WO2004079267A2

WO2004079267A2 - Appliance having decorative effect

Info

Publication number: WO2004079267A2
Application number: PCT/GB2004/000914
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bryan Llewellyn
Original assignee: Watermeet Limited
Priority date: 2003-03-04
Filing date: 2004-03-04
Publication date: 2004-09-16
Also published as: WO2004079267A3

Abstract

An illumination device comprises a light source arranged to pass light to a rotating disc having a pattern of zones of different colour and/or shape, and the emergent light is optionally passed through the aperture of a plate to produce an illumination effect in a domestic artificial coal effect fire.

Description

APPLIAWGE HAVING DECORATIVE EFFECT

This invention relates to an appliance for producing a decorative effect by illumination. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to an appliance such as a domestic gas or electric fire or like appliance which has this feature.

In one aspect the invention provides an appliance for producing an illumination effect on a wall of an enclosure containing means for heating a space such as a room, the appliance comprising a light source which produces rays of light which are passed through an intermediate member arranged to produce an image and then through a remote member arranged to modify the image to produce the illumination effect on the wall.

In another aspect the invention provides an appliance for producing an illuminating effect on a back wall of an enclosure containing means for heating a room, the appliance comprising lamp means to project light via a rotary patterned intermediate member and then via a remote member comprising a plate between the back wall and the front of the appliance at an inclination to the base, the plate having apertures whereby light from the patterned intermediate member is caused to pass through the apertures to project an image on the back wall.

In another aspect the invention provides an appliance for producing an illuminating effect on a back wall of an enclosure containing means for heating a room, the appliance comprising lamp means present on the base and arranged to pass light upwardly through a rotary disc of transparent or translucent material, the disc having a pattern of zones of different colour and/or shape; a plate between the back wall and the front of the appliance at an inclination to the base, the plate having apertures through which light from the rotary disc is caused to pass to project a moving image on the back wall.

In yet another aspect the invention provides an appliance for producing an image on a wall of an enclosure containing means for heating a room; the appliance comprising light means, a horizontally rotating light transmissive disc having differently coloured alternating radial zones and a plate having an arrangement of apertures therethrough, the appliance being arranged so that the rays of light pass through the rotating disc to produce the pattern of alternating light zones corresponding to those of the disc which are then modified by passage through the apertures of the plate to produce a moving image on the wall.

In another aspect the invention provides an appliance as defined above wherein the plate is inclined downwardly towards the back wall and is mounted at its end remote from the back wall on a frame below which are the lamp means and the disc.

In another aspect the invention provides a heating device for heating a space such as a room, the appliance comprising heating means covered at least in part by decorative means, the device including an appliance comprising lamp means to project light via a patterned rotary disc on to the rear of the decorative means to provide a background illumination to the decorative means.

In yet another aspect the invention provides a gas fire for use in heating a space such as a room, comprising a gas burner, artificial logs or the like being mounted above the gas burner, lamp means being present adjacent the gas burner and arranged to pass light via a rotary disc of transparent or translucent material which has a pattern of coloured and/or shaped zones on to the underside of some of the artificial logs or the like to produce a background glow effect in those logs.

Preferably the light is passed from the disc to a reflector plate and then on to the underside of the artificial logs.

In yet another aspect the invention provides a gas fire comprising a gas burner to produce heat for heating a space such as a room, the fire being mounted in an enclosure having a back wall, artificial logs or the like being present above the burner, first and second illumination appliances being present, the first appliance being present adjacent the burner and comprising a light source which produces rays of light which are passed through an intermediate member to produce an image and then through a remote member arranged to modify the image to produce a moving illumination effect on the back wall; and the second appliance being present adjacent the gas burner and below the logs, the second appliance comprising lamp means to project light via a patterned intermediate member to a reflector member adjacent the gas burner to produce background illumination to the logs.

Preferably each intermediate member comprises a rotary disc having a pattern of different zones. Preferably the discs of the first and second appliances are rotated in opposite directions.

In another aspect the invention provides an appliance for producing an illuminated decorative scene, the appliance comprising:

a rear panel made of refractory material; a front panel also made of refractory material and positioned in front of the rear panel and generally in conformity therewith; and

heating means for directing hot gas up between the panels,

said panels being closely spaced one from another for the flow of said hot gas to be confined and compressed as it rises between the panels and for the front of the rear panel to be caused to glow, and said front panel having apertures through which the rear panel can be seen and which define in silhouette said decorative scene.

Preferably the holes in the apertured plate are arranged in a pattern to influence the shape of the illumination on the back wall. In one embodiment the ends of the apertures in the plate flare outwardly. The plate may be inclined at about 30 to about 60°, preferably 45°. The plate may be made of ceramic fibre material or metal or other non-combustible material.

Preferably the disc has a pattern of coloured zones and radial stripes which are free of colour. The disc may be made of a glass, e.g. a heat resistant glass or of plastics.

In yet another aspect the invention provides methods of creating an illumination effect using any of the appliances or heating devices in the preceding paragraphs.

In order that the invention may be better understood it will be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of one gas fire of the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional side view on line 11-11 in Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line Ill-Ill in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the illumination device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the device of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical section through another gas fire of the invention;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the gas fire of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a plan view of three different forms of apertured plate in the gas fire of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a vertical section through another gas fire of the invention;

Figure 10 is a plan view of the motor and lamp sub-assembly;

Figure 11 is a plan view of one apertured ceramic fibre plate in the fire of Figure

9 and a partial sectional view;

Figures 12A and 12B are views of different designs for the rotating disc;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a ceramic set to be incorporated in the fire;

Figure 14 is a vertical section through part of another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 15 is a plan view of the inside of the embodiment of Figure 14;

Figure 16 is a top plan view of a gas fire of interest to the North American market;

Figure 17 is a vertical section through the fire of Figure 14;

Figure 18 is a perspective view of part of the rear of the fire, and

Figure 19 is a sectional view of the burner.

The gas fire in Figures 1 to 5 comprises a sheet metal cabinet 1 with a front bezel 2 defining a rectangular window 3, behind which there is a heat resistant glass panel 4. A control box 5 is inset into the front of the cabinet 1 with ignition and heat level controls 6 and 7 respectively. The rear surface 8 of the glass panel 4 is painted with black paint 9 to define an arch-shaped silhouette through which the interior of the cabinet can be seen.

Within the cabinet there are a curved rear panel 10 and a curved front panel 11. The panels 10 and 11 are made of ceramic fibre material and they are each about 10 mm thick. The curved shapes of the panels conform so that they are evenly spaced throughout. The spacing is about 12 mm.

At the bottom of the gap between the panels, there is a burner 12 with a series of holes 13. Aerated flames are admitted by the holes 13 between the panels such that the flames are confined and compressed, i.e. squeezed, by the panels and, as a result, the front surface of the rear panel is heated and made to glow.

The bottom of the front panel 11 , is supported by three integral legs 14 (Figure 1) which, as well as supporting the panel, serve to define air-gap 15 for feeding additional air to the flames in the gap between the front and rear panels.

The front panel 11 is formed with shaped apertures 16 such that the glowing rear panel can be seen and such as to define a decorative scene. Thus, in the illustrated example, the scene comprises a tree 17 with a rustic fence 18. The rustic fence appears to be behind the tree but this is a trick of the light. (As well as being textured and grooved as shown, it would be possible to shape the panel to provide foreground and background features which are one in front of the other as well as being apparently so). The apertures in the front panel 1 are carefully designed to ensure that the flames are hidden behind an aperture-free lower margin of the front panel and that, higher up, the apertures are not so extensive that the hot combustion products spill out so far from the rear panel that the glow effect is lost or too diminished.

A chimney assembly 19 is provided at the top of the cabinet 1 to collect the combustion products of the burner 12. This could be combined with a heat exchanger (not shown).

Just in front of the bottom of the front panel 11 , there is a curved elongate heat proof glass panel 20 and, in front of that, there is an open-topped chamber 21 containing ceramic elements 22 for being heated to simulate a chosen form of radiant heater means, for example glowing coals, logs or, as in the present example, lava. These elements are heated by side-directed flames from an extension portion 23 of the burner 12.

The glass panel 19 serves to admit light from an electrical illumination source 24 up and onto the front surface of the front panel 11. This illuminates the decorative features, i.e. the tree and fence, defined by the front panel.

The illumination source could comprise a moving reflective element or the like to give additional options to the decorative effect given by the fire. For example, this moving element could comprise a freely rotatable fan 25 above the source 22 so that, as it rotates, it throws moving shadows in the illumination directed at the panel.

By controlling the gas controls and the illumination source, a range of decorative effects can be achieved. An important feature is that the electrical illumination source can be switched on even when the fire is off so giving a decorative "cosy" appearance often desired even, say, in the summer when heating is not required.

Instead of a gas fire, the invention could be applied to any kind of gas related product, for example a domestic boiler or a combined boiler/gas fire. The invention could also be applied to an electrical fire, e.g. by providing a wire coil electric heating element at the bottom of the gap between the panels 10 and 11 , or even to an appliance which is intended mainly for decoration and which is designed to produce little, if any, heat output. There are available, mainly in Europe, hole in the wall type gas fires and the like which are installed at high level in a room and which produce flame effects. If such fires were constructed according to the invention, there would be formed a replacement for a wall painting. The front panel could be designed on a one-off or small batch basis to produce an artistic work.

The panels 10 and 11 need not be curved, i.e. they could be flat and parallel. Instead of a scene of a tree and rustic fence, the scene could be of, say, a church, a house or a volcano.

The appliance could be constructed so that users can replace one front screen with another at their own choice.

The illumination means can be made so that the amplitude and hue of the light produced by it is controllable. Thus, the range of decorative effect could be made to vary automatically with the season, or on a diurnal pattern, or manually at the choice of the user, all by appropriately varying the electrical illumination directed at the front panel. Instead of ceramic fibre material, the panels 10 and 11 could be made of alternative refractory materials, for example pressed vermiculite or set refractory cement.

The shape, material or presence of the cabinet 1 is optional. For example, it could be of wood outside at least, or there does not have to be a cabinet at all. If there is a cabinet, it need not have a window bezel or a glass panel over that window.

A gas fire 51 according to Figures 6 to 8 has a vertical back wall 52, two side walls 53, a base 54 and an open front. The back wall 52 is metal a refractory fireback or brick panel. A gas burner tube 55 is present at the front and an illumination assembly A is present between the rear wall of the burner 55 and the back wall 52. The assembly A comprises a box 56 on the base 54 containing an upwardly extending motorised spindle 57. On top of the spindle is a horizontally mounted disc 58 made of transparent or translucent material, e.g. heat resistant glass, and having a pattern of different coloured, e.g. painted, areas. A lamp bulb 59 is present at one side of the disc 58 below a peripheral portion of the disc. A plate 61 extends at an angle between the back wall 52 and the burner 55. Preferably the angle is about 45°. The plate may be of ceramic fibre or the like. The plate has a pattern of apertures 63 (shown best in Figure 3). The disc 58 and the light 59 are located relative to the holes 63 so that the light passes through the rotating disc and the rotating bursts of coloured light will pass through the apertures 63 and reach the back wall 52 to produce a moving lights effect. No lenses are involved. A ceramic coal bed made up of artificial lumps of coal 64 is present at the front of the fire to simulate the appearance of a coal fire.

When the lamp 59 and the motor 56 are energized (which can happen whether the gas burner is working or not), the disc 58 rotates relatively slowly and light is directed upwards through the patterns on the disc 58 through the holes 63 in the plate 61. The direction of rotation is preferably counter clockwise. A pattern of moving coloured areas appears on the back wall 52, some appearing as circles and the others looking like stretched circles. The effect of constantly moving patterns and changing colours is attractive, even mesmerising, and lightens up an otherwise dull and dark area of a room, especially when the fire is switched off.

The embodiment of Figures 9 to 12 is like that of Figures 6 to 8 with some differences. The gas fire 101 has a vertical back wall 102, two side walls 103, a base 104 and an open front. The back wall 102 is a metal refractory fireback or brick panel. A gas burner tube 105 is present at the front and an illumination assembly A is present between the rear wall of the burner 105 and the back wall 102. The assembly A comprises a box 106 on the base 104 containing an upwardly extending spindle 107 connected to a motor 107A. On top of the spindle is a horizontally mounted disc 108 made of transparent or translucent material, e.g. glass, plastics or heat resistant glass, and having a pattern of different coloured, e.g. painted, areas. A lamp bulb 109 is present at one side of the disc 108 below a peripheral portion of the disc. A plate 111 extends at an angle between the back wall 102 and the burner 105. Preferably the angle is about 45°. The plate may be of ceramic fibre, sheet metal or the like. The plate has a pattern of apertures 113 (shown best in Figure 11 ). The disc 108 and the light 109 are located relative to the holes 103 so that the light passes through the rotating disc and the rotating bursts of coloured light will pass through the apertures 63 and reach the back wall 102 to produce a moving lights effect. No lenses are involved. A ceramic coal bed made up of artificial lumps of coal 114 is present at the front of the fire to simulate the appearance of a coal fire.

The lamp 109 is mounted on a side arm 115 which is connected to a housing of the box 106 by a hinge 114 so that the parts may be accessed for ease of replacement. The lamp may be a 12v 50 watt light bulb, but other values may be used, by including transformers and the like.

As shown in Figures 12A and 12B a range of discs and plates can be provided to vary the colours and the shapes which appear on the back wall 102. The plates may have uniform or varied patterns of apertures of the disc 108 on the base 104 (or even using more than one disc). It is possible to illuminate the side walls 103 instead of or addition to the back wall.

/ When the lamp 109 and the motor 107A are energized (which can happen whether gas burner 105 is working or not), the disc 108 rotates and coloured light is directed upwards through the patterns on the disc 108 through the holes 113 in the plate 111.

A pattern of moving coloured areas appears on the back wall 102, some appearing as circles and the others looking like stretched circles. The effect of constantly moving patterns and changing colours is attractive, even mesmerising, and lightens up an otherwise dull and dark area of a room, especially when the fire is switched off.

Instead of apertures the plate could have areas of light transmissive material.

As shown in Figure 10, one wall of the box 106 is hinged at 114 so that the portion 115 carrying the lamp bulb 109 may easily be moved towards one side so that the bulb can be replaced when desirable. Also, the spindle 107 has a threaded upper portion 116 and the disc 108 has a hole so that it can be mounted on the spindle and held there by a threaded cap 117. In this way different discs may be used according to the season or personal taste. The lamp is run off a 12 volt supply and the motor can also be run from a 12 volt supply or from a 240 volt mains supply. Of course a transformer may be present as required.

As shown in Figure 9 the observer of the fire cannot see the panel 111 because the coal log effect conceals that component. The fact that the panel is not visible enhances the attractiveness.

As shown in Figure 12 the patterns are in zones and can take a variety of arrangements and colour combinations. Radial stripes of uncoated surface are present for the passage of white light from the bulb.

A range of discs and plates can be provided to vary the colours and the shapes which appear on the back wall 102. The plates may have uniform or varied patterns of apertures which may or may not be of the same shape and diameter. By changing the position of the disc 8 on the base 4 (or even using more than one disc) it is possible to illuminate the side walls 3 instead of or addition to the back wall. The ceramic set of Figure 13 is made up of lumps of look-a-like coal 121 and 122 on a platform 120 which covers the burner 105.

In the embodiment of Figures 14 and 15, the gas fire incorporates two illumination devices A1 , A2. The burner 130 is as shown at 105 in Figure 13, and the apertured plate (not shown) is mounted on inclined side arms 131. In addition, however, a second illumination device A2 is present comprising a lamp 141 and a rotating horizontal disc 142. The gas burner 130 incorporates a cylinder which has side vents 143 for release of combustion flame through side slots 144 to reach up into the logs 145. A reflector plate 146 is located on the remote wall of the side gap 144 furthest away from the second illumination appliance A2. The plate is curved. The disc 141 of device A2 is rotated clockwise by control of its motor 147 whereas rotation of the disc of the device A1 is contra-rotated. When the lamp 141 is illuminated the light passes through the disc 142 to produce a beam of light which reaches the reflector plate 146 and is then directed upward through the vent 144 to produce background illumination or an underglow in the logs 145. The light tends to be dull in contrast to the moving pattern on the backwall, but it is sufficient to produce an underglow effect in the logs.

In the embodiment of Figures 16 to 19 the fire consists of a gas burner 200, a log set 201 and the illumination system A1 arranged to project a moving image towards the lower portion of the back wall 102 of the fire place 203. A frame 204 is present on the base 205 and comprises legs 206 and an open roof 207. The illumination system comprises the rotary patterned glass disc 208 and the lamp 209, together with a plate 210 which is apertured at 211 and slopes gently towards the back wall 203 of the fire place 202. The upper end of the plate 210 rests on the rear of the frame roof 207 and the plate slopes gently towards the back wall 203. The plate has an access hole at the front. The gas burner unit 200 comprises a box-like body having at its rear end gas inlets 212 leading to a plenum chamber. The unit rests on the frame roof 207. The box-like body is in two halves, the lower being a metal tray 213 and the upper 214 being formed of refractory ceramic fibre and comprising a roof portion which leads to a front burner ember portion. The set of logs 215 is placed on the roof of the unit which has holes, not shown, whereby the gas from the plenum chamber can produce flames around the logs. Frosted glass panels, not shown, may be present at the rear of the fire on the sides of the metal plate 210 to soften the splinters of light that escape from the sides of the illumination system A1 on the side walls. In use, when the illumination system is operating light passes from the bulb 209 through the rotary glass disc 208 and through the holes 211 in the plate 210 on to the back wall 202 to produce an upwardly flared pattern. Within the pattern the shapes and colours change according to the pattern on the disc and the apertures of the plate. The illumination may be present even when the fire itself is not working.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown. For example, instead of apertures the plate could have areas of light transmissive material. The discs need not be circular and may have light passageways or holes instead of or in addition to coloured or shaped zones. The plate may be made of materials other than ceramic fibre or metal, e.g. pressed vermiculite, pressed cordierite, or the like. The illumination assembly may be in one housing. The back wall and side wall may be painted or a screen can be present. The illumination system may be electronically organised. A dimmer switch may be incorporated, e.g. to control the level of illumination or adjust the difference in light intensity between two or more illumination appliances incorporated in a fire.

Claims

1. An appliance for producing an illumination effect on a wali of an enclosure containing means for heating a space such as a room, the appliance comprising lamp means which produces rays of light which are passed through an intermediate member arranged to produce an image and then through a remote member arranged to modify the image to produce the illumination effect on the wall.

2. An appliance for producing an illuminating effect on a back wall of an enclosure containing means for heating a room, the appliance comprising lamp means to project light via a rotary patterned intermediate member and then via a remote member comprising a plate between the back wall and the front of the appliance at an inclination to the base, the plate having apertures whereby light is caused to pass through the apertures to project an image on the back wall.

3. An appliance for producing an illuminating effect on a back wall of an enclosure containing means for heating a room, the appliance comprising lamp means present on the base and arranged to pass light upwardly through a rotary disc of transparent or translucent material, the disc having zones of different colour and/or shape; a plate between the back wall and the front of the appliance at an inclination to the base, the plate having apertures through which light from the rotary disc is caused to pass to project a moving image on the back wall.

4. An appliance according to Claim 3, wherein the disc and the lamp are replaceable.

5. An appliance according to any preceding Claim, wherein a gas burner is present on the base between the wall device and the front of the appliance.

6. An appliance according to any preceding Claim, wherein holes in the apertured plate are arranged in a pattern to influence the shape of the illumination on the wall.

7. An appliance according to Claim 6, wherein the ends of the apertures in the plate flare outwardly.

8. An appliance according to any preceding Claim, wherein the plate is inclined at about 30 to about 60°.

9. An appliance according to Claim 8, wherein the plate is inclined at an angle of about 45°.

10. An appliance according to any of Claims 3 to 9, wherein the disc has a pattern of coloured zones and radial stripes which are free of colour.

11. An appliance according to Claim 10, wherein the disc is made of glass or plastics.

12. An appliance according to any of Claims 2 to 10 where the plate is made of metal or ceramic fibre or the like.

13. An appliance according to any of Claims 2 to 12, wherein the plate is inclined downwardly towards the back wall and is mounted at its end remote from the back wall on a frame below which are the lamp means and the disc.

14. An appliance for producing an illuminated decorative scene, the appliance comprising:

a rear panel made of refractory material;

a front panel also made of refractory material and positioned in front of the rear panel and generally in conformity therewith; and

heating means for directing hot gas up between the panels,

15. An appliance according to Claim 14, wherein the refractory material is ceramic fibre material.

16. An appliance according to Claim 14, the appliance being a gas fire and the heating means comprising a gas burner for directing aerated gas flames up between the panels.

17. An appliance according to Claim 16, wherein the heating means is a wire heating coil arranged beneath the gap between the panels.

18. An appliance according to any preceding Claim, including a ceramic set, shaped to present a coal effect, e.g. artificial logs.

19. An appliance according to Claim 18, wherein the ceramic set comprises a plurality of pieces.

20. An appliance for producing an image on a wall of an enclosure containing means for heating the room; the appliance comprising lamp means, a horizontally rotating disc having differently coloured alternating light transmissive radial zones and a plate having an arrangement of apertures therethrough; the appliance being arranged so that rays of light passing through the rotating disc produce a pattern of alternating light zones corresponding to those of the disc which are then modified by passage through apertures of the plate to produce a moving image on the wall.

21. A heating device for heating a space such as a room, the appliance comprising heating means covered at least in part by decorative means, the device including an appliance comprising lamp means to project light via a patterned rotary disc on to the rear of the decorative means to provide a background illumination to the decorative means.

22. A gas fire for use in heating a space such as a room, comprising a gas burner, artificial logs or the like being mounted above the gas burner, a lamp being present adjacent the gas burner and arranged to pass light via a rotary disc of transparent or translucent material which has a pattern of shaped zones on to the underside of some of the artificial logs or the like to produce a background glow effect in those logs.

23. A gas fire according to Claim 21 , wherein the light is passed from the disc to a reflector plate and then on to the underside of the artificial logs.

24. A gas fire comprising a gas burner to produce heat for heating a space such as a room, the fire being mounted in an enclosure having a back wall, artificial logs or the like being present above the burner, first and second illumination appliances being present, the first appliance being present adjacent the burner and comprising a light source which produces rays of light which are passed thorough an intermediate member to produce an image and then through a remote member arranged to modify the image to produce a moving illumination effect on the back wall and the second appliance being present adjacent the gas burner and below the logs, the second appliance comprising lamp means to project light via a patterned intermediate member to a reflector member adjacent the gas burner to produce background illumination to the logs.

25. A fire according to Claim 24, wherein each intermediate member comprises a rotary disc having a pattern of zones of different colour and/or shape.

26. A fire according to Claim 25, wherein the discs of the first and second appliances are rotated in opposite directions.

27. A method of illuminating a wall of an enclosure containing means for heating a space such as a room, the method comprising passing light from a light source through an intermediate member having a pattern of light transmissive zones to produce an image of the pattern and then passing the emergent image through a remote member to modify the image and project that on to the wall.

28. A method of providing background illumination to the decorative component of domestic heating means, the method comprising passing light from a light source through a rotating patterned disc on to the rear of the decorative means to provide the background illumination.

29. Each and every novel and inventive feature or combination of features disclosed herein.