CLEANOUT OPENING FOR CHIMNEYS

Abstract

The present disclosure teaches a cleanout opening for chimneys. The cleanout chimney is made of precast concrete, which is a corrosion-resistant material that could last for 50-100 years. The cleanout chimney comprises a door and a frame, wherein, the door and the frame are connected via a pair of arc-shaped slots curved toward the back of the door. The use of arc-shaped slots enables the door to be secured tightly in the frame and can be taken out easily by the user. The front face of the door includes two recessions with a gap in the middle, wherein the gap may function as a handle. Additionally, the arced, curving-toward-the-back shape of the door discourages ash, soot, and debris from accumulating on the inner surface of the door. Compared to a hinged door, the door can be fully removed from the frame, which also facilitates the chimney cleaning process.

Claims

1. A cleanout opening for chimneys made of precast concrete, comprising: a door, including: a bottom part including two recessions on a front surface of the bottom part, with a gap in between the two recessions; two arced rails on two sides of the bottom part; wherein, the rails are parallel to each other and identical; wherein, the rails curve toward a back of the door; wherein, a back surface of the bottom part is arced to match the two arced rails; a top part above and connecting to the bottom part, wherein a first width of the top is larger than a second width of the bottom part; a frame shaped as a rectangular cuboid, including: a hole corresponding to the bottom part of the door; a recession corresponding to the top part of the door; a horizontal protrusion at the bottom of the recession, to hold the door in place; two slots on each side of the hole, wherein the shapes of the two slots match the rails; wherein, a back surface of the top part is shaped to match the shapes of the recession and the horizontal protrusion; wherein, a user may hold onto the gap via the two recessions to fit the door into the frame by sliding the rails into the slots, and to separate the door from the frame by sliding the rails out of the slots.

2. The cleanout opening in claim 1, wherein the top part of the door is shaped as a rectangle.

3. The cleanout opening in claim 1, wherein the bottom part of the door is shaped as a rectangle.

4. The cleanout opening in claim 1, wherein front views of both recessions are rectangular and identical, and one recession is placed right on top of the other recession.

5. The cleanout opening in claim 1, wherein back surfaces of the two recessions are both arced according to the shapes of the two arced rails.

6. The cleanout opening in claim 1, wherein the gap between the two recessions is rectangular.

7. The cleanout opening in claim 1, wherein the cleanout opening is installed onto a chimney wall by: filling one or more spaces between the cleanout opening and edges of a hole in the chimney wall with cast-in-place concrete or mortar.

8. A cleanout opening for chimneys made of precast concrete, comprising: a door, including: a bottom part including two recessions on a front surface of the bottom part, with a gap in between the two recessions; two arced slots on two sides of the bottom part; wherein, the slots are parallel to each other and identical; wherein, the slots curve toward a back of the door; wherein, a back surface of the bottom part is arced to match the two arced slots; a top part above and connecting to the bottom part, wherein a first width of the top is larger than a second width of the bottom part; a frame shaped as a rectangular cuboid, including: a hole corresponding to the bottom part of the door; a recession corresponding to the top part of the door; a horizontal protrusion at the bottom of the recession, to hold the door in place; two rails on each side of the hole, wherein the shapes of the two rails match the slots; wherein, a back surface of the top part is shaped to match the shapes of the recession and the horizontal protrusion; wherein, a user may hold onto the gap via the two recessions to fit the door into the frame by sliding the slots with regard to the rails so that the slots encase the rails, and to separate the door from the frame by sliding the slots with regard to the rails in an opposite direction so that the rails are out of the slots.

9. The cleanout opening in claim 8, wherein the top part of the door is shaped as a rectangle.

10. The cleanout opening in claim 8, wherein the bottom part of the door is shaped as a rectangle.

11. The cleanout opening in claim 8, wherein front views of both recessions are rectangular and identical, and one recession is placed right on top of the other recession.

12. The cleanout opening in claim 8, wherein back surfaces of the two recessions are both arced according to the shapes of the two arced rails.

13. The cleanout opening in claim 8, wherein the gap between the two recessions is rectangular.

14. The cleanout opening in claim 8, wherein the cleanout opening is installed onto a chimney wall by: filling one or more spaces between the cleanout opening and edges of a hole in the chimney wall with cast-in-place concrete or mortar.

15. A chimney including one or more cleanout openings, wherein, each cleanout opening of the one or more cleanout openings includes: a door, including: a bottom part including two recessions on a front surface of the bottom part, with a gap in between the two recessions; two arced rails on two sides of the bottom part; wherein, the rails are parallel to each other and identical; wherein, the rails curve toward a back of the door; wherein, a back surface of the bottom part is arced to match the two arced rails; a top part above and connecting to the bottom part, wherein a first width of the top is larger than a second width of the bottom part; a frame shaped as a rectangular cuboid, including: a hole corresponding to the bottom part of the door; a recession corresponding to the top part of the door; a horizontal protrusion at the bottom of the recession, to hold the door in place; two slots on each side of the hole, wherein the shapes of the two slots match the rails; wherein, a back surface of the top part is shaped to match the shapes of the recession and the horizontal protrusion; wherein, a user may hold onto the gap via the two recessions to fit the door into the frame by sliding the rails into the slots, and to separate the door from the frame by sliding the rails out of the slots.

16. The chimney in claim 15, wherein the top part of the door is shaped as a rectangle.

17. The chimney in claim 15, wherein the bottom part of the door is shaped as a rectangle.

18. The chimney in claim 15, wherein front views of both recessions are rectangular and identical, and one recession is placed right on top of the other recession.

19. The chimney in claim 15, wherein back surfaces of the two recessions are both arced according to the shapes of the two arced rails.

20. The chimney in claim 15, wherein the gap between the two recessions is rectangular.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The present disclosure is further illustrated by way of exemplary embodiments, which are described in detail through the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not limiting, and in these embodiments, the same numbering indicates the same structure, wherein:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a cleanout opening for chimneys, according to some embodiments of the presently disclosed technology;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective side view thereof;

[0015] FIG. 3 is an isometric front view of a door in some embodiments of the presently disclosed cleanout opening for chimneys;

[0016] FIG. 4 is an isometric front view of a frame in some embodiments of the presently disclosed cleanout opening for chimneys;

[0017] FIG. 5 is an isometric back view of a frame in some embodiments of the presently disclosed cleanout opening for chimneys;

[0018] FIG. 6 is a structural diagram illustrating how the door fits into the frame, according to some embodiments of the presently disclosed technology;

[0019] FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B illustrate one way of installing the cleanout opening for chimneys, according to some embodiments of the presently disclosed technology;

[0020] FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B illustrate another way of installing the cleanout opening for chimneys, according to some embodiments of the presently disclosed technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the accompanying drawings for the description of the embodiments are described below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some examples or embodiments of the present disclosure, and it is possible for a person of ordinary skill in the art to apply the present disclosure to other similar scenarios in accordance with these accompanying drawings without creative labor. Unless obviously obtained from the context or the context illustrates otherwise, the same numeral in the drawings refers to the same structure or operation.

[0022] It should be understood that the terms system, device, unit, and/or module are used herein as a way to distinguish between different components, elements, parts, sections, or assemblies at different levels. However, if other words may achieve the same purpose, the terms may be replaced with alternative expressions.

[0023] As indicated in the present disclosure and in the claims, unless the context clearly suggests an exception, the words one, a, a kind of, and/or the do not refer specifically to the singular but may also include the plural. In general, the terms include and comprise suggest only the inclusion of clearly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or device may also include other steps or elements.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a cleanout opening for chimneys, according to some embodiments of the presently disclosed technology, and FIG. 2 is a side view thereof.

[0025] In some embodiments, the cleanout opening may include a door 110 and a frame 120. In some embodiments, the door 110 and the frame 120 may be formed as two separate pieces. In some embodiments, the door 110 may fit into the frame 120 and may separate from the frame. When the door 110 fits into the frame 120, the cleanout opening is secured. When the door 110 is taken out of the frame 120, a user may access the flue via the cleanout opening. In some embodiments, the cleanout opening may be shaped as a rectangular cuboid. In some embodiments, the cleanout opening may have other shapes.

[0026] In some embodiments, the size and/or shape of the cleanout opening may be customized based on the dimensions of the chimney. For example, a thickness of the cleanout opening may equal the thickness of the chimney wall. For another example, the shape of the cleanout opening may be customized to match the shape of an existing hole in the chimney wall. For another example, the size of the cleanout opening may be adjusted according to the dimensions of the chimney.

[0027] In some embodiments, a front surface of the frame 120 may be rectangular, with a hole in the middle for the door 110 to fit into. In some embodiments, a lower part of a front surface of the door 110 may also be rectangular. In some embodiment, the door 110 may include a widened top 114 that is also rectangular but with a wider width than the lower part of the door. In some embodiments, the frame 120 and the door 110 may have other shapes.

[0028] In some embodiments, the cleanout opening may be made of precast concrete. As discussed in the background section, the state-of-the-art iron cleanout opening can rust easily. Compared to iron, concrete is a corrosion-resistant material that can last for 50-100 years. Therefore, a concrete-made cleanout opening can stay in good condition for a much longer time than the state-of-the-art iron cleanout opening. Moreover, concrete can be cast into different shapes easily, which may facilitate the design, manufacturing, and possibly customization of the presently disclosed cleanout opening.

[0029] In some embodiments, the cleanout opening may be made of other materials. For example, the cleanout opening may be made of another corrosion-resistant material, for example, stainless steel. Note that the cleanout opening must be made of a noncombustible material for fire safety reasons.

[0030] In some embodiments, the door 110 may include a couple of recessions 111-1 and 111-2 on its front surface. In some embodiments, the recessions 111-1 and 111-2 may both be placed on the lower part of the door 110. In some embodiments, the recessions 111-1 and 111-2 may be rectangular. In some embodiments, front views of the recessions 111-1 and 111-2 may have the same shapes and sizes. In some embodiments, the first recession 111-1 may be placed right on top of the second recession 111-2, with a gap in between. In some embodiments, the gap may function as a handle 112. In some embodiments, the handle 112 may also be rectangular-shaped. In some embodiments, a user may take the door 110 out of the frame 120, or place the door into the frame, by holding onto the handle 112 via the two recessions 111-1 and 111-2.

[0031] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the thickness of the frame 120 may equal or be larger than the thickness of the door 110.

[0032] FIG. 3 is an isometric front view of a door in some embodiments of the presently disclosed cleanout opening for chimneys.

[0033] In some embodiments, the door 110 may contain two rails 113-1 and 113-2 on each side of the door. The two rails 113-1 and 113-2 may be identical and parallel to each other. The two rails 113-1 and 113-2 may be of arced shapes curving toward the back. Alternatively, the two rails 113-1 and 113-2 may both be straight. In some embodiments, the back surface of the door 110 may also be arced according to the shapes of the rails 113-1 and 113-2. The arced shape of the back surface of the door may discourage ash, loot, and debris from accumulating on the back surface of the door. In some embodiments, the back surface may have other shapes. In some embodiments, the bottom of the two recessions 111-1 and 111-2 may also be arced to match the shapes of the rails 113-1 and 113-2, as well as the arced shape of the back surface. The bottom of the recession 111-1 may be deeper than its top, and the top of the recession 111-2 may be deeper than its bottom. A user may grab the handle 112 by holding onto the deeper ends of the recessions 111-1 and 111-2. In some embodiments, the bottom of the recessions may have other shapes.

[0034] FIG. 4 is an isometric front view of a frame in some embodiments of the presently disclosed cleanout opening for chimneys. FIG. 5 is an isometric back view thereof.

[0035] As discussed above, in some embodiments, the frame 120 may be a rectangular cuboid. In some embodiments, the frame 120 may have a hole 122 in the middle. In some embodiments, the hole 122 may be rectangular. In some embodiments, the hole 122 may have other shapes. The hole 122 may match the shape and size of the door 110, excluding the top 114. In some embodiments, the height of the hole 112 may be slightly larger than the height of the door 110, excluding the top 114. In some embodiments, the frame 120 may have a rectangular recession 123 that matches the size and shape of the top 114. In some embodiments, the height of the recession 123 may be slightly smaller than the top 114. The recession 123 may include a horizontal protrusion 124 at the bottom. The horizontal protrusion 124 may hold the door 110 in its place when the door is attached to the frame 120. In some embodiments, the back surface of the top 114 may have a shape that matches the recession 123, including the horizontal protrusion 124, so that the door 110 and the frame 120 can fit together.

[0036] In some embodiments, the frame 120 may include two slots 121-1 and 121-2 on each side of the hole 122. The shapes and sizes of the two slots 121-1 and 121-2 may match the shapes and sizes of the rails 113-1 and 113-2 so that the rails can slide into the slots when the door is closed.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a structural diagram illustrating how the door fits into the frame, according to some embodiments of the presently disclosed technology. A user holds the door 110 by the handle 112, via the recessions 111-1 and 111-2. A user may slide the rails 113-1 and 113-2 on the door 110 into the slots 121-1 and 121-2 on the frame 120 so that the door can attach to the frame. Note that the slots and the rails should be arced (part of a circle) or straight for the rail to go through because the curvature at all points along the slot must be constant. As discussed above, when the door 110 arrives at the target location, the horizontal protrusion 124 may hold the door in place.

[0038] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the door 110 may include two slots instead of rails, and the frame 120 may include two rails instead of slots. When a user attaches the door 110 to the frame 120, they may hold the door by the handle 112, and slide the slots on the door with regard to the rails on the frame, so that the slots may encase the rails. When a user detaches the door 110 from the frame 120, they may hold the door by the handle 112, and slide the slots on the door with regard to the rails on the frame in the opposite direction, so that the rails may slide out of the slots.

[0039] Compared to the start-of-the-art hinged door, the presently disclosed cleanout opening has the following advantages: (1) the connection between the door and frame allows the door to be secured to the frame more tightly; and (2) the door can be fully removed from the frame, so that it would not get in the way when a user cleans the chimney.

[0040] FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B illustrate one way of installing the cleanout opening for chimneys, according to some embodiments of the presently disclosed technology.

[0041] In some cases, the chimney comes with a hole for cleanout opening installation. In some other cases, a user may open a hole in the chimney wall with a hammer or other tools. As discussed above, in some embodiments, the shape or size of the cleanout opening may be adjusted or customized according to the dimensions of the hole or the chimney. The chimney may be made of bricks or other materials typically used in construction. As illustrated by FIG. 7B, the user may apply cast-in-place concrete to fill in the gaps between the cleanout opening and the edges of the hole on the chimney.

[0042] FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B illustrate another way of installing the cleanout opening for chimneys. When a user builds a chimney with bricks, they can reserve an idle space that is slightly larger than the cleanout opening. The user may install the cleanout opening during the process of laying bricks for the chimney. The user may apply mortar or cast-in-place concrete to fill in the gaps between the cleanout opening and the edges of the hole in the chimney wall.

[0043] As discussed above, in some embodiments, the cleanout opening is made of precast concrete. This choice of material can simplify the installation process. For example, installing a cast iron door may include extra steps, such as using screws or bolts to secure the iron frame onto the chimney wall, etc.

[0044] Furthermore, unless explicitly stated in the claims, the use of order, numbers, letters, or other names for processing elements and sequences are not intended to limit the order of the processes and methods of the present disclosure. While various examples have been discussed in the disclosure as currently considered useful embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that such details are provided for illustrative purposes only. The appended claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments, and instead, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations within the scope and essence of the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure. For example, although the described system components may be implemented through a hardware device, they may also be realized solely through a software solution, such as installing the described system on an existing processing or mobile device.

[0045] Similarly, it should be noted that, for the sake of simplifying the presentation of embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure and aiding in understanding one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, various features have been sometimes combined into a single embodiment, drawing, or description. However, this manner of disclosure does not imply that the features required by the claims are more than the features mentioned in the claims. In fact, the features of the embodiments are less than all the features of the single embodiment disclosed in the foregoing disclosure.

[0046] In some embodiments, numeric values describing the composition and quantity of attributes are used in the description. It should be understood that such numeric values used for describing embodiments may be modified with qualifying terms such as about, approximately or generally. Unless otherwise stated, about, approximately or generally indicates that a variation of 20% is permitted in the described numbers. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the disclosure and claims are approximations, which can change depending on the desired characteristics of the individual embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should take into account a specified number of valid digits and employ a general manner of bit retention. Although the numerical ranges and parameters used in some embodiments of the present disclosure to confirm the breadth of the range are approximations, in specific embodiments, such numerical values are set as precisely as practicable.

[0047] With respect to each of the patents, patent applications, publications of patent applications, and other material, such as articles, books, specifications, publications, documents and the like, cited in the present disclosure, the entire contents thereof are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Application history documents that are inconsistent with the contents of the present disclosure or that create conflicts are excluded, as are documents (currently or hereafter appended to the present disclosure) that limit the broadest scope of the claims of the present disclosure. It should be noted that in the event of any inconsistency or conflict between the descriptions, definitions, and/or use of terminology in the materials appended to the present disclosure and the contents described herein, the descriptions, definitions, and/or use of terminology in the present disclosure shall prevail.

[0048] In closing, it should be understood that the embodiments described in the present disclosure are used only to illustrate the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other deformations may also fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, by way of example and not limitation, alternative configurations of the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure may be considered consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the embodiments described in the present disclosure are not limited to the explicitly introduced and described embodiments in the present disclosure.