Outdoor fireplace with ash drawer

Abstract

An outdoor fireplace including a combustion chamber that has a top portion and an ash drawer forming the floor. The ash drawer includes a planar bottom and a plurality of side walls disposed around the periphery of the planar bottom. As such, the ash drawer is configured to receive and hold combustion by-products. The outdoor fireplace also includes a base with an upper portion and a support structure. The upper portion is connected to the top portion of the combustion chamber and is configured to slidably receive the ash drawer. As such, the ash drawer can be slidably removed from the outdoor fireplace to remove the by-products of combustion.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of outdoor fireplaces and, more particularly, to an outdoor fireplace which preferably incorporates a removable ash drawer.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Outdoor fireplaces are often used to provide warmth, improve the ambiance of an outdoor setting, provide an open flame over which to cook, or to burn items as a means of disposal. Of course, as materials such as wood are burned, ashes and other debris are produced as by-products of combustion and collect on the bottom floor of the fireplace. In order to maintain adequate air flow to support the combustion process, regular removal of the ashes and debris is required.

[0003] At present, typical outdoor fireplaces are designed such that removal of the accumulated debris requires either the use of a tool to “scoop” the ashes out of the fireplace or the entire fireplace must be manipulated such that the ashes can be “dumped” out. Further complicating the use of the typical outdoor fireplace, removal of the accumulated ashes often requires partial disassembly of the fireplace, or at a minimum, manipulation of a latch or like structure that secures an access door in place during use. Because outdoor fireplaces are, as the name implies, generally stored outside, they are exposed to environmental elements such as rain and snow. These elements can lead to corrosion and wear which can contribute to the difficulty of partially disassembling the fireplace, or manipulation of the latch, in order to gain access to the fireplace.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for providing improved outdoor fireplaces which address these and other shortcomings of the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Briefly described, the outdoor fireplace provides an apparatus for burning fuel and easily removing combustion by-products. An embodiment of the outdoor fireplace includes a combustion chamber that has a top portion and an ash drawer forming the floor. The ash drawer has a planar bottom and a plurality of side walls disposed around the periphery of the planar bottom. As such, the ash drawer is configured to receive and hold the combustion by-products. The outdoor fireplace also includes a base with an upper portion and a support structure. The upper portion is connected to the top portion of the combustion chamber and is configured to slidably receive the ash drawer. As such, the ash drawer can be slidably removed from the outdoor fireplace to remove the by-products of combustion.

[0006] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such objects, features, and advantages be included herein within the scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The present invention, as defined in the claims, can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outdoor fireplace shown in FIG. 1, with the ash drawer partially removed and an access door removed to allow access to the combustion chamber.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the ash drawer shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0011] Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the outdoor fireplace as illustrated in the drawings. While the outdoor fireplace will be described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed therein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the outdoor fireplace as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the invention as illustrated in the drawings with like reference numerals indicating like parts throughout the several views. As shown in FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the outdoor fireplace 10 of the present invention incorporates a combustion chamber 12 that includes a top portion 14 and a base 20. The top portion 14 is rigidly attached to the base 20 by a plurality of substantially vertical supports 16, each vertical member connecting a corner of the base 20 to a corresponding corner of the top portion 14. As shown, the combustion chamber 12 is sufficiently sized and shaped for the placement of wood and/or other combustible material. Note that while a rectangular embodiment of the outdoor fireplace 10 of the present invention is shown, any number of different configurations are within the scope of the present invention.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the outdoor fireplace 10 further includes an ash drawer 30 that has a planar bottom 32 and a plurality of side walls 34 disposed along the periphery of the planar bottom 32. This configuration is designed to catch the by-products as they fall off the burning matter during combustion. Preferably, the ash drawer 30 slidably engages the upper portion 22 of the base 20, such that by-products of the combustion process can be removed from the combustion chamber 12 by simply removing the ash drawer 30. Once the by-products of combustion have been properly disposed of, a user of the outdoor fireplace 10 merely slides the ash drawer 30 back into the upper portion 22 of the base 20 prior to the next use. As well, because the side walls 34 extend vertically, they protect against the by-products being blown out of the combustion chamber 12 by wind, etc. FIG. 2 shows the ash drawer 30 partially removed from the outdoor fireplace 10. Quite often, the combustible materials may not burn completely thereby leaving rather heavy debris in the ash drawer 30, such as partially burned logs. As such, the ash drawer 30 can further include strength members 36 positioned along the underside of the of the planar bottom 32 to lend rigidity to the ash drawer 30 during removal (FIG. 3). The strength members 36 also aid in sliding the ash drawer 30 in and out of the outdoor fireplace 10 by reducing the friction between the planar bottom 32 of the ash drawer 30 and the bottom surface (not shown) of the base 20. The bottom surface may be either solid or perforated, the perforations allowing increased air circulation within the combustion chamber 12.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a foot rail 44 is provided on the base 20. The foot rail 40 is spaced from and substantially surrounds the perimeter of the outdoor fireplace 10, ideally including a first portion 42 disposed on the upper portion 22 of the base 20 and a second portion 44 disposed on the side wall 34 of the ash drawer 30 that also functions as an outer wall of the base 20. The foot rail 40 is configured such that a user may “prop” their feet on the outdoor fireplace 10 in close proximity to the combustion chamber 12, thereby warming and or drying out their shoes, boots, etc. Note that the portion of the foot rail 44 disposed on the ash drawer 30 can also be used as a handle to facilitate handling the ash drawer 30 during removal from, and insertion into, the base 20. During combustion, the outdoor fireplace 10 absorbs heat from the fire, potentially becoming hot enough to cause discomfort upon contact or other safety concerns. As such, the foot rail 40 acts as a guard rail by preventing the likelihood of direct contact with the outer surfaces of the outdoor fireplace 10.

[0015] At least one access door 50 is provided in order to allow access to the combustion chamber 12 for the addition of burnable matter, tending the fire, etc. As shown, the preferred embodiment has four access doors 50 to allow maximum flexibility. As well, the access doors 50 ideally allow fluid communication between the combustion chamber 12 and the ambient environment. As shown, the access doors 50 include portions of screen material, expanded metal, etc., thereby allowing fluid communication with the ambient environment while at the same time preventing ashes and burning embers from leaving the combustion chamber. Although each of the access doors 50 shown allows fluid communication with the combustion chamber 12, this is not a requirement of all embodiments of the present invention. The combustion chamber 12 merely needs enough air to support the combustion process. Note that the top portion 14 of the combustion chamber 12 similarly allows fluid communication with the outside environment. However, the top portion could also be of solid construction.

[0016] The access doors 50 are preferably fully removable from the outdoor fireplace 10 and do not require a latch or like structure to secure them in position during operation. Each access door 50 has at least one pin 52 disposed along the bottom portion of the outer frame 54. Although embodiments incorporating numerous pins 52 are contemplated, for ease of description, an embodiment incorporating two pins 52 per access door 50 is described. These pins are configured to align with corresponding apertures 24 formed in the upper portion 22 of the base. To position the access door 50 for use, the pins 52 are inserted in the apertures 24 and the access door 50 is tilted inwardly until the side portions 55 of the outer frame 54 contact an adjacent pair of the substantially vertical supports 16. Because the upper end 17 of each vertical support 16 is closer to the longitudinal, vertical axis 60 (FIG. 1) of the outdoor fireplace 10 than is the lower end 18 of the vertical support 16, the access door 50 is held in place by gravity. To access the combustion chamber 12, an access door 50 may be either fully removed, as shown in FIG. 2, or simply tilted away from the vertical supports 16. When the access door 50 is tilted away, the pins 52 remain in the apertures 24 of the base 20, and this interaction limits the angular disposition of the access door 50 relative to the outdoor fireplace 10. Although two tab-shaped pins 52 of rectangular cross section are disclosed, various other shapes for the pins 52 (i.e., circular), as well as numbers of pins 52 used, are within the scope of the present invention.

[0017] The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or various are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment or embodiments discussed, however, were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations, are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly and legally entitled.

Claims

1. An outdoor fireplace comprising:

a combustion chamber having a top portion and an ash drawer, said ash drawer including a planar bottom and a plurality of side walls disposed around a periphery of said planar bottom; and

a base, said base including an upper portion and a support structure, wherein said upper portion is configured to slidably receive said ash drawer such that said ash drawer can be slidably removed from said outdoor fireplace and said upper portion is connected to said top portion by a plurality of substantially vertical supports.

2. The outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of side walls further comprises an outer wall of said base.

3. The outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein said base further includes a plurality of support members disposed such that an air passage is formed between said upper portion and an underlying support surface.

4. The outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein said combustion chamber further includes one or more access doors.

5. The outdoor fireplace of claim 4, wherein at least one of said one or more access doors is configured such that fluid communication between an environment surrounding said outdoor fireplace and said combustion chamber exists.

6. The outdoor fireplace of claim 5, wherein a portion of said at least one of said one or more access doors is screen.

7. The outdoor fireplace of claim 6, wherein each of said one or more access doors includes a handle.

8. The outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein said base includes at least one aperture and said access door includes at least one pin, said at least one pin being disposed along a bottom portion of said one or more access doors for engaging said aperture.

9. The outdoor fireplace of claim 8, wherein said base is rectangular and further comprises two apertures disposed on each side of said ash drawer, each of said said apertures configured to receive two pins on each of said one or more access doors.

10. The outdoor fireplace of claim 8, wherein said substantially vertical supports are configured such that each of said one or more access doors is held in a position contacting two adjacent substantially vertical supports by a force of gravity.

11. The outdoor fireplace of claim 10, wherein said pin is configured such that said access door can be tilted away from said substantially vertical supports and supported in an angled disposition relative to said substantially vertical supports, thereby allowing access to said combustion chamber.

12. The outdoor fireplace of claim 11, wherein each of said at least one pin is a plate like structure.

13. The outdoor fireplace of claim of claim 1, wherein said base further includes a foot rail disposed around said combustion chamber.

14. The outdoor fireplace of claim 2, further including a foot rail disposed around said combustion chamber and consisting of a first portion and a second portion, said first portion being attached to said base and said second portion being attached to said one of said plurality of side walls.

15. The outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein said top portion is perforated.

16. An outdoor fireplace comprising:

a combustion chamber having a top portion and an ash drawer, said top portion being rectangular;

a base including an upper portion and a support structure, said upper portion being rectangular and having larger dimensions than said top portion, wherein said upper portion and said top portions are connected by substantially vertical supports disposed at each corner of said upper and top portions; and

a foot rail disposed on said base, wherein said foot rail is configured such that a user of said fireplace may position their feet in close proximity to said combustion chamber for warmth and drying.

17. The outdoor fireplace of claim 16, wherein said ash drawer further includes a rectangular, planar bottom and four side walls disposed along a periphery of said planar bottom, and wherein said upper portion is configured to slidably receive said ash drawer.

18. The outdoor fireplace of claim 17, said combustion chamber further including at least one access door including at least one pin configured to be received by a correlating at least one aperture in said base.

19. The outdoor fireplace of claim 17, wherein said upper portion further includes a bottom surface.

20. The outdoor fireplace of claim 19, wherein said bottom surface is perforated.