Patent Publication Number: US-2016230985-A1

Title: Double-screened gas heater with dancing flame

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a heater, and more particularly to a double-screened gas heater that protects user from burning by a high temperature and allows for viewing of an elongated flame in a dancing condition in the interior of the heater so as to achieve, as a whole, effects of warming, safety, and decoration. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Most of the heaters that are available in the market are structured to allow a burner to directly heat air in the surrounding of the heater through thermal radiation (such as infrared ray ceramics) or allowing a heating tube (such as a pillar like stain steel tube or a glass tube) to directly heat air in order to achieve an effect of warming. The effect of heating and warming and operation safety are the major concerns of the heater products. 
     However, the heaters that are available in the market are not perfect in regard to structure, performance, and safety arrangement and thus further improvements are necessary. For example, the performance of thermal radiation is generally not good. Further, the heaters that are available in the market, due to the consideration of heating and warming and operation safety, are generally constrained for appearance aesthetics, making it hard to achieve breakthrough in the designs thereof, particularly to make it possible to allow for viewing and enjoying the flame set up inside the heater to show an irregularly elongated and dancing configuration. 
     Thus, the present invention aims to provide a solution that takes the above-discussed issues into consideration. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a double-screened gas heater that comprises an arrangement of inner-and-outer double screens, which projects the thermal energy generated by a gas burner through heated air and thermal radiation to the surroundings in order to achieve a high-efficiency warming effect and also to allow for viewing of a dancing condition of an elongated flame inside the heater thereby providing multiple functions of warming, decoration, and safety. 
     The double-screened gas heater according to the present invention features a shielding section provided at a lower portion of an inner screen to partly or completely shield a burner head of a gas burner. Such an arrangement helps provide a flame of which the length is controllable to suit various actual needs. 
     The double-screened gas heater according to the present invention additionally features the inner screen comprising a plurality of secondary through apertures formed in a portion thereof below the shielding section in order to provide a “chimney effect”. 
     The double-screened gas heater according to the present invention further features the inner screen being higher than a top of an outer screen so that heated air supplied from the inner screen is allowed to directly dissipate into the atmosphere so as to reduce the temperature of the outer screen for the purposes of meeting the requirement of the related safety regulations and to prevent the occurrence of burns of users. 
     The double-screened gas heater according to the present invention further features the inner screen having a top comprising an air discharge opening to which a flue gas baffle is mounted to adjust and regulate the circulation of heated air in and through the heater to allow for emission of a maximum amount of heat to the surroundings and also to make the heated air discharged from the top of the inner screen meet the requirement of the related safety regulations. 
     The double-screened gas heater according to the present invention further features the outer screen comprising a plurality of through holes formed therein to help stabilize the flows of air moving into the inner screen and also to stabilize the combustion of fuel gas and also to provide protection of users against burns. 
     The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
     Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a double-screened gas heater of an outdoor model according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing an outer screen and an inner screen of the gas heater of the present invention in a condition of being detached from each other. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the present invention in an assembled form. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a circled portion A of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of a circled portion B of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of a circled portion C of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view showing a double-screened gas heater of a desktop model according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of a circled portion D of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of a circled portion E of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged view of a circled portion F of  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 , the present invention provides a double-screened gas heater  1 , of which a preferred embodiment comprises an outer screen  10 , an inner screen  20 , and a gas burner  30 . A detailed description of the present invention will be provided below. 
     The outer screen  10  is of a vertically erected hollow configuration and the outer screen  10  comprises a plurality of through holes  11 . 
     The inner screen  20  is of a vertically erected hollow configuration and is disposed inside the outer screen  10  and the inner screen  20  comprises a plurality of through apertures  21 . 
     The gas burner  30  is arranged below the inner screen  20 . The gas burner  30  comprises a plurality of burner ports  31 . The burner ports  31  are arranged inside the inner screen  20 . 
     In the instant embodiment, the outer screen  10  and the inner screen  20  are made of stain steel. 
     In the instant embodiment, the double-screened gas heater  1  of the present invention is an outdoor model, which further comprises an external device  40 . The external device  40  comprises a carrier  41 , a plurality of support braces  42 , and a top cover  43 , wherein the carrier  41  is located under the outer screen  10  to bear and support the outer screen  10  thereon; the support braces  42  are arranged, in an erected form, on and coupled to the carrier  41  in such a way that the support braces  42  form therebetween exposure spaces to prevent the outer screen  10  from being shielded; and the top cover  43  is mounted atop the support braces  42  so that the external device  40  provides effects of decoration and aesthetics. 
     The above provides a description to the components of the present invention and the operation and features will be described as follows: 
     The present invention provides an outer screen  10  and an inner screen  20  that are arranged to form an inner/outer double screen arrangement, which allows thermal energy generated by the gas burner  30  to be projected, through heated air and thermal radiation, to the surroundings and provides an enhanced heating and warming effect, wherein the outer screen  10  may protect a user from being burnt by the high temperature and the gas burner  30  generates a flame that is elongated and in a dancing form and is viewable through the through holes  11  of the outer screen  10  and the through apertures  21  of the inner screen  20  so that a user may enjoy watching the elongated dancing flame in the interior of the heater thereby achieving, as a whole, effects of warming, safety, and decoration. 
     Further, besides protecting the users against burning by a high temperature, the outer screen  10  also helps alleviate or eliminate the flame of the heater burner being blown off by an outdoor strong wind. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , in an embodiment, the inner screen  20  has a top end that forms a gas discharge opening that is provided with a flue gas baffle  50 . The flue gas baffle  50  and a top edge of the inner screen  20  define therebetween a gas discharge passage  51 . As such, circulation of heated air in or through the heater of the present invention can be adjusted and regulated to allow the heat emission screen of the heater of the present invention to give off a maximum amount of heat to the surroundings. Further, the flue gas discharged from the top of the heat emission screen of the present invention may also meet the requirements of related safety regulations. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in an embodiment, the inner screen  20  has a lower portion that comprises an aperture-free or non-holed shielding section  22 . As such, during the operation of the heater burner, the flame can be protected from being extinguished by strong winds or gusts and also, the aperture-free shielding section  22  may help slow down the supply of oxygen necessary for combustion so as to elongate the flame of the heater burner to achieve an effect of viewing for pleasure and also an effect of decoration. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in an embodiment, the through holes  11  of the outer screen  10  have a diameter of 8-14 mm and the center-to-center distance between one through hole  11  and an adjacent through hole  11  is 15-17 mm. It is noted here that such figures are provided as examples for illustration, not intended to impose undue limitations to the scope of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , in an embodiment, the through apertures  21  of the inner screen  20  have a diameter of 0.9-2 mm. The through apertures  21  collectively take a percentage of 10%-15% of the total surface area of the inner screen  20 . The center-to-center distance between one through aperture  21  and an adjacent through aperture  21  is 2-4 mm. 
     It is noted here that the present invention allows for establishment of an optimum heating and warming effect of the heater by properly selecting and setting geometric relationships (relative positions and the likes) among the through aperture size, distribution sites, and quantity of the inner screen  20  and the gas burner  30  and a diameter ratio thereof with respect to the gas burner  30  and also allows the flame to exhibit a dancing condition that is observable through the through apertures  21  of the inner screen  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , in an embodiment, the present invention provides a double-screened gas heater  1  that is structured as a desktop model, wherein the general structure is such that the outer screen  10 , the inner screen  20 , and the gas burner  30  are mounted on a base  61  and a top cover  62  is mounted atop the outer screen  10 . As such, the desktop model provides the effect of warming, safety, and decoration similar to those of the outdoor model. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , in an embodiment, the through holes  11  of the outer screen  10  have a diameter of 5-6 mm. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , in an embodiment, the through apertures  21  of the inner screen  20  have a diameter of 1.2-1.5 mm. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 , the present invention provides at least the following technical features: 
     (1) The inner screen has a lower portion that comprises secondary through apertures  211  that help generate a “chimney effect”. 
     (2) The inner screen is provided, at the lower portion thereof and above the secondary through apertures  211 , with an aperture-free or non-holed shielding section  22  to partly or completely shield a burner head of the gas burner  30  to prevent a flame from being extinguished by a strong wind or gust during the operation of the heater burner and also to make use of the non-holed section  22  to slow down the supply of oxygen necessary for burning in order to elongate the flame for viewing for pleasure and decoration. 
     (3) The inner screen  20  is arranged to be higher than the outer screen  10  in order to reduce the temperature of the outer screen  10  for burn protection of users. 
     (4) The flue gas baffle  50  is provided to adjust and regulate the circulation of heated air/gas in and through the heater of the present invention so as to allow the heat emission screen of the heater of the present invention to give off a maximum amount of heat to the surroundings and also to make the flue gas discharged from the top of the heat emission screen of the present invention meet the requirements of related safety regulations. 
     (5) The outer screen  10  helps stabilize airflow and prevent users from getting burnt. 
     (6) The through apertures  21  of the inner screen  20  have a diameter of 0.9-2 mm. 
     (7) The through holes  11  of the outer screen  10  have a diameter of 8-14 mm. 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
     While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.