Lennox Industries Inc.

Jimmy R Poe

Donald R Jamieson

Claudia M Ramos

Peter G VanderPlaat

Richard T Holman

A gas operated fireplace assembly is comprised of a plurality of modular components, including a casing, firebox, burner module and combustion air-intake module. The casing has an open front and is positionable in an enclosure adjacent a room with the open front facing the room. The firebox is insertable into the casing through the open front thereof and is removably mounted within the casing such that the firebox is removable therefrom without having to remove the casing from the enclosure. The casing can be installed separate from the other modules (e.g., during the 'rough-in' phase of construction) and the other modules installed at a later time. Both the casing and firebox have respective top panels which are sloped at approximately 25.degree. to accommodate both a vertical and a horizontal flue configuration while maintaining the front-to-back depth of the fireplace assembly within acceptable limits. The air-intake module includes an air-intake manifold removably mountable within the casing in fluid communication with an external combustion air source and a plurality of cylindrical tubes communicating between the manifold and the firebox for introducing combustion air into the firebox. Both the manifold and tubes are located in an air wipe between the firebox and casing. The individual fireplace modules may be assembled into a unitary fireplace at a manufacturing facility and shipped to an installation site. Alternatively, the modules may be shipped as a kit and assembled at the installation site.

Gas operated fireplace assembly

A combustion furnace is provided which is convertible in the field for upflow or downflow operation. The furnace includes a cabinet in which a burner, heat exchanger, air blower and combustion gas blower are located. The burner, heat exchanger and combustion gas blower are mounted on a vestibule panel, which is removably mountable at opposed first and second mounting positions within the cabinet, whereby the burner, heat exchanger and combustion gas blower are reversibly positionable with respect to the air blower. The combustion gas blower is coupled to an elongated flue for exhausting combustion gases from the cabinet and is positionable with respect to the air blower to allow the flue to clear the compartment in which the air blower is located when the apparatus is configured for downflow operation. The vestibule panel includes an extruded portion extending into the air flowing across the heat exchanger. The extruded portion has an opening adapted to receive a temperature sensor, whereby the sensor is retained at a predetermined position in the air flow for sensing the temperature thereof. The heat exchanger preferably includes a plurality of serpentine tubes of generally circular cross-section, through which the combustion gases are drawn by the combustion gas blower. The tubes are crimped at selected locations therealong to define corresponding regions of generally oblong cross-section. The oblong cross-sections slow down the flow of combustion gases through the heat exchanger tubes, thereby enhancing heat transfer from the combustion gases to the air flowing across the outer surfaces of the tubes.

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Oakville, Canada

Jimmy R Poe