IES84912Y1 - A heat guard - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a heat guard, more particularly to a heat guard for an oven door.

Description

A Heat Guard Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat guard, more particularly to a heat guard for an oven door.

Background to the Invention In general, modern ovens are capable of reaching temperatures in excess of 400° Celsius. As a result, the external access doors of ovens can become considerably hot to touch, to the point of causing pain or injury. This can particularly be a problem in the case of small children, who may come into contact with the surface of the oven door.

Modern ovens normally incorporate a layer of insulation or a heat resistant material into the structure of the door, to prevent the external surface of the oven door from overheating. However, these features are not present in older ovens, and it would require the expensive retrofitting of new oven doors to provide these features integrally into the oven doors.

It is known to provide an attachment for an oven door that serves as a heat guard. The attachment substantially covers the oven door, and is generally made of a heat resistant material. US Patent No. 5,664,554 discloses such a heat guard that is adapted to engage with handles located on the oven door. However, such a heat guard requires the presence of external handles on the oven door in a configuration suitable for secure mounting, and is consequently not suitable for all oven door configurations.

US Patent No. 4,527,540 discloses another example of a heat guard. Here, the heat guard is formed of a flexible material having securing portions located along opposite vertical edges of the guard. The securing portions are affixed to the front surface of counters that are adjacent the oven door in question, the flexible guard portion projecting outwardly from the surface of the oven door. However, this system presents problems in situations where space constrictions result in inadequate room to properly fix the securing portions at either side of the oven door. Also, the projection of the heat guard from the surface of the oven door may take up a disproportionate floor space area.

It is an object of the invention to provide a heat guard that overcomes the above problems.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, there is provided a protective guard for releasably attaching to a surface, the guard comprising: a planar body having a first exposed surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface; and at least one attachment member located on said second surface, the attachment member comprising a suction cup portion coupled with a mounting portion, the mounting portion secured to said second surface, the suction cup operable to releasably attach to a surface, and wherein the planar body is formed from a heat resistant material.

Preferably, the mounting portion is formed from a heat resistant material.

Preferably, the suction cup portion is formed from a heat resistant material.

Preferably, the planar body further comprises a transparent portion.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a heat guard according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side plan view of the heat guard of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the attachment members of the heat guard of Fig. 1.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a heat guard according to the invention is indicated generally at 10. The heat guard 10 comprises a generally rectangular planar body 12, having a first exposed surface 12a and a second under surface 12b. A plurality of attachment members 14 are located on the under surface 12b. A protective collar 15 extends completely around the edge of the planar body 12, projecting orthogonally to the under surface 12b. The planar body 12 is made of a heat resistant material that is effective to reduce the heat rendered from a surface by 50%.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, four attachment members 14 are located on the under surface 12b, towards the corners of the planar body 12.

With reference to Fig. 3, the attachment members 14 comprise a suction cup portion 16 and a mounting portion 18, forming a two—part flexible suction pad.

The suction cup portion 16 comprises a circular concave pad 16a. The suction cup portion 16 is made from a flexible plastic material that allows the concave pad 16a to bend under pressure.

On applying the concave surface of the suction cup portion 16 to a smooth non-porous surface, the pad 16a bends to become flush with the surface. The air pressure in the interface between the pad 16a and the surface is then reduced, with the result that the relatively higher air pressure outside of the pad 16a will hold the suction cup portion 16 in place on the smooth surface. The suction pads provide a relatively high securing force compared to the pressure required to apply the suction pads to a surface. The securing force can be easily broken by breaking the seal formed by the pad 16a and the surface to which it is applied.

The suction cup portion 16 further comprises a first bridging member 16b, which extends from the surface opposite the concave surface of the pad 16a.

The mounting portion 18 comprises a generally planar circular mounting plate 18a and a generally cylindrical second bridging member 18b, the second bridging member 18b projecting from the centre—point of a first surface of the mounting plate 18a. The bridging member 16b of the suction cup portion 16 is secured to the bridging member 18b of the mounting portion 18.

The mounting plate 18a of each attachment member 14 is secured to the second under surface 12b of the planar body 12. It will be understood that any known adhesive or cement may be used to secure the attachment member 14 to the planar body.

Preferably, the suction cup portion 16 of the attachment member is made from a substantially heat resistant material.

Preferably, the mounting portion 18 of the attachment member is made from a substantially heat resistant material.

In the embodiment shown the attachment members 14 and the planar body 12 are made of two separate materials and are subsequently secured together.

Alternatively, it will be understood that the planar body 12 and the mounting portion 18 of the attachment member 14 may be integrally moulded together, with the suction cup portion 16 of the attachment members 14 subsequently secured to the bridging member 18b of the mounting portion 18 of the attachment members 14.

In use, the heat guard 10 is attached to an oven door by application of the suction cup portions 16 of the attachment members 14 to the front surface of the oven door. The heat guard 10 will substantially cover the entire surface of the oven door, preventing direct access to the oven door surface, and providing a heat resistant exposed surface 12a.

The use of suction pads 16a in the attachment members 14 allows for the heat guard 10 to be releasably secured to an oven door. The suction pads 16a provide a strong securing bond to the oven door (preventing the heat guard 10 from being pulled off by an infant), while allowing for easy removal from the oven door when required (if an adult reaches behind the planar body 12 of the heat guard 10 and breaks the seal of the attachment members 14).

It will be understood that the heat guard may be produced in different dimensions and shapes, in order to accommodate different types of surfaces to which it is intended to affix the heat guard.

While the heat guard has been described as suitable for attachment to oven doors, it will also be understood that the invention may be used as a general guard that may be affixed to any smooth surface, preventing access to the surface covered by the guard, preventing access by children, e.g. washing machine doors.

It will be understood that the planar body 12 may be made of a transparent or translucent material, or may have a window portion of transparent or translucent material located on it, that allows the exposed surface of the oven door to which the heat guard 10 is attached to be viewed. If there is a window present in the oven door, this allows a clear view into the interior of the oven when the oven door is closed and the heat guard 10 in place.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A protective guard for releasably attaching to a surface, the guard comprising: a planar body having a first exposed surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface; and at least one attachment member located on said second surface, the attachment member comprising a suction cup portion coupled with a mounting portion, the mounting portion secured to said second surface, the suction cup operable to releasably attach to a surface, and wherein the planar body is formed from a heat resistant material.

2. The protective guard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting portion is formed from a heat resistant material.

3. The protective guard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suction cup portion is formed from a heat resistant material.

4. The protective guard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the planar body further comprises a transparent portion.

5. The protective guard substantially as described herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings.