GB2081890A

GB2081890A - Room heater

Info

Publication number: GB2081890A
Application number: GB8121247A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: FEATURE FIRES Ltd
Current assignee: FEATURE FIRES Ltd
Priority date: 1980-08-08
Filing date: 1981-07-09
Publication date: 1982-02-24
Also published as: GB2081890B

Abstract

Conventional "Gas Log" fires include a bed of silica sand or like particulate material through which gas percolates, being ignited at the surface to produce a flame which plays around imitation logs or imitation coal lumps (112). Such an arrangement is herein called a sand burner grate. In a room heater including a sand burner grate, a plurality of tubes (206) extend through the sand bed with open ends at or towards the front of the heater, and a blower (106) is arranged to suck in air from externally of the heater and blow it through the tubes so that in use warm air is fed into the room from the open ends. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Room heater This invention relates to a room heater for domestic use or for use in public rooms.

Conventional "Gas Logs" fires include a bed of silica sand or like particulate material through which gas percolates, being ignited at the surface to produce a flame which plays around imitation logs or imitation coal lumps. Such an arrangement is herein called a sand burner grate. These grates have proved attractive in appearance but their disadvantage is that they do not significantly heat the room.

They are thus wasteful of energy.

According to the invention, there is provided a room heating including a sand burner grate characterised in that a plurality of tubes extend through the sand bed with open ends at or towards the front of the heater, and a blower is arranged to suck in air from externally of the heater and blow it through the tubes so that in use warm air is fed into the room from the open ends.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the blower is a tangential blower having a substantially cylindrical rotor, and this is located at the rear of and slightly beneath the sand bed, with the blower axis extending across the width of the grate. An air manifold connected to the entry (rear) ends of the tubes may be disposed to partly surround the rotor.

The tubes may be of any cross-sectional shape.

Rectangular or square cross-section tubes have proved satisfactory. The tubes may be arranged substantially in a horizontal plane so that they splay out as viewed in plan, so directing an expanding fan of warm air into the room. The blower may be driven by an electric motor.

The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting description, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one example of a room heater according to the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic cross-section in a front-to-rear vertical plane of the principal parts shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view from the rear showing the tubes located in a sand tray forming part of the heater shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a perspective view from the front showing the sand tray, the open ends of the tubes, and the simulated fuel elements.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, the room heater illustrated includes three parts, namely a body assembly 10, a front and side cover 20, and a decorative fret 30. The body assembly 10 includes a sand tray 100, supporting legs 102, and side-plates 104. A rotary blower 106 is mounted at the rear of and below the sand tray 100. An inlet pipe 108 for combustible gas leads into a burner, not shown in Figure 1, located beneath the sand in the sand tray.

An electrical lead 110 supplies power to an electric motor, not shown, which drives the rotary blower 106.

On top of the sand in the sand tray 100 is place simulated fuel elements such as ceramic logs or ceramic simulated coal lumps 112. Ceramic material may be used for such lumps, suitable materials being available as they are already employed in conventional "Gas logs" fires.

Referring now to Figures 2,3 and 4, the silica sand is seen at 202 and a gas burner at 204. An array of tubes one of which is seen at 206 extend through the sand and their open ends 208, Figure 4, project from the front of the sand tray.

Acasing 210 partly surrounds the rotor 212 of the rotary blower and the casing has a first aperture 214 constituting an air intake and another aperture 216 whereby air under pressure is fed into a manifold 218 and thence into the array of tubes 206.

It will be seen that the rotor 212 of the blower is located with its longitudinal axis extending transversely across the room heater, towards the rear thereof, and air is drawn in beneath the sand tray, passed via the manifold 218 into the array of tubes 206, wherein it is heated by the heat in the silica sand. The resulting warm air is expelled from the tube outer ends 208 into the room, providing useful sensible heat in the room.

The room heater described and illustrated may conveniently be fitted in a conventional grate, and any spent gases are vented via the normal fireplace solid fuel type flue. The silica sand is filled in the tray to a level just above the top wall of the tubes, and it will be appreciated that tubes of any desired crosssectional shape may be employed. Also, any form of blower may be employed although the kind described is preferred.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, a similar arrangement of air-conducting tubes may be arranged to pass through a grate in which solid fuel is burnt, there being an air blower associated with the grate for forcing air through the tubes so that warm air, heated by the burning of such fuel, is blown into the room and so supplies an enhanced amount of convective heat.

1. A room heater including a sand burner grate characterised in that a plurality of tubes extend through the sand bed with open ends at or towards the front of the heater, and a blower is arranged to suck in air from externally of the heater and blow it through the tubes so that in use warm air is fed into the room from the open ends.

2. A heater according to claim 1 in which the blower is a tangential blower having a substantially cylindrical rotor, and this is located at the rear of and slightly beneath the sand bed, with the blower axis extending across the width of the grate.

3. A heater according to claim 2 in which an air manifold connected to the entry (rear) ends of the tubes is disposed to partly surround the rotor.

4. A heater according to claim 1,2 or 3 in which the tubes are arranged substantially in a horizontal plane so that they splay out as viewed in plan, so as to direct an expanding fan of warmed air into a room wherein the grate is located.

5. A grate for burning solid fuel which has a plurality of tubes extending therethrough in a rear

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Room heater This invention relates to a room heater for domestic use or for use in public rooms. Conventional "Gas Logs" fires include a bed of silica sand or like particulate material through which gas percolates, being ignited at the surface to produce a flame which plays around imitation logs or imitation coal lumps. Such an arrangement is herein called a sand burner grate. These grates have proved attractive in appearance but their disadvantage is that they do not significantly heat the room. They are thus wasteful of energy. According to the invention, there is provided a room heating including a sand burner grate characterised in that a plurality of tubes extend through the sand bed with open ends at or towards the front of the heater, and a blower is arranged to suck in air from externally of the heater and blow it through the tubes so that in use warm air is fed into the room from the open ends. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the blower is a tangential blower having a substantially cylindrical rotor, and this is located at the rear of and slightly beneath the sand bed, with the blower axis extending across the width of the grate. An air manifold connected to the entry (rear) ends of the tubes may be disposed to partly surround the rotor. The tubes may be of any cross-sectional shape. Rectangular or square cross-section tubes have proved satisfactory. The tubes may be arranged substantially in a horizontal plane so that they splay out as viewed in plan, so directing an expanding fan of warm air into the room. The blower may be driven by an electric motor. The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting description, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one example of a room heater according to the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic cross-section in a front-to-rear vertical plane of the principal parts shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view from the rear showing the tubes located in a sand tray forming part of the heater shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a perspective view from the front showing the sand tray, the open ends of the tubes, and the simulated fuel elements. Referring firstly to Figure 1, the room heater illustrated includes three parts, namely a body assembly 10, a front and side cover 20, and a decorative fret 30. The body assembly 10 includes a sand tray 100, supporting legs 102, and side-plates 104. A rotary blower 106 is mounted at the rear of and below the sand tray 100. An inlet pipe 108 for combustible gas leads into a burner, not shown in Figure 1, located beneath the sand in the sand tray. An electrical lead 110 supplies power to an electric motor, not shown, which drives the rotary blower 106. On top of the sand in the sand tray 100 is place simulated fuel elements such as ceramic logs or ceramic simulated coal lumps 112. Ceramic material may be used for such lumps, suitable materials being available as they are already employed in conventional "Gas logs" fires. Referring now to Figures 2,3 and 4, the silica sand is seen at 202 and a gas burner at 204. An array of tubes one of which is seen at 206 extend through the sand and their open ends 208, Figure 4, project from the front of the sand tray. Acasing 210 partly surrounds the rotor 212 of the rotary blower and the casing has a first aperture 214 constituting an air intake and another aperture 216 whereby air under pressure is fed into a manifold 218 and thence into the array of tubes 206. It will be seen that the rotor 212 of the blower is located with its longitudinal axis extending transversely across the room heater, towards the rear thereof, and air is drawn in beneath the sand tray, passed via the manifold 218 into the array of tubes 206, wherein it is heated by the heat in the silica sand. The resulting warm air is expelled from the tube outer ends 208 into the room, providing useful sensible heat in the room. The room heater described and illustrated may conveniently be fitted in a conventional grate, and any spent gases are vented via the normal fireplace solid fuel type flue. The silica sand is filled in the tray to a level just above the top wall of the tubes, and it will be appreciated that tubes of any desired crosssectional shape may be employed. Also, any form of blower may be employed although the kind described is preferred. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, a similar arrangement of air-conducting tubes may be arranged to pass through a grate in which solid fuel is burnt, there being an air blower associated with the grate for forcing air through the tubes so that warm air, heated by the burning of such fuel, is blown into the room and so supplies an enhanced amount of convective heat. CLAIMS

5. A grate for burning solid fuel which has a plurality of tubes extending therethrough in a rear to-front direction, the tubes being arranged in a fan-shaped array as seen in plan and there being an air blower associated with the grate for feeding cool air into the entry ends of the tubes located at the rear of the grate.

6. A room heater substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.