Patent Grant
7828002
This application claims the benefit of Danish Application No. PA 2005 01692 filed Nov. 30, 2005, Danish Application No. PA 2006 00940 filed Jul. 7, 2006 and PCT/DK2006/000672 filed Nov. 29, 2006, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention concerns a combination of a sunshade and a terrace heater with light, including a sunshade canopy which is mounted on a canopy support with hinged, pivotable support rods for pivoting between a collapsed state and a suspended state, and with a heater element with lattice cage and disposed hereinabove a reflector plate arranged at the top of a central column.
By the term lattice cage as used in the present application is meant a housing or a frame around, or as a part of, the heater element.
Through many years, private persons as well as restaurants have used combinations of market sunshades and terrace heaters for providing comfort and warmth in periods where the temperature drops so that it is comfortable to sit in the outdoors.
For cafés and restaurants there is the advantage that the period for serving in the outdoors can be prolonged, hereby increasing the number of guests.
The traditional solutions are unfortunately associated with drawbacks, partly of visual and partly of technical character. Visually, many separate terrace heaters and separate sunshades may give a disorderly impression, appearing unfavourable to a harmonic combination of tables, chairs and sunshades. The sunshades will usually be provided for shading and high temperatures, but are also provided for prolonging serving in the outdoors when the temperature falls and a risk of dew is present. Terrace heaters will thus often appear visually as a foreign element which does not fit into the traditional environment.
Terrace heaters are known as separate independent units but may also be mounted on walls, e.g. in connection with canopies mounted on the house wall or combined with free-standing sunshades.
At the same time, the use of terrace heaters and sunshades may be unsuitable due to the fire risk when the terrace heaters are placed under the sunshades.
Furthermore, the use of separate sunshades and terrace heaters would be unsuitable due the space taken up with these, with consequent limitation of the access to tables and chairs.
Previously, there have been proposals to combine a sunshade with a terrace heater. From WO 98/58211 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,450 are known combinations of sunshade and terrace heater as mentioned above. These prior art designs have the advantage that a sunshade canopy is provided outside the reflector plate so that it is easier to retain the heat developed by the heater element and which the reflector plate directs at persons sitting in immediate vicinity of the terrace heater. In the area under the sunshade canopy, a greater heat comfort may thus occur.
These combination units will be advantageous in that there is only one vertical columnar support of sunshade as well as terrace heater.
However, they are associated with drawbacks as the terrace heater cannot be used separately or with collapsed canopy. Furthermore, there will also be a risk of fire injuries if persons are touching the support rods for the sunshade canopy.
The prior art sunshades, terrace heaters and combination units are also associated with the drawback that they do not include any light source. In connection with using traditional terrace heaters in the evening and night hours, the presence of a light source is often required.
It is the purpose of the present invention to indicate a combination of a sunshade and a terrace heater with light that relieves the above drawbacks, and which enables providing a stand-alone combination of a sunshade and a terrace heater with light which furthermore may be used both at night and at daytime as well as with the sunshade in the collapsed position.
According to the present invention, this is achieved with a combination of the type specified in the introduction, which is peculiar in that the canopy is an annular body with a central aperture, that the reflector plate has a circumference largely corresponding to the central aperture, that the reflector plate extends out from the lattice cage with a distance at least corresponding to the height of the lattice cage, that the support rods are hinged at the inner side of the reflector plate at a position close to the lattice cage so that the canopy body in the collapsed state is disposed under the lattice cage.
If the canopy is in the collapsed state, there will appear a spacing between the reflector plate and the canopy corresponding to the height of the lattice cage due to the size of the central aperture. Thus it will be possible to use the heater element as radiant heat will be emitted in the interspace between the reflector plate and the upper side of the canopy, corresponding to the edge area located in the central aperture of the canopy. Furthermore, it will enable collapsing of the canopy without any risk immediately after the heater element has been switched off.
As a hinge between the support rods and the inner side of the reflector plate will be situated close to the lattice cage, the support rods will be disposed at a position relatively close to the lattice cage. The support rods may extend from the hinge point inclining downwards in direction towards the central column so that the outermost free end of the support rods are disposed in immediate vicinity of the central column in such a way that the collapsed canopy forms a conical shape.
It will be possible to design the support rods of two sections extending straightly, and where the first section located opposite the reflector plate is angularly bent relative to the outer section of the support rods with an angle corresponding to the cone angle with which the lattice cage is made. In the collapsed state, the support rods will hereby be disposed with the support rods extending largely in parallel with the surface of the lattice cage in the first section, and the second section of the support rods will extend in parallel with and in close contact with the centre column. Hereby, there will be the largest possible free area where the radiant heat can be emitted without any risk of contact with the canopy and the lowermost part of the canopy will block a free view to a lesser extent.
By using a light element which can be disposed below, above or at level with the terrace heater, several advantages are attained. Firstly, a variable disposition of the light element will ensure the ability to control the direction of the light radiation, which is advantageous in many respects.
By light element as used in the present application is meant an element which is capable of providing lighting. It may thus be any kind of light element. A light element may e.g. include a halogen bulb, an incandescent bulb, a fluorescent tube, a gas lamp, a kerosene lamp. One or more light elements, which are not necessarily powered by the same source of energy, may be used.
According to a preferred embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in that at least one heater element is a gas burner. The gas burner has the advantage that its use is independent of the presence of other energy sources, including electricity. By using a gas burner, a very high degree of freedom of application is thus provided. Furthermore, the gas burner has the advantage that there is possibility of producing a very great heating power and rapid temperature adjustment.
According to a preferred embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in that the at least one heater element is an electric heater. The electric heater has the advantage that fuel elements are not to be replaced, as is the case with e.g. using gas. At the same time, the electric heater provides the possibility of producing a large heating power.
According to a preferred embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in that at least one light element is powered with energy from the same source of energy as the said least one heater element. Such an embodiment has the advantage that access to a source of energy is the only thing needed.
According to a preferred embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in that gas is used for powering the heater element as well as the light element. According to such an embodiment it will be possible to use a lamp which is provided with gas from the same source as the gas burner in the terrace heater.
According to a further embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in that both heater element and light element are powered by electricity. By electricity as used in the present application is meant all kinds of electricity. The energy may thus stem from a battery, the power network or from other electric source of energy. Moreover, it is possible at the same time to use two different electric sources of energy for the heater element and the light element, respectively. For example, there may be used a battery charged by solar energy for powering the light element while at the same time the heater element is supplied with electricity from the power network. Moreover, it is possible to use the same electric sources of energy for the heater element and the light element, respectively. Such an embodiment has the advantage that it is only necessary to control one source of energy. For example, it will be possible to connect the light as well as the heater element to the power network.
According to a further embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in that different sources of energy are used for powering the heater element and the light element, respectively. There may e.g. be used an electric light element in combination with a heater element consisting of a gas burner. Conversely, it is possible to use an electric heater element in combination with a lighting element consisting of a gas lamp.
In addition, it is possible to use other forms of energy for powering the heater element and the light element, respectively. Hydrogen pills may e.g. be used. Thus there are no limits with regard to the choice of sources of energy. Among the possible sources of energy there may thus independently be selected sources of energy for heater element and lighting element, respectively.
A plurality of heater elements may be used. An embodiment containing several heater elements has the advantage that heat may be produced, even if one heat source fails. If a combination of a gas burner and an electric heater is used, it will be possible to maintain heating by using the electric heater when the gas cylinder becomes empty. The combination of a gas burner and an electric heater will also be advantageous in situations where the terrace heater is to be used, in places with as well as without access to electric power.
There is a risk that users may get in contact with the exposed support rods, even if they are disposed at the upper end of the combination at a position immediately under the reflector plate. In order to minimise heating, a combination according to a preferred embodiment of the invention will be peculiar in that the lattice cage at positions opposite the support rods have areas without lattice opening(s) closed for screening off radiant heat against the support rods in the collapsed state.
As the lattice cage will be provided with the plate-shaped parts where there are no lattice openings, or just with fewer lattice openings, the radiant heat and thereby the risk of heating of support rods are minimised.
For further reducing the risk of an inappropriate heating of the support rods, a combination according to a further embodiment of the invention will be peculiar in that each support rod is provided with a heat shield at least on the side facing the lattice cage. According to the invention, it is possible to form a heat shield of a part of the support rod itself, as this is made with a slit, or alternatively, the heat shield may be formed of a bent plate mounted on and spaced apart from the support rod. Alternatively, it is possible to make the plate by extrusion, and it will also be possible to use a plane plate.
In both cases, transfer of heat to the support rod or the side of the support rod facing the user will be prevented or minimised.
According to a further embodiment, sunshade canopy and canopy support are detachably mounted on the central column. Hereby it will be possible to dismount the sunshade part and use the terrace heater in a traditional way.
According to a preferred embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in that its lower end the central column includes a gas line for feeding at least one gas burner and at least one gas lamp. With such a design it is possible to place sunshade and terrace heater at the centre of a table. In this situation, the cage can be hidden under the table so that space is not taken up unnecessarily. Alternatively, the combination of sunshade and terrace heater can be used freely standing with the cage at the lower end of the central column. The cage will have a certain extent and therefore provide a secure supporting surface for the combined sunshade/terrace heater. For further safeguarding sunshade/terrace heater against overturning, it is preferred that at the lower end of the central column there is provided mounting means for fastening to the base. Such mounting means may be an earth rod or support legs projecting outwards from the column/cage. The legs may have such outer diameter that they by themselves provide stability, or alternatively the legs can be clamped/screwed onto the base.
It is also possible to make the sunshade/terrace heater with support legs combined with a bushing at the underside of the central column/cage with regard to mounting a detachable earth rod. In such a situation, one may optionally use support legs or earth rods, or both at the same time.
With the combined sunshade and terrace heater according to the present invention, it will be possible to attain enhancement of the efficiency of the reflector and retain the heat in a more efficient way due to the centrally disposed heater element under the sunshade canopy than would be possible with the prior art terrace heaters or in situations with separate terrace heaters provided under a sunshade.
Alternatively, it is possible to have a cage as an independent unit disposed beside the column instead of as a extension of the central column. In this situation, a gas cylinder or other energy element will thus stand beside a sunshade foot. This embodiment will be suited for daily setup, where sunshade/terrace heater (and gas cylinder if a gas burner is used) can be carried in and out individually.
Even if, according to the present invention, there is provided a free area between the sunshade canopy and the reflector screen so that the canopy body is not exposed to strong heat, it is preferred that the canopy is made of a non-combustible material, as e.g. carbon or Kevlar. The risk of fire damage is minimised hereby.
In order to make the structure as rigid as possible, it is preferred that the reflector plate is made diagonal or pyramidal as alternative to the known bowl-shaped, curving reflector plates. Alternatively, it is, however, possible to make the reflector plate circular/frusto-conical with the purpose of achieving rigidity in the structure. In practice, the reflector plate will be supplied as a separate unit in a separate package when buying a traditional terrace heater. The reflector plate may be composed of several identical bodies in order to allow for transport and packing.
As an alternative to a freely standing disposition, the combination of sunshade and terrace heater can be made as a construction that can be attached to a house front. In this situation, the reflector plate will ensure that unnecessary heat radiation does not reach the house, while also ensuring that a canopy extending out from the house front is disposed at the outer edge of the reflector plate. Also in this design, when collapsing the canopy will be provided in a position under the lattice cage so that there is possibility of free heat radiating from the lattice cage in the interspace formed between the reflector plate and the edge area of the canopy body situated closest to the reflector plate.
With regard to heating, sunshade/heat shield can be provided at its upper side with an eyelet for suspending by a hook or similar.
If the edge section of the sunshade canopy located closest to the lattice cage will cover an operating panel traditionally situated immediately under the lattice cage, it is possible to provide opening means, such as a zipper or metal button in parallel with one of the support rods so that a user may readily access the operating panel.
According to a preferred embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in containing a lighting element consisting of a gas lamp which is designed as a dish mounted on a burner upon which nozzles providing lighting are fastened. By covering the nozzles with gas incandescent mantles, they may function as light sources. This embodiment has the advantage that the dish shape reflects the heat and light away from the gas lamp, thereby contributing to lighting as well as heating.
According to a preferred embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in containing a lighting element consisting of a gas lamp surrounded by a grill which is designed as a frustum of a cone so that the light is diffused by the grill, which at the same time may contain a gas lamp designed as a dish with vertical axis of symmetry.
It is possible to use a heat shield made in aluminium and designed as pipes with internal pins enclosing round sticks of wood so that direct contact between pipe and stick is limited to the very small contact area between the pins and the sticks. The pin can be made from a non-combustible material with low thermal conductivity. Pipe and round sticks will largely thus be separated by air only.
According to a further embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in containing light elements consisting of fluorescent tubes, light diodes, incandescent or halogen bulbs. Alternatively, one or more rechargeable sun cell lamps may be used.
With the intention of adjusting the intensity of the used light element, it is possible to provide the light elements with adjusting mechanisms. In an embodiment where a gas lamp is used, such an adjusting mechanism may be designed as an adjustable valve that enables regulating the flow rate of gas to the gas lamp. In connection with embodiment models using electric light elements, the control may be provided through using a control system based on application of variable resistance.
Adjusting the heat production of the terrace heater in accordance with a specific heat demand may be provided by using a regulating valve that controls the gas flow rate to the gas burner.
According to a further embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in containing a plurality of light sources. Thus there may be combinations of one or more fluorescent tubes, light diodes, rechargeable solar cell lamps or incandescent or halogen bulbs. Such embodiments provide various possibilities for lighting.
According to a further embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in containing at least one gas lamp enclosed by a grill consisting of at least one section. By using a grill consisting of several sections, it is possible to control the light intensity in different directions. Thus it is possible to use symmetric as well as asymmetric lighting formations.
According to a preferred embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in including a terrace heater with a light element and no sunshade. Such an embodiment would be ideal if there is no need for a combination with a sunshade. In a situation where one desires to sit in the outdoors on a cool night, and at the same time having an opportunity of studying the night sky, such an embodiment would constitute a smart alternative to the terrace heater with collapsed canopy.
According to a further embodiment, the combination according to the invention is peculiar in including a sunshade and a terrace heater without light. Such an embodiment is more simple to produce and use. In situations, where no need for lighting exists, a such embodiment will be advantageous.
In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawing, where:
Identical or corresponding elements in the various embodiments will be provided with the same designations below.
Hoses, pipes or lines (not shown) connected with a heater element inside the lattice cage 9 run inside the column 8.
In areas 15 opposite the support rods 4, the lattice cage 9 is closed, and there between exist areas 16 with lattice openings. Hereby is achieved screening of radiant heat by the support rods 4 when these are collapsed and are close to the lattice cage 9.
Lattice bars 4 may be provided with slits 17 at least in an area located opposite to the lattice cage 9 in order to reduce the heat transmission to the side facing outwards against the user. Alternatively, the lattice bars 4 may be provided with a heat shield 18 which via short connecting rods 19 is mounted on the lattice bars 4. In use, the heat shield 18 will be placed on the lattice bars facing the lattice cage 9.
It is noted that an upper edge area 23 which is proximate to the interspace 13 may be provided with zippers, metal buttons or similar opening means that enable access to an operating panel (not shown) located immediately below the lattice cage 9. Such a possibility for opening and dismounting the canopy 2 may also be provided in the other embodiments. After dismounting the canopy 2, the support rods 4 may simply be taken off the hinges 5 by suitable application of hinge types. Hereby it will be possible to use the unit as a traditional terrace heater such as illustrated in
In order to provided a rigid reflector plate 10, it is preferred to make it polygonal/pyramidal. The reflector plate 10 may thus be produced from a number of plate members 24, as shown in
A requirement as to provide reflection of light and heat may be fulfilled by a dish 32 arranged as illustrated on
Using a heat shield as illustrated on
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 01692 | Nov 2005 | DK | national |
| 2006 00940 | Jul 2006 | DK | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/DK2006/000672 | 11/29/2006 | WO | 00 | 6/30/2008 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2007/062653 | 6/7/2007 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090032076 A1 | Feb 2009 | US |
