GB2391934A

GB2391934A - Visual fire installation with a mirror reflecting an image of a heat source and background

Info

Publication number: GB2391934A
Application number: GB0214108A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Michael Wright
Original assignee: LFL GROUP Ltd
Current assignee: LFL GROUP Ltd
Priority date: 2002-06-20
Filing date: 2002-06-20
Publication date: 2004-02-18
Also published as: GB0214108D0

Abstract

A visual fire installation has a hearth 2 with a visible or simulated heat source which produces, or appears to produce heat. Behind the heat source is a mirror 8 which reflects forwardly an image of the heat source and a hearth 2 to give the impression of increased depth. The installation may be housed in a box structure (1, fig 1) on or inserted in a wall (4, fig 2) or chimney breast (12, fig 6) of a room. The mirror may be vertical silvered glass or metal sheet. The heat source may be a pile of stones 3 heated by gas. The front of the box can be open, or have a plate of glass (9, fig 4) screen printed on the inner face with dots which show a background image eg. a brick wall. The background image is reflect on the mirror 8 and visible between the dots when the box interior is illuminated. Further mirrors (14, fig 6) in alcoves alongside the installation to give the impression of a chimney breast in the centre of a room.

Description

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À C À 1 - 239 1934

FIRES This invention relates to visual fire installations. As used herein visual fire installation' means an installation which provides a visual display associated with a real and/or simulated source of heat. This 5 includes electric fires and gas fires which provide a heat output from a visible heat source, such as a glowing electrical resistance element, or a burning gas flame or glowing flame-heated coals, logs or stones or the like. It also includes heat-producing fires which may have a visible or concealed heat producing heat source accompanied by a simulated visible 10 heat source such as illuminated simulated coals or logs or the like, and also display fires which have such a simulated visible heat source without any associated actual heat-producing heat source.

An important function of visual fire installations particularly when used in a domestic living room or similar environment is to provide an 15 attractive and interesting display. In practice however, limitation may be imposed on the display by space requirements, coat factors and convenience. An object of the present invention is to provide a visual fire installation which is visually of enhanced attraction and Interest but does 20 not require undue space requirements and can be constructed in a convenient and inexpensive manner.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a visual fire installation having a visible heat source characterized by the provision of a

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- 2 mirror arranged behind the heat source to reflect forwardly an image of the source.

With this arrangement an interesting decorative enhancement can be achieved with a convenient and inexpensive construction without 5 requiring appreciable additional space.

In particular, a fire installation of relatively small actual depth can give a display of greater depth simulating a much larger installation.

The mirror may be arranged to provide, In addition to the image of the heat source, a reflected image of the foreground in front of the fire 10 thereby giving the effect of a larger fire Installation located centrally in a larger room or other environment.

In this case, the mirror may be arranged at any suitable angle to give any desired field of view.

Conveniently, the mirror may be disposed vertically but other 15 angled arrangements are also possible.

Alternatively, the mirror may be arranged to provide the reflected image of the heat source together with an image of a background

whereby the background appears also at a greater depth than the actual

heat source.

20 This may be achieved by locating the mirror at an angle in relation to a forward viewing direction and in relation to an appropriate positioned background source so that their source is reflected forwardly together

with the image of the heat source.

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c - 3 Alternativeiy or additionally, a ilght-transmitting structure, such as a part reflective structure or filter or the like, may be used in conjunction with a background source so that from a forward viewing direction the

background source can be seen through the structure

5 In a particularly preferred embodiment a light-transmitting screen is provided in front of the mirror with the background source being provided

on regions of the screen such that the mirror can be viewed through the screen and the background source can be viewed by reflection from the

mirror. Thus, the background source may be printed on opaque or

10 semi-transparent dots or the like on the rear of a transparent screen e.. a glass screen.

The background source may be a view of a brick wall or any other

suitable view.

Lighting may be provided to enhance or clarify or change the visual 15 effect. Thus, in the case of a front screen as mentioned above, this may be back illuminated to limit unwanted reflection.

The mirror may be a fully reflective plane mirror. Other arrangements are also possible to achieve special effects such as a partially reflective mirror possibly with switchable rear lighting, a shaped, 20 e.. concave or convex, mirror, multiple mirrors at different positions or angles, and the like.

The (or each) mirror may be formed from silvered glass or metal or any other material.

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r # c - 4 The installation may have a fire surround of the nature of a box structure frame or the like and there may be a lower hearth surface on which the heat source is located.

The heat source may be real or simulated and this may be the sole 5 heat source or one of the heat sources of the installation as discussed above. That is the installation of the invention may have any or all of the Matures described above in relation to the definition of 'visual fire installation'. Additionally the fire installation of the invention may be used in 10 conjunction with one or more adjacent mirrors to enhance the display effect by simulating a larger environment around the fire Installation.

Thus, for example, the fire installation may be fitted on or in a real or simulated chimney breast and there may be one or more mirrors alongside the chimney breast, e.g. in adjoining alcoves, to provide an image of the 15 foreground. This can give the effect of a chimney breast, with the fire installation located centrally in a large room or similar environment.

The or each such adjacent mirror may be of any suitable kind and construction as discussed above in relation to the fire installation.

The invention will now be described further by way of example 20 only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one form of a fire installation according to the invention; Figures 2 & 3 are diagrammatic plan and front views illustrating the

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À - 5 appearance of the installation of Figure 1; Figures 4 & 5 are views similar to Figures 2 and 3 of an alternative embodiment; and Flqure 6 is a perspective view showing the fire Installation of 5 Figures 1-3 in a room.

Referring to the drawings Figures 1-3, these show a domestic fire installation such as may be used in a living room comprising a box-shaped fire surround 1 with a lower slab-shaped hearth 2.

The hearth has heaped stones 3 which overlie gas jets {not shown) 10 which are connected to a source of gas via suitable controls (not shown).

The box structure 1 is attached to a wall 4 of the room so as to define a shallow recess being the space bounded by a horizontal top wall 5 and vertical side walls 6 of the box structure. This recess is also bounded by the horizontal hearth 2 which is shown as being of the same 15 depth as the walls 6 but may project forwardly beyond the side walls 6.

The side walls 6 extend down below the hearth 2 and are linked by a bottom wall 7 of the box structure 1. The aforementioned controls are located in the box structure 1 beneath the hearth 2.

The box structure 1 is shown applied to the surface of the room 20 wall 4 but may be partially or wholly inset into the wall 4.

The back wall 8 of the box structure 1 from the hearth 2 to the top wall 5 consists wholly of (or is covered with) a single planar mirror, which may be a glass 'silvered' mirror, or a reflective metal sheet or a structure

À r. t.. et À 1. À 1. 1 8 À - 6 formed from any other suitable material. The mirror may extend vertically i.e. perpendicularly to the hearth.

The front of the box structure is open.

In use, gas is admitted from the outlets to escape through the 5 stones 3 and is ignited automatically or manually to give flames between and around the stones. This may heat the stones 3 causing them to glow. From the front the stones 3 and flames can be seen reflected in the mirror 8. In addition, images of the hearth 2 and the inner surfaces of the 10 side walls 6 can be seen. Also, an image of the room in front of the fire installation can be seen. The effect of this Is to give the impression of a larger fire located centrally with front and back fire-place openings in a large room.

Figures 4 and 5 show a modified version of the installation of 15 Figures 1-3 and the same reference numerals are used for the same parts.

With this version there is a glass plate 9 fixed over the front of the fire between the hearth 2, the top wall 5 and side walls 6.

The plate 9 is clear and transparent but is screen printed on Its inner face, i.e. that face which is directed towards the mirror 8, with a 20 regular array of closely spaced dots 10.

The dots have a black or dark surface against the plate 9 i.e. directed forwardly into the room. The dots 10 are printed on their opposite surface, i.e. directed inwardly towards the mirror 8, with a

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À _ _ picture of a brick wall.

Electric lights (not shown) are provided within the box structure 1; between the mirror 8 and the plate 9.

When the lights are extinguished, the dark surfaces of the dots are I 5 most noticeable and the front of the plate 9 appears generally dark with only a dim view through the plate 9, between the dots 10, of the stones 3 and the hearth 2.

When the lights are turned on, which can be done manually by operation of an external switch (not shown), the interior of the; 10 installation, between the plate 9 and the mirror 8, is flooded with light I The interior of the installation is now clearly visible through the plate 9.

In addition, an image 11 of the brick wall picture on the inner surface of the dots 10, is reflected forwardly by the mirror. I 15 Thus, the interior of the fire installation i.e. the hearth 2, stones 3, and the inner surfaces of the walls 6, are reflected in the mirror 8 to give the impression of a larger fire installation, and the fire installation appears to be backed by a brick wall deeply displaced from the front of the installation. 20 With this embodiment, the stones 3 may constitute a simulated heat source i.e. without ignited flames, whereby, for example, there may be a switchable light source associated with the stones 3 to give the impression that the stones are glowing. This light source may be beneath

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- 8 the stones 3 or elsewhere as desired. Alternatively or additionally there may be an additional actual heat source e.. a fan heater beneath the hearth 2. I Figure 6 shows a fire installation of the kind described above, e..

5 as described in relation to Figures 1-3, fitted in or on a chimney breast of a room.

The chimney breast 12 stands proud and is bounded on each side by inset alcoves 13.

Mirrors 14 are fitted vertically against the back walls of the alcoves 10 wholly between floor and ceiling and from side to side between the chimney breast 12 and the adjacent side walls 16 of the room.

With this arrangement in addition to the increased impression of depth of the fire installation obtained with the internal mirror 8 of the fire installation, there is also the increased impression of depth of the chimney 15 breast obtained with the alcove mirrors 14. That is, the chimney breast and fire installation appear to be in the centre of a large room.

With the embodiments described above, an interesting and attractive effect can be obtained without increase in space requirements and using convenient and inexpensive constructions.

20 It is of course to be understood that the invention is not Intended to I be restricted to the details of the above embodiments which are described I by way of example only.

Claims

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1. A visual fire installation having a visible heat source characterised by the provision of a mirror arranged behind the heat source to I reflect forwardly an image of the source.

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2. An installation according to claim 1 characterised in that the mirror is also arranged to provide a reflected image of the foreground in front of the fire installation.

3. An installation according to claim 2 characterised in that the mirror is disposed vertically.

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4. An installation according to claim 1 characterised in that the mirror is arranged to provide a reflected image of the heat source together with an image of a background whereby the background appears at

a greater depth than the actual heat source.

5. An installation according to claim 4 characterised in that the mirror 15 is located at an angle in relation to a forward viewing direction and in relation to a background source whereby this source is reflected

forwardly together with an image of the heat source.

6. An installation according to claim 1 characterised by the provision of a light-transmitting structure in conjunction with a background

20 source whereby from a forward viewing direction this background

source can be seen through the structure.

7. An installation according to claim 6 characterised in that the light transmitting structure is a screen in front of the mirror with the

- 10 background source provided on regions of the screen.

8. An installation according to claim 7 characterized in that the screen is back illuminated.

9. An installation according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterized 5 by the provision of a fire surround which has a box-structure frame and a lower hearth surface on which the heat source is located.

10. An installation according to any one of claims 1 to 9 characterized in that the heat source is a visible heat-producing source of heat.

11. An installation according to any one of claims 1 to 9 characterized 10 in that the heat source comprises a heat-producing source of heat accompanied by a simulated visible heat source.

12. An installation according to any one of claims 1 to 11 characterized by the provision of one or more adjacent mirrors.

13. An installation according to claim 12 characterized in that the fire 15 installation is fitted on or in a real or simulated chimney breast and the or each adjacent mirror in an adjoining alcove to provide an image of the foreground.

14. A visual fire installation substantially as hereinbefore described with . reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.