Abstract:
A fire pit for use on water crafts, particularly pontoon and house boats. In certain embodiments, the fire pits are floor mounted units affixed within the deck of the boat and in other embodiments, the fire pits are table mounted units. In each embodiment, the fire pits include a base tray and a removable top cover. Each embodiment of the fire pit may also employ conventional fuel regulators to control the fires and conventional electric ignitors to safely and conveniently start the fires in the fire pits.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/824,615 filed May 17, 2013, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0002]    This invention relates to recreational fire pits, and in particular, recreational fire pits for use in pleasure water craft and boats. 
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The enjoyment of pleasure water craft and boats, particularly pontoon and house boats is often tempered by the cool night temperatures and seasonal changes. The present invention provides a recreational fire pit for use on boats, particularly pontoon and house boats. The fire pit provides a warming fire in a safe, convenient and decorative unit that is easily used aboard a water craft or in other applications. 
         [0004]    In certain embodiments, the fire pits are a floor mounted unit affixed within the deck of the boat and in other embodiments, the fire pits are table mounted units. In each embodiment, the fire pits include a base tray and a removable top cover. Fuel is supplied to the fire pit from a conventional twenty pound propane fuel tank for the floor mounted unit and one pound propane bottles for the table mounted unit. Each embodiment of the fire pit may also employ conventional fuel regulators to control the fires and conventional electric ignitors to safely and conveniently start the fires in the fire pits. 
         [0005]    The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The present invention may take form in various system and method components and arrangement of system and method components. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating exemplary embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. The drawings illustrate the present invention, in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a simplified pontoon boat and an embodiment of a deck mounted fire pit of this invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view of the pontoon boat and fire pit of  FIG. 1  showing the cover spaced about the pit base; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is another partial perspective view of the pontoon boat and the fire pit of  FIG. 1  showing the cover removed; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a partial exploded view of the pontoon boat and the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the pit base of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the pit base of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the pit base of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a front view of the pit base of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a rear view of the pit base of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a left end view of the pit base of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  is a right end view of the pit base of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the pit base and attached cover of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 13  is a top view of the pit base and attached cover of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 14  is a side sectional view of another embodiment of a deck mounted fire pit of this invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 15  is a side sectional view of a third embodiment of a floor mounted fire pit of this invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a table style fire pit of this invention showing the cover spaced about the table base; 
           [0023]      FIG. 17  is another perspective view of the fire pit of  FIG. 16  without its top cover showing the burner; 
           [0024]      FIG. 18  is a side sectional view of the table base of the fire pit of  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 19  is a perspective view of the table top fire pit of  FIG. 7  being stowed away in the storage area of a typical watercraft; 
           [0026]      FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the table base and attached cover of the fire pit of  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 21  is a top view of the table base and attached cover of the fire pit of  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 22  is a perspective view of the table base of the fire pit of  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 23  is a top view of the table base of the fire pit of  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0030]      FIG. 24  is a bottom view of the table base of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 25  is a side view of the table base of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 26  is an end view of the table base of the fire pit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 27  is a side sectional view of another embodiment of a table style fire pit of this invention; and 
           [0034]      FIG. 28  is a side sectional view of a third embodiment of a table style fire pit of this invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0035]    In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, structural, mechanical, electrical, and chemical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. 
         [0036]    The drawings illustrate several different embodiments of the fire pit of this invention. Each embodiment illustrated and described herein is designed for use on a pleasure watercraft or boat, such as pontoon and house boats. For simplicity of illustration and explanation, the various fire pit embodiments are shown on a simplified pontoon boat  2 , although the teachings of this invention may be readily applied to any type or style of watercraft or boat. Each embodiment of the fire pits of this invention are designed to burn gas or liquid fuels, such as propane; however, alternative embodiments may burn solid fuel sources, such as wood, coal, briquettes, and wood pellets as desired. 
         [0037]    Referring now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-13  illustrate a first embodiment of the recreational fire pit of this invention, which is designated generally as reference numeral  100 . As shown, fire pit  100  is a floor mounted unit affixed within the deck  4  of pontoon boat  2 . Fire pit  100  includes a pit base  110  and a removable top cover  130 . Fuel is supplied to fire pit  100  from a conventional twenty pound propane fuel tank  102  connected to the pit by fuel lines  103  and controlled by a conventional fuel regulator  104 . An electric ignitor switch  106  is also connected to fire pit  100  by electrical wires  107 . As shown, fuel tank  102  may be stowed at any convenient desirable location on pontoon boat  2 . Similarly, ignitor switch  106  is mounted to the control console of pontoon boat  2 , but may be located at any convenient or desirable location on the pontoon boat. 
         [0038]    Pit base  110  is stamped, formed or otherwise constructed from a suitable sheet metal. Pit base  110  has a wide flat peripheral flange  112  extending around a rectangular recessed basin  114 . Pit base  110  is seated within a rectangular opening  5  cut or formed in deck  4  of pontoon boat  2 , so that basin  114  extends downward into the opening and flange  112  lies flat over the deck around the opening. An elongated burner  120  and an electric ignitor  122  is disposed within basin  114 . Burner  120  is operatively connected to fuel line  103  from regulator  104  and fuel tank  102 . Ignitor  122  is operatively connected to ignitor switch  106  by wires  107 . Typically, basin  114  is filled with decorative fire stones  109  for a more aesthetic fire. Top cover  130  is also constructed from a suitable sheet metal, which covers fire pit  100  allowing users to walk atop the fire pit  100  as part of deck  2  when the fire pit is not in use. Top cover  130  seats atop pit base  110  over basin  114  to provide a flush surface with peripheral flange  112 . Top cover  130  includes a keyed lock mechanism for securing cover  130  to pit base  110 . In certain embodiments, the bottom surface of top cover  130  may be covered with thermal insulating material to reduce fire hazards, when the cover is place over basin  114  immediately after a fire is extinguished. 
         [0039]    Fire pit  100  operates in a conventional manner. Top cover  130  is removed from Pit base  110  before any fire is started. With the cover removed, regulator  104  is opened and ignitor switch  106  is actuated to activate ignitor  122  to light the fire within basin  114 . Regulator  104  can be selectively adjusted to control the fire in fire pit  100 . The fire is extinguished by closing regulator  104 . Top cover  130  is place over pit base  110  to prevent damage to the fire pit  100  and provide a continuous usable surface for deck  4 . 
         [0040]      FIGS. 14 and 15  show two alternative embodiments of a floor mounted fire pit, which are designated generally as reference numerals  200  and  300 . As shown in  FIG. 14 , fire pit  200  is substantially identical to fire pit  100 , except that the body of the base is constructed of a composite material with thermal insulating and/or flame resistant properties. As shown in  FIG. 15 , fire pit  300  is substantially identical to fire pit  100 , except that pit base  310  has a two piece design. As shown, pit base  310  has a separate peripheral flange  312  mounted to a tray basin  314 . Basin  314  is constructed of stamped sheet metal, while flange  312  is constructed or formed from a composite material with thermal insulating and/or flame resistant properties. 
         [0041]      FIGS. 16-26  illustrate another embodiment of the fire pit of this invention, which is designated generally as reference numeral  400 . As shown, fire pit  400  is a table top style unit and includes a table base  410  detachably supported atop a single table leg or post  430 , and a removable top cover  430 . Fire pit  400  sits atop leg  430  ( FIGS. 16 and 17 ) but may be disassembled for convenient storage ( FIG. 19 ). Typically, table leg  430  is detachably connected to deck  4  by a deck collar  432 , but may be fashioned to any suitable structure on boat  2  and may be affixed by any suitable means. As with the deck mounted embodiments, fire pit  400  may include a fuel regulator (not shown) to control the fire in the pit and an electric ignitor switch (not shown), both mounted underneath table base  410  as desired. In other embodiments, fuel may be supplied to fire pit  400  from a one pound propane fuel bottle mounted under table top  410 . 
         [0042]    Table base  410  is stamped, formed or otherwise constructed of a suitable sheet metal. Table base  410  has a wide flat peripheral surface area  312  extending around a rectangular recessed basin  414 . A removable table cover  340  seats flushly over basin  414  to provide a useable table surface. Table cover  340  includes a keyed locking mechanism  442  that secures the table cover to table base  410 . Table base  410  is mounted atop table leg  430  by a base collar  416 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , table base  410  can be detached from table leg  408  for convenient storage when not in use. As shown, cup holders  409  are formed in table base  410  for user convenience. An elongated burner  420  disposed within basin  414  is operatively connected to the fuel source (not shown) via a fuel line and regulator (not shown). In certain other embodiments, burner  420  may be spaced above the bottom of basin  414  or separated by thermal insulators to prevent thermal conduction into table base  410 . In addition, an ignitor (not shown) is disposed within basin  414  and operatively connected to the ignitor switch (not shown) mount beneath the table base  410 . 
         [0043]    Again, fire pit  400  operates in a conventional manner. Table cover  430  is removed from table base  410  before any fire is started. With the table cover removed, the regulator is opened and the ignitor switch is actuated to activate the ignitor to light the fire within table basin  420 . The regulator can be selectively adjusted to control the fire in fire pit  400 . The fire is extinguished by closing the regulator. 
         [0044]      FIGS. 27 and 28  shows two alternative embodiments of a table mounted fire pit, which are designated generally as reference numerals  500  and  600 . Fire pit  500  is substantially identical to fire pit  400 , except that the body of the base is constructed of a suitable composite material having thermal insulating and/or flame resistant properties. Fire pit  600  is substantially identical to fire pit  400 , except that base tray  610  has a two piece design, similar to fire pit  400 . As shown, base tray  610  has a separate peripheral flange  612  mounted to a tray basin  614 . Tray basin  614  is constructed of stamped sheet metal, while flange  612  is constructed or formed from a suitable composite material having thermal insulating and/or flame resistant properties. 
         [0045]    Alternative embodiments of this invention may be adapted for use in other applications. For example, certain embodiments of this invention may be adapted for use in piers, decks, terraces, gazebos, and the like, where the fire pit is surface or floor mounted into the particular structure with the fuel source, regulators and ignitor switches remotely located. Such embodiments provide the enjoyment and functionality of a floor mounted fire pit in an unconventional structure, which is easy to install and use and provides a clean uncluttered aesthetic appearance. 
         [0046]    It should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided. While the invention is shown in only a few of its forms, it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. The embodiment of the present invention herein described and illustrated is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is presented to explain the invention so that others skilled in the art might utilize its teachings. The embodiment of the present invention may be modified within the scope of the following claims.