US20080216819A1

US20080216819A1 - Fireplace with replaceable lining elements

Info

Publication number: US20080216819A1
Application number: US11/840,385
Authority: US
Inventors: Uwe Backes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Esmart Group Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-03-06
Filing date: 2007-08-17
Publication date: 2008-09-11
Also published as: CA2594969A1; DE202007003443U1

Abstract

The invention relates to a fireplace (1), in particular a transportable room fireplace, with a housing (2) in which a hearth (5) is located, whereby at least one partial area of a surface (8 a, 8 b, 8 c) of the housing (2) is applied on a lining element (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d), which can be fastened in a removable manner to the housing (2).

Description

This invention relates to a fireplace, in particular a transportable room fireplace that comprises a housing in which a hearth is located.
Such fireplaces are known in general in various embodiments. In addition to conventional fireplaces permanently installed in a building and to be fueled with wood and/or briquettes, those fireplaces that operate with a flammable liquid as a fuel are also known. In this case, for example, this can be spirits or alcohol, in particular ethanol. These fireplaces are distinguished not only by an environmentally-friendly operational mode, but despite their open type of design, they do not require any fixed attachments or a vent or chimney. They are therefore especially flexible as a free-standing piece of furniture and can also be used in particular in rented housing space.
In addition, the fireplaces of the above-mentioned type with true flames, also with gas as a fuel, as well as with an artificial hearth, in which a fire is simulated with supply of electrical energy, are known. Moreover, so-called freestanding fireplaces, which are fueled generally with wood and/or briquettes, are also known. This invention relates to all above-mentioned types of fireplaces.
In all of the above-mentioned designs, but in particular in the room fireplaces that can be transported or freely set up in the manner of a piece of furniture, the design of the fireplace is experiencing increasing importance. The fireplaces are to be suitable in as many variants as possible for different installation styles.
The object of this invention is therefore to provide a fireplace of the above-mentioned type that is distinguished by an especially wide variety of designs or whose design can be varied especially easily and quickly.
This object is achieved by a fireplace according to claim 1 or according to claim 4. Advantageous further developments and improvements of the fireplace according to the invention are produced from the dependent claims in each case.
It is essential in the solution according to claim 1 of the invention that at least one partial area of a surface of the housing be applied to a lining element, which is fastened in a detachable and removable manner to the housing of the fireplace.
In this case, an essential advantage consists in that the lining element can be easily removed and replaced by another lining element with a different design. In this way, the fireplace can be matched especially quickly and simply to different surroundings, which means a decisive advantage in particular in transportable room fireplaces. Based on the thus achieved, easily adaptable selection of designs, the fireplace can easily be matched in its outward appearance at different set-up sites to the design of the respective surrounding area. In terms of quick replaceability, the surfaces of an entire side of the fireplace housing are preferably applied to a single lining element, which is designed advantageously in the form of a flat plate.
It is especially advantageous if several surfaces of the housing are applied in each case to a single lining element, whereby all lining elements are fastened in a removable manner in each case to the housing, so that they can all easily be exchanged for other lining elements to produce a new design. The removable lining elements can comprise housing surfaces of the side walls and/or the front surfaces and/or the rear wall and/or an upper cover of the fireplace.
For an especially easy introduction as well as replaceability of the lining elements, in addition it is advantageous if the removable lining element(s) is or are fastened by fastening means to the fireplace, which are located on the lining element and/or preferably on the housing. In this way, separate fastening means can be eliminated, which are also possible, however, in alternative embodiments.
It is essential in the solution of claim 4 according to the invention that the housing of the fireplace has fastening means, by which one or more lining elements, which carry at least partial surfaces of the fireplace, can be fastened in a removable manner to the housing.
A fireplace that is equipped with such fastening means can be varied especially easily in its outward appearance in which additional lining elements are applied. Of course, in this connection, lining elements that are applied to the fireplace can also be replaced easily and quickly for other lining elements for subsequent variation of the outward appearance. Such a fireplace according to the invention, which first is still not provided with lining elements, can thus be matched subsequently in its design to a new surrounding area also by simple introduction of lining elements.
It is especially advantageous if the fastening means provided in the first or second solution according to the invention comprise support bars that are fastened to the housing and that can clamp the lining elements laterally. For this purpose, an especially quick and simple introduction of lining elements is possible, which can be moved easily into the free clamping space of the support bars.
In this case, it is especially advantageous if the support bars are located on the corners or on the corner edges of the housing. For this purpose, it is possible to provide lining elements with the entire surface of a complete side of the fireplace on the housing.
According to an especially preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the housing in the area of the support bars and/or between the support bars has spacing elements that can be designed manually adjustable and/or self-adjusting and by which the free clamping height of the support bars can be matched to lining elements of varying thickness. In this way, it is an especially wide variety of different lining elements that can be used with zero play on one and the same fireplace housing.
According to a first variant, the spacing elements in this case can comprise several straps, which have different lengths and in each case can be bent out from a surface of the housing that lies behind the lining element. Thus, the free clamping height of the support bars can be reduced to a remaining effective free space by specific bending of straps of a desired length, which corresponds to the thickness of a desired lining element.
According to a second embodiment variant, the spacing elements can also comprise spring elements, which can be pressed together in an elastically springy manner in a direction that is perpendicular to the free clamping height of the support bars, and regardless of its thickness, an inserted lining element can press by friction against the outer holding area of the support bars.
In addition, this invention relates to a fireplace system that comprises a fireplace of the above-described type as well as several lining elements for this fireplace.
In this case, the lining elements can consist of different materials at least in their area that supports the surface of the housing. In this connection, for example, the use of wood, metal, plastic, glass or reflectors and/or other materials is possible.
As an alternative or in addition, the wide variety of designs can also be increased by different surface structures or surface patterns, which the lining elements can exhibit at least in their area that supports the surface of the housing. Thus, the surface can be structured or patterned to be, for example, smooth or serrated and/or uniform or uneven in some other way.
Also, in addition or as an alternative, it is possible that the lining elements have different surface treatment at least in their area that supports the surface of the housing. In this case, the surfaces can be, for example, untreated, beveled, polished and/or treated in some other way.
An especially wide variety of designs can be achieved in that the lining elements have different colors at least in their area that supports the surface of the housing. In this connection, in particular a transportable room fireplace can be matched especially easily also to modern installation styles.
Another variation possibility is produced in that various lining elements can have different thicknesses at least in their area that supports the surface of the housing.
The subject of this invention is also a lining element for a fireplace or for a fireplace system of the above-described type.
In this case, it is especially advantageous if a lining element is designed as a rectangular plate. Depending on the shaping of this fireplace, a replaceable lining element can also have other shapes, however, and can be designed, for example, as a triangle or trapezoid.

Other advantages and features of this invention are produced from the subsequent description of the embodiments that are presented in the figures. Shown therein are:

FIG. 1: A three-dimensional view of a fireplace according to the invention with inserted lining elements;

FIG. 2: View of the fireplace of FIG. 1 with removed rear-wall lining;

FIG. 3: View of the back side of the fireplace from FIG. 2 with removed rear-wall lining;

FIGS. 4A and 4B: Fireplace with fully inserted upper lining elements in various thicknesses;

FIGS. 5A and 5B: Fireplaces from FIGS. 4A and 4B with a partially removed upper lining element;

FIGS. 6A and 6B: Fireplaces from FIGS. 4A and 4B with a fully removed upper lining element; and

FIGS. 7A and 7B: Enlarged depictions of details X or Y from FIGS. 6A and 6B.

The transportable room fireplace 1 that is shown in the figures can be placed relatively easily changeably at various sites of a domicile as a free-standing piece of furniture. It consists of an essentially parallelepiped housing 2, which also has a parallelepiped recess 3 in the interior and thus is designed in the form of an outside frame.
A burner 5, which forms the hearth of the fireplace 1, is inserted in the bottom 4 of the recess 3. To this end, the burner 5 can be filled with a flammable liquid, for example ethanol, which burns in an especially environmentally-friendly manner, so that the fireplace 1 can be used as a true-fire fireplace and for providing heat or for heating a space.
In the lower area of the recess 3, a protective disk 6, which can be hinged toward the front by means of a hinge around a swivel axis that runs horizontally at approximately the height of the bottom 4, is mounted on the front side. In the folded-upward state shown in FIG. 1, the protective disk 6 is used in the operation of the fireplace 1 as protection from the open fire in the burner 5. Alternative embodiments of the fireplace can also be embodied without a protective disk.
With the exception of the standing area 7 on the bottom side, all surfaces 8 a, 8 b, and 8 c of the fireplace 1 are applied to removable lining elements 9 a, 9 b, and 9 c. According to the invention, the front-side lining element 9 a and/or the lateral lining element 9 b and/or the top lining element 9 c is or are removable individually or together from the housing 2, so that they can be replaced easily by other lining elements 9 a′, 9 b′, and 9 c′ to match the design of the room fireplace 1 at various surrounding areas.
To be able to execute the replacement of the lining elements 9 a, 9 b, and 9 c especially easily and quickly, support bars 10 are provided as fastening means for the lining elements on the housing 2 of the fireplace 1. In this case, the support bars 10 respectively run on the corner edges of the housing 2 and extend respectively over the entire length of the respective corner edge.
In FIG. 2, the fireplace is shown with removed back-side lining element 9 d, which is provided with circumferential support bars 10 on its edges for optical standardization as well as for its fastening.
FIG. 3 shows the back side of the fireplace 1 with completely removed rear lining element 9 d. Frame parts 11 as well as side surfaces 12 of the housing 2 can be clearly seen here. The recess 3 is closed on its back side by a separate rear wall 13. In the left area of FIG. 3, the lateral linking element 9 b is shown with the lateral surface 8 b of the fireplace 1. It is held upward and downward as well as forward in each case by a support bar 10. If the fireplace is to achieve another outward appearance, the lateral lining element 9 b can be easily removed toward the rear here from the upper and lower support bars 10, so that an alternative lining element 9 b′ that is desired for a different design can be moved into the support bars 10.
In the case of a removed back-side lining element 9 d, in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the fireplace 1 is shown with upper and lateral lining elements 9 b or 9 c that have different thicknesses. In this depiction, the different thicknesses of the lining elements 9 b, 9 c can be seen only with great difficulty. In contrast, it can be seen clearly in FIGS. 5A and 6A that the upper lining element 9 c that is used here has a greater thickness than the upper lining element 9 c′ that is used in FIGS. 5B and 6B.
So that these lining elements 9 c or 9 c′ of different thicknesses can be inserted easily and in a dimensionally stable manner in the support bars 10, a total of 18 groups of 4 straps 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, and 14 d in each case are punched out on three sides in the housing surface 12 behind the lining element 9 c or 9 c′. The fourth side of the straps forms a bending line, around which a strap from the housing surface 12 that corresponds to the respective thickness of a lining element 9 c or 9 c′ that is to be inserted can be bent upward. Thus, when inserting the thinner lining element 9 c′, in each case the second straps 14 b of any group of straps, whose length that extends in the bent-upward state perpendicular to the housing surface 12 corresponds to the free clamping height of the support bar 10 plus the thickness of the lining element 9 c′, are bent upward. The bent-upward straps 14 b in this case press the inserted lining element 9 c′, despite its comparatively small thickness, against the upper holding area of the support bars 10.
In contrast, no strap 14 is bent out from the upper housing surface 12 in the inserts shown in FIGS. 6A or 7A. Rather, all straps 14 are found here in the entire plane of the upper housing surface 12, since the thickness of the upper lining element 9 c that is to be inserted corresponds to the free clamping height of the support bars 10.
The same also applies in a corresponding way for the lateral lining elements 9 b or for the front lining element 9 a. Thus, independently of the thickness of the inserted lining elements 9 a, 9 b, and 9 c, in each case a solid fireplace 1 can be obtained with lining elements 9 a, 9 b, and 9 c applied with zero play to be able to change or to match the design of the fireplace 1 in the desired way.

Claims

1. Fireplace, in particular a transportable room fireplace, with a housing (2), in which a hearth (5) is located, characterized in that at least one partial area of a surface (8 a, 8 b, 8 c) of the housing (2) is applied to a lining element (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d), which is fastened in a removable manner to the housing (2).

2. Fireplace according to claim 1, wherein several surfaces (8 a, 8 b, 8 c) of the housing (2) are applied in each case to an individual lining element (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) and which in each case are fastened in a removable manner to the housing (2).

3. Fireplace according to claim 1, wherein at least one removable lining element (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) is fastened by fastening means (10), which are provided on the housing (2) and/or on the lining element (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d).

4. Fireplace, in particular a transportable room fireplace, with a housing (2), in which a hearth (5) is located, wherein the housing (2) has fastening means (10) for removable fastening of at least one lining element (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d).

5. Fireplace according to claim 3, wherein the fastening means comprise support bars (10) provided on the housing (2), by which the lining elements (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) can be clamped laterally.

6. Fireplace according to claim 5, wherein the support bars (10) are located on the corner edges of the housing (2).

7. Fireplace according to claim 5, wherein the housing (2) in the area of the support bars (10) and/or between the support bars (10) has adjustable or self-adjusting spacing elements (14), by which the free clamping height of the support bars (10) can be adapted to various thicknesses of the lining elements (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d).

8. Fireplace according to claim 7, wherein the spacing elements (14) comprise a large number of straps (14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d), which can be bent out as desired in each case around a bending line from a surface (12) of the housing (2) that lies behind the lining element (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d), whereby the straps (14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d) have different lengths perpendicular to the bending line.

9. Fireplace according to claim 7, wherein the spacing elements (14) comprise spring elements that can be pressed together elastically perpendicular to the free clamping height of the support bars (10).

10. Fireplace system, comprising a fireplace (1) according to claim 1 and several lining elements (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) for the fireplace (1).

11. Fireplace system according to claim 10, wherein the lining elements (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) consist of different materials at least in their area that supports the surface (8 a, 8 b, 8 c) of the housing (2).

12. Fireplace system according to claim 10, wherein the lining elements (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) have different surface structures, in particular different surface patterns, at least in their area that supports the surface (8 a, 8 b, 8 c) of the housing (2).

13. Fireplace system according to claim 10, wherein the lining elements (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) have different surface treatments at least in their area that supports the surface (8 a, 8 b, 8 c) of the housing (2).

14. Fireplace system according to claim 10, wherein the lining elements (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) have different colors at least in their area that supports the surface (8 a, 8 b, 8 c) of the housing (2).

15. Fireplace system according to claim 10, wherein the lining elements (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) have different thicknesses at least in their area that supports the surface (8 a, 8 b, 8 c) of the housing (2).

16. Lining element (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) for a fireplace (1) according to claim 1.

17. Lining element (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) for a fireplace system according to claim 10.

18. Lining element (9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d) according to claim 16, wherein it is designed as a rectangular plate.