EP1020685A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electric fireplace
Assignee: CFM Corp
•
Filing: 2000-01-14
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2020-01-14
Abstract
Abstract In preferred aspects, the present invention comprises an electric fireplace designed to simulate a combustible fuel-burning fireplace. The electric fireplace comprises a housing having a top, a bottom, a back, and two sides. A simulated firebox having a top, a bottom, a back, and two sides is positioned within the fireplace housing. The firebox contains a log and ember set having one or more artificial logs positioned above an artificial bed of embers. The fireplace also comprises a means for illuminating the underside of at least a portion of the artificial logs and a portion of the artificial bed of embers so as to create the illusion that the artificial logs and the artificial bed of embers are burning. The fireplace further comprises a flame simulation assembly for generating the appearance of simulated flames emanating from the artificial logs. The flame simulation assembly comprises a light source, a light randomizer, a light filter screen, and a light diffuser screen. The light randomizer comprises a rotating hollow cylinder having openings that permit light to pass through the cylinder. The light filter screen has an opaque area and a colored translucent area through which light from the light randomizer can pass on to the back of the light diffuser screen. The light diffuser screen has a partially translucent surface on which simulated flames are projected and are visible from the front of the fireplace.
Inventors
- 👤 Colm A. Martin
- 👤 Donald R. Jamieson
- 👤 Andy Luu
- 👤 David Diep
- 👤 Lam Van Nguyen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 15:41
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24C; F24C7/00; F24C7/002; F24C7/004; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S362/00; Y10S362/806
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
An electric fireplace comprising: a) a housing having a top, a bottom, a back, and two sides; b) a simulated firebox within the housing; c) one or more artificial logs inside said firebox; d) a light source beneath said firebox, said light source positioned so as to
illuminate at least a portion of an exterior surface of said one or more
artificial logs; and e) a flame simulation assembly comprising a light randomizer and a light
diffuser screen, said light diffuser screen having a partially translucent
surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
43 words
The electric fireplace of claim 1 further comprising an artificial ember
bed positioned beneath said one or more artificial logs, wherein said light source is
positioned so as to illuminate at least a portion of an upper surface of said artificial
ember bed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
The electric fireplace of claim 2 wherein said artificial ember bed
comprises a plurality of holes positioned so as to permit light from said light source to
illuminate at least a portion of the exterior surface of the artificial logs and a portion
of the upper surface of the artificial ember bed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electric fireplace of claim 1 further comprising a translucent
colored panel positioned between said light source and said one or more artificial
logs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electric fireplace of claim 2 wherein said one or more artificial
logs and said artificial ember bed each comprise a ceramic refractory material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The electric fireplace of claim 1 wherein said light randomizer
comprises a rotating hollow cylinder having openings that permit light to pass through
the cylinder so as to project onto said light diffuser screen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electric fireplace of claim 6 wherein said light randomizer further
comprises an electric motor for rotating said rotating hollow cylinder.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The electric fireplace of claim 6 further comprising a reflective panel
adjacent to said light randomizer, said reflective panel positioned so as to reflect light
passing through said rotating hollow cylinder towards said light filter screen.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electric fireplace of claim 1 wherein said flame simulation
assembly further comprises a light filter screen having opaque areas and colored
translucent areas.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
216 words
An electric fireplace designed to simulate a combustible fuel-burning
fireplace comprising: a) a housing having a top, a bottom, a back, and two sides; b) a simulated firebox within the housing; c) a log and ember set within the firebox, said log and ember set
comprising one or more artificial logs positioned above an artificial
bed of embers, said artificial logs having an underside surface that is
spaced apart from an upper surface of the artificial bed of embers; d) a light source for illuminating at least a portion of the underside
surface of the artificial logs and a portion of the upper surface of the
artificial bed of embers so as to create the illusion that the artificial
logs and the artificial bed of embers are burning; and e) a flame simulation assembly for generating the appearance of
simulated flames emanating from the artificial logs, said flame
simulation assembly comprising a light randomizer, a light filter
screen, and a light diffuser screen, said light randomizer comprising a
rotating hollow cylinder having openings that permit light to pass
through the cylinder, said light filter screen having opaque areas and
colored translucent areas, said light diffuser screen having a partially
translucent surface on which simulated flames are projected and are
visible from the front of the fireplace.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The electric fireplace of claim 10 further comprising a translucent
colored panel positioned between said light source and said log and ember set.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
62 words
The electric fireplace of claim 10 wherein said log and ember set
comprises a plurality of holes in said artificial bed of embers, said holes positioned so
as to permit light from said light source to illuminate at least a portion of the
underside surface of the artificial logs and a portion of the upper surface of the
artificial bed of embers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The electric fireplace of claim 10 wherein said one or more artificial
logs and said artificial bed of embers each comprise a ceramic refractory material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electric fireplace of claim 10 wherein said light randomizer further
comprises an electric motor for rotating said rotating hollow cylinder.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electric fireplace of claim 10 further comprising a heater
assembly, said heater assembly comprising a blower and a heating element.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
The electric fireplace of claim 10 further comprising a reflective panel
adjacent to said light randomizer, said reflective panel positioned so as to reflect light
received from said rotating hollow cylinder through said light filter screen and onto
said light diffuser screen.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The electric fireplace of claim 10 wherein the colored translucent areas
of said light filter screen are shaped and colored so as to produce simulated flames on
said light diffuser screen.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electric fireplace of claim 10 wherein said flame simulation
assembly comprises a second light source for generating said simulated flames.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
318 words
An electric fireplace designed to simulate a combustible fuel-burning
fireplace comprising: a) a housing having a top, a bottom, a back, and two sides; b) a simulated firebox within the housing, said firebox having a top, a
bottom, a back, and two sides; c) a log and ember set within the firebox, said log and ember set
comprising one or more artificial logs positioned above an artificial
bed of embers, said artificial logs having an underside surface that is
spaced apart from an upper surface of the artificial bed of embers; d) a first light source for illuminating at least a portion of the underside
surface of the artificial logs and a portion of the upper surface of the
artificial bed of embers so as to create the illusion that the artificial
logs and the artificial bed of embers are burning, said first light source
being positioned beneath said firebox so as to project light up through
a plurality of holes in said artificial bed of embers; e) a colored translucent panel positioned between said first light source
and said log and ember set; f) a flame simulation assembly for generating the appearance of
simulated flames emanating from the artificial logs, said flame
simulation assembly comprising a second light source, a light
randomizer, a light filter screen, and a light diffuser screen, said light
filter screen being positioned between said light randomizer and said
light diffuser screen, said light randomizer comprising a rotating
hollow cylinder having openings that permit light emanating from said
second light source to pass through the cylinder and towards said light
filter screen, said light filter screen having opaque areas and colored
translucent areas, said light diffuser screen having a partially
translucent surface onto which light emanating from said light
randomizer and passing through said light filter screen is projected so
as to simulate flames that are visible from the front of the fireplace.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electric fireplace of claim 19 further comprising a heater
assembly, said heater assembly comprising a blower and a heating element.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
42 words
The electric fireplace of claim 19 further comprising a third light
source for illuminating at least a portion of an upwardly facing surface of said log and
ember set, said third source of light being located near the top of said firebox.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
55 words
A simulated ember bed for use with an electric log set, said simulated
ember bed comprising: a) an artificial bed of embers; and d) a light source for illuminating at least a portion of an upper surface of
the artificial bed of embers so as to create the illusion that the artificial
embers are glowing.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The simulated ember bed of claim 22 further comprising a colored
translucent panel positioned between said light source and said artificial bed of
embers.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
46 words
The simulated ember bed of claim 22 wherein said ember bed
comprises a plurality of holes positioned so as to permit light from said light source to
pass through said ember bed and illuminate at least a portion of the upper surface of
the ember bed.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
87 words
A simulated electric stove comprising: a) a housing having a top, a bottom, a back, and two sides; b) a simulated firebox within the housing; c) a bed of artificial coals inside said firebox; d) a light source beneath said firebox, said light source positioned so as to
illuminate at least a portion of an exterior surface of said bed of
artificial coals; and e) a flame simulation assembly comprising a light randomizer and a light
diffuser screen, said light diffuser screen having a partially translucent
surface.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
43 words
The simulated electric stove of claim 25 further comprising an artificial
ember bed positioned beneath said bed of artificial coals, wherein said light source is
positioned so as to illuminate at least a portion of an upper surface of said artificial
ember bed.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
55 words
The simulated electric stove of claim 26 wherein said artificial ember
bed comprises a plurality of holes positioned so as to permit light from said light
source to illuminate at least a portion of the exterior surface of the bed of artificial
coals and a portion of the upper surface of the artificial ember bed.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
The simulated electric stove of claim 25 further comprising a
translucent colored panel positioned between said light source and said bed of
artificial coals.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
The simulated electric stove of claim 26 wherein said bed of artificial
coals and said artificial ember bed each comprise a ceramic refractory material.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
35 words
The simulated electric stove of claim 25 wherein said light randomizer
comprises a rotating hollow cylinder having openings that permit light to pass through
the cylinder so as to project onto said light diffuser screen.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
22 words
The simulated electric stove of claim 30 wherein said light randomizer
further comprises an electric motor for rotating said rotating hollow cylinder.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
37 words
The simulated electric stove of claim 30 further comprising a reflective
panel adjacent to said light randomizer, said reflective panel positioned so as to reflect
light passing through said rotating hollow cylinder towards said light filter screen.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electric fireplace of claim 25 wherein said flame simulation
assembly further comprises a light filter screen having opaque areas and colored
translucent areas.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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