Patent Application
20250020329
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
Not applicable.
This present application claims priority to, and benefit from, provisional U.S. Patent Appl. No. 63/526,373, entitled “PORTABLE FIREPLACE HAVING A REFRACTORY MATERIAL,” filed on Jul. 12, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates generally to a portable fireplace having a refractory material, and namely, a portable fireplace having a liner comprising refractory material that is positioned within a burn chamber of the portable fireplace.
A fireplace remains central to social gatherings in residential buildings, such as a household hearth or outdoor piece. A fireplace also provides necessary heat to individuals during cooler months of the year, whether such heat is coupled with, provided apart from, central heating and cooling. Traditional fireplaces rely on wood as a source for generating fire. Burning wood, however, generates smoke that is volatile, noxious, or otherwise carcinogenic. For example, the burning of wood outputs various harmful chemicals and compounds, such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dioxins, lead, cadmium, and arsenic. The burning of wood also generates oppressive or offensive odors and soot. While alternative sources for fireplaces have been proposed, such as natural gas, each of these alternative sources leave open the possibility for unwanted or unintentional combustion, due to an inadvertent buildup of flammable gas. Moreover, each of these alternative sources allow for an intrusion of other chemicals toxic to an individual, including (without limitation) carbon monoxide (CO) and other molecules capable of suffocating or harming an individual.
Recently, others have sought to develop fireplaces that are easily portable, and which use alternative fuels sources that do not produce noxious or dangerous chemicals as in burning wood or natural gas. These fireplaces, which may be comprised of various refractory or castable material, often have a burn chamber (or other enclosure) disposed therein, in which an alternative fuel, such as ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, may be deposited in the burn chamber. Once ignited, the alternative fuel may produce a flame that is substantially or completely non-smoke generating, and which does not produce noxious or dangerous chemicals. While these fireplaces have been innovative with respect to the use of less noxious fuel sources, these fireplaces still pose a potential health and safety risk. To the extent these fireplaces are tipped over, or otherwise inverted, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the alternative fuel source may spill out, or otherwise exit, the burn chamber. As a result, any area on which the fuel source has spilled may be subject to combustion in the same way the fuel source is, thereby leading to potential personal injury or property damage.
Given the need for using safer fuel sources in conjunction with fireplaces- and in particular, fireplaces that are portable- and in light of the risk associated with inadvertent spillage of an alternative fuel source from a burn chamber in the fireplace, there is a need to provide a portable or otherwise mobile fireplace that overcomes the foregoing limitations.
The present disclosure addresses the problems identified above, amongst others. Implementations consistent with the present disclosure provide a portable fireplace having a liner disposed within a burn chamber, the liner comprising a refractory material. The liner may receive a flammable substance, such as ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, and also absorb at least a portion of the flammable substance. Not only does flammable substance, when ignited, not produce the harmful particulates or noxious chemicals, as specified in the “Background” section, but also at least a portion of the flammable substance is absorbed within the liner. By having at least a portion of the flammable substance absorbed in the liner, there is very little risk associated with inadvertent or accidental spillage of the flammable substance-especially when the flammable substance has already been ignited by a user of the portable fireplace. As such, a user of the portable fireplace may move or otherwise manipulate the portable fireplace, with the minimal risk of incurring personal injury or damaging property due to unintentional spillage of the ignited flammable substance.
In the context of a portable fireplace, optional embodiments of a portable fireplace having a receptacle and a refractory liner are provided herein. The receptacle may include a base and wall. The wall may extend upward from the base, wherein an interior side of the wall and an interior side of the base may define a burn chamber. The burn chamber may be open to an environmental external to the receptacle. The refractory liner may be positioned within the burn chamber. The refractory liner may engage the interior side of the base and the interior side of the wall. The refractory liner may be configured to receive and absorb at least a portion of a flammable substance, such as ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, or a combination thereof.
In a particular embodiment, a portable fireplace is disclosed. The portable fireplace may include a receptacle and a refractory liner. The receptacle may have a base and wall, wherein the wall extends upward from the base. An interior side of the wall and an interior side of the base may define a burn chamber open to an environment external to the receptacle. The refractory liner may be positioned within the burn chamber, and the refractory liner may engage the interior side of the base and the interior side of the wall. The refractory liner may be configured to receive and absorb at least a portion of a flammable substance.
In one aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the refractory liner may engage the interior side of the base and at least a portion of the interior side of the wall.
In another aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the refractory liner may comprise at least one of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) or silicon oxide (SiO2), or a combination thereof.
In another aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the refractory liner may have a refractory exterior side opposite a refractory interior side. The refractory exterior side of the refractory liner may engage the interior side of the wall.
As an exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the portable fireplace may further include a ceramic-based mesh. The ceramic-based mesh may engage the refractory interior side of the refractory liner and may be configured to limit a flammability of the flammable substance by minimizing an intake of oxygen (O2).
In another exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the ceramic-based mesh may comprise at least one of an alumina- or silica-based ceramic fiber, or a combination thereof.
In another aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the flammable material may comprise at least one of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, or a combination thereof.
In another aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the receptacle may comprise at least one of ceramic, high-temperature refractory metal, heat-resistant stone, granite, marble, limestone, sandstone, slate, quartz, ceramic, concrete, ceramic, or a castable refractory material, or a combination thereof.
In another aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the receptacle may have a generally spherical geometry, a generally cylindrical geometry, or a generally polyhedral geometry.
In another aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the interior side of the wall may have an exterior side of the wall opposite thereto.
As an exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, an exterior side of the wall and the interior side of the wall may co-extend upward from the base, such that the exterior side of the wall and the interior side of the wall form an upper portion of the receptacle. The upper portion may define an opening to the burn chamber.
In another exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, a surface of the upper portion of the receptacle may be generally perpendicular to a plane defined by the interior side of the wall and a plane defined by the exterior side of the wall.
In another exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the portable fireplace may further include a collar. The collar may be positioned atop the upper portion of the receptacle. The collar may have geometrical dimensions that decrease a size of the opening to the burn chamber so as to limit exposure of the burn chamber to the environment external to the receptacle.
In another exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the portable fireplace may further include a collar positioned adjacent to the upper portion of the receptacle. The collar may have geometrical dimensions that decrease a size of the opening to the burn chamber so as to limit exposure of the burn chamber to the environment external to the receptacle.
In another exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, an inner surface of the upper portion of the receptacle may define the opening to the burn chamber and at least a portion of the collar may contact the inner surface of the upper portion of the receptacle.
In another exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the collar may be removably coupleable to the upper portion of the receptacle.
In another exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the collar may be configured to couple to the upper portion of the receptacle via an interference fit between a substantially round outer edge of the collar and an inner surface of the upper portion of the receptacle.
In another aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the environment external to the receptacle may comprise at least one of oxygen (O2), ammonia (NH3), butane (C4H10), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), or propane (C3H8), or a combination thereof.
In another particular embodiment, a portable fireplace is disclosed. The portable fireplace may include a receptacle and a refractory liner. The receptacle may have a base and wall, wherein the wall has a wall interior side opposite from a wall exterior side. The base may have a base interior side opposite from a base exterior side. The wall may extend upward from the base, such that the wall exterior side and the wall interior side form an upper portion of the receptacle. The wall interior side and the base interior side may define a burn chamber. The refractory liner may be positioned within the burn chamber. The refractory liner may engage the base interior side and the wall interior side. The refractory liner may be configured to receive and absorb at least a portion of a flammable substance.
In another aspect according to the above-referenced embodiment, the portable fireplace may further comprise a collar positioned adjacent to the upper portion of the receptacle. The collar may have geometrical dimensions that decrease a size of an opening to the burn chamber so as to limit exposure of the burn chamber to an environment external to the receptacle.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the embodiments of the disclosure be considered in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive. Any headings utilized in the description are for convenience only and no legal or limiting effect. Numerous objects, features, and advantages of the embodiments set forth herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading of the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated in more detail with reference to the drawings.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more drawings of which are set forth herein. Each drawing is provided by way of explanation of the present disclosure and is not a limitation. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment.
While the making and using of various embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the disclosure.
Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Other objects, features, and aspects of the present disclosure are disclosed in, or are obvious from, the following detailed description. It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present disclosure. Referring generally to
Referring to
When viewed from a top plan or bottom plan view, or when viewed from a top-perspective view as in
The wall 30 and the base 40 of the receptacle 20 may define and enclose (or otherwise contain) a burn chamber 22, as discussed further below. By and through an opening 74, as depicted in
As shown in
The wall 30 may be continuous, as shown in
Referring to
As shown in
Referring to
Still referring to
The plate 92 may be lowered, or otherwise placed, atop the upper surface 70 of the receptacle 20, such that the plate internal surface 96 engages the upper surface 70 to seal the opening 74 of the burn chamber 22 from environmental conditions external to the portable fireplace 10. Where the flammable substance 14 is ignited, such that the flame 12 is produced, the plate 92 of the lid 90 may be lowered, or otherwise placed, atop the upper surface 70 to extinguish the flame 12. Moreover, the plate 92 may cover the upper surface 70 from a user's inadvertent contact with the upper surface 70, where the receptacle 20 was heated by combustion of the flammable substance 14. The handle 98 may be connected or otherwise attached to the external surface 94 of the plate 92. The handle 98 may enable a user of the portable fireplace 10 to removably engage the plate 92 of the lid 90 on and away from the upper surface 70 of the receptacle 20. In optional embodiments, the handle 98 comprises a centrally located knob connected with the plate 92, such that the plate 92 additionally shields the user's hand from the flame 12 as the plate 92 is positioned atop the receptacle 20 of the portable fireplace 10.
Referring to
Referring to
The refractory liner 50 may be configured to not only receive the flammable substance 14 in the burn chamber 22, as shown in
As stated above, the refractory liner 50 may be configured to receive the flammable substance 14 in the burn chamber 22. The refractory liner 50 may further be configured to absorb at least a portion of the flammable substance 14. The refractory liner 50 may be configured to absorb the entirety of the flammable substance 14, or a portion of the flammable substance 14. For example, the refractory liner 50 may absorb an amount of flammable substance 14 such that the refractory liner 50 is fully or substantially saturated. The refractory liner 50 may be formed by woven ceramic, or the refractory liner 50 may comprise a material comprising alumina and/or silica, such as aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and silica oxide (SiO2). In embodiments where the refractory liner 50 comprises aluminum oxide and silica oxide, the chemical composition may range as follows: from about forty-five percent (45%) to about fifty-five percent (55%) of aluminum oxide, and from about forty-five percent (45%) to about fifty-five percent (55%) of silicon oxide. As to embodiments chemically composed of aluminum oxide and silica oxide, the refractory liner 50 may have the physical properties, as shown in Table 1.
The refractory liner 50 has low thermal conductivity and high-temperature stability, with resistance to thermal shock upon experiencing combustion. The refractory liner 50, which may derive from a vacuum-formed ceramic fiberboard, may further comprise organic and inorganic binders as part of the chemical composition comprising, in optional embodiments, aluminum oxide and silicon oxide. In those embodiments in which the refractory liner 50 contains organic and inorganic binders, the binders will dissipate or vaporize upon being submerged or dipped into colloidal silica and thereby subjected to a temperature between about 400° F.-500° F.—as when the refractory liner 50 is set aflame vis-à-vis combustion of the flammable material 14. In optional embodiments, the refractory liner 50 may be comprised of a heat-resistant material, such as ISAFORM 2300, as prepared by Insulation Specialties of America Inc.
As stated above, the refractory liner 50 may be configured to receive and absorb at least a portion of the flammable substance 14, as deposited, poured, or otherwise provided to the refractory liner 50 through the opening 74 of the burn chamber 22. Where the refractory liner 50 receives and absorbs at least a portion of the flammable substance 14, the flammable substance 14 may burn for a period of time (the “burn time”) corresponding to the amount or quantity of the flammable substance 14 deposited, poured, or otherwise provided to the refractory liner 50 in the burn chamber 22. For example, with 4 ounces of flammable substance 14, in this case 99% isopropyl alcohol, the refractory liner 50 can allow the flammable substance 14 to burn for around 91 minutes, whereas a comparable receptacle not having the refractory liner 50 can only burn for around 43 minutes using 4 ounces of the same flammable substance 14. In another example, with 12 ounces of flammable substance 14, the refractory liner 50 can allow the flammable substance 14 to burn for around 200 minutes, whereas a comparable receptacle not having the refractory liner 50 can only burn for 45 minutes using 5 ounces of flammable substance 14. Burn time, however, may increase in conjunction with the quantity of the flammable substance 14 deposited, poured, or otherwise provided to (and/or absorbed by) the refractory liner 50 in the burn chamber 22. Burn time may also depend upon a number of other factors, including: a percentage of isopropyl alcohol or ethanol present in the chemical composition of the flammable substance 14, where such flammable substance 14 comprises isopropyl alcohol or ethanol; ambient air temperature or humidity conditions, i.e., the temperature or humidity of the environment external to the portable fireplace 10; the then-current temperature of the receptable 20, and, in particular, the then-current temperature of the burn chamber 22 defined, at least in part, by the wall interior side 32 and the base interior side 42; and the thickness of the refractory liner 50, as measured by the distance from the refractory interior side 52 to the refractory exterior side 54.
The refractory liner 50 provides a number of advantages. First, by burning the flammable substance 14, wherein the flammable substance 14 is received and absorbed by the refractory liner 50, the base exterior side 44 of the base 40 and/or the wall exterior side 34 of the wall 30 may have a lower temperature by plus (+) or minus (−) 70° F. By having a lower temperature, a user may safely touch, grab, hold, or otherwise manipulate the receptacle 20 of the portable fireplace 10, with a minimized risk of bodily injury to the user. Second, because the refractory liner 50 absorbs at least a portion of the flammable substance 14, the flammable substance 14 may not be intentionally or unintentionally spilled out of the burn chamber 22 of the receptacle 20. Absorption of the flammable substance 14 by the refractory liner 50 thus reduces a risk of personal injury, property damage, or fire hazard, given that tip-over (or another inversion) will not spill the flammable substance 14, especially when the flammable substance 14 has already been ignited.
Referring to
The ceramic-based mesh 60 may be formed by a material comprising alumina- and/or silica-based ceramics or ceramic-fibers, and in optional embodiments, may be mechanically reinforced with fiberglass filaments or various metal alloys, including steel wire or threads. The ceramic-based mesh 60 has low thermal conductivity, resistance to thermal shock, and high-temperature resistance, and in optional embodiments, the ceramic-based mesh 60 may have the physical properties shown in Table 2.
While the ceramic-based mesh 60 is heat-resistant and non-flammable, the ceramic-based mesh 60 may influence the combustion of the flammable substance 14 or the magnitude of the flame 12. This is referred to as the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of the ceramic-based mesh 60. The LOI is defined as a minimum concentration of oxygen (O2), expressed as a volume percentage, in a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen that support a combustion of a material resting at room temperature until ignited. The ceramic-based mesh 60, particularly in those embodiments reinforced by fiberglass filaments or various metal alloys, may reduce the flammability of the flammable substance 14, thereby resulting in a decreased magnitude of the flame 12 or the scope of combustion of the flammable substance 14. The ceramic-based mesh 60 may function as fillers and thermal insulators, thereby increasing the LOI of the materials in the burn chamber 22, which in turn limits, reduces, or minimizes an intake of oxygen in the burn chamber 22. By reducing the combustion of the flammable substance 14 or the scope of the flame 12, the portable fireplace 10 may be configured for safer use, such that a user may move, operate, place on a surface, or otherwise manipulate the portable fireplace 10 without a greater risk for personal injury or property damage due to the breadth of flame 12.
Referring to
In accordance with other aspects of the disclosure, as shown in
Like the wall interior side 32 and/or the base interior side 42 of the receptacle 20, the collar 72 may be formed of various heat-resistant materials separate and distinct from other aspects of the receptacle 20 (e.g., the wall exterior side 34 or the base exterior side 44), including the materials listed with respect to the composition of the receptable 20. The collar 72 may have geometric dimensions configured to limit exposure of the burn chamber 22 to the environment external to the burn chamber 22 of the receptacle 20. Stated differently, the collar 72 may be of a size, shape, or configuration that decreases a size of the opening 74 to the burn chamber 22, thereby limiting exposure of the burn chamber 22 to external conditions, which could include any one or more of oxygen (O2), ammonia (NH3), butane (C4H10), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), or propane (C3H8), or a combination thereof. In the case of oxygen, the collar 72 may reduce the intake of oxygen (O2) into the burn chamber 22, thereby reducing the combustion of the flammable substance 14 or the scope of the flame 12. Like the mesh-based ceramic 60, the collar 72 may render the portable fireplace 10 safer, such that a user may move, operate, place on a surface, or otherwise manipulate the portable fireplace 10 without a greater risk for personal injury or property damage due to the breadth of the flame 12.
To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein, a number of terms have been defined above (and below). The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present disclosure. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the disclosure, but their usage does not delimit the disclosure, except as set forth in the claims.
The terms “attached,” “connected,” and “engaged,” and the like, or any variation thereof, should generally be interpreted to mean any manner of joining two objects including, but not limited to, the use of any fasteners such as screws, nuts and bolts, bolts, pin and clevis, and the like allowing for a stationary, translatable, or pivotable relationship; welding of any kind such as traditional MIG welding, TIG welding, friction welding, brazing, soldering, ultrasonic welding, torch welding, inductive welding, and the like; using any resin, glue, epoxy, and the like; being integrally formed as a single part together; any mechanical fit such as a friction fit, interference fit, slidable fit, rotatable fit, pivotable fit, and the like; any combination thereof; and the like.
Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take at least the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context dictates otherwise. The meanings identified below do not necessarily limit the terms, but merely provide illustrative examples for the terms. The meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” may include plural references, and the meaning of “in” may include “in” and “on.” The phrase “in one embodiment,” “in optional embodiments,” or “in another embodiment,” and variations thereof, as used herein, do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. As used herein, the phrase “one or more of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the items may be used and only one of each item in the list may be needed. For example, “one or more of” item A, item B, and item C may include, for example, without limitation, item A or item A and item B. This example also may include item A, item B, and item C, or item Band item C.
Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. The conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
As used herein, the term “about” is used to mean approximately, roughly, around, or in the region of. When the term “about” is used in conjunction with a numerical range, it modifies that range by extending the boundaries above and below the numerical values set forth. In general, the term “about” is used herein to modify a numerical value above and below the stated value by a variance of twenty-five percent (25%) up or down (higher or lower), unless stated otherwise in the disclosure.
The previous detailed description has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of a new and useful PORTABLE FIREPLACE HAVING A REFRACTORY MATERIAL, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this disclosure except as set forth in the following claims. Thus, it is seen that the apparatus, methods, and/or systems of the present disclosure readily achieve the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While certain preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described for present purposes, numerous changes in the arrangement and construction of parts and steps may be made by those skilled in the art, which changes are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63526373 | Jul 2023 | US |
