US 4,349,009 AGranted

Combustion air system

AssigneeOverhead Door Corporation

InventorsEddy L. Patterson, George D. Patterson

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Abstract

Air circulation and supply means for a heat generator, primarily a fireplace. The fireplace has air supply and discharge passageways such that an envelope of moving air is provided around both the combustion gas flue and the firebox and a portion of said supply air is introduced as combustion air into said firebox. More specifically, an air siphon is provided whereby both the firebox and the flue of combustion gases are substantially surrounded (except for the firebox opening) by three walls wherein relatively cold external air flows downwardly from the atmosphere between the outer wall and the intermediate wall and flows upwardly to the atmosphere between the intermediate wall and the innermost wall. An air channel is provided across and along the top of the fireplace opening and connected so that air may flow therethrough from the space between two of said walls and can be discharged therefrom into the upper part of the firebox. The entire firebox and flue for combustion gases are thereby insulated from surrounding combustible building materials and some of the outside air is introduced into the firebox for the support of combustion therein.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In a heat generator, as a domestic fireplace, comprising a firebox defining a combustion chamber;

a flue section for conducting combustion gases from said combustion chamber;
and means effecting the thermal siphoning flow of air around at least a portion of said firebox and said flue section;
the improvement comprising:
said thermal siphoning flow means defined by a first shell disposed at least partly around and spaced from said firebox and a second shell disposed at least partly around and spaced from said first shell, the space between said first and second shells comprising a first passageway, the space between said first shell and said firebox comprising a second passageway, means forming an opening for conducting cooling air from said first passageway to said second passageway, means for conducting cooling air to said first passageway from an exterior source, and means for conducting cooling air out of said second passageway;
a hood section mounted on said firebox and an outer front wall formed by a part of said second shell;
a conduit extending across the upper side of said firebox and communicable with the flow of air in said thermal siphoning flow means, said conduit being in communication with at least one of said passageways for conducting at least a portion of said cooling air into said combustion chamber, said conduit further including a first elongated tubular member disposed across a top wall portion of said firebox between said hood section and said front wall, at least one end of said first tubular member opening into said one passageway;
and
means defining an opening from said conduit into said fireplace;
whereby combustion air may be conducted from said thermal siphoning means into said firebox.

6 more elements

In a heat generator, as a domestic fireplace, comprising a firebox and a flue for combustion gases leading therefrom together with means effecting the thermal siphoning flow of air therearound, the improvement wherein said thermal siphoning means comprises at least two shells, of which one thereof encompasses at least the major portion of said firebox and flue, and the second thereof encompasses said first shell, said first and second shells thereby defining an outer passageway open at its upper end to the atmosphere with its lower end adjacent the bottom of said firebox, said first shell defining with the walls of said firebox and flue an inner passageway open at its upper end to the atmosphere with its lower end communicating with the lower end of said outer passageway;

and further comprising:
a conduit extending across the upper side of said firebox and communicable with the flow of air in said thermal siphoning means, said conduit extending through said inner passageway for communication with said outer passageway;
and
means defining an opening from said conduit into said firebox;
whereby combustion air may be conducted from said thermal siphoning means into said firebox.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.