Fireplace construction

Abstract

A fireplace construction has: a) a solid floor; b) side walls extending upward from the floor to a flue; c) a rear wall having: i) a lower vertical portion, ii) a lower angled portion extending forward into the firebox and spaced slightly apart from the lower vertical portion to provide a space for air to flow into the firebox between the lower vertical portion and the lower angled portion, iii) a central vertical portion positioned forward of the plane of the lower vertical portion and spaced slightly apart from the lower angled portion to provide a space for air to flow into the firebox between the lower angled portion and the central vertical portion, iv) an upper angled portion extending rearward from the plane of the central vertical portion, and spaced slightly apart from the central vertical portion to provide a space for air to flow into the firebox between the central vertical portion and upper angled portion, and v) an upper vertical portion positioned rearward of the plane of the central vertical portion, and optionally spaced slightly apart from the upper central angled portion to optionally provide a space for air to flow into the firebox between the upper vertical portion and upper angled portion, wherein the lower central angled portion, the central vertical portion, and the upper central angled portion combine to form a smooth, symmetrical bulge in the back wall extending into the firebox; d) one or more air ducts effective to route air from the room to the space between the lower vertical portion and the lower angled portion, and from the room to the space between the lower angled portion and the central vertical portion; d) an open front; and e) an open top effective for directing air and combustion gasses from the firebox to a flue. The lower angled portion may comprise a first lower angled portion and a second lower angled portion spaced slightly apart from the first lower angled portion to provide a space for air to flow into the firebox between the first lower angled portion and the second lower angled portion. In this embodiment the central vertical portion may comprise a first central vertical portion and a second central vertical portion spaced slightly apart from the first central vertical portion to provide a space for air to flow into the firebox between the first central vertical portion and the second central vertical portion, and wherein the fireplace construction includes one or more air ducts effective to route air from the room to the space between the first lower angled portion and the second lower angled portion. Further, the fireplace construction preferably includes one or more air ducts effective to route air from the room to the space between the first central vertical portion and the second central vertical portion, and one or more air ducts effective to route air from the room to the space between the central vertical portion and the upper angled portion. The upper angled portion may comprise a first upper angled portion and a second upper angled portion spaced slightly apart from the first upper angled portion to provide a space for air to flow into the firebox between the first upper angled portion and the second upper angled portion, and wherein the fireplace construction includes one or more air ducts effective to route air from the room to the space between the first upper angled portion and the second upper angled portion. The lower angled portion may additionally comprises a third lower angled portion spaced slightly apart from the second lower angled portion to provide a space for air to flow into the firebox between the second lower angled portion and the third lower angled portion, and wherein the central vertical portion comprises a third central vertical portion spaced slightly apart from the second central vertical portion to provide a space for air to flow into the firebox between the second central vertical portion and the third central vertical portion, and wherein the fireplace construction includes one or more air ducts effective to route air from the room to the space between the second lower angled portion and the third lower angled portion, and wherein the fireplace construction includes one or more air ducts effective to route air from the room to the space between the second central vertical portion and the third central vertical portion. The upper angled portion may comprise a third upper angled portion spaced slightly apart from the second upper angled portion to provide a space for air to flow into the firebox between the third upper angled portion and the second upper angled portion, and the fireplace construction includes one or more air ducts effective to route air from the room to the space between the third upper angled portion and the second upper angled portion. The rear wall may comprise a plurality of bricks supported by a frame. Each of the plurality of bricks may be positioned on the frame using clips. One or more of the air ducts provided to route air from the room to the space between the lower vertical portion and the lower angled portion, and from the room to the space between the lower angled portion and the central vertical portion, may include a manifold effective to receive air from an opening below and forward of the firebox floor and to route air entering that manifold to the space between the lower vertical portion and the lower angled portion of the rear wall, and to the space between the lower angled portion and the central vertical portion of the rear wall.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.