GB2113380A - Heater guards - Google Patents

Abstract

A heater guard of interconnected mesh panels 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d provides mechanical protection about at least the top and front of a heater 4, the top panel 1b being inclined to the horizontal to deter the placement of articles on the guard for safety reasons. Side panels 1a, 1d can be provided, one (1d) being detachable from or movable relative to the other panels for access to the heater controls. Clips 3 permit the guard to be screwed to a wall. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Heater guard This invention relates to a heater guard, especially but not exclusively for use with wall mounted heaters.

According to the present invention there is provided a heater guard having interconected panels which allow passage of heat while presenting a mechanical barrier, the arrangement being such that the panels in use provide at least a top and front of an enclosure, at least one of the panels having fixing means for attachment of the guard to a wall and the top panel being inclined to the horizontal so that in use it extends outwardly and downwardly from the wall.

Preferably the panels also form sides for the enclosure, and preferably a side panel is movable relative to the rest of the guard for access to the enclosure. In this way a heater within the enclosure produces heat which can pass upwardly, forwards or sideways into a room, and controls on the heater can be reached past the movable panel. This panel is preferably hinged, either to the wall or to another panel, although it may alternatively be slidable or removable.

The inclined panel is a safety feature in that articles cannot be left on the top of the guard where they may overheat and catch fire, and the degree of inclination may be selected for this purpose depending on the nature of the panels.

The panels are preferably of mesh construction, for example wire mesh. The panels may be hinged or removably interconnected for compact storage when not in use.

Embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a heater guard of the invention in use with a gas heater mounted on a wall; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the panels of an alternative heater guard of the invention; and Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of the guard of Fig. 2 in its assembled position.

The guard of the embodiment of Fig. 1 has four wire mesh panels 1a, b, c and d. The panels 1 a, b and c are interconnected through hinges 2, and the panels 1a, b and d each have two "P" clips 3 along one edge through which they are screwed to a wall of the room, so as to form an enclosure in which a wallmounted gas heater 4 is situated. The panel 1d is hinged to the wall at its clips 3 and is held in its "closed" position by door clips 5 which engage with a side edge of the panel 1c.

The panel 1 b is bent through 90 degrees at its side edges, and its top face is inclined downwardly away from the wall.

In use, the inclined upper panel 1 b prevents objects being left on top of the guard, and the side panel 1 d can be hinged about the clips 3 to give access to the heater controls 6.

The guard thus provides a safety barrier for a heater 4 which prevents children and others approaching too close to the heater. while allowing access to the heater controls 6 for adults and others able to release the door clips 5, which may be made childproof.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 the guard has five wire mesh panels 1a, b, c, d and e.

In this case the panels are connected together by screws and nuts (not shown) through lugs 7 at their adjacent edges.

A side panel 1 d is secured to its adjacent top and bottom panels 1 b and 1 e through the lugs 7 at the rear portion of the panels, and a latch 8 is engageable in an eye 9 formed by a loop of wire on the front panel 1 c. The screws and nuts holding the side panel 1d are sufficiently tight that the panel is securely held, but still allow the panel 1d to pivot about the lugs 7 on releast of the latch 8 from the eye 9.

The panel 1 d thus forms a hinged door.

The guard is attached to a wall around a heater by secunng hook brackets 10 and retaining brackets 11 to the wall adjacent the desired positions of the corners of the panels 1 b and 1 c. The retaining brackets have slots 1 2 for receiving fixing screws, the slots 1 2 having a wide bottom portion for passage of a screw head, the remainder of the slot 1 2 being narrower than the screw head.

The guard of this embodiment is assembled by securing together the panels 1 a to e. The assembled guard is then placed over a heater at a wall with maximum clearance above the heater, and the four corners of the guard are marked on the wall. The hook brackets 10 are screwed tightly to the wall at the appropriate positions, and the retaining brackets 11 are screwed loosely so that they can move up and down by means of the screws passing along the slots 12. The guard is hung from the hook brackets 10 and the retaining brackets 11 are pushed down over a rear spar of the bottom panel 1e.

In this embodiment the bottom panel 1e extends to the wall thereby restricting access to the heater from below, and the brackets 10, 11 are arranged so that the guard can be easily removed from the wall for cleaning and storage during the summer months.

Modifications and impovements can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

1. A heater guard having interconnected panels which allow passage of heat while presenting a mechanical barrier, the arrangement being such that the panels in use provide at least a top and front of an enclosure,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Heater guard This invention relates to a heater guard, especially but not exclusively for use with wall mounted heaters. According to the present invention there is provided a heater guard having interconected panels which allow passage of heat while presenting a mechanical barrier, the arrangement being such that the panels in use provide at least a top and front of an enclosure, at least one of the panels having fixing means for attachment of the guard to a wall and the top panel being inclined to the horizontal so that in use it extends outwardly and downwardly from the wall. Preferably the panels also form sides for the enclosure, and preferably a side panel is movable relative to the rest of the guard for access to the enclosure. In this way a heater within the enclosure produces heat which can pass upwardly, forwards or sideways into a room, and controls on the heater can be reached past the movable panel. This panel is preferably hinged, either to the wall or to another panel, although it may alternatively be slidable or removable. The inclined panel is a safety feature in that articles cannot be left on the top of the guard where they may overheat and catch fire, and the degree of inclination may be selected for this purpose depending on the nature of the panels. The panels are preferably of mesh construction, for example wire mesh. The panels may be hinged or removably interconnected for compact storage when not in use. Embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a heater guard of the invention in use with a gas heater mounted on a wall; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the panels of an alternative heater guard of the invention; and Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of the guard of Fig. 2 in its assembled position. The guard of the embodiment of Fig. 1 has four wire mesh panels 1a, b, c and d. The panels 1 a, b and c are interconnected through hinges 2, and the panels 1a, b and d each have two "P" clips 3 along one edge through which they are screwed to a wall of the room, so as to form an enclosure in which a wallmounted gas heater 4 is situated. The panel 1d is hinged to the wall at its clips 3 and is held in its "closed" position by door clips 5 which engage with a side edge of the panel 1c. The panel 1 b is bent through 90 degrees at its side edges, and its top face is inclined downwardly away from the wall. In use, the inclined upper panel 1 b prevents objects being left on top of the guard, and the side panel 1 d can be hinged about the clips 3 to give access to the heater controls 6. The guard thus provides a safety barrier for a heater 4 which prevents children and others approaching too close to the heater. while allowing access to the heater controls 6 for adults and others able to release the door clips 5, which may be made childproof. Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 the guard has five wire mesh panels 1a, b, c, d and e. In this case the panels are connected together by screws and nuts (not shown) through lugs 7 at their adjacent edges. A side panel 1 d is secured to its adjacent top and bottom panels 1 b and 1 e through the lugs 7 at the rear portion of the panels, and a latch 8 is engageable in an eye 9 formed by a loop of wire on the front panel 1 c. The screws and nuts holding the side panel 1d are sufficiently tight that the panel is securely held, but still allow the panel 1d to pivot about the lugs 7 on releast of the latch 8 from the eye 9. The panel 1 d thus forms a hinged door. The guard is attached to a wall around a heater by secunng hook brackets 10 and retaining brackets 11 to the wall adjacent the desired positions of the corners of the panels 1 b and 1 c. The retaining brackets have slots 1 2 for receiving fixing screws, the slots 1 2 having a wide bottom portion for passage of a screw head, the remainder of the slot 1 2 being narrower than the screw head. The guard of this embodiment is assembled by securing together the panels 1 a to e. The assembled guard is then placed over a heater at a wall with maximum clearance above the heater, and the four corners of the guard are marked on the wall. The hook brackets 10 are screwed tightly to the wall at the appropriate positions, and the retaining brackets 11 are screwed loosely so that they can move up and down by means of the screws passing along the slots 12. The guard is hung from the hook brackets 10 and the retaining brackets 11 are pushed down over a rear spar of the bottom panel 1e. In this embodiment the bottom panel 1e extends to the wall thereby restricting access to the heater from below, and the brackets 10, 11 are arranged so that the guard can be easily removed from the wall for cleaning and storage during the summer months. Modifications and impovements can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. CLAIMS

1. A heater guard having interconnected panels which allow passage of heat while presenting a mechanical barrier, the arrangement being such that the panels in use provide at least a top and front of an enclosure, at least one of the panels having fixing means for attachment of the guard to a wall and the top panel being inclined to the horizontal so that in use it extends outwardly and downwardly from the wall.

2. A heater guard according to Claim 1, wherein the top panel has fixing means for attachment to a wall.

3. A heater guard according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the panels also provide sides of an enclosure.

4. A heater guard according to Claim 3, wherein at least one of the side panels is movable relative to the other panels to provide access to the interior of the enclosure.

5. A heater guard according to Claim 4, wherein said movable side panel is mounted on hinges.

6. A heater guard according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the panels are of wire mesh.

7. A heater guard substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.