GB2380787A

GB2380787A - Decorative trim for a fire

Info

Publication number: GB2380787A
Application number: GB0123387A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Walter Bloodworth
Original assignee: Be Modern Ltd
Current assignee: Be Modern Ltd
Priority date: 2001-09-28
Filing date: 2001-09-28
Publication date: 2003-04-16
Also published as: GB0123387D0

Abstract

A heating appliance comprises a fireback assembly (2, fig 2b) to which is riveted a front frame (4) having opposed upright side members (6,8) and a transverse top member (10), some at least of the rivets projecting forwardly of the front faces of the side and top members (6,8,10) to provide a row of spaced projections (12, fig 2a) along the length of each member (6,8,10) adjacent the inner defining edge thereof, and at least four washers (14) secured to the front frame (4) one at or adjacent each top corner of the frame (4) and one adjacent the bottom outer edge of each side member (6,8) of the frame (4), the appliance further comprising two decorative side trim pieces (18,20) and a decorative top trim piece (22), each trim piece (18,20,22) being of a resilient material and including a body portion (24, fig 3) a pair of opposed, reflex side portions (26, fig 3) extending rearwardly and inwardly of the body portion (24), the trim pieces (18,20,22) being attached to the front frame (4) by clipping the outer side portions of the trim pieces (18,20,22) over the washers (14) on the associated members (6,8,10) of the frame (4) and resiliently engaging the inner side portions of the trim pieces (18,20,22) with the rows of projections (12) on said members (6,8,10). Preferably, attachment of trim is supplemented by magnets (32) and wherein the thickness of the washers is equal to the spacing between the body portion and the reflex side portion of the trim (18,20,22).

Description

HEATING APPLIANCE WITH DECORATIVE TRIM The invention relates to heating appliances, and more particularly to domestic gas and electric fires provided with decorative trim.

Domestic gas and electric fires conventionally comprise a fireback assembly for housing the associated heating means, whether electrically or gas powered, and a front frame secured to the fireback assembly to surround the heating means.

For aesthetic purposes, a decorative fascia trim may be provided to cover the opposed sides and the top of the front frame. Such trim is currently usually attached to the front frame by means of a plurality of brackets mounted to the front frame and over which the trim clips is fixed in a variety of ways. However the cost of such an arrangement is substantial, and adds considerably to the overall cost of the fire.

Alternatively, this trim, which is usually an anodised aluminium extension, may be mounted to the front frame by means of magnets, but again such an arrangement is relatively expensive to produce.

It would be desirable to be able to provide a simpler and cheaper means of attaching decorative trim to a heating appliance compared with current arrangements.

According to the present invention there is provided a heating appliance comprising a fireback assembly to which is riveted a front frame having opposed upright side members and a transverse top member, some at least of the rivets projecting forwardly of the front faces of the side and top members to provide a row of spaced projections along the length of each member adjacent the inner defining edge thereof, and at least four washers secured to the front frame one at or adjacent each top corner of the frame and one adjacent the bottom outer edge of each side member of the frame, the appliance further comprising two decorative side trim pieces and a decorative top trim piece, each trim piece being of a resilient material and including a body portion and a pair of opposed, reflex side portions extending rearwardly and inwardly of the body portion, the trim pieces being attached to the front frame by clipping the outer side portions of the trim pieces over the washers on the associated members of the frame and resiliently engaging the inner side portions of the trim pieces with the rows of projections on said members.

Such an arrangement is extremely economic to produce and very easily fitted. In particular, the rivets comprising the rows of spaced projections are part of the basic fire construction, the only additional components to enable mounting of the trim pieces to the appliance being

the washers. It will be appreciated that the trim pieces are effectively retained on the front frame by their inherent resilience, the opposed side portions of a trim piece reacting between the associated washers and the row of spaced projections provided by the rivets.

Although it is preferred that the washers are round and are riveted to the top and bottom corners of the front frame in holes already provided therein, the washers may be of a variety of configurations and may be otherwise attached to the frame.

Conveniently the thickness of the washers is equal to the spacing between the body portion and the reflex extent of the side portion of each trim piece.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ends of the top trim piece may overlap the upper ends of the associated side trim pieces, while the attachment of at least the top trim piece to the front frame may be supplemented by one or more magnets reacting between the top trim piece and the top member of the front frame.

By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the front frame and the decorative trim of a heating appliance according to the invention;

Fig. 2a, b and c show the steps associated with attachment of the trim pieces to a heating appliance according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a corner detail of Fig. 2a showing the trim piece clipping over the washer and a rivet, and Fig. 4 is a front view of the top left hand corner of the appliance showing the overlapping nature of the top and left hand side trim piece.

Referring to the drawings, a heating appliance according to the invention includes a fireback 2 to which is riveted a front frame 4 having opposed side members 6,8 and a top member 10. Ten of the rivets comprise projections 12 extending through the members of the front frame 4 and forwardly thereof, the projections 12 forming vertical rows of four projections on each side member 6, 8 adjacent the inner edges thereof and a pair of horizontally spaced projections 12 on the top member 10 adjacent the lower edge thereof.

Riveted to each top corner of the front frame 4 is a cup washer 14 the edge of which projects slightly outwardly of the associated top and side members of the front frame as seen in Fig. 2, two further cup washers 16 being riveted one adjacent the bottom outer corner of each side member 6, 8 with the edges of the washers 16 projecting slightly

outwardly of the side edges of the members 6,8 for reasons which will become apparent.

The appliance is provided with a decorative fascia trim comprising two opposed side trim pieces 18,20 and a top trim piece 22. Each trim piece 18,20, 22, which may be for example a black anodised aluminium extrusion or other suitable resilient material, includes a body portion 24 and a pair of opposed reflex side portions 26, the side portions being of generally U-shape and each including a rearwardly extending arm 28 and an inwardly extending reflex arm 30 spaced from and parallel with the front portion 24.

Fig. 3 shows the relatively simple sequence of steps for attaching the trim pieces 18,20, 22 to the front frame 4. The outer side portion 26 of a first side trim piece 18 is clipped over the projecting edges of the upper and lower washers 14,16 on the associated side member 6 of the frame 4, and the elongate arm 30 of the inner side portion 26 of the first side trim piece 18 is snapped over, resiliently to engage, each of the projections 12 of the row of projections on the side member 6 as best appreciated from Fig. 2 and as shown in Fig. 3a. Thus it will be appreciated that the trim piece 18 is retained in position on the front frame 4 by virtue of the resilience of the material thereof, and in particular by means of the

reaction between the arms 30 of the opposed side portions 26 of the trim piece 18, the projections 12 and the washers 14,16.

The second trim piece 20 is then similarly attached over the side member 8 of the frame 4 as shown in Fig. 3b.

Finally the top trim piece 22 is located in position as shown in Fig. 3c in a similar manner to the side trim pieces, although the ends of the top trim piece 22 overlap the upper ends of the trim pieces 18,20 as oest seen in Fig. 4. The ends of the top trim piece 22 and the upper ends of the side trim pieces 18,20 are mitred and shaped as best seen in Fig. 4 to provide an attractive abutting and overlapping finish to the trim as seen in Fig. 3c.

In order to supplement the attachment of at least the top trim piece 22 to the front frame 4, at least one, and preferably two, magnets 32 are provided within the top trim piece 22 to react between the rear of the body portion 24 thereof and the top member 10 of the frame 4. Conveniently the magnets are slotted in the recess in the lower side portion 26 of the top trim piece 22 as shown in Fig. 3b.

Clearly the number and positions of the rivets providing the projections 6, as well as the shape and numbers of the washers 14,16, and the precise configuration of the trim pieces 18,20, 22 can be varied from those described and illustrated without departing from the scope

of the invention, which effectively provides an arrangement in which the trim pieces are a resilient snap fit onto components the majority of which exist on, or are adaptations of, the basic heating appliance-in particular the rivets comprising the projections 12 and the holes in the corners of the front frame 4 for mounting the washers 14,16.

Claims

1. A heating appliance comprising a fireback assembly to which is riveted a front frame having opposed upright side members and a transverse top member, some at least of the rivets projecting forwardly of the front faces of the side and top members to provide a row of spaced projections along the length of each member adjacent the inner defining edge thereof, and at least four washers secured to the front frame one at or adjacent each top corner of the frame and one adjacent the bottom outer edge of each side member of the frame, the appliance further comprising two decorative side trim pieces and a decorative top trim piece, each trim piece being of a resilient material and including a body portion and a pair of opposed, reflex side portions extending rearwardly and inwardly of the body portion, the trim pieces being attached to the front frame by clipping the outer side portions of the trim pieces over the washers on the associated members of the frame and resiliently engaging the inner side portions of the trim pieces with the rows of projections on said members.

2. A heating appliance as claimed in claim 1 in which the washers are round and are riveted to the top and

bottom corners of the front frame in holes already provided therein.

3. A heating appliance as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the thickness of the washers is equal to the spacing between the body portion and the reflex extent of the side portion of each trim piece.

4. A heating appliance as claimed in any one of claim 1 to 3 in which the ends of the top trim piece overlap the upper ends of the associated side trim pieces.

5. A heating appliance as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the attachment of at least the top trim piece to the front frame is supplemented by one or more magnets reacting between the top trim piece and the top member of the front frame.

6. A heating appliance substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.