BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention is directed to a burning log simulator having a simulated flickering flame effect to be utilized as an insert into a conventional fireplace or as a stand alone unit.  
         [0002]     Fire simulating devices are popular throughout the world. They can be used to simulate the flickering and glowing effects of a fire so as to give ambiance to a room. Alternatively, they can be used to generate heat in a room by a source other than the actual burning of wood, for example, an electrical heater. Yet further, both effects can be used simultaneously.  
         [0003]     If a user has an existing wood burning fireplace, such a device as the invention can be used as an insert into the fireplace and thereby avoid the trouble, mess and danger associated with a wood fire. If there is no existing wood burning fireplace, the device may be constructed to wall mount to give the appearance of a fireplace or may be constructed as a stand alone structure with the appearance of a stove or the like.  
         [0004]     The key aspect of such a fire simulating device is to provide a visual appearance of a burning wood fire with flame flickering. The prior art has developed many different types of complex mechanical structures for creating the flickering effect, such as metallic strips that reflect light and that are rotated on a belt with or without a fan to further cause motion in the strips and change the angle of reflectance.  
         [0005]     The present invention was developed to provide a simple and effective structure for providing the flame flickering effect.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     A wood fire simulator comprising a housing, a rotatable shaft with a helical wound light array thereon, a mirror in the shape of flames that is positioned to receive light from the shaft and a screen sized and positioned to receive light reflected by the mirror on one side and transmit such light to a viewer in the form of a flickering flame image on the opposite side thereof. In this manner, as light is generated by the helical wound array which is rotated, a continuously changing pattern of the light from shaft strikes the mirror and is reflected thereby to the screen where it is seen by a viewer as a generally flame shaped and flickering image.  
         [0007]     Located forward of the screen and positioned in a grating type setting are logs. The logs may be simulated to appear as wooden logs and constructed of plastic or the like or, alternatively, may be non consumed real wood. The logs are located so that the flame image is behind and above them, such as to give a viewer the impression that the logs are on fire and that such fire is producing the flames that are seen above the logs, but are actually only an image on the screen.  
         [0008]     The simulator also includes a heating element. For example, the heating element may be of a resistive electrical type wherein metal wires or conductors heat when an electrical current is passed through them. The heating element may use other radiant, conductive or convective types of heaters and further may include a fan to convey air across the heating element and out into the surrounding room.  
         [0009]     A second light source is provided to illuminate red and/or orange structure at the base of the logs to simulate glowing embers. The second light source is normally controlled so as to be on or active when the shaft is rotating.  
         [0010]     A control mechanism allows a user to turn on and off the rotation of and the lights associated with the shaft. The control mechanism also allows a user to turn on and off the heating element independent of operation of the shaft.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     Therefore, the objects of the present invention are: to provide a simulator that avails a viewer with an image that simulates the flickering light emanating from a burning wood fire; to provide such a simulator that utilizes a rotating shaft having a helical wound light array thereon as a light source for the image which is reflected by a flame shaped mirror or mirrors to a screen that transmits the light therethrough to the viewer in the form of a flickering image; to provide such a simulator that includes a non wood burning heating element that may be used cooperatively in combination with the light image or by itself to heat a surrounding room; to provide such a simulator that includes controls to allow a user to select an operating mode and also includes lighting to simulate glowing embers of a fire; and to provide such a simulator which is easy to manufacture, relatively inexpensive to produce and especially well suited for the intended usage thereof.  
         [0012]     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.  
         [0013]     The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wood burning simulator in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged and fragmentary cross sectional view of the simulator, taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the simulator, taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  with a front screen mostly broken away and other portions broken away to show interior detail thereof.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the simulator, taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a fragmentary and enlarged view of the simulator showing a portion of the view seen in  FIG. 4 , especially showing a rotatable shaft with a helical wound light array thereon.  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a fragmentary and yet further enlarged view of the shaft taken from the view shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.  
         [0021]     The reference numeral  1  generally represents a wood burning fireplace simulator that provides a simulated pile of logs  10  behind which is located an image  11  of a flickering flame that may be viewed by a user in such a manner that the user perceives a visual effect of a burning pile of logs in a fireplace. The user may also elect to have the simulator  10  produce heat with or without the visual effect.  
         [0022]     The simulator  1  includes a housing  15  with a forward projecting log receiving region  16  that is designed to simulate the bed of a fireplace. The simulator  1  of the illustrated embodiment is sized and shaped to fit as an insert in a conventional wood burning fireplace. However, it is foreseen that such a simulator may be constructed as a stand alone unit to simulate a wood burning stove used for heating, a wall mounted fireplace or the like.  
         [0023]     The housing  15  includes two rear half side walls  20  and  21  and a rear panel  22  that form a continuous partial enclosure covered by a top panel  24 . The housing  15  also includes two forward projection partial lower side panels  28  and  29  joined by a front panel  30  that together form a simulated receiver or hot box  31  located beneath the pile of logs  10 . A grate finger structure  32  extends upward from a front side of the hot box  31  which is otherwise open above for the purpose of receiving and illuminating the pile of logs  10 , as described below.  
         [0024]     Located on the front side of the housing structure  23  and rearward of the pile of logs  10  is a screen  35 . The screen  35  is preferably constructed of glass that has the optical properties that it is generally reflective of light striking the front side  36  thereof and is generally transitive of light striking the rear side  37  thereof. Glass of this type is readily available and is often referred to as a one way mirror. Portions of the glass screen  35  may be blackened or otherwise treated to leave only the region  38  near or directly behind the pile of logs  10  as transmitting. This may also be accomplished by other structures such as an interior metal shroud or the like. A bottom panel  39  extends over the entire simulator lower side and joins the structure  23  and simulated hot box  31 .  
         [0025]     Located above the screen  35  and below the top panel  25  is a comparatively narrow panel  40  with vents  41  therein and an operator control station  42  located thereon. A lower side to side panel  43  is located beneath the screen  35 . A slot  44  extends along panels  40 ,  20 ,  44  and  21  to receive the screen  35 .  
         [0026]     Positioned on the interior of the simulator rear structure  23  are two side cowlings  45  and  46  and an upper cowling  47  that join to form a generally open rearward region  49  with the rear panel  22  located behind the screen  35 .  
         [0027]     Positioned on the bottom panel  39  on the side of the hot box  31  are a pair of vertical side to side walls  55  and  56 . The rearmost wall  55  is joined to two upright and facing C-shaped and spaced support channels  58  and  59 .  
         [0028]     Pivotally mounted on each of the channels  58  are first and second ends  60  and  61  respectively of a shaft  62 . The shaft  62  is horizontally aligned and extends from side to side. Axially projecting from the shaft ends  60  and  61  are axially aligned rods  63  and  64  respectively. The rod  63  is pivotally received in a bore (not seen) in channel  58  and the rod  64  is pivotally received in and extends through a bore (not seen) in channel  59 .  
         [0029]     Mounted on a back side of the channel  59  is a motor  70  that receives and operatively rotates the shaft  62  when activated. Located opposite the motor on the shaft  62  are a pair of circumferential and spaced electrical contacts  72  and  73  which operably are engaged by a pair of braised electrical followers  74  and  75 . The contacts  72  and  73  are in turn electrically connected to a paired wire  76  that is helically wound about the length of the shaft  62 . A plurality of led (light emitting diode) lights  79  are mounted along the wire  76  to form an array  80 .  
         [0030]     It is foreseen that the array  80  could be provided by other structure such as a large light contained within the shaft and projecting from multiple openings or windows along the shaft.  
         [0031]     The lights  79  are preferably arranged in a helically wound path about the shaft  62  at an angle of approximately  45  degrees with respect to an axis. A of rotation of the shaft  62  and are generally tightly spaced relative to one another.  
         [0032]     Positioned on the inside of the rear panel  22  is a mirror  85 . The shape of the mirror  85  is best seen in  FIG. 3  and includes a plurality of fire or flame shaped segments  86 . The segments  86  are spaced horizontally from side to side across the rear panel  22 . The segments  86  are highest in the middle and lowest on the outer sides. Preferably, the segments  86  are mirrored regions formed on an otherwise blackened glass panel  87 .  
         [0033]     During operation, light produced by the lights  79  of the array  80  continuously rotate with the shaft  62  which is rotated about its side horizontally aligned axis by the motor  70 . As is shown in  FIG. 2 , certain of the lights  79  are aligned to shine on the mirror  85  at any particular instant and such light is represented by rays  88 . The lights  79  and the position of the lights  79  that shine on the mirror  85  change continuously due to the rotation of the shaft  62 .  
         [0034]     A substantial portion of the light of the rays  88  reflects off the mirror  85  and shines on the rear side  37  of the screen  35  which is represented by rays  89 . The light rays  89  substantially transmit through the screen  35  and are seen by a viewer looking at the screen front side  36  as an image  91  located on the screen  35 . Because the lights  79  of the array  80  are constantly rotating so as to change position and as some of the lights  79  are continuously passing out of view of the mirror  85  and other lights  79  are continuously passing into view of the mirror  85  (that is, they shine on and reflect off the mirror  85  when in such a position), the pattern reflected by the mirror  85  and consequently, the pattern of the screen image  91  is continuously changing. As the image  91  includes generally flame shaped regions and as the light forming them is changing continuously, the flame shaped image  91  has a flickering appearance which mimics a flame associated with a real burning log. Because the image  91  is located behind and extends above the pile of logs  10 , a viewer senses or appears to see the logs burning as if they were on fire. Preferably, the lights  79  are an orange or yellow flame color, although such an effect may be provided by tinting of the rear side  37  of the screen  35 .  
         [0035]     Located behind the vent  41  is a fan  93  and an electrical heater element  94 . Located beneath the pile of logs  10  in the fire hot box  31  are a pair of lights  95  which are on a control circuit that continuously varies intensity when operating. When illuminated, these lights  95  diffusely penetrate through the pile of logs  10  to simulate the glow of a fire and embers therein.  
         [0036]     The control station  42  is connected electrically to an electrical circuit generally identified by the schematic electrical control box  96 . The control station includes first, second, third and fourth toggle switches  97 ,  98 ,  99  and  100 . The switch  97  turns on or off the simulator  1 . The switch  98  turns on or off the flame simulating structure (motor  70 , shaft  62  and lights  79 ) to produce the visual image  91 . Switch  99  turns on or off the heater element  94 . The various electrical components are joined to the control box  96  which is in turn connected to a power supply suitable for plugging into a conventional electrical outlet by circuitry of a well known type.  
         [0037]     It is noted that the pile of logs  10  are preferably constructed of plastic or the like to mimic real logs with ashes and the like and is partially transparent to allow light from the lights  95  to diffuse therethrough to give a glowing or ember like appearance.  
         [0038]     It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.
A simulator for providing a user with a simulated burning log display having a generated flickering flame image. The flame image is generated by rotating a shaft with a helically wound light array such that the lights reflect off of a flame shaped mirror onto a partially transparent screen so as to give the impression to a viewer of flickering flames appearing on a front side of the screen and behind a non burning pile of logs.