Collapsible portable outdoor fireplace

• US 6,439,225 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fleming Sales Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fleming Sales Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Grady, Jeffrey, Henke, Dave, Bach, Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferko, Kathryn
• Application Number:
  US09/795,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 126/519, 126/9.R, 126/9.B, 126/25.A, 126/50, 126/40
• US Class Current: 126/519
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0704 with horizontal fire box
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0763 Small-size, portable barbecues
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 1/022 easily collapsible or easily removable
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 1/181 Free-standing fireplaces, e.g. for mobile homes ; Fireplaces convertible into stoves

Abstract

A collapsible, portable outdoor fireplace with a fire screen assembly is easily broken down into its constituent components, which are stored in a space between the cover and bottom members of the fireplace. A fire screen assembly is supported between the cover and bottom members and includes a series of individual screen panels that are hinged together. The fireplace has a support structure that supports it off the ground and includes pairs of legs that are attached to the bottom member. The legs may extend either up through the cover and bottom members or alongside the bottom member. These support legs terminate in handle portions. The legs include moveable joints that permit the handles to be collapsed upon the cover member to retain the cover and base member together.

Claims

1. A portable outdoor fireplace, comprising:

a base member for supporting and burning combustible material therein;

a collapsible fire screen assembly supported by said base member, said fire screen assembly defining a fire chamber for containing and substantially enclosing the combustible material within said base member, said fire screen assembly including a plurality of individual screen panels that stand upright upon said base member;

a cover member for covering a top of said fire screen assembly in opposition to said base member outer rim; and

,

a support structure for supporting said base member off the ground, the support structure including two pairs of support members attached to opposite ends of said base member, each pair of support members extending alongside said base member opposite ends and upwardly above said base member, each pair of support members further including leg portions extending therefrom at lower ends thereof, and handle portions interconnecting said pairs of support members together at upper ends thereof, each support member including a joint disposed therein between said leg portions and handle portions, said support member joints permitting said handle portions to be moved between first and second operative positions, where in said first operative position, said support member handle portions stand upright and in said second operative position, said support member handle portions extend laterally over said cover member at an angle from said support member leg portion, and said cover member includes a latch member that engages said handle portions when said handle portions are in said second operative position to thereby hold said cover member in a closed position on top of said base member.

2. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 1, wherein said support member leg portions extend outwardly at an angle with respect to said base member.

3. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 2, wherein said support member leg portions include extensions that telescopingly engage said support members and are detachable from said support members.

4. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 1, wherein said fire screen assembly includes a plurality of screen panels connected together, and including a rear screen panel, two side screen panels and at least one screen panel door, said rear and side screen panels being hinged together and said one screen door panel being removably hinged to one of said side screen panels so that said one screen panel door may be selectively removed from said side screen panel and laid flat upon one of said side and rear screen panels between said base and cover members.

5. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 4, wherein said fire screen assembly includes two screen door panels, each of said screen door panels being removably hinged to one of said screen side panels, and each of said screen door panels including an engagement clip for engaging said base member and retaining said screen door panels in place.

6. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 1, wherein said base and cover members each have an interior rim for contacting said fire screen assembly, said base and cover member interior rims having slots formed therein and said fire screen assembly having tabs extending therefrom that are received within said base and cover member slots.

7. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 1, further including a handle attached to said cover member, the handle having two C-shaped clip members associated therewith that are complementary in shape to said support member handle portions, each clip member having a slot disposed therein for receiving said handle portions to hold said cover member in a closed position upon said base member when said handle is in said second operative position.

8. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 7, wherein said clip member slots face upwardly.

9. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said cover and base members include a outer rim that extends around common perimeters thereof, said support members extending alongside said outer rims.

10. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 1, wherein said cover and base member each have a semicircular configuration.

11. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 4, wherein each of said screen panels are generally rectangular in shape.

12. A collapsible, portable outdoor fireplace, comprising:

a base member for supporting combustible material therein, the base member having a predetermined configuration with an outer rim;

a cover member having a predetermined configuration that matches that of said base member, the cover member also having a outer rim, said cover member being engageable with said base member along said outer rims thereof;

a collapsible fire screen assembly supported on said base member for substantially enclosing said combustible material within said base member, said fire screen assembly including a plurality of individual screen panels that stand upright upon said base member to define said fire screen assembly, said screen panels being capable of being at least partially disassembled and folded upon each other into a substantially flat shape for storage in a open space defined between said base and cover members; and

,

a pair of supports for supporting said fireplace off the ground, the supports each including two elongated, hollow tubes attached to opposite ends of said base member and which have lower leg portions that extend away from said base member, the pairs of tubes being interconnected by handle portions at their top ends above said leg portions, said supports further including joints disposed therein between said handle portions and said leg portion, said joints permitting said handle portions to be moved between first and second operative handle positions, where in said first operative position, said handle portions may extend upright and above said cover member, and in said second operative position, said handle portions may be moved at an angle from said supports into contact with said cover member, said cover member having a latch assembly disposed thereon that secures both of said handle portions to said cover member such that said handle portions secure said cover member to said base member.

13. The collapsible, portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 12, wherein said fire screen assembly includes a rear panel, two side screen panels and at least one screen panel door, said rear and side screen panels being hinged together along interior corners of said fire screen assembly, and said one screen door panel being removably hinged to one of said side screen panels so that said screen door panel may be removed from said fire screen assembly.

14. The collapsible, portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 13, wherein said side screen panels of said fire screen assembly may be folded upon said rear screen panel in a flat configuration and said one screen door panel may be removed from said side screen panel, said fire screen assembly having dimensions which permit it to be stored within said open space between said cover and base members.

15. The portable outdoor fireplace as defined in claim 12, wherein said support leg portions include extension members that telescopingly engage said supports and are detachable from said supports.