GB2472241A

GB2472241A - Fireplace assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2472241A
Application number: GB0913247A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Simon Stonier
Original assignee: Domestic Fire Appliances Ltd
Current assignee: Domestic Fire Appliances Ltd
Priority date: 2009-07-30
Filing date: 2009-07-30
Publication date: 2011-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2029-07-30
Also published as: GB2472241B; GB0913247D0

Abstract

A fireplace assembly comprises a fire surround 1 and an enclosed heater 3. The fire surround has a back face 5 which is secured to a wall 32 and an aperture (4, fig4) to receive the heater so that the front face of the heater, which includes a canopy 12 positioned above a front viewing window 10, is located within the surround and forms a seal with the aperture and the rear of the heater is located in a flue in the wall. Above the aperture is a hood 7 to obscure the view of the heater canopy whilst being adapted to allow the heater to be removed with the surround secured to the wall. The hood may detachable from the rest of the surround or may be connected by a hinge 8. The heater may be a gas fire unit simulating an open fire with a rear vent 15 to discharge combustion products into the flue and a front vent 13 in the canopy to discharge hot air.

Description

Fireplace Assembly

Technical Field

The invention relates to a fireplace assembly for use with wall-held flue or chimney and particularly to an assembly for containing an enclosed, high efficiency heater such as an enclosed gas fire unit.

Background Art

Traditional Victorian fire surrounds are typically secured to a wall holding a flue or chimney.

An opening in the fire surround communicates with the chimney and in the opening there is provided a grate for the fire, typically coal, smokeless fuel or wood, the opening typically being surrounded by a decorative fascia. The fascia is conventionally made in one piece from cast iron and may include an inner trim and hood framing the opening and an integral outer decorative border defining an outer edge of the fire surround. The fascia may include decorative tiles located between the border and the trim.

Victorian-style fireplaces continue to be popular and have been adapted for use with gas fires. Typically, the grate is removed and a gas inset tray is inserted in its place through the opening in the inner trim. The gas fire tray thereby simply takes the place of an open fire.

The gas fire may be coal or log effect, etc., and is conventionally open to and vented by the chimney.

Such gas fires generally have a low efficiency as room heaters, with perhaps only 20% of the heat generated being useful for heating a room with the remaining energy lost through the chimney or flue. Thus although such fires have an attractive appearance, they may not significantly heat the room. The useful heat output into the room for such an "open fire" arrangement is considerably less than that for gas fires which incorporate substantially enclosed gas fire units, and which incorporate radiant or convector box housings. Such substantially enclosed gas fire units, however, cannot be used without modification to enable them to be inserted through the opening in the inner trim of a Victorian style fire surround.

Enclosed heaters such as enclosed gas fires typically have a considerably higher energy efficiency, such as 70% or greater. Typically such heaters have a front face with a canopy having a hot air outlet vent (usually towards the top of the front face or in the canopy) a front viewing window, and a control panel (usually towards the base of the front face). The control panel may be concealed, in use, behind a screen such as a fire iron or ash-door (though of course with a gas or electric heater there will be no ashes), or it may be located in the canopy. The front viewing window replaces the open fire, and typically provides a view, to the user, of a simulated open fire. There are many ways to achieve simulations of an open fire with either a gas heater (e.g. using a vermiculite bed holding false coals) or an electric heater (using an LDC display to simulate flames). Ideally, in order to convey the impression of an open fire, all that should be visible in normal use is the simulated open fire through the viewing window. The hot air vent, control panel, edges of the viewing window and any modern fabrication materials, such as sheet metal or fastenings, should not be conspicuously visible.

In order for safe usage of a heater modified for use with a Victorian fire surround, the heater is preferably firmly secured in place to the surround by fastenings. However, such fastenings are preferably not conspicuously visible in use as their appearance is not compatible with the overall visual effect of a Victorian fireplace. Furthermore, modern heaters are typically made of sheet metal rather than cast iron, and so it is desirable that the sheet metal of the heater is either not on view or is not noticeable in use.

One solution has been to have an enclosed heater mounted to a rear face of a fireplace surround such that only the viewing window and the upper outlet vent of the heater is visible through the surround opening in use. The lower control panel may be concealed by a fire iron/ash door. A problem with this approach is that it may be necessary for the enclosed heater to be regularly serviced. In particular, where there is a chimney flue, debris collection behind the enclosed heater should be regularly monitored and excess debris removed. It would be necessary, with a rear-mounted heater, to remove the entire fireplace surround each time the enclosed heater is to be serviced.

EP 1 287 292 discloses a fire surround for use with a substantially enclosed gas fire unit having an outer fascia securable, in use, to a chimney breast around a flue opening in the chimney breast, the outer fascia having an opening therein for receiving the gas fire unit and a second inner fascia securable, in use, to the outer fascia so as to entrap an out-turned flange of the gas fire unit between the inner and outer fascias. The inner fascia comprises a pair of side columns bridged by a top portion, and at least one of the side columns is formed as a channel member for receiving a slide control for operating the gas fire unit. The inner fascia optionally includes a hood arranged to substantially conceal the canopy of the fire.

This approach allows the enclosed heater to be removed for servicing by detaching the inner fascia from the outer fascia so that the enclosed heater may be removed from the opening for checking and removal of debris. This solution requires two separate castings for the fascia, and limits design opportunities. Furthermore, with a standard 16" x 22" flue opening, the appearance of the resulting fire surround differs from that of a standard Victorian fireplace because the hood on the inner fascia has to be lowered to a position to mask the upper canopy and hot air outlet vent of the enclosed heater.

Hence there is a need for providing a fireplace assembly having the appearance of a traditional Victorian fireplace, which provides highly efficient room heating, and access to a flue or chimney for disposal of combustion gases, but which is readily serviceable and which overcomes some or all of the disadvantages of the prior art.

Summary of the Invention

It is one object of the invention, amongst others, to provide a fireplace assembly including a substantially enclosed heater which is capable of having the appearance of a traditional Victorian fireplace, but which provides highly efficient room heating, and access to a flue or chimney for disposal of combustion gases, but which is readily serviceable and which overcomes some or all of the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a fireplace assembly which permits easy removal of the enclosed heater without the need to remove or dismantle the fireplace surround.

A first aspect of the invention provides a fireplace assembly comprising a fire surround and a substantially enclosed heater, the heater comprising a front face, side panels, a rear face and a roof, the front face comprising a front viewing window having side edges adjacent the side panels, and a canopy positioned above the front viewing window in use, the fire surround having a back face and an opposed fascia, the back face securable, in use, to a wall around a flue opening in said wall, and the fire surround comprising an aperture extending from the fascia to the back face and adapted to receive the heater in use whereby the front face of the heater is located within the fascia of the surround forming a seal at the aperture and the rear face of the heater is located in said flue, wherein the fire surround comprises a hood positioned above the aperture in use, whereby the canopy is obscured from view by the hood in use, and wherein the hood is adapted to allow complete removal of the heater from the surround whilst the fire surround is secured to said wall.

A second aspect of the invention provides a substantially enclosed gas fire unit, suitable for use in a fireplace assembly according to any preceding claim, the gas fire unit comprising a front face, side panels, a rear face and a roof, the front face comprising a front viewing window having side edges adjacent the side panels, and a canopy positioned above the front viewing window in use, wherein the side panels of the heater present a visible profile, at the side edges of the front viewing window, of 6mm or less, preferably 3 mm or less.

Detailed description of the invention

The fireplace assembly of the first aspect of the invention comprises a fire surround and a substantially enclosed heater.

The heater comprises a front face, side panels, a rear face and a roof, the front face comprising a front viewing window, and a canopy positioned above the front viewing window in use. Although the heater is preferably a gas-powered heater, such as an enclosed gas fire unit, any suitable heater may be used such as an oil-fired heater, paraffin heater or electric heater. The presence of a chimney or flue means that heaters which generate combustion products which need to be vented though a chimney or flue are particularly suitable.

However, the invention may be used with an enclosed electrical heater, for instance, which does not require flue-venting of combustion products. Typically, the canopy provides a means for collecting and directing combustion products from a heating chamber into the flue and may include a radiant means or one or more front outlet vents for heated air to be directed into the room. The canopy may also hold controls for the heater. The front face may include a frame around the sides and top edges of the front viewing window. The canopy will be located above the top edge of such a frame in use.

The front viewing window will typically be a transparent or translucent material such as glass, and may be of smoked glass. Suitably, a simulated open fire will be visible through the front viewing window in use. The front viewing window may be partially obscured, for instance such that the fire is framed. This simulated open fire may be achieved with a gas heater by use, for instance, of a vermiculite bed holding false coals. Prior art methods may be used, such as using an LDC display to simulate flames independently of the actual heating fuel used. The intention is to convey to the user the impression of an open fire through the viewing window.

The fire surround has a back face and an opposed, front fascia. The back face is securable, in use, to a wall around a flue opening in a wall, and the fire surround comprises an aperture extending from the fascia to the back face and adapted to receive the heater in use. When S the heater is mated into the aperture, the front face of the heater is suitably located within the fascia of the fire surround forming a seal at the aperture. Preferably, the seal is a substantially air-tight seal. The rear face of the heater is located in the flue or chimney. Arty combustion gases from the heater, for instance when the heater is a gas fire, may thus be vented from a rear part of the heater directly into the chimney or flue The fire surround comprises a hood positioned at an apex of the aperture, in use, whereby the canopy is substantially obscured from view by the hood. By substantially obscured from view is meant that prominent functional components of the canopy, such as any front outlet vent or controls, are obscured from a viewing position at the eye level of a standing or seated person, such as from an eye level of 1 m or more above the base of the fireplace assembly. Part of the canopy may form a top edge of a frame for the viewing window in use.

This part of the canopy, which will be devoid of controls, vents or the like, does not have to be obscured from view by the hood. The canopy typically comprises a front outlet vent and the front outlet vent is substantially obscured from view by the hood in use.

The hood is adapted to allow complete removal of the heater from the surround whilst the fire surround is secured to said wall. For instance the hood may be part of the fire surround, such as unitarily formed with it as part of a single moulding, but may be shaped to permit the heater to be slid out from under the hood, for instance by first sliding out the base of the heater, such that the roof of the heater drops below the bottom part of the hood. For instance, the hood may be detachably securable to the fascia of the fire surround so that once the hood has been removed from the fascia, the heater may be removed from the fire surround without the hood getting in the way.

Preferably, the hood is attached to the fascia of the fire surround at a hinge means such that the hood may be pivoted about the hinge means to a position in which it does not interfere with the removal of the heater from the aperture. For instance the hinge means may be provided at an apex of the hood so that the hood can pivot upwards about the hinge means from its normal position in use to an open position.

The aperture may have side walls arranged to contact the side panels of the heater in use and wherein the heater is securable to the aperture by fasteners connecting the side panels to the side faces of the aperture. For instance, the aperture may have side walls which taper from a larger width at the fascia side of the aperture to a narrower width the back or flue side of the aperture, with the side panels of the heater having a similar taper from a wider front face of the heater to a narrower rear face of the heater. The panels may, for instance, have holes provided passing through them such that the heater may be secured to the side walls of the aperture by means of threaded bolts as fasteners passing through the holes and engaging with tapped holes provided in the side walls of the aperture. Such fasteners are preferably concealed from view. For instance the fasteners may be located in the vicinity of the base of the heater and concealed by a fire iron.

Preferably, the side panels of the heater present a visible profile, at the side edges of the front panel, of 10 mm or less, preferably 6 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or less in use, when the heater is mated into the aperture in the fire surround. By visible profile is meant the width as visible to a viewer from the front of the fireplace assembly of the invention. By presenting a narrow profile at the edges of the front panel, the side panels do not present an appearance inconsistent with the overall appearance of an open Victorian fireplace. An important aspect of the invention is that it provides a means for safe, serviceable and highly efficient heating whilst presenting to a viewer few clues that would distract the viewer from an initial impression of an open fire. For instance, the side panels are preferably free of mounting flanges extending visibly onto the fascia in use.

In order to improve the security of fixing of the heater to the fireplace surround, the roof of the heater may have a front edge above the canopy in use, the front edge comprising a flange adapted to be securable to the fascia of the surround towards an apex of the aperture and below the hood in use. This ensures that the flange is not visible to the standing or seated viewer.

Preferably, the fire surround is made wholly or substantially of cast iron. Suitably, the hood is also made of cast iron.

The fireplace assembly may also comprise a front iron positionable to conceal a control panel portion towards a base of the front face of the heater in use. Preferably, the front iron also conceals the bottom edge of the front viewing window in use. This further assists in providing the illusion of an open fire. The front iron will typically be in the form of an ash-door and frame such as is used for open solid fuel fires. Such items are generally free standing on a hearth with the ash-door slidably removable from the frame to provide access to the control panel. Preferably in use the front iron lies partially in front of the heater at a lower region thereof.

Typically, in use, the fireplace assembly will sit on a hearth.

In use the fire surround is secured either directly to the wall or indirectly by bolting it to a mounting plate which has been anchored to the wall immediately surrounding the flue opening so as to create an accurate planar surface against which to fit the back face of the fire surround. The use of a mounting plate is preferred in situations in which the wall is damaged or otherwise not flat around the flue opening, as the wall can be resurfaced up to the mounting plate before presenting up the outer fascia.

When the outer fascia has been secured in place, the heater can be presented up to the aperture.

In order that the visible area of the fireplace is of the correct proportion for a Victorian fireplace, the fascia of the fire surround may be suitably spaced from the wall, with the aperture tapered such that the fascia side of the aperture has a larger area than the back side of the aperture, which may be a standard 16" x 22" recess. The side panels and roof of the heater are then tapered in a similar fashion in order to mate with the aperture. In this configuration, only part of the rear of the heater projects into the flue or chimney, the part that is smaller in cross section than the recess in the chimney/flue.

The back face of the fire surround suitably comprises a projection such as a rib which is arranged to assist in forming a seal against the wall, or mounting plate if used, surrounding the recess providing access into the chimney or flue. When the fire surround is offered up to the wall for mounting, a suitable sealant may be applied to the rib to ensure that combustion gases do not leak out of the joint between the wall and the back face of the fire surround.

Preferably, the heater is a substantially enclosed gas fire unit, comprising a rear vent for combustion products, and adapted to generate hot air through a front vent in the canopy, the gas fire, in use, having a simulated open fire visible though the front viewing window, wherein the rear vent is positioned such that combustion products are discharged into the flue in use. By "substantially enclosed" is meant that the gas burner is enclosed in a fire box having an air inlet and an outlet vent for combustion products, but the front face of the fire box is not open to the room to be heated. The front face is typically covered by the front viewing window. It is known in the art to provide high efficiency from such substantially enclosed gas fire units by means of convection boxes arranged to heat air and to vent the heated air through a front vent, typically in the canopy, into a room to be heated.

The second aspect of the invention provides a substantially enclosed gas fire unit, suitable for use in a fireplace assembly according to any preceding claim, the gas fire unit comprising a front face, side panels, a rear face and a roof, the front face comprising a front viewing window, and a canopy positioned above the front viewing window in use, wherein the side panels of the heater have a thickness, at the side edges of the front viewing window, of 10 mm or less, preferably 6mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or less. Preferably, the canopy comprises a front outlet vent through which heated air may renter the room to be heated.

Preferably, the roof of the gas fire unit has a front edge above the canopy in use, the front edge comprising a flange adapted to be securable to a surlace such as the fascia of the fireplace surround of the first aspect of the invention. Where suitable, the features detailed above for the first aspect of the invention are also applicable to the second aspect of the invention.

Example

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a front schematic view of a fireplace assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention with a hinged hood in a closed configuration, Figure 2 shows a front schematic view of a fireplace assembly according to the first embodiment of the invention with the hinged hood in an open configuration, Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional plan view through section A-A of Figure 1, Figure 4 shows a front schematic side perspective view of the fire surround of the first embodiment, with the heater removed and with the hinged hood in an open configuration, Figure 5 shows a rear schematic side perspective view of the fireplace assembly of the first embodiment, with the heater in place.

Figure 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view through the fireplace assembly of the first embodiment as mounted, in use, in a domestic flue opening.

The fireplace assembly shown in the Figures comprises a fireplace surround 1 having a front fascia 2 and a back face 5. An aperture 4 having tapered side walls 6 passes through the surround 1. At the top of the aperture 4 is a rib 18. The heater is an enclosed gas fire 3 which has a front face 9 having a glass viewing window 10 surrounded by a frame 11. A canopy 12 is located above the frame and within the canopy 12 is a front outlet vent 13. The heater 3 has side panels 16 which taper in a similar manner to the side walls 6 of the fire surround such that the heater 3 can mate snugly into the aperture 4 as shown in Figure 3 with its rear face 14 and combustion gas outlet vent 15 projecting out of the back face of the fireplace surround 1.

A flange 17 on the front edge of the roof of the heater 3 has holes 20 which allow it to be secured to tapped holes 19 in rib 18. Lugs 21 extending from the side panels 16 at their bases have holes through which bolts 22 extend into tapped holes 23 in the side waIls 6, allowing the heater 3 to be further secured into place. At the bottom of the front face 9 is a base panel 25 which may include controls or air inlet vents (not shown).

A hood 7 is attached to the apex of the aperture 4 at its junction with the front fascia 2 by a hinge 8. The hood can be moved about the hinge 8 from the closed configuration shown in Figure 1 to the open configuration shown in Figure 2.

In use, as shown in Figure 6, the fire surround 1 is mounted to an internal wall 32 of a flue 31 located between an internal wall 32 and an external wall 31 in this example. A projection 24 on the back face of the fire surround is used to form a seal against the internal wall 32. The heater 3 is located in the aperture 4 of the fire surround 1 and bolted in place using flange 17 and lugs 21. The internal workings of the heater are not shown in detail in Figure 6, but, for instance, combustion products may pass into the flue through the rear vent 15 whereas air may enter a convection arrangement through base panel 25 to pass out of front vent 13 in canopy 12 after being heated by the heater 3. The lugs 21 and base panel 25 may be concealed from view in use by front iron or ash door 26.

In use, the hood 7 conceals the canopy 12 and front outlet vent 13 from view.

In order to allow the heater 3 to be removed during servicing, for instance, the hood 7 may be hinged upwards about hinge 8 to an open configuration such that the flange 17 may be detached from rib 18 and the fire slid out once lugs 21 have also been freed from side walls 6.

It will be appreciated that numerous modifications to the above described embodiment may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the fascia is shown as flat for the sake of clarity, but in practice it may be provided with decorative mouldings.

The described and illustrated embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the inventions as defined in the claims are desired to be protected. It should be understood that while the use of words such as "preferable", "preferably", "preferred" or "more preferred" in the description suggest that a feature so described may be desirable, it may nevertheless not be necessary and embodiments lacking such a feature may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. In relation to the claims, it is intended that when words such as "a," "an," "at least one," or "at least one portion" are used to preface a feature there is no intention to limit the claim to only one such feature unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language "at least a portion" and/or "a portion" is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A fireplace assembly comprising a fire surround and a substantially enclosed heater, the heater comprising a front face, side panels, a rear face and a roof, the front face comprising a front viewing window having top and bottom edges and side edges adjacent the side panels, and a canopy positioned above the front viewing window in use, the fire surround having a back face and an opposed fascia, the back face securable, in use, to a wall around a flue opening in said wall, and the fire surround comprising an aperture extending from the fascia to the back face and adapted to receive the heater in use whereby the front face of the heater is located within the fascia of the surround forming a seal at the aperture and the rear face of the heater is located in said flue, wherein the fire surround comprises a hood positioned above the aperture in use, whereby the canopy is substantially obscured from view by the hood in use, and wherein the hood is adapted to allow complete removal of the heater from the surround whilst the fire surround is secured to said wall.
2. A fireplace assembly according to claim 1 wherein the canopy comprises a front outlet vent and wherein the front outlet vent is substantially obscured from view by the hood in use.
3. A fireplace assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the hood is detachably securable to the fascia of the fire surround.
4. A fireplace assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the hood is attached to the fascia of the fire surround at a hinge means.
5. A fireplace assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the aperture has side walls arranged to contact the side panels of the heater in use and wherein the heater is securable to the aperture by fasteners connecting the side panels to the side faces of the aperture.
6. A fireplace assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the side panels of the heater present a visible profile, at the side edges of the front viewing window, of 10 mm or less, preferably 6 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or less.
7. A fireplace assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the roof of the heater has a front edge above the canopy in use, the front edge comprising a flange adapted to be securable to the fascia of the surround towards an apex of the aperture and below the hood in use.
8. A fireplace assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the fire surround is made wholly or substantially of cast iron.
9. A fireplace assembly according to any preceding claim further comprising a front iron positionable to conceal a control panel portion towards a base of the front face of the heater in use.
10. A fireplace assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the heater is a substantially enclosed gas fire unit, comprising a rear vent for combustion products, and adapted to generate hot air through a front vent in the canopy, the gas fire, in use, having a simulated open fire visible though the front viewing window, wherein the rear vent is positioned such that combustion products are discharged into the flue in use.
11. A substantialy enclosed gas fire unit, suitable for use in a fireplace assembly according to any preceding claim, the gas fire unit comprising a front face, side panels, a rear face and a roof, the front face comprising a front viewing window having side edges adjacent the side panels, and canopy positioned above the front viewing window in use, wherein the side panels of the heater have a thickness, at the side edges of the front viewing window, of 6mm or less, preferably 3 mm or less.
12. A substantialy enclosed gas fire unit according to claim 11 wherein the canopy comprises a front outlet vent.
13. A substantially enclosed gas fire unit according to claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the roof of the gas fire unit has a front edge above the front vent in use, the front edge comprising a flange adapted to be securable to a surface.
14. A fireplace cc gas fire unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown In the accompanying figures.