Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1107P02CA
TITLE
FIREPLACE PLUG
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] This invention relates to a fireplace flue sealing device, commonly
known as a
fireplace plug, for stopping air leakage through fireplace flues, and, in
particular, for stopping
air leakage through zero clearance fireplaces.
Description of the Related Art
[0002] Conventional fireplace plugs for fireplace flues, as in United States
Patent
4,649,896 by Formosa, have included an inflatable, air impermeable, bag-like
member
having a top and a bottom of a flexible material, sealed together about an
outer periphery.
The member has a plurality of selectively slitable sealed areas for permitting
a damper handle
to pass through one of the areas. The top and the bottom are sealed together
about each of
the areas. A closable conduit communicates with the member for admitting
pressurized air
into the member.
[0003] A disadvantage of previous fireplace plugs is their inability to
accommodate a wide
variety of fireplace sizes, and in particular, the limited range of adjustment
necessary to
accommodate various zero-clearance fireplaces. The combination of various zero-
clearance
fireplace sizes and the location of the damper handle have made previous
fireplace plugs
unuseable for many configurations.
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[0004] Another disadvantage of previous fireplace plugs is the lack of
convenience
associated with these plugs during installation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] According to one aspect of the invention there is provided, in
combination, a
fireplace having a flue and a damper handle, and a fireplace flue sealing
device. The
fireplace flue sealing device has an inflatable bag-like member with a top
portion and a
bottom portion of a flexible, air impermeable material. The top portion and
the bottom
portion are sealed together about an outer periphery of the bag-like member
for retaining
pressurized air therebetween. The bag-like member has a selectively slitable
sealed area
extending from the outer periphery towards the centrally located, sealed, non-
inflatable area.
The bag-like member is sized and shaped to sealingly engage the fireplace
below the flue
thereof when inflated. There is also a closable conduit communicating with the
bag-like
member for admitting pressurized air into the bag-like member.
[0006] According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided, in
combination, a
fireplace having a flue and a damper handle, and a fireplace flue sealing
device. The
fireplace flue sealing device has an inflatable bag-like member with a top
portion and a
bottom portion of a flexible, air impermeable material. The top portion and
the bottom
portion are sealed together about an outer periphery of the bag-like member
for retaining
pressurized air therebetween. The bag-like member has a centrally located,
sealed, non-
inflatable area which has a prop device engagement means for engaging a prop
device that
supports the fireplace sealing device. There is also a closable conduit
communicating with
the bag-like member for admitting pressurized air into the bag-like member.
[0007] According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided, in
combination, a
fireplace having a flue and a damper handle, a telescoping prop device having
a first end and
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a second end opposite thereof, and a fireplace flue sealing device. The
fireplace flue sealing
device has an inflatable bag-like member with a top portion and a bottom
portion of a
flexible, air impermeable material. The top portion and the bottom portion are
sealed
together about an outer periphery of the bag-like member for retaining
pressurized air
therebetween. The bag-like member has a centrally located, sealed, non-
inflatable area
having a prop device engagement means for engaging the telescoping prop
device. There is
also a closable conduit communicating with the bag-like member for admitting
pressurized
air into the bag-like member.
[0008] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method is
provided of sealing
a fireplace having a damper with a damper handle from air-leakages comprising
the steps of
providing a fireplace flue sealing device which has an inflatable bag-like
member with a top
portion and a bottom portion of a flexible, air impermeable material, the top
portion and the
bottom portion are sealed together about an outer periphery of the member for
retaining
pressurized air therebetween, the bag-like member has a centrally located,
sealed, non-
inflatable area having a prop device engagement means for engaging a prop
device that
sustains the fireplace sealing device, the bag-like member has a selectively
slitable sealed
area extending from the outer periphery towards the centrally located, sealed,
non-inflatable
area, and a closable conduit communicating with the member for admitting
pressurized air
into the member, partially inflating the bag-like member using the conduit,
slitting the
selectively slitable sealed area according to the placement of the damper
handle and thereby
providing a slit and a first portion of the bag-like member and a second
portion of the bag-
like member on opposite sides of the slit, inserting the bag-like member using
the telescoping
prop device into the fireplace such that the damper handle extends through the
slit,
overlapping the first portion and the second portion of the bag like member to
accommodate
the size of the fireplace, and inflating the bag-like member using the conduit
to ensure a
proper seal with the fireplace.
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[0009] An advantage of the present invention is the novel use of overlapping
portions
enabling the fireplace plug of the present invention to accommodate a wide
variety of
fireplace and flue sizes.
[0010] The telescoping prop device of the present invention advantageously
allows
consumers to conveniently install the fireplace plug in fireplaces of various
dimensions,
without having to over-extend, and possibly injure, themselves.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The present invention will be more readily understood from the
following
description of preferred embodiments thereof given, by way of example, with
reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:-
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a fireplace having a fireplace plug installed
according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the fireplace plug of FIG. 1 shown in a
deflated
configuration;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a telescoping prop device of the fireplace plug
of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the fireplace plug of FIG. 1 shown in an
inflated and inverted
configuration; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fireplace plug of FIG. 1 shown in an
alternative inflated
and inverted configuration.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Referring to FIG. 1, a sectional view is shown of a fireplace 10 having
a flue 12.
A damper 14 is located near the bottom of the flue 12 and is fitted with a
damper handle 16.
The invention provides a fireplace plug, indicated generally by reference
numeral 20, for
preventing drafts and air leakages through the flue 12 of the fireplace 10.
The plug 20 is
compressively in place at the top of the fireplace 10 adjacent the flue 12 and
accommodates
the damper handle 16 accordingly.
[0013] Referring now to FIG. 2, the fireplace plug 20 has an inflatable bag-
like member
22 having a top portion 24 and a bottom portion 26. The top and bottom member
are made
of a flexible, air impermeable material such as vinyl or a polyurethane film.
[0014] The fireplace plug 20 has an outer periphery 28 where the top portion
24 and the
bottom portion 26 are sealed together to retain pressurized air therebetween.
It may be seen
in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 that the plug 20 is substantially elliptical in shape in
this example, but can
be different shapes in other examples.
[0015] The bag-like member 22 has a centrally located, non-inflatable, flat
area 30, which
is substantially circular in this example, but does not need to be in other
examples. The flat
area 30 is also of vinyl in this example and has a pair of loops 32 connected
thereto.
[0016] There is also a selectively slitable, sealed, elongated, flat area
indicated generally
by reference numeral 34 in the bag-like member 22 extending from the periphery
28 towards
the central flat area 30. The elongated flat area 34 has a narrow elongated
portion 38 and a
round portion 36 at an end of the narrow elongated portion near the central
flat member 30.
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[0417] There are portions 70 and 72 of the bag-like member 22 on opposite
sides of the
elongated flat area 34. The portions 70 and 72 can overlap each other when the
narrow
elongated portion 38 of the elongated flat area 34 is slit.
[0018] The elongated flat area 34 is sealed when the plug 20 is supplied to
the consumer,
but is slitable by the consumer along the narrow elongated portion 38. The
narrow elongated
portion 38 is slit substantially enough in order to accommodate the position
of the damper
handle 16 in the fireplace 10.
[0019] In some situations, the narrow elongated portion 38 is slit
substantially enough in
order to accommodate, not only the damper handle 16, but also to allow the
overlapping of
the portions 70 and 72. This advantageously allows the fireplace plug 20 to
accommodate
fireplaces of a wide variety of dimensions.
[0020] The bag-like member 22 has a closable conduit 40 for communicating
pressurized
air into the inflatable, bag-like member 22. The closable conduit 40 is
connected to the bag-
like member 32 at a junction 42.
[0021] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown an exploded view of a
telescoping prop
device generally indicated by reference numeral 50. The telescoping prop
device 50 has a
first tubular member 52, a second tubular member 54 and a retainer member 56.
The retainer
member 56 is tapered towards the first tubular member 52. In use the second
tubular
member 54 is telescopically received through retainer member 56 and within the
first tubular
member 52. To fix the telescopic position of the second tubular member 54
along the first
tubular member 52, the retainer member 56 is slidingly wedged into the first
tubular member
52, thereby press-fitting the second tubular member 54 to the first tubular
member 52.
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[0022] There is also a t-shaped member 58 connected to one end 60 ofthe first
member 52.
The t-shaped member has a first end 62 and an a second end 64 opposite
thereto. The first
and second ends 62 and 64 are received by respective loops 32 of the central
flat area 30 as
best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of the fireplace
plug 10 in an
inflated configuration. The telescoping prop device 50 is connected to the
loops 32 of the
flat area 30. The portions 70 and 72 of the bag-like member 22 are not
overlapping in this
configuration. The elongated narrow portion 38 of the elongated flat area 34
is slit
accordingly to accommodate the damper handle 16.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a perspective view of the fireplace
plug 10 in
an alternative inflated conf guration. In this configuration, the elongated
narrow portion 3 8
of the elongated flat area 34 has been slit substantially enough to allow the
portions 70 and
72 of the bag-like member 22 to overlap. The overlapping portions 70 and 72
allow the plug
to accommodate fireplaces of different sizes.
[0025] To install the fireplace plug 20 the consumer partially inflates the
bag-like member
22 in order to give it a resilient shape. The consumer can either use his or
her own lung
power by blowing into the conduit 40 to inflate the bag-like member 22, or can
use a pump
connected to the end of the conduit 40. The conduit is then closed to prevent
the pressurized
air from escaping.
[0026] The consumer then adjusts the telescoping prop device 50 to an
appropriate length
by unscrewing member 56, telescopically adjusting members 52 and 54 and then
tightening
member 56, and then uses the telescoping prop device 50 to insert the bag-like
member 22
into and near the top of the fireplace 10 near the flue 12. The elongated
narrow portion 38
of the elongated flat member 34 is slit so that the damper handle 16 extends
therethrough in
a relaxed manner.
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[0027] The portions 70 and 72 on either side of the slit, elongated narrow
portion 3 8 of the
elongated flat member 34 may be overlapped in order to accommodate the
dimensions of the
fireplace. The bag-like member 22 can be further inflated to ensure a snug
fit.
[0028] The telescoping prop device supports the bag-like member 22 by
contacting the
bottom of the fireplace 10, and thereby providing additional sealing force for
the bag-like
member 22 around the damper 14.
[0029] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various modifications
may be made
within the scope of the appended claims.
