Portable Stove Hood

Abstract

A portable enclosure and safety shield for a counter-top stove which folds up and is removable when not in use. The unit consists of folding sides and a top member which join to the hinged stove cover to segregate the cooking area from adjacent equipment, furniture and draperies.

Description

This application is a refiling of application Ser. No. 223,428 filed Feb. 4, 1972 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates generally to a portable shield for attachment to counter-top kitchen stoves, and particularly for use where such stoves are used in close quarters, such as in trailers and campers.

More particularly, the invention is directed to a folding hood unit which is attachable to the conventional hinged cover that serves as the back shield of such a counter-top stove.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The widespread use of trailers and campers for living quarters involves the combination in close quarters of kitchen equipment, furniture and drapes. A potential hazard in such situations is the close proximity of the conventional counter-top cooking stove to adjacent equipment and to the occupants of the unit who may be occupied with other duties adjacent to the stove area. In particular, the stove conventional counter-top may splatter hot liquids, or flame over such adjacent areas with resulting damage to both equipment and personnel.

The counter-top stove utilized in such campers, trailers and mobile homes has a solid metal top cover which is hinged at the rear of the top of the stove so as to fold, when the stove is in use, to become a back shield. The stove unit usually has several top burners on which are placed the pots to be heated. In a typical installation, the sink is directly adjacent to one side of the stove top burner grates, with possibly a dining alcove or chair located directly adjacent the other side of the stove. Because of the compactness of the camper or trailer unit, such tight spacing between the stove and other equipment violates safety standards normally found in kitchens in fixed quarters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable hood and shield which may be readily erected to wall off both sides of such counter-top stoves when the stove burners are lit, with the portable hood unit fitting into the existing folding back cover and top of the conventional stove employed in campers, trailers and mobile homes.

It is a further object of this invention, that the portable hood and shield unit, when not employed, folds into a compact unit that is readily stored out of the way in such close quarters.

The invention consists of two wall members, which form the sides of the hood, each hinged to a flat top member with recesses in the back edges of the wall members to fit about the hinge bracket mounting of the folding stove back top cover. The top member of the device extends, in the attached mode, from the back cover of the stove to approximately cover the rear half of the stove grave area, thus permitting normal circulation of air over the cooking area. The device is fabricated of fireproof and insulated material, and preferably of a composite structure which may consist of two layers of metal separated by a layer of asbestos or fibre-glass, or of such a composite structure in which the external surface may be a thermoplastic veneer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING:

The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the conventional counter-top stove on which the hood is to be employed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hood, in the unfolded mode;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the unfolded hood attached to the stove; and

FIG. 4 is a front view of the hood unit in the folded mode.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

Turning now descriptively to the drawing, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional counter-top stove 10 used in campers, mobile homes and trailers. The stove 10 is mounted in the kitchen counter 11 immediately adjacent the sink 30. Hinged cover 12 serves as a top to the stove 10, when the stove is not in use; cover 12 folding back on hinges 13 to serve as a back when the stove is employed. Folding bracket 14 maintains the cover 12 in the vertical upright condition. The stove has several grates 15 and operating controls 16 mounted on its top section.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the folding hood unit 20 consists of two side panels 21 and 22 each mounted by hinges 25, which fasten to the hood cover panel 23, and to reinforcement 24 fastened to each of the side panels 21 and 22. A recess 26 is cut out of the rear vertical edge of side 21 to clear the mounting bracket 14 fastened to stove cover 12, when the hood unit 20 is installed as shown in FIG. 3.

The top panel 23 preferably covers the rear section of the stove 10, permitting circulation of air over the forward half of the stove.

It is to be noted, as shown in FIG. 3, that the hood unit 20 is held in place against lateral movement, when installed, since it rests on counter-top 11, fitting between the cover bracket 14 and the stove 10 and also fits about the edges of stove back cover 12. As shown in FIG. 4, the unit 20 is readily folded for convenient storage, when not in use.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Claims

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A portable enclosure and safety shield to fit about the sides and the upraised stove cover of a stove mounted on a kitchen counter-top, so as to shield adjacent equipment and personnel from the effects of splattering, heat and flame emanating from cooking operations of said stove, said enclosure in the attached position being restrained from sidewise movement on the stove top consisting of

a stove fitted with a cover plate in the open position over the stove top, said cover hinged to the back of the stove and fitted with a hinged bracket fastened to the stove, which holds the cover plate in place, when open, in a vertical position,

two side panels each hinged to the opposite ends of a cover panel, said side panels when mounted vertically on each side of said stove extending from the front to the rear of the stove,

said cover panel being mounted to the top edge of each side panel, and extending from over the top edge of the open vertical cover of said stove to approximately the mid-section of said stove,

said panels and cover section being fabricated of a material which possesses heat and temperature resistant qualities, in which

a side panel of the enclosure is recessed along the rear vertial edge of the side panel so as to fit between the sides of the open cover plate of the stove and the hinged bracket attached to the side of the cover plate which supports said cover plate in the upraised vertical position.