Patents Examined by James G. Barrow
  • Patent number: 7104784
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel feeding apparatus and method for improving the controllability of mixing process and mixing ratio of fuel and combustion air, and a combustion system and method for effecting new combustion properties. The fuel feeding apparatus of the combustion system has fuel feeding means, combustion gas extraction means, steam supply means, mixing means and fuel gas introduction means. The combustion gas extraction means extracts combustion gas of a combustion area therefrom. The mixing means mixes the fuel of fuel feeding means with at least one of combustion gas extracted from the furnace and steam of a steam generator. The fuel gas introduction means introduces a mixed fluid of combustion gas, steam and fuel to the combustion area as a fuel gas, and allows the fuel gas to be mixed with the combustion air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Nippon Furnace Kogyo Kaisha, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Hasegawa, Susumu Mochida, Kiyoko Hoshino, legal representative, Toshihumi Hoshino, deceased
  • Patent number: 7080640
    Abstract: A portable cooking grill that is configured with a collapsible frame having telescoping legs and a pair of frame sections that extend outwardly to allow the user to adjust the height of the grilling surface and the size of the frame is disclosed. Each frame section has a pair of telescoping legs pivotally connected to the ends of side support rails which support a grill insert, having a pair of foldably connected grill sections, that forms the grilling surface. The legs include a securing mechanism suitable for securing the legs at the height desired by the user. The side support rails slidably engage grill supports located at the sides of the grill insert to extend the position of the legs outwardly. A locking mechanism locks the legs in either their upstanding or folded positions. A slidable connecting mechanism locks the legs in or between the retracted and extended positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Inventors: Larry E. Sanders, Heidi M. Sanders
  • Patent number: 7051730
    Abstract: A heat exchanging device is detachably mounted on a container or a cover. The cover is mounted on the container, thereby forming a closed space between the cover and the container. The heat exchanging device containing a temperature regulating medium is mounted in the closed space between the cover and the container. Thus, the heat exchanging device can be replaced easily and conveniently when being inoperative without having to move the food, thereby facilitating the user using the heat exchanging device, and thereby achieving the sanitary purpose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Inventor: Amos Lin
  • Patent number: 7044729
    Abstract: The system (1) for controlling the combustion (7) of a cooking oven burner (2), comprises in combination a thermostat valve (3) with a rotary hand knob (4) and a non-electric temperature sensor (6) for modulating the burner flame (7), and an electromagnetic safety valve kept open for ignition, and a electronic module (10) supplying in a first moment a DC power supply to the safety valve (8), which is then maintained open by a thermocouple (9) heated by the main flame (7). A common electrode (18) is provided both for electronic flame detection and ignition. During the burner pre-ignition step, the absence of flame detection signal (If) permits the gas flow (G) to be cut off after a short timed interval, irrespective of the thermocouple response. In the event of the AC power supply being cut off, the thermocouple (9) and the thermostat valve (3) keep the burner modulated independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Fagor, S. Coop.
    Inventors: Iñaki Ayastuy, Gonzalo Fernández
  • Patent number: 7017572
    Abstract: A gas burner assembly for connection to a source of gas includes a burner body including at least one receptacle, a burner cap positioned on the burner body, at least two isolation walls coupled to the burner body, and at least one projection extending from the burner cap. The projection is configured to allow substantially uniform gas distribution through a plurality of burner ports at a first gas input rate, and configured to limit the gas distribution to at least one burner port at a second input rate greater than the first input rate input rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul Bryan Cadima
  • Patent number: 7004751
    Abstract: A gas burner assembly includes in one embodiment a top plate having at least one port for discharging fuel and a downwardly-depending, peripheral edge having a plurality of spaced-apart slots, and a bottom base having a peripheral edge disposed within the downwardly-depending peripheral edge of the top plate. A gasket is disposed between the base and the plate. A venturi tube is attached to the base with a tube holder. The plate is attachable to the base by displacing and/or expanding a portion of the downwardly-depending, peripheral edge adjacent the slots to form a plurality of spaced-apart, inwardly-extending tabs disposed under the peripheral edge of the base. Methods for assembling and gas fired appliances employing gas burner assemblies are also disclosed. Further, attachment means and methods for attaching a first member to a second member using such displaceable and/or expandable tabs are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Jotul North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Shawn T. Malloy, Roger W. Purinton, Dana M. Johnson, Anthony R. Labelle, Shane L. Spencer
  • Patent number: 6966769
    Abstract: A gaseous oxygen resonance igniter includes a body with a first inlet for gaseous oxygen incorporating a supersonic nozzle. An outlet from the body incorporates an orifice of predetermined size to maintain a desired pressure in the body. An aperture in the body opposite the first inlet provides a port to a ceramic resonance cavity. A ceramic bleed disc is engaged at a second end of the resonance cavity. An end cap incorporates a plenum adapted to receive high temperature oxygen flow from the resonance cavity through the bleed disc. An exhaust port is connected to the plenum for the high temperature oxygen which flows to a mixing chamber which introduces pilot fuel for ignition as a combustion initiation torch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Joshua E. Elvander, Steven C. Fisher, Shinjiro Miyata
  • Patent number: 6960078
    Abstract: A liquid heating cooker including a box-shaped vat having a bottom panel A, rear panel B, left panel C, right panel D, and holding panel E, which are separated by welding lines F to I. The welding lines F and G are provided on a front wall portion, a bottom wall portion, a front wall portion and upper bottom wall portions 12e and 12f of an oil sediment holding portion, and a rear wall portion, whereas the welding lines H and I are provided on the front wall portion and the rear wall portion of the oil sediment holding portion. The welding lines are not provided at the corner portions of the vat and the corner portions are rounded. Consequently, even if the fryer is repeatedly operated and stopped, cracking at the welded portions and/or the corner portions due to expansion and contraction of the panels does not occur easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Paloma Industries, Limited
    Inventors: Eiichi Takeda, Akito Takahashi, Gou Nagao
  • Patent number: 6948928
    Abstract: A catalytic combustor for a gas turbine includes a stack of metal strips, each strip having an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet ends of both sides of the strip are uncoated, to limit the temperature and maintain rigidity of the strip at the inlet end. In one embodiment, both sides of the strip have a light-off band, coated with catalyst, and adjacent to the uncoated inlet band. One side of the strip (Side A) also includes at least one combustion band, while the other side (Side B) has no corresponding coated band. The strips are arranged such that Side A of a given strip inside the stack faces Side A of an adjacent strip, and Side B of a strip inside the stack faces Side B of an adjacent strip. The resulting structure prevents overheating of the combustor, maintains its rigidity, and reduces the pressure drop through the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Catacel Corporation
    Inventors: Richard C. Cornelison, William B. Retallick, William A. Whittenberger
  • Patent number: 6939128
    Abstract: An ignition operation mechanism for slide type lighters that is capable of preventing accidental ignition or ignition due to erroneous use or the like while maintaining good operability, wherein pivots 22a, 22a for an operating cap 20 are made substantially circular in cross section and so sized as to form a vertically movable clearance as they are locked to a support section in the lighter main body, the pivots 22a, 22a for the operating cap 20 are normally urged to be positioned in the upper region of the interior of a support section by the spring force of a return spring for a piezoelectric mechanism 4, the operating cap 20 is slid until a lever member 21 strikes the lighter main body 1 and no longer moves in the slide direction, from which state (a), the operating cap is pressed downward, whereby the pivots 22a, 22a move downward (b) within the support section, whereupon pressing levers 23, 23 reach the operation stroke that overcomes the piezoelectric mechanism 4, producing a discharge voltage to enable
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Tokai Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Suzuki, Tetsuya Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 6921260
    Abstract: A candle with transparent flame and flame temperature higher than paraffin candles consists of a fuel mix consisting of sorbitol, ethane diol and glycerol with a polyaramid wick. The candle can be used in catering and for the production of colored flames. For colored flames a colorant wick delivers the colorant to the portion of the flame that maximises the temperature and the residence time of the colorant in the flame. The colorant wick may be spirally wound around a former, heat set and then threaded with the combustion wick so that when alight the free end of the colorant wick relaxes to lie in the hottest portion of the flame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Novaflame Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Vyt Garnys
  • Patent number: 6896510
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing a sustained flame, comprising: a first reservoir for containing a first flame-fueling liquid; a second reservoir for containing a second flame-fueling liquid; a first wick having a first end disposed within the first reservoir and a second, flame-bearing end generally located above the first end; a second wick disposed substantially adjacent to the first wick, having a first end disposed within the second reservoir and a second, flame-bearing end above the first end; and at least one air channel disposed to supply oxygen to each wick, where a first end of the at least one air channel is generally located near the flame-bearing end of each wick; whereby, when the first and second flame-fueling liquids are supplied to the first and second reservoirs, the first and second flame-fueling liquids are communicated up the first and second wicks to fuel flames emanating from the flame-bearing ends of the first and second wicks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Inventor: Susumu Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 6881055
    Abstract: A system for controlling temperature in an enclosure operates in a low heat or a high heat mode with flame always present. The presently intended use is for providing a cooking grill with a controlled temperature cooking space. An electrically controlled valve having high flow rate and low flow rate settings is interposed in the fuel line for at least one of the burners in the grill. A temperature sensor signals cooking space temperature to a controller that may be a microprocessor. The system includes a keyboard allowing the user to communicate a selected set point to the microprocessor and the microprocessor communicates status to a display. The microprocessor selects the setting of the electrically controlled valve. In a preferred embodiment, the electrically controlled valve is placed in series fuel flow with one of the manually adjustable valves commonly found on cooking grills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas D. Bird
  • Patent number: 6881052
    Abstract: A device for heating hydrogen storage canister includes a canister containing chamber for accommodation of at least one hydrogen storage canister, a catalyst bed arranged in the canister containing chamber for catalysis. A blowing device provides an air flow through an air flow leading pipe to a nozzle section which is connected with a heating gas drawing pipe to the catalyst bed. A heating fuel storage tank supplies heating fuel which is conveyed to the nozzle section through a heating fuel supplying pipeline, a coiled pipe and a heating fuel conveying pipe in sequence. When the air flow flows through the nozzle section, the heating fuel is drawn into the nozzle section to mix with the air flow, forming a heating gas. The heating gas is atomized by the nozzle section and flows to the catalyst bed where the heating gas is catalyzed to burn to generate a hot gas to heat the hydrogen storage canister.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jefferson Y S Yang, Yingjeng James Li
  • Patent number: 6872072
    Abstract: A heating unit has a cartridge that constitutes a single component, which can be readily removed and replaced with a new cartridge. The cartridge is a plurality of non-flammable layers bound together in a border. The layers include a stainless steel mesh located above a layer of ceramic wool. With the cartridge, replacement can be accomplished in less then fifteen minutes compared to a downtime of a week or more previously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Inventor: Robert E. Kieswetter
  • Patent number: 6872070
    Abstract: A U-tube diffusion flame burner assembly having improved flame stabilization with no undesirable acoustic effects. The burners are axial units comprised of flame holders and combustors. The flame holders includes secondary air tubes to support the flow of secondary air that have helical walls forming helical passageways along at least a portion of its inner diameter to impart a swirl to the secondary air. The helical passageways impart a swirl to the secondary air exiting the passageways while simultaneously acting as a heat exchanger to heat primary air. The flame holders includes fuel tubes having first ends connected to a fuel supply and second flame ends. A plurality of radially oriented apertures are located at the second flame ends to distribute fuel in a radial direction. Primary air tube surrounds at least the flame ends of the fuel tubes and extend axially from first air supply ends to second flame ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Hauck Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Edward E. Moore, John A. Marino
  • Patent number: 6863523
    Abstract: A boiler system includes combustion air conduit for directing the flow of combustion air through a first air heater (e.g., A-side heater) to a boiler and flue gas conduit for directing the flow of flue gas generated by the boiler to a second air heater (e.g., B-side heater). The combustion air conduit is configured to direct the majority of the combustion air to the first air heater, and the flue gas conduit is configured to direct the majority of the flue gas from the boiler to the second air heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: PPL Corporation
    Inventor: Peter E. Giella
  • Patent number: 6843648
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and to a device intended for spontaneous combustion of a fuel comprising organic, vegetable or mineral materials, the device comprising a combustion chamber, at least one fuel injection means, at least one air inlet, hot fumes discharge means. Chamber (1) comprises a cylindrical shell (11), the discharge means comprise a pipe (6) having the same axis as the chamber and arranged inside said chamber, and fuel injection means (7) is arranged substantially tangential to said cylindrical shell so that the fuel follows a circular motion around said pipe in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignees: Institut Francais du Petrole, Lacaze S.A.
    Inventors: Patrick Flament, Pierre Lacaze, Mouloud Hendou, Christophe Teulet
  • Patent number: 6827573
    Abstract: A micro gas burner is provided that generates a stable, pre-mixed flame that produces little to no soot or unburned hydrocarbons. The gas burner includes a fuel inlet, nozzle, oxygenation chamber with at least one air inlet, a mixing chamber having a frustoconical inner wall, at least one permeable barrier and a flame holder. The gas burner thoroughly mixes fuel and entrained air to form a nearly stoichiometric mixture prior to combustion. The gas burner mixes the fuel and air so thoroughly that it requires a lower fuel flow rate than would otherwise be necessary to produce a stable, pre-mixed flame. The gas burner may include an optional flame tube in which a flame is contained and sequestered from diffusing air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Kelley St. Charles, Kayyani C. Adiga
  • Patent number: 6821113
    Abstract: An assembly includes a precombustion chamber and electrode, for producing the ignition and combustion of a fuel while maintaining the flame temperature below a predetermined value, and keeping the flame front (F) in the proximity of an aperture of the precombustion chamber which opens into one or more cylinders. The fuel is injected towards the aperture of the precombustion chamber by an injector having its injection nozzle located within the closed rear end of the precombustion chamber opposite the aperture. The electrode has the shape of a solid of revolution and is positioned coaxially with respect to the aperture within the part of the precombustion chamber which terminates at the aperture, and has an axial length (L) such that, at any instant, the aforesaid flame front (F) generated by the combustion is always in contact with the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Dauber Holdings Inc.
    Inventor: Pier Andrea Rigazzi