Patent ID: 7919732

Claim:
Process for igniting a gas flow with an electronic control unit and a gas regulating valve, the gas regulating valve having an ignition burner ( 1 ) and an ignition burner valve ( 2 ), the ignition burner valve ( 2 ) operable between open and closed positions with an electromagnet ( 5 ) and held in the open position with a locking magnet ( 6 ), the process comprising the steps of: generating a higher voltage from a direct current supplied from an electricity source ( 10 ), charging a storage capacitor (C 1 ) and an ignition capacitor (C 2 ) with the higher voltage to provide an ignition voltage (C 2 ), activating the locking magnet ( 6 ) with a holding current provided by the electricity source ( 10 ), while at the same time interrupting an electric circuit between the locking magnet ( 6 ) and a thermocouple ( 4 ) that can be influenced by the gas flame via a relay ( 17 ). discharging the storage capacitor (C 1 ) via a circuit element to generate a surge of current which briefly energizes the electromagnet ( 5 ) to open the ignition burner valve ( 2 ) which is held open by the activated locking magnet ( 6 ), generating a pilot light at the ignition burner ( 1 ) by igniting gas flowing through the ignition burner valve ( 9 ) to the ignition burner ( 1 ) via an ignition electrode ( 9 ) electrically connected to the ignition capacitor (C 2 ), and interrupting the holding current flowing from the electricity source ( 10 ) to the locking magnet ( 6 ) and closing the circuit between the ignition locking magnet ( 6 ) and the thermocouple via the relay ( 17 ) after a defined period of time has elapsed.