GB2598041A

GB2598041A - Apparatus for providing a simulated flame effect

Info

Publication number: GB2598041A
Application number: GB2110158.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie Watts John
Original assignee: Flamerite Fires Ltd
Current assignee: Flamerite Fires Ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-21
Filing date: 2021-07-14
Publication date: 2022-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 2041-07-14
Also published as: GB202110158D0; GB2598041B; GB202011243D0

Abstract

Apparatus for providing a simulated flame effect comprises a housing 1, ribbons 20 suspended within the housing for creating a flickering flame effect, air flow means 2 for directing air over the ribbons and a reducer 21 provided between two neighbouring ribbons to inhibit tangling of the ribbons and comprises material which does not fully obscure at least one of the ribbons. The reducer may be transparent and, may not obscure either of the ribbons. The ribbons may be secured to a mounting 22 at their lower or upper end or at each end, wherein the ribbon is longer than the spacing of its ends, to permit movement. Further, the ribbons may be connected to the housing in a way which permits movement, such as pivoting, relative to the housing. The reducer may be secured to either the housing or one of the ribbons. The reducer may be shorter than the ribbons and have a width corresponding to part of a width of a ribbon. An electric fire comprising the apparatus is also claimed.

Description

Apparatus For Providing A Simulated Flame Effect This invention relates to an apparatus suitable for an electric fire and which is operable to provide a simulated flame effect.

Various proposals have been advanced for providing an electric fire with a simulated flame effect and many function satisfactorily if correctly installed and operated. One example of that type of electric fire is described in GB2377752A.

However if not installed or operated properly the simulated flame effect can cease to function or not function as well as intended.

Typically the simulated flame effect is provided by a plurality of ribbons which are caused to flutter by directing a forced flow of air over the ribbons. If the electric fire is not installed properly, or an air flow passage becomes blocked, the air flow is insufficient to cause movement of the ribbons.

To address the problem of the ribbons fluttering insufficiently consideration has been given to providing a stronger air flow over the ribbons. Whilst that is effective for ensuring movement of the ribbons it does lead to an increased risk of neighbouring ribbons becoming tangled with one another. Furthermore, the use of a high power fan to create a fast air flow rate typically results in an undesirable level of noise as well as causing the ribbons to move in a more aggressive manner unlike that of a more relaxed natural flame.

To minimise the risk of ribbons becoming tangled with one another consideration has been given also to securing each end of a ribbon to the housing of the electric fire and carefully adjusting the slack of each ribbon. However it has not been found possible to provide a construction which adequately mitigates the risk of tangling whilst also providing a realistic flame effect.

The present invention seeks to provide an apparatus, such as for an electric fire, and having an improved simulated flame effect.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus comprising a housing, a plurality of ribbons suspended within the housing for creating a flickering flame effect, air flow means for directing a flow of air over the ribbons and a reducer provided between two neighbouring ribbons thereby physically to inhibit tangling of the ribbons with one another, the reducer comprising material which does not fully obscure at least one of the ribbons.

Preferably the material of the reducer is transparent.

Preferably the reducer does not fully obscure either of the ribbons.

The feature of the material of the reducer not fully obscuring at least one of the ribbons may be in consequence of a property of the reducer material or the shape of the material.

The apparatus may comprise a light source for illuminating the ribbons.

The invention provides also an electric fire comprising the apparatus of the invention and means for providing heat.

In addition to being suspended within the housing the lower end of at least one or more of the ribbons also may be secured relative to the housing. For a ribbon having each end secured relative to the housing the length of the ribbon preferably is slightly greater than the spacing of the ends of the ribbon when located within the housing thereby to provide a degree of slackness sufficient to permit a degree of ribbon movement that simulates the natural movement of a flame.

The upper end of a ribbon may be secured in a fixed position relative to the housing.

Alternatively or additionally the upper end of a ribbon may be secured to the housing in a manner which allows movement of the upper end of the ribbon. Thus, for example, an upper end may be secured in a manner that allows the end to pivot relative to the housing, for example about an axis substantially parallel with the length of the ribbon, through a small range of angular movement, for example a range of less than sixty degrees.

If the lower end of a ribbon also is secured to the housing, that end may be secured to the housing in a manner substantially similar to the manner in which the upper end is secured to the housing or may be secured in a different manner.

The reducer between two neighbouring ribbons may be secured to the housing The upper end of the reducer may be secured rigidly relative to the housing or in a manner which permits movement relative to the housing.

The upper end of a reducer may be secured directly to the housing or may be secured to a ribbon, for example to the upper end of a ribbon.

The reducer may have a width dimension substantially similar to the width of a ribbon. The reducer may be located in an off-set position relative to the width of a ribbon or may be of a width different from that of a ribbon such that only pad of the width of a ribbon may be covered by the reducer.

The reducer may be secured relative to the ribbon in a manner in which, in the absence of air flow, a face of the reducer is spaced from a surface of the ribbon. Alternatively the reducer may be secured to lie, at least in part, adjacent one of the two ribbons between which it is located.

The reducer may have a length less than that of the length of a ribbon. Preferably the reducer has a length no more than eighty five percent of the length of a ribbon, more preferably no more than seventy five percent of the length of a ribbon.

The material of the reducer may be a clear, transparent material, such as a layer of clear PVC or similar such plastics material. Although the reducer may have a nonapertured surface, the present invention does not exclude the use of a reducer comprising apertures, for example of a perforated or mesh like form.

The reducer need not be of clear material. It may comprise at least in part translucent material and, optionally, may be formed from a tinted transparent material, for example a material having a graduated degree of tinting.

Although from a materials usage standpoint a simple rectangular shape is convenient for the reducer(s), other shapes may be employed. Thus a reducer may have at least one non-linear edge. Each edge between the ends of the reducer may be non-linear.

Suitable materials for the ribbon include textile materials. At least part of the length of the ribbon may be slit thereby to provide two longitudinally extending sections which are able to deflect and thus provide a flutter effect independently of one another.

The apparatus of the invention may comprise a screen through which the ribbons are viewable. The screen may be transparent or may be translucent. The screen may be a tinted screen and may have a graduated degree of tint. Thus the apparatus may comprise a transparent or translucent screen and at least one reducer which is transparent Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 is a front view of a known type of electric fire and which may be adapted to comprise apparatus in accordance with the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a ribbon assembly comprising a ribbon and reducer in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a plan view of an example of the layout of ribbons and ribbon assemblies suitable for an adaptation for the fire of Figure 1, and Figure 4 illustrates in more detail the four reducers and six ribbons of Figure 3.

The fire of Figure 1 comprises a housing 1 containing an electric blower 2 positioned beneath ribbons 3 and provided in combination with reflective paper reflectors 4.

Each ribbon 3 is made from flexible textile material and each ribbon is fixed at each end "x" to the housing 8 in a manner which secures the end of each ribbon in a fixed position relative to the housing. Each ribbon has a length slightly greater than the spacing between the ends thereof when fixed within the housing and in the absence of air flow over the ribbons from the blower 2 the ribbons are substantially untwisted.

Optionally the electric fire comprises reflectors 4 which are flame shaped, forked with irregular outer edges and fixed at their lower edges to the housing 1.

The electric fire comprises a light source comprising two bulbs 5 which direct light in an upwards direction onto the reflectors and ribbons.

The front of the housing is provided with a translucent front screen 8 which serves in combination with the rear and side portions the housing to provide a defined passage 7 (see Figure 3) for flow of air upwards from the air blower 2.

Each ribbon is provided with a longitudinal slit 10 (see Figure 2)that extends between positions spaced from the ends of the ribbon such that between the two ends of the ribbon there are two ribbon section 12 which are free to flutter independently of one another in an air flow from the blower 2.

In accordance with the present invention the electric fire of Figure 1 is adapted to replace the ribbons 3 by four ribbon assemblies 20 as shown in Figure 3 at the positions A,B,E,F or assemblies 20' as shown in Figure 4. Additionally two ribbons C, D are provided centrally.

Each ribbon assembly 20, 20' comprises a ribbon 23 which may be substantially identical with the ribbon 3, as illustrated in Figure 1, and is provided in combination with a reducer 21 which serves to reduce any tendency for neighbouring ribbons to become tangled with one another.

The reducer is formed from a strip of clear PVC having a stiffness greater than that of the ribbon 23 and extends downwards from a mounting 22 that is secured to the upper end of the ribbon 23. In the ribbon assembly 20 of Figure 2 the mounting 22 holds the upper end of the reducer spaced from the ribbon such that the ribbon is free to move towards and away from the reducer in response to a flow of air over the ribbon. In the ribbon assembly 20' of Figure 4 the mounting 22 holds the reducer and associated ribbon on contact with one another at the upper end of the ribbon. In Figure 4 there is illustrated a bracket 25 at the position X and which secures the lower end a ribbon relative to the housing 1.

In these embodiments the length of the reducer is three quarters the length of the ribbon, it having been found that a greater length is not necessary in order to prevent tangling of neighbouring ribbons.

The reducer does not need to extend fully over a face of the ribbon and in this embodiment the reducer 21 is supported by the mounting 22 in a manner in which the reducer extends downwards at an angle inclined to the length of the ribbon, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. In these embodiments of the invention the mounting 22 is a pivotable type mounting which is operable to clamp the reducer to the ribbon at any angle within a range of angles relative to the length of the ribbon.

Because the reducers are of transparent material they are not clearly visible to the user of the electric fire and do not result in any significant detraction from the realism of the simulated flame effect. The substantial invisibility of the reducers is further assisted in the case of an electric fire in which the screen provided in front of the reducer assemblies is of translucent material.

Claims

Claims 1 Apparatus for providing a simulated flame effect comprises a housing, a plurality of ribbons suspended within the housing for creating a flickering flame effect, air flow means for directing a flow of air over the ribbons and a reducer provided between two neighbouring ribbons thereby physically to inhibit tangling of the ribbons with one another, the reducer comprising material which does not fully obscure at least one of the ribbons.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the material of the reducer is transparent.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the reducer does not fully obscure either of the ribbons.
4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the lower end of at least one or more of the ribbons is secured relative to the housing.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein a ribbon has each end thereof secured relative to the housing and has a length greater than the spacing of the ends of the ribbon.
6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the upper end of at least one ribbon is secured in a fixed position relative to the housing
7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the upper end of at least one ribbon is secured to the housing in a manner which allows movement of the upper end of the ribbon relative to the housing.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the upper end of at least one ribbon is secured relative to the housing in a manner that allows that end of the ribbon to pivot relative to the housing.
9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the upper end of a ribbon is free to pivot relative to the housing about an axis substantially parallel with the length of the ribbon.
10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the lower end of at least one ribbon is secured to the housing in a manner that is similar to the manner in which the upper end is secured relative to the housing.
11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the lower end of at least one ribbon is secured relative to the housing in a manner different from the manner in which the upper end of the ribbon is secured relative to the housing.
12. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and comprising at least one reducer secured directly to the housing.
13, Apparatus according to any one of the claims 1 to 11 wherein the reducer is secured to the ribbon.
14. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the upper end of at least one reducer is secured relative to the housing in a manner which permits movement relative to the housing.
15. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the reducer has a width dimension corresponding to the width of at least one of the ribbons between which it is positioned.
16. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the reducer is positioned off-set relative to the width of each of the ribbons between which it is located.
17. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein only part of the width of a ribbon is covered by the reducer.
18. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the reducer is spaced from a surface of the ribbon in the absence of air flow.
19. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17 wherein at least a part of the reducer lies adjacent one of the two ribbons between which it is located in the absence of air flow.
20. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the reducer has a length less than the length of the ribbons between which it is positioned.
21. Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the reducer has a length no more than 85% of the length of the ribbons between which it is positioned.
22. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one edge of the reducer between the ends of the reducer is non-linear.
23. An electric fire comprising apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and at least one of a source of illumination and a source of heat.
24. An electric fire according to claim 23 and comprising a screen through which the ribbons are viewable.
25. An electric fire according to claim 23 or claim 24 wherein the screen is of translucent or transparent material and at least one reducer is transparent.