Outdoor gas fireplace

• US 7,263,991 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2004
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Weber-Stephen Products LLC (Weber-Stephen Mexico Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Weber-Stephen Products Co (Weber-Stephen Products)
• Inventors: Bruno, Adrian A., Schlosser, Erich J., Trein, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Basichas; Alfred
• Application Number:
  US10/801,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20040231659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 431/125, 431/126, 431/88, 126/512, 126/92.R, 126/503, 126/92.AC, 126/544, 126/545, 126/546, 126/547, 280/47.131, 280/47.23, 280/47.24
• US Class Current: 126/512
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 1/1808 Simulated fireplaces

Abstract

A portable outdoor fireplace is provided. The portable outdoor fireplace has a housing that supports a gas burner. The outdoor fireplace also has removable side panels to expose the burner.

Claims

1. A gas fueled outdoor fireplace, comprising:

a fireplace housing having a housing structure, at least one opening in at least one side, and a plurality of legs extending from the housing structure;

the side of the fireplace having a first lip near an upper edge of the opening and a second lip near a lower edge of the opening;

a burner connected to the fireplace housing, the burner in fluid communication with a supply of fuel to provide a flame;

a plurality of side panels connected to the housing, wherein at least one of the side panels is configured to cover the opening and is individually removable from the housing, without any other disassembly of the outdoor fireplace, to expose the burner.

the removable side panel having a first flange at an upper edge of the side panel and a second flange at a lower edge of the side panel;

the removable side panel being slidingly movable between a first position and a second position;

when the removable side panel is placed in the first position, the first flange engaging with the first lip and the second flame engaging with the second lip to prevent outwardly movement of the side panel and an inside surface of the removable side panel engaging with an outside surface of the side of the fireplace to prevent inwardly movement of the side panel; and

,

when the removable side panel is placed in the second position, the second flange being no longer engaged with the second lip whereby the removable side panel can be tilted outward from the lower edge.

2. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the side panels are connected to the housing without fasteners.

3. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the side panels are removable from the housing without tools.

4. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the side panels are moveable from a first position to a second position, the side panels being connected to the housing in the first position and substantially shielding the burner from view in the first position, and the side panels being individually removable from the housing in the second position to expose the burner.

5. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein one of the side panels is fixed to the housing.

6. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, further comprising a wheel for transporting the fireplace, the wheel being connected to the housing structure in a position that a wheel plane is a distance above a baseline of the outdoor fireplace.

7. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, further comprising a support connected to the fireplace housing for connecting a removable fuel tank thereto.

8. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein the opening has a first dimension along an axis and the removable side panel has a second dimension along the axis which is greater than the first dimension.

9. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 7, wherein when the fuel tank is connected to the support a bottom of the fuel tank is positioned a distance above a baseline of the outdoor fireplace.

10. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, further comprising a tank enclosure connected to the outdoor fireplace housing, and positioned at a perimeter of the outdoor fireplace housing.

11. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 10, wherein the enclosure has a hinged door to provided access to the fuel tank.

12. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, further comprising a hinged hood over the tank enclosure.

13. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, wherein the burner comprises a burner plate adjacent a burner base member, and a substantially enclosed cavity between the burner base member and the burner plate, the burner plate having a plurality of apertures therein, and wherein the fuel enters the substantially enclosed cavity between the burner base member and the burner plate and is dispersed through the apertures in the burner plate.

14. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, further comprising a first handle connected to the fireplace housing.

15. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 14, wherein the handle is connected to a portion of the housing structure of the fireplace housing opposing a fuel supply for the outdoor fireplace.

16. The gas fueled outdoor fireplace of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of handles connected to the housing structure of the fireplace housing.