GB2379008A

GB2379008A - Heating apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2379008A
Application number: GB0112076A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Adams
Original assignee: Valor Ltd
Current assignee: Valor Ltd
Priority date: 2001-05-17
Filing date: 2001-05-17
Publication date: 2003-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 2021-05-17
Also published as: GB2379008B; GB0112076D0

Abstract

A heating apparatus 10 has means for burning fuel 22 and a flue spigot or conduit 26 for removing combustion products into a flue wherein an adjustable restrictor 36 extends into the spigot for varying the flow of combustion products. The spigot 26 may be a flattened rectangular tube with a slot, into which the plate-like restrictor 36 is guided vertically by a guide plate 60, in a direction perpendicular to the flow of the exhaust gases. The restrictor preferably has a handle 54 which projects out of the spigot 26. Retaining means such as a screw may be provided to secure the restrictor 36 in position. An aperture may be provided so that the restrictor and retaining means are accessible when the apparatus is installed. The adjustable restrictor allows the draught up the flue to be varied thereby optimising combustion without un-installing the apparatus.

Description

DESCRIPTION HEATING APPARATUS The present invention relates to heating apparatus and in particular to indoor heating apparatus which produce combustion products to be exhausted to atmosphere.

Many types of indoor heating apparatus produce heat by burning gaseous fuel such as natural gas. Depending on the type of apparatus, it is often necessary to vent the combustion products to atmosphere. This is normally achieved by directing the combustion products out of the apparatus into a flue which conveys the products to the exterior. If is often necessary to place a restrictor or baffle in the path of the combustion products in order to modify the draught through the flue to achieve satisfactory venting of combustion products and to ensure that the apparatus operates efficiently.

For any particular heating apparatus, several restrictors or baffles of different sizes are provided, only one of which is fitted The procedure is to install the heating apparatus and then to ascertain (e. g. by a spillage test or smoke test) whether the combustion products are being adequately vented. If not, it is necessary to isolate the fuel supply, remove the apparatus, fit a restrictor or baffle, re-install the apparatus, reconnect the fuel supply and retest the venting of the combustion products. It may be necessary to repeat this process one or more times with restrictors or baffles of different sizes in order to select the restrictor or baffle which optimises venting and/or combustion.

Clearly, this procedure is very time-consuming (and therefore costly) since the

apparatus must be removed and re-installed each time a different restrictor or baffle is fitted.

In accordance with the present invention, a heating apparatus comprises means for burning fuel and conduit means for guiding combustion products out of the apparatus into a flue, the apparatus further comprising restrictor means extending into the conduit means, the restrictor means being adjustable for varying the flow of combustion products.

By having an adjustable restrictor means, it is possible to achieve more accurate venting of the apparatus and to optimise combustion more quickly and easily.

Preferably, the conduit means comprises a flue spigot for directing combustion gases into a flue, the adjustable restrictor means being located in the flue spigot.

Preferably, the adjustable restrictor means comprises a restrictor member whose projection into the spigot flue is adjustable. The restrictor member may conveniently comprise a plate member. The spigot flue may conveniently comprise a flattened rectangular-sectioned tube into which the plate member is extensible.

Preferably, the adjustable restrictor means is accessible to allow adjustment while the heating apparatus is installed. The heating apparatus may comprise an access opening or aperture to allow the restrictor means to be adjusted while the heating apparatus is installed.

By being able to adjust the restrictor means while the heating apparatus is installed, the time taken to fit the apparatus can be greatly reduced. Once the apparatus has been installed, adjustment of the restrictor means can then take place without having to remove the apparatus to fit a different restrictor, in contrast to the

prior art.

By way of example only, a specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional side elevation through an embodiment of heating apparatus in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the heating apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front view of the heating apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a restrictor forming part of the heating apparatus of Fig. 1 ; and Fig. 5 is a perspective front view (partly to an enlarged scale) of the upper portion of the heating apparatus of Fig. 1.

The Figures illustrate a heating apparatus 10 which forms part of a living flame effect fire. The heating apparatus is generally conventional and comprises a heat engine 12 having a base wall 14, an upstanding rear wall 16 and two opposed side walls. In the embodiment artificial coals 18 are illustrated schematically as being stacked on a support 20 and are fed with a combustible gas from one or more burners 22 positioned underneath.

The heat engine further comprises a rearwardly inclined cowling 24 located above the artificial coals 18 and extending approximately parallel to a rearwardly inclined upper portion 16a. The uppermost portion 16b of the rear wall extends substantially vertically and a flue spigot 26 extends horizontally therefore and into a conventional flue. The flue spigot 26 is shaped into a flat rectangular tube and passes through a correspondingly shaped aperture 28 in a back plate 30 to which the heat

engine 12 is secured. The back plate is also provided with two mounting flanges 32, 34 along its vertical side edges, for securing the heating apparatus into a recess or fireback in a wall.

When in use, combustion products rise up from the artificial coals and are directed between the cowling 24 and the rear wall 16 of the heat engine, out through the flue spigot 26 and into the flue to which the flue spigot is connected, as indicated by arrows in Fig. 1.

However, in contrast to the prior art, in the embodiment shown in the Figures, the opening of the 1-lue spigot is adjustable by means of a flue adjustment plate 36 which projects through the upper wall of the flue spigot into the spigot in order to vary the flow of combustion products out of the apparatus.. The adjustment plate 36 has a main planar body portion 38 which is generally rectangular in shape with a rectangular cut-out 40 in its lowermost edge for guiding the movement of the plate 36. The plate is thereby formed into two baffle portions 41 separated by the cut-out 40, as will be explained. Two tabs 42,44 are provided, one at each of the lower comers of the main body portion 38, extending rearwardly and perpendicularly from the main body portion 38 to limit the upward displacement of the adjustment plate 36, as will be explained.

A further elongate rectangular planar portion 46 is coplanar with the main body portion 38 and extends from the centre of the upper edge of the main body portion with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to that of the main body portion. Each vertical side edge of the portion 46 is provided with a tab 48 having a first portion 50 extending coplanar with the portion 46 and a second portion 52 extending rearwardly

and perpendicularly to the portion 46. A further planar projection 54 extends forwardly and perpendicularly from the portion 46 and forms a handle, as will be explained. An elongate aperture 56 is also provided in the portion 46, with its longitudinal axis coincident with that of the elongate portion 46, for receipt of a retaining screw 62. It will also be observed from Fig. 5 that the handle portion 54, one elongate aperture 56 and the retaining screw 62 are readily accessible from the front of the apparatus by means of a cut-out 64 in the upper edge of a cover plate 64 forming part of the apparatus.

In use, the flue spigot is assembled such that each of the baffle portions 41 of the adjustment plate 36 passes through a respective one of two slots 58 in the upper wall of the flue spigot 26. The adjustment plate is thus movable vertically and adjustably within the flue spigot 26 and can easily be adjusted manually by grasping the handle portion 54 of the plate through the access cut-out 64 in the cover plate 66.

The movement of the adjustment plate is further guided by means of a guide plate 60 projecting upwardly from the back plate 30. The width of the guide plate 60 is equal to the spacing of the inner faces of the rearwardly extending portions 52 of the tabs 48 and the rear face of the elongate rectangular portion is arranged to slide against the front face of the guide plate 60. The adjustment plate 36 is thus constrained to move vertically and can be retained in a desired position by means of the retaining screw 62 whose shank passes through the elongate aperture 56 and into a threaded hole (not shown) in the guide plate 60.

The upward movement of the adjustment plate 36 is limited by engagement of the two rearwardly extending tabs 42,44 at the lowermost comers of the plate 36.

Similarly, the downward movement of the plate is limited by the engagement of the cut-out 40 with the upper wall of the spigot flue, which acts as a failsafe, ensuring that when the base of the cut-out 40 engages the spigot flue the flue opening allows a safe flow-through of combustion products.

In use, the heating apparatus is installed into a fire opening in the conventional manner, with the flue spigot inserted into the flue. The installer of the apparatus then operates the fire and carries out tests (e. g. a spillage test or smoke test) to determine whether the draught up the flue is correct. The position of the adjustment plate 36 can be adjusted to vary the draught by slackening off the retaining screw 62, grasping the handle portion 46 to displace the baffle portions 41 of the adjustment plate 36 further into or out of the flue spigot 26 and tightening the retaining screw once it has been ascertained that the plate 36 is positioned to produce the desired draught. The handle portion 54 of the adjustment plate 36 and the retaining screw 36 are readily accessible from the front of the apparatus and thus, in contrast to the prior art, adjustment of the flue restriction to vary the flow of combustion products through the flue does not require the apparatus to be removed in order to fit a differently-sized restrictor.

When the adjustment plate has been secured in the correct position, decorative coverings are attached to the front of the heating apparatus in order to complete the construction.

By providing a flue spigot whose effective cross-section is adjustable, the resultant draught up the flue can be varied to optimise the combustion of the heating apparatus.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment.

For example, the invention is equally applicable to other types of heating apparatus such as radiant convector fires.

Claims

1. A heating apparatus comprising means for burning fuel and conduit means for guiding combustion products out of the apparatus into a flue, the apparatus further comprising restrictor means extending into the conduit means, the restrictor means being adjustable for varying the flow of combustion products.

2. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the restrictor means comprises a restrictor member whose projection into the conduit means is adjustable.

3. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising guide means for guiding the movement of the restrictor means during adjustment.

4. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the guide means guide the restrictor means in a direction substantially perpendicular to the flow of exhaust gas through the conduit means.

5. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the guide means guide the restrictor means in a vertical direction.

6. A heating apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the restrictor member comprises a plate member.

7. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plate member is extensible into the conduit means through a slot.

8. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the conduit means comprises a flattened tube into which the plate member is extensible.

9. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the conduit means comprises a flattened rectangular basis.

10. A heating apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the conduit means comprises a flue spigot for directing combustion gases into a flue, the adjustable restrictor means extending into the flue spigot.

11. A heating apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the adjustable restrictor means is adjustable when the heating apparatus is in its installed condition.

12. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the restrictor means has a handle portion which projects out of the conduit means.

13. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the handle portion is accessible when the heating apparatus is in its installed condition, in order to adjust the degree to which the restrictor means extends into the conduit means.

14. A heating apparatus as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13, further comprising an access opening or aperture to allow adjustment of the restrictor means.

15. A heating apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14, further comprising retaining means for securing the restrictor means in position with respect to the conduit means.

16. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the retaining means is accessible when the heating apparatus is in its installed condition.

17. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 16, comprising an access opening or aperture to allow access to the retaining means when the heating apparatus is in its installed condition.

18. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the retaining means comprises a screw.

19. A heating apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.