Helical fuel burner

Abstract

A burner for consuming a fuel includes a base with a lower end, an upper end, and at least one side wall. A fuel inlet port of the upper end of the base includes at least an inner wall and a bottom wall. At least one helical conduit is fixed outside of the inner wall of the fuel inlet port and conveys air from an open lower end thereof to an opposing open top end thereof at the upper end of the base. A bottom end of an annular glass burning chamber is fixed with the upper end of the base, such that the second end of the at least one conduit terminates therebetween. As such, the fuel in the fuel inlet port mixes with the air entering the burning chamber from the at least one helical conduit and burns in a helical pattern within the burning chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A burner for consuming a fuel and for resting on a horizontal surface, the burner comprising:
 a base having a lower end, an upper end, and at least one side wall of a height sufficient for the base to contain a fuel inlet port therein, the fuel inlet port including at least an inner wall and a bottom wall;   at least one helical conduit fixed outside of the inner wall of the fuel inlet port and adapted for conveying air from a first open end thereof at the lower end of the base to a second open end thereof at the upper end of the base, the lower end of the base adapted to support the burner on the horizontal surface while providing air flow to the first open end of the at least one helical conduit;   an annular burning chamber having a bottom end, top end, an inner wall and an outer wall, the bottom end of the burning chamber fixed with the upper end of the base, the second end of the at least one conduit terminating between the burning chamber and the fuel inlet port;   whereby the fuel in the inlet port mixes with the air entering the burning chamber from the at least one helical conduit and burns in a helical pattern within the burning chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the fuel inlet port is an open end of a fuel container, the fuel container adapted to contain the fuel therein. 
     
     
         3 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the base includes a central aperture through the upper end thereof, the fuel inlet port adapted to be retained therein. 
     
     
         4 . The burner of  claim 2  wherein the base includes a central aperture through the upper end thereof, the fuel container adapted to be slidably received therein. 
     
     
         5 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the base includes a central aperture through the upper end thereof, and wherein the at least one helical conduit is contained in an annular air guide sleeve adapted to be slidably received therein, the fuel inlet port integrated in a top end of the air guide sleeve. 
     
     
         6 . The burner of  claim 2  wherein the base includes a central aperture through the upper end thereof, and wherein the at least one helical conduit is contained in an annular air guide sleeve adapted to be slidably received therein, the fuel container adapted to be slidably received within a longitudinal bore of the air guide sleeve. 
     
     
         7 . The burner of  claim 5  wherein the base and the air guide sleeve are mutually rotationally locked, whereby the air guide sleeve is prevented from spinning within the central aperture of the base. 
     
     
         8 . The burner of  claim 6  wherein the base and the air guide sleeve are mutually rotationally locked, whereby the air guide sleeve is prevented from spinning within the central aperture of the base. 
     
     
         9 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the annular burning chamber is transparent. 
     
     
         10 . The burner of  claim 9  wherein the annular burning chamber further includes an annular transparent cooling sleeve fixed therearound with at least one spacing bracket, the cooling sleeve open at a first bottom end and a second top end thereof, whereby air heated by the burning chamber rises and exits at a top gap defined between the second top end of the cooling sleeve and the top end of the burning chamber, thereby drawing cooler air therebetween from the first bottom end of the cooling sleeve, the cooling sleeve sized to inhibit touching of the burning chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The burner of  claim 10  wherein the upper end of the base includes an outer circular recess adapted to receive the first bottom end of the cooling sleeve and an inner circular recess adapted to receive the bottom end of the burning chamber, the at least one spacing bracket fixed about the first bottom end of the cooling sleeve providing an air gap thereunder through which air may flow between the cooling sleeve and the burning chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the at least one helical conduit includes exactly two opposing helical conduits in a double-helix pattern. 
     
     
         13 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the at least one helical conduit includes exactly three evenly-spaced helical conduits in a triple-helix pattern. 
     
     
         14 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the at least one helical conduit includes exactly four evenly-spaced helical conduits in a quadruple-helix pattern. 
     
     
         15 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the second end of the at least one conduit terminates between the burning chamber and the fuel inlet port in a direction substantially tangential to and upwardly inclined with the inner wall of the burning chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the second end of the at least one conduit terminates between the burning chamber and the fuel inlet port in a direction between the longitudinal axis and the inner wall of the burning chamber, and upwardly inclined with respect to the base. 
     
     
         17 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the fuel inlet port is the open end of a pressurized fuel conduit. 
     
     
         18 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the base includes a plurality of feet for supporting the base above the horizontal surface, around which air flows to the first end of the at least one conduit. 
     
     
         19 . The burner of  claim 1  wherein the base includes a plurality of radial grooves for conducting air to the first end of the at least one conduit.