Granted Patent B2

US 9,086,220 · App. 12/248,443 · Granted Jul 21, 2015

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a firebox having a substantially transparent front through which a flame within the firebox may be viewed; and

a burner configured to hold a free-flowing liquid fuel to cause the free-flowing liquid fuel to boil and to cause the boiling fuel to burn and produce a flame, wherein the burner is positioned so as to cause the flame from the burning fuel to appear within the firebox and wherein the burner has a bottom and a plurality of adjoining sides, the plurality of adjoining sides defining an upper perimeter having a width and a height, where the ratio between the surface area defined by the upper perimeter and the length defined by the upper perimeter is 6.5:1 to 9.5:1 and wherein the height of the burner is at least 3.2 times its width.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the burner is configured to cause the bottom of the flame to be substantially above the surface of the liquid fuel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the burner is configured to cause the liquid fuel to begin burning at a height that is approximately at the level of the upper perimeter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the burner is configured to burn ethanol.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an igniter that has a user-operated igniter control that may be operated by a user from outside of the firebox that, upon operation, causes liquid fuel within the burner to be ignited.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the igniter includes a metallic ignition rod positioned within the burner so as to form a spark gap between the ignition rod and a wall of the burner.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the ignition rod is angled with respect to the wall of the burner such that the top of the ignition rod is further away from the wall of the burner than the bottom of the ignition rod.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an extinguisher that has a user-operated extinguisher control that may be operated by a user from outside of the firebox that, upon operation, causes the flame to be extinguished.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the extinguisher includes a lid sized and oriented to cover the burner upon operation of the user-operated extinguisher control.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the extinguisher includes mechanical linkage between the user-operated extinguisher control and the lid.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the lid has an open position at which the lid is recessed below the upper perimeter of the burner.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a liquid fuel inlet located outside of the firebox, and a fuel channel between the liquid fuel inlet and the burner.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a fuel tank, wherein the fuel inlet is configured to channel liquid fuel poured into the fuel inlet into the fuel tank, and wherein the fuel channel is between the fuel tank and the burner.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the fuel tank is positioned with respect to the burner so as to cause the upper perimeter of the burner to be higher than the highest level of liquid fuel that can be poured into the fuel tank through the fuel inlet.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the fuel tank is positioned beneath the firebox.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein at least portions of the burner are positioned beneath the firebox.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a passageway restriction device positioned within the fuel channel and configured to reduce the size of the channel at the location of the passageway restriction device, but not to completely block the flow of fuel through the passageway restriction device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the passageway restriction device is configured so as to prevent a flame from flashing back from the burner into the fuel tank.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the passageway restriction device has an inlet and an outlet and is configured to cool a flame that enters the inlet while it travels to the outlet by a sufficient amount that the flame is extinguished by the time it reaches the outlet.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a check valve configured to prevent any flame in the fuel channel from entering the fuel tank after the fuel in the tank is depleted.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the firebox is a sealed firebox having a substantially air-sealed, transparent, front through which a flame within the firebox may be viewed.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the firebox is vented.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the firebox is vent-free.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an igniter that has a user-operated igniter control that may be operated by a user from outside of the firebox that, upon operation, causes liquid fuel within the burner to be ignited.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an extinguisher that has a user-operated extinguisher control that may be operated by a user from outside of the firebox that, upon operation, causes the flame to be extinguished.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the extinguisher includes a lid sized and oriented to cover the burner upon operation of the user-operated extinguisher control.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the extinguisher includes mechanical linkage between the user-operated extinguisher control and the lid.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 the lid has an open position at which the lid is recessed below the upper perimeter of the burner.

29. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the burner has a rectangular cross section.

30. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the burner has a rectangular cross section.

31. A sealed, vented firebox having a substantially air-sealed, transparent, front through which a flame within the firebox may be viewed; and

a burner configured to hold and burn a free-flowing liquid fuel and positioned so as to cause a flame from the burning fuel to appear within the firebox and

an igniter that has a user-operated igniter control that may be operated by a user from outside of the firebox that, upon operation, causes liquid fuel within the burner to be ignited,

wherein the igniter includes a float configured to float on the surface of liquid fuel within the burner and a sparking device attached to the float and positioned in sufficient proximity to the surface of the liquid fuel so as to ignite the surface of the liquid fuel.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

a firebox;

a burner made of steel, the burner configured to hold a liquid fuel and cause the liquid fuel to boil to produce a flame, the burner having a bottom and a plurality of adjoining sides, the plurality of adjoining sides defining an upper perimeter having a width and a height, where the ratio between the surface area defined by the upper perimeter and the length defined by the upper perimeter is 6.5:1 to 9.5:1 and wherein the height of the burner is at last 3.2 times its width;

an igniter that has a user-operated igniter control that may be operated by a user from outside of the firebox that, upon operation, causes liquid ethanol within the burner to be ignited; and

an extinguisher that has a user-operated extinguisher control that may be operated by a user from outside of the firebox that, upon operation, causes the flame to be extinguished.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the burner has a rectangular cross section.

Assignments (10)