Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIREPLACE LOG IGNITION SOURCE AND ARTIFICIAL FIREPLACE LOG
Field of Invention
This invention relates to a fireplace log ignition source which may also be
used
alone as an artificial fireplace log, having a plurality of protruding
ignition elements which
form a plurality of points of ignition along the length thereof to assist in
ignition of the log.
Background of the Invention
Lighting and ignition of natural wood fireplace logs is often difficult,
particularly
when kindling, paper, or other ignition sources are not readily available to
assist.
Persons attempting to ignite synthetic or artificial fireplace logs for
fireplaces also
experience similar problems.
In the case of artificial fireplace logs, to attempt to overcome difficulties
in igniting
such fireplace logs, and sufficiently igniting such logs so as to allow them
to keep
themselves burning, manufacturers of artificial fireplace logs have added
various
refinements to artificial fireplace logs to assist persons in igniting such
logs. For
example, U.S. Patent 4,040,776 discloses an artificial firelog having a groove
formed
along the outer surface of the body, which extends substantially the entire
length and
which is filled with a gelled starter fuel. The log is further provided with
an over-wrapper,
which, when lit, allows the flame to spread along the gelled fuel in the
notch, which is
typically oriented in a downwardly facing position in the fireplace and when
ignited
causes flame to move upwardly so as to thereby fully envelop the firelog and
cause it to
burn. Similarly, U.S. 4,104,037 teaches an artificial fireplace log, having a
strip of readily
flammable material applied along the outside of the log, preferably in a
groove. U.S.
4,104,034 similarly teaches an artificial fireplace log with a groove in its
surface,
extending axially along the length of the log. A paper wrapper, with a flap
overlying the
groove, covers the outside of the log surface. On the inside of the paper
wrapper
directly opposite the groove is a combustible material, which extends the
length of the
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groove. When the paper flap is lit, the combustible material is easily ignited
which in turn
causes the log to become uniformly ignited over its length.
Each of the aforementioned designs, due to the necessity of adding a flammable
(combustible) material, and further the need to wrap the combustible material
with paper
to maintain the combustible material in the groove, adds considerably to the
cost of
manufacture of such artificial fireplace logs.
Other variations, such as the device described in U.S. 3,637,335, wherein
solid
fuel block comprised of a hydrocarbon wax is contained in a container which
further
functions as a wick to burn the wax fuel contained therein, are known. In such
fuel block,
the integral wick in the form of the container package does not function as a
means to
start the ignition of the fuel block, but rather functions as an actual wick
which partially
absorbs the liquefied wax to allow the hydrocarbon wax to burn, and is not
adapted for
use with artificial fireplace logs which are not completely of a hydrocarbon
wax and
which do not completely liquefy upon application of heat.
Still other devices, such as the device disclosed in U.S. 4,832,703, teach an
igniting means 16 comprised of a highly flammable ignition element 84. A
single wick
80, reminiscent of a fuse, is affixed thereto by a coating of ignition cream
82 which in
addition to assisting ignition, also serves as an adhesive for securing the
wick80 at one
end to the ignition element 84. The igniting means 16 may then be located
within a pile
of charcoal briquettes, and when the single wick 80 is lit, the lit wick 80
subsequently
ignites the highly flammable ignition element 84. The ignition element 84 then
burns
for a short period of time sufficient to ignite the briquettes, and is then
exhausted.
Notably, the igniting means 16 is highly flammable, and needs to be of a
different and
more expensive compound than the bulk of the material which it is used to
ignite, and
as such is of relatively high cost. Moreover, the ignition element 16 is not
adapted to
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be used itself as a firelog, since it is of too highly flammable material and
burns for too
short a time period. Still further, the existence of a single wick 80, when
briquettes are
piled about such igniting element 16 is often difficult to locate and place in
contact with
a match in order to ignite the single wick 80.
Still other devices such as the device disclosed in U.S. 2,811,428 to
artificial
kindling, teach a central body portion 4 which is preferably of a felted
cellulose material,
which is coated with a froth of candle wax. An ordinary candle wick6 is
pressed into the
top surface, as shown in Fig.1, to allow the body portion 4, once the wick is
ignited, to
likewise become ignited. Problematically, however, such a design possesses two
drawbacks. Firstly, during shipping, packing and handling, because there is
only the
pressing of the wick 6 into the body 4 there is no positive gripping force
between the
wick 6 and the body 4, and frequently the wicks can become detached during
shipping
and handling from the body 4 with the result that the body 4 becomes difficult
if not
impossible to light with a match. Secondly, ordinary candle wicks, upon
becoming
ignited, lose any rigidity due to the liquification of the candle wax therein,
and tend to
"droop", and thus the flame therefrom does not remain where desired, and may
not
therefor contact the body, or not optimally contact the body so as to cause
immediate
ignition thereof.
Summary of the Invention
To overcome the above problems inherent in the prior art devices, and to
provide
a fireplace log ignition source which can be easily lit and which can also be
used itself
as an artificial firelog, the present invention in a broad aspect thereof
comprises a
synthetic log of flammable material of generally elongate shape, as it
typically known in
the art. Advantageously, a plurality of elongate, flexible, and flammable
ignition
elements are provided, which are extendable substantially outwardly from the
log in a
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substantially perpendicular manner. The ignition elements each comprise and/or
contain
an elongate resiliently flexible member, which is adapted to maintain said
ignition
element in a desired fixed position after ignition thereof and even when
burning, so as
to allow the ignition element to remain optimally positioned so as to cause
ignition of the
artificial fireplace log.
In a preferred embodiment, the resiliently flexible member is a wire member
surrounded by a flammable material, which is typically a woven thread, such as
a cotton
wick which surrounds the wire member, which itself is coated and/or
impregnated with
a flammable material such as wax. Such elements together make up an ignition
element, with a plurality of such ignition elements being arranged on the log.
In
operation, the fireplace log ignition source of the present invention is
placed within
natural or other artificial fireplace logs in a position that when ignited is
most likely to
cause ignition of the fireplace logs. One or more of the ignition elements,
which are
exposed, are bent to a position where, upon being ignited, the resultant
burning thereof
will most sufficiently proximate the ignition source so as to cause ignition
(burning) of the
ignition source, with the resultant ignition of the other fireplace logs.
Advantageously,
due to containing a non-flammable wire element, even though the ignition
element is
coated with wax or a material which will liquefy when burnt or subjected to
heat and
flame, the ignition element will remain in such position due to support from
the resilient
wire element, thus maintaining the ignition element while burning in optimum
position so
as to cause ignition of the ignition source, and thereafter the fireplace
logs.
In yet a further refinement, the ignition elements have two distal ends, each
of
which is extendable outwardly from the log in a substantially perpendicular
direction, and
the ignition elements over a region intermediate their distal ends contact a
portion of the
periphery of the ignition source (hereinafter "firelog") and is adapted to
grippingly engage
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the periphery of the firelog with which it is in contact. This assists in
keeping the ignition
elements adhered to the firelog during shipping and handling, so that the
ignition
elements do not become separate from the firelog.
In the preferred embodiment, the resilient member, namely a wire within the
ignition element, is resiliently biased so as to force the ignition element
into gripping
engagement with the periphery of the firelog so as to thereby assist in
maintaining the
ignition element in contact with the firelog.
Brief Descriation of the Drawings
The following drawings referred to below describe the invention in its
preferred
embodiments, but the invention is not to be limited to such preferred
embodiments. In
particular,
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a fireplace log ignition source of the
present
invention, which may also be used alone as artificial fireplace log;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along plane A-A of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one of the ignition strips shown
in
Fig. 2; and
Fig. 4 is an end view of the fireplace log ignition source of the present
invention,
showing the ignition elements in resiliently biased gripping engagement with
the
periphery of the firelog.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Fig. 1 shows a fireplace log ignition source 10 ("firelog" or "log") of the
present
invention, which may also, if desired, be used itself as an easily ignitable
fireplace log.
The log 10 is comprised of compressed wood and/or cellulose material11,
compressed and held together by a flammable resin, further containing one or
more
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adjuvants such as paraffin wax and the like, to control and/or assist burning
as is
commonly known in the art.
The log 10 is of a generally elongate shape, and in the preferred embodiment
is
of an elongate, prismatic, brick-like configuration.
As best show in figures 1 & 4, a plurality of thin, elongate, flammable
ignition
elements 12 are provided, each having a distal end 20. The distal ends 20 when
the
log 10 is manufactured are typically embedded in the periphery of the IoglO,
as may be
seen from vacated portion 15 within log 10 as shown in Fig. 1, but may be bent
outwardly by the user at the time of desired ignition of the log 10, so as to
expose such
distal ends 20 and allow them to protrude outwardly from the log 10
substantially
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis30 of the log 10, so as to form a
plurality of points
of possible ignition of the log 10 along its length "P'. Ignition of as many
as possible of
the distal ends 20 of the ignition element 12 allows the ignition elements 12
to burn to
the exterior surface of the log 10, thereby igniting the exterior surface of
the log 10 in a
plurality of locations, and thereby causing the log 10 to continue burning
even after the
distal ends 20 of the ignition elements 12 have been consumed by the burning
process.
In the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the ignition elements12 are
partially embedded in the log 10 about a portion of its periphery, in mutually
parallel,
spaced-apart relation along the length of the log 10. Alternatively, the
ignition elements
12 may be completely embedded (not shown) in the log 10, with only a distal
end 20
exposed. In the preferred embodiment the ignition elements 12 adhered to the
surface
of the log 10 as shown in Fig. 2 (cross-section), but the resilient member 16
therewithin
(see Fig. 3) is resiliently biased so as to cause the ignition elements 12 to
grippingly
engage the log 10 about a portion of its periphery, as shown in Fig.4. In
particular, the
resilient wire 16 is biased so as to cause the ignition element 12 to "pinch"
the log 10
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about its periphery in location 'a' in Fig. 4, so as to grippingly secure the
ignition element
12 to the log 10.
~ In the preferred embodiment, the ignition elements 12, as clearly shown
in Fig. 3, are comprised of a thin, elongate, resiliently flexible wire16,
typically
of a ferro-metallic material. The wire16 is surrounded by and located within
an
elongate flammable material22, which in the preferred embodiment is braided
cotton filaments, which are impregnated and/or coated with a flammable but
water insoluble and water impermeable material18, such as paraffin wax.
Advantageously, the resiliently flexible metallic wire 16 located within each
ignition element 12 allows the ignition element 12, when extended
perpendicularly outwardly from the log 10, to maintain such position for easy
lighting with a match. If such metallic wire 16 was not in place, the distal
ends
of the ignition elements 12 would simply fall back into the surtace of the log
10, or perhaps away from the log 10, and not remain in the optimum desired
15 position (set by the user) so as to cause ignition of the Iog10. The
resiliently
flexible member 16 proves especially effective upon lighting of the distal
ends
20 of the ignition element 12 since any inherent resiliency which the ignition
element 12 had due to being impregnated with paraffin wax is immediately lost
upon lighting the ignition elements 12 with a match, which immediately causes
20 the paraffin wax to liquefy. The non-flammable wire 16 supports the
ignition
element 12 even when burning.
In operation, the distal ends20 of the ignition elements12 are first bent so
as to
outwardly extend from the periphery of the log 10, so as to expose them for
lighting with
a match. The log 10 is then placed adjacent natural wood fireplace logs (not
shown) or
artificial fireplace logs, that are desired to be lit. As many of the exposed
distal ends20
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as possible of the log 10 are lit, which thereby burn proximate the surface of
the IoglO
in numerous locations, thereby igniting the Iog10 in various locations. Once
the log 10
is ignited, its continued burning ignites any adjacent fireplace logs.
Alternatively, the log 10, because its burning characteristics are equivalent
to
normal fireplace logs, may itself be used as the fireplace log. The igniting
process is
identical to that described above.
Although the disclosure describes preferred embodiments of the invention, the
invention is not to be so limited. Other embodiments and variations may now be
apparent to those skilled in the art. For a complete definition of the scope
of the
invention, reference is to be had to appended claims.
