US 10,473,335 B2Granted

Concealable electric fireplace insert

AssigneeTwin-Star International, Inc.

InventorsTyler Nemes, Joseph Benedetti

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Abstract

A combined furniture and heating device having a concealable electric fireplace insert installed within a fireplace compartment of a furniture apparatus is provided. The electric fireplace insert has a front surface from which simulated flames are viewable when an opening of the fireplace compartment is uncovered so that the furniture apparatus is configured in its open configuration. The furniture apparatus includes a concealing panel removably installable over the opening configure the device in a concealed configuration so that the electric fireplace insert and its simulated flames viewable at its front surface are at least partially concealed. Power to a heating apparatus of the electric fireplace insert is turned on and off by a disabling device as the concealing panel is alternated between the open and concealed configurations. The disabling device can include a switch or a thermistor.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A combined furniture and heating device comprising:

a furniture apparatus comprising a fireplace compartment formed within an opening on at least one side of the furniture apparatus, at least one side feature located generally adjacent to the fireplace compartment, and a concealing panel for configuring the furniture apparatus into an open configuration or a concealed configuration;
and
a fireplace insert installed within the fireplace compartment of the furniture apparatus, the fireplace insert comprising a front surface at which flames are viewable when the concealing panel is placed in the open configuration;
a disabling device to turn on and turn off power to a heating apparatus that is located inside the fireplace insert;
wherein the disabling device turns off power to the heating apparatus when a temperature increase above a first threshold is detected in the combined furniture and heating device and turns on power to the heating apparatus when a temperature decrease below a second threshold is detected in the combined furniture and heating device;
wherein the first threshold is a rate of temperature increase determined over a first interval of time and wherein the second threshold is a rate of temperature decrease determined over a second interval of time;
and
wherein the concealing panel is removably installed proximal to the front surface of the fireplace insert and is alternately configurable in the concealed configuration to at least partially conceal the fireplace insert and the open configuration to reveal the front surface of the fireplace insert.

5 more elements

A concealable electric fireplace system comprising:

a furniture apparatus comprising a fireplace compartment formed within an opening on at least one side of the furniture apparatus, at least one additional opening comprising a recessed shelf or drawer, and a concealing panel for configuring the furniture apparatus into an open configuration in which the opening is covered or a concealed configuration in which the opening is not covered;
an electric fireplace insert installed within the fireplace compartment of the furniture apparatus, the electric fireplace insert comprising a front surface at which simulated flames are viewable when the concealing apparatus is placed in the open configuration;
a disabling device to turn on and turn off power to a heating apparatus that is located inside the electric fireplace insert;
a computing device that stores data related to temperature measurements detected and recorded at periodic intervals by the disabling device and that calculates a rate of change, either increase or decrease, in temperature over an interval of time comprising at least some of the period intervals at which temperature measurements were detected and recorded, wherein the computing device receives information detected by the disabling device;
and
wherein the concealing panel is removably installed proximal to the front surface of the electric fireplace insert and is alternately configurable in the concealed configuration to at least partially conceal the electric fireplace insert and the open configuration to reveal the front surface of the electric fireplace insert.

3 more elements

A concealable electric fireplace system comprising:

a furniture apparatus comprising a fireplace compartment formed within an opening on at least one side of the furniture apparatus, at least one drawer, and a concealing panel for configuring the furniture apparatus into an open configuration or a concealed configuration, wherein a front of the concealing panel visually accents a front of the least one drawer;
an electric fireplace insert installed within the fireplace compartment of the furniture apparatus, the electric fireplace insert comprising a front surface at which simulated flames are viewable when the concealing apparatus is placed in the open configuration;
and
a disabling device installed inside the electric fireplace insert to turn on and turn off power to a heating apparatus that is located inside the electric fireplace insert, wherein the disabling device comprises at least one thermistor, and wherein the disabling device turns off power to the heating apparatus when a temperature increase above a first threshold is detected by the at least one thermistor in the combined furniture and heating device and turns on power to the heating apparatus when a temperature decrease below a second threshold is detected by the at least one thermistor in the combined furniture and heating device;
wherein the first threshold is a rate of temperature increase determined over a first interval of time and wherein the second threshold is a rate of temperature decrease determined over a second interval of time;
and
wherein the concealing panel is removably installed proximal to the front surface of the electric fireplace insert and is alternately configurable in the concealed configuration to at least partially conceal the electric fireplace insert and the open configuration to reveal the front surface of the electric fireplace insert.

4 more elements

A concealable electric fireplace system comprising:

a furniture apparatus comprising a fireplace compartment formed within an opening on at least one side of the furniture apparatus, and a concealing panel for configuring the furniture apparatus into an open configuration or a concealed configuration;
an electric fireplace insert installed within the fireplace compartment of the furniture apparatus, the electric fireplace insert comprising a front surface at which simulated flames are viewable when the concealing apparatus is placed in the open configuration;
a disabling device installed inside the electric fireplace insert to turn on and turn off power to a heating apparatus that is located inside the electric fireplace insert, wherein the disabling device comprises at least one thermistor, and wherein the disabling device turns off power to the heating apparatus when a temperature increase above a first threshold is detected by the at least one thermistor in the combined furniture and heating device and turns on power to the heating apparatus when a temperature decrease below a second threshold is detected by the at least one thermistor in the combined furniture and heating device;
a computing device that stores data related to temperature measurements detected and recorded at periodic intervals by the disabling device and that calculates a rate of change, either increase or decrease, in temperature over an interval of time comprising at least some of the period intervals at which temperature measurements were detected and recorded, wherein the computing device receives information detected by the disabling device, and
wherein the concealing panel is removably installed proximal to the front surface of the electric fireplace insert and is alternately configurable in the concealed configuration to at least partially conceal the electric fireplace insert and the open configuration to reveal the front surface of the electric fireplace insert wherein the disabling device is at least one of comprised by the computing device or a separate device as the computing device.

2 more elements

A method for concealing an electric fireplace comprising the steps of:

(a) installing an electric fireplace insert inside an opening of a furniture apparatus, wherein the furniture apparatus comprises a fireplace compartment formed within to receive the installed electric fireplace insert, at least one side feature located generally adjacent to the fireplace compartment;
and a concealing panel that is removably installed proximal to the opening and is alternately configurable between a concealed configuration and an open configuration;
(b) configuring the concealing panel in the open configuration when a view is desired of simulated flames that are visible through the opening at a front surface of the electric fireplace insert;
and
(c) configuring the concealing panel in the concealed configuration to at least partially cover the opening when concealment of the electric fireplace insert is desired,
(d) turning off power to a heating apparatus installed inside the electric fireplace insert when a temperature increase above a first threshold is detected by a disabling device that controls power supplied to the heating apparatus;
and
(e) turning off power to the heating apparatus when a temperature decrease below a second threshold is detected by the disabling device.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.