Portable outdoor fireplace

Abstract

A portable fireplace assembly that rests upon a substrate includes a base for supporting and burning combustible material. A support frame is sized and configured to support the base, and includes one or more frame members. One or more vertical supports are provided to support the base in a vertical displacement from the substrate and include one or more generally vertical struts securable to the frame. The fireplace has one or more screen segments, being sized and configured to mount on the supports, preferably with a tab and slot mechanism. When mounted on the supports, the one or more screen segments form a cage, and are configured to surround the combustible material when the cage is formed. A lid is sized and configured to cover the cage.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A portable fireplace assembly comprising: 
 a base for supporting and burning combustible material therein;    a support frame being sized and configured to support said base, and comprising one or more frame members;    at least one vertical support supporting said base in a vertical displacement from a substrate;    one or more screen segments, and being mountable on said vertical supports; said one or more screen segments forming a cage when mounted on said supports, and being configured to surround the combustible material when said cage is formed; and    said screen segments being securable to said struts by a tab and slot mechanism.    
     
     
         2 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 1  wherein said vertical supports are each provided with at least one of said slots, and each said segment is provided with at least one of said mating tabs for engaging a corresponding one of said slots.  
     
     
         3 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a grill assembly supported by one or more of said supports, said grill assembly comprising: 
 a cooking grate;  
 a rack that is mountable to said vertical supports; and  
 said cooking grate is suspended from said rack.  
 
     
     
         4 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said cooking grate is adjustable to a plurality of distances from said base.  
     
     
         5 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said rack includes a windlass.  
     
     
         6 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said vertical support includes a strut and a leg, said support frame further comprises a plurality of leg fittings and a plurality of strut fittings.  
     
     
         7 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each said vertical support includes a leg and a strut, and is configured to be made of one of a single component and two or more components joined together.  
     
     
         8 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 1 , further including a lid configured to cover said cage, wherein said lid is convertible from a fireplace lid in a first position to a secure, collapsible enclosure lid in a second position, said first position being defined by said lid covering said cage, and said second position being defined by said lid being in contact with said base.  
     
     
         9 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 8  further comprising dimples and openings on said lid corresponding to each of said struts, wherein each of said struts engage said corresponding dimple to hold said lid in place covering said cage in said first position, and wherein each of said struts slidably engage said corresponding opening allowing said lid to contact said base with said struts engaging said openings.  
     
     
         10 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more screen segments includes at least one door.  
     
     
         11 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one screen segment including at least one door is interchangeably mountable on said struts with said other screen segments.  
     
     
         12 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 1  further comprising an ash removal opening in said base.  
     
     
         13 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 12  further comprising a sand trap sized and configured to be removedly engaged on said base to close said opening.  
     
     
         14 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 12  further comprising an ash receiver mountable to said base over said ash removal opening.  
     
     
         15 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 14  further comprising a sand trap sized and configured to mountably engage said base over said ash removal opening with said ash receiver in place.  
     
     
         16 . A portable fireplace assembly for containing a fire comprising: 
 a base for supporting and burning combustible material therein;    a support frame being sized and configured to support said base, comprising one or more frame members;    one or more vertical supports each including a leg and a strut, each of said legs supporting said base in a vertical displacement from the substrate;    one or more screen segments mountable on said vertical supports and forming a cage when mounted on said supports, said cage being configured to surround the combustible material; and    a lid convertible from a fireplace lid in a first position to a secure, collapsible enclosure lid in a second position, said lid comprising dimples and openings on said lid corresponding to each of said struts, said first position being defined wherein said struts are engaged with said corresponding dimples to hold said lid in place covering said cage, said second position being defined wherein each of said supports is slidably engaged with said corresponding opening to allow said lid to contact said base.    
     
     
         17 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 16  further comprising a grill assembly supported by one or more of said struts, said grill assembly comprising: 
 a cooking grate;  
 an adjustable length suspending line; and  
 a rack that is mountable to said struts and supports said cooking grate and said suspending line, whereby the cooking temperature is varied by adjusting the height of said cooking grate from the fire.  
 
     
     
         18 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 17 , wherein said cooking grate is suspended from said rack.  
     
     
         19 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 18 , wherein said cooking grate includes a plurality of locating fingers that minimize rotation of said cooking grate.  
     
     
         20 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 19 , further comprising a plurality of stop plates to prevent said cooking grate from descending below a lowest recommended cooking position.  
     
     
         21 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 16 , wherein said support frame further comprises a plurality of leg fittings and a plurality of strut fittings, each of said legs being sized and configured to engage one of said leg fittings, each of said struts being sized and configured to engage one of said strut fittings.  
     
     
         22 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 16 , wherein one or more pieces directly connect to each other to form a unitary member comprising said leg and said strut.  
     
     
         23 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 16 , wherein said struts further comprise slots and said screen segments further comprise tabs that are sized and configured for mounting said screen segments to said struts.  
     
     
         24 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 16  having at least two legs, and further comprising at least one wheel rotatably mounted to at least one of said legs.  
     
     
         25 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 24 , wherein said at least one screen segment comprising a door is interchangeably mountable on said struts with said other screen segments.  
     
     
         26 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said frame members attach to said legs with a bracket having a female frusto-conical shape.  
     
     
         27 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said legs and said struts comprise a unitary vertical support.  
     
     
         28 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 16  further comprising an ash receiver mountable to said base over an ash removal opening.  
     
     
         29 . The fireplace assembly of  claim 28 , wherein said ash receiver further comprises a plurality of air vents and a controller to regulate the amount of combustion air.  
     
     
         30 . A portable fireplace assembly that rests upon a substrate, comprising: 
 a base for supporting and burning combustible material therein;    a support frame being sized and configured to support said base, comprising one or more frame members;    one or more legs, each of said legs supporting said base in a vertical displacement from the substrate;    a plurality of generally vertical struts securable to said frame;    a plurality of screen segments mountable on said struts and forming a cage when mounted on said struts, said cage being configured to surround the combustible material, and at least one of said screen segments configured to form at least one door and being interchangeably mountable on said struts with any other of said screen segments; and,    a lid that is sized and configured to cover said cage.