GB2411465A

GB2411465A - Fireplace door moved with translation and rotation movements

Info

Publication number: GB2411465A
Application number: GB0502326A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Baenst Paul De
Original assignee: DEBATRA bvba
Current assignee: DEBATRA bvba
Priority date: 2004-02-26
Filing date: 2005-02-03
Publication date: 2005-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2025-02-03
Also published as: GB0502326D0; BE1015920A3; GB2411465B; FR2870586A1; NL1028182C2; FR2870586B1

Abstract

A built-in fireplace 1 includes a fire chamber 2 that can be closed off by a shutting element 3 that can be moved in the fire chamber 2 characterised in that the shutting element 3 can be moved in the fire chamber 2 by means of one or more translation and rotation movements. The shutting element 3 may be suspended in at least one bracket 4, the combined translation and rotation movement being realised by the bracket 4 turning in the fire chamber 2 around an axis situated in the plane of the shutting element 3 or in a plane substantially parallel with the shutting element 3. The shutting element 3 may make a translation and rotation movement with reference to a first axis and a rotation movement with reference to a second axis. The second axis may be located at a mid-height of the shutting element 3. There may be provided a guiding element (5, figure 6) in at least one guiding profile (6, figure 6). The guiding profile (6, figure 6) may form an angle with the plane of the shutting element between 89 degrees and 180 degrees. The shutting element 3 may be fitted within a groove 7. There may be a stop provided (9, figure 6). The shutting element 3 may comprise a piece of glass. The built-in fireplace 1 may be a wood burning fireplace.

Description

241 1 465 Shutting element for a built-in fireplace The invention relates

to a built-in fireplace, comprising a fire chamber that can be closed off by a shutting element that can be moved in the fire chamber. The invention relates more in particular to a built-in gas fireplace or a built-in wood burning or coal-burning fireplace.

Built-in fireplaces, also called built-in stoves or inserts, are heating or atmosphere creating appliances that are built in behind a wall by which the appliance is made inconspicuous, so that only the shutting element or window door with rim remains visible.

There are hundreds of models available in the market, using wood, coal or gas as fuel. Since built-in fireplaces are closed off by a window door they differ from open fireplaces. For smoke evacuation, built-in woodburning or coal-burning fireplaces always have a chimney. Gas built-in fireplaces may be equipped with a chimney but they may also be manufactured as a hermetically sealed unit. The latter will then need a duct for fresh air supply and a duct for evacuation of the smoke gasses.

Until today, all known appliances are provided with a window door with frame, which, in a first embodiment, are built in flush with the wall with a flush or superposed window door or, in a second embodiment, are built in behind a wall with a recessed window door. The second embodiment may sometimes be provided with a lifting system, by which the window door can be slid upwards.

To clean the back of the window door, all known appliances can be provided with a system by which the window door can be opened outwards. For instance, by placing hinges at the sides, the window doors can be turned open to the left or to the right.

By the existing framework and/or frame around the glass, these known appliances are characterized by the fact that the size of the window glass is always smaller than the recess opening in the wall.

For aesthetic reasons, modern architecture requires the fireplaces to be built in as straightly, soberly and inconspicuously as possible and it is endeavoured to reduce the window to the essential. However, the disadvantage of the presently known appliances is that there is always a part of the frame that remains visible.

The objective of the invention is to provide a built-in fireplace characterized in that the opening in the wall is reduced to the size of the window and in that the frame (framework) around the window is no longer visible and in that it is still possible to clean the backside of the glass.

The objective of the invention is met by providing a built-in fireplace, comprising a fire chamber that can be closed off by a shutting element that can be moved in the fire chamber, said shutting element being moved in the fire chamber by means of one or several combined translation or rotation movements. Said shutting element is preferably made of heatresisting sheet glass.

As the shutting element can be moved in the fire chamber, no more hinges must be provided to open the window door outwards and the opening in the wall is reduced to the size of the window.

2 5 In a preferred embodiment of the built-in fireplace in accordance with the invention, the shutting element is suspended in at least one bracket, the combined translation and rotation movement of the shutting element being realised by the bracket turning in the fire chamber around an axis situated in the plane of the shutting element or in an almost parallel plane to the plane of the shutting element.

In an even more preferred embodiment of the built-in fireplace in accordance with the invention, characterised in that the height of the window door is smaller than the inside depth of the fireplace, the shutting element first performs a combined translation and rotation movement with reference to a first axis and subsequently a rotation movement with reference to a second axis situated in the plane of the shutting element or in an almost parallel plane to the plane of the shutting element.

By this, the shutting element can be rotated completely inside the fire chamber by which the front side of the window becomes the backside and vice-versa.

The above-mentioned second axis is preferably situated at mid-height of the shutting element.

In another preferred embodiment of the built-in fireplace in accordance with the invention, the shutting element is suspended by means of at least one guiding element in at least one guiding profile, the combined translation and rotation movement being realised by a sliding motion of the guiding element in the guiding profile. The guiding profile preferably forms an angle with reference to the plane of the shutting element, said angle being situated between 89 and 180 , 89 and 180 exclusive, and preferable between 110 and 170 .

By realising the built-in fireplace in this manner, the inside of window doors with a height larger than the inside depth of the fireplace can easily be cleaned.

In a more preferred embodiment of the built-in fireplace in accordance with the invention, the built-in fireplace is provided with a groove in which a side of the shutting element can be fitted. The groove is preferably a U-shaped profile.

In a most preferred embodiment of the built-in fireplace in accordance with the invention, the built-in fireplace burns wood, while a sliding lifting door is provided 3 0 so that, when the door is slid upwards, wood can be added to the fire chamber. Only for cleaning of the backside of the glass must the window door make a combined translation and rotation movement.

To further clarify the properties of this invention and to indicate additional advantages, we will now give a more detailed description of the built-in fireplace in accordance with the invention. It should be clear that nothing in the following description might be interpreted as a limitation of the sought protection for this invention as set forth in the claims.

In this description, reference is made by means of reference numbers to the enclosed drawings in which: - figure I shows a perspective view of a built-in fireplace in accordance with the invention; - figure 2 shows a vertical cross-section of the built-in fireplace in which the height of the window door is smaller than the inside depth of the fireplace; figure 3 shows the successive positions of the window door for a fireplace as shown in figure 2; - figure 4 shows a vertical cross-section of a built-in fireplace of which the height of the window door is larger than the inside depth of the fireplace; 2 0 - figure 5 shows the successive positions of the window door for a fireplace as shown in figure 4; figure 6 shows a cross-section of a built-in fireplace provided with a guiding profile; - figure 7 shows the successive positions of the window door for a fireplace as 2 5 shown in figure 6.

In the built-in fireplace (1) in accordance with the invention and as shown in figure 1, the framework around the glass of the shutting element (3) is no longer visible.

3 0 To maintain the backside of the glass of the shutting element (3), the element (3) in question will be moved in the fire chamber (2) by one or more combined translation and rotation movements and it will become possible to reach and clean the backside of the glass in an easy manner. For this, the shutting element (3) is suspended in at least one bracket but in preferably two brackets (one at each side of the shutting element (3)). The combined translation and rotation movement of the shutting element (3) is realised by a turning movement of the bracket (4) in the fire chamber (2) around an axis situated in the plane of the shutting element (3) In the description and drawings below, three systems in accordance with the invention to maintain the backside of the glass of the shutting element (3) will be described. Built-in gas fireplaces only need to be cleaned a few times a year.

For fireplaces (1) with a window door height smaller than the inside depth of the fireplace (1) (see figures 2 and 3), the window door can be turned completely in the fire chamber (2) of the fireplace (1). For this, the window door (3) is preferably provided with a bracket (4) at mid- height.

In its normal position (Fig. 3a), the window door (3) fits at the bottom in a groove (7) and is locked at the top by, for instance, a latch. The entire window frame presses at the front against a sealing cord fitted in the fireplace (1).

To open the door, we unlatch the door (3) by means of the latch, we press at the top against the window door (Fig. 3b, which makes it move slightly upwards and the door comes loose from the groove (7) at the bottom. By this, the bracket (4) in which the door (3) hangs makes a rotating movement around an axis situated in the plane of 2 5 the window door (3).

Then, we grasp the window door (3) at the bottom and we can rotate the door (3) by a simple movement so that the backside of the glass comes to the front (See Fig. 3c and 3d). We let the window frame (3) slide back in the lower groove (7) and we 3 0 relock it at the top (Fig. 3e).

As the dirty inner side of the glass is now at the outside, we can easily clean it.

For fireplaces with a window door (3) height larger than the inside depth of the fireplace (l) (see figures 4, 5, 6 and 7), two systems will be described below.

In a first embodiment (figures 4 and 5), the window door (3) hangs left and right at the top in a bracket (4) situated in a turnable way around an axis in the plane of the window door (3). The window frame (3) fits at the bottom in a groove and it is locked at the top by a latch (Fig. 5a). The entire frame (3) presses at the front against a sealing cord fitted in the fireplace (l).

To open the door, we unlatch the door at the top, we press at the top against the window door (3), which makes it move slightly upwards and the door comes loose from the groove (7) at the bottom. We grasp the window door (3) at the bottom and move it upwards, which creates an opening (8) at the bottom (Fig. 5c). Through this opening (8), we can clean the backside of the window with our arm or by means of a device with a short stick. Once the glass is cleaned, we let the window door (3) fall back in the bottom groove and we latch it at the top (Fig. 5d).

Another embodiment to clean the backside of the window door (3) of fireplaces (l) with a window door (3) height larger than the inside depth of the fireplace (l) is shown in figures 6 and 7. In this embodiment, the window door (3) is suspended by means of two guiding elements (5) in two guiding profiles (6). The guiding profiles (6) are located in the fire chamber (2) and form an angle (x) of at least 90 with the plane of the window door (3) in its normal position.

The window door (3) fits at the bottom in a groove and is locked at the top by for instance a latch. The whole window frame presses at the front against a sealing cord fixed in the fireplace (Fig. 7a).

3 0 To open the door, we unlatch the door (3) at the top and we pull up the window door (3) so that it backs in the guide (6) at the top. An opening is created at the bottom and the window door (3) comes in an almost horizontal position (see Fig. 7b and 7c). By this, the backside of the door (3) comes to be at the bottom and we an clean it through the opening.

After cleaning, we lift the door (3) out of the stop (9) and we pull it to the front. The door (3) falls back in the groove (7) and it is latched again at the top (Fig. 7d).

The described systems are applicable to gas-burning, wood-burning or coalburning built-in fireplaces. For coal-burning built-in fireplaces, this system can be combined 0 with a lifting door so that wood can be added by pulling the door upwards. The window door must only be tilted to clean the backside of the glass.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, 2 5 equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A built-in fireplace (l), including a fire chamber (2) that can be closed off by a shutting element (3) that can be moved in the fire chamber (2), characterized in that the shutting element (3) can be moved in the fire chamber (2) by means of one or more translation and rotation movements.

2. A built-in fireplace (l) in accordance with claim l, characterized in that the shutting element (3) is suspended in at least one bracket (4), the combined translation and rotation movement of the shutting element (3) being realised by the bracket (4) turning in the fire chamber (2) around an axis situated in the plane or a plane almost parallel with the plane of the shutting element (3)

3. A built-in fireplace (l) in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the shutting element (3) first makes a combined translation and rotation movement with reference to a first axis and then performs a rotation movement with reference to a second axis situated in the plane or a plane almost parallel with the plane of the shutting element (3).

4. A built-in fireplace (l) in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that the second axis is located at about mid-height of the shutting element (3).

5. A built-in fireplace (l) in accordance with claim l, characterized in that the shutting element (3) is suspended by means of at least one guiding element (5) in at least one guiding profile (6), the combined translation and rotation movement being realised by a sliding movement of the guiding element (5) 3 0 in the guiding profile (6).

6. A built-in fireplace (1) in accordance with claim 4, characterised in that the guiding profile (6) forms an angle with the place of the shutting element (3), said angle being between 89 and 180 , 89 and 180 not included.

7. A built-in fireplace (1) in accordance with one of the previous claims, characterized in that the built-in fireplace (1) is provided with a groove (7) in which a side of the shutting element (3) can be fitted.

8. A built-in fireplace (1) in accordance with one of the previous claims, 0 characterized in that the shutting element (3) is made of sheet glass.

9. A built-in fireplace (1) in accordance with one of the previous claims, characterized in that the built-in fireplace 91) is a wood-burning fireplace provided with a sliding lifting door, so that wood can be added to the fire chamber (2).

10. A built-in fireplace constructed and arranged substantially as described herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings.