Universal non-porous fiber reinforced combustion chamber fireplace
The present invention includes a universal combustion chamber preferably shipped from a factory as a separate unit for field installation into a plurality of different fireplace units and includes a top panel and a floor panel connected to sidewall panel to form a complete ready to use gas tight structure. The combustion chamber is fabricated from flat and/or curved panels which are preferably molded from a thick paste slurry of mixed vitreous alumina silicate fibers combined with an aqueous solution of silica binder and fired to form non-porous gas tight panels which are interconnected to form a gas tight combustion chamber. The connecting joints are preferably reinforced by the addition of a high temperature adhesive added to the mating joints. The joints may be further reinforced and/or sealed by mechanical reinforcing at or in the joints. The joints may be eliminated by forming a one piece combustion chamber on forming molds that are designed to be separated from a formed but uncured combustion chamber.
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Notice: More than one reissue application has been filed for the reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,237. The reissue applications are application Ser. Nos. 09/935,483 (the present application) and 10/473,858 which is a divisional reissue application of Ser. No. 10/437,858.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a universal combustion chamber useful for installation in metal fabricated fireplaces or a stand alone combustion chamber. More particularly, the present invention relates to an assembled non-porous cast fiber-reinforced combustion chamber that is machinable in its cured stage and moldable in its uncured preformed stage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, panels made from high temperature ceramic materials were known. Heat-N-Glow of Savage, Minn. has incorporated high temperature ceramic panels under the gas burners of some of their gas fireplaces in the form of loose panels. Heat-N-Glow has also incorporated both refractory firebrick and cast ceramic blocks or panels in numerous stoves and fireplaces for insulation purposes as well as for aesthetic purposes.
Manufacturers of commercial and home heating systems have employed cast refractory fireboxes in the base of furnaces. Such refractory fireboxes are protected against exhaust leakage because they are placed in an area where leakage would not escape from the furnace or boiler or are completely backed up by another non-porous sheet or wall.
Unvented or non-vented gas heaters and fireplaces are not concerned with preventing escape of burned exhaust gases into a living area, thus, do not totally enclose the combustion chamber or burners. Such unvented gas stoves have been known to deplete the oxygen supply in a living area.
Applicants are not aware of any gas fireplace which employs a gas combustion chamber that virtually eliminates the need for any fireplace enclosure or shroud around the gas combustion chamber for heat protection.
It would be desirable to provide a universal combustion chamber which would accommodate a variety of gas burners and a variety of vents. It would further be desirable to provide an assembled leak proof combustion chamber made from non-porous cast fiber reinforced moldable and machinable material that is cool enough at its outer surface to be installed without additional insulation or heat protective barriers on the outside of the combustion chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is a principal object of the present invention to provide an assembled gas fireplace combustion chamber that comprises a plurality of non-porous cast fiber reinforced panels.
It is another principal object of the present invention to provide a fabricated kit of non-porous cast fiber reinforced panels that are accurately formed to be assembled into a leak proof fireplace combustion chamber.
It is another principal object of the present invention to provide an assembled prefabricated non-porous cast fiber reinforced combustion chamber that is machined and ready for installation of a gas burner.
It is another principal object of the present invention to provide a plurality of assembled or unassembled machined non-porous cast fiber reinforced panels that when assembled form a combined combustion chamber and fireplace ready for completion by addition of a gas burner and/or a gas vent.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a universal gas combustion chamber/fireplace unit that does not require a metal enclosure for operation in a fireplace.
It is yet another principal object of the present invention to provide a universal gas combustion chamber/fireplace unit that is operable with a gas burner and has an outer wall temperature cool enough to meet standards for zero clearance installations.
It is another object of the present invention to lower the cost of manufacturing gas fireplace units while increasing their efficiency by combining the functions normally associated with a separate gas combustion chamber and fireplace enclosure.
According to these and other objects of the present invention there is provided a universal gas combustion chamber of the type having a bottom floor panel, a top panel and vertical side panels assembled to form a fireplace when a gas burner is installed in or on the floor panel. Said gas combustion chamber panels being made from a moldable slurry of refractory ceramic fibers (preferably vitreous alumina silicate fibers) and a binder (preferably amorphous silica) to form strong machinable fiber reinforced panels.
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Refer now to an enlarged front view of the vented fireplace 10 shown in FIG. 1. The decorative surround panel 23 is provided with an aperture in which the combustion chamber 11 is placed. The combustion chamber 11 is further provided with a decorative brass trim 25 which complements the surround panel 23. The panel 13 in the back and side of the combustion chamber 11 is shown having a simulated brick embossed surface which complements the surround panel 23.
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The novel combustion chamber shown in
When the fireplace chamber 11 shown in
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After drying or firing the panels at block 74, the panels are trimmed or machined to a preliminary shape or trimmed or machined to a final shape at block 75. Apertures and slots and gas ports and burners are formed therein, depending on the intended use of the panel. It will be appreciated that in some forms of individual molds, the edges of the dried panels are so precise that they do not require machining while being fitted together to form an assembled gas combustion chamber. After forming the desired panels in the desire shapes with the desired slots, holes and burners which may be formed by drilling or punching, the panels may be assembled into a combustion chamber shown in block 76 if the production operation is a continuous operation. However, if the panels to be assembled into a combustion chamber are for assembly at a production site or installation site, it is preferred that individual kits be manufactured from which assembled combustion chambers may be made on site to assure minimum damage and minimum cost of shipping. Thus, the desired panels for a particular preformed gas combustion chamber are packaged as a set of preformed parts for shipment as shown in block 77.
Having explained a preferred embodiment of the present invention used in several different types of fireplaces, it will be appreciated that use of a universal combustion chamber greatly reduces the factory inventory as well as the field site inventory of combustion chambers. The fired and dried fiber reinforced combustion chamber is slightly hydroscopic but non-porous to exhaust gases and may be sealed without a steel or reinforcing backing layer even when used for burning wood logs. The reinforced panel can be made thicker and stronger for wood logs so as to meet wood stove standards and impact tests performed by underwriters as well as meeting zero clearance outside temperature of 160° F. if needed.
Manufacturers of Refractory Ceramic Fibers (RCFS) and aqueous binders publish data sheets on several different RCF. While the exact formulation may differ, the preferred silicate base is vitreous alumina silicate for making high temperature ceramic fibers. An equivalent silicate fiber would be operable when combined with a compatible RCF binder.
Claims
1. A method of making a universal gas combustion chamber for use in a plurality of different prefabricated gas fireplace units, comprising the steps of:
- mixing refractory ceramic fibers (RCFs) with a solution of inorganic binder to form a thick paste slurry,
- molding said thick paste slurry into an open box shape fireplace having a plurality of panels comprising a floor panel, at least two side panels and a top panel,
- removing said open box fireplace from its mold,
- firing said panels to form a non-porous impact resistant open box of panels of a gas fireplace combustion chamber,
- assembling stack means, trim means, burner means and said plurality of panels into the gas fireplace combustion chamber to provide said different gas fireplace units, and
- sealing the joints between said stack means and said trim means, to form unique fireplace units having a reinforced non-porous gas tight gas combustion chamber.
2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of sealing further comprises applying a binder which comprises an aqueous solution of inorganic binder.
3. A method as set forth in claim 2 which further includes the step of machining flanges on the box opening for attaching said trim means to at least one of said panels.
4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of molding comprises providing an opening in at least one of said panels forming an exhaust stack aperture in said top or back panel.
5. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said step of assembling said burner means includes making an opening in at least one of said panels which comprises gas burner port apertures in said floor panel.
6. A method as set forth in claim 1 which further includes the steps of,
- providing flanges on said top panel and said floor panel,
- providing flanges on said side panels, and
- the step of assembling said fireplace further comprises attaching said trim means to said flanges and door means to said trim means to complete said non-porous gas tight combustion chamber.
7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said open box shaped fireplace comprises at least one substantially flat steel back panels, and
- overlapped the mating edges of said steel panel to other panels to form a gas tight heat exchanger panel.
8. A universal open box combustion chamber for use in a plurality of different types of fireplaces comprising,
- a floor panel,
- a top panel,
- two side panels,
- said floor panel, said top panel and said side panels each comprising a mixture of vitreous alumina silicate fibers and an aqueous solution of binder formed and dried after molding to provide a gas tight and impact resistant box of panels of a fireplace combustion chamber,
- glass door means attached to said panels to provide a gas tight closed box fireplace, and
- burner means supported by said floor panel.
9. A universal combustion chamber as set forth in claim 8 wherein said burner means is supported above said floor panel, and
- apertures in said side and floor panels for connecting air and gas to said burner means.
10. A universal combustion chamber as set forth in claim 8 wherein said burner means comprises a single open U-shaped panel adapted to seal against said floor panel.
11. A universal combustion chamber as set forth in claim 8 which further comprises a plurality of flat back panels sealed at their mating joints to other panels to form a gas tight combustion chamber.
12. A universal combustion chamber as set forth in claim 8 wherein said burner means comprises connecting panels having flat mating joints, and
- a self hardening high temperature adhesive applied in said joints of said burner means to further assure a gas tight seal.
13. A universal combustion chamber as set forth in claim 11 which further includes corner reinforcing means attached to corners of said sidewall panels.
14. A method of making a universal gas combustion chamber for use as a component of a fireplace unit, comprising the steps of:
- mixing vitreous alumina fibers with an aqueous solution of inorganic binder to form a thick castable slurry,
- forming said thick castable slurry on a forming mold to build up a desired predetermined thickness non-rigid fireplace combustion chamber having an open side for supporting door means and a floor for supporting a gas burner,
- drying said formed combustion chamber on the mold to provide an uncured stiff one piece combustion chamber,
- stripping away the forming mold, and
- heating said uncured one piece combustion chamber at firing temperature to form a rigid non-porous impact resistant combustion chamber ready for assembly of said door means and gas burner to form a unique fireplace.
15. The method as set forth in claim 14 which further includes the steps of forming pluggable aperatures apertures in the side or top panels for attachment of an exhaust stack.
16. The method as set forth in claim 14 which further includes the steps of supporting a gas burner unit on the floor panel, and
- providing apertures in said fireplace unit through which fresh air for combustion is conducted to said gas burner.
17. The method as set forth in claim 16 which further includesattaching includes attaching door means to said open side of said combustion chamber.
18. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the step of attaching door means comprises the step of sealing a glass door panel to the vertical and horizontal edges of said open side of said fireplace combustion chamber.
19. A universal open box combustion chamber for use in a plurality of different types of fireplaces comprising:
- a floor panel;
- a top panel;
- two side panels;
- said floor panel, said top panel and said side panels each comprising a mixture of refractory ceramic fibers and an aqueous solution of binder formed and dried after molding to provide a gas tight and impact resistant box of panels of a fireplace combustion chamber;
- glass door means attached to said panels to provide a gas tight closed box fireplace; and
- burner means supported by the floor panel.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 23, 2001
Date of Patent: Dec 2, 2008
Assignee: Hearth Technologies Inc. (Muscatine, IA)
Inventors: Patricia J. Shimek (Prior Lake, MN), Daniel Curtis Shimek (Apply Valley, MN), Ronald John Shimek (Prior Lake, MN)
Primary Examiner: Carl D. Price
Attorney: Faegre & Benson LLP
Application Number: 09/935,483
International Classification: F23M 5/00 (20060101); F24C 3/00 (20060101);