Patent Publication Number: US-7909113-B1

Title: Hydro-powered fireplace safety and cleaning system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
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     REFERENCE TO APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of hydro-powered extinguishing systems, and more specifically, to hydro-powered extinguishing systems designed for use in furnaces or fireplaces. The present invention also relates to the field of hydro-powered cleaning systems, more specifically, for use in furnaces and/or fireplaces. 
     B. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     The Fullenwider patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,674) discloses a stove and fireplace cleaning method and apparatus. The Fullenwider patent is characterized by a vacuum system having a specially designed pickup member insertable into a stove, furnace or fireplace. While the Fullenwider patent is similar in utility by providing a means for cleaning a furnace, it&#39;s cleaning method is based on a vacuum system. Whereas, the present invention uses water to clean a furnace and gravitational forces to flush the water and debris into a drain. 
     The Zeritis patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,756) discloses a chimney smoke scrubber for the use with stoves and places. The scrubber system includes a tank holding a charge of water, with flow space above the surface for smoke to pass through. The Zeritis patent uses water to clean a chimney, however, it is designed to used as a chimney cap enclosure. The present invention is designed for placement directly inside the fireplace and uses a water line instead of a tank. Furthermore, the present invention uses a drain assembly that is directly connected to the sewer main. The present invention also differs through the use of a flush control knob to adjust the flow of water, whereas, the Zeritis patent uses a scrubber enclosure. 
     The Landstrom et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,535) discloses an invention relating to an improved barbecue grill having a means of retarding excessive flames. The Landstrom patent uses a photo-detector that sense light from excessive flames. However, the hydro-spraying system of the Lindstrom patent is not designed to clean a fireplace, and the present invention is not designed to extinguish a fire, but may do as such if needed. 
     The Oliver patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,817) discloses an automatically controlled residential heating system. The Oliver patent uses a heat exchanger adapted to absorb the heat from the flue gases into a fluid passing through the heat exchanger. The Oliver patent differs, however, because its water system is enclosed in a heat exchanger and does not provide any type of cleaning or extinguishing utility. 
     The McCarthy et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,993) discloses a method of flue and fireplace cleaning employing a system of spraying an industrial type detergent steam spray through a steam hose and having the soaked debris removed by a vacuum hose. While the McCarthy patent is similar in utility by providing a means for cleaning a furnace, it&#39;s cleaning method is based on a vacuum system. The present invention uses water to clean a furnace followed by gravity to flush the water and debris down and into a drain. 
     The Stenovich patent (U.S. Pat. Des. No. 364,946) discloses an ornamental design for an emissions scrubber for wood burning units. The Stenovich patent differs from the present invention because it employs the uses of an emissions scrubber rather than the spraying type and drain type system of the present invention. 
     The Fuller patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,441) discloses a fireplace utensil having a gas inlet pipe. The Fuller patent, though similar in the configuration of the piping layout, is designed for an effective system of gas distribution for fueling a fire rather than a system designed for cleaning or extinguishing fireplaces. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is a fire place extinguishing and cleaning system which includes a water spray pipe with a plurality of water spray outlets wherein the water spray pipe is connected to a conventional water main and a drain outlet connected to a sewer system. The water spray pipe can extinguish a fire as well as wash the ash from the fireplace and rinse the walls of the fireplace, and whereupon the drain will provide a means to wash away the watered-ash debris. The invention also features a flush control knob which adjusts the flow of water spraying inside the furnace and/or fireplace. An alternative embodiment of the present invention features an upper and lower mounted water spray pipe with a plurality of water spray outlets. Another variation includes an ashtray with a drain, and with or without a pump and tank to re-circulate the water. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention: 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an isometric view of the primary embodiment of the invention attached to a fireplace; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a piping diagram of the primary embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the invention along the lines  3 - 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a piping diagram of an alternative embodiment of invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of the invention in use; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an isometric view of an ashtray embodiment with a water re-circulation system; and 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an isometric view of an ashtray embodiment without the water re-circulation system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     Detailed reference will now be made to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  and  5 . The invention  10  includes a water spray pipe  12  which has a plurality of jet openings  14  which are designed to spray water  16 , over a fire  18 . It shall be noted that the jet openings  14  are also designed and aimed to project water  16  onto all interior panels  20  of a fireplace  22 . 
     Once the water  16  is sprayed onto the fire  18  and interior panels  20  of the fireplace  22 , the water  16  will remove the debris (not shown) from the interior panels and flow onto a concave bottom center panel  26  and into a main drain  24  of the fireplace  22 . The main drain  24  is located at the bottom of the concaved bottom center panel  26  of the fireplace  22  and is attached to a sewer pipe  28 . 
     The water spray pipe  12  is positioned across the exterior opening of the fireplace  22  and travels through an interior panel  20  of the fireplace  22 . Once inside the interior panel  20 , the water spray pipe  12  is connected to a control valve assembly  30 . The control valve assembly  30  has a control valve knob  32  that opens and closes the control valve assembly  30  which in turn regulates the flow of water  16  from the water pipe  34  to the water spray pipe  12 . The control valve knob  32  is mounted on an exterior panel  36  of the fireplace  22  and travels through the exterior panel  36  of the fireplace  22  and connects to the control valve assembly  30  which is mounted behind the both the exterior panel  36  and interior panel  20  of the fireplace. 
     Referencing  FIG. 4 , the invention is shown in its alternative embodiment which includes a top water spray pipe  38  and the water spray pipe  12  located along the bottom of the fireplace  22 . The top water spray pipe  38  similar to the water spray pipe  12  in that both have a plurality of jet openings  14  which are designed to spray water  16 , over the fire  18  of a fire, as well as jet openings  14  that are designed to project water  16  onto the interior panels  20  of the fireplace  22 . The top water spray pipe  38  is positioned across the upper exterior opening of the fireplace  22  and travels through an interior panel  20  of the fireplace  22 . Once inside the interior panel  20 , the top water spray pipe  38  is connected to an upper pipe  42  of a dual outlet control valve assembly  40 . Similarly, the water spray pipe  12  is positioned across the lower exterior opening of the fireplace  22  and travels through an interior panel  20  of the fireplace  22 . Once inside the interior panel  20 , the water spray pipe  12  is connected to the lower pipe  44  of the dual outlet control valve assembly  40 . 
       FIG. 5 , depicts the invention  10  in use with the water spray pipe  12  spraying water  16  over the fire and onto the interior panels  20  (not shown) of the fireplace. 
     The water spray pipe  12 , water pipe  34 , the top water spray pipe  38 , upper pipe  42 , and lower pipe  44  are all made of metal tubing that is capable of resisting deformation attributable to heat exposure associated with a typical flame in a fireplace. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , an ashtray embodiment  50  includes an ashtray  51 , a water supply line  52 , a water spray pipe  53 , a drain line  54 , a tank  55 , and a pump  56 . 
     The tank  55  includes a filter (not shown), which will filter out the ash from the water. The tank  55  includes a compartment  57  for the accumulated ash, and is accessible in order to remove the accumulated ash. The tank  55  also provides a means of storing filtered water. The pump  56  includes an electrical cord  58 . 
     The ashtray  51  includes an inlet port  59  for the water spray pipe  53  to enter, and a drain  60  for connection with the drain line  54 . The advent of the ashtray embodiment  50  is to provide an accessory for an existing fireplace. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , an ashtray embodiment  70  includes an ashtray  71 , a water spray pipe  72 , an inlet port  73 , a water supply line  74 , a drain hole  75 , and a drain line  76 . The function of the ashtray embodiment is analogous to the invention  10  discussed above. 
     It shall be noted that variations and alternatives of the present embodiment are readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the present disclosure, and such variations and alternatives including equivalent structures and structural equivalents are incorporated in the invention unless otherwise expressly indicated in the claims.