Portable campfire

Abstract

A portable campfire may include a base plate, a substantially vertical burner tube with substantially outward facing orifices, one or more legs secured to the base plate and supporting the portable campfire, and a fuel source. The orifices may be configured to emit fuel in substantially horizontal directions so that when ignited, a flame is produced that extends substantially horizontally from the burner tube. The portable campfire may include a leg lock plate to secure the legs against the base plate. One or more shields may be placed in the base plate to shield the flame from wind and/or to direct heat from the flame and/or provide a platform for a cooking vessel as desired. A method of using the portable campfire is disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable campfire apparatus, comprising:
 a base plate;   a substantially vertical burner tube with substantially outward facing orifices, the orifices being configured to emit fuel in substantially horizontal directions; and   a leg secured against the base plate and configured to support the base plate off a ground surface; and   a fuel source configured to supply a combustible fuel to the burner tube.   
     
     
         2 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a leg lock plate. 
     
     
         3 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the leg comprises a leg tab and a shoulder;   the leg tab comprises a tab neck and a tab head;   the base plate comprises a leg tab slot;   the leg tab slot comprises an entry hole and a neck hole;   the entry hole has a first width;   the neck hole has a second width;   the shoulder has a third width;   the tab neck has a fourth width;   the tab head has a fifth width;   the first width is greater than the second width;   the third width is greater than the first width;   the fifth width is greater than the fourth width and greater than the second width;   the fifth width is less than the third width and less than the first width; and   the fourth width is less than the second width.   
     
     
         4 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more shields. 
     
     
         5 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the one or more shields individually comprise a respective shield tab; and   the base plate comprises one or more shield tab slots configured to receive a corresponding shield tab.   
     
     
         6 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the one or more shields comprise three shields;   the respective shield tabs of the one or more shields are individually inserted into a corresponding shield tab slot of the one or more shield tab slots;   the three shields are arranged in a triangular shape over the base plate.   
     
     
         7 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base plate comprises a central hole, the central hole being configured to receive the burner tube in a threaded connection. 
     
     
         8 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the leg further comprises a wrench notch. 
     
     
         9 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel comprises a gaseous fuel. 
     
     
         10 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the burner tube is configured to form a threaded connection with a flare hose fitting at a lower end of the burner tube. 
     
     
         11 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the orifices are radially and vertically distributed around the burner tube. 
     
     
         12 . A portable campfire apparatus, comprising a substantially vertical burner tube with outward facing orifices configured to emit fuel in one or more substantially horizontal directions. 
     
     
         13 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising one or more legs. 
     
     
         14 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a leg lock plate. 
     
     
         15 . The portable campfire apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising one or more shields. 
     
     
         16 . A method of using a portable campfire apparatus, comprising:
 inserting a respective leg tab into a corresponding leg tab slot on the base plate;   placing a leg lock plate against the base plate, thereby securing the leg tab against the base plate;   providing fuel through a gas supply line and into a burner tube, thereby causing the fuel to emit from one or more orifices on the burner tube, wherein the burner tube is substantially vertical and the fuel is emitted from the one or more orifices in substantially horizontal directions;   igniting the fuel emitting from the one or more orifices to form a flame extending in a horizontal direction from the burner tube.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the corresponding leg tab slot comprises a neck hole and an entry hole;   the respective leg tab comprises a leg tab neck and a leg tab head;   inserting the respective leg tab into the corresponding leg tab slot on the base plate comprises:
 inserting the leg tab head into the entry hole; and 
 sliding the respective leg tab in an outward direction until the leg tab neck is within the neck hole. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising staking the leg to a ground surface. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising attaching a gas supply line to a burner tube, wherein:
 the leg comprises a wrench notch; and   attaching the gas supply line to the burner tube comprises using the wrench notch to tighten a flare hose fitting at a lower end of the burner tube.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising inserting the burner tube into a central hole of the base plate.