Burner assembly and cooktop including same

Abstract

An improved burner assembly and cooktop and cooking devices including the burner assembly is provided. Certain examples of the burner assembly include a burner head and a supply tube for supplying fuel to a fuel feed port of the burner head. The burner assembly also includes a force member that biases at least a portion of the supply tube into the burner head. In at least certain examples, the burner assembly prevents food or liquid from getting under the surface of the cooktop.

1 . A burner assembly comprising: 
 a burner head comprising multiple burner ports and a fuel feed port in fluid communication with the multiple burner ports;    a supply tube for supplying fuel to the burner head, the supply tube comprising a flange at a first end; and    a force member operative to bias at least a portion of the first end of the supply tube into the fuel feed port of the burner head.    
   
   
       2 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  in which the flange is integral with the supply tube.  
   
   
       3 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  in which the supply tube further comprises a collar configured to mate sealingly with the burner head, the flange of the supply tube being on the collar.  
   
   
       4 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a spark igniter operative to ignite fuel fed to the burner ports.  
   
   
       5 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  in which the supply tube is a Venturi tube.  
   
   
       6 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  in which the force member is a spring steel member.  
   
   
       7 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  in which the force member comprises a serpentine shape.  
   
   
       8 . A cooktop comprising: 
 a cooktop top;    at least one burner head positioned in the cooktop top, the burner head comprising multiple burner ports and a fuel feed port in fluid communication with the multiple burner ports;    a burner box comprising 
 a burner box housing,  
 at least one supply tube for feeding fuel to the burner head,  
 a force member acting against the burner box to bias at least a portion of the supply tube upwardly into the fuel feed port of the burner head; and  
   at least one attaching member connecting the cooktop top and the burner box.    
   
   
       9 . The cooktop of  claim 8  in which the cooktop top further comprises a retaining member at a front surface of the cooktop top.  
   
   
       10 . The cooktop of  claim 8  in which the attaching member is configured to force the cooktop top downward relative to the burner box.  
   
   
       11 . The cooktop of  claim 8  in which the at least one attaching member is a bracket attached to a rear portion of the cooktop top and a bottom surface of the burner box.  
   
   
       12 . The cooktop of  claim 8  further comprising a spark igniter for igniting fuel fed to the burner head.  
   
   
       13 . The cooktop of  claim 8  in which the supply tube is a Venturi tube.  
   
   
       14 . The cooktop of  claim 8  further comprising a pressure regulator in fluid communication with a manifold assembly, the manifold assembly operative to control supply of fuel to the supply tube and comprising at least one gas valve in fluid communication with the supply tube.  
   
   
       15 . The cooktop of  claim 8  in which the cooktop is adapted for use in a recreational vehicle.  
   
   
       16 . The cooktop of  claim 8  further comprising a cooking grate disposed on the cooktop.  
   
   
       17 . The cooktop of  claim 8  in which the force member comprises a spring steel member.  
   
   
       18 . The cooktop of  claim 8  in which the supply tube comprises a flange that is integral with the supply tube.  
   
   
       19 . The cooktop of  claim 8  in which the supply tube comprises a collar having a flange, the collar being attached to the supply tube.  
   
   
       20 . The cooktop of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 a second burner head and third burner head in the cooktop top, each of the second and third burner heads comprising multiple burner ports and a fuel feed port in fluid communication with the multiple burner ports;    a second supply tube for feeding fuel to the second burner head; and    a third supply tube for feeding fuel to the third burner head;    a second force member acting against the burner box to bias at least a portion of the second supply tube upwardly into the fuel feed port of the second burner head; and    a third force member acting against the burner box to bias at least a portion of the third supply tube upwardly into the fuel feed port of the third burner head.    
   
   
       21 . The cooktop of  claim 20  in which each of the second and third force members comprises a spring steel member.  
   
   
       22 . The cooktop of  claim 20  in which the second burner head comprises a spark igniter for igniting fuel fed to the second burner head and the third burner head comprises a spark igniter for igniting fuel fed to the third burner head.  
   
   
       23 . The cooktop of  claim 20  in which the at least one attaching member is a bracket attached to a rear portion of the cooktop top and a rear portion of the burner box.  
   
   
       24 . The cooktop of  claim 20  in which each of the supply tubes comprises a flange that is either integral or non-integral with the supply tube.  
   
   
       25 . A cooking device comprising: 
 an oven cavity comprising top, bottom, rear and side wall portions;    a cooktop top;    at least one burner head positioned in the cooktop top, the burner head comprising multiple burner ports and a fuel feed port in fluid communication with multiple burner ports;    a burner box comprising 
 a burner box housing,  
 at least one supply tube for feeding fuel to the burner head,  
 a force member acting against the burner box to bias at least a portion of the supply tube upwardly into the fuel feed port of the burner head; and  
   at least one attaching member connecting the burner box and the cooktop top.    
   
   
       26 . The cooking device of  claim 25  in which the cooktop top further comprises a retaining member at a front surface of the cooktop top.  
   
   
       27 . The cooking device of  claim 25  in which the at least one attaching member is configured to force the cooktop top downward relative to the burner box.  
   
   
       28 . The cooking device of  claim 25  further comprising a pressure regulator in fluid communication with a manifold assembly, the manifold assembly operative to control supply of fuel to the supply tube and comprising at least one gas valve in fluid communication with the supply tube.  
   
   
       29 . The cooking device of  claim 25  in which the cooking device is adapted for use in a recreational vehicle.  
   
   
       30 . The cooking device of  claim 25  in which the cooking device further comprises a cooking grate disposed on the cooktop.  
   
   
       31 . The cooking device of  claim 25  in which the at least one attaching member is a bracket attached to a rear portion of the cooktop top and a bottom surface of the burner box.  
   
   
       32 . The cooking device of  25  in which the force member comprises a spring steel member.  
   
   
       33 . The cooking device of  claim 25  in which the supply tube further comprises a flange that is integral or non-integral with the supply tube.  
   
   
       34 . The cooking device of  claim 25  further comprising: 
 a second burner head and third burner head in the cooktop top, each of the second and third burner heads comprising multiple burner ports and a fuel feed port in fluid communication with the multiple burner ports;    a second supply tube for feeding fuel to the second burner head; and    a third supply tube for feeding fuel to the third burner head;    a second force member acting against the burner box to bias at least a portion of the second supply tube upwardly into the fuel feed port of the second burner head; and    a third force member acting against the burner box to bias at least a portion of the third supply tube upwardly into the fuel feed port of the third burner head.    
   
   
       35 . The cooking device of  claim 34  in which each supply tube further comprises a flange that is integral or non-integral with the supply tube.