GB2494554A

GB2494554A - Solid fuel stove base selectively supplying air to surroundings

Info

Publication number: GB2494554A
Application number: GB1218987.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Greg Taylor
Original assignee: Stovax Ltd
Current assignee: Stovax Ltd
Priority date: 2011-10-25
Filing date: 2012-10-22
Publication date: 2013-03-13
Anticipated expiration: 2032-10-22
Also published as: GB201218987D0; GB2494554A8; GB2494554B; GB2494554B8

Abstract

An adaptor or base for supporting a domestic solid fuel burning appliance (e.g. stove) in a hearth or fire opening 50, the adaptor taking combustion air from outside a environment (e.g. a room) containing the appliance, and having means to selectively bleed some of the air to the environment. The adaptor (54, fig 1) has two uprights 22,23, a plate 55 with an opening 56 to an air duct 25, may include a casing (60, fig 1), and is sealed to the appliance. The stove has a plenum 28 supplying secondary and downwash air, and selectively to the environment when an opening 44 is uncovered by opening door 19. Alternatively the duct 25 has a manual opening to the environment with a linkage to open it when the door is opened. This prevents spillage of combustion gases into the environment during fuelling.

Description

Improvements in or relating to a Heating Appliance The present invention relates generally to a heating appliance, and part'ccularly to a solid fuel heating appliance intended to receive its air supply -om a so-coDed Lioutside air" supply system. This is sometimes referred to as having a sealed air supply system.

Conventionally, solid fuel heating appliances have drawn their input air for combustion of the fuel directly from the room or chamber within the building in which they are located. It has long been recognised that the doors, windows and fabric of traditional buildings allow significant leakage of aft from outside the building. For this reason it hod been acceptable that there is a sufficient volume of so-culled odventitious" air available to supply a heating appliance of up to 5kw rating in a traditional building without compromising the provision of necessary changes of air for healthy living. More recently, with the advent of modern building practices, and in particular the provision of tightly fitting doors and windows the availability of adventitious air for supplying solid fuel heating appliances is being called into question.

Ta improve the air supply to an appance in some modern buildings it is known to provide openings in the wall or floor of a building with delivery outlets close to the appliance so that outside" air can be drawn into the room for supply of combuslion air to the heating appliance. This has certain disadvantages, however, not least the fact that the presence of such ventilation openings atlows air movement into the building even at times when the heating oppliance is not in operation, causing unwonted draughts the avoidance of which is precisely the aim of making the ndows ond doors in the building more tightly sealed.

However if the heating appliance is connected directly to a duct far supplying outside air it is difficult to fit, especially if the appliance is one designed to fit entirety within a fire opening with its front face flush with the wall a so-called inset appliance), because once installed there is no access to the rear at the appliance to make or seal The connection between the appliance's air inlet and the duct delivering the outside air.

This also makes it difficult to gain access to the body of the appliance should it be necessary to carry out any maintenance operations after installation, The present invention seeks to provide a heating appliance and means for installing it, having means by which ii can be supplied directly from so-called outside' air, that is air from outside the room or chamber in which the appflance is fifled, notably from outside the buHding altogether (although possibly from another room or chamber), without suffering from the disadvantage outlined above.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an installation adaptor for the installation of a soNd fuel appliance into a hearth or lire opening.

comprising a support for the appliance and a duct for defining an inlet air pathway for air outside the room or chamber defining the environment within which the appliance is to be tilted to an outlet thereof to the said environment, the arrangement being such that the outlet of the duct forms a substantially sealed connection to an air inlet of the )0 appliance upon positioning of the apphance onto the support and there are provided means for selectively opening communicafion between the air inlet pathway and the said environment whereby to allow air to bleed directly from the air inlet pathway into the said environment.

IS By using such an installation adaptor this can be fitted into the hearth or fireplace opening páor to installation of the appliance, which can then be positioned on the support with its air inlet in communication with the duct defining the air inlet pathway in a single operation.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, designed for an appliance having an air inlet in the under face thereof, the outlet of the duct defining the air inlet pathway opens into an upwardly facing cavity or recess in the adaptor.

Preferably the adaptor further includes a flue coupling between a flue at the said hearth or fire opening end a flue outlet of the appliance. InstailaNon of the appliance can then be achieved simply with the air supply and flue outlet couplings being made upon positioning of the instaflation.

In another embodiment the installation adaptor further includes a casing I or enclosing the appliance once installed (other than the front face thereof) to define an inset configuration.

Such a casing may define convection pathways for air tram the said environment between itself and the body of the said appliance upon installation thereof. Naturally.

suitable air inlet and outlet openings, in communication with such convection pathways, would be provided in the front face of the appliance itself.

The present invention also comprehends a twoport solid fuel appliance comprising a first port in the form of a base unit constituting a support for a second part campcsing a body defining a combustion chamber with an air inlet and a flue outlet the said first part having means defining on inlet air pathway which upon instatatian passes out through a wall defining the room or chamber in which the appliance is to be fitted, the said inlet air pathway having on outlet which is sealingly coupled to the air inlet of the said second part when the two parts are fitted together, there being provided means for selectively opening communication between the air inlet pathway and the said environment whereby to allow air to bleed directly from the air inlet pathway into the said environment. -For this purpose if is preferred that the said second part includes a plenum chamber within a body of the appliance and separated from the combustion chamber thereof.

The said plenum chamber may be located within the body at the second part of the appliance below the said combustion chamber.

A two part solid fuel appliance as defined above preferable includes means for selectively delivering air from the air inlet pathway into the said environment in the farm of a closable opening in the wall of the plenum chamber. Such closable opening is 23 preferably closable by a door covering the tuel-loading opening in the body of the appliance.

Alternatively, a twa part solid fuel appliance may be so formed that the said air inlet duct in the first part has a closable opening by which, when opened, air can flow tram the interior of the air inlet duct into the environment in which the appliance is located.

In such an embodiment, of course, the front face of the second part of the appliance would be provided with suitable openings for the air to flow from the air inlet duct into the said environment.

Likewise, in such an embodiment, there are preferably provided linkage means between a fuel-loading door of the second part of the appliance and a closure for the said closable opening of the said air inlet duct of the first part of the appliance, the said linkage being operable to open the said closable opening when the fuel loading door is open.

In on alternative embodiment the air inlet pathway of the first part of the two part solid fuel appliance may have a baffle between the air inlet pathway and the combustion chamber, this baffle operaflng selectively, or synchronously with The said means for selectively delivering air through the air inlet pathway into the said environment, whereby at least portly to obstruct the flow of inlet air to the combustion chamber in the second part of the appliance.

The present invention also comprehends a method of installing a saHd fuel appliance into a hearth or fire opening, comprising the steps of fitting a base unit to the hearth or tire opening with a duct constituting the air inlet pathway passing through a wall or partition from (he room or chamber defining the environment in which the appliance is to be fitted to a region outside The environment whereby, in use, to draw in air for operation of the appliance from outside the said environment, and positioning a solid fuel appliance on the base unit so as to be supported thereby with an inlet to the combustion chamber of the appliance in sealed communication with an outlet from the air inlet pathway defined by the said duct.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: -Figure 1 is a schernulic sectional sidc view at a room having an installation adaptor formed as a first embodiment of the invention fitted thereto; -Figure 2 is a sectional side view of a two-port heating appliance of which ane part is constituted by the installation adaptor of Figure 1. shown with the fuel loading door of the appliance closed; and -Figure 3 is a similar sectional view of the two-part appliance of Figure 2, with the fuekoading door open.

Referring now to Figure 1 there is shown a hearth or fireplace region of a room.

generally indicated 50 defined by an interior wall 51 and an outer wall 24 upstanding from a floor 52. The façade 51 and wall 24 define between them a chimney outlet or flue 53, The installation adaptor of the present invention is generally identified 54, and comprises two upright supports 22, 23 on which is supported a base element in the form of a generally flat plate 55 having an opening 56 communicating with an air inlet duct 25 which passes out through the wall 24 and has an inlet opening 26 which may be left as a stub opening, or installed in the building as an air brick or grille.

The base 55 includes two transverse beam like members 57, 58 which define a cavity 59 between them and the base 55.

An optional casing 60 shown in broken oulline and incorporating a flue connection 61 S may also be provided.

The installation adaptor 54 provides a simplified fitting for a so-called inset appliance intended to fit flush with the interior wall 51 which, as can be seen in flgures 2 and 3, con then simply be fitted into the lire opening by sliding body II of the appliance info the opening onto the base element 55.

As will be appreciated from the preamble, the present invention may also be considered as ci two-part heating appliance with the installation adaptor.54 constituting a first part of the appliance. The body 11, constituting the second part of the appliance, will now be more particularly described.

The second part of the heating appliance shown comprises a stove body I I of generally box-like form having a bottom wall 12, upper wall 13 with a flue outlet collar 14 surrounding a flue opening 16. and a rear wall 5. A front wall IT of the stove body 11 has an opening 18 for loading fuel, closable bye fuel door 19 which, is glazed with a glazing panel 20 as illustrated in broken outline in Figure 2.

The stove body 11 is carried above the level of the floor 21 of the room in which the stove is located by the supports 22, 23. The wall 24 defines one boundary of the room within which the stove 1 is located and the air inlet duct 25 passes through the wall 24 and opens into the exterior space outside the room. Inlet 26 to the air inlet duct 25 may be simply in the form of an open end of the duct 25, or may be provided as a diffuser or ventilator grille (not shown) in the form of an air brick or the like it the entrance to the duct 25 is located on an outside wall. This is not, of course, absolutely essential since the inlet air duct may for example open into another chamber at the building, such as a hallway. atrium, cupboard or other interior chamber which has sufficiently large ventilation openings to aflow the stove 11 to be adequately supplied with air.

Within the body of the stove 11 there is located o horizontal partition 27 which separates the interior volume of the stove into ci plenum chamber 28 below the partition and combustion chamber 29 above it. A grate 30 for carrying the solid fuel is located in the combustion chamber 29 spaced slightly above the partition 27 to leave a lower. oshcollection space 31.

The air inlet duct 25 opens through the bottom wai 12 of the stove 11 into the plenum chamber 28. The connection between the duct 25 and the stove II is a permanent sealed connection, and likewise the duct 25 is sealed to the opening in the wall 24 through which it passes so that air for combustion within the stove 11 can be drown entirely from outside the room in which the stove is located, and none of this air can leak into the room. Likewise, air from the room cannot find its way into the stove when the door 39 is closed and sealed against the front wali 17 of the stove body 33.

Openings 32 in the partition 27 allow air to pass from the plenum chamber 28 into the ash space 31, and from there through and around the grate 30 into a lower region 33 of the combustion chamber 29, where the solid fuel is located. In use of the appliance primacy combustion at the solid fuel takes pkzce in this region, supplied with incoming air-through the oir inlet duct 25.

-Adjacent the rear wall S of the stove I I are located a number of upright tubes or ducts 34 the lower ends of which are sealed to the partition 27 which has respective openings 35 aflowing air from the ptenum chamber 26 to enter these ducts 34. At the top the ducts 34 ore joined by and communicate with o transverse duct 36 having a plurality of openings 37 in its side wall. In use of the appliance 11, therefore, the ducts 34 are heated by the combustion taking place at the primacy combustion region 33 causing air to flow upwards by convection from the plenum chamber 28 through the openings 35 into the ducts 34. dsing through the ducts 34 and exiting through the openings 37 where the heated air comes into contact with the partly burnt combustion products from combustion of the solid fuel at the primary combustion region 33 causing these gases to re-ignite. A further, more complete, combustion lakes place before the combustion products pass around a deflector plate 39 and out through the fuel opening 16.

At the front of the stove II, on either side of the door 20 are located two upright ducts communicating with the plenum chamber 28 through Power openings 4 in the partition 27 and connected by a transverse hollow duct 42 having downwardly directed outlets 43 along its length in the region of the upper edge of the fuel loading opening 18. This provides a downwash of air over the inner face of the glazed portion of the fuel loading door 19 in use of the appliance thereby keeping this gtazed opening clear of smoke and fumes, and other combustion products which might tend to cloud it and obscure the view of the combustion process faking place within the appliance.

The front wall of the body 11 has a further opening 44 at the front of the plenum chamber 28, which is normally covered by the door 19 in a gas-tight sealed manner.

However, when the door is opened as shown in Figure 2. in order to allow loading of additional fuel into the combustion chamber 29, clean air from the plenum chamber 28 can bleed out through the opening 44 into the region immediately in front of the stove equalising the pressures across the opening 18 between the interior of the stove and the immediately surrounding environment and providing combustion air which can enter through the opening 18 into the combustion chamber 29 to continue supporting combustion while the stove is being reloaded with solid fueL Thus, whilst the stove is in use and combusi ion is taking place within the combustion chamber 29 the slotus of the door 19 (namely whether it is open or closed) does not affect the combustion process within the combustion chamber 29 so that the stave can be safely opened without spillage of combustion products into the room.

In an alternotive embodiment (not shown) tli& duct 25 itself may hnve on opening at some point along its length, for example in the curved portion where it loins the lower wall 12 at the stove body 11, which may be openable manually by the user to allow fresh air to bleed from the duct 25 into the room should this be desired, either for the purpose of admitting fresh air to the room, or for balancing the pressures between the interior and exterior of the stove in case the seals around the door ore not perfectly gas tight or far avoiding spillage of combustion products from the appliance when the fuel-loading door is open. Such an opening may also be linked by a suitable mechanical linkage f not shownj to the door 19 so that regardless of whether it has been opened manually or not it will be opened when the door is opened so that air from the duct 25 can bleed into the room whilst fuel is being reloaded into the stove. Naturally, in such on embodiment, the front support 22 would need on opening or grille to allow the bled air to pass into the room.

Claims

<claim-text>Claims 1 An installation adaptor for the instaUation of a saUd fuel appUance into a hearth or tire opening, comprising a support for the appliance and a duct for defininq an inlet air pathway for air outside the room or chamber defining the environment within which the appliance is to be tilted to an outlet thereof in the said environment, the arrangement being such that the outlet of The duct forms a substantially sealed connection to an air inlet of the appliance upon positioning of the appliance onto the support and there are provided means for selectively opening communication between the air inlet pathway and the said environment whereby to allow air to bleed directly tram the air inlet pathway into the said environment.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. An installation adaptor as claimed in claim I, for an appliance having an air inlet in the under face thereof, in which the outlet of the duct defining the air inlet pathway opens into an upwardly facing cavity or recess in the adaptor.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. An installation adaptor as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, turther including a flue coupling between a flue of the sold hearth or tire opening and a flue outlet of the appance.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. An installation adaptor as claimed in any of Claims I to 3. furlher including a casing for enclosing the appliance, other than the front face thereof, upon installation.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. An Installation adaptor as claimed in Claim 3, in which the casing defines convection pathways for air from the said environment between itself and the body of the said appliance upon instaUction thereat 6. A two-part solid fuel appliance comprising a Urst part in the form of a base unit constituting a support for a second part comprising a body defining a combustion chamber with an air inlet and a flue outlet, the said tirst part having means detining an inlet air pathway which upon installation passes out through a walt defining the environment in which the oppliance is to be fitted, the said inlet air pathway having on outlet which is sealingly coupled to the air inlet of the said second part when the two parts are fitted together, there being provided means for selecftvety opening communication between the air inlet pathway and the said environment whereby to allow air to bleed directly from the air inlet pathway into the said environment.7. A two-port solid fu& appliance as claimed in Claim 6, in which the said second part includes a plenum chamber within a body of the second pail of the appliance and separated from the combustion chamber thereof.8. A two-part solid fuel appliance as claimed in Claim 7. in which the said plenum chamber is located within the body of The second part of the appliance below the said combustion chamber.9. A two-part solid fuel appliance as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, in which the said means for selectively delivering air from the air inlet pathway into the said environment comprises a closable opening in the woH of the plenum chamber.10. A twa-part solid fuel appliance as claimed iii Claim 9, in which the said closable opening in the wall of the plenum chamber is closable by a door covering a fuel-IS loading opening in the body of the appliance.II. A iwo-part solid fuel appliance as claimed in any of Claims 8 to 10, in which there ore openings in the wall of the plenum chamber f or delivery of primacy combustion air to the combustion chamber of the appliance.12. A two-part solid fuel appliance as claimed in Claim 11. in which there are provided means for regulating the air flow through the said primary combustion air openings.13. A iwo-port solid fuel appliance as clamed in any of Claims 8 to 12, in which there ore provided means for ducting secondary combustion air farm the said plenum chamber to an upper level in the said combusrion chamber.14. A two-part solid fuel appliance as claimed in Claim 13, in which there are provided means tor regulating the air flow through the said secondary combustion air ducts.15. A two-part solid fuel appliance as claimed in any of Claims 8 to 14, in which there are provided means for directing air from the said plenum chamber to an upper region of the combustion chamber adiacent the fuel-loading doo of the appliance whereby to deliver downwosh air thereto.16. A two-part solid fuel appliance as claimed in Claim 15, in which there are provided means for regulating the airflow through the downwash air ducts.17. A two-part solid fuel appliance as claimed in Claim 7, in which the said air inlet duct has a closable opening by which, when open, air can flow from the interior at the air inlet duct into the environment in which the appliance s located.I & A Iwo-part saRd fuel appliance as claimed in claim I?, in which there are provided inkage means between a fuel-1oading door of the appliance and ci dosure for the said closable opening of the said air inet duct, operable to open the soid closable opening when the fuel loading door is open.19. A Iwo-part solid fuel appliance as claimed in any of Claims 7 to 18. in which the air inlet pathway has a baffle between the air inlet pathway and the combustion chamber operable selectively or synchronously with the said means for selectively delivering air from the air inlet pathwoy into the said environment whereby at least partly to obstruct the flow of inlet air to the combustion chamber.20. A method of installing a solid fuel appliance into a hearth or fire opening.comprising the steps of:IS-fitting a base unit to the hearth or (ire opening with a duct constituting the ciii inlet pathway passing through a wall or partition trom the room or chamber defining the environment in which the appliance is to be fitted to a region outside the environment whereby, in use, to draw in air for operation of the appliance from outside the said environment -positioning a solid fuel appliance to the base unit so as to be supported thereby with an inlet to the, combustion chamber of the appfiance in seated communication with an ouflel from the air inlet pathway defined by the said duct, and -providing a selectively closable opening in the said air inlet pathway which, when open, provides direct communication between the said air inlet pathway and the said room or chamber defining the environment in which the appliance is fitted.21. A method as claimed in Claim 20, further comprising the step of sealing between the perimeter of the fire opening or hearth and the front face of the applionce.22. A two-part solid fuel appliance substantiafly as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.23. An installation adaptor for a solid fuel appliance, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to. and as shown in, the accomponying drawings.24. A met hod of installing a solid fuel appliance into a hearth or fire opening, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.</claim-text>