Table burner assembly & method

Abstract

An ornamental flame assembly which provides or produces an ornamental flame within a furnishing object such as a patio table or dining room table. The table has a noncombustible media recess which holds for example a layer of noncombustible stone aggregate material, sand, water, glass or other desired ornamental material. Contained within the media recess is a vapor fuel dispersion assembly. This assembly has a staging section which in one form is a bowl or cup arranged so that the top edge of the cup is held just below the top surface of the noncombustible media. Within the staging section is a vapor fuel dispersion section. This dispersion section in one form is an inverted cup which has a bottom edge which is serrated to provide for vapor fuel to pass into the inner region of the inverted cup and be distributed into the bottom region of the staging section. The dispersion assembly is fed with vapor fuel which in one form is propane. The vapor fuel source is a propane tank in one form which is held within the furnishing object's support, such as the table leg. The propane tank feeds a line directly into the dispersion section cup which then feeds the propane fuel into the staging section. As the propane fills the staging section cup, a volume of propane is presented at the top surface of the noncombustible media in the desired flame bum configuration. A control system provides for variation in flame heights, ignition, and burn sequences. The control system also can orchestrate, for example, multiple tables having multiple ornamental flame assemblies for a plurality of ornamental flame effects.

1 . An assembly for providing an ornamental flame with a bum base having a bum perimeter, said assembly comprising: 
 a. a furnishing object comprising a top surface and a media recess arranged within said top surface; a support section, said support section comprising a vapor fuel recess location;    b. a vapor fuel source located within said vapor fuel recess location;    c. a dispersion assembly comprising: a staging section arranged within said media recess; a dispersion section arranged within said staging section; a delivery line comprising a delivery port, said delivery line configured to transport vapor fuel from said vapor fuel source to said delivery port, said delivery port arranged to provide said vapor fuel into said dispersion section;    d. said dispersion section further comprising an exit port configured to inject said vapor fuel into said staging section;    e. noncombustible media arranged within said media recess and covering said dispersion assembly;    f. an ignition element to ignite said vapor fuel in said staging section;    g. whereby ignition of said vapor fuel by said ignition element in said staging section provides an ornamental flame above said noncombustible media.    
   
   
       2 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said dispersion section further comprises an air stone.  
   
   
       3 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said media recess further comprises a plurality of light elements to illuminate said furnishing object.  
   
   
       4 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said assembly further comprises: said vapor fuel source comprising a propane tank; said vapor fuel comprising propane.  
   
   
       5 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said noncombustible media further comprises: a noncombustible liquid; a noncombustible solid.  
   
   
       6 . The assembly according to  claim 5  wherein said noncombustible liquid further comprises: water; vinegar; glycerin; and noncombustible oils.  
   
   
       7 . The assembly according to  claim 5  wherein said noncombustible solid further comprises: sand; rocks; pebbles; stone; glass; and ice.  
   
   
       8 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said dispersion assembly further comprises at least a first dispersion assembly and a second dispersion assembly arranged within said furnishing object.  
   
   
       9 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said media recess further comprises at least a first media recess and a second media recess arranged with said furnishing object.  
   
   
       10 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said furnishing object further comprises at least a first furnishing object and a second furnishing object arranged within a human living environment.  
   
   
       11 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said dispersion section further comprises a top wall, a perimeter wall, said perimeter wall comprising a bottom edge, said bottom edge interfacing with said staging section.  
   
   
       12 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said staging section further comprises: a bottom wall, a sidewall, and a top edge, said top edge vertically positioned at or below said top surface.  
   
   
       13 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said assembly further comprises a control element comprising: a flow control valve configured to regulate the amount of vapor fuel to said delivery port; an ignition controller configured to actuate said ignition element to ignite said vapor fuel in said staging section.  
   
   
       14 . The assembly according to  claim 13  wherein said assembly further comprises a control system configured to operate said flow control valve and said ignition control.  
   
   
       15 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein said control system further comprises a programmable integrated circuit comprising a memory containing a control application, a control class comprising control objects, said programmable integrated circuit interoperatively connected to said flow control valve, said ignition control, and a control interface; whereby said control application initializes said control objects within said control class and is displayed on said control interface to operate said flow control valve in said ignition control.  
   
   
       16 . The assembly according to  claim 15  wherein said ignition element further comprises a piezo electric igniter.  
   
   
       17 . The assembly according to  claim 15  wherein said control application further comprises: a continuous bum application configured to ignite and burn said vapor fuel until a manual shut off signal.  
   
   
       18 . The assembly according to  claim 15  wherein said control application further comprises a time to burn application configured to ignite and burn said vapor fuel for a period of time.  
   
   
       19 . The assembly according to  claim 15  wherein said control application further comprises a variable burn application configured to ignite and bum said vapor fuel during a vapor fuel variable flow rate.  
   
   
       20 . The assembly according to  claim 15  wherein said control application further comprises a burn level setting application configured to set the flow rate of the vapor fuel and ignite said vapor fuel to bum said vapor fuel during said set flow rate.  
   
   
       21 . An assembly for providing an ornamental flame with a burn base having a bum perimeter, said ornamental flame provided within a human living environment, said assembly comprising: 
 a. a furnishing object comprising a top surface and a media recess arranged within said top surface; a support section comprising a vapor fuel recess location and supporting said top surface; said media recess comprising a plurality of noncombustible media;    b. a propane tank located within said vapor fuel recess location, said propane tank comprising propane;    c. a dispersion assembly comprising: 
 i. a staging section comprising a bottom wall, a sidewall, and a top edge, said bottom wall and sidewall arranged to contain and present said propane at the top surface to define said burn perimeter, said top edge vertically positioned at or below said top surface;  
 ii. a dispersion section arranged within said staging section two inject said propane into said staging section; a propane delivery line configured to transport said propane from said propane tank to a delivery port within said dispersion section;  
   d. a control system comprising: 
 i. a programmable integrated circuit comprising: a memory containing a control application, a control class comprising control objects, interoperation with a control interface, a flow control valve configured to regulate said propane within said propane delivery line, a piezo electric igniter configured to ignite said propane within said staging section;  
 ii. said control interface comprising: a display to operate said control application; to signal said piezo electric igniter to ignite said propane; and to send a signal to said flow control valve to regulate said propane flow within said delivery line to vary the ornamental flame bum rate.  
   
   
   
       22 . An apparatus for providing an ornamental flame with an exterior or interior furnishing object, said furnishing object having a top surface, a support, and a media recess arranged within the top surface and containing noncombustible media, said apparatus comprising: 
 a. a dispersion assembly comprising: a staging section arranged within said media recess, said staging section comprising a bottom wall, a sidewall, a top edge, said top edge vertically positioned at or below said top surface; a dispersion section arranged within said staging section to inject propane into said staging section; a delivery line comprising a delivery port, said delivery line configured to transport propane from a propane tank to said dispersion section;    b. a controller comprising a control valve and an ignition element, said control valve interoperatively connected to said delivery line to regulate said propane, said ignition element comprising a piezo electric igniter arranged within said staging section to ignite said propane;    c. whereby said controller regulates the propane from said propane tank through said propane delivery line into said dispersion section, said dispersion section injecting said propane into said staging section, said staging section presenting said propane at the top surface of said noncombustible media, said piezo electric igniter igniting said propane to provide an ornamental flame with said furnishing object.    
   
   
       23 . A process to provide an ornamental flame with an interior or exterior furnishing object, said furnishing object having a top surface, a support, a media recess arranged within the top surface, said media recess containing noncombustible media, said process comprising: 
 a. delivering propane from a propane tank through a propane delivery line to a dispersion assembly comprising a staging section arranged within said media recess and comprising a bottom wall, a sidewall, a top edge, said top edge vertically positioned at or below said top surface; a dispersion section arranged within said staging section, said dispersion section comprising a plurality of injection ports;    b. receiving said propane into said dispersion section;    c. injecting said propane from said dispersion section into said staging section through said injection ports;    d. delivering said propane and said staging section to said top surface;    e. igniting said propane at or near said top surface;    f. providing an ornamental flame and said top surface of said noncombustible media;    g. controlling said ornamental flame by regulating said propane flow through said propane delivery line.