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(11) | EP 4 253 863 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| published in accordance with Art. 153(4) EPC |
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| (54) | OUTDOOR STOVE |
| (57) The outdoor stove comprises a fuel (5) tank (6); a burner (12) fed by the fuel (6)
in the fuel tank (5), which generates a flame; a combustion chamber (8) with at least
one air inlet (2) and one air outlet (11), inside which the air is heated by the flame;
wherein the stove comprises a base (1) on which the fuel tank (5) and the burner (12)
are arranged, said base (1) comprising a fuel refueling pipe (7) in communication
with the fuel tank (5), said refueling pipe (7) being separated from the flame generated
by the burner (12). It provides an outdoor stove that heats the environment by means of a ducted, controlled and adjustable air convection system. |
Background to the invention
[0002] The Regulation on Thermal Installations in Buildings states that the air conditioning of open spaces may only be carried out using renewable or residual energies, and conventional energies may not be used to generate heat and cold for the air conditioning of these spaces. Furthermore, under no circumstances may the use of these energies be polluting.
[0003] This regulation gained notoriety with the entry into force of the anti-smoking law, which led to the appearance of heat-generating elements for heating open or semi-covered public spaces, with a series of heat-generating elements appearing on the market in an improvised manner that did not comply and still do not comply totally or partially with the aforementioned regulation.
[0004] Thus, in some EU countries (France, Germany, and Belgium, among others) the use of some of these appliances, especially those that work with butane gas, is already completely prohibited, and in other countries (Spain and Italy, among others) the application of this regulation, practically ignored since its publication in June 1990, has already begun.
[0005] Another option for heating open spaces are heating systems that use electricity, either in the form of projector screens equipped with halogen or infrared lamps located in the upper areas of terraces and bar areas, or tables with an infrared or electric heating element that usually have the heat generator at the base or in a column.
[0006] Without going into details of the particularities of each of these systems (consumption, energy efficiency, level of contamination, imbalances in body temperature, etc.), it should be noted that none of them complies 100% with the aforementioned European regulations.
[0007] Gas appliances are highly polluting and, for this reason, are already banned or have an announced expiry date in all EU countries. Electrical elements also do not comply with the letter of these regulations due to the fact that there are thermal and nuclear power stations, which means that the energy produced is not renewable, nor sustainable, and is also polluting.
Description of the invention
[0008] Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to provide an outdoor stove that heats the environment by means of a ducted, controlled, and adjustable air convection system, which allows the use of fuels from authorized non-conventional energies, these being sustainable, renewable and non-polluting energies, and which also optimizes its performance and consumption, also avoiding possible burns due to physical contact.
[0009] Furthermore, another purpose of the outdoor stove according to the present invention is to be able to refuel it in operation, without having to stop its operation.
[0010] With the outdoor stove of the invention, the aforementioned disadvantages are solved, presenting other advantages that will be described below.
[0011] The outdoor stove according to the present invention comprises:
- a fuel tank;
- a burner fed by the fuel in the fuel tank, which generates a flame;
- a combustion chamber with at least one air inlet and one air outlet, inside which the air is heated by the said flame;
the stove comprises a base on which the fuel tank and burner are arranged,
said base comprising a refueling pipe in communication with the fuel tank, this pipe being separated from the flame generated by the burner.
[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, the base has a truncated cone shape, the refueling pipe is positioned on the side wall of the truncated cone shape, and the flame generated by the burner is positioned at the top center of the truncated cone shape.
[0014] Advantageously, the fuel used in the outdoor stove according to the present invention is ethanol, although any suitable fuel could be used.
[0015] Preferably, in the outdoor stove according to the present invention, the base also comprises a flame regulator, for example of a pivoting type, which allows the flame intensity to be regulated or the flame to be extinguished from the outside of the stove.
[0017] Furthermore, the outdoor stove according to the present invention preferably comprises an air diffuser in the upper part of the combustion chamber.
[0018] According to a preferred embodiment, the surface of the flame outlet occupies between 5% and 20% of the surface of the base.
[0020] Also preferably, the volume of the combustion chamber is between 0.10 and 0.20 cubic meters, in particular between 0.11 and 0.18 cubic meters, depending on its surface area and its height from the base of the flame.
[0021] Thanks to the ratio between the surfaces of the flame outlet and the base, the heating provided by the stove and its consumption are optimized, while at the same time limiting the risk of burns due to accidental contact with the stove.
[0022] It should be noted that the shape of the flame exit hole may be regular or irregular, but it is preferable that its limits are as far as possible from the walls of the combustion chamber of the stove, which is why it is recommended that it be positioned centrally at the base.
[0023] In the outdoor stove of the present invention, the heat transfer system is by air convection, transporting the heated air upwards through the interior of the combustion chamber.
[0024] To achieve this, the stove, by means of the air inlets and outlets, causes a controlled and regulated ducted upward air flow that comes into contact with a fire flame produced by the combustion of a non-polluting liquid, gelled or solid fuel contained in the tank, e.g., ethanol.
[0025] Ethanol is a non-conventional, non-polluting, sustainable, and renewable fuel, as well as being non-explosive and easy to store.
[0026] The balance between the inlet air flow rate, the heat output of the fuel used, the intensity of the fire flame, the volume of air to be heated and the intensity of the air flow caused inside the combustion chamber, as well as the control of the hot air output produced, are the factors that determine the suitability of the stove for outdoor use, all of which contribute to producing an adequate comfort temperature for the user.
[0027] Other relevant factors that have been foreseen are those related to safety, which are basically summarized in two aspects: the control of the fuel in the event of the stove tipping over by accident, and the control of the maximum temperature that can be reached in the external parts, which in no case can cause burns for its users.
[0028] The autonomy of the tank has been another factor taken into account, contemplating maximum autonomy, as these stoves are basically designed to be used in open or semi-enclosed spaces in public places, such as cafeterias, restaurants, etc., and it is important to reduce the tank refueling operations as much as possible.
[0029] The design of the tank allows it to be refilled even when it is in operation, as it is external to the combustion chamber containing the flame, there is no possibility of the burner flame coming into contact with the refilling point, which means that its autonomy is not limited to a certain capacity.
[0030] It is the right balance between all these factors that allows an optimal result to be obtained from the outdoor stove according to the present invention.
Brief description of the drawings
[0031] For a better understanding of what has been explained above, some drawings are included in which, schematically and only by way of a non-limiting example, a practical case of embodiment is represented.
[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic elevation view of the outdoor stove according to the present invention.
Description of a preferred embodiment
[0033] As shown in figure 1, the outdoor stove according to the present invention comprises a base 1, which is preferably square in shape, but could be of any other suitable shape, metal or any other type of material covering the intended function.
[0034] This base 1 comprises supports or wheels 4, which facilitate its movement. The weight, design, material used and dimensions of this base 1 are such as to ensure the stability, robustness, and weather resistance of the entire stove assembly.
[0035] The base 1 houses a fuel tank 5, which prevents fuel spillage in the event of an accident. This fuel is advantageously a material that complies with the regulations for outdoor stoves, e.g., ethanol.
[0036] The base 1 also comprises a flame intensity regulator 3, which regulator is preferably pivoting, and a refueling pipe 7 provided with a plug which is directed towards the outside of the base 1, through which the tank 5 is filled, even when the stove is in operation. The base 1 also includes a burner 12 which generates a flame, which exits through an outlet 9, preferably in a position centered on said base 1.
[0037] According to the embodiment shown, the base 1 has a truncated cone shape, and the refueling pipe 7 is preferably positioned on the side wall of the truncated cone shape, separated from the flame, which is located in the upper central part of the base 1.
[0038] The function of the regulator 3 is to regulate the intensity of the flame and extinguishing the flame from the outside.
[0039] One or more openings 2 are provided in the upper part of the base 1 to allow ambient air to enter the stove.
[0040] On the base 1 there is a combustion chamber 8 formed from a structure, for example, of metal or any other heat-resistant material, and fitted with shields, for example, of glass, this combustion chamber 8 channeling the hot air produced by the flame.
[0041] The upper part of the base 1, in contact with the combustion chamber 8, defines a surface 13 such that the flame exit surface 9 occupies between 5% and 20% of the surface 13 of the base 1, in particular, for example, the flame exit surface 9 occupies between 9% and 14% of the surface 13 of the base 1.
[0042] In addition, the volume of the combustion chamber 8 is preferably between 0.10 and 0.20 cubic meters, in particular between 0.11 and 0.18 cubic meters, depending on its surface area and height.
[0043] Inside the combustion chamber 8, the air captured through the opening(s) 2 comes into contact with the flame produced by the burner.
[0044] The glass protection of the combustion chamber 8 allows a view of the flame produced by the burner. One part of the protection is advantageously practicable, to allow access to the interior of the combustion chamber 8 to be able to ignite the stove.
[0045] In the upper part of the stove there is a diffuser 10, whose mission is to channel all the hot air produced by the burner to the outside of the combustion chamber 8 through an outlet 11, and to smooth the exit of the hot air produced in the combustion chamber 8 to the outside.
[0046] Although reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the outdoor stove described is susceptible to numerous variations and modifications, and that all the details mentioned can be replaced by technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.
1. Outdoor stove, comprising:
- a fuel (6) tank (5);
- a burner (12) fed by the fuel (6) in the fuel tank (5), which generates a flame;
- a combustion chamber (8) with at least one air inlet (2) and one air outlet (11), inside which the air is heated by the flame;
characterized in that:the stove comprises a base (1) on which the fuel tank (5) and the burner (12) are arranged,
said base (1) comprising a fuel refueling pipe (7) in communication with the fuel tank (5), said fuel refueling pipe (7) being separated from the flame generated by the burner (12).
2. Outdoor stove according to claim 1, wherein said refueling pipe (7) comprises a removable
plug.
3. Outdoor stove according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said base (1) is of conical truncated
cone shape, the refueling pipe (7) being positioned on the side wall of said conical
truncated cone shape, and the flame generated by the burner (12) is positioned in
the upper central part of said conical truncated cone shape.
4. Outdoor stove according to claim 1, wherein the fuel (6) is ethanol.
5. Outdoor stove according to claim 1, wherein the base (1) also comprises a flame regulator
(3).
6. Outdoor stove according to claim 1, wherein the base (1) comprises wheels (4).
7. Outdoor stove according to claim 1, wherein the combustion chamber (8) comprises an
air diffuser (10) in its upper part.
8. Outdoor stove according to claim 1, wherein the flame exits into the combustion chamber
(8) through an outlet (9), which defines a surface, the surface of the flame outlet
(9) occupying between 5% and 20% of the surface (13) of the base (1).
9. Outdoor stove according to claim 8, wherein the flame outlet surface (9) occupies
between 9% and 14% of the surface area (13) of the base (1).
10. Outdoor stove according to claim 8, wherein the volume of the combustion chamber (8)
is between 0.10 and 0.20 cubic meters.
11. Outdoor stove according to claim 10, wherein the volume of the combustion chamber
(8) is between 0.11 and 0.18 cubic meters.
12. Outdoor stove according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flame outlet
(9) is located in a position centered on the base (1).