OUTDOOR PATIO HEATER ACCESSORY AND METHOD OF USE

Abstract

An accessory for a patio heater includes a bracket to secure to a pole of the patio heater; two arms attached to and extending away from the bracket in an upward direction; and two concave shields attached to the arms to bend around a heating element of the patio heater; the concave shields reflect heat in a desired direction.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to patio heaters, and more specifically, to an accessory for patio heaters that aids in bending heat in a desired direction to provide heat to the audience of the patio heater.

2. Description of Related Art

Patio heaters are well known in the art and are effective means to add heat to an outdoor setting. For example, FIG. 1 depicts a conventional patio heater 101 having a base 103 with a pole 105 extending to a heater 107 covered with a dome 109. During use, heat is projected in all directions (as shown with arrows A and B), away from heater 107.

One of the problems commonly associated with system 101 is heat being projected in all directions. For example, during use of heater 107 near a table, the persons sitting at the table only receive a portion of the heat produced, thereby making the patio heater 101 less than optimally efficient at providing the persons with heat.

Accordingly, although great strides have been made in the area of patio heaters, many shortcomings remain.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the embodiments of the present application are set forth in the appended claims. However, the embodiments themselves, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a common patio heater;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a common patio heater with an accessory secured thereto in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the patio heater and accessory of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are front views of the accessory of FIG. 2 with the shields removed and attached for clarity; and

FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting the use of a patio heater and accessory of FIG. 2.

While the system and method of use of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present application as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrative embodiments of the system and method of use of the present application are provided below. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions will be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

The system and method of use in accordance with the present application overcomes one or more of the above-discussed problems commonly associated with conventional patio heaters. Specifically, the present invention provides an accessory that aids in bending heat in a desired direction. These and other unique features of the system and method of use are discussed below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The system and method of use will be understood, both as to its structure and operation, from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description. Several embodiments of the system are presented herein. It should be understood that various components, parts, and features of the different embodiments may be combined together and/or interchanged with one another, all of which are within the scope of the present application, even though not all variations and particular embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the mixing and matching of features, elements, and/or functions between various embodiments is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that the features, elements, and/or functions of one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unless described otherwise.

The preferred embodiment herein described is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is chosen and described to explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use to enable others skilled in the art to follow its teachings.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 2 depicts a front view of a patio heater 201 with an accessory 203 secured thereto in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present application. It will be appreciated that accessory 203 overcomes one or more of the above-listed problems commonly associated with conventional patio heaters systems.

In the contemplated embodiment, accessory 203 includes a mounting bracket 205 configured to secure to a pole 207 of patio heater 201. It should be appreciated that mounting bracket 205 can be any style of bracket or clamp configured to secure around a pole. Accessory 203 further includes a plurality of arms 209, 211 extending upward from bracket 205 and attached to two or more shields 213, 215, wherein the shields are positioned around the heating element (not shown) of the heater, to direct heat in a desired direction. In the preferred embodiment, the shields 213, 215 are positioned under the dome 217, but alternative embodiments contemplate smaller shields.

As better shown in FIG. 3, the shields overlap 301 to further prevent heat from escaping in the undesired direction. The shields 213, 215 are concave, thereby allowing for the directing of heat (as shown with arrows C, D, and E).

It should be appreciated that one of the unique features believed characteristic of the present application is accessory 203, having shields attached to arms and configured to direct heat in a desired direction.

In FIGS. 4A and 4B, the accessory 203 is further shown without the patio heater to further depict and show the features. The shields 213, 215 secure to the arms via any appropriate attachment means 401, 403, and curve around the heating element of the patio heater, thereby pushing heat in a desired direction. In some embodiments, shields 213, 215 are composed of aluminum, however, other materials could be used. Further, it should be appreciated that the arms are non-heat conductive material.

In FIG. 5, a flowchart 501 depicts the method of use of heater 201 and accessory 203. The accessory is secured to the heater pole via the bracket, as shown with box 503. The shields are then positioned opposite the desired direction of heat reflection, as shown with box 505. The patio heater is activated, wherein heat is reflected away from the shields to heat a desired area, as shown with box 507.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the embodiments may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified, and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the application. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the description. Although the present embodiments are shown above, they are not limited to just these embodiments, but are amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

Claims

1. An accessory for a patio heater, the accessory comprising:

a bracket configured to secure to a pole of the patio heater;

two arms attached to and extending away from the bracket in an upward direction; and

two concave shields attached to the arms and configured to bend around a heating element of the patio heater;

wherein the concave shields reflect heat in a desired direction.

2. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the two concave shields are composed of aluminum.

3. A method of outdoor heating, the method comprising:

providing a patio heater;

providing an accessory, the accessory having a bracket to secure to a pole of the patio heater; two arms attached to and extending away from the bracket; and two shields attached to the two arms; and

directing heat in a desired direction via the two shields.