Hob guard for stove and the use of such a hob guard on stoves

Abstract

 This invention relates to a hob guard for a stove and the use of such a hob guard on stoves in various stove locations. In order to yield a hob guard which is adjustable to the stove size as well as is delivered in a flat package it is according to the invention suggested that the hob guard consists of a flat oblong sheet metal piece (10). The sheet metal is fitted with hole rows (11,13,14) so that the sheet metal easily can be user folded. The sheet metal is further provided with rows of perforated holes (20,21) for adjustable affixing to other sheet metals. On a fully built-in stove two to eachother mirror-image sheets are used, together forming a hob guard at the stove front. On a stove with one or two sides free-standing, one or two further sheets are used for forming a hob guard at the stove sides.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a hob guard which can be attached to kitchen stoves, irregardless of the breadth and depth of the stove, in built-in or free-standing cabinetry, and the use of such a hob guard in various applications.

[0002] Earlier known hob guards are of two types:

1. Sheet metal formed to the same dimensions as the stove, bent to follow the hob's outer contour along the front and extending part way along the sides. These hob guards are because of their U-form bulky and subject to damage in transportation, difficult to adapt to point-of-purchase packaging, and must also be manufactured in several sizes to fit the various breadths of various stoves.

2. Open wire hob guards, bent to follow the outer contour, and extending part way along the sides. These hob guards yield insufficient protection, as children can reach through them and be burned, or burned by spills which splash through the open construction.

[0003] This invention yields a hob guard which avoids the drawbacks listed above. By using a flat sheet metal form which the consumer folds the guard can be stored transported and delivered in a flat package. By using two mirror image sheets that can be affixed to one another in any desired breadth, a hob guard can be put together for any built-in stove.

[0004] Further, using the same mirror-image sheets, the hob guard can be extended on one or both sides, a feature which relates to the varying placement of stoves in various countries: for example, in Sweden stoves are almost all built-in, in Great Britain often free-standing, and in Finland, stoves end the counter, e g have one side free.

[0005] An edge of the sheet metal is perforated with square holes, which are used to affix the two or more sheets in one another. The holes also afford ventilation at the bottom edge, which is appropriate for gas stoves, where only open-wire guards have been used hitherto. The otherwise unperforated sheet in this invention prevent spills from splashing through the guard and onto the floor, where the child often plays whilst parents cock.

[0006] The invention will be described in detail below, with the help of to examples, illustrated by drawings, where fig. 1 shows a front view of one of the sheets which make up the hob guard, fig. 2 shows the use of a hob guard on a built-in stove, and fig. 3 shows the use of the hob guard on a stove that is free-standing on one side.

[0007] Figure 1 shows one of the sheet metal components of the stove guard, constructed of a heat resistant material which can be folded without damage to the surface. An appropriate material with an esthetically attractive appearance and requisite performance is the plasticized sheet metal marketed as DOBEL- sheet. The sheet 10 is fitted with a lenghtwise running perforated row 11. Near one of the sheet edges 12 to short rows of holes 13, 14 and two pairs of slits are punched, to allow for the folding up of support edges 15, 16. Between these rows 13, 14 there is a double slit 17 for attachments 18. Between row 14 and the rear edge of the sheet 19 there is a short row of holes 20, designed to interact with the front row of holes 21 in an identical sheet metal component. Parallel with the long side of the sheet between hole row 11 and the front short edge of the sheet near the bottom edge 12 a longer perforated hole row 21 is punched. The other long side of the sheet is equipped with a open folded edge 26.

[0008] The second sheet metal component 24 which comprises the hob guard has the same appearance as the first, but is a mirror image, e g the folded edge is the same but all perforations are a mirror image of the first component, slightly displaced downwards.

[0009] The hob guard is used as follows. The sheet 10 is bent along hole row 11, so that the opposing sides build a right angle with respect to one another. Further the support edges 15 and 16 are bent inwards along rows 13 and 14.

[0010] Fig. 2 shows a built-in stove, with cabinetry on both sides. A hob guard is affixed to the stove. The hob guard consists of sheet component 10 in conjunction with sheet component 24. Sheet 24 is the mirror image of sheet 10. The folded edge 26 and corresponding edge on sheet 24 affix the upper edge of the sheets in one another. A plug or U-formed clamp 25.affixes the holes in row 21 with the holes in sheet 24. The clamp goes through the holes and is folded at the back, so that both sheets are firmly locked at a given breadth. The row of holes 21 allows adjustment of the_guard so that any desired breadth within a given range is achieved. In order to achieve a smooth bottom edge the sheet 24 is fitted with holes that are slightly displaced downward, corresponding to the difference of the two edges at the upper sides of plates 10 and 24, where the edge of 24 nestles over the edge of 10.

[0011] As can be seen in fig. 2 the hob guard is attached to the hob by means of an attachment device 18, which can consist of a corner iron fastened to the guard or an excenter wire lock or a woven band equipped with a hook which can attach to the hob's clipped edge.

[0012] As can be seen in fig. 3, a stove which has one side free-standing can be equipped with an extended hob guard through the use of a third sheet component 10a,-identical to 10. The short end 22 is placed alongside the end 19 on the component 10 that runs along the front side, so that 10a and 10 constitute a hob guard for the free-standing side. Sheet 10a is attached by affixing row 21 to the short row 20 on sheet 10, by the use of clamp 25. The various depths of different makes and models of stove can be covered by the adjustable length feature of the hole rows.

[0013] In a similar fashion a wholly free-standing stove can be shielded on both sides by the further addition of a fourth sheet component 24a, identical to component 24.

Claims

1. A hobguard for kitchen stove, characterized in that the guard consists of
a flat oblong sheet metal piece (10, 24) fitted with a perpendicular perforated row of holes for folding indication (11), two short perforated hole rows (13, 14) near the long edge (12) and double slits at each row for the folding in of support edges (15, 16), a pair of slits (17) for the attachment of fastening devices (18) on the same side of the perpendicular row (11), and two rows of perforated holes (20, 21) that correspond in height with one another and parallel with the long axis of the sheet metal begin in the respective short ends of the piece, whereby the rows (20, 21) are intended to with a penetrating clamp (25) be affixed to corresponding rows (20, 21) in another sheet metal piece.

2. A hobguard according to claim 1, characterized-in that the sheet metal components (10, 24) are fitted with an open folded edge (26).

3. A hobguard according to claim 1, characterized in that one row of holes (20) is shorter and placed in the vicinity of the two support edges (15, 16) and the other row of holes (21) is longer and is placed in conjunction to the short end of the piece opposite to the first row.

4. A hobguard for use on a fully built-in kitchen stove, characterized in that the guard consisting of a flat oblong sheet metal piece (10), fitted with a perpendicular perforated row of holes for folding indication (11), two short perforated hole rows (13, 14) near the long edge (12) and double slits at each row for the folding in of support edges (15, 16), a pair of slits (17) for the attachment of fastening devices (18) on the same side of the perpendicular row (11), and two rows of perforated holes (20, 21) that correspond in height with one another and, parallel with the long axis of the sheet metal, begin in the respective short ends of the piece, and further a second oblong sheet metal piece (24), the mirror image of first (10), both being user folded along the perpendicular hole rows (11) so as to construct a hob guard along the front side of the stove.

5. A hobguard for use on a stove free-standing on one side, characterized in that the guard consisting of a flat oblong sheet metal piece (10), fitted with a perpendicular perforated row of holes for folding indication (11), two short perforated hole rows (13, 14) near the long edge (12) and double slits at each row for the folding in of support edges (15, 16), a pair of slits (17) for the attachment of fastening devices (18) on the same side of the perpendicular row (11), and two rows of perforated holes (20, 21) that correspond in height with one another and parallel with the long axis of the sheet metal, begin in the respective short ends of the piece, and further a second oblong piece (24), the mirror image of the first (10), both being user folded along perpendicular hole rows (11) so as to construct a hob guard along the front side of the stove, and an additional oblong sheet metal piece (10a, 24a) is attached at the short end (19) of either front (10 or 24, respectively) so as to construct a hob guard along the front side and the free-standing side.

6. A hobguard for use on a fully free standing stove, characterized in that the guard consisting of a flat oblong sheet metal piece (10), fitted with perpendicular perforated row of holes for folding indication (11), two short perforated hole rows (13, 14) near the long edge (12) and double slits at each row for the folding in of support edges (15, 16), a pair of slits (17) for the attachment of fastening devices (18) on the same side of the perpendicular row (11), and two rows of perforated holes (20, 21) that correspond in height with one another and, parallel with the long axis of the sheet metal, begin in the respective short ends of the piece, and further a second oblong sheet metal piece (24), the mirror image of the first (10) both being user folded along the perpendicular hole rows (11) so as to construct a hob guard along the front side of the stove, and in addition at each short end an identical folded sheet metal piece (10a, 24a) is attached to the front pieces (10 resp. 24) so as to construct a hob guard on the remaining free sides of the stove.

7. A hobguard according to claims 4-6, characterized in that support edges (15, 16) are folded inwards along their perforations (13, 14) in order to rest flat against the upper side of the hob and support the hobguard.

Drawing