GB2377989A

GB2377989A - Decorative Fire

Info

Publication number: GB2377989A
Application number: GB0114215A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John STONE
Original assignee: LEGEND GAS FIRES Ltd
Current assignee: LEGEND GAS FIRES Ltd
Priority date: 2001-06-09
Filing date: 2001-06-09
Publication date: 2003-01-29
Also published as: GB0114215D0

Abstract

A decorative fire 10 has an artificial fuel bed 40 illuminated either from within or from a source adjacent to the fuel bed. The fuel bed is supported on a tray 20 and is formed from discrete glass pieces 40<SB>i</SB> which are preferably significantly smaller than the fuel bed. The glass pieces may be transparent, comprising irregular shapes and sizes, being angular or rounded, they are preferably heaped into a plurality of layers producing numerous interstitial paths through the bed. The fire 10 may be fuelled by gas delivered to a burner box 24, one wall of which comprises a perforated burner tray 32 upon which part of the fuel bed is supported. Gas may be burned above the tray with little or no aeration, at such pressure that flames 36 extend through the fuel bed 40 and preferably within the range 300{C-350{C. The burner tray 32 may have a two dimensional array of apertures provided by a gas diffusing matting which is preferably schottglas glass matting. Alternatively the illumination may be provided by electricity.

Description

Decorative Fire This invention relates to room fires and in particular to so-called decorative fires wherein an artificial fuel bed is caused to be illuminated by combustion of a different fuel in order to emit a glow or flame effect associated with a fire ostensibly powered by a genuine fuel bed.

Such fires are known, principally for domestic use, in which an artificial fuel bed is formed by moulded and decorated'coals'or'logs'of a ceramic or other high temperature tolerant material and disposed in the path of a burning gas jet such that the flames of gas combustion percolate pass through the artificial fuel bed, either as a heat producing gas-air mixture with low visibility flames that heat the artificial fuel elements to such high temperature that they glow or as pure, unaerated gas which bums with a highly visible orange flame but minimal heat, or a combination of both. Such gas fuelled fires may have the fuel bed open to the ambient atmosphere or sealed therefrom by a transparent panel, depending upon the type of exhaust flue used for the combustion products.

An analogous type of fire exists which is electrically fuelled, wherein a resistance heating element is accompanied by one or more electrically powered light sources which illuminate a partially transmissive artificial fuel bed with light caused to flicker by electrical or mechanical shuttering means.

It is also known to combine the effects of a fire producing heat from one fuel source and decorative/display illumination from another.

Notwithstanding the above, it is intended that such fires be a source of heating for the room and, particularly in the case of gas fuelled fires, the combustion of fuel, is optimised for efficiency of heat production and completeness of combustion, with decorative effects of an artificial fuel bed becoming a secondary consideration; that is, such decorative fuel bed has to be provided positionally and materially to accommodate the efficient combustion of the principal fuel to meet its objectives as a source of room heating.

However, the visual focal point created by such a decorative fire within the decor of a room is important even when there is no requirement for room heating to be provided thereby, and although the decorative elements of known fires have been employed alone, in many

instances the visual effect per se is disappointing when promoted from its subordination to heat production.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a decorative room fire having an artificial fuel bed of novel, visually distinctive form that is both more simple and economic to manufacture than known arrangements. It is also an object of this invention to provide a method of producing a cost effective, versatile, decorative fire of such visually distinctive form.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a decorative room fire comprises a tray, an artificial fuel bed and a source of illumination disposed adjacent or within the artificial fuel bed, and wherein the artificial fuel bed is formed from discrete glass pieces.

Preferably the glass pieces are dimensioned less than the thickness of the artificial fuel bed and the thickness of such bed comprises a plurality of layers of such pieces. Glass pieces having dimension of in the range 0.5 to 2.0 cms. are convenient.

In one preferred embodiment the glass pieces are irregular in shape and dimension, conveniently including some sharp edges and flat facets, but may altematively be of more rounded, pebble form or geometrically precise. All or some of the glass pieces may be transparent to enhance the visual effects by reflection and refraction.

The room fire may be a gas fuelled fire in which the illumination is provided by combustion flames of natural or liquid petroleum gas, with little or no aeration to both keep the flame temperature relatively low and maximise flame colour density. Visible flames produced by gas combustion percolate through interstices between the glass pieces and for maximum effort may be caused to extend also above the surface of the artificial fuel bed defined by the pieces.

To prevent a gas flame from softening the glass material it is preferred to use of pieces of, toughened glass and a flame temperature below 600 C, preferably in the range 3000C to 3500C is effective.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of gas fuelled fire, the combustion-derived illumination is produced by a gas collecting chamber or burner box, one wall of which is perforated to define a burner tray to permit gas issuing therefrom to be ignited. Advantageously, to

accommodate relatively small pieces of artificial fuel adjacent the burner tray, the burner tray has a two dimensional array of apertures provided by a gas diffusing matting. A suitable material is schottglas glass matting which has high temperature tolerance to withstand adjacent combustion. Preferably, such burner box is disposed below, and forms part of, the trat supporting the artificial fuel, and a burner tray of such schottglas matting can be provided with the strength to support the overlying glass pieces of artificial fuel.

The use of discrete glass pieces to form an artificial fuel bed is not confined to gas fuelled fires where illumination is provided by combustion of a gaseous fuel. Accordingly, the decorative fire may be electrically fuelled by way of electrically powered optical illumination sources adjacent or within the glass pieces of the artificial fuel bed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention a method of providing flame or like optical effects in a room fire comprises defining upon a tray a mass of discrete glass pieces that define an artificial fire bed and providing illumination of the pieces within the be by a source of illumination adjacent or within the artificial fuel bed.

Preferably, the method comprises using an artificial fuel bed of that comprises a plurality of layers of the glass pieces and a plurality of randomly dispersed interstitial paths.

The method may comprise illuminating the glass pieces of the artificial fuel bed by burning a gaseous fuel below and/or within the interstices of the artificial fuel bed to create visible flames and optical effects by reflection and/or refraction of flame light by the glass pieces. The gas may be supplied for combustion diffused over an area that provides a plurality of flames spaced throughout the fuel bed. The gas may be burned with or without aeration provided that the flame temperature is below that at which the glass softens, preferably between 6000C and more preferably in the range 3000C to 350 C.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation through a gas fuelled decorative fire in accordance with the present invention, illustrating burner parts and artificial fuel bed of glass pieces, and Figure 2 is a plan view along the direction 2-2 of Figure 1 showing, in the lower and upper

regions of the Figure respectively, the appearance of the artificial fuel bed and burner.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 a domestic gas fire 10 is dimensioned to fit within a conventional fire place opening (not shown), the fire comprising an enclosure space 12 defined by closed, generally reflective back and side walls 13,14 and 15 respectively, partially open front wall 16, base 17 and a roof 18 in which is formed a flue aperture 19.

Spaced from the base and below the flue aperture is a tray 20 including suspended therefrom a burner 22. The burner comprises a burner box 24 in which is defined a plenum or mixing chamber 25 to which gas is supplied by way of a restricted injector 26 from flow and/or pressure control valve 28. The upper wall 30 of the chamber forms part of the tray 20 and is apertured to permit gas fuel to escape and be burned above it, forming a burner tray as it will be referred to hereinafter. The burner tray is defined by a porous mat 32 of glass material, such as a woven or non-woven fabric or mesh, that effects a diffused burner jet, conveniently a mat of the material known as schottglas. Preferably, but not essentially, an igniting device 34, such as a pilot jet, with or without thermocouple control, or an electrical spark or glow igniter, and associated with the control valve 28, is disposed above the mat 32 for the purpose of igniting gas escaping from the chamber 28.

The tray 20 is conveniently formed at two levels 201 and 202 separated by a riser 203 that conveniently supports the ignition device above the barrier.

Gas is supplied to the burner chamber 28 and relatively low pressure and without mixing with air, such that gas ignited above the burner jet bums with a highly visible flame, a rather spread of flames, indicated at 36. Most importantly in respect of the present invention, the flames 36 bum at relatively low temperature, less than 600 C and preferable between 300 C or 350 OC, notwithstanding that the fire is therefor an inefficient heat producer. Insofar as the combustion is open to the room by way of wall 16, oxygen or other gas sensing means 38 may be provided to ensure that the combustion is complete.

Above the tray 20, including the burner tray 32, is disposed a bed 40 of artificial fuel material in the form of irregular pieces 40, of glass having a relatively high melting point, in this case tempered glass which meets the specification of'toughened'. The discrete pieces of glass are heaped and/or spread across the whole of the tray 20 (and burner tray 32), individual pieces being dimensioned significantly less than the dimensions of the tray 20 and thickness of the

fuel bed, that is, the thickness comprises several layers of pieces, whilst creating in the interstices between them plural and random paths for the generally upward flow of combustion products, most particularly the visible flames.

Thus, in operation flames created at the burner tray 30 pass through the artificial fuel bed following multiple, random and varying paths. The upper parts of at least some of the flames extend above the fuel bed to create the impression of burning fuel, notwithstanding that it is glass, but it will be appreciated that the visible flames passing through the artificial fuel bed are reflected and/or refracted by the component glass pieces 40, giving the effect of both flames and an internal glow.

The glass pieces 40, may be of clear glass or tinted with a desired colour, even possibly to the point of reflective opacity, or may be a mixture of both. Conveniently, the glass pieces may be provided as fragments resulting from breaking a sheet of toughened glass, and possibly grinding. Also, whilst the use of irregular pieces provides a pleasing random effect, the pieces may comprise'pebbles'having rounded edges.

It is possible to have a wide variety of dimensions, and accordingly shapes, of pieces within any particular fuel bed, but preferably the pieces are approximately the same in all dimensions and in the range 0.5 to 2.0 cms.

It will be appreciated that insofar as the artificial fuel bed comprise discrete glass pieces, and glass is a strong material in comparison with fragile moulded ceramic pieces hitherto used the fuel bed may be disturbed and the pieces re-distributed at will to vary the appearance and optical effects created.

It will also be appreciated that the incoming gas may be aerated to some extent that provides more efficient combustion, being manifested by the generation of flames of a high temperature having lesser luminosity and tending to the blue part of the spectrum; this may give a desired visual effect provided the glass pieces of the artificial fuel bed do not reach a temperature at which they begin to soften and fuse, such effect being both undesirable in terms of inhibiting passage of the flames and rearrangement of glass bed pieces.

Other variations are possible in accordance with techniques employed for gas fires. For instance the burner may have a burner tray formed other than by a diffusing and pervious mat

of glass or like material ; it may be formed by an analogous metal plate forming a two dimensional, or possibly one-dimensional, array of perforations.

Similarly, although the fire is shown as an'open'fire, the front wall 16 may be closed by a transparent plate or doorwhich does not impede the visual effect of the combustion and glass artificial fuel bed.

Although the decorative gas fire described above has been in the form of a conventional hearth-mounted, front viewed design, a corresponding fire could be produced from which all of the side walls are absent. If, furthermore, it is possible for flue 19 to be omitted, the decorative fire may take on a torch-like appearance.

Furthermore, although the burner tray is conveniently disposed below the artificial fuel bad, it will be appreciated that it may be disposed alongside the bed, for example, in the lower part of back wall 13 and/or the side walls so that the flames of combustion extend forwardly and upwardly through the glass pieces.

The above described embodiments have related to a decorative gas fuelled fire having visible, luminous flames percolating the glass pieces of the artificial fuel bed and producing decorative optical effects therefrom. It will, however, be appreciated that such an artificial fuel bed of glass pieces may be employed with other sources of illumination.

For example one or more electrical light sources, such as incandescent bulbs, semiconductor or gas discharge devices, and particularly those able to produce a flicker effect, may direct light into the artificial fuel bed from below or the side thereof, or even be distributed within it, and create optical effects by reflection and/or refraction. The use of discrete, relatively small pieces of glass, rather than artificial coal-like elements used hitherto, permits such artificial fuel bed to be rearranged to vary the optical effects produced.

It will be appreciated that the decorative fire per se is described may be associated with less visually apparent means of producing heat, within the constraints, of not excessively heating the glass of the artificial fuel bed.

Claims

Claims.

1. A decorative room fire comprising a tray, an artificial fuel bed supported on the tray and a source of illumination disposed adjacent or within the artificial fuel bed, wherein the artificial fuel bed is formed from discrete glass pieces.

2. A decorative room fire as claimed in claim 1 in which the glass pieces are dimensioned less than the thickness of the artificial fuel bed and the bed comprises a plurality of layers of said pieces.

3. A decorative room fire as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the glass pieces have dimensions in the range 0.5 to 2.0 cms across.

4. A decorative room fire as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the glass pieces are irregular in shape and dimensions.

5. A decorative room fire as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which at least some of the glass pieces include sharp edges and flat facets.

6. A decorative room fire as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 in which at least some of the glass pieces have a rounded, pebble form.

7. A decorative room fire as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which at least some of the glass pieces are transparent.

8. A decorative room fire as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which fire is fuelled by natural or liquid petroleum gas and in which the illumination is provided by combustion flames of the fuel.

9. A decorative room fire as claimed in claim 8 in which the glass pieces are of toughened glass and the gas fuel is arrange to burn with a flame temperature below 6000 C.

10. A decorative room fire as claimed in claim 9 in which the gas fuel is arranged to burn with a combustion temperature in the range 3000C to 350 C.

11. A decorative room fire as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 in which the gas fuel is arranged to be burned at such pressure that visible flames produced by gas combustion percolate through interstices between the glass pieces and extend also above the surface of the artificial fuel bed defined by the pieces.

12. A decorative room fire as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11 arranged to burn the gas fuel with little or no aeration.

13. A decorative room fire as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12 including a gas collecting chamber or burner box, one wall of which is perforated to define a burner tray to permit gas issuing therefrom to be ignited to provide the combustion-derived illumination.

14. A decorative room fire as claimed in claim 13 in which the burner tray has a two dimensional array of apertures provided by a gas diffusing matting.

15. A decorative room fire as claimed in claim 14 in which the gas diffusing matting is schottglas glass matting.

16. A decorative room fire as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 in which the burner box is disposed below, and forms part of, the tray supporting the artificial fuel.

17. A decorative room fire as claimed in any one on claims 1 to 8 in which the decorative fire is fuelled by way of at least one electrically powered optical illumination source adjacent or within the glass pieces of the artificial fuel bed.

18. A decorative room fire substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A Method of providing flame or like optical effects in a decorative room fire comprising supporting upon a tray a mass of discrete glass pieces that define an artificial fire bed and illuminating pieces within the bed by a source of illumination adjacent or within the artificial fuel bed.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 comprising defining said artificial fuel bed as a plurality of layers of the glass pieces and having a plurality of randomly dispersed interstitial paths.

21. A method as claimed in claim 19 or claim 20 comprising defining the artificial fuel bed of at least some randomly shaped and randomly dimensioned glass pieces.

22. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21 comprising illuminating the glass pieces of the artificial fuel bed by burning a gaseous fuel adjacent and/or within the interstitial paths of the artificial fuel bed to create visible flames and optical effects by reflection and/or refraction of flame light by the glass pieces.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22 comprising diffusing the gaseous fuel over an area that provides a plurality of flames spaced throughout the fuel bed.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23 comprising forming as part of the supporting tray for the artificial fuel bed a perforated combustion tray below the pieces and burning the gaseous fuel to form flames emanating from the combustion tray and extending through the artificial fuel bed.

25. A method as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 24 comprising burning the gas at a temperature below 6000C.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25 comprising burning the gas at a flame temperature in the range 3000C to 350 C.

27. A method as claimed in claim 25 or claim 26 comprising defining the artificial fuel bed of pieces of tempered, toughened glass.

28. A method as claimed in any one of claim 22 to 27 comprising burning the gas without aeration.

29. A method of providing flame or like optical effects in a decorative room fire substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.