AU2002300716B1

AU2002300716B1 - A fixture and appliance

Info

Publication number: AU2002300716B1
Application number: AU2002300716A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Daniel Bernard Hogan; Alexandra Maria von Gleichenstein
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2002-08-26
Filing date: 2002-08-26
Publication date: 2003-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 2022-08-26
Also published as: GB0319688D0; GB2394503B; GB2394503A

Description

'26- 8-02; 4:41PM;DAVIES COLLISON CAVE IPAust Corp ftax 7/ 17 RsWulidon 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Invention Title: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH Daniel Bernard Hogan Alexandra Maria von Gleichenstein DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000.

"A FIXTURE AND APPLICANCE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:

I

P:OPERDH\2564770 spa.tdoc-06)08D3 -1- A FIXTURE AND APPLIANCE Field The invention relates to a fixture and appliance particularly, but not exclusively, a water heater appliance and a fixture for securing the water heater.

Background It is known to provide an appliance, such as an electric water heater, within a large protective cage, which fully encloses the heater to inhibit tampering and theft of the heater.

Such a cage is open at a side facing an adjacent wall and is bolted from within to said wall after the heater has been fitted to the wall. Access to the heater may be by means of a door.

Alternatively if the cage has no door, fixtures can be mounted to the wall and the cage can thereafter be hooked into the fixtures, and moved into a position covering the heater, for subsequently locking with a padlock.

Object The present invention seeks to provide an alternative fixture for securing a water heater or the like.

Summary In accordance with the invention, there is provided a fixture for an appliance, including mounting structure, for attaching the fixture to a support to which the appliance is to be mounted, and a restraint which is lockable to secure the appliance against removal, wherein: the mounting structure is positioned relative to the fixture so as to be located behind the appliance, when the appliance is mounted to the support, in order to protect the mounting structure from tampering; the restraint is in the form of two diagonally opposed straps which pass over the appliance, with at least one straps being hinged relative to the mounting structure at one end, to allow the strap to be pivoted between open and closed positions; PAOPER\DII2564770 sp I.do.-O60803 -2the at least one strap includes a first portion that extends diagonally across a front face of the appliance, and a second portion, coupled between the first portion and a hinge and arranged to project from the support to accommodate a depth dimension of the appliance, the at least one strap having lateral flanges on the second portion which extend at least partially over a side and top or bottom face of the appliance; and the straps, have associated holes in the respective first portions, to allow the straps to be locked together, to thereby secure the appliance.

In another aspect, there is provided an appliance with a fixture, as described above, to secure the appliance against unauthorised removal.

In yet another aspect, there is provided a method for securing an appliance with a fixture, as described above, characterised in that: the fixture is first mounted to support, the appliance is subsequently mounted to the support, and thereafter the fixture is pivoted into a closed position and locked by means of a padlock.

Brief Description The invention is more fully described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of a fixture; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic front view of the fixture of Fig. 1 showing a strap in a closed position; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the fixture of Figs. 1 and 2 fitted to an appliance; and Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative fixture construction; and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one of the straps of the fixture of Figure 1.

P:OPER\DH2564770 spalI.do~-0608103 -3- Detailed Description Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 and 5, a fixture 1 is shown as including a restraint 2, in the form of straps 3, which are each formed of an elongate first portion 4 coupled to a hinge 5 via a second portion 6. The hinges 5 in turn connect the straps 3 to respective mounting structure 7 which, in this instance, are shown as plates 8 with associated masonry anchor and bolts 9 for mounting the fixture 1 to a support 10, such as a wall or the like.

The bolts are of the countersunk type suiting the holes 21 (refer to Figure 5) in mounting structure 7. To further restrict access to prevent tampering. Restraints 2 are preferably made from sheet metal, that is bent, with one remaining edge 22 also shown in (Fig. being welded or otherwise closed.

In order to attach the fixture 1, a template may be used to mark the support 10 at appropriate locations for drilling holes to receive the bolts 9. In that manner, the plates 8 may be reliably positioned at appropriate locations relative to an area indicated by dashed lines 11, which represents the location of an appliance 12, which is subsequently mounted to the support Once the appliance is installed in position, one of the straps may be pivoted from the open position shown in Fig. 1 to a closed position, shown in Fig. 2, and the second strap 3 likewise moved into a closed position so that associated holes 13 in each strap align for receipt of a padlock 14, or the like.

In the locked configuration of Fig. 3, the first portions 4 of the straps 3 extend diagonally across a front face 15 of the appliance 12 and second portions 6 project forwardly of the support 10, to accommodate a width dimension of the appliance. The second portions 6 are each provided with lateral flanges 16, 17 and those extend partially over the side 18 and top or bottom face 19, 20 of the appliance 12, to fully secure the appliance from removal from the fixture 1.

The straps 3 can, of course, have different configurations, as appropriate. For example, only one strap may be hinged instead of both. Additionally, or alternatively, one of the 26- 8-02; 4:4;PM;DAVIES COLLJSON CAVE IPAust Corp fax I 1/ 17 Q'WamFiR2IS MC Redkimd WS .4straps 2 may be substantially longer than the other strap 3, as shown in Fig. 4, where one of the straps is more in the form of a rigid stud to which the second, hinged strap can be secured.

In any event, it will be appreciated that use of mounting structure located behind the appliance and associated straps, instead of the relatively large and cumbersome cage of the prior art, provides a neat and secure alternative to protecting the appliance 12 from an unauthorised removal.

26- 8-02; 4'41PM;DAVIES COLLISON CAVE IPAust Corp fax 12/ 17 G pimulnWilul1 DCC RtJenl WS Legend I Fixture 2 Restraint 3 Strap (s) 4 First portion Hinge 6 Second portion 7 Mounting structure 8 Plates 9 Anchor and bolts Support (wall) 11 Appropriate location (indicated by dashed lines) 12 Appliance 13 Holes 14 Padlock Face of appliance 16,17 Lateral flanges 18 Side of appliance 19 Top face of appliance Bottom face of appliance 21 Holes 22 Edge 23 Mounting means of appliance

Claims

1. A fixture for an appliance including mounting structure for attaching the fixture to a support (10) to which the appliance is to be mounted, and a restraint (2) which is lockable to secure the appliance (12) against removal, wherein: the mounting structure is positioned relative to the fixture so as to be located behind the appliance when the appliance (12) is mounted to the support in order to protect the mounting structure (10) from tampering; the restraint is in the form of two diagonally opposed straps which pass over the appliance with at least one straps being hinged relative to the mounting structure at one end, to allow the strap to be pivoted between open and closed positions; the at least one strap includes a first portion that extends diagonally across a front face (15) of the appliance and a second portion coupled between the first portion and a hinge and arranged to project from the support (10) to accommodate a depth dimension of the appliance the at least one strap (3) having lateral flanges (16,17) on the second portion which extend at least partially over a side (18) and top or bottom face (19,20) of the appliance and the straps have associated holes (13) in the respective first portions to allow the straps to be locked together, to thereby secure the appliance (12).

2. A fixture as claimed in claim 1, whereby the bolts for mounting the fixture to the support (10) are of a countersunk type to fit with holes (21) in mounting structure

3. An appliance (12) with a fixture as claimed in claim 1 or 2, to secure the appliance (12) against unauthorized removal.

4. A method for securing an appliance (12) with a fixture as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that: the fixture is first mounted to support the P:'OPER\DH564770 spal.doc-06/08/03 -7- appliance (12) is subsequently mounted to the support and thereafter the fixture is pivoted into a closed position and locked by means of a padlock (14). DATED this 6 th day of August, 2003 Robert Bosch GmbH By DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys for the applicant