Gas/water combination control range

Abstract

An improved valve system for use in Chinese wok ranges of the type that require valves to turn water and gas on and off. The improvement uses a valve coupling arrangement that operates the gas and water valves simultaneously. When the gas is turned off, the water is also turned off, and when the gas is turned on, the water is also turned on. Separate valve control devices operate to open and close off the gas and water lines, and the valve coupling arrangement is operative to open and close the two valve control devises simultaneously. Cooling water lines, provided to supply a flow of cooling water across the wok range top, are sectional, whereby cooling water runs to cool the wok range top only in the region where the wok range is being used.

1 . A valve system for use in a wok range of the type that has a front side, a back side, a left end, a right end, a range top with a designated wok location for placement of a wok, a wok burner arranged below said designated wok location, a gas line for supplying gas to said wok burner, a water line for distributing cooling water to said range top, and a valve system controlling the flow of gas and water through said gas and water lines, respectively, said valve system comprising: 
 a gas valve in said gas line, operable to open and close off said gas line, thereby adjusting gas flow to said wok burner;    a water valve in said water line, operable for opening and closing off said water line, thereby adjusting water flow to said range top; and    a valve coupling arrangement for operationally coupling said gas and water valves, whereby, in a first operating condition of said valve coupling arrangement, said gas valve opens said gas line, and said water valve simultaneously opens said water line, and, in a second operating condition of said valve coupling arrangement, said gas valve closes off said gas line, and said water valve simultaneously closes off said water line.    
   
   
       2 . The valve system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said valve coupling arrangement comprises: 
 a first gear member having gear teeth and connected to said gas valve to open and close off said gas line when said first gear member is rotated;    a second gear member having gear teeth and connected to said water valve to open and close off said water line when said second gear member is rotated, said second gear member teeth meshing with said first gear member teeth; and    a valve operating member, mechanically associate with one of said first and second gear members, for rotating said one gear member, thereby simultaneously rotating the other one of said gear members and opening or closing off said gas and water lines, depending upon the direction of rotation of said first and second gear members.    
   
   
       3 . The valve system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 each of said first and second gear members has a plurality of teeth sufficient to keep meshed with each other as said gas and water valves effect gradual changes in gas and water flow from full-flow to no-flow, and all positions therebetween.    
   
   
       4 . The valve system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said valve operating member is a manually rotatable handle.  
   
   
       5 . The valve system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said valve operating member is attached to said first gear member.  
   
   
       6 . The valve system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said water line comprises a length of perforated water distributor tube positioned above said wok range top and arranged to uniformly distribute water flowing in said water line over said range top along one side of said wok range when water flows through said water valve.  
   
   
       7 . The valve system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said wok range is of the type that has a plurality of designated wok locations on said range top for placement of a like plurality of woks, one at each said designated wok location, a wok burner arranged at the bottom of said designated wok location, a gas line for supplying gas to said wok burner, an independent water distributor segment of said water line for distributing cooling water only to said designated wok location on said range top, and a valve system controlling the flow of gas and water through said gas and water lines, respectively, said valve system comprising, at each said designated wok location: 
 a gas valve in said gas line, operable to open and close off said gas line, thereby adjusting gas flow to said wok burner;    a water valve in said water line, operable for opening and closing off said water line, thereby adjusting water flow to said range top at said designation on said range top; and    a valve coupling arrangement for operationally coupling said gas and water valves, whereby, in a first operating condition of said valve coupling arrangement, said gas valve opens said gas line, and said water valve simultaneously opens said water line, and, in a second operating condition of said valve coupling arrangement, said gas valve closes off said gas line, and said water valve simultaneously closes off said water line.    
   
   
       8 . The valve system as claimed in  claim 7 , comprising an overriding water valve connected to said water line and operable to selectively open and close off water flowing to all of said water line segments simultaneously.  
   
   
       9 . The valve system as claimed in  claim 8 , comprising a one-way valve inserted in each said water line leading to said water line segments, thereby allowing water to flow to all water line segments when said overriding water valve is open, and preventing water from flowing backwards from each water line segment to any other water line segment when said overriding valve is closed.  
   
   
       10 . A wok range of the type that has a front side, a back side, a left end, a right end, a range top with a designated wok location for placement of a wok, a wok burner arranged below said designated wok location, a gas line for supplying gas to said wok burner, a water line for distributing cooling water to said range top, and a valve system controlling the flow of gas and water through said gas and water lines, respectively, said valve system comprising: 
 a gas valve in said gas line, operable to open and close off said gas line, thereby adjusting gas flow to said wok burner;    a water valve in said water line, operable for opening and closing off said water line, thereby adjusting water flow to said range top; and    a valve coupling arrangement for operationally coupling said gas and water valves, whereby, in a first operating condition of said valve coupling arrangement, said gas valve opens said gas line, and said water valve simultaneously opens said water line, and, in a second operating condition of said valve coupling arrangement, said gas valve closes off said gas line, and said water valve simultaneously closes off said water line.    
   
   
       11 . The wok range as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said valve coupling arrangement comprises: 
 a first gear member having gear teeth and connected to said gas valve to open and close off said gas line when said first gear member is rotated;    a second gear member having gear teeth and connected to said water valve to open and close off said water line when said second gear member is rotated, said second gear member teeth meshing with said first gear member teeth; and    a valve operating member, mechanically associate with one of said first and second gear members, for rotating said one gear member, thereby simultaneously rotating the other one of said gear members and opening or closing off said gas and water lines, depending upon the direction of rotation of said first and second gear members.    
   
   
       12 . The wok range as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein: 
 each of said first and second gear members has a plurality of teeth sufficient to keep meshed with each other as said gas and water valves effect gradual changes in gas and water flow from full-flow to no-flow, and all positions therebetween.    
   
   
       13 . The wok range as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said valve operating member is a manually rotatable handle.  
   
   
       14 . The wok range as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said valve operating member is attached to said first gear member.  
   
   
       15 . The wok range as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said water line comprises a length of perforated water distributor tube positioned above said wok range top and arranged to uniformly distribute water flowing in said water line over said range top along one side of said wok range when water flows through said water valve.  
   
   
       16 . The wok range as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said wok range is of the type that has a plurality of designated wok locations on said range top for placement of a like plurality of woks, one at each said designated wok location, a wok burner arranged at the bottom of said designated wok location, a gas line for supplying gas to said wok burner, an independent water distributor segment of said water line for distributing cooling water only to said designated wok location on said range top, and a valve system controlling the flow of gas and water through said gas and water lines, respectively, said valve system comprising, at each said designated wok location: 
 a gas valve in said gas line, operable to open and close off said gas line, thereby adjusting gas flow to said wok burner;    a water valve in said water line, operable for opening and closing off said water line, thereby adjusting water flow to said range top at said designation on said range top; and    a valve coupling arrangement for operationally coupling said gas and water valves, whereby, in a first operating condition of said valve coupling arrangement, said gas valve opens said gas line, and said water valve simultaneously opens said water line, and, in a second operating condition of said valve coupling arrangement, said gas valve closes off said gas line, and said water valve simultaneously closes off said water line.    
   
   
       17 . The wok range as claimed in  claim 16 , comprising an overriding water valve connected to said water line and operable to selectively open and close off water flowing to all of said water line segments simultaneously.  
   
   
       18 . The wok range as claimed in  claim 17 , comprising a one-way valve inserted in each said water line leading to said water line segments, thereby allowing water to flow to all water line segments when said overriding water valve is open, and preventing water from flowing backwards from each water line segment to any other water line segment when said overriding valve is closed.  
   
   
       19 . A valve system for use in a wok range of the type that has a range top with a designated wok location for placement of a wok, a wok burner arranged below said designated wok location, a gas line for supplying gas to said wok burner, a water line for distributing cooling water to said range top, and a valve system controlling the flow of gas and water through said gas and water lines, respectively, said valve system comprising: 
 means for effecting and controlling simultaneous flow of water in said water line and gas in said gas line.    
   
   
       20 . The valve system as claimed in  claim 19 , comprising: 
 a gas valve in said gas line;    a water valve in said water line; and wherein    said means for effecting and controlling simultaneous flow of water in said water line and gas in said gas line comprises means for simultaneously actuating said water line valve and said gas line valve.