Heat panel system

Abstract

A gas powered cooking appliance, particularly a portable stove, that utilizes heat generated by the flame of the burner head for warming a gas fuel canister and is provided with a heat panel. The heat panel is installed between the burner head and a canister compartment of the stove that stores a gas fuel canister, so that heat from the burner head is conducted to the canister compartment, thus warming the gas inside the gas fuel canister.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention pertains to a heat panel system for gas powered appliances and more particularly to a portable gas powered cooking appliance in which the fuel container is mounted within the appliance itself.

2. Description of the Related Art

Portable gas powered appliances, as described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,887, particularly stoves and heaters, have a general structure which utilizes liquefied gaseous fuel, such as propane, butane, or mixtures thereof, stored in disposable, non-refillable containers. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,268, these fuel canisters are mounted into the aforementioned appliances and are constructed based on standards defined for aerosol canisters. These canisters utilize a valve assembly that has a spring based pin which seals the gas in the cylinder. When in use, the stem portion of the canister is depressed, allowing the discharge of pressurized gas.

Furthermore, these containers are charged with gas under pressure to maintain the gas in its liquid state. The quantity of liquid does not completely fill the container so that the container has a vapor pocket above the liquid which enlarges as the fuel is discharged. The fuel is provided to the appliance as gas received from the vapor pocket. A vapor outlet tube extends from the vapor pocket, typically through the lid of the container, past a dispensing valve and to a burner where it is ignited.

The process of using these fuel canisters is an endothermic process. As the liquid fuel is vaporized into gas, energy is taken from the surrounding medium in the form of heat. The surrounding medium is defined as the physical structure of the canister itself. Resultantly, the canister gets cold.

This decrease in energy, and hence, temperature, has several detrimental effects. First, it greatly hinders the vaporization of liquid fuel, as this process requires energy. Second, the pressure in the canister is decreased, which reduces the efficiency of gaseous fuel to be discharged. Third, and most importantly, there is a significant amount of residual liquid fuel that is ultimately wasted because the decrease in the overall temperature and pressure makes it physically impossible to use.

These detrimental effects result in an appliance that not only wastes fuel, but also has reduced power output over time.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a primary object of the invention to significantly improve the standard functioning of combustion appliances by maximizing reducing waste and maximizing efficiency.

The above object is accomplished by a unique structure of the present invention for a gas operated cooking appliance that includes an appliance main body, a burner head provided at substantially the center of the appliance main body, and a canister compartment provided at one end of the appliance main body so that a gas-contained container (canister) is set therein and gas in the canister is supplied to the burner head and burned; and in the present invention, the gas operated cooking appliance further includes a heat panel with one end thereof in contact with the burner head and another end thereof located in the canister compartment, so that the canister (and the gas inside) placed on the heat panel is warmed in the canister compartment by the heat conducted from the burning gas in the burner head.

The construction of the present invention is such that during operation of the gas operated cooking appliance, the heat panel which is made of metal will transfer a limited amount of heat back to the fuel canister, warming up the fuel canister, and preventing temperature drop of the gas inside the fuel canister, thus counteracting the detrimental effects of the decrease in temperature of the fuel canister.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall view of the gas powered cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention with the fuel canister compartment cover open;

FIG. 2 is an overall view thereof without the drip pan;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the manner of attachment of the heat panel to the body of the gas powered cooking appliance, a stove, near the burner;

FIG. 4 is an another enlarged perspective view of the heat panel;

FIG. 5 shows another type of the heat panel according to the present invention; and

FIG. 6 shows still another type of the heat panel according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is stressed that the particular shown are by way of example and for purpose of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only. They are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. The description together with the drawings should make it apparent for those skilled in the art of how several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.

A portable stove according to the present invention is as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 typically comprised of stove main body that includes a burner head 2 provided at substantially the center of the stove main body, a drip pan 1 having a central hole through which the burner head 2 is exposed, and a fuel canister holding compartment 12 provided at one end of the stove main body.

As seen from FIG. 2 in which the drip pan 1 is removed, a heat panel 3 made of metal and in substantially a rectangular shape is provided so as to traverse the stove main body from the burner head 2 so that one end thereof 3a is in contact with the burner head (see FIG. 3) and another end thereof 3b, curved into a letter U, extends into the fuel canister holding compartment 12 (see FIG. 4).

A fuel canister 5 is placed into the fuel canister holding compartment 12 so that it is set on the U-shaped end portion of the heat panel 3 and inserted into the governor 4. Gas is then discharged into the governor 4 and through the fuel supply path (not shown) from the governor 4 to the burner 6. At the burner the fuel is ignited and continuously maintained.

The heat panel 3 is provided such that the flame from the burner head 2 is able to continuously warm the entirety of the heat panel 3. As the entire heat panel 3 warms, the end of the heat panel 3 closest to the fuel canister 5 cradles and warms the fuel canister 5, so that gas inside the fuel canister 5 is heated and reduction of gas pressure is prevented.

FIG. 3 illustrates the manner of attaching the heat panel 3 to the main body of the stove. The heat panel 3 is attached to the stove main body by a screw 7, and rivets 8, and 9.

As seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, the heat panel is not limited to only one embodiment but various modifications thereof may be made. As shown in FIG. 5, one end 3a of the heat panel 3 can be positioned underneath the burner head 2 (and not in touch with the burner head 2) so as to be sufficiently close to the burner head 2 so that heat is transmitted from the burner head 2 to the heat panel 3; and as seen from FIG. 6, the curved end 3b of the heat panel 3 that is inside the fuel canister holding compartment 12 may have a substantial area so as to provide higher thermal conduction to the fuel canister.

Further, various changes in form and detail, such as the shape, thickness and length of the heat panel, the number and shape of the attaching screws and connecting rivets, the construction and type of burner head, and the mode of attachment of the heat panel to the burner head, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A gas operated cooking appliance comprising an appliance main body, a burner head provided at substantially center of said appliance main body, and a canister compartment in which a gas fuel container is installed, said gas operated cooking appliance further comprising a heat panel provided between said burner head and said canister compartment so that heat from said burner head is conducted to said canister compartment.

2. The gas operated cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein one end of said heat panel is in contact with said burner head and another end thereof is provided in said canister compartment so as to be in contact with said gas fuel container.