Abstract: This invention relates to heating apparatus and particularly compact heating apparatus fuelled by a flammable fluid such as gas in which a visible flame is provided. The appearance of the visible flame and the fireplace setting within the heating apparatus is enhanced by the provision of a reflective means positioned behind the fuel assembly to reflect an image of the assembly and/or the flame towards a viewing port in the front of the heater. Additionally or alternatively, the heater apparatus provides an exhausting of the emissions of the primary combustion directly into the room in which the heater is housed to return much of the otherwise exhausted heat into the room. The exhaust is put through a secondary combustion chamber including or comprising a catalytic converter before being exhausted into the room.

Abstract: A gas fireplace is provided having a plenum formed around at least a portion of the fireplace firebox. Room air enters the plenum and is heated by the firebox prior to venting back into the room. Two openings are provided from the outside of the fireplace housing to the plenum. The first opening allows heated air to exit the plenum, while the second opening allows cool outside air to enter the plenum. a mechanism is provided to control the amount of heated air exiting the first opening and the amount of cool air entering the second opening. By controlling the inflow and outflow through the first and second openings, respectively, the amount of the fireplace by-products generated into the room where the fireplace is located such as carbon-monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, heat and moisture are reduced.

Abstract: A gas fireplace is provided having a plenum formed around at least a portion of the fireplace firebox. Room air enters the plenum and is heated by the firebox prior to venting back into the room. Two openings are provided from the outside of the fireplace housing to the plenum. The first opening allows heated air to exit the plenum, while the second opening allows cool outside air to enter the plenum. a mechanism is provided to control the amount of heated air exiting the first opening and the amount of cool air entering the second opening. By controlling the inflow and outflow through the first and second openings, respectively, the amount of the fireplace by-products generated into the room where the fireplace is located such as carbon-monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, heat and moisture are reduced.

Abstract: A burner system is provided which creates standing waves in the gas/air flow within the burner so as to vary the pressure distribution along the length of the burner and thus the heights of the flames produced along the length of the burner. By changing the standing waves, the pressure distributions within the burner are changed, thereby causing the burner to produce changing flame patterns that simulate realistic wood burning flame patterns. In another embodiment, two orthogonal or sinusoidal gas/air flows offset by a phase angle are generated within the burner creating a beat frequency. By varying the phase angle offset, the rate of occurrence of the beats defining the beat frequency are varied resulting in the variation of the pressure distribution within the burner. Consequently, the flame patterns generated by the burner are varied simulating the appearance of realistic wood burning flame patterns.

Abstract: An artificial log is provided for use in a gas fireplace combustion chamber. A portion of the log outer surface has a charred appearance. When the fireplace is turned on and the log is heated, the log rotates to bring the charred surface in view from an open end of the fireplace combustion chamber so as to provide the appearance of a real wood log being burned. When the fireplace is turned off, the log rotates back to a position hiding the charred surface from view so as to have the appearance of a brand new log.

Abstract: This invention relates to heating apparatus and particularly compact heating apparatus fuelled by a flammable fluid such as gas in which a visible flame is provided. The appearance of the visible flame and the fireplace setting within the heating apparatus is enhanced by the provisions of a reflective means positioned behind the fuel assembly to reflect an image of the assembly and/or the flame towards a viewing port in the front of the heater. Additionally or alternatively, the heater apparatus provides an exhausting of the emissions of the primary combustion directly into the room in which the heater is housed to return much of the otherwise exhausted heat into the room. The exhaust is put through a secondary combustion chamber including or comprising a catalytic converter before being exhausted into the room.

Abstract: This invention relates to a flammable fluid fuelled heater providing a flueless option with the provision of a catalytic converter in a secondary combustion chamber. Additionally, the heater is provided to give a substantially yellow flame typical of a traditional log fireplace and an open front to the heater. To control emissions, a catalytic converter is provided on the exhaust and the open front is sized to minimise spillage out the open front of the unit.Additionally, a heater collector is provided over the primary combustion chamber to collect heat and direct this towards the secondary combustion chamber to provide a sufficient environment for operation of the catalytic converter.

Abstract: A burner assembly for use in a gas burning fireplace for producing flame patterns simulating flame patterns produced by real burning wood, and a method for producing such flame patterns. A preferably cylindrical bluff body is placed into the gas flow path from a supply line dividing the flow into a first and a second flow and generating Karman vortices within each flow. The vortices between the two flows are staggered. Each flow enters into a burner and exits through the burner ports where it is ignited to produce a flame pattern. The vortices create a rotating turbulence within each flow such that each flow has relatively steady flow portions alternating with turbulent rotating portions. This variance in the flow results in flames that have varying intensity, as well as color, and produces flame patterns simulating those produced by real burning wood.

Abstract: This invention provides a flammable fluid fuelled heater providing a direct opening into the primary combustion chamber to provide an unobstructed view of the fire. Any circulating means such as a fan may be provided adjacent the opening so as to provide an air curtain across the opening. This may limit the flow of air through the opening to reduce overall throughput as well as reducing spillage out the opening.In addition, the artificial log assembly in the fire may be arranged so that at least some of the logs meet collective surfaces at right angles so as to provide a visual continuity into the reflective surface and thereby provide a larger visual appearance to the fire.

Abstract: A vent free gas fireplace comprises a housing and a firebox within the housing spaced-apart from the housing walls to provide top, bottom, rear and side plenums. The side plenums are divided into upper and lower side plenums. Room air enters the lower side plenum and passes into the rear plenum, the combustion chamber and the upper side plenum. Exhaust gases pass from the combustion chamber through a catalytic converter and into the top plenum. The hot exhaust gases are combined with room air from the rear plenum and pass into the upper side plenums, combining with additional room air, and then out into the room.

Abstract: This invention relates to heating apparatus and particularly compact heating apparatus fuelled by a flammable fluid such as gas in which a visible flame is provided. The appearance of the visible flame and the fireplace setting within the heating apparatus is enhanced by the provision of a reflective means positioned behind the fuel assembly to reflect an image of the assembly and/or the flame towards a viewing port in the front of the heater. Additionally or alternatively, the heater apparatus provides an exhausting of the emissions of the primary combustion directly into the room in which the heater is housed to return much of the otherwise exhausted heat into the room. The exhaust is put through a secondary combustion chamber including or comprising a catalytic converter before being exhausted into the room.

Abstract: A closed-combustion gas fireplace having a glass panel and a means for reducing the temperature of the upper end of the glass panel is disclosed. The temperature reducing means comprises a downwardly depending baffle spaced apart from the upper end of the glass panel to form a channel within the combustion chamber adjacent the upper end of the glass panel. The channel reduces movement of hot gases adjacent the upper end of the glass panel thereby reducing the glass temperatures at that location.

Abstract: This invention relates to heating apparatus and particularly compact heating apparatus fuelled by a flammable fluid such as gas in which a visible flame is provided. The appearance of the visible flame and the fireplace setting within the heating apparatus is enhanced by the provision of a reflective means positioned behind the fuel assembly to reflect an image of the assembly and/or the flame towards a viewing portion in the front of the heater. Additionally or alternatively, the heater apparatus provides an exhausting of the emissions of the primary combustion directly into the room in which the heater is housed to return much of the otherwise exhausted heat into the room. The exhaust is put through a secondary combustion chamber including or comprising a catalytic converter before being exhausted into the room.

Abstract: A sealed-combustion chamber fireplace includes a combustion air to fuel adjustment device comprising an primary air-fuel mixing body having a fuel source inlet at one end and at least one combustion air inlet port disposed through a wall portion of the body. The air-fuel mixture body may be configured in the form of an air-fuel venturi, burner tube and the like to effect mixing together of the air and fuel to form a combustible air-fuel mixture. An air inlet port cover is movably disposed adjacent the air-fuel mixing body and forms an adjustable air combustion aperture by placement of the cover adjacent the air inlet port. Movement of the cover about the body effects opening or closing of the aperture, thereby effecting adjustment of the primary air to fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture combusted in the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A simulated-flame fireplace having a housing with a firebox which can be viewed through a transparent front door panel. A translucent simulated ember bed rests on the floor of the firebox, and a log-supporting andiron rests on the ember bed. A video-image projector is mounted on the housing to project an image of an actual wood fire into the firebox. A beam-splitting transparent and partial reflecting panel is supported within the firebox to reflect the flame image toward a viewer, and to enable direct viewing of the firebox interior. The projection and beam splitter are oriented to create a viewer-perceived illusion of the flame image as superimposed on the logs as in an actual log-burning fireplace. The illusion may be enhanced by the addition of audio reproduction of fire sounds, and variable-intensity lighting of the firebox walls and ember bed.

Abstract: A pre-built fireplace has a housing with an outlet for combustion gases and an open front for viewing the inside of the fireplace. A hinged damper and a hinged lintel extension are suspended from the inside of the fireplace. The damper and lintel extension are pivotally secured to each other so that when the damper is open, the lintel extension is in place to deflect combustion gases, and when the damper is closed, the lintel extension is pivoted substantially out of view.