Fireplace

Abstract

An electric fireplace with artificial logs and lights simulating burning logs and flames is disclosed. The fireplace comprises of a housing with a top compartment and a bottom compartment. Within the top compartment is affixed an electric heating element and an exhaust fan to eject the heat from the heating element toward the front of the housing. Artificial logs and lights to simulate burning logs and flame are contained within the bottom compartment wherein the appearance of the lights and its movements are controlled by an electric motor within the bottom compartment. A set of control is attached to the housing for controlling the electric heater and the artificial fireplace. When the fireplace is electrically energized and the controls are activated, the heating element generates heat which are delivered to the user by the exhaust fan. The artificial logs will appear to be burning with realistic moving sparks and dancing flames.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A fireplace comprising: 
 a housing with an upper compartment and a lower compartment;    a heat generating means and a heat delivery means disposed within the upper compartment;    an electric motor driving a set of reflectors randomly attached on an axial member, a set of blocking plates randomly attached to a second axial member, and a color wheel enclosed within a light housing in the lower compartment;    a light source within said light housing with its lights directed through the color wheel into a first ends of a set of fiber optics with the first ends and a second ends;    a set of artificial logs wherein the bottom half is red and transparent with a set of lights disposed within it and with the second ends of the fiber optics randomly exposed along its surface and at random points above it, simulating sparks of a flame, disposed at the bottom of the lower compartment separated from the rear of the lower compartment by a translucent sheet and a steel plate defining numerous cut-outs in the shape of flames;    a set of light source disposed behind the translucent sheet and positioned behind the cut-outs in the steel plate; and    a control panel attached to the housing to control the heat generating means, heat delivery means, the electric motor, and the light sources in the housing;    wherein when electric energy is applied to the fireplace, heat may be generated and delivered to the user while the artificial logs will appear to be burning with realistic moving sparks and dancing flames.    
     
     
         2 . A fireplace as in  claim 1 , wherein the heat generating means is an electric heating element and the heat delivery means is an electric fan.  
     
     
         3 . A fireplace as in  claim 1 , wherein said color wheel has angularly alternating colors.  
     
     
         4 . A fireplace comprising: 
 a housing with an upper compartment and a lower compartment;    a heat generating means and a heat delivery means disposed within the upper compartment;    an electric motor driving a set of reflectors randomly attached on an axial member, a set of blocking plates randomly attached to a second axial member, and a color wheel enclosed within a light housing in the lower compartment;    a light source within said light housing with its lights directed through the color wheel into the first ends of a set of fiber optics;    a set of artificial charcoals with a set of lights disposed within it and with the second ends of the fiber optics randomly exposed along its surface, simulating sparks of a flame, disposed at the bottom of the lower compartment separated from the rear of the lower compartment by a translucent sheet and a steel plate defining numerous cut-outs in the shape of flames;    a set of light source disposed behind the translucent sheet and positioned behind the cut-outs in the steel plate; and    a control panel attached to the housing to control the heat generating means, heat delivery means, the electric motor, and the light sources in the housing;    wherein when electric energy is applied to the fireplace, heat may be generated and delivered to the user while the artificial charcoals will appear to be burning with realistic moving sparks and dancing flames.    
     
     
         5 . A fireplace as in  claim 4 , wherein the heat generating means is an electric heating element and the heat delivery means is an electric fan.  
     
     
         6 . A fireplace as in  claim 4 , wherein said color wheel has angularly alternating colors.