US20120111311A1

US20120111311A1 - Customizable fire pit

Info

Publication number: US20120111311A1
Application number: US12/942,436
Authority: US
Inventors: Greg T. Steck
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-11-09
Filing date: 2010-11-09
Publication date: 2012-05-10

Abstract

A portable fire pit system is disclosed having an outer shell that is configured for easy customization that the outer appearance of the fire pit can be changed. The outer shell includes at least one visible outer side wall that is substantially vertical and substantially smooth for receiving decoration. According to one embodiment the outer side wall is substantially cylindrical and has a decorative wrap attached to its outer surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to portable fire effect systems and, in particular, to portable tank-fueled fire pits.

BACKGROUND

Portable fire pit systems for travel usage are known. Such systems include simple small wood-burning units and more complex electronic ignition units that are supplied by small, refillable fuel tanks. Because these units are portable, they can be brought to any location such as a campsite or a sporting event for tailgating. Depending on the location where the fire pit is used, the user may wish to alter the appearance of the fire pit to fit in with the environment, match the user's vehicle, or show a particular team affiliation. For example, on Saturday, while tailgating before a game, the user may want the fire pit unit to bear the colors of the local college football team. The very next day, on Sunday, the user may want the same fire pit unit to bear the colors of the local professional football team.
Fire pit units are typically sold with a one-size-fits-all outer appearance that is not easily altered by the user. For example, fire pit units may be sold in several standard colors including black, pewter, or bronze. These units may also have a coating or protruding features on their outer surfaces that hinder the users ability to customize or decorate them. For an additional cost, users can purchase fire pits with specialized color schemes or with team logos stamped in or cut out from the outer wall of the unit. The appearance of these units, however, is not easily altered from week to week or day to day depending on the particular location or event. Accordingly, an improved portable fire pit system is desired that is customizable by the user to coordinate with a particular environment as desired.

SUMMARY

A portable fire pit system is disclosed having an outer shell that is customizable to match or coordinate with any desired location, environment, or event.
According to a first aspect, the portable fire pit system comprises a fuel source, a burner operatively connected to the fuel source, an ignition system operatively connected to the fuel source and the burner, and an outer shell that defines an interior space within which the fuel source is located. The outer shell has a substantially smooth, substantially vertical outer side wall with an outer appearance adapted for customization by an end user.
According to a second aspect a customizable outer shell for a portable fire pit is disclosed comprising a substantially horizontal top wall with a central opening and an outer perimeter, and a substantially vertical outer side wall that extends downwardly from the outer perimeter of the top wall to define an interior space and a bottom opening. The top wall and side wall according to this aspect are both metal. The bottom opening and interior space are sized to receive at least one portable fuel tank for a fire effect system and the central opening is sized to receive a burner for a fire effect system. The outer side wall is substantially smooth and configured to be decorated over substantially its entire outer surface.
According to a third aspect a customizable fire pit combination is disclosed comprising a substantially cylindrical outer shell having a substantially vertical outer side wall and a decorative wrap attached to and substantially covering the outer surface of the outer side wall.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a top view of the outer shell of the fire pit according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the outer shell of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the outer shell of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the outer shell of FIG. 1 along line 4-4.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a burner pan sized for use with the fire pit.

FIG. 6 is a schematic, cross-section view of a fire pit according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a decorative wrap according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a fire pit to which the wrap of FIG. 7 has been applied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A portable and easily customizable fire pit is disclosed. Specifically, a new fire pit is disclosed having a specially designed outer shell that houses and supports the working components of the fire pit. The outer surface of the outer shell may be large and smooth so that an outer appearance of the shell is easily customized by a user with decals, paint, magnets, or prefabricated wraps, for example. Alternatively, the outer appearance may be customized by a manufacturer or other professional according to the end user's specifications. The outer surface is preferably not broken up by protruding features such as latches, fasteners, ribs, or vents that might be difficult to cover, paint, or decorate. In addition, a substantial portion of the outer surface is oriented vertically so that it can be easily seen by passers-by. This is in contrast to, for example, a shallow fire bowl, which has a substantial portion of the outer surface facing the ground, where it cannot be easily seen. In one preferred embodiment in which the perimeter of the fire pit is circular, the vertical orientation of the outer surface produces a substantially cylindrical outer surface that can be easily wrapped and rewrapped with prefabricated, rectangular decals as described in further detail below.
FIG. 1 is a top view of one embodiment of an outer shell 10 according to the invention. FIGS. 2 and 3 are side and bottom views, respectively, of the outer shell 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the outer shell 10 of FIG. 1 along line 4-4. The outer shell 10 includes an annular top wall 16, an outer side wall 12, and a short inner side wall 14 that defines a central opening 20. The outer side wall 12 is substantially vertical and defines an interior space 22 that is sized to house the components of the fire pit system. The outer shell may include a bottom. Alternatively, the outer side wall 12 may define a bottom opening that is sized to receive the inner components of the fire pit. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the outer side wall 12 of the preferred embodiment presents a visible, large, continuous, smooth surface for easy customization, including by an end user.
The outer shell 10 is preferably formed as a unitary piece from spun aluminum but may also be made of any other material that is suitable for fire pits including stainless steel. The outer shell 10 may also be assembled from multiple pieces. Although the embodiment depicted in the figures is substantially cylindrical with a circular perimeter, thus forming a large, continuous, smooth outer surface without corners, sharp angles, or breaks, other shapes are possible and within the scope of the invention. Examples of acceptable shapes include right prisms having substantially vertical outer walls but perimeters in the shape of squares, rectangles, triangles, hexagons, etc.
FIG. 5 depicts a burner plate 30 that may house a burner ring 32. The burner ring 32 may included a plurality of burner ports at which fuel is combusted to produce a fire effect 36. Referring to FIG. 6, the central opening 20 in the top wall 16 of the outer shell 10 may be sized to receive and support the burner plate 30. The burner ring 32 is supplied by a fuel source, which may be one or more refillable fuel tanks 34. An electronic ignition system 36, which may include an ignition element and a programmable controller, may be operatively connected to the burner ring 32 and the fuel tanks 34 through a valve 38 to control the ignition and shut down of the fire effect 36 as is known in the art. Preferably, the outer shell 10 is sized so that the working components of the fire pit system including the fuel tanks 34, the ignition system 36, support brackets, and so on, can fit within the inner space 22 defined by the outer wall 12 so as to be hidden from view.
FIG. 7 shows an example of a prefabricated decorative wrap 40 according to another aspect of the invention. The wrap 40 may be made from a durable vinyl and can be designed to include officially licensed trademarks, team logos, team colors, decorative patterns, or specific colors selected by a customer to match, for example, a recreational vehicle. Either the fire pit manufacturer or another supplier can provide an assortment of wraps so that the owner of a portable fire pit can easily change the appearance of the fire pit as desired. Alternatively, a customized wrap may be applied by the manufacturer or other professional according to the specifications of the end user. In a preferred embodiment, the wrap 40 is substantially rectangular with a length approximately equal to the length of the outer perimeter of the outer shell 10 and a height substantially equal to the height of the outer side wall 12.
Referring to FIG. 8, when the wrap 40 is applied to the outer shell 10, the wrap 40 substantially covers the outer side wall 12, which is the primary visible surface of the fire pit. Consequently, the outer appearance of the fire pit can be easily customized to produce professional looking results. According to some embodiments, the wrap 40 is removable and reusable. According to other embodiments, the wrap 40 may be disposable and easily covered by another wrap. The wrap 40 may be magnetic, can be coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, or may attach to the outer side wall 12 by any other suitable means. The wrap 40 may be shapes other than rectangular but preferably is designed to lay flat and substantially cover at least the outer side wall of the outer shell 10 of the fire pit. The wrap 40 may also come in several pieces, if for example, the outer shell 10 is a right prism with vertical side walls joined by sharp corners.

Claims

1. A portable fire pit system comprising:

a fuel source;

a burner operatively connected to the fuel source;

an ignition system operatively connected to the fuel source and the burner; and

an outer shell that defines an interior space within which the fuel source is located;

wherein the outer shell has a substantially smooth, substantially vertical outer side wall with an outer appearance adapted for customization by an end user.

2. The portable fire pit system of claim 1, wherein the outer side wall of the outer shell is substantially cylindrical.

3. The portable fire pit system of claim 1, wherein the outer side wall of the outer shell is free of outer protrusions or raised features.

4. The portable fire pit system of claim 1, wherein the outer shell is made of aluminum.

5. The portable fire pit system of claim 4, wherein the outer shell is made from spun aluminum comprising a unitary outer side wall integrally formed with a substantially horizontal top wall.

6. The portable fire pit system of claim 1 wherein the outer shell includes a central opening that sized to receive and support the burner.

7. The portable fire pit system of claim 1, wherein the ignition system controls the supply fuel from the fuel source to the burner.

8. The portable fire pit system of claim 1, wherein the outer side wall of the outer shell defines an bottom opening near its lower end that is sized to receive the fuel source and the ignition system through the bottom opening.

9. The portable fire pit system of claim 1, further comprising a decorative wrap attached to the outer side wall of the outer shell and substantially covering the outer side wall.

10. A customizable outer shell for a portable fire pit comprising:

a substantially horizontal top wall with a central opening and an outer perimeter; and

a substantially vertical outer side wall that extends downwardly from the outer perimeter of the top wall to define an interior space and a bottom opening;

wherein the top wall and side wall are both metal;

wherein the bottom opening and interior space are sized to receive at least one portable fuel tank for a fire effect system;

wherein the central opening is sized to receive a burner for a fire effect system; and

wherein the outer side wall is substantially smooth and configured to be decorated over substantially its entire outer surface.

11. The outer shell of claim 10, wherein the top wall and the outer side wall are integrally formed together from spun aluminum.

12. The outer shell of claim 10, wherein the outer side wall is substantially cylindrical and substantially continuous around the entire perimeter of the outer shell.

13. The outer shell of claim 10, wherein the outer side wall is completely free of outwardly protruding features.

14. The outer shell of claim 10, wherein the central opening of the top wall is specially configured to support a burner of a fire effect system when the burner is received in the central opening.

15. A customizable fire pit combination comprising:

a substantially cylindrical outer shell having a substantially vertical outer side wall; and

a decorative wrap attached to and substantially covering the outer surface of the outer side wall.

16. The customizable fire pit combination of claim 15, wherein the outer shell is formed from spun aluminum.

17. The customizable fire pit combination of claim 15, wherein the decorative wrap is made from a substantially rectangular piece of vinyl.

18. The customizable fire pit combination of claim 15, wherein the decorative wrap is releaseably attached to the outer side wall.

19. The customizable fire pit combination of claim 15, wherein the decorative wrap includes a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on a first side.

20. The customizable fire pit combination of claim 15, further comprising a second decorative wrap that is interchangeable with the decorative wrap attached to the outer side wall.