Slightly pressurized flat-top stove

Claim 1

In a gas range, the combination of, a shell construction forming a closed chamber, a pair of grill assemblies mounted in said shell respectively defining an air inlet and an air outlet therein, a gas burner unit positioned within said chamber, said burner unit comprising means forming a plenum chamber and a hot gas chamber, a burner element closing the top of said plenum chamber, and forming the bottom of said hot gas chamber and adapted to produce infrared radiation when said burner unit is ignited, a plate of heat resistant glass which transmits infrared radiation and transmits heat by conduction, said plate having a bottom surface extending over the top of said hot gas chamber, thereby to confine the hot gases in said hot gas chamber from flowing upwardly, means providing a hot gas discharge passageway from said hot gas chamber to said air outlet to discharge said hot gases from said range, blower means for supplying air to said closed chamber to maintain an air pressure therein greater than atmospheric pressure, said grill assemblies being adapted to restrict the flow of air therethrough thereby to maintain said air pressure within said closed chamber at a pressure slightly elevated above atmospheric pressure, and an air and combustible gas supply assembly comprising a supply duct operatively connected at one end to said plenum chamber and having a flared open end in said closed chamber and a gas discharge nozzle located in spaced relation to and substantially coaxially of said flared open end, said supply duct and said discharge nozzle defining a venturi assembly whereby gas discharged from said nozzle entrains pressurized air in said chamber and is projected with said entrained air through said duct to said plenum chamber