DK180948B1

DK180948B1 - Handheld weed burner

Info

Publication number: DK180948B1
Application number: DKPA201970369A
Authority: DK
Inventors: Bandholm Mikkel
Original assignee: Kleopatra Holding Aps
Priority date: 2019-06-12
Filing date: 2019-06-12
Publication date: 2022-08-09
Also published as: EP3982723A1; DK201970369A1; WO2020249822A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a weed burner (100) comprising a burner device (200) comprising or being connected to a fuel conduit (205), the burner device (200) being configured to produce one or more flames, emitted or directed substantially in a predetermined direction (A), in response to received fuel being ignited, wherein the weed burner (100) further comprises a water expelling device (300) comprising or being connected to a water conduit (305), the water expelling device (300) being configured to expel a mist of water, substantially in the predetermined direction (A), in response to receiving water.

Description

DK 180948 B1 1

A HANDHELD WEED BURNER Field of the invention The present invention relates generally to a weed burner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a handheld weed burner comprising a burner device comprising or being connected to a fuel conduit, the burner device being configured to produce one or more flames, emitted or directed substantially in a predetermined direction, in response to received fuel being ignited. Background Many types of weed burners are well known and used to burn away or at least damage the tissue of weed and other unwanted vegetation so it will wither away. Furthermore, many such weed burners are often mobile. Such weed burners may also be referred to as a torch, (hand-held) gas torch, or simply a weed Killer. WO9603036A1 describes a weed killing apparatus comprises a hollow chamber having an air inlet and an open end forming a hot air outlet, means for blow in air through the chamber to exit the open end thereof, heating means in the chamber for heating the air passing through the chamber so that the air exits the outlet end of the chamber as a blast of heated air, and means for introducing moisture into the air flow to mix with the blast of heated air. An ongoing concern with such weed burners regards the safety related to their use and in particular to the risk of starting a fire. This is especially a concern in spells of hot and dry weather. It has been seen that fires are started or flaring up even some time after the use of a weed burner ultimately instigating the fire. A main intended use of such weed burners are exposing the surface of the weed to fire to thereby damage the surface enough to hinder the weed to obtain necessary sun rays. However, at least for certain models, their efficiency is not optimal potentially leading a user to prolonged exposure of fire in turn increasing the risk of inadvertently starting a fire in addition to having to spend more time. Sometimes, users burn away the weed instead of only sufficiently damaging the surface of the weed.

DK 180948 B1 2 Accordingly, it would be an advantage to provide a weed burner having increased safety. A further advantage would be to provide a weed burner with increased efficiency. Summary It is an object to provide a weed burner alleviating one or more of the above mentioned drawbacks at least to an extent. According to a first aspect, this is achieved, at least to an extent, by a weed burner as defined by appended claim 1. According to the first aspect, the weed burner comprises a burner device comprising or being connected to a fuel conduit. The fuel may e.g. be a pressurised gaseous fuel such as a pressurised gaseous combustible gas as generally known in the context of weed burners. In at least some embodiments, the fuel conduit is an elongated metal tube. The burner device is configured to produce one or more flames in response to received fuel being ignited as generally known in the present context. The one or more flames is emitted or directed substantially in a predetermined direction (see e.g. A in Figure 1), typically away from the user when operating the weed burner. The weed burner further comprises a water expelling device comprising or being connected to a water conduit. The water supplied by the water conduit may e.g. be pressurised. The water expelling device is configured to expel a mist of water, in or substantially in the predetermined direction (i.e. in generally the same direction as the flame(s)), in response to receiving water. The mist of water will or may be a fine spray of water containing small water droplets. In at least some embodiments, the water conduit is a tube of a polymer material. The water conduit may e.g. be flexible at least to a degree. The weed burner is a mobile weed burner, i.e. for handheld operation.

During operation, the fuel conduit may be connected to a fuel container, e.g. a butane gas or other suitable gas or fuel container, that may be secured to the weed burner (typically for smaller containers) or to a separate (then typically larger) container e.g. to be carried by the other hand, on the back of the user, on a trolley, etc. The water conduit may during operation e.g. be connected to any suitable water source or supply, e.g. simply to a garden hose or similar or alternatively to a mobile water container.

DK 180948 B1 3 In a predetermined reference Cartesian coordinate system (see e.g.

Figure 1), axes X,Y, and Z (all perpendicular to each other) are arranged in relation to the weed burner such that Z is coincident with the predetermined direction A and the directions X and Y are oriented such that X extends along the vertical direction and Y extends along the horizontal direction when the weed burner is viewed along the Z direction and the weed burner is held level.

The view along the Y direction is also a side view (as shown in Figure 1). The reference coordinate system is ‘fixed’ in relation to the weed burner and will ‘follow’ the orientation of that.

According to this reference coordinate system, the water expelling device (and/or the water nozzle if the weed burner comprises such) is located spaced apart from the burner device (and/or the burner nozzle if the weed burner comprises such) in the X direction.

This corresponds to the water expelling device (and/or the water nozzle if the weed burner comprises such) being located above the burner device (and/or the burner nozzle if the weed burner comprises such) in the vertical direction when the weed burner is viewed along the Z direction and the weed burner is held level.

In this way, a weed burner is provided where a water mist is applied in the area or vicinity to where a flame is applied.

This readily reduces the risk of fire by dousing a surrounding area with water.

Furthermore, it has been shown that such an application of a water mist also increases the weed killing efficiency of the weed burner as the fine water droplets or film being deposited on the weed (in addition to being deposited in a surrounding area) will be heated by the applied flame and caused to boil and evaporate thereby actively damaging the surface tissue of the weed to an even further extent compared to only flame application.

Locating the water expelling device (and/or the water nozzle if the weed burner comprises such) as indicated above and in claim 1, increases the efficiency of the water application to the weed (and e.g. other vegetation) in turn increasing the efficiency of the boiling effect.

In some embodiments, the water expelling device is configured to expel the mist of water only substantially horizontally in the predetermined direction, i.e. with little or very little extent (except perhaps due to some dispersion of the expelled water) in a longitudinal direction.

In other words, the mist of water will exit the water expelling device (and thereby the weed burner) having (ideally speaking) a flat horizontal

DK 180948 B1 4 spray of water extending outwards horizontally (seen from ‘above’) or in the longitudinal direction the spray of water mist will (ideally speaking) have a triangular shape with a vertex at or near a water exit opening of the water expelling device. Expelling the water mist in this way has been seen to further increase the effectiveness of the weed burner as the weed is sprayed with water (e.g. by a side to side sweeping motion of the weed burner) thereby increasing the boiling effect and reducing the risk of the weed being burned e.g. to a large degree. In some embodiments, the burner device comprises a burner nozzle. In some embodiments, the water expelling device comprises a water nozzle, e.g. a flat fan nozzle (typically comprising a slit or similar) for embodiments configured to expel the mist of water only substantially horizontally in the predetermined direction. In some embodiments, the water expelling device comprises a plurality, e.g. two, three, or four, of water nozzles, where each water nozzle is connected to the water conduit (or alternatively each is connected to their ‘own’ water conduit) and is located circumferentially about the burner device or the burner nozzle. In some further embodiments, the plurality of water nozzles are each located substantially equidistantly about the burner device or the burner nozzle. In some alternative embodiments, the number of water nozzles is three with one located above and the two other on opposing sides of the burner device or the burner nozzle (in which case they are not necessarily located equidistantly. In some further alternative embodiments, the number of water nozzles is four with one above, one below, and one to each side of the burner device or the burner nozzle. In some embodiments, the water nozzle(s) on a side of the burner device or the burner nozzle is configured to expel a mist of water only substantially longitudinally in the predetermined direction, i.e. with little or very little extent in a horizontal direction. In some such further embodiments, a water nozzle above (and/or potentially below the burner device or the burner nozzle) still delivers only a substantially horizontally water mist. This ‘encapsulates’ the flame potentially to some detriment of the boiling effect but increases the safety with respect to fire even further.

In some embodiments, the weed burner comprises a water flow regulator in fluid communication with the water conduit and being configured to regulate a flow of water supplied to the water expelling device in response to user input or operation.

DK 180948 B1 In some further embodiments, the water flow regulator is shaped or comprises a turning knob, valve, or similar where the water flow regulator is configured to regulate the flow of water in response to an extent of the turning knob valve, or similar being turned.

5 In some embodiments, the weed burner comprises a fuel flow regulator in fluid communication with the fuel conduit and being configured to regulate a flow of fuel supplied to the burner device in response to user input or operation.

In some embodiments, the fuel flow regulator is at least partly shaped or formed as a movable handle or lever where the fuel flow regulator is configured to regulate the flow of fuel in response to the extent the movable handle or level is moved (pressed, released, etc.).

In some embodiments, the weed burner comprises a handle located at or towards an end of the weed burner, the end being opposite a location of the burner device. In some further embodiments, the fuel flow regulator shaped or formed at least partly as a handle or lever is located in the vicinity of the handle of the weed burner and wherein the fuel flow regulator shaped or formed at least partly as a handle or lever is, at least at a part, substantially parallel to at least a part of the handle of the weed burner. This readily enables simple regulation of the fuel flow (and thereby the extent of the produced flame(s)).

In some embodiments, the weed burner further comprises an electronic ignition device configured to emit a spark or similar, thereby igniting the fuel in the burner device, in response to user input or operation. In some further embodiments, the part of the electronic ignition device configured to emit a spark or similar is located in the burner device (e.g. inside or in the vicinity of the burner nozzle) while a part responsible for registering user input or operation is located closer towards or at an opposite end e.g. at or closer towards the handle of the weed burner (if having such).

In some embodiments, the water expelling device is configured to securely hold the fuel conduit and the water conduit e.g. running in parallel of a substantial part of the length of the weed burner (thereby forming a substantial part of the weed burner). At

DK 180948 B1 6 the other end of the weed burner, its handle (if having such) may secure or support the fuel conduit and the water conduit. Further details and embodiments are disclosed in the following. Definitions All headings and sub-headings are used herein for convenience only and should not be constructed as limiting the invention in any way. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the present invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

This invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. When or if relative expressions such as "upper" and "lower", "right" and "left", "horizontal" and "vertical", "clockwise" and "counter clockwise", “front” and “rear”, or similar are used in the following terms, these typically refer to an actual situation of use. The shown figures are schematic representations for which reason the configuration of the different structures as well as their relative dimensions are intended to serve illustrative purposes only.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 schematically illustrates a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a weed burner as disclosed herein.

Detailed description Various aspects and embodiments of a weed burner as disclosed herein will now be — described with reference to the figures.

DK 180948 B1 7 The shown figure is schematic representations for which reason the configuration of the different structures as well as their relative dimensions are intended to serve illustrative purposes only. Some of the different components are only disclosed in relation to a single embodiment of the invention, but is meant to be included in the other embodiments without further explanation. Figure 1 schematically illustrates a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a weed burner as disclosed herein. Shown is a weed burner 100 comprising a burner device 200 and a water expelling device 300. The burner device 200 comprises or is connected to a fuel conduit 205 and is configured to produce one or more flames, emitted or directed substantially in a predetermined direction (indicated as arrow A), in response to received fuel being ignited. The water expelling device 300 comprises or is connected to a water conduit 305 and is configured to expel a mist of water, substantially in the predetermined direction A, in response to receiving water. In some embodiments, the water expelling device 300 is configured to expel the mist of water only substantially horizontally in the predetermined direction, i.e. with little or very little extent (except perhaps due to some dispersion of the expelled water) in a longitudinal direction. In the figure, the horizontal direction is in and out of the plane of the figure (as indicated by 'arrows' H and the vertical direction is as indicated by double arrow V. During operation, the fuel conduit 205 and the water conduit 305 are connected to a respective suitable supplies (not shown) via respective connection conduits 220, 320.

In the illustrated embodiment, the burner device 200 comprises a burner nozzle 210 and the water expelling device 300 comprises a suitable water nozzle 310.

Further illustrated in Figure 1 is a reference Cartesian coordinate system with perpendicular axes X, Y, and Z arranged in relation to the weed burner as disclosed herein. The water expelling device 300 (and/or the water nozzle 310) is located spaced a from the burner device 200 (and/or the burner nozzle 210) in the X direction of the coordinate system that corresponds to the vertical direction when the weed burner is held level.

DK 180948 B1 8 In the shown embodiment, water expelling device 300 comprises only a single water nozzle 310, however alternatively it may comprise a plurality, e.g. two, three, or four, of water nozzles 310 as disclosed herein then e.g. located circumferentially and substantially equidistantly about the burner device 200/the burner nozzle 210.

In the shown embodiment, the weed burner 100 comprises a water flow regulator 315, shaped or comprising a turning knob or valve, in fluid communication with the water conduit 305 where turning the knob or valve regulates a flow of water supplied to the water expelling device 300.

Additionally, the illustrated weed burner 100 comprises a fuel flow regulator 130 in fluid communication with the fuel conduit 205 configured to regulate a flow of fuel supplied to the burner device 200. Expediently, the fuel flow regulator 130 is at least partly shaped or formed as a movable handle or lever where the fuel flow regulator 130 is configured to regulate the flow of fuel in response to the extent the movable handle or lever is moved. The weed burner 100 further comprises a handle 120, for easy one hand operation, located at or towards an end opposite the burner device

200. The part of the fuel flow regulator 130 shaped or formed at least partly as a handle or lever is, at least at a part, substantially parallel to at least a part of the handle 120 of the weed burner 100. Further illustrated is an electronic ignition device 110, 111 configured to emit a spark or similar, thereby igniting the fuel in the burner device 200, in response to user input or operation. The part of the electronic ignition device configured to emit a spark or similar is located in the burner device (e.g. inside or in the vicinity of the burner nozzle) while a part 110 responsible for registering user input or operation is located closer towards the handle 120 of the weed burner with an electrical — conductor or similar 111 there between. Some preferred embodiments have been shown in the foregoing, but it should be stressed that the invention is not limited to these, but may be embodied in other ways within the subject matter defined in the following claims. It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising" when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, elements, steps or

DK 180948 B1 9 components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps, components or groups thereof.

In the claims enumerating several features, some or all of these features may be embodied by one and the same element, component or item.

The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims or described in different embodiments does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be constructed as limiting the claim.

The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim.

The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to an advantage.

It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the various embodiments of the invention as disclosed and/or elements thereof can be combined without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

DK 180948 B1 1 Patent claim

1. Handheld weed burner (100) comprising: — a burner device (200) which comprises or is connected to a fuel conductor (205), which burner device (200) is designed to produce one or more flames that are emitted or directed in the - late in a predetermined direction (A) in response to receiving fuel being ignited, wherein the weed burner (100) further comprises — a water ejection device (300) which comprises or is connected to a water line (305), which water ejection device (300) is designed to eject a water mist, substantially in the predetermined direction (A), in response to receiving water, characterized in that — the water ejection device (300) is spaced from the burner device (200) in a direction X of a predetermined X, Y, Z reference coordinate system where direction Z coincides with the predetermined direction (A) and direction X runs along the vertical direction and Y runs along the horizon ale direction when the weed burner is viewed along the Z direction and the weed burner is held flat.

2. Hand-held weed burner (100) according to claim 1, wherein the water ejection device (300) is designed to only eject the water mist substantially in the predetermined direction, so that a substantially flat water spray is formed that extends outwards in a plane perpendicular to the X direction.

3. Hand-held weed burner (100) according to claim 1 or 2, where the burner direction (200) comprises a burner nozzle (210), and/or where the water discharge direction (300) comprises a water nozzle (310).

DK 180948 B1 2

4. Handheld weed burner (100) according to claim 3, where the water discharge device (300) is arranged at a distance from the burner nozzle (210) in the X direction, or the water nozzle (310) is arranged at a distance from the burner device (200) or the burner nozzle (210) ) in the X direction.

5. Hand-held weed burner (100) according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the water ejection device (300) comprises a plurality, e.g. two, three or four, of water nozzles (310), each water nozzle (310) being connected to the water line (305) and arranged peripherally and essentially equidistant around the burner device (200) or the burner nozzle (210).

6. Handheld weed burner (100) according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the weed burner (100) comprises a water flow regulator (315) which is in fluid communication with the water line (305) and is designed to regulate a flow of water supplied to the water ejection device (300) in response to user input or operation.

7. The hand-held weed burner (100) of claim 6, wherein the water flow regulator (315) comprises a dial valve, wherein the water flow regulator (315) is designed to regulate the flow of water in response to how much the dial valve is turned.

8. A handheld weed burner (100) according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the weed burner (100) comprises a fuel flow regulator (130) which is in fluid communication with the fuel conduit (205) and is designed to regulate a flow of fuel, is supplied to the burner device (200) in response to user input or operation.

9. The handheld weed burner (100) of claim 8, wherein the fuel flow regulator (130) is at least partially constructed or shaped as a movable handle or grip, and the fuel flow regulator (130) is designed to regulate the flow of fuel in response to, how much the movable handle or grip is moved.

DK 180948 B1 3

10. Hand-held weed burner (100) according to any one of claims 1 - 9, wherein the weed burner (100) comprises a handle (120) which is located at or towards an end of the weed burner (100) which is towards - set off where the burner device (200) is located.

11. A handheld weed burner (100) according to claim 10, when dependent on claim 9, wherein the fuel flow regulator (130), which is at least partially designed or shaped as a handle or grip, is located near the handle (120) of the weed burner ( 100), and wherein the fuel flow regulator (130), which is at least partially designed or shaped as a handle or grip, is at least partially substantially parallel to at least a portion of the handle (120) of the weed burner (100). .

12. Hand-held weed burner (100) according to any one of claims 1 — 11, wherein the weed burner (100) further comprises an electronic ignition device (110, 111) which is designed to emit a spark or the like, whereby the fuel in the burner device (200) is ignited in response to user input or operation.