Patent Application
20220341596
The present invention relates generally to the field of a protection device for flames and smoke of a fire pit or a campfire. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fire pit flame guard device comprising four vertical support bars, an upper ring and a lower ring. The upper ring includes a disc-shaped guard that can be positioned to block wind flowing in a particular direction from attacking the flames of a fire pit and to prohibit lateral movement of the associated smoke. The protection device can enclose a fire pit or can be placed inside the walls of a fire pit. The protection device is made of heat-proof material and improves safety around an open fire while ensuring people can utilize the flame as needed without smoke or ash blowing on them. The height of the guard and the rings can be adjusted to accommodate different sizes and configurations of fire pits. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, an outdoor fireplace or fire pit is used by people for entertainment and parties. The fire pit can be accompanied by a barbecue grill allowing people to enjoy food, drinks and music around a fire pit. Creating a campfire or using a fire pit is a fun and enjoyable experience to keep warm. However, a sudden strong wind or a windy night can quickly attack the flames of the fireplace or fire pit and can end up blowing smoke and ash onto people around the fire pit. This may cause a fire hazard and damage.
Even if a protection device is deployed to protect flame from wind, the direction of the wind keeps changing and people cannot control the direction of the wind and its effect on the fire of the fire pit. On many occasions, the height of the flame can get uneven and a fixed wind protection device may not be useful. The protection devices heretofore known in the state of the art are fixed in size, height and direction and cannot adapt to the direction and speed of the wind and to various sizes and configurations of the fire pits. While sitting around a fire pit, campfire or firebox, a strong wind can put a damper on an outdoor gathering and can blow the flame excessively which may cause damage to the outdoor settings, and may aggravate or injure people therearound.
Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that protects or shields the flame of a fire pit or campfire from wind. There is also a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that protects people around a fire pit or fireplace from smoke, ash and other debris blowing into people sitting or standing around the fire. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that can easily adapt to the changing directions of wind. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that can be used with fire pits and campfires of various sizes and configurations. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that is portable and can be used in different outdoor settings. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that keeps the flame centered, thereby allowing people to enjoy the fire pit even in windy conditions. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that improves safety around an open fire while ensuring people can utilize the flame as needed without smoke or ash blowing on them.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a fire pit wind guard device. The fire pit wind guard device protects and shields the flame of a fire pit from the wind and provides an adjustable wind screen for an outdoor fire pit or campfire. More specifically, the fire pit wind guard includes a plurality of vertical stakes, a lower ring and an upper ring attached to the inner surfaces of the stakes at the bottom and top of the stakes, respectively. Each vertical stake includes a channel along the longitudinal axis allowing the upper ring and the bottom ring to move vertically to adjust the effective height of the guard device. The upper ring includes a groove along the circumferential perimeter having an integrated wind screen. The wind screen can be a convex-shaped guard to block the wind from attacking or fanning the flames of the fire pit and is configured to rotate along the groove for positioning in a direction from where the wind is blowing.
In this manner, the novel fire pit flame protection device of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, and provides a relatively safe, easy and convenient solution to protect the flame from wind, and allows people to enjoy the fire pit without fear of smoke or ash blowing in their face. The fire pit flame protection device of the present invention is also user friendly, as it ensures that the flame is protected from wind blowing from any direction. With this, users can position the wind screen or guard to block wind coming from any direction, preventing the flame from being blown out or debris from being blown into people around the fire. The device can be used with any conventional fire pit or campfire of any size and configuration.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a fire pit wind guard device. The fire pit wind guard device is configured to protect flames emanating from a fire pit from the wind, and provides an adjustable wind screen for an outdoor fire pit or campfire. The fire pit wind guard further comprises a plurality of vertically-bolted stakes, a lower ring bolted to the inner surfaces of the stakes at the bottom of the stakes, and an upper ring bolted to the inner surfaces of the stakes. Each vertical stake includes a channel along the longitudinal axis allowing the upper ring to move vertically upward and downward to adjust the effective height of the guard device. The upper ring includes a groove along the circumferential perimeter with an integrated wind screen, and the wind screen is a convex-shaped guard to block the wind from attacking the flames of the fire pit, and is configured to rotate along the groove to position in a direction from where the wind is blowing. The wind screen can be adjusted in height as well to protect the flame of the fire pit.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a fire pit wind screen device for a fire pit or campfire is disclosed. The fire pit wind screen device is configured to enclose a fire pit or be placed inside a fire pit. The wind screen or shield device includes four separate longitudinal stakes and a pair of circular rings attached to the inner surface of the stakes. The pair of rings includes an upper ring that is configured to move vertically along the stakes, and a bottom ring fixed at the bottom of the inner surface of the stakes. The upper ring includes a rotating, disc-like wind screen configured to move along a channel within the upper ring surface. The wind screen can be positioned for blocking wind from any direction and helps in maintaining a consistent flame. The height of the upper ring and the wind screen can be adjusted using a channel mechanism to accommodate different sizes and configurations of fire pits.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the upper ring is bolted or attached to the top of the stakes and the lower ring is bolted or attached to the bottom of the stakes. The inner surfaces of the stakes include channels along which the upper ring and the lower ring can vertically move to adjust the height of the flame protection device of the present invention.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, a fire pit shield configured to fit within fire pit walls is disclosed. The fire pit shield is secured by placing brackets attached to a lower ring under the metal lip or bricks of a fire pit or staked into the ground. The vertical stakes can be mounted to the inner surface of the walls of the fire pit. The wind guard or wind shield can then be positioned to block the wind from attacking or blowing the fire pit flame, and helps in maintaining a consistent flame.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, a fire pit flame shield configured to enclose a fire pit is disclosed. The shield includes four vertical supports, a top circular ring and a bottom circular ring, wherein the rings are attached to the inner surface of the vertical supports. The top circular ring is attached to the top of the vertical supports and the bottom circular ring is attached to the bottom of the vertical support. The top circular ring includes a channel along the top edge along which a disc-like wind guard can be moved (i.e. rotated) and positioned in a direction from which wind is blowing to block the wind from attacking the flame of the fire pit, thereby maintaining a consistent flame on the fire without worry of smoke, ash, sparks and other debris from blowing into people sitting/standing around the fire pit.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that protects or shields the flames of a fire pit or campfire from wind. There is also a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that protects people around a fire pit or fireplace from smoke, ash, sparks and other debris blowing into people sitting or standing around the fire. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that can easily adapt to changing directions of wind. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that can be used with fire pits and campfires of various sizes and configurations. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that is portable and can be used in different outdoor settings. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that keeps the flame centered, thereby allowing people to enjoy the fire pit in windy conditions. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a fire pit flame protection device that improves safety around an open fire while ensuring people can utilize the flame as needed without smoke, sparks, or ashes blowing on them.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a novel fire pit flame wind screen device for a fire pit or campfire. The fire pit flame wind screen device can enclose a fire pit or can be placed inside a fire pit. More specifically, the device includes four separate longitudinal stakes, a pair of circular rings attached to the inner surface of the stakes, the pair of rings includes an upper ring and a lower ring that are configured to move vertically along the stakes. The upper ring includes a rotating, disc-like wind screen or shield configured to move along a channel within the upper ring surface. The wind screen can be selectively positioned for blocking wind from any direction and helps in maintaining a consistent flame. The height of the wind screen can be adjusted using channel means to accommodate different sizes and configurations of fire pits.
Referring initially to the drawings,
The fire pit wind screen or shield device 100 is a single-unit device made up of a heatproof material and is designed to be fully adjustable to surround and shield fire pits and campfires of different heights. The wind protection device 100 includes four vertical bolted-on stakes or vertical supports 102, 104, 106, 108. A pair of rings comprising an upper ring 110 and a lower ring 112 are bolted to the inner surfaces of the vertical bolted-on stakes 102, 104, 106, 108. The upper ring 110 is configured to move vertically along the channels present on the inner surface of the bolted-on stakes 102, 104, 106, 108. The channels, such as channel 1060, present on the inner surface of the stake 106 provides a mechanism to vertically move the upper ring 110 up and down. The lower ring 112 can be bolted proximal to the bottom of the stakes 102, 104, 106, 108 and provides a support at the base of the stakes.
The upper ring 110 includes a groove 1100 around a circumferential interior periphery. The groove 1100 receives a wind screen 114 which includes a similar radial curvature as the groove 1100 of the ring 110. The wind screen 114 can be moved along, i.e. rotated around, the groove 1100 which acts as a retention channel for the movement of the wind screen 114. The wind screen 114, when positioned in a desired position on the upper ring 110, blocks or shields the wind coming from a particular direction, and thereby prevents the flame from being blown out. A user can easily move the wind screen 114 along or around the groove 1100 with a minimal force. The wind screen 114 can be made from a heatproof material allowing the user to move the screen 114 and adjust the height of the upper ring 110 easily without the fear of being burned by a hot surface of the wind protection device 100.
To provide support to the device 100, a plurality of equally-spaced brackets 116, 118, 120 (the fourth is not shown in the present embodiment) extend outwardly from the exterior surface of the bottom ring 112. The brackets may be permanently or removably attached to the bottom ring 112 and are designed into two pairs of opposing brackets. In one potential embodiment, the brackets are equally-spaced about the circumference of the bottom ring at generally 90-degree increments. The brackets 116, 118, 120 can be placed under the metal lip or bricks of a fire pit or staked into the ground via mechanical fasteners.
The fire pit wind shield 100 assists to block breezes that can compromise a fire, thereby allowing the users to enjoy a steady flame without the worry of smoke, ashes, sparks and other debris blowing out from the fire. The wind screen 114 allows the flame to rise up straight and protects the flame from the wind coming from any direction (i.e. blowing laterally) by placing the screen 114 in a selected position to block the wind.
The fire pit 200 is generally cylindrical in shape and the rings 110, 112 of the fire pit shield 100 include a diameter large enough to enclose the fire pit 200. The wind screen 114 is positioned to block or shield the wind 204 to protect the flame 202. As stated earlier, the wind screen 114 is positioned in the desired position by a user using the handle 1140 and moving (i.e. rotating) the wind screen 114 along the groove of the upper ring 110. It should be noted that the handle 1140 may be removably attached to the exterior surface of the wind screen 114. The wind screen 114 redirects the wind 204 and protects the flame 202 from the wind. The wind screen 114 includes an exterior surface or outer perimeter 125 that is convex in shape and receives the axial flow of wind 204 across the outer perimeter 125 of the screen 114. The screen 114 can include an interior surface or inner perimeter 127 that is concave. Accordingly, the wind screen 114 blocks and also redirects the wind flow to protect and shield the flame 202 of an enclosed fire pit 200. An open region of the upper ring 110 allows escape of generated heat of the flame 202. The wind screen 114 inhibits the escape of burning embers or other smaller portions in a particular direction due to the shielding of the wind and lateral air flow across the flame 202. The wind screen 114 can also be raised a bit to protect the flame 202. It should be noted that the screen 114 can be selectively fastened once it is positioned in the desired direction and height.
Advantageously, the fire pit wind shield 100 of the present invention can be used with any fire pit in such a manner so as to close off, block or shield a side of the fire pit in the event wind 204 is predominantly attacking the fireplace in a particular direction. The shield allows users to enjoy fires and prohibits the wind from directing smoke, ashes and possibly sparks toward the users.
The fire pit wind shield 100 of the present invention is portable and can be removed when the fire pit 200 is not used. The height of the rings can be adjusted and the wind screen 114 can be rotated as per the preferences of the user. The shield 100 is used for any type of campfire and open fire pits. The wind screen 114 can be elevated by pushing within the groove and locking the screen 114. The groove stabilizes the screen 114 at any elevation.
The wind screen 114 is integrated to the upper ring 110 and moves along with the upper ring 110 when the upper ring 110 is adjusted vertically along the channels of the stakes of the shield 100. The handle 1140 can be affixed to the exterior surface of the wind screen 114 using any means known in the art including, but not limited to: screwing, bolting, pinning, nailing, riveting and combinations thereof.
The wind screen 114 can be easily rotated along the groove 1100 of the upper ring 110 without removing the fire pit 400 or any other component. The wind screen 114 can be elevated by pushing within the groove and locking the screen 114. The groove stabilizes the screen 114 at any elevation. It should be appreciated that a grill grate can be placed over the top ring 110 to enable increased utility of the fire pit.
The present invention provides for an easily installed fire pit shield that mount around a fireplace with a wind screen or guard blocking wind attacking the flame enabling a consistent flame on the fire without worry of smoke, ash, and other debris from blowing onto people standing around the fire.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “fire pit wind screen device”, “fire pit shield”, “flame protection device”, “fire pit wind cover”, “device” and “shield” are interchangeable and refer to the fire pit wind screen device 100 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the fire pit wind screen device 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration, and material of the fire pit wind screen device 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the fire pit wind screen device 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the fire pit wind screen device 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the fire pit wind screen device 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/178,211, which was filed on Apr. 22, 2021 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63178211 | Apr 2021 | US |
