A heater structure includes a heater body including a burner connected to a valve switch. A pilot fire assembly is covered by a protective cover that has ventilation holes. A switch unit includes an ignition switch, a shut-down switch, an ignition operator, and a shut-down operator. The ignition operator and the shut-down operator are structured to provide a swingable arrangement. The ignition operator may be operated to contact and press the fuel gas valve rod and the ignition switch to open the valve switch for supply fuel gas to the burner and to activate an ignition circuit to cause successive shootings of an ignition pin of the pilot fire assembly to set a flame on the burner. The shut-down operator is operated to contact and press the shut-down switch, so as to cut off a signal of the thermocouple and thus cut off the supply of the fuel gas.

A gas appliance includes a burner, a gas valve, an ignitor, a thermocouple, and a control device, wherein the control device is adapted to execute a control method comprising the following steps: controlling the ignitor to ignite and the gas valve to open; receiving a sensing voltage output from the thermocouple; stop the ignitor from igniting and controlling the gas valve to keep a gas pipe be in an open state when the sensing voltage increases to a first voltage; receiving the sensing voltage output from the thermocouple continuously, and controlling the gas valve to block the gas pipe when the sensing voltage decreases from higher than a second voltage to lower than the second voltage, wherein the second voltage is higher than the first voltage. Whereby, an ignition procedure could be speeded up and the gas could be blocked earlier as the flames are extinguished.

A heater structure includes a heater body including a burner connected to a valve switch. A pilot fire assembly is covered by a protective cover that has ventilation holes. A switch unit includes an ignition switch, a shut-down switch, an ignition operator, and a shut-down operator. The ignition operator and the shut-down operator are structured to provide a swingable arrangement. The ignition operator may be operated to contact and press the fuel gas valve rod and the ignition switch to open the valve switch for supply fuel gas to the burner and to activate an ignition circuit to cause successive shootings of an ignition pin of the pilot fire assembly to set a flame on the burner. The shut-down operator is operated to contact and press the shut-down switch, so as to cut off a signal of the thermocouple and thus cut off the supply of the fuel gas.

An automatic pilot lighting system for unattended automatic lighting of a standing pilot may include a powered (e.g., battery powered, etc.) circuit. The powered circuit may include an analog timer circuit including a timer switch. A spark ignitor may be coupled with the timer switch. A temperature knob pilot momentary switch may be coupled with the timer switch. An ON/OFF switch may be coupled with the temperature knob pilot momentary switch and the timer switch. The ON/OFF switch may be configured to be operable for selectively disabling and enabling a power source. The analog timer circuit may be configured to be selectively activatable for applying voltage from the power source via the ON/OFF switch for pilot hold voltage and spark ignition for an amount of time sufficient to allow for unattended automatic lighting of the standing pilot and sufficient voltage generation to support standalone operation.

A device for igniting/re-igniting the flame for a gas burner, for example for a cooktop, is capable of receiving a supply voltage from a supply source. The device is furthermore configured for receiving a signal representing the presence of the flame. The flame ignition/re-ignition device is configured for activating a spark activation circuit (70) configured for generating sparks for igniting the flame when the signal representing the presence of the flame indicates absence of flame, and interrupting the generation of sparks when the signal indicates presence of flame. Furthermore, the flame ignition/re-ignition device comprises an anti-inversion circuit (40) configured for uncoupling the flame ignition/re-ignition device from the direction of insertion of a supply plug for the device into a domestic power outlet, making the device insensitive to the polarity adopted in the connection between the plug and the power outlet.

A system configured to generate heat when supplied with a first fuel or a second fuel can include a fuel supply line operatively connected to a fuel source. A valve assembly can be operatively connected to the fuel supply line. A main burner can be operatively connected to the valve assembly. A thermoelectric generating system can be configured to transform heat to electricity. A first pilot burner can include at least one of a first thermocouple and a first Fe-ion sensor. A second pilot burner can include at least one of a second thermocouple and a second Fe-ion sensor. A printed circuit board (PCB) can be operatively connected to the valve assembly and the first and second pilot burners. The PCB can be configured to control operation of the valve assembly based on information received from at least one of the first and second pilot burners.

A cooktop appliance includes a control valve, a spark generator, and a spark switch. The control valve includes a rotatable member for controlling gas flow rates to a burner assembly of the cooktop appliance. The spark generator provides a spark to ignite gas in the burner assembly. The spark switch may be mounted to the control valve, and may include a rotor fixedly mounted to the rotatable member. The rotor may be rotatable between an initial position and a first position. In the initial position, the spark generator does not receive electrical power. In the first position, the spark generator does receive electrical power. The spark generator may be configured to introduce a time delay between receiving electrical power and providing the spark to ignite gas in the burner assembly.

A gas appliance includes a burner, a gas valve, an ignitor, a thermocouple, and a control device, wherein the control device is adapted to execute a control method comprising the following steps: controlling the ignitor to ignite and the gas valve to open; receiving a sensing voltage output from the thermocouple; stop the ignitor from igniting and controlling the gas valve to keep a gas pipe be in an open state when the sensing voltage increases to a first voltage; receiving the sensing voltage output from the thermocouple continuously, and controlling the gas valve to block the gas pipe when the sensing voltage decreases from higher than a second voltage to lower than the second voltage, wherein the second voltage is higher than the first voltage. Whereby, an ignition procedure could be speeded up and the gas could be blocked earlier as the flames are extinguished.

An ignition system for igniting a gas burner of an appliance includes a gas burner, an electric igniter assembly, a pilot light, and a controller. The pilot light is ignitable by the electric igniter assembly. The controller is configured to operate the electric igniter assembly for ignition of the gas burner, detect a power disruption event, ignite the pilot light using the electric igniter assembly in response to detecting the power disruption event, and use the pilot light for ignition of the gas burner during the power disruption event. Methods of operating the ignition system for igniting the gas burner of the appliance are also provided.

The invention relates to a method and a device for determining in a heating appliance whether ignition of the mixture of fluid fuel and air has taken place, comprising the following steps of: applying an electrical ignition signal to a measuring circuit; filtering a combustion signal from the ignition signal; comparing the detected combustion signal to a predetermined pattern; and establishing that the anticipated combustion signal took place during a predetermined period of time.