Patent Application
20200240642
The present invention relates to combustion devices and, particularly, for a combustion device design that allows enhancing the heat dissipation capability.
The decorative fireplaces provide heat and are adapted to be used for ornamentation. However, these conventional indoor combustion fireplaces have smokes or incomplete combustion problems due to combustion in the limited semi-enclosed space of the house. To solve the problems, it is necessary to have a chimney that forces indoor air convection. Further, when the fireplace operate for a long period, it generates heat significantly. In recent years, a direct vent gas fireplace has become the mainstream of the use of large fireplaces because it intakes and exhausts outdoors, conform to well-established regulations, and has safer peripherals. Further, for places such as an apartment or places with a fixed heating and air conditioning configuration, it is not possible to use a chimney. Therefore, in recent years, there is a growth in the market for a small-scale but high-efficiency, chimney-free fireplace.
Chimney-free fireplaces often use gas or biofuel. The fireplace that burns biofuel is favored by some consumers mainly because the device cost is lower and the installation is more convenient. Further, the fuel is easily obtainable, and the environmental friendly issue is also one of the concerns. The types of biofuel fireplaces, which emerge in the market in recent years, include indoor, outdoor, mobile fireplaces. The biofuel fireplace generally has a large volume and a large combustion scale. Thus, it provides a good heating and warming effect and has advantages regarding the exterior design of the fireplace, the aesthetics of a flame, and convenience. Despite the advantages, common fireplaces often create high-temperature risks due to its simple structure. Basically, the surrounding air is heated and rises during the combustion, so most of the heat will flow above the flame due to heat convection. After the surrounding air is heated, most of the heat is transferred upwards, only a small fraction of the heat is radiated and transmitted in horizontal and below the combustion. Therefore, if the fireplace is used indoors for a long period, the high-temperature on the fireplace may cause risks to users and create damages to the surrounding.
Thus, there is a need to resolve the hot-surface problem during the combustion, especially after a long-period use. If the size of the combustion chamber of a fireplace is too small, it is difficult to dissipate heat effectively and usually to create high surface temperature on the cosmetic that is not safe for a user to touch. A common solution to reduce the surface temperature of the fireplace is by increasing the chamber size and cover the surfaces with insulation. However, this solution often entails increasing the size of the fireplace and causing the visual effect of the flame to be mismatched with the size of the fireplace.
The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.
According to the present invention, a combustion device that allows heat dissipation includes a body having a top end, a bottom end, a front end, and a rear end, with the top end and the bottom end on opposite ends along a vertical direction, and with the front end and the rear end on opposite ends along a horizontal direction. The body defines a firebox. The body includes a viewing window, an upper plate, a first air passage, and a second air passage. The viewing window is adjacent to the front end of the body and in front of the firebox. The upper plate is adjacent to a top side of the firebox that is adjacent to the top end of the body. The first air passage is disposed on the side of the upper plate different from that of the firebox and extends from a first end that is adjacent to the rear end of the body to a second end that is adjacent to the front end of the body. An outlet of the first air passage is at the second end of the first air passage and adjacent to the viewing window. The second air passage is adjacent to the back side of the firebox that is adjacent to the rear end of the body and has a communication opening at an end communicated with the firebox. The communication opening extends along the vertical direction and is at a height higher than a height of a bottom side of the firebox and lower than a height of the top side of the firebox Further, a burner is disposed within and adjacent to the bottom side of the firebox.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
Other objectives, advantages, and new features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanied drawings.
The body 20 defines a firebox 21. The body 20 includes a viewing window 211. The viewing window 211 is adjacent to the front end 203 of the body 20 and in front of the firebox 21. The body 20 includes an upper plate 22. The upper plate 22 is adjacent to a top side of the firebox 21 that is adjacent to the top end 201 of the body 20. The upper plate 22 is disposed between the first and the second lateral sides 205 and 206.
The body 20 include an air passage 23 and an air passage 24. The air passage 23 is disposed on a side of the upper plate 22 different from that of the firebox 21. The air passage 23 extends from a first end that is adjacent to the rear end 204 of the body 20 to a second end that is adjacent to the front end 203 of the body 20. An outlet 231 of the first air passage 23 is at the second end of the first air passage 23 and adjacent to the viewing window 211. The air passage 24 is adjacent to a back side of the firebox 21 that is adjacent to the rear end 204 of the body 20. The air passage 24 has a communication opening 241 at an end communicated with the firebox 21 and the first air passage 23. The communication opening 241 extends along the vertical direction and is at a height higher than a height of a bottom side of the firebox 21 and lower than a height of the top side of the firebox 21.
The body 20 includes a hole adapted for inducting outside air to the second air passage 24. Specifically, an external frame 26 of the body 20 includes an air inlet hole 261 extending therein for inducting air outside of the body 20. The air inlet hole extends 261 through the body 20.
A burner 30 is disposed within and adjacent to the bottom side of the firebox 21. The body 20 includes a support 25 for the burner 30. The support 25 is adjacent to the bottom side of the firebox 21. The support 25 includes a lower plate 251 connected thereto. The lower plate 251 is spaced from the rear end 204 of the body 20 and the air passage 24 is disposed between the lower plate 251 and the rear end 204 of the body 20. The air passage 24 is disposed between the lower plate 251 and the external frame 26 of the body 20.
The burner 30 includes a fuel container 31 and a wick 32. The wick 32 burns when it is lit and includes a first distal end for drawing fuel up disposed in the fuel container 31 and a second distal end for producing a flame disposed outside the fuel container 31.
The burner 30 includes two shields 33 disposed on opposite sides of the wick 32. The second distal end of the wick 32 is disposed at a lower height than top sides of the shields 33. The flame extends along the vertical direction and between the shields 33. Further, the shields 33 can prevent the flame from blowing around excessively.
The burner 30 includes a tray 34 disposed above the fuel container 31. The wick 32 extends through the tray 34 and includes the second distal end disposed within a recess defined by the tray 34. The burner 30 includes a heat insulating member 34 disposed in a space between the fuel container 31 and the tray 34.
When the combustion devices 10 is operating, the burner 30 burns, so the temperature of the upper plate 22 increases after air heated by the burner 30 rises. Further, air in the first air passage 23 flows out of the combustion device 10 from the air outlet 231. Further, air in the viewing window 211 and adjacent to the top end 201 will be guided to flow outward by the air flow of the first air passage 23, and outside air can enter the firebox 21 from a position of the viewing window 211 that is adjacent to the bottom end 202, so that the circulation can continuously cause the heat in the firebox 21 to dissipate outwardly. Further, the combustion device 10 allows air to flow into the firebox 21 through the second air passage 24, resulting that airflows in the firebox 21 flows stably outward and the temperature of the combustion device 10 adjacent to the rear end 204 is prevented from getting too hot.
The merits of the combustion devices 10 and 10a of the present application are as follows:
When the combustion devices 10 and 10a are operating, the temperatures of the bodies 20 and 20a are relatively lower compared to that of the fireboxes 21 and 21a. The temperatures of the external frames 26 and 26a of the bodies 20 and 20a are less than 70 degrees Celsius and the temperatures of the plates 22, 22a, 251, 262a, and 263a can reach as high as 150 degrees Celsius as measured. Further, a thermo imager shows that colors of regions of the external frames 26 and 26a of the bodies 20 and 20a adjacent to the fireboxes 21 and 21a are yellow, colors of regions of the external frames 26 and 26a of the bodies 20 and 20a distal to the fireboxes 21 and 21a are green, and colors of the fireboxes 21 and 21a and the plates 22, 22a, 251, 262a, and 263a disposed at the top and the back of the fireboxes 21 and 21a are red, so the temperatures of the external frames 26 and 26a of the bodies 20 and 20a are relatively lower compared to that of the fireboxes 21 and 21a and the plates 22, 22a, 251, 262a, and 263a.
The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 108103462 | Jan 2019 | TW | national |
