Abstract: The need to maintain the quality of air in a home has become more of a problem in new high efficiency tight houses so that governmental regulations are being proposed for a minimum change of fresh air. If too much cold outside fresh air is introduced into such homes at a single source, the room with the fresh air is usually too cold and/or unbalanced. The present invention avoids cooling any one room while maintaining heat efficiency. When the home has a gas fireplace, the exhaust gases are preferably directed through an air-to-air cross flow heat exchanger which preheats the quality air passing into a forced air furnace system. In modified embodiments of the present invention, make-up quality air is mixed with the room air and heated in the heat exchanger of the fireplace. The preheated room air from the fireplace is preferably connected to the supply/return of a forced air furnace system and distributed to all rooms to provide uniform heating.

Abstract: A chair back is disclosed and includes a mesh material connected to a two-piece carrier, the carrier being deformable and stretchable. The carrier has a bottom edge including a groove and is engageable by tabs attached to a transverse member of a chair frame assembly. The upper ends of the carrier each includes an opening for receiving a spherical end portion of the upper end of the chair frame assembly. Engagement of the carrier with the chair frame assembly is accomplished by stretching the carrier and mesh between the transverse member and the spherical end portions. The chair back includes a lumbar support which is mounted to slide along the side edges of the carrier and along vertical supports of the chair frame assembly, the lumbar support causing the chair to tension forwardly. The chair back is pivotal under the influence of a chair user and is pivotally connected to the chair seat so as to cause the chair seat to also pivot in response.

Abstract: A proximity warning system for a fireplace including a monitor module and an alarm module. The monitor module is configured to sense when an object, such as a person, enters a defined zone proximate to the fireplace. The monitor module may use a variety of techniques to sense when an object enters the defined zone. For example, the monitor module may use capacitance or pulse infrared light to detect when an object enters the defined zone. The alarm module is coupled to the monitor module to generate an alarm when the monitor module senses that the object has entered the defined zone. The alarm may be audible or visual.

Abstract: An adjustable support structure for a fireplace including upper and lower bars extending in a longitudinal direction, the upper bar being positioned above the lower bar and including a surface upon which the fireplace can rest. First and second cross bars are also included, each with upper and lower ends, the upper end of the first cross bar being coupled to the upper bar and the lower end of the second cross bar being coupled to the lower bar. The lower end of the first cross bar is moveably coupled to the lower bar and the upper end of the second cross bar is moveably coupled to the upper bar such that the upper bar may be adjusted upwards in a plane with respect to the lower bar to a desired height.

Abstract: A gas burner includes a monolithic burner panel coupled to a bottom burner member for use as a bottom panel of a combustion chamber enclosure. The burner panel includes at least one aperture for providing a gas/air mixture to a top surface of the burner panel for combustion. The burner panel includes at least one elevated area. The burner panel is a composite material formed from a compression molding process. The burner panel includes elevations that can be shaped into log structures to provide a realistic fire within a fireplace unit, stove, or insert.

Abstract: A height and pivot-adjustable office chair arm assembly with an arm rest that can be raised to different vertical positions by actuation of a gas cylinder and having a shroud surrounding and vertically movable with respect to at least a portion of an arm support that is hollow and surrounds the gas cylinder such that the shroud is vertically movable in relation to at least a portion of the arm support. The shroud is connected to the gas cylinder at an upper end for vertical movement by the gas cylinder. An arm rest pivot support is attached only to the shroud and receives the arm rest assembly and enables the arm rest assembly to pivot in a horizontal plane thereby allowing the arm rest assembly to assume any selected rotational position.

Abstract: A wood burning stove is provided. The combustion chamber in which the fire occurs has a baffle plate that is moveable to direct air flow through one of two different pathways from the combustion chamber to the chimney. When in a first position, the baffle plate forces the air and smoke to move through a first pathway; when in a second position, a by-pass pathway is opened, allowing air and smoke to move through a second pathway. The stove can have a door in the front wall, or the top wall, or both walls, to provide access to the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A body support system is provided having improved static and dynamic mechanical response characteristics and improved thermal regulation, and which can provide energy dissipation capabilities. The body support system can be of a modular construction to provide mechanical response characteristics suited to a particular user or group of users, or to a particular environment of use. The energy dissipation characteristics are provided by a flexible fluid compartment containing a volume of viscous fluid, such that at least a portion of the fluid moves within the compartment in response to a vertical force on the compartment.

Abstract: A locking device for allowing horizontal seat positioning of a chair seat has a friction strip or brake pad between a seat pan and a seat plate. A screw and spring assembly is used to resiliently hold the seat pan and the seat plate together such that by lifting up on the forward portion of the seat pan, the friction strip, if attached to the seat plate, is separated from the seat pan allowing the seat pan to be moved horizontally in forwardly and rearwardly directions, thus adjusting the seat position. When the front of the seat pan is lifted substantially vertically, the screw and spring assembly is compressed to allow the seat pan to separate sufficiently from the friction strip and allow relative movement of the seat pan with respect to the seat plate. As an alternative, a lever may be used to loosen a locking mechanism and therby allow seat adjustment.

Abstract: A proximity warning system for a fireplace including a monitor module and an alarm module. The monitor module is configured to sense when an object, such as a person, enters a defined zone proximate to the fireplace. The monitor module may use a variety of techniques to sense when an object enters the defined zone. For example, the monitor module may use capacitance or pulse infrared light to detect when an object enters the defined zone. The alarm module is coupled to the monitor module to generate an alarm when the monitor module senses that the object has entered the defined zone. The alarm may be audible or visual.

Abstract: An ergonomic chair includes a four-bar linkage arrangement wherein a lower frame member is provided with a rigid front support and a rigid rear support with a seat member pivotably connected to the front support. A back rest has an upper support pivotably connected at an upper end of the rear support of the lower frame member. A link member pivotably connects at a first end to a rear support of the seat member and at second end to a lower support of the back rest. This novel arrangement permits tilting movement of the backrest rearwardly relative to the lower frame member causing elevation of a rear portion of the seat member, permitting the feet to remain on the floor and alleviating pressure on the user's thighs, while rotation occurs closely coincident with the pivot axis of the user's hips and while maintaining a generally uniform gaze line.

Abstract: A fireplace for concurrent use inside and outside of a structure includes a combustion chamber enclosure defining a combustion chamber, an inside opening, and an outside opening, wherein the combustion chamber is viewable from the inside of the structure through the inside opening and from the outside of the structure through the outside opening. The fireplace also includes a combustion air plenum system coupled to the combustion chamber enclosure to supply fresh air from the outside to the combustion chamber and an exhaust opening defined by the combustion chamber enclosure for exhausting exhaust air from the combustion chamber to the outside of the structure.