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Locking stove control knob shield and safety apparatusRelated Patent Categories: Stoves And Furnaces, Solar Heat Collector, With Means To Convey Fluent Medium Through Collector, Thermosyphonic Fluid CirculationLocking stove control knob shield and safety apparatus description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050279348, Locking stove control knob shield and safety apparatus. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] None. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] This invention was not federally sponsored. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION [0003] The idea of a stove originated in numerous cultures several thousand years ago, with several Chinese stoves dating back to the Han Dynasty. The first historical record of a stove in Europe dates from a brick and tile stove built during the 1400's in France. The 1700's saw Benjamin Franklin invent the Franklin stove, which was an iron furnace stove. There were further improvements during the 1800's, which saw emergence of coal, electric, and gas stoves. [0004] By the early 1900's the gas stove was the most popular stove in the United States. As with any apparatus combining fire and gas, the gas stove presented an inherent danger of creating house fires. This danger remains today. For example, as of the date of this application, an average of three children die every day from house fires, a residential fire is started once every 78 seconds, and cooking fires are the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Many of these fires are caused by children who unknowingly or carelessly turn on or off the stove control knobs. [0005] In an effort to prevent such accidents, there have been a number of prior devices and methods invented. Since the current invention focuses on a method of preventing children from carelessly turning on or off a burner, this discussion will emphasize prior inventions directed at solving this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,105 B1 to Merritt teaches a stove burner shield with folding splashguards and a protective cover with a locking knob to cover the control knobs. While this invention appears to provide a locking cover for the control knobs, it requires fasteners (reference number 34 on the '105 patent) to attach the invention to the stove. Obviously the drilling of any holes into a stove to attach a safety device not only damages the stove and makes removal of the device likely to leave an unsightly appearance, but may void any warranty and perhaps even damage the stove if the holes were drilled in the wrong locations. The invention of this patent solves this problem by hooking on under the stove top and does so without requiring any holes to be drilled or fasteners of any type being used. [0006] The prior art also references several devices invented to make control knobs safer for use in an environment where occasionally unsupervised children live. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,878 to Lewis et al. teaches a safety knob with a releasable lock assembly and U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,525 issued to Delgado et al. teaches a control knob with a built-in spur which impedes the ability of a child to easily turn the gas on. Such devices serve to make it more difficult for a child to turn a burner on and off, but do not completely eliminate that possibility and do not have the ability to use a key or padlock to truly secure. [0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,524 to Elasser teaches a mechanical device which is included in the manufacture of a stove which has an intricate series of metal bars attached to a switch located toward the back of the stove, whereby an adult can turn the knob and the metal bars then lock the control knobs such that the burners cannot be turned on without first "unlocking" the switch. While this device would serve to prevent a child from turning on a burner (unless the child was tall enough to reach the switch or industrious enough to haul a chair or other device next to the stove to allow access to the switch), it must be built into the stove during its assembly and cannot be added on later as an accessory feature. It does also not have a padlock or key feature which would secure the control knobs from a creative child who figures out a way to climb on the stove. The current invention provides a childproof feature but is less complicated, does not have to be manufactured as part of the stove, and should it break, can be fixed without opening the main internal compartment of the stove. [0008] In summary, while there are attempts in the prior art to "childproof" stoves, none provide the combination of easy attachment with complete "childproof" protection in a stove safety device usable on a variety of types and brands of stoves without damage to the stove through attachment. Accordingly, there is a long felt need for such a device. [0009] This invention solves the problems mentioned above by providing a shield which can be easily and safely attached to a wide variety of stoves. Attaching the invention does not damage the stoves, and can be used with stoves which have the control knobs on the front, and on the top, of the stove. Among the devices which can be used to "childproof" the stoves are rack and pinion gears, locking and double locking pin assemblies, padlocks and combination locks, and locking pin/cotter pin assemblies. BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0010] It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a childproof device for gas and electric stoves. [0011] It is a further object of this invention that it can be attached to the stoves (and removed from them) in a non-destructive and simple manner, and does not have to be built into the stoves during their manufacture. [0012] It is a further object of this invention that the invention is usable in a variety of different types and brands of stoves with no modifications of the device prior to use. [0013] Other and further objects and features of this invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the invention showing the basic components of the invention: two pieces of metal attached by a hinge, with the covering piece extending inside the stove under the stove top and hooking into place over the lip of the front section of the stove extending back in away from the front of the stove serving to affix the device to the stove, and the second piece rotably movable such that it can swing down and cover the control knobs. [0015] FIG. 2 is a partial, side view of the means of attachment portion of the invention, showing how the hook portion of the covering piece of metal slides into the interior of the stove and hooks over the lip of the front section of the stove. [0016] FIG. 3 is a front view of the invention showing the invention detached from a stove, with particular attention paid to the location of the various holes for hold down screws and locking bolts. [0017] FIG. 4 is an elevational side view of another iteration of the invention where the invention is designed to cover control knobs mounted on the top, rather than they front, of the stove. [0018] FIG. 5 is side view of the Locking Pin Assembly and the Cotter Pin. [0019] FIG. 6 is a side view of the double locking pin used to childproof to stove control knobs. Continue reading about Locking stove control knob shield and safety apparatus... Full patent description for Locking stove control knob shield and safety apparatus Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Locking stove control knob shield and safety apparatus patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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