Cooking and water heating apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for use combined cooking and water heating, the apparatus including a combustion chamber for burning a fuel to generate heat, a cooking support positioned above the combustion chamber in use to allow cooking to be performed, a heat exchanger in thermal communication with the combustion chamber, a water reservoir coupled to the heat exchanger via delivery and return fluid paths, allowing water from the reservoir to be circulated through the heat exchanger to thereby heat the water in the reservoir, a separator provided in the return path to separate steam from heated water and a condenser element for condensing steam to thereby provide distilled water to a distilled water outlet.

1 . An apparatus for use combined cooking and water heating, the apparatus including:
 a) a combustion chamber for burning a fuel to generate heat;   b) a cooking support positioned above the combustion chamber in use to allow cooking to be performed;   c) a heat exchanger in thermal communication with the combustion chamber;   d) a water reservoir coupled to the heat exchanger via delivery and return fluid paths, allowing water from the reservoir to be circulated through the heat exchanger to thereby heat the water in the reservoir;   e) a separator provided in the return path to separate steam from heated water; and,   f) a condenser element for condensing steam to thereby provide distilled water to a distilled water outlet.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a coiled tube that at least one of
 a) extends around at least part of at least one of:
 i) a perimeter of the combustion chamber; and, 
 ii) an inner side wall of the combustion chamber; and 
   b) is removably mounted within the combustion chamber.   
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of
 a) the condenser element extends at least part way through the reservoir to thereby deliver heat to the water within the reservoir;   b) the return path is positioned higher than the delivery path so that water recirculates at least in part through convection; and,   c) a hot water outlet is provided in the delivery path.   
     
     
         5 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a cylindrical housing containing the combustion chamber and wherein at least one of:
 a) the cooking support is coupled to apertures extending circumferentially and axially along the housing, thereby allowing a position of the cooking support to be adjusted by relative rotation of the cooking support and housing; and,   b) the cylindrical housing includes a divider defining first and second chamber portions, the divider being used to support combustible material in use such that solid by-products pass through the divider into the second chamber; and,   c) the housing includes retractable legs for supporting the housing in use.   
     
     
         8 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the water reservoir can be contained within the combustion chamber when not in use. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a stand that supports the water reservoir in use and wherein the distilled water outlet extends from an underside of the water reservoir allowing a receptacle to be positioned beneath the water reservoir for receiving water from the distilled water outlet. 
     
     
         15 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a heat to electricity converter for generating electricity using at least one of steam and heated water. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for use combined cooking and water heating, wherein the apparatus includes:
 a) a furnace including:
 i) a furnace housing defining a combustion chamber, the combustion chamber to contain a combustible fuel for burning and providing heat in use; 
 ii) a combustion chamber divider being perforated such as to allow air flow through the combustion chamber divider, the combustion chamber divider dividing the combustion chamber in an upper and lower combustion chamber portion; 
 iii) a heat exchanger, spirally formed from a hollow fluidic carrying tube adjacent an inner wall of the combustion chamber leaving the combustion chamber open for occupation by the combustible fuel, having an inlet positioned below an outlet; 
 iv) a cooking surface, mounted adjustably and removably to the furnace housing via a cooking surface holding frame, forming a cover above the upper combustion chamber portion; 
 v) a plate, removably mounted to the furnace housing, forming a floor to the lower combustion chamber portion; and, 
   b) a water reservoir including:
 i) a water reservoir body; and, 
 ii) a water reservoir lid, removably mounted to the top of the water reservoir, having:
 (1) a closable refill aperture; and, 
 (2) a sealable vapour inlet aperture; and, 
 (3) a sealable condensate return aperture; and, 
 
 iii) a condensing element, immersed in the liquid inside the water reservoir, formed to receive heated vapour and in doing so transfer heat from the vapour to fluid in the water reservoir, the condensing element being removably mounted to the water reservoir lid through the sealable vapour inlet aperture, with an inlet on the top of the element and an outlet at the bottom of the element removably protruding through the wall of the water reservoir mounted such as to prevent leakage of the liquid from the water reservoir, whilst allowing condensate to drain from the condensing element; and, 
 iv) a condensate return element, protruding through the sealable condensate return aperture into the water reservoir; and, 
 v) a sealable liquid outlet aperture, situated towards the bottom of the water reservoir; and, 
   c) a vapour-condensate separator, having:
 i) a vapour-condensate inlet; and, 
 ii) a vapour outlet, situated towards the top of the vapour-condensate separator; and, 
 iii) a condensate outlet, situated towards the bottom of the vapour-condensate separator; and, 
   d) a one way flow controller having a controller inlet and a controller outlet; and,   e) flow paths to allow fluid flow between:
 i) the outlet of the heat exchanger and the vapour-condensate inlet of the vapour-condensate separator; and, 
 ii) the vapour outlet of the vapour-condensate separator and the inlet of the condensing element; and, 
 iii) the condensate outlet of the vapour-condensate separator to the condensate return element of the water reservoir; and, 
 iv) the sealable liquid outlet aperture of the water reservoir to the inlet of the fluidic flow direction controller; and, 
 v) the outlet of the fluidic flow direction controller to the inlet of the heat exchanger. 
   
     
     
         20 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the apparatus includes a hot water outlet from which heated water in the water reservoir is extracted and wherein at least one of:
 a) the hot water outlet is in at least one of:
 i) a wall of the water reservoir; and, 
 ii) water reservoir in the flow path connecting the sealable liquid outlet aperture of the water reservoir with the inlet of the fluidic flow direction controller; and, 
   b) the apparatus includes a valve connected to the hot water outlet to control extraction of the liquid from the water reservoir.   
     
     
         21 - 22 .(canceled) 
     
     
         23 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the apparatus includes a platform onto which the water reservoir is positioned at an elevation such that liquid from the water reservoir can flow in to the heat exchanger under gravity and wherein at least one of:
 a) the condensed vapour is collected in a vessel situated at an elevation lower than the outlet of the condensing element; and,   b) the platform is configured to be at least one of dismantled, collapsed and sized to fit over the furnace.   
     
     
         24 - 25 .(canceled) 
     
     
         26 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein at least one of
 a) the furnace includes at least three legs at least one of removably mounted to and hingably attached to the furnace, allowing the legs to support the furnace in an elevated position when the legs are either attached or lowered;   b) the plate loosely rests on protrusions inwardly facing from at least one of the furnace housing and hinges of legs, the plate having a perimeter shape such that rotation of the plate allows removal from the furnace housing through a bottom of the furnace housing; and,   c) the combustion chamber divider at least one of:
 i) rests on protrusions facing inwardly from the furnace housing; and, 
 ii) is positioned below the inwardly facing protrusions such that if the combustion chamber divider is supported by an external burner arrangement, the furnace will rest on the combustion chamber divider. 
   
     
     
         27 - 29 .(canceled) 
     
     
         30 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the furnace housing at least one of
 a) is fitted with a door at least one of hinged and sliding to allow access to the furnace chamber below the combustion chamber divider; and,   b) includes at least three individually diagonal slots spiralling equally spaced on the furnace housing perimeter upwards starting at a position above the combustion chamber divider extending towards the top of the furnace housing and wherein the cooking surface includes a holding frame with at least three supports radially spaced equally around the furnace housing, each support having an at least one protruding feature protruding through the diagonal spiralling slots on the surface of the furnace housing retained equally spaced and snuggly to the furnace housing by a ring wrapping around the furnace housing whereby the ring is fixed to each support and loosely fitting around the furnace housing such that it can rotate around the furnace housing and by doing so results in the cooking surface holding frame being adjusted upwardly or downwardly.   
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . Apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein at least one of
 a) the cooking surface holding frame supports are elongated and vertically mounted such as to form legs onto which top a cooking surface support is attached maintaining the radially equally spaced position of the holding frame supports in such a way as to maintain their position being parallel towards one another; and   b) the cooking surface support has an at least three inwardly facing protrusions or having a ridge onto which the cooking surface removably rests.   
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein at least one of
 a) the water reservoir is removable and sized so as to fit inside the furnace housing and heat exchanger to allow for storage therein;   b) the vapour-condensate separator is removable from the fluid paths and sized so as to fit inside the water reservoir to allow for compact storage therein; and,   c) the fluid paths are pipes removable and sized so as to fit inside the water reservoir for compact storage therein.   
     
     
         35 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the apparatus includes a hood that is used as at least one of:
 a) a heat retaining hood that covers the cooking surface; and,   b) a cooking utensil when positioned on the cooking surface.   
     
     
         38 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein a cooking surface support includes a tool to allow for height adjustment of the cooking surface when hot, the tool being detachable to prevent the tool from being heated when not used, wherein at least one of
 a) the tool includes an elongate member that fits through two opposing slots in the perimeter of the cooking surface support frame below the cooking surface; and,   b) the tool is attached to the cooking surface support to operate as a handle.   
     
     
         39 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the water reservoir lid is fitted with a valve to allow the water reservoir to be pressurised by means of an air delivery pump allowing liquid from the water reservoir to be delivered to a point at elevation higher than the water reservoir. 
     
     
         42 - 43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein at least one of
 a) the condensing element is at least one of:
 i) a helically formed tube; 
 ii) an elongate predominantly straight tube; and, 
 iii) an elongate tube with an at least one bend; and 
   b) the condensing element is fitted with a flow restrictive insert that at least one of:
 i) increases the path length the condensate has to follow through the tube; 
 ii) increases the surface contact area between the condensate and the condensing element;
 (1) reduces the flow rate of condensate through the condensing element whereby the time the vapour/condensate is exposed to the surrounding liquid via thermal connection is increased allowing more efficient heat transfer from the vapour/condensate to the surrounding liquid in the water reservoir. 
 
   
     
     
         45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . An apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the apparatus includes a heat to electricity converter for generating electricity using at least one of steam and heated water.