U.S. patent application number 09/927197 was filed with the patent office on 2003-02-13 for outdoor fireplace with ash drawer.
Invention is credited to Davis, Mark E., Schmidt, Eric.
Application Number | 20030029443 09/927197 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25454369 |
Filed Date | 2003-02-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030029443 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Davis, Mark E. ; et
al. |
February 13, 2003 |
Outdoor fireplace with ash drawer
Abstract
An outdoor fireplace including a combustion chamber that has a
top portion and an ash drawer forming the floor. The ash drawer
includes a planar bottom and a plurality of side walls disposed
around the periphery of the planar bottom. As such, the ash drawer
is configured to receive and hold combustion by-products. The
outdoor fireplace also includes a base with an upper portion and a
support structure. The upper portion is connected to the top
portion of the combustion chamber and is configured to slidably
receive the ash drawer. As such, the ash drawer can be slidably
removed from the outdoor fireplace to remove the by-products of
combustion.
Inventors: |
Davis, Mark E.; (Midland,
GA) ; Schmidt, Eric; (New Braunfels, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THOMAS, KAYDEN, HORSTEMEYER & RISLEY, LLP
100 GALLERIA PARKWAY, NW
STE 1750
ATLANTA
GA
30339-5948
US
|
Family ID: |
25454369 |
Appl. No.: |
09/927197 |
Filed: |
August 10, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/543 ;
126/245; 126/519 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24B 1/181 20130101;
F24B 1/1915 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/543 ;
126/519; 126/245 |
International
Class: |
F24B 001/181 |
Claims
Therefore, having thus described the invention, at least the
following is claimed:
1. An outdoor fireplace comprising: a combustion chamber having a
top portion and an ash drawer, said ash drawer including a planar
bottom and a plurality of side walls disposed around a periphery of
said planar bottom; and a base, said base including an upper
portion and a support structure, wherein said upper portion is
configured to slidably receive said ash drawer such that said ash
drawer can be slidably removed from said outdoor fireplace and said
upper portion is connected to said top portion by a plurality of
substantially vertical supports.
2. The outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality
of side walls further comprises an outer wall of said base.
3. The outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein said base further
includes a plurality of support members disposed such that an air
passage is formed between said upper portion and an underlying
support surface.
4. The outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein said combustion
chamber further includes one or more access doors.
5. The outdoor fireplace of claim 4, wherein at least one of said
one or more access doors is configured such that fluid
communication between an environment surrounding said outdoor
fireplace and said combustion chamber exists.
6. The outdoor fireplace of claim 5, wherein a portion of said at
least one of said one or more access doors is screen.
7. The outdoor fireplace of claim 6, wherein each of said one or
more access doors includes a handle.
8. The outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein said base includes at
least one aperture and said access door includes at least one pin,
said at least one pin being disposed along a bottom portion of said
one or more access doors for engaging said aperture.
9. The outdoor fireplace of claim 8, wherein said base is
rectangular and further comprises two apertures disposed on each
side of said ash drawer, each of said said apertures configured to
receive two pins on each of said one or more access doors.
10. The outdoor fireplace of claim 8, wherein said substantially
vertical supports are configured such that each of said one or more
access doors is held in a position contacting two adjacent
substantially vertical supports by a force of gravity.
11. The outdoor fireplace of claim 10, wherein said pin is
configured such that said access door can be tilted away from said
substantially vertical supports and supported in an angled
disposition relative to said substantially vertical supports,
thereby allowing access to said combustion chamber.
12. The outdoor fireplace of claim 11, wherein each of said at
least one pin is a plate like structure.
13. The outdoor fireplace of claim of claim 1, wherein said base
further includes a foot rail disposed around said combustion
chamber.
14. The outdoor fireplace of claim 2, further including a foot rail
disposed around said combustion chamber and consisting of a first
portion and a second portion, said first portion being attached to
said base and said second portion being attached to said one of
said plurality of side walls.
15. The outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein said top portion is
perforated.
16. An outdoor fireplace comprising: a combustion chamber having a
top portion and an ash drawer, said top portion being rectangular;
a base including an upper portion and a support structure, said
upper portion being rectangular and having larger dimensions than
said top portion, wherein said upper portion and said top portions
are connected by substantially vertical supports disposed at each
corner of said upper and top portions; and a foot rail disposed on
said base, wherein said foot rail is configured such that a user of
said fireplace may position their feet in close proximity to said
combustion chamber for warmth and drying.
17. The outdoor fireplace of claim 16, wherein said ash drawer
further includes a rectangular, planar bottom and four side walls
disposed along a periphery of said planar bottom, and wherein said
upper portion is configured to slidably receive said ash
drawer.
18. The outdoor fireplace of claim 17, said combustion chamber
further including at least one access door including at least one
pin configured to be received by a correlating at least one
aperture in said base.
19. The outdoor fireplace of claim 17, wherein said upper portion
further includes a bottom surface.
20. The outdoor fireplace of claim 19, wherein said bottom surface
is perforated.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of
outdoor fireplaces and, more particularly, to an outdoor fireplace
which preferably incorporates a removable ash drawer.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Outdoor fireplaces are often used to provide warmth, improve
the ambiance of an outdoor setting, provide an open flame over
which to cook, or to burn items as a means of disposal. Of course,
as materials such as wood are burned, ashes and other debris are
produced as by-products of combustion and collect on the bottom
floor of the fireplace. In order to maintain adequate air flow to
support the combustion process, regular removal of the ashes and
debris is required.
[0003] At present, typical outdoor fireplaces are designed such
that removal of the accumulated debris requires either the use of a
tool to "scoop" the ashes out of the fireplace or the entire
fireplace must be manipulated such that the ashes can be "dumped"
out. Further complicating the use of the typical outdoor fireplace,
removal of the accumulated ashes often requires partial disassembly
of the fireplace, or at a minimum, manipulation of a latch or like
structure that secures an access door in place during use. Because
outdoor fireplaces are, as the name implies, generally stored
outside, they are exposed to environmental elements such as rain
and snow. These elements can lead to corrosion and wear which can
contribute to the difficulty of partially disassembling the
fireplace, or manipulation of the latch, in order to gain access to
the fireplace.
[0004] Therefore, there is a need for providing improved outdoor
fireplaces which address these and other shortcomings of the prior
art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Briefly described, the outdoor fireplace provides an
apparatus for burning fuel and easily removing combustion
by-products. An embodiment of the outdoor fireplace includes a
combustion chamber that has a top portion and an ash drawer forming
the floor. The ash drawer has a planar bottom and a plurality of
side walls disposed around the periphery of the planar bottom. As
such, the ash drawer is configured to receive and hold the
combustion by-products. The outdoor fireplace also includes a base
with an upper portion and a support structure. The upper portion is
connected to the top portion of the combustion chamber and is
configured to slidably receive the ash drawer. As such, the ash
drawer can be slidably removed from the outdoor fireplace to remove
the by-products of combustion.
[0006] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon
examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It
is intended that all such objects, features, and advantages be
included herein within the scope of the present invention, as
defined in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The present invention, as defined in the claims, can be
better understood with reference to the following drawings. The
drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being
placed on clearly illustrating the principles of the present
invention.
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of
the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outdoor fireplace shown
in FIG. 1, with the ash drawer partially removed and an access door
removed to allow access to the combustion chamber.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the ash drawer shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0011] Reference will now be made in detail to the description of
the outdoor fireplace as illustrated in the drawings. While the
outdoor fireplace will be described in connection with these
drawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodiment or
embodiments disclosed therein. On the contrary, the intent is to
cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents included
within the spirit and scope of the outdoor fireplace as defined by
the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Reference will now be made in detail to the description of
the invention as illustrated in the drawings with like reference
numerals indicating like parts throughout the several views. As
shown in FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the outdoor fireplace 10
of the present invention incorporates a combustion chamber 12 that
includes a top portion 14 and a base 20. The top portion 14 is
rigidly attached to the base 20 by a plurality of substantially
vertical supports 16, each vertical member connecting a corner of
the base 20 to a corresponding corner of the top portion 14. As
shown, the combustion chamber 12 is sufficiently sized and shaped
for the placement of wood and/or other combustible material. Note
that while a rectangular embodiment of the outdoor fireplace 10 of
the present invention is shown, any number of different
configurations are within the scope of the present invention.
[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the outdoor fireplace 10 further
includes an ash drawer 30 that has a planar bottom 32 and a
plurality of side walls 34 disposed along the periphery of the
planar bottom 32. This configuration is designed to catch the
by-products as they fall off the burning matter during combustion.
Preferably, the ash drawer 30 slidably engages the upper portion 22
of the base 20, such that by-products of the combustion process can
be removed from the combustion chamber 12 by simply removing the
ash drawer 30. Once the by-products of combustion have been
properly disposed of, a user of the outdoor fireplace 10 merely
slides the ash drawer 30 back into the upper portion 22 of the base
20 prior to the next use. As well, because the side walls 34 extend
vertically, they protect against the by-products being blown out of
the combustion chamber 12 by wind, etc. FIG. 2 shows the ash drawer
30 partially removed from the outdoor fireplace 10. Quite often,
the combustible materials may not burn completely thereby leaving
rather heavy debris in the ash drawer 30, such as partially burned
logs. As such, the ash drawer 30 can further include strength
members 36 positioned along the underside of the of the planar
bottom 32 to lend rigidity to the ash drawer 30 during removal
(FIG. 3). The strength members 36 also aid in sliding the ash
drawer 30 in and out of the outdoor fireplace 10 by reducing the
friction between the planar bottom 32 of the ash drawer 30 and the
bottom surface (not shown) of the base 20. The bottom surface may
be either solid or perforated, the perforations allowing increased
air circulation within the combustion chamber 12.
[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a foot rail 44 is provided on the
base 20. The foot rail 40 is spaced from and substantially
surrounds the perimeter of the outdoor fireplace 10, ideally
including a first portion 42 disposed on the upper portion 22 of
the base 20 and a second portion 44 disposed on the side wall 34 of
the ash drawer 30 that also functions as an outer wall of the base
20. The foot rail 40 is configured such that a user may "prop"
their feet on the outdoor fireplace 10 in close proximity to the
combustion chamber 12, thereby warming and or drying out their
shoes, boots, etc. Note that the portion of the foot rail 44
disposed on the ash drawer 30 can also be used as a handle to
facilitate handling the ash drawer 30 during removal from, and
insertion into, the base 20. During combustion, the outdoor
fireplace 10 absorbs heat from the fire, potentially becoming hot
enough to cause discomfort upon contact or other safety concerns.
As such, the foot rail 40 acts as a guard rail by preventing the
likelihood of direct contact with the outer surfaces of the outdoor
fireplace 10.
[0015] At least one access door 50 is provided in order to allow
access to the combustion chamber 12 for the addition of burnable
matter, tending the fire, etc. As shown, the preferred embodiment
has four access doors 50 to allow maximum flexibility. As well, the
access doors 50 ideally allow fluid communication between the
combustion chamber 12 and the ambient environment. As shown, the
access doors 50 include portions of screen material, expanded
metal, etc., thereby allowing fluid communication with the ambient
environment while at the same time preventing ashes and burning
embers from leaving the combustion chamber. Although each of the
access doors 50 shown allows fluid communication with the
combustion chamber 12, this is not a requirement of all embodiments
of the present invention. The combustion chamber 12 merely needs
enough air to support the combustion process. Note that the top
portion 14 of the combustion chamber 12 similarly allows fluid
communication with the outside environment. However, the top
portion could also be of solid construction.
[0016] The access doors 50 are preferably fully removable from the
outdoor fireplace 10 and do not require a latch or like structure
to secure them in position during operation. Each access door 50
has at least one pin 52 disposed along the bottom portion of the
outer frame 54. Although embodiments incorporating numerous pins 52
are contemplated, for ease of description, an embodiment
incorporating two pins 52 per access door 50 is described. These
pins are configured to align with corresponding apertures 24 formed
in the upper portion 22 of the base. To position the access door 50
for use, the pins 52 are inserted in the apertures 24 and the
access door 50 is tilted inwardly until the side portions 55 of the
outer frame 54 contact an adjacent pair of the substantially
vertical supports 16. Because the upper end 17 of each vertical
support 16 is closer to the longitudinal, vertical axis 60 (FIG. 1)
of the outdoor fireplace 10 than is the lower end 18 of the
vertical support 16, the access door 50 is held in place by
gravity. To access the combustion chamber 12, an access door 50 may
be either fully removed, as shown in FIG. 2, or simply tilted away
from the vertical supports 16. When the access door 50 is tilted
away, the pins 52 remain in the apertures 24 of the base 20, and
this interaction limits the angular disposition of the access door
50 relative to the outdoor fireplace 10. Although two tab-shaped
pins 52 of rectangular cross section are disclosed, various other
shapes for the pins 52 (i.e., circular), as well as numbers of pins
52 used, are within the scope of the present invention.
[0017] The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of
illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive
or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious
modifications or various are possible in light of the above
teachings. The embodiment or embodiments discussed, however, were
chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the
principles of the invention and its practical application to
thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the
invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as
are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such
modifications and variations, are within the scope of the invention
as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance
with the breadth to which they are fairly and legally entitled.
* * * * *