Fireplace heat recovery system

Abstract

The filtered aromatic fireplace heat recovery system may include an intake blower that intakes air from a room; a heat exchanging means that receives and heats air from the intake blower; and an output blower that evenly distributes the heated air into a room. In some embodiments, the system may include a filter means located within the intake blower and/or the output blower that filters pollutants, particulates, offensive odors, and toxins given off by the fuel burned within the fireplace. The system may also include a fragrance dispensing means located within the intake blower and/or the output blower to distribute a desired fragrance within a room.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an improved fireplace heat recovery system. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved fireplace heat recovery system that optionally provides the ability to dispense fragrance into a room while also filtering the impurities produced by the combustion of fuel within a fireplace.

Conventional fireplaces typically loose between 60 to 80 percent of the heat they generate up the fireplace's chimney. The prior art contains several forced air fireplace heaters having blowers for circulating air through a heat exchanger within a fireplace and then into a room. These types of heat recovery systems often employ fans in order to circulate heated air for a more even heating of the air within the room. However, the prior art fails to address some of the disadvantages associated with the use of a fireplace.

One such disadvantage comes from the use of wood as a fuel. When wood is ignited it produces energy in the form of heat along with several byproducts. These byproducts include compounds of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, char (which is nearly pure carbon), and ash (which is all of the unburnable minerals in the wood (e.g., calcium, potassium, etc.)). These byproducts may pollute the interior of a home, produce offensive odors, and may even be toxic to persons within the home.

It therefore would be desirable to provide an improved fireplace heat recovery system that provides even heat distribution within a room and overcomes the disadvantages associated with the use of the fireplace not addressed by the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved fireplace heat recovery system that provides even heat distribution within a room while reducing/filtering the level of pollutants, particulates, offensive odors, and toxins given off by the fuel burned within a fireplace.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved fireplace heat recovery system that allows a user to choose a particular fragrance to circulate within a room.

In accordance with the present invention, a fireplace heat recovery system is provided. The fireplace heat recovery system may include an intake blower that intakes air from a room; a heat exchanging means that receives and heats air from the intake blower; and an output blower that evenly distributes the heated air into a room. In one embodiment the system may include a filter means located within the intake blower and/or the output blower that filters pollutants, particulates, offensive odors, and toxins given off by the fuel burned within the fireplace. The system may also include a fragrance dispensing means located within the intake blower and/or the output blower to distribute a desired fragrance within a room.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a fireplace heat recovery system that may be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means that may be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means that may be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means that may be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means that may be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means that may be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means that may be used for performing the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a preferred embodiment of system 100 according to the invention. System 100 may include intake blower 10, heat exchanging means 40, and output blower 50. System 100 may operate as follows: Unheated air from a room may be brought into system 100 using intake blower 10. Intake blower 10 may be a portable fan/blower or any other suitable device capable of drawing in unheated air from a surrounding environment. Input blower 10 and output blower 50 (as described below) may be designed to attach to a fireplace screen, a fireplace mantle, or be a freestanding.

After drawing in unheated air from a room, intake blower 10 may transfer the air to heat exchanging means 40 via tube means 20. Tube means 20 may be, for example, a rigid or flexible metal tube, ceramic tube, or any other tube of suitable construction designed to withstand high temperatures that may be detachably coupled in any suitable manner to both intake blower 10 and heating element means 40.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the unheated air is received by heat exchanging means 40, the air may be indirectly exposed to the heat energy produced by the combustion of fuel within the fireplace. As shown in FIGS. 2 through 7, heat exchanging means 40 may include one or more air circulation tubes 200 and one or more heating tubes 300. Air circulation tubes 200 may be solid and/or flexible tubes that run along the internal horizontal axis and along one or more internal horizontal planes of heat exchanging means 40. Air circulation tubes 200 may be constructed from metal, ceramics, or any other suitable material designed to withstand temperatures found in standard wood burning and/or gas fireplaces. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the number of horizontal planes that air circulation tubes 200 run through directly corresponds to the time that the unheated air is exposed to the heat energy produced in the fireplace, thus, also corresponding to the temperature of the heated air.

As mentioned above, heat exchanging means 40 may include one or more heating tubes 300. Heating tubes 300 may be holes bored within heating exchanging means 40 that may be coplanar across a plurality of horizontal planes of heat exchanging means 40. Heating tubes 300 may provide an additional means for the heat energy produced within a fireplace to transfer to the air circulating within air circulation tubes 200.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4-7, heating element means 40 may include coupling means 30. Coupling means 30 may be used to couple tube 20 to heat exchanging means 40. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when heating element means 40 comprises a plurality of air circulation tubes 200, coupling means 30 may couple tube 20 to four air circulation tubes 200.

Referring back to FIG. 1, once heated, the air within heat exchanging means 40 may then be transferred to output blower 50 via a second coupling means 30 and a second tube 20. Output blower 50 may be a portable fan/blower or any other suitable device capable of drawing heated air from heat exchanging means 40 and dispensing such heated air to the surrounding environment. In some embodiments, output blower 50 may be coupled to an oscillation means 80 to more evenly distribute heated air within a room. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the intake suction created by intake blower 10 and the output force created by output blower 50 generate a continuous flow of air through system 100 that evenly and continuously heats and distributes heated air into a room.

Although not shown, some embodiments of system 100 may optionally include either input blower 10 or output blower 50 to dispense heated air into a room. For example, system 100 may function as described above, however, in the case where system 100 only includes input blower 10, system 100 will be a push system (i.e., intake blower 10 pushes air through system 100). In the case where system 100 only includes output blower 50, system 100 will be a pull system (i.e., output blower 50 pulls air through system 100).

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 4-7, heat exchanging means 40 may be externally constructed to resemble one or more pieces of firewood in order to provide a more natural and aesthetically pleasing device.

In some embodiments, intake blower 10 and/or output blower 50 may incorporate filter means 65. Filter means 65 may be, for example, a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and/or an activated carbon air filter. The incorporation of these filters are designed to assist in capturing the odorous and gaseous contaminates produced by the combustion of fuel within the fireplace.

In some embodiments, intake blower 10 and/or output blower 50 may incorporate fragrance dispensing means 70. Fragrance dispensing means 70 may be, for example, a disposable scented cartridge, refillable scented oil tray, or any other suitable means for dispensing one or more desired fragrances into a room utilizing the airflow within system 100.

As shown in FIG. 5, some embodiments of system 100 may include heat sink means 22. Heat sink means 22 may be a device located on or within tube 20 to prevent heat generated in the fireplace from conducting along tube 20 to intake blower 10 and/or output blower 50.

Thus, a fireplace heat recovery system is provided. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the described embodiments are presented for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation and that the present invention is limited only by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A fireplace heat recovery system comprising:

an intake blower;

a heat exchanging means;

a first tube means that is detachably coupled to the intake blower and the heat exchanging means;

an output blower;

a second tube means that is detachably coupled to the heat exchanging means and the output blower;

at least one filter means located in one of the intake blower, the output blower, and the intake and output blower; and

at least one fragrance dispensing means located in one of the intake blower, the output blower, and the intake and output blower.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein heat exchanging means further includes a plurality of heating tubes coplanar across and through at least one horizontal plane of the heat exchanging means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heat exchanging means further includes at least one air circulation tube that is located across an internal horizontal axis of the heat exchanging means.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heat exchanging means further includes a plurality air circulation tubes that are coplanar across at least one horizontal plane heat exchanging means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output blower is coupled to an oscillation means.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter means includes a HEPA filter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter means includes an active charcoal filter.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fragrance dispensing means is a scented disposable cartridge.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fragrance dispensing means is a refillable scented oil tray.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fragrance dispensing means is a disposable time delayed fragrance dispensing unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and the second tube means are flexible fire resistant metal tubes.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and the second tube means are rigid fire resistant metal tubes.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and the second tube means are fire resistant ceramic tubes.

15. A fireplace heat recovery system comprising:

an intake blower;

a heat exchanging means, wherein the heat exchanging means has an ornamental exterior design to resemble at least one piece of firewood;

a first tube means that is detachably coupled to the intake blower and the heat exchanging means;

an output blower;

a second tube means that is detachably coupled to the heat exchanging means and the output blower;

at least one filter means located in one of the intake blower, the output blower, and the intake and output blower; and

at least one fragrance dispensing means located in one of the intake blower, the output blower, and the intake and output blower.