STOVE COVER

It is disclosed a foldable surface of a first flat expanse. The surface includes four identical pockets for receiving four flat rigid inserts, and borders between the pockets. The borders allow folding of the surface a much smaller second flat expanse. A shape of the flat rigid insert may be a rectangle, a square, half a circle, a quarter of a circle, or an equilateral right-angle triangle. The foldable surface includes textile, fire-retardant treated textile or a textile withstanding a temperature of 1000° F. The filled pockets are covered with sheaths. Margins of the pockets and margins of the sheaths include mating straps. The foldable surface further includes a skirt disposed downward from the perimeter of the first flat expanse. The skirt may have height of at least 5 inches, and may include holes for its anchoring to underneath objects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the invention

The invention is in the field of kitchen appliances, especially articles for covering cooking means when that are not in their usual use, such that their area may be used for other purposes.

BACKGROUND

Stove covers provide two needs of a kitchen owner. The first need is to protect cooktop surfaces from accumulation of dust, debris, cat hair, or other impurities from falling inside the cooking grates, thus reducing fire safety hazards and harsh odors.

The second need is to provide additional working surface, especially in small and densely packed kitchens where working surfaces are in shortage. A stove cover may provide such an excess surface whenever the stove is not in use and has already cooled down. Furthermore, a stove cover which stands high temperatures made be used right after using the stove. Thus, the object of the current invention is to provide such a stove cover to allow using of the space for placing a chopping block, dropping groceries off, or preparing a healthy lunch.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is disclosed a foldable surface of a first flat expanse. The surface includes pockets for receiving respective rigid flat inserts to get filled pockets, and borders between the pockets. The borders allow folding of the foldable surface to a second flat expanse, much smaller than the first flat expanse.

In some embodiments, the foldable surface includes four identical pockets for respective four identical inserts.

In some embodiments, the foldable surface includes a certain number of pockets, and the second expanse is less than (the first flat expanse)*1.2 /(the certain number of pockets).

In some embodiments, a shape of a flat rigid insert is a rectangle, a square, half a circle, a quarter of a circle, and an equilateral right-angle triangle.

In some embodiments, the foldable surface includes the flat rigid inserts.

In some embodiments, the foldable surface includes textile.

In some embodiments, the foldable surface includes sheaths for closing the filled pockets. Preferably, margins of the pockets and margins of the sheaths include mating straps for closing of the filled pockets by the sheaths. Preferably, the sheaths include textile.

The above-mentioned textile is fire-retardant treated textile or a textile withstanding a temperature of 1000° F.

In some embodiments, the foldable surface further includes a skirt disposed downward from the perimeter of the first flat expanse. Preferably, the skirt has height of at least 5 inches. Preferably, the skirt includes holes for its anchoring to underneath objects.

It is disclosed a method for using a foldable surface of a first flat expanse. The method includes inserting flat rigid inserts into pockets of the foldable surface to get filled pockets, closing the filled pockets by sheaths, and folding the foldable surface along borders between the filled pockets to occupy a second flat expanse, much smaller than the first flat expanse.

In some embodiments, the method further includes a step of unfolding the surface, and a step of covering a stove by the spread-out surface.

In some embodiments, the foldable surface further includes a skirt, and the method includes a step of disposing the skirt downward from a perimeter of the first flat expanse.

In some embodiments, the method includes a step of sticking mating straps at margins of the pockets and at margins of the sheaths.

In some embodiments, the method further includes a step of anchoring the skirt to an underneath object.

It is disclosed a method for producing a foldable surface of a first flat expanse. The method comprising preparing a textile surface of a first substantially flat expanse, creating pockets on the textile surface, and connecting borders between the pockets, and inserting flat rigid inserts into the pockets. The borders allow folding of the foldable surface after being filled with rigid inserts.

The method further includes connecting first mating straps to the borders, and closing the filled pockets by sheaths having margins with a second mating strap for mating with the one first mating strap on the border.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described in terms of specific example embodiments. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the example embodiments disclosed. It should also be understood that not every feature of the methods and systems handling the described game is necessary to implement the invention as claimed in any particular one of the appended claims. Various elements and features of the invented article are described to fully enable the invention. It should also be understood that throughout this disclosure, where a method is shown or described, the steps of the method may be performed in any order or simultaneously, unless it is clear from the context that one step depends on another being performed first.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The systems, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

A foldable surface2is used to cover a gas stove4as shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 2. The structure of the foldable surface2enables stable deposition of the shown fruit plates6on it. The structure further enables to fold the foldable surface2to about one fourth of its area, as shown inFIG. 3, for easy storage in a closet, pantry, or other available storage area in the kitchen.

In the next sections, a description of the structure of the foldable surface2is followed by a description of its method of use and a description of its method of production.

A Foldable Surface for Covering a Stove (FIGS. 1-8)

The foldable surface or cover2has a flat expanse8as shown the back view ofFIG. 4. In the back side of the foldable surface2, there are four pockets10for receiving respective rigid flat inserts12. As shown inFIG. 5, sheaths14cover the pockets10.

A side cross-section of the cover2is shown inFIG. 6. Borders16separate the pockets10from each other. Mating strap18are attached to the borders16and to the margins20of the pocket10. Mating strap22are attached to the margins of sheaths14.

In an example, mating straps18are Velcro hook strap while mating strap22are Velcro loop straps. Thus, upon placing of the sheaths on the pockets10, the straps18stick to the straps22, and keep the rigid inserts12within the pockets10.

The combination of borders16, straps18and straps22allow folding of the foldable surface to a flat expanse24ofFIG. 3, which is much smaller than the flat expanse8. For example, in case that the foldable surface2includes four identical pockets10for respective four identical inserts12, the flat expanse24is less than 30% of the flat expanse8.

The foldable surface2may further include a skirt26disposed downward from the perimeter of the flat expanse8. The skirt may have a height of at least5inches, and it hides the lower part of the stove and thus affects aesthetic appearance.

As shown inFIG. 7, the skirt26may include holes28for its anchoring to underneath handle30of an oven, for example. In the example ofFIG. 7a hook32of a hook strap is connected to the handle30while a strap34is interlaced within the hole28.

The foldable surface2and the sheaths14may be made from a textile. The textile may be fire-retardant treated textile, a textile withstanding a temperature of 1000° F. or even 2000° F. Additionally, or alternatively, the textile may be waterproof material, and\or heavy-duty, easy-to-maintain durable textile.

The stability of the foldable surface needed for supporting the fruit plates6is provided by two features of the stove and of the foldable surface. First, as shown inFIG. 2, the stove4includes metallic structure29for supporting cooking utensils, which supports the surface2. Secondly, the four rigid inserts12are packed closely within the pockets10to avoid collapsing under the weight of plates6.

Rather than having four pockets10for four rigid inserts12, a foldable surface may include only two pockets10for two rigid inserts12, or more than four pockets10. Also, the shape of the pockets10and rigid inserts12may be one of the examples ofFIG. 8, as well as any shape that is consistent with the necessary features of the foldable surface2.

A Method for Using a Foldable Surface (FIGS. 1-7, 9)

A method100for using a foldable surface2of a flat expanse8is presented in the flowchart ofFIG. 9. The method100includes a step105of inserting flat rigid inserts12into pockets10of the foldable surface2, step110of sticking mating straps18and22at margins of the pockets10and at margins of the sheaths14, respectively, and a step115of mating and closing the filled pockets10by sheaths14. The method100further includes a step120of folding the foldable surface along borders16between the filled pockets10to occupy a flat expanse24, much smaller than the flat expanse8.

The method100further includes a step125of unfolding the surface2, and a step130of covering a stove4by the spread-out surface2.

The foldable surface2may further include a skirt26, and the method100includes a step135of disposing the skirt26downward from a perimeter of the flat expanse8, and a step140of anchoring the skirt26to an underneath object30.

A Method for Creating a Foldable Surface (FIGS. 1-7, 10)

A method200for producing a foldable surface2of a flat expanse8is depicted in the flowchart ofFIG. 10. The method200includes a step205of preparing a textile surface2of a flat expanse8, a step210of connecting a skirt to the foldable surface2, a step215of creating pockets10on the textile surface2, a step220of connecting borders16to the surface2between the pockets10, and a step225of inserting flat rigid inserts12into the pockets10.

The method further includes a step230of connecting mating straps18to the borders16, and a method235of closing the filled pockets10by sheaths14having margins with mating straps22for mating with the mating strap18on the border.