Stoves and furnaces – Fireplaces or accessories – Front barrier or guard
Reexamination Certificate
1996-08-08
2001-10-09
Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3743)
Stoves and furnaces
Fireplaces or accessories
Front barrier or guard
C126S547000, C126S500000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298844
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The herein taught invention generally relates to domestic fireplaces particularly of the wood burning type and a method of, and apparatus for sealing such fireplaces to prevent the loss of conditioned air (heated and/or cooled) from the living quarters through such fireplaces.
It is known that for a fireplace to function properly the fireplace must necessarily be designed to create a naturally inherent draft whereby air is drawn into the fire box, upward through the chimney and expelled into the atmosphere outside the premises. Such draft air is drawn from the room within which the fireplace is situated. Thus the natural draft of the typical domestic fireplace acts as an air pump continually withdrawing conditioned air from the room, and the premises as a whole, wherein the fireplace is located.
Although the typical domestic fireplace may be provided with a chimney damper, which generally acts to close-off the flue and/or chimney, the dampers, by reason of the large dimensional tolerances necessary to permit operation over a wide temperature range causes inherent and significant air leaks when the damper mechanism has cooled to room temperatures.
Thus because of the inherent structure of the typical domestic fireplace damper mechanisms an open path through the fireplace whereby conditioned room air may pass always exists. Therefore, because of the naturally occurring continuous draft created by the fireplace, conditioned room air is continuously withdrawn from the room. Because of the continuous withdraw of conditioned air (heated or cooled) from the premises unnecessary expense is expended to replace the withdrawn conditioned.
The herein disclosed invention provides a simple solution for preventing the naturally occurring loss of conditioned room air, as described above, and employs the fireplace's natural draft in the process.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
I have discovered that by placing a thin sheet of plastic material over the fireplace opening the natural draft of the fireplace immediately draws the sheet of plastic tight against any structure spanning the fireplace opening such as glass doors or the typical fire screen. The pressure of the atmosphere acting against the sheet, forces the thin plastic sheet sealingly into, or up against, any and all openings wherethrough air may be drawn and exit through the chimney.
Although the action of atmospheric pressure against the plastic sheet is, of itself, sufficient to keep the sheet in place without any fastening means I have discovered that any fireplace will, because of outside wind gusts, experience an occasional down draft some of which may be sufficient to dislodge the sheet from the fireplace structure.
To prevent the occasional dislodging of the sheet from the fireplace structure, I have found that by merely securing the two top corners of the sheet to the fireplace structure the sheet will be retained in place until the upward draft reestablishes itself and the sheet will be drawn tight against the fireplace structure once again.
A simple “toothpick” like device or a piece of double adhesive tape has been found sufficient to retain the sheet in place during the occasional down draft. Also since the frame structure surrounding the fireplace opening within the room is typically made of ferrous metal a small magnet will also suffice to retain the plastic sheet in place during the occasional down draft.
If the sealing sheet were made of a heat resistant material, such as TEFLON or aluminum foil, the sheet may also be used to snuff out a fire in the fire box by starving the fire of the oxygen necessary to maintain combustion. Thus a simple and efficient means is provided to snuff out a fire prior to going to bed at night and/or otherwise leaving the premises.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1830364 (1931-11-01), Knudson
patent: 3789825 (1974-02-01), Reiner
patent: 3888232 (1975-06-01), Le Brun
patent: 4072140 (1978-02-01), Gallagher
patent: 4160442 (1979-07-01), Fox et al.
Lazarus Ira S.
Skinkiss Ralph J.
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