Magnetic Heat Shield

Abstract

A heat shield having front and rear layers is attachable via magnets to cooking appliances for resisting or absorbing heat and, as a result, for preventing damage to adjacent structures or to human skin. A layer of heat resistant materials protects the integrity and function of the magnets.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to heat resistant and fire-resistant materials and, more particularly, to a heat shield that is magnetically attachable to metal devices that are expected to get hot by their very nature, such as to cooking appliances like stoves, grills, and the like.

There are certain appliances, such as those used for cooking food, that are expected to get very hot and for their metal surfaces to give off heat sufficient to burn human skin if contact is made therewith. Intense heat from cook stoves may also damage walls and wall treatments and, as a result, limit where a respective appliance may be installed. In addition, other items such as motorcycle engines produce significant heat that may cause burns.

Various heat shielding products have been marketed for protecting a wall surface from damages from appliances that get hot. Although presumably effective for their intended purposes, traditional heat shield products are installed on walls, floors, or other non-metallic surfaces. Therefore, it would be desirable to have heat shield apparatus having evenly distributed magnets for attachment to metallic surfaces of an appliance, such as to cooking appliances such as a stove, a grill, an indoor furnace, barbeque grills, smokers, or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A magnetic heat shield for attachment to an appliance that generates heat according to the present invention includes a front layer constructed of a heat resistant material and a rear layer constructed of a textile material that is high temperature resistant. The front layer and said rear layer have the same length and width dimensions and are coupled together. A plurality of magnets is coupled to the inner surface of said rear layer, each magnet being spaced apart from each other magnet and said plurality of magnets being distributed over said inner surface so as to cling to the appliance.

Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a heat shield in which at least a rear layer is both heat resistant and includes a plurality of magnets so that the heat shield may be coupled to a metal or other magnetic surface of a device that produces heat.

Another object of this invention is to provide a heat shield, as aforesaid, having multiple layers of heat resistant material operable to resist heat.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is a front perspective view of a magnetic heat shield according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1b is a rear perspective view of the magnetic heat shield as in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the magnetic heat shield as in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the magnetic heat shield as in FIG. 1 in use installed on a portable grilling device;

FIG. 4a is a perspective view of the magnetic heat shield as in FIG. 1 in use on a stove;

FIG. 4b is a perspective view of the magnetic heat shield as in FIG. 1 and shown removed or displaced from the stove.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A heat shield according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1a to 4b of the accompanying drawings.

The heat shield 10 is a multi-layered device that is effective to shield a plurality of magnets from the heat given off by an article to which the device is attached. More particularly, the heat shield 10 has a front layer 20 and a rear layer 30 preferably each having the same dimensions, the layers being constructed of materials suitable to enable them to be coupled together by stitching. For instance, the front layer 20 may be constructed of a textile material that is semi-flexible and that is heat resistant or even flame resistant. In an embodiment, the front layer may be constructed of vinyl, foil, a thin metal alloy, or a textile fabric having UV resistance and superior outdoor durability. Further, the front layer 20 may have a rectangular configuration so as to fit perfectly onto a side wall of an appliance although other shape configurations may also work, such as being circular, oval, triangular, or the like. Specifically, the front layer 20 may have a pair of longitudinal edges parallel to one another (i.e. top and bottom edges) and a pair of lateral edges parallel to and spaced apart from one another that extend between opposed ends of the longitudinal edges (i.e. side edges).

Further, the rear layer 30 may be constructed of a heat or fire resistant material, such as a fire resistant textile material and may have dimensions substantially similar to the dimensions of the front layer 20 so that the layers may be coupled together by stitches or the like. Specifically, the rear layer 30 may have a pair of longitudinal edges parallel to one another (i.e. top and bottom edges) and a pair of lateral edges parallel and spaced apart from one another that extend between opposed ends of the longitudinal edges (i.e. side edges). The rear layer 30 may also be semi-flexible to conform to the surface of whatever appliance or device to which it is attached. Fire-retardant materials used in textiles include Aramids, FR cotton, coated nylon, carbon foam, leather, and the like.

The rear layer includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The heat shield 10 includes a plurality of magnets 40 coupled to the inner surface and arranged in a pattern in which each magnet is spaced apart from any adjacent magnet, such as in a pattern of rows. The distribution of magnets 40 enables the rear surface to be securely yet removably adhered to a metallic surface such as to the door of a stove (FIG. 4a), to a surface of a grill (FIG. 3), or virtually any metal appliance.

It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A magnetic heat shield, comprising: a front layer constructed of a heat resistant material, said front layer having a pair of longitudinal edges parallel to one another and a pair of lateral edges extending between opposed ends of said pair of longitudinal edges, respectively;a rear layer constructed of a high temperature resistant material, said rear layer having a pair of longitudinal edges parallel to one another and a pair of lateral edges extending between opposed ends of said pair of longitudinal edges, respectively;wherein said front layer and said rear layer have the same length and width dimensions and are coupled together;wherein said rear layer includes an inner surface and an outer surface;a plurality of magnets coupled to said inner surface of said rear layer, each magnet being spaced apart from each other magnet, wherein said plurality of magnets are arranged in rows so as to securely cling to a metal appliance and being distributed evenly over said inner surface such that an entirety of said rear layer is coupled to the appliance.

2. The magnetic heat shield as in claim 1, wherein: said front layer is constructed of vinyl and is semi-rigid;said rear layer is constructed of a tire-resistant textile material.

3. The magnetic heat shield as in claim 2, wherein said rear layer is fixedly attached to said front layer with stitching.

4. The magnetic heat shield as in claim 2, wherein said front layer is flame resistant.

5. The magnetic heat shield as in claim 3, wherein said fire-resistant textile is taken from a group consisting of Aramide, FR cotton, coated nylon, carbon foam, and leather.

6. (canceled)

7. A magnetic heat shield for attachment to an appliance that generates heat, said magnetic heat shield, comprising: a front layer constructed of a vinyl material that is heat resistant, said front layer having a pair of longitudinal edges parallel to one another and a pair of lateral edges extending between opposed ends of said pair of longitudinal edges, respectively;a rear layer constructed of a textile material that is high temperature resistant, said rear layer having a pair of longitudinal edges parallel to one another and a pair of lateral edges extending between opposed ends of said pair of longitudinal to edges, respectively;wherein said front layer and said rear layer have the same length and width dimensions and are coupled together;wherein said rear layer includes an inner surface and an outer surface;a plurality of magnets coupled to said inner surface of said rear layer, each magnet being spaced apart from each other magnet and said plurality of magnets being arranged in rows and distributed over said inner surface so as to cling to the appliance.

8. The magnetic heat shield as in claim 7, wherein said rear layer is fixedly attached to said front layer with stitching.

9. The magnetic heat shield as in claim 1, wherein said front layer is flame resistant.

10. The magnetic heat shield as in claim 1, wherein said fire-resistant textile is taken from a group consisting of Aramide, FR cotton, coated nylon, carbon foam, and leather.