Patent Grant
8794826
The invention relates to protective covers for hot appliances or devices. More specifically, the present invention is for a cover designed for a hot appliance constructed with heat resistant material having an interior lining of insulation. Preferably, the cover is placed on a hot appliance to prevent users or passersby from coming in contact with conductive and convective heat from the appliance and from coming in direct contact with a hot appliance. In this manner, the cover protects individuals from the hot part(s) of the appliance and any steam that may be emanating from the appliance. Optionally, the cover may include temperature sensitive fabric on its exterior that changes color based upon the device's temperature. The use of this fabric serves as an additional safety feature of the cover and visually alerts individuals of the temperature of the appliance and the cover.
Household appliances traditionally do not have heat protective covers. A cover may be available for covering an appliance that is decorative in nature, or is applied to prevent the collection of dust on an appliance. However, these types of decorative covers are not for use when the appliance is hot. The decorative covers are only for use after the appliance has completely cooled and is not longer emanating heat. These types of covers are commonly made with materials such as cotton or polyester. The types of materials used in prior art covers do not have any heat protection or heat resistant qualities nor do they offer any protection from exposure to steam. These types of materials are not resistant to heat and are flammable at high temperatures. These covers cannot be used on an appliance that is still heated from use. They cannot be used on an appliance that produces steam. This is true for toaster covers, hot plate covers, etc.
Currently, there does not exist on the market protective covers for irons and similar appliances or devices where the cover may be used and applied to the appliance when it is at an elevated temperature. Nor does there exist on the market protective covers for irons and similar appliances or devices where the cover may be used and applied to the appliance when it is releasing steam. Certain appliances or devices may be left in the open, increasing the chance of exposure to the heated appliance, which can cause burns on human skin. The current practice in homes or industry (i.e., restaurant kitchens) is to verbally warn people in the immediate vicinity that the appliance is still hot or to otherwise caution individuals that an appliance is hot and a danger. Of course, more common to those situations is to assume individuals will notice that the appliance has been recently used because he/she was in the room during the use of the appliance. The individual may assume the appliance has been recently used if he/she feels heat emanating from the appliance. However, there is always a possibility that someone is in a rush and in his/her haste, bumps into or otherwise comes in contact with the hot appliance. In these situations, the individual has a greater risk of burning himself/herself on the hot appliance. Also, in the event the individual is merely working near or close to the hot appliance, the individual could inadvertently bump the hot appliance, thereby burning his/her skin. Alternatively, the cord of the appliance could become entangled with someone or something, and be pulled from where it is stored. For example, the cord of an iron could become entangled by a child, and the iron could fall on the child and burn the child. In another situation, an iron or hot plate may fall and burn the surface on which it lies or start a fire.
In the view of the foregoing, a need exists for a cover that can be placed over a hot appliance to protect individuals from burning themselves on the appliance while it is still hot or releasing steam.
There exists a need for a cover that visually alerts individuals that an appliance is hot with, for example, the use of a temperature sensitive material that changes color on the cover's exterior, or the use of a temperature sensor connected to a light or other visual display on the protective cover's exterior.
There also exists a need for a cover that transmits some of the heat emanating from the appliance that can be sensed by an individual and which alerts the nearby individual that the appliance beneath the cover is heated or hot and minimizing dangers of being burned.
There exists a need for a cover that fits securely onto a hot appliance and that will not fall off inadvertently. In the event an appliance such as an iron or hot plate falls, the cover would remain secure to the iron or hot plate and would not become dislodged from the appliance.
There exists a need for a cover that is easily placed securely onto a hot appliance where the individual or user does not burn his/her fingers during the process of placing the protective cover on the hot appliance.
There exists a need for a cover that allows for air flow through the cover in a manner that allows cool air to reach the hot surface of the device or appliance so that it can cool down. The transmission of the heat serves the function of enabling the hot appliance to cool, prevents condensation from forming on the appliance, and also acts to alert an individual that the appliance is hot because some of the heat is transferred to the exterior surface of the cover and can be detected by an individual.
The present invention overcomes a number of limitations of current devices currently known and/or available. Other objects, features, and characteristics of the invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form part of this specification.
The present invention embodies a secure protective cover for a hot device or appliance. The cover is preferably made with heat resistant material and an interior lining of insulation placed between layers of the heat resistant material. The cover is placed on the hot part of an appliance to prevent users or passersby from coming in direct contact with a hot appliance, thereby protecting them from the hot part(s) of the appliance. The heat resistant material is used as the inner most layer of the cover that comes in direct contact with the hot appliance. The heat resistant material is also on the outermost layer of the cover. Between the layers of the heat resistant materials is an interior space for an insulating layer. The insulating layer functions to prevent all of the heat of the hot appliance from passing through to the outer surface of the cover. However, the insulating layer allows some heat to pass through the cover so that the exterior of the cover may become warm at most (not hot). In this way, the cover allows the hot appliance to cool because there exists a stream of air flow to allow heat to escape gradually. This air flow, conversely, allows cool air to reach the hot interior—the hot surface of the appliance. The cool air thereby assists in the cooling of the hot appliance gradually. The cover, which is constructed with heat resistant material, can be designed from one piece of fabric. In this embodiment, the heat resistant material may fold over so as to create an interior space in which to insert heat resistant insulation. In another embodiment of the invention, the cover may be formed with separate pieces of heat resistant fabric that are sewn together.
The cover is made with heat resistant fabric, insulation, and has stitching joining the different layers of material using heat resistant thread, however, in other non-limiting embodiments, glue, staples, or other similar types of fasteners may be utilized for connecting the different layers of material. The heat resistant material may be used as an inner layer and an outer layer. An insulating material or materials may be placed between the inner layer and outer layer, forming a third or middle layer. This layer is also referred to at times as the interior lining. These layers typically would be stitched together using heat resistant thread. Of course, there can be any number of layers utilized with the invention—both heat resistant layers and insulating layers. The layers, their construction and number will vary on manufacturing specifications, the size of the appliance, and other factors that need to be considered for constructing the protective cover for a hot appliance.
A perimeter encasement for securing the cover to an appliance is utilized with the present invention. This encasement is formed with the heat resistant fabric for containing an elastic material (hereinafter referred to as “elastic”), such as an elastic band although, in other non-limiting examples, a drawstring, a coiled spring, or other similar types of materials may be utilized. The encasement is constructed from heat resistant material and extends the length of the perimeter of the cover. The encasement may be formed by one piece of fabric folded over and stitched down one side parallel to the fold. The stitching may be completed with, for example, heat resistant thread. The encasement may also be constructed using two pieces of heat resistant fabric that are the same width and length, having a longer length and narrow width. The length should be constructed so as to extend at a minimum the perimeter of the cover. The width, at a minimum, should be a size sufficient to hold the elastic of any suitable width. The width may depend upon the size of the elastic, both in thickness and the width of the elastic itself. The width of the encasement would be formed to have additional space on either side of the elastic. In this manner, the elastic rests inside the encasement without touching the folded or the stitched edges. Additionally, the elastic extends throughout the encasement and would typically extend to match the perimeter of the cover. Various modifications to the encasement and to the elastic may be made to accommodate a variety of appliances, their size, type, and structure. The encasement with the elastic is attached to the cover. Typically, the encasement is attached to the perimeter of the cover by stitching or sewing one side of the length of the encasement to the perimeter of the cover.
The function of the encasement with the elastic is to secure the cover on the appliance itself, but preferably to secure the cover on the hot part of the appliance. For example, the sole plate of an iron is the hot part of the iron when the appliance is turned on. The cover can be designed to fit snugly and securely on the sole plate only. Variations in the design and structure of the cover may be made without affecting the overall purpose of the invention. For example, some variations may be implemented in the structure and design of the cover to create a more decorative cover.
The cover may be created in a shape that is suitable to cover the hot part of the appliance. For example, an iron cover is in the shape of the sole plate that becomes hot. The cover will include, in one example, an elastic band placed at perimeter of the heat resistant fabric. The elastic band would be completely encased by the heat resistant fabric and sewn into a fixed position at the perimeter of the cover by stitching using heat resistant thread. The elastic band placed at the perimeter of the cover functions to expand over the circumference of the sole plate and retract causing the cover to be securely held in position over the sole plate. This method of affixing eliminates the need for additional ties, snaps or other methods for affixing the cover to the heated appliance.
The cover may have additional pieces of fabric extending beyond the elastic perimeter of the secure cover. These additional pieces of fabric, sometimes referred to as flares herein, provide the user with a tool by which to attach the secure cover to the hot appliance without having the user's fingers or hands approach too close to the hot metal of the appliance. The flare may be a piece of the heat resistant material that extends along the outer perimeter of the encasement. The flare may be two or more pieces of heat resistant material attached to the outer perimeter of the encasement at different locations. The user may use the flares to stretch the cover and the encasement with elastic over the hot appliance. The flares may be affixed to the outer length of the encasement in a manner that extends away from the interior of the cover. Thus, when the user attaches the cover to the hot appliance, his/her hands are able to hold the cover and place the cover over the hot appliance while maintaining a safe distance from the hot part of the appliance to prevent accidental burning of the skin while applying the cover. Additionally, the flares may have a more complex structure that further protects the user from the hot part of the appliance. The flares may have an additional form that creates a pocket for the user's hand or finger(s). Where the flare forms a pocket, the user inserts his or her hand or fingers fully into the pocket. The user's hand or fingers are further protected by the use of the pocket—flare design.
The interior lining of the cover provides an insulating feature of the cover to protect the individual from the direct heat emanating from the hot appliance. The lining would also be able to minimize the heat transmitted through the cover. The heat resistant fabric also transmits some heat through the material. Accordingly, the cover with its various layers is able to minimize the heat transmitted through the layers—insulation layer, protective heat-resistant fabric layer—thereby allowing the individual to become and remain aware of the fact that the appliance is hot. The insulation may be of a permeable nature such as a sponge material, silicon or similar insulating materials. The insulation may also have openings in it to allow air and heat to pass through the insulation layer. The insulation layer may be designed in a manner that does not fill the interior completely thereby creating air pockets. For example, the insulation may be formed with a third layer of heat resistant fabric. In one embodiment, the insulation could be a series of smaller pieces of insulation that are inserted into or attached to the third layer of material that rests in the interior section of the cover. The insulation layer could be formed in a manner so as not to fully extend the full surface area of the cover itself. Thus, the insulation layer would cover the majority of the surface area of the cover to protect the user from the direct heat of the hot appliance.
The cover may, optionally, include a piece of color changing material on its exterior surface that functions as a visual signal to an individual of the temperature of the appliance. The color changing material changes color with temperature. Thus, the use of the color changing material on the exterior of the cover serves to visually alert the user and/or passersby that the appliance under the cover is at a certain temperature (i.e., hot or cold). The use of the color changing material could be used as a fourth layer that forms the exterior of the cover. The color changing material may be applied to the exterior layer (i.e., the heat resistant fabric) in a manner that would optimally or efficiently detect any heat or temperature change in the appliance. The color changing material may attach to the exterior as one stripe across the exterior surface of the cover using the heat resistant thread to sew the material to the exterior layer. The color changing material could be cut into a design or shape that is decorative. The decorative shape may be sewn onto the exterior layer. The color changing material may be optionally added to the cover in order for the cover to have a visual change in appearance when the temperature of the cover changes due to the temperature of the appliance on which the cover is placed. The use of this material adds another safety feature to the cover.
The cover allows air flow through the fabric. In this manner, the hot appliance is able to cool gradually because the cover allows heat to permeate through it and escape while simultaneously allowing cooler air through the material to cool the hot appliance. The cover may be perforated to (a) allow heat to escape and (b) to allow cool air to reach the hot metal of the appliance, and (c) to provide for air flow wherein the hot metal decreases in temperature gradually while remaining covered to prevent direct contact of skin with the hot metal thereby eliminating and preventing an individual from burning himself or herself on the hot metal. The insulation placed in the interior of the heat resistant material may have openings in the insulation to allow air to permeate so that the hot appliance may cool and no condensation builds up within the cover. The secure protective cover can be stitched together with heat resistant thread. However, other methods known in the arts for attaching the materials may be used. The secure cover will have a shape similar to the shape of the hot portion of the appliance. In this way, the secure cover fits closely or snugly onto a hot appliance.
A further understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference to a preferred embodiment set forth in the illustrations of the accompanying drawings. Although the illustrated embodiment is merely exemplary of devices for carrying out the invention, both the organization and apparatus of the invention, in general, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, may be more easily understood by reference to the drawings and the following description. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of this invention, which is set forth with particularity in the claims as appended or as subsequently amended, but merely to clarify and exemplify the invention.
For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is now made to the following drawings in which:
As required, a detailed illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed herein. The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention. However, techniques, systems, and operating structures in accordance with the present invention may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those in the disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative, yet in that regard, they are deemed to afford the best embodiment for purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein, which define the scope of the present invention. It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The following presents a detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention (in addition to some alternative embodiments).
Referring first to
Turning to
The preferred materials for the secure protective cover consist of heat resistant fabric made by any number of manufacturers, and may be made with materials that can withstand scorching at temperatures around 400 degree Fahrenheit, such as, for example, Tencate freestyle, DuPont fabrics, Nomex blend materials, or other similar types of materials. Nomex and Kevlar are two types of aramids, which are a class of heat-resistant synthetic fibers. Such fibers are generally used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic rated body armor fabric, in protective garments, bicycle tires, and as electrical insulators. Aramids are fibers, so they can be made into various forms including threads and fabrics, depending on the desired application. These heat resistant fabrics can be stitched with Kevlar thread.
Other heat-resistant materials, which are not created with aramids, include products from ADL Insulflex Inc. and Kuraray Co., Ltd. such as the pyroblanket, silicaflex blankets, and Vectran™ products that are heat resistant. Both use other materials such as ceramic, stainless steel thread and/or glass fiber to create heat resistant cloth products. A combination of materials may be used in order to reach a preferred fabric with heat, fire and flame resistant qualities that are optimal for special situations or circumstances.
The benefit of using these types of fabrics is that they act as a protective layer to an individual that may come in contact with the fabric when it is covering a hot appliance, thereby preventing the individual from coming into direct contact with the hot appliance and preventing any potential for burns or damage to the individual. These types of fabrics also allow some heat to pass through the fabric. In this manner, the individual becomes aware that the appliance underneath and/or covered by the fabric is hot and dangerous to direct contact.
The secure cover of the present invention includes an insulation layer 220, which may include silicone, rubber or other synthetic insulating materials. Foams are another class of insulating materials that may also be used with the present invention. Other non-limiting examples of materials that may be used as insulation include cork, butyl-rubber, neoprene, polyethylene, polyester polyether, or other similar materials.
The secure protective cover 160 of the present invention may also comprise thread that is fire resistant, although this is an optional embodiment of the present invention. Because the main concern is for the materials that come in direct contact with the heated metal of the appliance to have the heat resistant and/or fire resistant qualities, the thread that is used to construct the present invention may be heat resistant. However, this is not required in order for the present invention to function appropriately and serve its purpose. In other non-limiting embodiments, staples, tacks, or similar types of attachment materials may be utilized.
Next,
Optionally, encasement 301 may be sewn or otherwise attached to the fabric layer assembly 201 of the cover along its perimeter, as shown in
Cover 450 includes optional hand grips 760 and/or “hook-shaped” hand grip 640. While both the hand grip 760 that is shown as a flare around the perimeter of the cover and the hand grip 640 at the base of iron 401 are shown in
Turning next to
The encasement 701 attaches to the perimeter 620 of base assembly 501. The additional material included on this embodiment of encasement 701 is flare 760 attached to encasement 701 via stitching shown at 710 or other attachment technique(s) that are well known in the field. The width 770 of flare 760 may vary but should always be sufficiently wide to provide a grip for the person using the cover 450. The purpose of flare 760 is to protect the user's persons from directly contacting the hot appliance. In
An alternative embodiment of the present invention can include a visual display 950 as shown in
Additional covers that embody the present invention can be designed for other appliances as shown in
While the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment and alternative embodiments, which embodiments have been set forth in considerable detail for the purposes of making a complete disclosure of the invention, such embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to be limiting or represent an exhaustive enumeration of all aspects of the invention. The scope of the invention, therefore, shall be defined solely by the following claims. Further, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details without departing from the spirit and the principles of the invention. It should be appreciated that the present invention is capable of being embodied in other forms without departing from its essential characteristics.
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