Stoves and furnaces – Fireplaces or accessories – Fluid fuel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-12
2001-10-02
Clarke, Sara (Department: 3743)
Stoves and furnaces
Fireplaces or accessories
Fluid fuel
C126S515000, C126S08500R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295981
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fireplaces and, in particular, to direct vent gas fireplaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gas fireplaces of conventional design typically utilize a source of combustion air from the room being heated. This lowers the efficiency of the gas fireplace because a portion of the heated air in the room is drawn into the combustion chamber and exhausted up the chimney. It is known to provide separate ducting from the outside ambient environment to the combustion chamber to increase the efficiency of the fireplace. The ducted air provides a source of oxygen for combustion in the combustion chamber and decreases the amount of air from the room being heated which is exhausted up the chimney. Such ducting, however, requires additional materials and labor to install.
It is also known in the art to utilize concentric flue pipes to exhaust combustion products to the outside environment and supply combustion air from the outside environment. Such fireplaces are termed “direct vent” fireplaces and are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,793,322 (Shimek I) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,227 (Rieger). A direct vent fireplace has the advantage of utilizing a common concentric flue pipe assembly to both exhaust combustion products from and supply combustion air to the combustion chamber. Moreover, only a single opening need be cut through an exterior wall of a house to accommodate the concentric flue pipe assembly.
In general, a direct vent fireplace has a first pipe with a diameter larger than and disposed concentrically around a second pipe. The duct formed by the second pipe is used to convey exhaust products from the combustion chamber to the outside environment. The annular space formed between the first and second pipes defines a fresh air conduit through which combustion air flows from the outside ambient environment into the combustion chamber.
A problem with direct vent gas fireplaces is that the concentric flue pipe assembly cannot be easily vented in both a horizontal or vertical direction. Shimek I and Rieger disclose direct vent fireplaces which respectively connect the concentric flue to the rear wall and top wall of the fireplace. A concentric flue attached to the rear wall of the fireplace may be easily extended through an adjacent sidewall of the house. However, if it is desirable to exhaust the concentric flue in a vertical direction, the fireplace must be moved forward a sufficient distance to allow coupling of a right angle concentric pipe elbow. Thus, additional floor space is required to accommodate the projected footprint of the fireplace and concentric flue pipe assembly.
A concentric flue pipe assembly attached to the top of a direct vent fireplace has a similar problem when it is desired to vent the concentric flue in a horizontal direction (see, e.g., Rieger at Col. 1, lines 23-32). That is, the fireplace must be moved forward a sufficient distance to allow coupling of a right angle concentric pipe elbow.
Because of two possible installation configurations, i.e., vertical or horizontal venting of the concentric flue pipe assembly, it is necessary with conventional direct vent fireplace to provide two totally different configurations. That is, for relatively close placement of the fireplace adjacent the outside wall of the house, it is necessary to provide one configuration allowing attachment of the concentric flue pipe assembly to the back of the fireplace for horizontal venting, and a second configuration allowing attachment of the concentric flue pipe assembly to the top of the fireplace for vertical venting. The necessity to provide two different configurations increases inventory requirements at the factory. Reference can be made, for instance, to U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,086 (Shimek II) regarding the same. Shimek II is directed to a single fireplace construction that could be used in both a vertical venting configuration (i.e., relatively straight upwardly from the fireplace) or a horizontal venting configuration (i.e., relatively straight out from the back of the fireplace).
Moreover, such fireplaces should be equipped with a mechanism or process that enables one type of venting (e.g., vertical), while preventing the other type of venting (e.g., horizontal). This would allow any exhaust matter to escape the fireplace via the selected venting type, while preventing the same from escaping via the non-selected type.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a fireplace that overcomes the above disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a direct vent gas fireplace which can be adapted for either a vertical or horizontal venting configuration by simply attaching a separate vent pipe assembly to one or the other of two ports in the fireplace. The vent pipe assembly further serves to close the unselected port. This has the advantage, for instance, of allowing an installer to choose which type of venting configuration is needed on site.
In one embodiment thereof, a fireplace adapted for attachment to a flue pipe assembly including an exhaust pipe and a surrounding fresh air pipe is provided. The fireplace comprises an interior housing. The interior housing forms a combustion chamber. The fireplace also comprises a top wall, a rear wall and sidewalls. These walls define an exterior housing about the combustion chamber. A combustion air flowpath is defined with the housing through which air for combustion is brought from outside the housing into the combustion chamber. The fireplace also comprises a top port formed in the top wall and a rear port formed in the rear wall. Each of the top and rear ports include one portion communicating with the combustion chamber and another portion communicating with the combustion air flowpath. Finally, the fireplace comprises a vent pipe assembly. The vent pipe assembly includes an inlet air pipe member and an outlet air pipe member. The outlet air pipe member is connectable with a selected port at the portion communicating with the combustion chamber. The inlet air pipe member is connectable with a selected port at the portion communicating with the combustion air flowpath. The inlet air pipe member further includes a plate portion which overlies and closes an unselected port. The vent pipe assembly is non-integral with the housing and is movable between the top port and the rear port.
An advantage of the present invention is that the fireplace may be easily vented in either a horizontal or vertical direction.
A further advantage is that the fireplace may be selectively vented in either a horizontal or vertical direction utilizing the same fireplace components.
A further advantage is that the fireplace will allow venting in the selected direction, while at the same time prevent venting in the non-selected direction.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 5603312
Beal Thomas J.
Catenazzo Michael G.
Baniak Pine & Gannon
CFM Majestic Inc.
Clarke Sara
LandOfFree
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