ARTIFICIAL LOG SET ASSEMBLY
An artificial log set assembly including a burner and an electric ember bed for creating a more realistic simulated wood fire experience. The burner may be a yellow flame burner, a blue flame burner or an infrared burner, and may be configured for installation in a vented or unvented hearth product. The artificial log set assembly may include a common controlling device for remote control of various components of the artificial log set assembly, including, for example, the control valve assembly for controlling the on or off function of the burner flame and the ignition device for sting the pilot flame. In another aspect of the disclosure, an artificial log set assembly may include an electric artificial log set and a burner for creating a glowing ember bed.
1. Field
The disclosure relates to the field of hearth products, and, in particular, to an artificial log set assembly with a burner and an electric light source.
2. Background
Electric and gas hearth products are commonly used to simulate the look and feel of a wood-burning fire without the difficulties and maintenance typically associated with burning solid fuels. The hearth products industry continuously strives to improve the realistic appearance and function of these products.
Electric hearth products generally employ light to simulate glowing ember beds and/or logs with flames. This can be accomplished by transmitting light through a glass or composite substrate. The substrate may comprise painted patterns, colored glass, etched patterns, or other devices, and in combination with various light sources, create the simulated appearance of flickering flames or glowing embers. Other versions of an electric hearth product include an artificial log shell and/or ember bed with an embedded light source for simulating a glowing fire.
Gas hearth products serve the same purpose as electric hearth products in that they simulate the wood fire experience, but gas hearth products include the attendant generation of heat that comes from the combustion of fuel. Gas hearth products generally comprise at least one burner unit that is situated among a number of artificial logs. The burner unit is connected to a gas supply line for providing fuel typically natural gas or propane, to the gas log set. The gas log set may include a pan burner for providing heat energy and/or flames to artificial embers that, in turn, glow and provide the effect of a simulated ember bed.
A challenge exists to design hearth products combining the best features of electric and gas hearth products in an artificial log set assembly in order to create a more realistic wood-burning fire experience.
SUMMARYIn one aspect of the disclosure, an artificial log set assembly may include a burner, an electric ember bed, and at least one artificial log arranged with the burner and the electric ember bed.
In another at of the disclosure, an artificial log set assembly may include an ember bed including a burner and an electric artificial log set arranged with the ember bed, wherein the electric artificial log set is configured to emulate a fire.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a hearth product may include a hearth, a burner, an electric ember bed, and at least one artificial log arranged with the burner and the electric ember bed.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a hearth product may include a hearth, an ember bed including a burner, and an electric artificial log set arranged with the ember bed, wherein the electric artificial log set is configured to emulate a fire.
It is understood that other aspects of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only various aspects of the invention by way of illustration. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different configurations and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
Various aspects of the present invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the present invention.
In the following detailed description, various concepts will be described in the context of an artificial log set assembly for installation in a gas fireplace that simulates the look and feel of a wood burning fire. While these concepts are well suited for this application, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the artificial log set assembly may also be used with other hearth products, including by way of example, and without limitation, stoves, heaters, furnaces, outdoor fire products, water heating products, barbeque and grilling products, and the like. Moreover, these concepts may be extended to other artificial log set assemblies that simulate a fire burning on a hearth. A hear, as referred to herein, is the floor surface of any area suitable for a fire, either real or simulated. A hearth is typically made of brick or stone, but a hearth may be comprised of any material suitable for supporting a fire, including cast iron or concrete, for example. Accordingly, any reference to an artificial log set assembly for installation in a gas fireplace is intended only to illustrate these concepts, with the understanding that such concepts have a wide range of applications.
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An unvented burner may be used in a vented or unvented hearth product. If used in a vented fireplace, for example, a user may get the full benefit of the heat produced by the unvented burner by closing the damper or having a fireplace insert installed. The unvented burner may be a yellow flame, blue flame, or infrared burner, or any combination thereof.
The vented burner may only be used in a vented hearth product. Vented fireplaces, for example, may be direct vent or b-vent, also known as natural vent. The vented burner may be a yellow flame, blue flame, infrared, or sand pan burner, or any combination thereof.
The artificial log set assembly 1 may include multiple burners to provide for a variety of configurations in log dimensions, British Thermal Unit (BTU) generation, and general appearance. The burner(s) may be of a variety of shapes and dimensions. For example,
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The light source 84 may be a light-emitting diode (LED), an incandescent bulb, or any other light emitting device, and may be situated as a strip of connected lights, multiple individual lights, a single light, or a combination of one or more of these sources, for example. The light source 84 may be positioned beneath, behind, adjacent to or interior to the translucent shell 82, including connected to the front portion of the chassis 20 or joined by brackets or other connecting means to the interior of the translucent shell 82. The light source 84 may be connected electrically to a low voltage (0 to 24 volts) power supply, such as a battery, or a high voltage (110 to 240 volts) power supply, such as that provided in a typical home.
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The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”
The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow. That scope is intended to be as broad as reasonably consistent with the language that is used in the claims and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents.
Claims
1. An artificial log set assembly, comprising:
- a burner;
- an electric ember bed; and
- at least one artificial log arranged with the burner and the electric ember bed.
2. The log set assembly of claim 1, wherein the burner is configured to be installed in an unvented hearth product.
3. The log set assembly of claim 2, wherein the burner comprises a yellow flame burner, a blue flame burner or an infrared burner.
4. The log set assembly of claim 1, wherein the burner is configured to be installed in a vented hearth product.
5. The log set assembly of claim 4, wherein the burner comprises a yellow flame burner, a blue flame burner, an infrared burner, or a pan burner.
6. The log set assembly of claim 1, further comprising a control valve assembly coupled to the burner for controlling the flow of fuel to the burner.
7. The log set assembly of claim 6, further comprising a burner regulator interposed between the control valve assembly and the burner and configured to deliver fuel to the burner.
8. The log set assembly of claim 6, further comprising an oxygen depletion sensor configured to shut off the burner when the oxygen level in the surrounding environment drops below a level.
9. The log set assembly of claim 6, further comprising a thermostat coupled to the control valve assembly.
10. The log set assembly of claim 6, further comprising a pilot assembly coupled to the control valve assembly and configured to light the burner.
11. The log set assembly of claim 10, further comprising an ignition device configured to light a pilot flame.
12. The log set assembly of claim 11, further comprising a receiver unit coupled with, and configured to control, the ignition device and the control valve assembly.
13. The log set assembly of claim 12, further comprising a common controlling device, wherein the receiver unit is configured to receive an electronic signal from the common controlling device for lighting the pilot flame or controlling the burner flame.
14. The log set assembly of claim 1, further comprising a chassis configured to support the burner.
15. The log set assembly of claim 1, wherein the electric ember bed comprises a translucent shell and an electric light source configured to illuminate the translucent shell.
16. The log set assembly of claim 15, wherein the electric light source is positioned beneath, behind, adjacent, or interior to the translucent shell.
17. The log set assembly of claim 15, wherein the translucent shell comprises material consisting of fiberglass, plastic, resin or glass.
18. The log set assembly of claim 15, wherein the translucent shell is positioned below and to the front of the burner.
19. The log set assembly of claim 15, further comprising reflective material, wherein the electric light source indirectly illuminates the translucent shell by reflecting light off the reflective material.
20. The log set assembly of claim 15, wherein the electric light source is configured to be operated by a voltage in the range of 0-24 volts.
21. The log set assembly of claim 15, wherein the electric light source is configured to be operated by a voltage in the range of 110-240 volts.
22. The log set assembly of claim 15, wherein the electric light source comprises a lightemitting diode (LED).
23. The log set assembly of claim 15, further comprising an electronic device controller configured to control the intensity and on/off pattern of the electric light source.
24. The log set assembly of claim 23, wherein the electric light source comprises a plurality of LEDs.
25. The log set assembly of claim 24, further comprising a receiver unit coupled with, and configured to control, the electronic device controller.
26. The log set assembly of claim 25, further comprising a common controlling device, wherein the receiver unit is configured to receive an electronic signal from the common controlling device for controlling the intensity and on/off pattern of the electric light source.
27. The log set assembly of claim 1, further comprising an artificial grate.
28. The log set assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one artificial log comprises notches configured for predetermined positioning of the artificial log.
29. An artificial log set assembly, comprising:
- an ember bed including a burner; and
- an electric artificial log set arranged with the ember bed, wherein the electric artificial log set is configured to emulate a fire.
30. The log set assembly of claim 29, wherein the burner is configured to be installed in an unvented hearth product.
31. The log set assembly of claim 30, wherein the burner comprises a yellow flame burner, a blue flame burner or an infrared burner.
32. The log set assembly of claim 29, wherein the burner is configured to be installed in a vented hearth product.
33. The log set assembly of claim 32, wherein the burner comprises a yellow flame burner, a blue flame burner, an infrared burner, and a pan burner.
34. The log set assembly of claim 29, further comprising a control valve assembly coupled to the burner for controlling the flow of fuel to the burner.
35. The log set assembly of claim 34, further comprising a burner regulator interposed between the control valve assembly and the burner and configured to deliver fuel to the burner.
36. The log set assembly of claim 34, further comprising an oxygen depletion sensor configured to shut off the burner when the oxygen level in the surrounding environment drops below a level.
37. The log set assembly of claim 34, further comprising a thermostat coupled to the control valve assembly.
38. The log set assembly of claim 34, further comprising a pilot assembly coupled to the control valve assembly and configured to light the burner.
39. The log set assembly of claim 38, further comprising an ignition device configured to light a pilot flame.
40. The log set assembly of claim 39, further comprising a receiver unit coupled with, and configured to control, the ignition device and the control valve assembly.
41. The log set assembly of claim 40, further comprising a common controlling device, wherein the receiver unit is configured to receive an electronic signal from the common controlling device for lighting the pilot flame or controlling the burner flame.
42. The log set assembly of claim 29, further comprising a chassis configured to support the electric artificial log set.
43. The log set assembly of claim 29, wherein the electric artificial log set comprises a shell of translucent material and an electric light source configured to illuminate the shell.
44. The log set assembly of claim 43, wherein the electric light source is positioned beneath, behind, adjacent, or interior to the translucent shell.
45. The log set assembly of claim 43, wherein the translucent shell comprises material consisting of fiberglass, plastic, resin, glass, ceramic, or cast refractory concrete.
46. The log set assembly of claim 43, wherein the burner is positioned to the front and below the electric artificial log unit.
47. The log set assembly of claim 43, further comprising reflective material, wherein the electric light source indirectly illuminates the translucent shell by reflecting light off the reflective material.
48. The log set assembly of claim 43, wherein the electric light source is configured to be operated by a voltage in the range of 0-24 volts.
49. The log set assembly of claim 43, wherein the electric light source is configured to be operated by a voltage in the range of 110-240 volts.
50. The log set assembly of claim 43, wherein the electric light source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).
51. The log set assembly of claim 43, further comprising an electronic device controller configured to control the intensity and on/off pattern of the electric light source.
52. The log set assembly of claim 51, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of LEDs.
53. The log set assembly of claim 52, further comprising a receiver unit coupled with, and configured to control, the electronic device controller.
54. The log set assembly of claim 53, further comprising a common controlling device, wherein the receiver unit is configured to receive an electronic signal from the common controlling device for controlling the intensity and on/off pattern of the electric light source.
55. The log set assembly of claim 29, further comprising an artificial grate.
56. The log set assembly of claim 55, wherein the artificial grate is configured to support the artificial logs.
57. The log set assembly of claim 29, wherein the ember bed further comprises material situated in proximity to the burner for emulating glowing embers.
58. A hearth product, comprising:
- a hearth;
- a burner;
- an electric ember bed; and
- at least one artificial tog arranged with the burner and the electric ember bed.
59. The hearth product of claim 58, firer comprising a firebox including a hearth.
60. A hearth product, comprising:
- a hearth;
- an ember bed including a burner; and
- an electric artificial log set arranged with the ember bed, wherein the electric artificial log set is configured to emulate a fire.
61. The hearth product of claim 60, further comprising a firebox including a hearth.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 21, 2008
Publication Date: Feb 25, 2010
Inventors: John PHILLIPS (Russellville, AL), Brandon Manco (Russellville, AL), Brian Hall (Russellville, AL)
Application Number: 12/195,714
International Classification: F24B 1/18 (20060101);