The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 13, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 20, 1998
John A Bowman, Lancaster, MA (US);
Karen R Benedek, Winchester, MA (US);
Stephan E Schmidt, Winchester, MA (US);
Gas Research Institute, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A pilot burner apparatus for use with gas-fired appliances, such as gas-fired water heaters, is provided with a structure configured for the early detection, and response to, the presence of flammable vapor in the atmosphere ambient to the appliance. Combustion air for the pilot burner is taken from that region of the ambient atmosphere, most likely to become contaminated with flammable vapor first. One or more flame characteristics of the pilot burner flame are monitored, and if the flame characteristics depart from a predetermined range of parameters, gas flow to the pilot and main burner(s) of the appliance are cut off. The sensitivity of the pilot burner is such that flammable vapors are detected before the concentration of flammable vapors car rise to the lower flammability limit of the anticipated flammable vapor(s).