Field of application

The invention relates to means for firing solid fuel in stoves, furnaces, combustion and afterburner chambers, gas generators, fireplaces, charcoal grills, and the like.

Prior art

Known is a fire starter for solid fuel [1], comprising a solid fuel base with an external cover layer, whereas the said base is charcoal in the form of separate fractions, and the external ignition layer is impregnated with a liquid paraffin wax fraction. The fire starter uses charcoal obtained from broadleaved wood species. The impregnation composition contains aromatizing substances. The fire starter for solid wood is packaged in different sizes.

Prior art fire starter for solid fuel [2], comprising a combustible core fabricated of a mixture including a solid combustible filling material and paraffin for securing, whereas the mixture additionally contains colloxylin, with charcoal being used as a solid combustible filling material, and the combustible core having a protective coating with an ignition opening. Paper impregnated with ammonia sulfate serves as the protective coating.

The closest analog of the claimed invention as regards the combination of essential features is technical solution [3], chosen as the prototype. The fire starter for solid fuel comprises a sheathing with solid fuel and an ignition means, with the sheathing being a hexagonal box with an open ignition surface, and with holes in the box bottom for air influx required for ignition. The fire starter for solid fuel is arranged in the central part of the package in a special compartment extending over its entire height, with the said package being sealed off in a packing film.

A drawback of said technical solutions is the complexity of fabricating the device, inconvenient usage and the long time of igniting the bulk of solid fuel.

Yet another prior art deficiency is absence of protection from the effect of hygroscopic moisture, and the need for special storage conditions.

Subject matter of the invention

The essence of the invention consists in suggesting a simple design of a fire starter for solid fuel, enabling to increase the rate and effectiveness of igniting solid fuel (wood, coal).

Other objectives and advantages of the claimed invention shall be described in the following specification with reference to the Figures.

The objective is achieved by that the fire starter for solid fuel comprises an ignition means in the form of a bundle of dry wooden sticks fastened at least with two paper band retainers arranged on both ends of said bundle, with an igniter (combustion initiator) extending axially along the center of the entire bundle beyond its both ends, and said wooden bundle sticks with the retainers and igniters being covered with a hydrophobic sheathing based on petroleum match wax.

The claimed invention, as distinct to prior art, has a simple design, facilitating its fabrication. It ensures superior igniter action (ignition) by using a hydrophobic sheathing having ignition properties because it is made of petroleum match wax, e.g., grade HC with the melting point of 420 °C ± 50 °C, and owing to the design arrangement of the igniter in axial alignment with the bundle along the wooden sticks to provide uniform bundle ignition. Thereat, the arrangement of retainers on both ends of the bundle increases air inflow to the combustion zone and ensures effective removal of fumes liberated during combustion. In addition, since the band retainers are made of sheet cardboard with a density of 180-250 g/m ² and impregnated with petroleum match wax, the fire starter features extra chemical energy and an increased thermal capacity. All the above-mentioned features also enable using the fire starter as an independent source of heat and light, which is also an advantage of the invention. Because the ends of the igniter (combustion initiator) are arranged on both ends of the bundle, the reliability of ignition of the fire starter for solid fuel is increased according to the invention.

As distinct to prior art, the design of the fire starter for solid fuel comprises preferably a bundle of dry wooden sticks of soft wood species (for instance, poplar and aspen) whose shape can be described by the bundle length L to diameter D, mm, ratio, namely:

1.85£L/D <1.90

and the ratio of the length of the ends of combustion initiator Lb, which extends beyond the bundle on its both ends, and the bundle diameter D, mm, namely:

1.00£ Lb/D <1.10.

To increase the combustion properties of the fire starter, all its component parts are boiled in petroleum match wax separately, namely: wooden sticks and band retainers at a temperature of 190 °C, due to which they are impregnated with paraffins and their free moisture content is reduced, whereas the igniter comprising braided cotton yarn is boiled at 120 °C and impregnated with paraffin for faster ignition. The impregnation of wooden sticks and band retainers with paraffins reduces their free moisture content and protects against the effect of hygroscopic moisture thereon during storage, which is also an advantage of the claimed invention. It is also worth mentioning that impregnation of wooden sticks, band retainers and the igniter with paraffin creates strong adhesion of the hydrophobic cover sheathing based on petroleum match waxes with these components, which is also an advantage of the claimed invention.

Boiling the component parts of the fire starter in petroleum match wax removes free moisture from the bundle wooden sticks, saturates the band retainers with paraffins, creates a hydrophobic petroleum cover sheathing that protects the fire starter from the effect of hygroscopic moisture, imparts additional internal chemical energy to the fire starter, and allows using it as a light source.

Figures

The invention is described with reference to attached drawings, where Fig. 1 is the side view of the fire starter, and Fig. 2 is sectional view A-A of Fig. 1 in the vertical plane.

Embodiment of the invention

Fire starter for solid fuel (Figs. 1-2) comprises a lighting-up means in the form of a bundle of dry wooden sticks 1 secured with two paper band retainers 2 arranged on both ends of said bundle, with igniter (combustion initiator) 3 being arranged in the center of the bundle to extend along it axially and beyond the bundle on its both ends, and said bundle with retainers 2 and igniter 3 being covered with a hydrophobic sheathing based on petroleum match wax.

According to the invention, the fire starter for solid fuel is used as follows. First, the fire starter must be purchased. At the location of firing solid fuel (stove, fireplace, furnace, and the like) a solid fuel woodpile (brushwood, firewood, chopped billets, logs, and coal) is arranged specially in the fire place (stove, furnace, fireplace, outdoor fire grill, and the like). To ignite the solid fuel provided for the fire, it must have a place to accommodate the fire starter, which is ignited using an open fire source, for instance, a match that lights one end of igniter 3, followed in turn by ignition of the hydrophobic sheathing and the bundle of wooden sticks 1. Since igniter 3 is arranged in axial alignment with the bundle along its entire length, the bundle of wooden sticks 1 is ignited evenly. The presence of a hydrophobic sheathing increases the ignition effectiveness and igniter thermal capacity. This allows the igniter to release more internal chemical energy, thus reducing the solid fuel ignition time, which is also an advantage of the invention.

The combustion time of the fire starter for solid fuel is 8-10 minutes, with the wooden sticks specific combustion heat being 107 J/kg. This time is sufficient for the onset of steady combustion of the solid fuel.

Fabricating igniter 3 of braided cotton yarn with a hydrophobic sheathing increases the effectiveness of igniter 3 action and ensures even ignition along the bundle of wooden sticks 1, which is also an advantage of the invention.

One skilled in the art would appreciate that the claimed invention is not restricted to the given examples of embodiments. For instance, understandably, the cross-section of the wooden sticks can have a variety of shapes: square, rectangular, triangular, and round.

Technical benefits

Using the claimed invention ensures the following technical benefits:

- increased effectiveness of igniting solid fuel;

- simplified design of the fire starter and its fabrication process;

- reduced impact of hygroscopic moisture on the fire starter, allowing to increase its shelf life; and

- increased effectiveness of fire starter action.

References:

1. Invention patent RU Na2191801, IPC: C10L 9/10; 27.10.2002

2. Invention patent RU Na2205206, IPC: C10L 11/04; 27.05.2003

3. Utility model patent RU Na133125, IPC: C10L 11/00; 10.10.2013