Patent ID: 7799102

Claim:
A self regulating fuel cartridge for a domestic fireplace comprising: an elongate bottom wall; a left-side wall; a right-side wall; an elongate front wall, and; an elongate back wall, said walls being joined so as to define an elongate, substantially rectangular box, said substantially rectangular box having a width approximately equal to a length of one of either the front wall or the back wall, and having a depth approximately equal to one of either the left side wall or the right side wall, the bottom, right-side, left -side, front and back walls defining therebetween a fuel-receiving chamber filled with a gel fuel in intimate contact with at least the bottom, front and back walls, said gel fuel emitting flammable vapors for combustion, said fuel cartridge further comprising a noncombustible, flat top wall, said top wall being rigidly joined to the left, right, front and back walls and extending parallel to the bottom wall to enclose therebetween said fuel-receiving chamber, and said top wall being imperforate except for at least one elongate, rectangular vapor exit aperture extending longitudinally therethrough and being of predetermined, constant size; said vapor exit aperture communicating with said fuel receiving chamber and permitting the exit of said flammable vapors from said fuel receiving chamber through said rectangular vapor exit aperture; said top wall forming noncombustible vapor restrictors which extend, rigidly, from each of the front, back, left and right walls to said rectangular vapor exit aperture, the cartridge being self-regulating by said vapor restrictors so that a visible, elongate, rectangular flame pattern of predetermined size and shape corresponding to a size and shape of said at least one exit aperture is produced throughout combustion.