Abstract:
A stove pipe cleaning device is provided that includes a vacuum unit associated with a stove pipe of a wood burning stove. The vacuum unit also includes a damper that selectively closes the stove pipe wherein debris being cleaned from the interior of the stove pipe will land on the damper. The debris is suctioned from the stove pipe by way of a tube that is interconnected to the vacuum unit. Suction is preferably supplied by a vacuum generating device positioned outside the dwelling.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/293,815, filed Jan. 11, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to devices for cleaning the exhaust system, i.e., a stove pipe of a wood burning stove. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Wood burning heating systems are generally comprised of a stove for burning fuel with an interconnected stove pipe that directs combustion gasses to an outdoor location. The fuel, such as wood, wood pellets, coal, etc., is placed within the stove and burned to produce heat. The air required for combustion is drawn from areas around the stove into the stove when blowing air across the open end of the stove pipe creates suction within the stove. The stove pipe includes a damper mechanism, which is commonly a hand-actuated butterfly valve, that selectively alters air flow through the stove pipe. That is, movement of the damper alters the size of the opening of the stove pipe and controls the amount of air that is drawn therethrough and, thus, combustion and the amount of heat generated. Products of combustion, i.e., soot and other items tend to build up on the internal surfaces of the stove pipe. These combustion byproducts are sometimes combustible and may ignite. Thus, it is recommended that wood burning stoves and their associated pipes be cleaned one or more times a year to avoid the possibility of a dangerous ignition. 
         [0004]    Cleaning wood burning stoves generally entails accessing the top of the stove pipe or chimney and inserting a brush to remove any debris. Brushing causes the soot and other debris to fall down the stove pipe past the damper and into the stove. The stove must then be accessed to remove debris and other items. As one of skill in the art will appreciate, stove cleaning is messy wherein soot, ash, dust, and other debris will escape and soil the surrounding area regardless of the level of care exercised by the cleaner. 
         [0005]    Thus, it is a long felt need to provide an apparatus for efficiently cleaning a wood burning stove that reduces the amount of ash, debris, or soot that enters the stove from the stove pipe. The following disclosure is directed to an apparatus for association with a stove pipe that vacuums the soot therefrom as opposed to allowing it to enter into the stove. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is one aspect of the present invention to provide a vacuum unit for permanent or selective interconnection to a wood burning stove or stove pipe thereof. The vacuum unit includes a tube that is associated with an interface located on an outer wall of a dwelling, for example. In operation, a vacuum is also associated with the wall interface and is used to suction the soot from the stove pipe as opposed to allowing it to fall into the stove. 
         [0007]    It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a system for starting a stove. More specifically, often if the air flow over the open end of the stove pipe positioned outside of a dwelling is insufficient, the amount of oxygen drawn into the stove will be insufficient to allow combustion to begin. Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention provides a fan for interconnection to the stove pipe that begins air flow through the stove pipe so that combustion can initiate. After combustion has begun, the fan is removed from the stove pipe. 
         [0008]    The Summary of the Invention neither is intended nor should be construed as being representative of the full extent and scope of the present invention. Moreover, reference is made herein to “the present invention” or aspects thereof should be understood to mean certain devices of the present invention and should not necessarily be construed as limiting all embodiments to a particular description. The present invention is set forth in various levels of detail and summary of the invention as well as in the attached drawings and the Detailed Description of the Invention and the limitation as to the scope of the invention is intended by either the inclusion of non-inclusion of elements, components, etc. in this summary of the invention. Additional aspects of the invention will become more readily apparent in the detailed description, particularly when taken together with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated and in constant apart of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description and drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of these inventions. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is an elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a detailed view of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a partial elevation view of another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a cross section of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is an elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention that utilizes a fan to initiate combustion. 
       
    
    
       [0016]    To assist in understanding of one embodiment of the present invention, the following list of components and associated numbering found in the drawings is provided herein: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 # 
                 Components 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   2 
                 Vacuum unit 
               
               
                   6 
                 Stove pipe 
               
               
                  10 
                 Stove 
               
               
                  16 
                 Vacuum tube 
               
               
                  18 
                 First end 
               
               
                  20 
                 Vacuum tube interface 
               
               
                  22 
                 Second end 
               
               
                  26 
                 Wall interface 
               
               
                  30 
                 Outer wall 
               
               
                  34 
                 Damper 
               
               
                  38 
                 Handle 
               
               
                  42 
                 Locking mechanism 
               
               
                  46 
                 Arcuate path 
               
               
                  50 
                 Vacuum 
               
               
                  54 
                 Starter device 
               
               
                  58 
                 Cord 
               
               
                  62 
                 Plug 
               
               
                  66 
                 First end 
               
               
                  70 
                 Second end 
               
               
                  78 
                 Heat shield 
               
               
                  82 
                 Bushing 
               
               
                  86 
                 Knob 
               
               
                  90 
                 Detent 
               
               
                  94 
                 Stop 
               
               
                  98 
                 Cover 
               
               
                 102 
                 Swing arm 
               
               
                 106 
                 Set screw 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0017]    It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for the understanding of the invention or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , a vacuum unit  2  of one embodiment of the present invention is shown associated with a stove pipe  6  of stove  10 . A tube  14  is also provided that has a first end  18  interconnected to a tube interface  20  of the vacuum unit  2  and a second end  22  associated with a wall interface  26 . The wall interface  26  is shown associated with an outer wall  30  of the dwelling, but could be directly interconnected to a vacuum system, such as a shop vac. 
         [0019]    The tube interface  20  is positioned above a damper  34 , which is generally a butterfly valve. Although shown as part of the vacuum unit  2 , one of skill in the art will appreciate that an existing damper can be used in conjunction with the tube interface  20  without departing from the scope of the invention. The angular position of the damper is controlled by a handle  38  that travels in an arcuate path  46 . A locking mechanism  42  is used to fix the angular position of the damper  34 . More specifically, the locking mechanism  42  is used to lock the damper  34  either in an opened position, a closed position, or a position between the open position and the closed position. The locking mechanism  42  of one embodiment of the present invention is a wing nut lock. 
         [0020]    To clean the stove pipe  6 , the damper handle  38  is moved to a closed position that closes the stove pipe  6 . The portion of stove pipe that is positioned outside the dwelling is accessed via a ladder and a brush is used to clear debris from the stove pipe interior. The debris falls down the stove pipe  6  and lands on the closed damper  34 . A vacuum  50 , which may be positioned outside the dwelling and interconnected to the wall interface  26 , is turned on. The pressure drop caused by the vacuum  50  suctions the debris through the tube  14 . Thus, less debris finds its way to the stove  10 . As one of skill in the art will appreciate, the amount of debris present in the stove  10  is directly related to the potential mess made. It should also be appreciated that the vacuum  50  may be located in the dwelling wherein the vacuum is interconnected directly to the vacuum unit  2  or the tube  14 . 
         [0021]    One skilled in the art will appreciate that the tube  14  may be used to interconnect directly to the stove  10  to pull soot and debris therefrom as well, thereby substantially alleviating the need for shoveling soot, ash, and debris from the stove  10 . The wall interface  26  may interconnect to a shop vac, for example, or may be directly associated with a centralized vacuum system of a dwelling. 
         [0022]    The vacuum unit  2  of one embodiment of the present invention is retrofittable. More specifically, the stove pipe  6  of an existing stove may be cut in two places approximate to the size of the vacuum unit  2 . The vacuum unit  2  is then interconnected to the two existing sections of stove pipe by way of a weld, bolts, or any other common metal interconnection technique. 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a vacuum unit  2  of another embodiment of the present invention for interconnection to a stove pipe  6  is shown. The vacuum unit  2  has a first end  66  and a second end  70  wherein the second end  70  is positioned adjacent to the top portion of the stove. The vacuum unit may include a heat shield  78 . 
         [0024]    The damper  34  is interconnected to the sidewalls of the vacuum unit via bushings  82 . Rotation of the damper  38  is provided by a knob  86  that is associated with a movable detent  90  An exterior surface of the vacuum unit  2  has a plurality of detent stops  94  that receive the detent  86  to fix the angular position of the damper. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the detent  90  may be spring-loaded to facilitate removal from one stop and placement into another. 
         [0025]    In one embodiment of the present invention, a vacuum port cover  98  is rotatably interconnected to the tube interface  20  via a swing arm  102 . A set screw  106  or other mechanism may be used to hold the vacuum port cover  98  in place. In operation, the set screw  106  is removed or loosened which allows the vacuum port cover  98  to rotate away from the tube interface  20 . Next, the tube is interconnected to the tube interface  20  and to the vacuum system, similar to that described with respect to  FIG. 1 . The damper  34  is then moved via the knob  86  to a closed position to close the stove pipe. Once a vacuum is created by the interconnected vacuum and the soot and other debris positioned within the stove pipe  6  are removed. 
         [0026]      FIG. 6  shows a starter device  54  for interconnection to a stove pipe  6 . More specifically, a starter device  54  that employs a low CFM (cubic feet per minute) fan is interconnected to the stove pipe and is used to draw air into the stove pipe  6  from the area surrounding the stove  10 , which begins or facilitates combustion. An electrically-powered fan is contemplated that is selectively interconnectable to the stove pipe  6  via a cord  58  and plug  62 . 
         [0027]    If used with the vacuum unit described above, one would remove the tube or a cover that is associated with the vacuum unit and interconnect the starter device  54 . Once the starter device  54  is turned on, air flow within the stove pipe  6  begins. After combustion is evident, the starter device  54  is removed from the stove pipe  6  and the cover or tube for cleaning is interconnected to the stove pipe  6 . One skilled in the art will appreciate that the starter device may be integrated directly into the stove pipe. 
         [0028]    While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those of skill in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention as set forth in the following claims. Further, the inventions described herein are capable of other embodiments being practiced or being carried out in various ways. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” in variations thereof is meant to be encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.