream of the first burner outlet ports, and a second elongated burner tube that has a plurality of second burner outlet ports and a second intake port disposed upstream of the second burner outlet ports. The gas-supply regulating device comprises a housing, a valve member, a positioning member, and an actuator. 
         [0008]    The housing includes an inner tubular wall surface extending along an axis to define an accommodation chamber, and terminating at rear and front inner peripheral ends which respectively define a first delivery port that is adapted to be communicated with the first intake port, and an insertion bore. A second delivery port extends radially, is communicated with the accommodation chamber, and is disposed proximate to the first delivery port. A gas inlet extends radially, is communicated with the accommodation chamber, and is disposed upstream of the first and second delivery ports for supplying gas. 
         [0009]    The valve member includes a valve body and an actuated coupler. The valve body is elongated along the axis, is fitted in the accommodation chamber, and is rotatable relative to the accommodation chamber about the axis. The valve body is provided with a duct unit, which is configured such that, when the valve body is turned about the axis from a first position to a second position, gas supply of the gas inlet is switched from a first mode, in which the gas inlet is in fluid communication with at least the first delivery port to a second mode, in which the gas inlet is in fluid communication with at least the second delivery port. The actuated coupler is opposite to the valve body along the axis. 
         [0010]    The positioning member is secured to the housing, and is configured to guard against axial displacement of the valve body. The positioning member includes a rear end wall confronting the actuated coupler, and a front end wall which is opposite to the rear end wall along the axis and which has an axial hole. 
         [0011]    The actuator extends through the axial hole, and is rotatable about the axis relative to the positioning member. The actuator includes an operating end and an actuating end which is in splined engagement with the actuated coupler such that the actuated coupler is turnable with the actuating end about the axis between first and second loci which correspond to the first and second positions, respectively, and such that the actuating end is shiftable along the axis between a retained position, where the actuating end is retained in a selected one of the first and second loci and is remote from the valve body, and a released position, where the actuating end is closer to the valve body. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a gas-supply regulating device for use in a gas burner assembly according to this invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the gas-supply regulating device according to this invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment, showing a positioning member and an actuator; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a schematic top view of a valve member of the preferred embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along lines V-V of  FIG. 4 , and showing the valve member in a switch-off position; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 5 , showing the actuator in a released position; and 
           [0019]      FIGS. 7 to 9  are sectional views similar to  FIG. 5 , showing the valve member in different position for different modes of gas supply. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the preferred embodiment of a gas-supply regulating device according to the present invention is adapted to connect with a gas source (not shown), and is used in a gas burner assembly  2  which includes first and second elongated burner tubes  61 , 62 . The first elongated burner tube  61  has a plurality of first burner outlet ports  63  and a first intake port  65  disposed upstream of the first burner outlet ports  63 . The second elongated burner tube  62  has a plurality of second burner outlet ports  64  and a second intake port  66  disposed upstream of the second burner outlet ports  64 . The gas-supply regulating device according to this embodiment is shown to comprise a seat  3 , a valve member  4 , and an actuator  5 . The seat  3  includes a housing  31  and a positioning member  32 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  5 , the housing  31  includes an inner tubular wall surface  311  extending along an axis to define an accommodation chamber  30 , and terminating at rear and front inner peripheral ends  313 , 316  which define a first delivery port  315  and an insertion bore  301 , respectively. A first nozzle  33  is fitted to the first delivery port  315 , and is coupled with the first intake port  65  so as to communicate the first delivery port  315  with the first elongated burner tube  61 . A second delivery port  317  is configured to extend radially, is communicated with the accommodation chamber  30 , and is disposed proximate to the first delivery port  315 . A second nozzle  33  is fitted to the second delivery port  317 , and is coupled with the second intake port  66  so as to communicate the second delivery port  317  with the second elongated burner tube  62 . A gas inlet  314  is configured to extend radially, is communicated with the accommodation chamber  30 , and is disposed upstream of the first and second delivery ports  315 , 317  to be connected with a gas source for supplying gas. 
         [0022]    The valve member  4  includes a valve body  41  and an actuated coupler  42  opposite to the valve body  41  along the axis. The valve body  41  is elongated along the axis, is fitted in the accommodation chamber  30 , and is rotatable relative to the accommodation chamber  30  about the axis. The valve body  41  is provided with a duct unit which includes an internal duct  410  provided in the valve body  41  and extending along the axis to be communicated with the first delivery port  315 , a plurality of first internal ports  412  which are angularly displaced from one another about the axis, which respectively extend radially to be communicated with the internal duct  410 , and which are disposed proximate to the gas inlet  314 , and a second internal port  413  which extends radially to be communicated with the internal duct  410  and which is disposed distal from the gas inlet  314 . The first internal ports  412  are of different dimensions. The actuated coupler  42  has a guide slot  420  extending axially. 
         [0023]    The positioning member  32  is secured to the housing  31 , and is configured to guard against axial displacement of the valve body  41 . The positioning member  32  includes a rear end wall  326  which confronts the actuated coupler  42 , and a front end wall  327  which is opposite to the rear end wall  326  along the axis, and which has an axial hole  320  that extends through the rear end wall  326 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the positioning member  32  includes a plurality of positioning recesses  324  which are formed in the rear end wall  326  and which are angularly displaced from one another about the axis, and a guiding block  325  which extends rearwardly of the rear end wall  326  and which is inserted into the insertion bore  301  to be in frictional engagement with the front inner peripheral end  316  so as to facilitate mounting of the positioning member  32  to the housing  31 . 
         [0024]    The actuator  5  extends through the axial hole  320 , and is rotatable about the axis relative to the positioning member  32 . The actuator  5  includes an operating end  51  and an actuating end  52  opposite to each other along the axis. The actuating end  52  has an insert hole  521  extending radially and a protrusion  522  which is inserted into the insert hole  521  and which is slidable along the guide slot  420  so as to shift the actuating end  52  between a retained position, where the protrusion  522  is retained in a selected one of the positioning recesses  324  to guard against rotation of the actuator  5 , and a released position, where the protrusion  522  is disengaged from the positioning recesses  324  such that, through engagement of the protrusion  522  with the guide slot  420 , the actuated coupler  42  can be turned with the actuating end  52  about the axis. In addition, a biasing member  53 , such as a biasing spring, is disposed to bias the actuating end  52  to the retained position. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 ,  6  and  7 , when the gas burner assembly according to this embodiment is used for barbecuing, the actuator  5  is pressed rearward to the released position so as to permit disengagement of the protrusion  522  from the positioning recesses  324 . Subsequently, the actuator  5  is turned such that the valve member  4  is turned until the protrusion  522  is registered with a selected one of the positioning recesses  324  so as to be retained therein by the biasing action of the biasing member  53 . Thus, the valve body  41  is shifted in a switch-on position, where one of the first internal ports  412  is brought to be communicated with and to be disposed downstream of the gas inlet  314  so as to permit gas flow into the internal duct  410 . 
         [0026]    Specifically, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 7 , when the valve member  4  is turned to a first position, where the second internal port  413  is not registered with the second delivery port  317 , and when the first internal port  412  of a larger inner diameter is registered and communicated with the gas inlet  314 , the gas supply of the gas inlet  314  is switched to a first mode, in which a larger amount of gas can be supplied to the first elongated burner tube  61 . Thus, a large flame can be produced at each of the first burner outlet ports  63 . 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 8 , when the valve member  4  is turned such that the second internal port  413  is not registered with the second delivery port  317 , and the first internal port  412 , which is of a smaller inner diameter, is registered and communicated with the gas inlet  314 , the gas supply of the gas inlet  314  is switched to the mode in which a smaller amount of gas can be supplied to the first elongated burner tube  61 . Thus, a small flame can be produced at each of the first burner outlet ports  63 . 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 9 , when the valve member  4  is turned to a second position, where the second internal port  413  is registered with the second delivery port  317 , and when the first internal port  412 , which is of a larger inner diameter, is registered and communicated with the gas inlet  314 , the gas supply of the gas inlet  314  is switched to a second mode, in which a larger amount of gas can be supplied to the first and second elongated burner tubes  61 , 62 . Thus, a large flame can be produced at each of the first and second burner outlet ports  63 , 64 . 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , when the valve member  4  is shifted to a switch-off position, none of the first internal ports  412  is registered with the gas inlet  314  such that the gas supply of the gas inlet  314  is switched to a third mode, in which no gas is supplied to the valve member  4 . 
         [0030]    It is noted that the guiding block  325  is disposed to abut against the protrusion  522  so as to guard against a 360° rotation of the actuator  5 . In addition, the number of the first and second internal ports  412 , 413  may be varied such that the numbers of modes of the gas supply of the gas inlet  314  may be different from those described hereinabove. 
         [0031]    As illustrated, by virtue of rotation of the actuator  5 , the gas supply of the gas inlet  314  can be switched to different modes so that the size of flames can be adjusted to meet the user&#39;s requirement. 
         [0032]    While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.