GB2348278A

GB2348278A - Gas burning appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2348278A
Application number: GB9906265A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian David Kingscott; Alan Victor Hinton
Original assignee: Gazco Ltd
Current assignee: Gazco Ltd
Priority date: 1999-03-19
Filing date: 1999-03-19
Publication date: 2000-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-19
Also published as: GB2348278B; GB9906265D0

Abstract

The appliance, e.g. a gas fire, has a fire box 1 with a top wall 2 and a rear wall 3. An inclined double wall 7 containing a convection passage 13 forms a plenum chamber 9. A separate air duct 15 extends over the top and rear of the plenum chamber 9 to conduct external air into the fire box 1. In one configuration of the fire a balanced flue 18 can be connected to the top of the plenum chamber 9. The annular outer space 19 of the flue connects with the duct 15 while the inner space 21 connects with the plenum chamber 9. In an alternative configuration the flue is connected to the rear of the plenum chamber. In each configuration the unused openings are closed by banking plates 28 and 30. Preferably a convection passage 13 passes along the backwall of the combustion chamber and across the flue passage 8 at an angle of between 30{ and 60{. In use air enters the passage 13 and is heated by convection before re-entering the room without any mixing with flue or combustion gases.

Description

GAS-BURNING APPLIANCES TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to gas-burning appliances.

BACKGROUND Balance flue gas-burning appliances such as fires and stoves are currently provided with a single flue connection, and the installer is required to configure the flue to make a suitable connection with the appliance. This can often make installation difficult, and adds to the installation costs.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of gasburning appliance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a gas-burning appliance comprising: -a fire box containing a gas burner and a simulated fuel bed; -a top wall containing a top opening which communicates with the fire box to receive combustion products therefrom and which, in one configuration of the appliance, can be connected with a first passage of a balanced flue ; -a rear wall containing a rear opening which also communicates with the fire box to receive combustion products and which, in an alternative configuration of the appliance, can be connected with the first passage of a balanced flue ; -an air duct for conducting air into a lower part of the fire box and having a pair of openings for connection with a second passage of the balanced flue in both of said configurations to receive atmospheric air therefrom; and -blanking means for closing the unused openings to which no balance flue is connected in each configuration.

Preferably a common plenum chamber is interposed between the fire box and the two openings which communicate with the first passage. The use of such a chamber helps to provide a more uniform flue performance in both configurations.

The fire box is preferably separated from the plenum chamber by wall means which is upwardly and forwardly inclined to act as a baffle between the fire box and the plenum chamber.

The wall means preferably comprises a convection passage which is arranged to receive convection air from a room inlet at the bottom of the appliance and which is expelled from a room outlet at the top of the appliance.

It has been found that for optimum convection flow and equalised flue performance the wall means is preferably incline at an angle of between 30 and 60 .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section through a gas fire in accordance with the invention, shown installed in one configuration; and Figure 2 is a similar section through the same gas fire as Fig.

1 but showing the fire installed in an alternative configuration.

DETAILEDDESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The gas fire has a fire box 1 with a top wall 2 and a rear wall 3. The fire box is sealed to prevent escape of gases into the room in which it is installed.

The front of the fire box may be provided with a sealed window 4 of heatproof glass, or a hinged door provided with suitable seals, which may again include a sealed window. At the bottom of the fire box there is a gas burner 5 of conventional design, covered by a ceramic fuel bed 6 to simulate solid fuel such as logs or coals. At the top and rear of the fire box 1 there is an incline double wall 7 which connects the rear wall 3 to the top wall 2. The double wall slopes upwardly and forwardly at an angle of about 45 and contains one or more apertures 8 through which combustion products from the fire box can pass into a plenum chamber 9. This chamber 9 also has mutually perpendicular top and rear walls 10 and 11.

A back wall 12 is spaced behind the rear wall 3 to define a convection passage 13. Air from the room in which the gas fire is installed enters through inlets at the bottom of the fire (not shown) and then passes upwards through the passage 13 where it is warmed by heat exchange with the fire box 1. The heated air then travels through the double wall 7, moving around the apertures 8, to exit back into the room through outlets at the top of the fire. There is, of course, no direct connection between the convection air passages and the fire box so that there is no possibility of combustion products spilling into the room. The slope of the wall 7 assists the convection process so that a good throughput of air is achieved.

An air duct 15 (not connected with the convection passages) extends over the top and rear walls of the plenum chamber, 10 and 11, and then travels down the rear of the fire to supply external air to the bottom of the fire box 1 via an inlet 16. In one possible configuration of the fire which is shown in Fig. 1 a balance flue 18 is coupled to the top wall 10 of the plenum chamber 9. The outer annular space 19 of the flue which receives external air is connected to the duct 15 through an opening 20, while the inner space 21 of the flue is connected to the plenum chamber via an opening 22 in the top wall 10, to conduct combustion products away to the external atmosphere. In an alternative configuration shown in Fig. 2 the balance flue 18 is coupled to the rear wall 11 of the plenum chamber. The outer annular space 19 of the flue is again connected to the duct 15 through another opening 24, while the inner space 21 of the flue is connected to the plenum chamber via an opening 26 in the rear wall 11. In each installation configuration the unused pair of openings 24,26 or 20,22 are closed by blanking plates 28 and 30.

Thus, the fire can easily be installed in situations where either a vertical or a horizontal flue is required, yet in both configurations a very good convection air flow can be achieved for effective space heating.

The present invention is of course applicable to gas-burning stoves as well as gas fires.

It will be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be present in any feasible combination. Whilst the above description lays emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is claimed for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A gas-burning appliance comprising: -a fire box containing a gas burner and a simulated fuel bed; -a top wall containing a top opening which communicates with the fire box to receive combustion products therefrom and which, in one configuration of the appliance, can be connected with a first passage of a balanced flue ; -a rear wall containing a rear opening which also communicates with the fire box to receive combustion products and which, in an alternative configuration of the appliance, can be connected with a first passage of a balanced flue ; -an air duct for conducting air into a lower part of the fire box and having a pair of openings for connection with a second passage of the balance flue in each of said configurations to receive atmospheric air therefrom; and -blanking means for closing the unused openings to which no balance flue is connected in each configuration.
2. A gas-burning appliance according to Claim 1, in which a common plenum chamber is interposed between the fire box and the two openings which communicate with said first passage.
3. A gas-burning appliance according to Claim 2, in which the fire box is separated from the plenum chamber by wall means which is upwardly and forwardly inclined to act as a baffle between the fire box and the plenum chamber.
4. A gas-burning appliance according to Claim 3, in which the wall means comprises a convection passage which is arranged to receive convection air from a room inlet at the bottom of the appliance and which is expelled from a room outlet at the top of the appliance.
5. A gas-burning appliance according to Claim 3 or 4, in which the wall means is incline at an angle of between 30 and 60 .
6. A gas-burning appliance substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

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