Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fire starter of the type used in order to help ignite other combustible materials such as for example firewood.

Background of the Invention

It is well-known in private homes to have a fireplace, either an open or a closed fireplace where relatively large pieces of firewood are used in order to partly heat up the living quarters, but some fireplaces are also used as part of the interior decoration.

Although wood burns and as such is regarded as a combustible material it is often quite cumbersome to ignite the initial fire. This is traditionally done by using twigs, wood chips or the like which are ignited before the fire-logs are placed on the kindling fire. Ignition assistance has been known for some time, for example in the shape of small kindle wood pieces and the like. Also pre-manufactured starters including a combustible material and wood, see for example WO 00/18855 have been suggested.

Recently a number of fire starters have been available where small packages containing a combustible material are ignited prior to placing the firewood where ignition of the fire starter is quite easy due to the combustible characteristics of the material contained in the fire starter. One such example is known from US 6379405 wherein a substantial amount of combustible material is used in order to ignite a fire. Common for the prior art devices is the fact that they rely on a substantial amount of combustible material which is able to burn for an extended period of time in order to ignite the fire wood. This makes the starters expensive both to manufacture and to transport. Object of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an economic, handy, fast and reliable fire starter which is furthermore very easy to use. Description of the Invention

The invention addresses this need by providing a fire starter of the type comprising a closed sachet made from a burnable film material which sachet contains a combustible material, characterised in that in a central area of said sachet the film material making up the two sides of the sachet is connected forming a central area.

The central area is the place where ignition takes place such that due to the fact that the sachet is made from a burnable film material the material in the central area will ignite and spread the fire to the combustible material surrounding the central area. In this manner a very large fire front is created immediately on ignition and therefore the output from the fire starter, even though it has a relatively small size, is quite intense. Test indicate that the fire will spread to substantially the entire surface within a few seconds.

The film material may be any suitable burnable film material as for example a PET based polymer film, but also impregnated paperbased film exhibit the desired properties.

Tests have indicated that it is not only the duration, i.e. burn time of the fire starter, which is important, but it is much more important that the intensity, i.e. the amount of energy instantly generated by the fire starter, which is important. By generating a lot of energy output over a short period of time the fire-log situated above the fire starter will be much more likely to ignite whereby a successful ignition of the entire fire is created. With the present invention this effect is accelerated due to the provision of starting the ignition in the central area. As the fire spreads, a chimney effect will occur, such that fresh air (oxygen) is sucked into and through the aperture created by the initial ignition, where the oxygen will fuel the fire, and an intense energy release (intense flame/fire) will be generated. In this manner an intense starter fire is created very quickly, and successful ignition is achieved with a very small amount of combustible material.

In a still further advantageous embodiment of the invention an aperture is provided substantially centrally in said central area.

The purpose of the aperture is to create free edges of the burnable/ignitable film material such that the fire will travel even faster and more even to the surrounding circular front of the combustible material inside the sachet whereby an even better/improved primary ignition of the fire starter is achieved.

In a still further advantageous embodiment the central area is circular and the aperture is substantially circular. In this manner the fire front will reach the combustible material in the sachet at approximately the same time such that the intense heat is generated whereby the logs are ignited more easily.

In a still further advantageous embodiment of the invention the aperture is between 1 mm and 10 mm in diameter. The aperture has to have a certain size in order for the flame, which is usually created by a match or a lighter, will be able to ignite substan- tially the entire, either central area or aperture at the same time, such that the combustible material surrounding the central area will be ignited simultaneously in order to create a very efficient energy generation in order to ignite the fire-logs.

In a still further advantageous embodiment the sachet is substantially quadratic having outer measurements between 30 mm and 80 mm where the thickness is approx. 2 mm to 10 mm.

Although the sachet may have any desirable shape it is preferred to have either a square configuration as indicated above or as in a further advantageous embodiment the sachet is substantially circular, having an outer radius of between 30 mm to 80 mm where the thickness is approx. 2 mm to 10 mm. These geometric shapes are preferred in that they are easier from a production point of view, but it is clear that any desired geometrical configuration is possible within the scope of the present invention. In this connection it should be noticed that the thickness of the sachet is quite important in that there must be enough combustible material in the thickness layer such that a quite intense flame and thereby ignition energy transferable to the ignitable material such as for example firewood may be generated, but on the other hand a layer which is too thick will not increase the heat as a thin layer will not generate enough heat. Tests have indicated that thicknesses between 3 and 10 mm are optimum, but of course this may vary depending on the combustible material used.

In general the diameter of the aperture in the central part is preferably selected smaller than the thickness of the sachet.

Turning to the question of combustible material, in a further advantageous embodiment the combustible material contains a substantial amount of paraffin and the film material is combustible polymer, optionally transparent.

The combustible material, as for example paraffin wax may comprise additives as for example Urea-resin or other stabilizing and/or fire generating agents. Other suitable combustible materials, without limiting the selection of possible materials, may be etha- nol based gels, natural oils, such as palm oil, rapeseed oil etc.

In still further advantageous embodiment the fire starter is during production of the fire starter exposed to means which ensure a substantially even distribution of the combus- tible material inside the sachet.

By having a substantially even thickness and therefore an even distribution of the combustible material in the sachet it is achieved that a substantially homogenous and continuous generation of ignition energy is created once the sachet is ignited. The means may for example be two substantially circular cylinders between which the sachet passes where the cylinders are urged towards each other whereby the sachet is squeezed and the combustible material in its substantially liquid state distributed evenly in the sachet. Alternatively, the sachet may be exposed to a pressure exercised by two plates urged towards each other. By distributing the material substantially evenly in the sachet it is achieved that a continuous and substantially constant energy generation is provided with the sachet whereby the ignition of for example firewood is greatly improved.

In a still further advantageous embodiment of the invention tests have indicated that the amount of combustible material inside the sachet should be selected between 5 gr and 30 gr more preferred between 7 gr and 15 gr and most preferred between 9 gr and 10 gr-

Description of the Drawing

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a symmetric view of a fire starter according to the invention

Figure 2 illustrates a cross section through a fire starter

Figure 3 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention

Figure 4 illustrates a circular configuration of the fire starter

Detailed Description of the Invention

In figure 1 is illustrated an isometric schematic view of a fire starter according to the invention.

The fire starter 1 in this embodiment has a substantially rectangular configuration where the sachet comprises two film layers 2, 3 which are welded together in a border area 4 along the edges of the fire starter 1. Inside the sachet is provided a combustible material 5. The material 2, 3 from which the sachet is made is also a burnable material such that as the film material is ignited the fire will spread to the combustible material 5 contained in the sachet.

In a central area 6, the two opposing film layers 2, 3 making up the sachet are connected to form an area free of combustible material 5. It is the intention that the fire starter 1 should be ignited by applying a flame to the central area 6 after which the flame will spread due to the ignitability of the film material such that the flame will spread to the combustible material 5 at a substantially even rate whereby a relatively long flame/fire front will present itself along the limitations of the central area 6. In this manner a much more intensive fire is achieved faster than what is possible if one was to ignite the fire starter in the border area 4.

In figure 2 is illustrated a cross section through a fire starter, for example as illustrated with reference to figure 1.

A further embodiment is illustrated with reference to figure 3 where the central area 6 is provided with an aperture 7. The aperture provides three edges of the film material 2, 3 where tests have indicated that it is easier and quicker to ignite the edges of the material than a surface of the material, and as such by providing an aperture 7 substan- tially centrally in the central area 6 of the fire starter 1 a relatively intense fire is created rapidly and evenly along the inner rim of the combustible material 5 along the periphery of the central area 6.

As should be evident to the skilled person, the fire starter may be made in any geomet- ric configuration, and as illustrated in figure 4 a circular configuration of the fire starter may also advantageously be contemplated within the scope of the present invention.