GB2465616A

GB2465616A - Stone fire surround fascia with stone reinforcing elements

Info

Publication number: GB2465616A
Application number: GB0821237A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Walter Bloodworth
Original assignee: Be Modern Ltd
Current assignee: Be Modern Ltd
Priority date: 2008-11-20
Filing date: 2008-11-20
Publication date: 2010-06-02
Also published as: GB0821237D0

Abstract

A fire surround has a stone fascia 2 having an opening (6, fig 1) for a fire and elongate stone reinforcing elements 4a,4b,4c extending along a rear surface of the fascia. The opening can be central, and the reinforcing elements 4a,4b,4c rectangular strips or bars adhered to the fascia. The fascia 2 and the reinforcing elements 4a,4b,4c can be the same type of stone so that they have the same coefficient of thermal expansion. Reinforcing elements 4a,4b extend along the periphery of the opening and can help define sections (7, fig 1) for ceramic fibre heat shield insulation material (5, fig 3) or to trap air for insulation, along with a backing sheet of aluminium (8, fig 3). The fascia 2 can be less than 10mm thick, possible between 5-7mm.

Description

Fire Surround

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a surround for a fire; and in particular to a reinforced surround for a fire.

Background of the Invention

Natural stone is a frangible material which is prone to cracking and breaking. In order to prevent this it is for fire surrounds of natural stone to be of substantial thickness. Conventional fire surrounds made of natural stone such as granite, limestone, marble etc are therefore both heavy and expensive.

It would be desirable to provide a fire surround formed from a thin sheet of natural stone, since such a surround would be lightweight and less expensive than conventional fire surrounds. However, due to the problems of cracking and breaking, thin sections of natural stone are generally unsuitable for manufacture of thin natural stone fascias for fires.

A number of documents highlight the problem and propose reinforcing structures attached to fascias of natural stone.

It is known from the prior art to reinforce a natural stone slab using glass or fibreglass. EP0698483 (Tonceffi) discloses glass-fibre strands impregnated with hardenable resin to reinforce a stone slab. This document also refers to prior art documents which describe stone slabs reinforced using metal or plastic grids affixed to a rear surface of a slab.

GB2214634 (Galleon Claygate Limited) describes a marble fire surround reinforced with a rigid backing panel of cement bonded particle board. The particle board is glued to the marble slab.

W002/48477 (Cavalli) describes a method for forming a marble slab by adhering two marble slabs with a layer of resin and mesh fabric between them. The overall thickness of the composite may then be reduced by machining In another embodiment, one of the marble slabs may be substituted with wood, glass, ceramic or metal.

Other methods of reinforcing natural stone fascias are disclosed in GB2434772 (Valor) and GB24291 86 (Acquisitions).

GB2434772 (Valor) describes a surround having a heat resistant fascia bonded to a reinforcing backing layer comprising aluminium sheets with a honeycomb core. The trapped pockets of air are said to provide insulation. In an alternative embodiment the backing layer may be a sheet of MDF.

GB24291 86 (Acquisitions) describes a fire surround having a high density material (such as granite) secured to a low density material. The low density layer may comprise honeycomb aluminium, fibreglass, plastic, Kevlar, porous ceramics or pumice. It is also stated that the porous ceramic "may be provided as a monolithic block or as several components joined together".

Many of the prior art reinforced fascias have the problem of the stone and support having different thermal expansion coefficients. In addition, many of the structures proposed in prior art documents are complex structures requiring a number of components. The present invention provides a simpler and less expensive solution to the problem of reinforcing a stone panel.

It would be desirable to provide an improved reinforced fascia.

Summary of the Invention

The invention comprises a fire surround with a faseia having an opening for a fire and at least one elongate reinforcing element, wherein the fascia and the at least one elongate reinforcing element are formed from stone material and the at least one elongate reinforcing element extends along a rear surface of the fascia.

Preferably, the fascia has a thickness of less than 10mm.

Even more preferably, the fascia has a thickness of between 5 and 7mm.

The invention may further comprise a reinforcing frame formed from stone material.

In a preferred embodiment, he reinforcing frame extends substantially around the periphery of the fascia.

Preferably, the thickness of the reinforcing frame is substantially the same as the thickness of the fascia.

Advantageously, the at least one elongate reinforcing element is adhered to the rear surface of the fascia.

The at least one elongate reinforcing element may form a border of at least one insulation receiving portion.

Advantageously, the invention further comprises insulation.

Advantageously, the at least one elongate reinforcing element supports insulation.

In a preferred embodiment, the insulation is ceramic fibre insulation.

Preferably, the elongate reinforcing elements extend along the periphery of the opening.

The at least one elongate reinforcing element may be adhered to at least part of the reinforcing frame.

The invention may further comprise a backing layer.

In a preferred embodiment, the backing layer is made of metal.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention by way of example: Figure 1 shows a rear view of one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 1.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a fire surround 1 comprises a fascia 2, which is preferably formed from a stone material such as marble, granite, limestone etc. In an alternative embodiment, it could be formed from a reconstituted stone material.

In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the stone fascia is around 6-7mm and it is around 875mm in width and 555mm in height.

An outer frame 3 is attached to the fascia 2, around the periphery of its rear surface. The width of the frame 3 is preferably around the same thickness as the fascia 2 (in a preferred embodiment this is 6-7mm).

A central space 6 in the fascia 2 provides an opening for a fire (not shown). In alternative embodiments, the space 6 may not be in a central position in the surround 1.

A number of reinforcing elements 4 are attached to the rear surface of the fascia 2. The reinforcing elements 4 are bars formed from thin strips of natural stone, having rectangular cross-section.

The reinforcing elements 4 are attached to the fascia 2 using adhesive.

In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing elements 4 are formed from the same type of stone as the fascia 2. The thermal expansion co-efficients of the fascia 2 and the reinforcing elements 4 are therefore the same.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the reinforcing elements 4 comprise two substantially vertical elements 4a, two substantially horizontal elements 4b and four shorter substantially horizontal elements 4c. Elements 4a and 4b form an inner frame around the periphery of the space 6.

The inner frame prevents insulating material 5 from entering the space 6. The insulating material S is preferably a ceramic fibre heat shield material.

The reinforcing elements 4 define sections 7, into each of which insulating material may be received. The reinforcing elements 4 also support the insulating material 5 in the sections 7. A backing sheet 8, which is preferably formed of metal such as aluminium, is attached to the rear of the surround 1, as shown in Figure 3.

In an alternative embodiment, a continuous body of insulation material, cut to the correct size and shape such that it has a space corresponding to space 6, may be fitted to the rear surface of the fire surround 1.

The use of ceramic fibre insulation is advantageous as it is less expensive than other insulating materials such as honeycomb aluminium. Other similar forms of insulation may be used.

In an alternative embodiment, no insulation material is added to the fire surround 1. An aluminium backing sheet B is attached to the back of the surround 1, such that air is trapped between the fascia 2 and backing sheet B. Where the reinforcing elements 4 are of sufficient thickness, air may be trapped in the sections 7. In this embodiment, air trapped inside the surround 11 acts as a thermal insulator

Claims

Claims 1. A fire surround comprising a faseia having an opening for a fire and at least one elongate reinforcing element, wherein the fascia and the at least one elongate reinforcing element are formed from stone material and the at least one elongate reinforcing element extends along a rear surface of the fascia.
2. A fire surround as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the fascia has a thickness of less than 10mm.
3. A fire surround as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the fascia has a thickness of between 5 and 7mm.
4. A fire surround as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, further comprising a reinforcing frame formed from stone matenal.
5. A fire surround as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the reinforcing frame extends substantially around the periphery of the fascia.
6. A fire surround as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the thickness of the reinforcing frame is substantially the same as the thickness of the fascia.
7. A fire surround as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one elongate reinforcing element is adhered to the rear surface of the fascia.
8. A fire surround as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one elongate reinforcing element forms a border of at least one insulation receiving portion.
9. A fire surround as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising insulation.
10. A fire surround as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the at least one elongate reinforcing element supports insulation.
11. A fire surround as claimed in Claim 9 or 10, wherein the insulation is ceramic fibre insulation.
12. A fire surround as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the elongate reinforcing elements extend along the periphery of the opening.
13. A fire surround as claimed in any of Claims 4 to 12, wherein the at least one elongate reinforcing element is adhered to at least part of the reinforcing frame.
14. A fire surround as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a backing layer.
15. A fire surround as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the backing layer is made of metal.