WO2010046647A2

WO2010046647A2 - Flame simulating assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2010046647A2
Application number: PCT/GB2009/002517
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul C. Baird
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-10-22
Filing date: 2009-10-22
Publication date: 2010-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 2011-04-22
Also published as: WO2010046647A3; GB0819434D0

Abstract

This invention relates to flame simulating assemblies, and in particular to a flame simulating assembly designed to simulate coal or wood burning domestic fires. The invention provides a flame simulating assembly comprising a light source, a simulated ember bed located between a rear mirror having a reflective surface and a front window having a partially reflective surface, the reflective and partially reflective surfaces forming an interior space therebetween, the partially reflective surface allowing a portion of the reflected light to pass therethrough so as to escape the interior space, and reflecting a portion of the light back into the interior space, wherein the simulated ember bed is carried on a transparent base so as to prevent an image of the base being reflected within the interior space.

Description

FLAME SIMULATING ASSEMBLY

This invention relates to flame simulating assemblies, and in particular to a flame simulating assembly designed to simulate coal or wood burning domestic fires.

Flame simulating assemblies which simulate the appearance of burning fuel, often wood or coal, are well known in the art. These devices may be used on their own to give the visual appearance of a natural fire, or may be used in combination with a heat source, such as gas or electricity, to give the fire the appearance of a more traditional fuel burning fire.

Such flame simulating assemblies commonly include simulated embers which dissipate light to give the appearance that they are glowing, and often include a rear screen which either reflects light projected onto its front surface, or transmits light reflected onto its back surface.

An appearance of "dancing" light, as generated by the flames in a real fire, is also simulated by using a moving reflective element which reflects light off a number of different moving surfaces. This light is then projected onto the simulated embers and/or the screen.

However, the prior art devices, although going some way to simulating a real fire, have a tendency to lack the depth that would be experienced with a real fuel burning fire. The reason for this is that although the simulated embers have a physical depth, there is little or no depth to the "dancing" light which projects onto or transmits through the rear screen. This problem limits the effectiveness of the fire in convincingly replicating the coal or wood burning fire effect.

It is known to provide a flame simulating assembly which has a simulated ember bed located between a rear, reflective screen and a front, partially reflective screen. This means that a portion of the light emanating from the embers is reflected back into the interior space. This twin-mirror design generates an impression of depth to the simulated flames which improves the similarity to a conventional fire. The partial reflection of the light back in to the interior space causes an illusion of depth as the light bounces between the reflective and partially reflective surfaces. However, whilst the image of the ember bed is projected to give the impression of depth, so is the image of the base on which the ember bed sits. Likewise the image of the bracketry required to attach the ember bed base to the side walls and the front and rear screens is also reflected. This breaks the illusion of fire depth since the internal reflection is broken by the repeated reflection of the ember bed base and brackets.

It is an object of the invention to at least mitigate some of the above problems.

According to the invention there is provided a flame simulating assembly comprising: a light source, a simulated ember bed located between a rear mirror having a reflective surface and a front window having a partially reflective surface, the reflective and partially reflective surfaces forming an interior space therebetween, the partially reflective surface allowing a portion of the reflected light to pass therethrough so as to escape the interior space, and reflecting a portion of the light back into the interior space, wherein the simulated ember bed is carried on a transparent base so as to prevent an image of the base being reflected within the interior space.

Advantageously, this allows the ember bed to be supported within the interior space without the image of the base being repeatedly reflected within the interior space. Thus, the image of the burning embers appears to have a depth which is unbroken by the unwanted repeated image of the ember base.

Preferably the ember bed is supported only at its sides adjacent the sides of the assembly.

Advantageously, this feature of the invention removes the unsightly reflection of brackets used to attach the base to the front or rear screens. Such reflections would shatter the illusion of depth created by the assembly as the bracketry would be reflected between the reflective surfaces thereby detracting from the visual effect of the flame simulation. The viewer would see the repeated image of the bracket in the perceived ember bed. Preferably the ember bed base is supported by brackets attached to flame assembly side walls.

Preferably the brackets are transparent.

Preferably the ember bed base is formed from toughened glass.

Preferably the assembly includes a flicker element arranged to reflect light from the light source into the interior space.

The invention will now be described with reference to titie following figures in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a fire including the flame simulating assembly of the current invention;

Figure 2 is a sectioned end view of the flame simulating assembly of Figure 1 sectioned along the line H-H in Figure 1;

Referring to Figure 1 a flame simulating assembly in the form of a fire is indicated generally at 10. The fire 10 has an upper section indicated generally at 12, a middle section indicated at 14 and a lower section indicated at 16, the purposes of which will be explained in further detail shortly.

The fire 10 has a housing 18 which encompasses each of the upper, middle and lower sections 12, 14, 16. The housing 18 has a partially reflective window 20 arranged therein which allows an interior space in the form of a cavity 15 in the middle section 14 of the fire 10 to be viewed externally to the fire. The middle section 14 includes an ember bed indicated generally at 22 which supports a number of embers 24 positioned in the cavity 15. The ember bed 22 has a transparent base 23 formed from reinforced glass or other suitably strong transparent material. The transparent base is supported by L-shaped brackets 132 shown in only Figure 2. The brackets 132 are fixed to the sides of the ember bed base 23 so that the extent of their reflection by the front and rear reflective surfaces is minimised. The brackets 132 are attached by screws, rivets, bonding or other known fixing method. The brackets are similarly attached to the sides of the housing 18. Additionally the brackets 132 are transparent so that the any image of the brackets that is reflected by the reflective surfaces is further minimized. Arranged behind the embers 24 is a reflective mirror 26 the purpose of which will be described in further detail shortly.

The window 20 is constructed so as to act as a two way mirror, that is to say that light is permitted to pass through the window from the exterior of the fire into the cavity 15, but light reflected off the rear mirror 26 back towards the front window 20 is reflected, all be it not entirely, back into the central section 14. Clearly a portion of that reflected light passes through the window 20 to the exterior of the fire to allow the viewer to see the light effect generated within the central section 14.

The cavity 15 also houses two curved screens 17 which provide further surface onto which the light is projected, thereby enhancing the simulated flame effect.

Beneath the ember bed 22, in the lower section 16 of the fire 10 is a light source in the form of first and second lamps 28, and a flicker source in the form of rotating spindle 30. The lower section 16 of the fire 10 is accessed by way of a door 32 which pivots downwardly to provide access to the lamps 28 and the spindle 30.

The spindle 30 defines a series of radially extending metallic or imitation metallic elements which reflect light from the lamps 28 in a random manner when rotated. Accordingly, the light reflected from the spindle flickers in a manner similar to the light generated by a conventional fire.

Arranged within the upper portion 12 of the fire 10 is a heating element (not shown for clarity) which provides a heat source. The heat from the heat source passes by convection through a grill 34 arranged in the front of the upper section 12. A controller 36 is also provided to control the heat output of the electric element.

Turning now to Figure 2, and referring initially to the lower section 16 of the fire 10, it can be seen mat the lamps 28 and the spindle 30 are arranged beneath the ember bed 22 so as to permit light to pass through the ember bed 22 to cause the embers 24 to glow.

In use, light from the lamps 28 is reflected by the rotating spindle 30 to generate a flicker effect which passes through the ember bed 22 to cause the embers 24 to glow. Some of the reflected light passes between the embers 24 and into the cavity 15 in the central section 14. This light is then reflected between the rear mirror 26 and the partially reflective front window 20 to give the impression of the flickering light receding to infinity. This effect provides the simulated flames with a feeling of depth in the eyes of the viewer.

The ember bed base 23 and brackets 132 however create no reflected image by virtue of their transparency. In this way the impression of depth created is far more effective than the case in the prior art where the image of the base and the brackets supporting the case would be repeated in the reflected image.

Claims

1. A flame simulating assembly comprising: a light source, a simulated ember bed located between a rear mirror having a reflective surface and a front window having a partially reflective surface, the reflective and partially reflective surfaces forming an interior space therebetween, the partially reflective surface allowing a portion of the reflected light to pass therethrough so as to escape the interior space, and reflecting a portion of the light back into the interior space, wherein the simulated ember bed is carried on a transparent base so as to prevent an image of the base being reflected within the interior space.

2. The flame simulating assembly of claim 1 wherein the ember bed base is supported solely at its sides adjacent the sides of the assembly.

3. The flame simulating assembly of claim 2 wherein the ember bed base is supported by brackets attached to flame assembly side walls.

4. The flame simulating assembly of claim 3 wherein the brackets are transparent.

5. The flame simulating assembly of any preceding claim wherein the ember bed base is formed from toughened glass.

6. The flame simulating assembly of any preceding claim wherein the assembly includes a flicker element arranged to reflect light from the light source into the interior space.