U.S. patent application number 12/836952 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-03 for fireplace.
Invention is credited to Jacques Houle.
Application Number | 20110048402 12/836952 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41808905 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110048402 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Houle; Jacques |
March 3, 2011 |
Fireplace
Abstract
A fireplace unit comprises a housing in which a liquid fuel is
to be combusted, having at least one aperture for air flow; a front
plate; and a burner for holding the liquid fuel and having an
adjusting means for adjusting intensity of flame. A drawer is
provided to hold the burner. A closing means is provided to cover
the burner such that the flame is extinguished when the closing
means is closed. The adjusting means is configured to close when
the drawer is pulled out. A security means is further provided to
prevent the drawer from being pulled out when the closing means is
open. The drawer further includes a reservoir for holding
over-filled or leaked liquid fuel.
Inventors: |
Houle; Jacques; (Boisbriand,
CA) |
Family ID: |
41808905 |
Appl. No.: |
12/836952 |
Filed: |
July 15, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/512 ; 126/43;
126/544 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24C 1/14 20130101; F24C
5/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/512 ;
126/544; 126/43 |
International
Class: |
F24B 1/18 20060101
F24B001/18; F24B 1/192 20060101 F24B001/192; F24C 5/00 20060101
F24C005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 1, 2009 |
HK |
09107989.9 |
Claims
1. A fireplace unit comprising: a) a housing in which a liquid fuel
is to be combusted, having at least one aperture for air flow; b) a
front plate; and c) a burner for holding the liquid fuel and having
an adjusting means for adjusting intensity of flame.
2. The fireplace unit of claim 1, which further comprises a drawer
adapted to hold the burner.
3. The fireplace unit of claim 2, wherein the adjusting means is
configured to close when the drawer is pulled out.
4. The fireplace unit of claim 1, wherein a closing means is
provided to cover the burner such that the flame is extinguished
when the closing means is closed.
5. The fireplace unit of claim 4, wherein a security means is
provided to prevent the drawer from being pulled out when the
closing means is open.
6. The fireplace unit of claim 1, wherein the drawer further
includes a reservoir for holding over-filled or leaked liquid
fuel.
7. The fireplace unit of claim 1, wherein the front plate is
transparent or translucent.
8. The fireplace unit of claim 1, wherein an aperture is further
provided on the housing or the front plate for igniting the liquid
fuel.
9. The fireplace unit of claim 1, which further comprises a
convection chamber, in which air is drawn from an inlet into the
convection chamber to be heated by heat exchange from the burner
and exit from an outlet.
10. The fireplace unit of claim 1, wherein the liquid fuel is
selected from the group consisting of methanol liquid alcohol,
ethanol liquid alcohol and alcohol gel.
11. The fireplace unit of claim 2, wherein a closing means is
provided to cover the burner such that the flame is extinguished
when the closing means is closed.
12. The fireplace unit of claim 3, wherein a closing means is
provided to cover the burner such that the flame is extinguished
when the closing means is closed.
13. The fireplace unit of claim 2, wherein the drawer further
includes a reservoir for holding over-filled or leaked liquid
fuel.
14. The fireplace unit of claim 3, wherein the drawer further
includes a reservoir for holding over-filled or leaked liquid
fuel.
15. The fireplace unit of claim 4, wherein the drawer further
includes a reservoir for holding over-filled or leaked liquid
fuel.
16. The fireplace unit of claim 5, wherein the drawer further
includes a reservoir for holding over-filled or leaked liquid
fuel.
17. The fireplace unit of claim 2, wherein the front plate is
transparent or translucent.
18. The fireplace unit of claim 3, wherein the front plate is
transparent or translucent.
19. The fireplace unit of claim 4, wherein the front plate is
transparent or translucent.
20. The fireplace unit of claim 5, wherein the front plate is
transparent or translucent.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a fireplace. More particularly,
this invention relates to a fireplace using liquid fuel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A fireplace serves heating and decorative purposes. Most
people nowadays live in apartments and houses where installation of
a chimney is not possible, which in turn makes installation of a
conventional fireplace with a chimney not feasible. As a result, a
fireplace using liquid or gas fuel has become popular.
[0003] Accordingly, an object is to provide improvements to a
fireplace unit which uses liquid fuel. The fireplace unit further
provides an easy and safe access to the liquid fuel for refilling
and igniting.
SUMMARY
[0004] Accordingly, briefly stated, a fireplace unit comprises:
[0005] a) a housing in which a liquid fuel is to be combusted,
having at least one aperture for air flow; [0006] b) a front plate;
and [0007] c) a burner for holding the liquid fuel having an
adjusting means for adjusting the intensity of the flame.
[0008] Preferably, the fireplace unit further comprises a drawer
adapted to hold the burner.
[0009] A closing means may be provided to cover the burner such
that the flame is extinguished when the closing means is
closed.
[0010] Preferably, the adjusting means is configured to close when
the drawer is pulled out.
[0011] It is an option that a security means is provided to prevent
the drawer from being pulled out when the closing means is
open.
[0012] Preferably, the drawer further includes a reservoir for
holding over-filled or leaked liquid fuel.
[0013] It is preferred that the front plate is transparent or
translucent.
[0014] Optionally, an aperture is further provided on the housing
or the front plate for igniting the liquid fuel.
[0015] The fireplace may further comprise a convection chamber, in
which air is drawn from an inlet into the convection chamber to be
heated by a heat exchange from the burner and exits from an
outlet.
[0016] Preferably, the liquid fuel is methanol liquid alcohol,
ethanol liquid alcohol or alcohol gel.
[0017] It will be appreciated that the fireplace unit may be
installed almost anywhere, for example, mounted on a wall, or
placed on a floor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Preferred features will now be described with particular
reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be
understood that the features illustrated in and described with
reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on
the scope of the invention. In the drawings:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fireplace
unit;
[0020] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a drawer of the fireplace unit
of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of
the fireplace;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an internal portion of the
fireplace unit of FIG. 1 with a closing means in an open position;
and
[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an internal portion of the
fireplace unit of FIG. 1 with a closing means in a closed
position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is presented a preferred
embodiment of a fireplace 10 having a housing 20, a front plate 30
and a drawer 40. Housing 20 includes apertures 60, 70 for air flow.
A drawer 40 is configured to contain a burner 80 for easy access to
the burner for refill of the liquid fuel. Burner 80 is in a form of
a container for containing liquid fuel. Burner 80 has an adjusting
means 90 and a handle 100 adapted to control the adjusting means 90
which in turn adjusts the intensity of the flame. Adjusting means
90 is slideable and controlled by the handle 100. When the
adjusting means 90 is closed, the flame will be extinguished.
[0025] The adjusting means 90 may be configured to automatically
cover the burner 80 when the drawer 40 is pulled out. A latch (not
illustrated) may be used to cause the adjusting means 90 to slide
and cover the burner 80 when the drawer 40 is pulled out. A person
skilled in the art would have the knowledge in applying a suitable
mechanism to achieve the purpose.
[0026] Alternatively, regardless of whether the adjusting means 90
is open or closed, a closing means 210 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5
may further be provided to cover the burner 80 and extinguish the
flame when the closing means 210 is closed. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the
internal mechanism of closing means 210 and security means 220 in
relation to burner 80. Closing means 210 may be in the form of a
block, pivotally controlled by a handle (not illustrated) outside
housing 20. When closing means 210 is open as shown in FIG. 4, the
flame is exposed. When closing means 210 is closed as shown in FIG.
5, burner 80 is covered and the flame is extinguished.
[0027] Alternatively, security means 220 may further be provided to
refrain drawer 40 from being pulled out when closing means 210 is
open. The security means may be in the form of a latch configured
to lock drawer 40 when closing means 210 is open and unlock drawer
40 when closing means 210 is closed, in a usual fashion. For
example, FIG. 4 shows that closing means 210 is opened. Security
means 220 is configured to refrain drawer 40 from being pulling out
of the fireplace, by means of end 230 of security means 220
interlocking with part of the fireplace. In FIG. 5, closing means
210 is pivotally placed in a closed position causing security means
220 to rotate which in turn causes end 230 of security means 220 to
lie within the edge of drawer 40 unlocking part of the fireplace
such that drawer 40 can be opened. A person skilled in the art
shall have the knowledge in applying a suitable mechanism to
achieve the purpose.
[0028] The front plate 30 has an aperture 50 through which a
fire-lighter is used to ignite the liquid fuel. Alternatively, the
aperture 50 may be located on the housing 20. A reservoir 120 is
provided within the drawer 40 for holding over-filled or leaked
liquid fuel.
[0029] Turning to FIG. 3, another embodiment of fireplace unit 10
is shown having a convection chamber 150 at the back defining a
pathway 160 for air drawn from an inlet 140 into the convection
chamber 150 to be heated by heat exchange from the flame of burner
80 (as described above) and to exit from an outlet 130. The inlet
140 may be located at the front, bottom, or sides of the housing.
This embodiment of fireplace unit 10 may further include the
features of drawer 40 and the locking and latching mechanism as
described above (not illustrated).
[0030] The embodiments described above relate to preferred
embodiments of the present invention only and are given by way of
illustration. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art
that changes, modifications and variations may be made to the
invention described herein without departing from the spirit and
the scope of the invention.
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