Adjustable air shutter for a gas burner

Abstract

A gas mixing valve includes a conduit, a shutter, and an elongated flexible adjustment member. The conduit is coupled between a gas supply and a gas burner and includes an opening. The shutter is positioned adjacent to the conduit and is movable between a plurality of positions relative to the conduit opening to adjust a flow of air into the conduit. The elongated flexible adjustment member is coupled to the shutter and configured to move the shutter between the plurality of positions.

1 . A gas mixing valve, comprising: 
 a conduit coupled between a gas supply and a gas burner, the conduit including an opening at an end thereof;    a shutter positioned adjacent to the conduit opening and movable between a plurality of positions relative to the conduit opening to adjust a flow of air into the conduit; and    an elongated flexible adjustment member coupled to the shutter and configured to move the shutter between the plurality of positions.    
   
   
       2 . The gas mixing valve of  claim 1 , further comprising an elongate tube configured to house a portion of the flexible adjustment member.  
   
   
       3 . The gas mixing valve of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible adjustment member is a cable or a wire.  
   
   
       4 . The gas mixing valve of  claim 3 , wherein the flexible adjustment member is configured as a coaxial cable.  
   
   
       5 . The gas mixing valve of  claim 1 , wherein the shutter is movable in response to a force applied axially along a length of the adjustment member.  
   
   
       6 . The gas mixing valve of  claim 1 , wherein the shutter is movable in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the conduit.  
   
   
       7 . The gas mixing valve of  claim 1 , wherein the shutter and conduit each include a hollow cylindrical shape, an internal diameter of the shutter being substantially equal to an outer diameter of the conduit.  
   
   
       8 . The gas mixing valve of  claim 1 , wherein the shutter includes a continuous circumferential surface along an axial length of the shutter.  
   
   
       9 . The gas mixing valve of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit opening includes at least one notch formed in the conduit sidewall, and the shutter is movable relative to the at least one notch and configured to simultaneously cover portions of the first and second notches.  
   
   
       10 . The gas mixing valve of  claim 1 , wherein the opening includes an open end of the conduit and is defined at least partially by an end surface of the conduit.  
   
   
       11 . The gas mixing valve of  claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment member bracket having a planar surface against which the shutter engages in one of the plurality of shutter positions to minimize air flow into the conduit opening.  
   
   
       12 . A fireplace, comprising: 
 an outer enclosure;    a combustion chamber enclosure positioned within the outer enclosure and defining a combustion chamber;    a gas burner positioned within the combustion chamber; and    a gas mixing valve configured to control an air and gas mixture provided to the gas burner, the gas mixing valve comprising: 
 a conduit coupled between the gas burner and a fuel source, the conduit including an opening, the conduit being positioned within the outer enclosure;  
 a shutter adjustable relative to the conduit opening, the shutter being positioned within the outer enclosure; and  
 an adjustment member coupled to the shutter at a first end and extending at a second end to a location accessible from outside of the outer enclosure, a shape of the adjustment member being adjustable to position the second end at any of a plurality of positions relative to the conduit, wherein the adjustment member adjusts the shutter.  
   
   
   
       13 . The fireplace of  claim 12 , wherein the shutter is movable in a direction parallel to an axis of the conduit.  
   
   
       14 . The fireplace of  claim 12 , wherein the adjustment member comprises an elongated flexible member.  
   
   
       15 . The fireplace of  claim 12 , wherein the shutter is positioned within the combustion chamber.  
   
   
       16 . The fireplace of  claim 12 , wherein the gas mixing valve extends in a horizontal direction through a side panel of the combustion chamber enclosure.  
   
   
       17 . The fireplace of  claim 12 , wherein the outer enclosure defines a control box positioned between a side panel of the combustion chamber enclosure and a side panel of the outer enclosure, the control box being accessible through a front panel of the outer enclosure, and the second end of the adjustment member is positioned within the control box.  
   
   
       18 . The fireplace of  claim 12 , wherein the adjustment member is configured to pass an axial force along a length of the adjustment member to move the shutter.  
   
   
       19 . The fireplace of  claim 12 , further comprising a gas nozzle configured to direct gas into the conduit.  
   
   
       20 . The fireplace of  claim 19 , wherein the shutter is moveable into at least one position wherein the gas nozzle is at least partially positioned within the shutter and another position wherein the gas nozzle is not positioned within the shutter.  
   
   
       21 . The fireplace of  claim 19 , wherein the gas nozzle is positioned outside of the conduit.  
   
   
       22 . The fireplace of  claim 12 , wherein the shutter is movable from a position in which a portion of the shutter extends distally from the conduit to define a portion of the conduit open, to a position retracted over the conduit such that the shutter does not extend distally beyond the distal end of the conduit.  
   
   
       23 . A method of adjusting an air and gas mixture in a gas fireplace, the fireplace including an outer enclosure and a combustion chamber, the method comprising: 
 providing a gas mixing valve, the gas mixing valve including a conduit having an opening formed in a sidewall thereof, a shutter, and an elongated flexible adjustment member, the conduit carrying a flow of gas;    positioning the conduit and the shutter within the outer enclosure;    securing a first end of the adjustment member to the shutter and positioning a second end of the adjustment member remotely from the shutter; and    applying an axially force to the second end of the adjustment member, the adjustment member being configured to translate the axially force to the shutter to move the shutter between a plurality of positions relative to the conduit opening to adjust an air flow into the conduit.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising positioning the second end at a location accessible at a front panel of the outer enclosure.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the shutter moves in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the conduit.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the conduit includes first and second openings, and the shutter is configured and arranged to simultaneously cover portions of the first and second openings.