Fuel burning logset and hearth

Abstract

An apparatus is provided that includes a freestanding fireplace hearth having a cradle, a leg assembly supporting the cradle and a rear curved deflector extending upwardly from a rear edge of the cradle. The apparatus further includes an artificial logset having a base disposed on the cradle, with the logset further including a flame deflector pivotally mounted on the base, a fuel burning chamber removably mounted on the base and at least a pair of artificial non-burning log members. One of the log members is removably mounted on the base and the other is removably mounted on the flame deflector.

1 . An artificial logset for producing the aesthetic appearance of a wood burning fire, the logset comprising: 
 a base;    a flame deflector movably mounted on said base;    a fuel burning chamber removably mounted on said base; and    at least a pair of artificial non-burning log members, one of said log members being mounted on said base and the other of said log members being mounted on said flame deflector;    a linkage connecting said flame deflector to said base for movement relative to said base and to said chamber, said linkage supporting said flame deflector and said other of said log members above said chamber in an operating position when a fire is burning in said chamber, said flame deflector and said other of said log members being sufficiently spaced apart from said chamber in said operating position to permit flames to escape said chamber, said linkage being moveable to a flame extinguishing position, to close said chamber and extinguish flames burning in said chamber    
   
   
       2 . An artificial logset as recited in  claim 1 , further including: 
 a spring, said spring biasing said flame deflector toward an upward direction away from said fuel burning chamber.    
   
   
       3 . An artificial logset as recited in  claim 2 , further including: 
 an operating handle attached to said flame deflector for raising the flame deflector away from said chamber for loading the fuel and for bringing said flame deflector toward said fuel burning chamber to position said logset in an operating position and, when desirable, to lower the flame deflector further to extinguish any fire in the chamber.    
   
   
       4 . An artificial logset as recited in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said base includes a plurality of upwardly extending positioning studs;    said fuel burning chamber is positioned on said base by said studs.    
   
   
       5 . An artificial logset as recited in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said base includes an upwardly extending rear wall, said rear wall being positioned rearward of said fuel burning chamber;    said rear wall includes a plurality of apertures formed therein;    said spring has one end that passes through one of said apertures;    said spring has a second end in contacting engagement with said linkage.    
   
   
       6 . An artificial logset as recited in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said fuel burning chamber includes an upwardly extending forward wall and an upwardly extending rear wall, each of said walls having an outwardly extending lip at an upper end thereof, said chamber further including an open top;    said spring is sized and configured so that a space exists between each of said lips and said deflector when said other of said log members is mounted on said flame deflector thereby permitting flames to escape said chamber out of said top, through said spaces and adjacent at least one of said non-burning log members when a fire is burning in said chamber.    
   
   
       7 . An artificial logset as recited in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said linkage includes first and second sets of parallelogram linkages.    
   
   
       8 . An artificial logset as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of said artificial non-burning log members has a plurality of apertures formed therein and said artificial logset further comprises: 
 a first plurality of clips attached to said base; and    a second plurality of clips attached to said flame deflector;    said one of said log members being mounted on said base with said holes formed therein and said first plurality of clips, each of said first plurality of clips being inserted in an aligned one of said holes formed in said one of said log members;    said other of said log members being mounted on said flame deflector with said holes formed therein and said second plurality of clips, each of said second plurality of clips being inserted in an aligned one of said holes formed in said other of said log members.    
   
   
       9 . A freestanding fireplace hearth comprising: 
 a cradle;    a leg assembly supporting said cradle;    a rear curved deflector extending upwardly from a rear edge of said cradle, said deflector being mounted to at least one of said cradle and said leg assembly, said deflector further including an upper, freestanding edge disposed upwardly and forwardly from said rear edge of said cradle.    
   
   
       10 . A freestanding fireplace hearth as recited in  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said leg assembly includes at least one mount adaptor integral with a rear portion of said leg assembly;    said rear curved deflector includes a lower flange portion that extends downwardly away from a remaining portion of said deflector having an arcuate shape as viewed in side profile, said lower flange portion of said deflector engaging said at least one mount adaptor thereby mounting said deflector to said leg assembly.    
   
   
       11 . A freestanding fireplace hearth as recited in  claim 10 , wherein: 
 said cradle includes a rear, downwardly extending flange that engages said at least one mount adaptor of said leg assembly.    
   
   
       12 . A freestanding fireplace hearth as recited in  claim 11 , wherein: 
 said rear, downwardly extending flange of said cradle is disposed between said leg assembly and said lower flange portion of said deflector.    
   
   
       13 . A freestanding fireplace hearth as recited in  claim 11 , wherein: 
 said cradle further includes an arcuately shaped portion attached to a forward portion of said leg assembly.    
   
   
       14 . A freestanding fireplace hearth as recited in  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said rear curved deflector includes a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, said apertures providing an aesthetically pleasing design.    
   
   
       15 . A freestanding fireplace hearth as recited in  claim 10 , wherein: 
 said at least one mount adaptor of said leg assembly comprises a plurality of upwardly facing hooks integral with a rear portion of said leg assembly;    said lower flange portion of said deflector has a plurality of recesses formed in a lower edge thereof, each of said recesses engaging one of said hooks thereby mounting said deflector to said leg assembly.    
   
   
       16 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a freestanding fireplace hearth having a cradle, a leg assembly supporting the cradle and a rear curved deflector extending upwardly from a rear edge of said cradle; and    an artificial logset having a base disposed on said cradle, said logset further including: 
 a flame deflector pivotally mounted on said base;  
 a fuel burning chamber removably mounted on said base; and  
 at least a pair of artificial non-burning log members, one of said log members being removably mounted on said base and the other of said log members being removably mounted on said flame deflector.  
   
   
   
       17 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said artificial logset further includes: 
 a linkage connecting said flame deflector to said base for movement relative to said base, said linkage being operably effective for supporting said flame deflector and said other of said log members above said chamber when a fire is burning in said chamber and, when lowered, said flame deflector is proximate said chamber and is operably effective for extinguishing flame burning in said chamber.    
   
   
       18 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 a second rear curved deflector secured to said rear curved deflector;    said rear curved deflector having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, said apertures providing an aesthetically pleasing design, said second rear curved deflector being disposed rearward of said apertures.    
   
   
       19 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 16 , wherein: 
 said fuel burning chamber has a width and a vertical centerline;    said rear curved deflector has an upper, freestanding edge that is positioned rearward of said vertical centerline by a distance of at least about 0.76 times said width of said fuel burning chamber.    
   
   
       20 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 19 , wherein; 
 said rear curved deflector has a radius of curvature that has a value of at least about 3.75 times said width of said fuel burning chamber.