Patent Publication Number: US-2018051887-A1

Title: Gas stove safety apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,150 issued on Aug. 3, 1999 to Bowen et al. The apparatus described therein includes respective circular discs each having a radially extending slot that extends from the center of each disc to the periphery of the disc. One such disc is placed behind each knob by aligning the radial slot thereof with the shaft and sliding the disc along the extent of the radial slot until the center of the spacer substantially encircles the shaft that carries the knob. The thickness of the disc is sufficient to prevent axial travel of the knob and thus prevent axial travel of the shaft and discharge of flammable gas. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention is generally directed to safety apparatus for gas stoves. More particularly, the present invention is directed to apparatus to prevent inadvertent discharge of flammable gas from a gas stove. Even more particularly, the present invention is directed to preventing safety hazards inherent in the inadvertent discharge of flammable gas from a gas stove. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Currently available gas stoves are typically provided with respective knobs to control the flow of gas to individual burners as well as the oven. Typically the knobs are disposed on respective shafts near the intersection of the front face of the stove and the top face of the stove. Typically, an axial force is required to deep press each knob before the knob can be rotated clockwise to initiate gas flow to the respective burner or oven. This construction is intended to prevent gas flow into the environment of the stove. In practice merely applying an axial force to any individual knob initiates gas flow without any rotation of the knob. Accordingly, there may be inadvertent discharge of gas or other room in which the gas stove is disposed if someone leans against any one of the respective knobs. This may happen, for example, if someone leans against the front of the stove press and presses against any knob whereby flammable gas is discharged. This is particularly likely to happen when someone is trying to reach a cabinet which may be disposed above the stove as well as when someone leans against the front of the stove. 
     Disadvantages of this construction include the necessity for placing a separate disc behind each of the knobs. In the event any such disc falls off and thus is not behind each of the knobs there is a vulnerability to inadvertent release of flammable gas. Human error is also a vulnerability because it is relatively easy to inadvertently not place a spacer of this type behind each of the required knobs. 
     From the above, it is therefore seen that there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described herein and above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through a safety apparatus for prevention of inadvertent discharge of flammable gas by a gas stove having an array of knobs constructed to allow discharge of flammable gas to respective burners subsequent to depression of one or more knobs. The apparatus includes a safety apparatus having a first planar member having an edge; the safety apparatus includes a plurality of recesses extending from the edge. Each of the recesses is dimensioned for passage proximate to respective shafts carrying respective knobs on the associated stove. 
     The first planar member has a thickness small enough to fit intermediate the backs of each of the knobs and a thickness large enough to prevent axial movement of the knobs that is sufficient to allow discharge of flammable gas. 
     In some embodiments of the safety apparatus a plurality of the recesses have an identical shape. One of the recesses may have a generally rectangular shape. A plurality of the recesses may be arch shaped. The safety apparatus may further include a second planar member fixed to the first planar member. The second planar member may be disposed in substantially perpendicular relationship to the first planar member. An edge of the second planar member may be rectilinear. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to substantially eliminate any possibility of inadvertent discharge of flammable gas as a result of someone leaning against the control knob or knobs of a gas fired stove. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus that is easy and fast to install on a multiplicity of knobs. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide apparatus that is highly unlikely to accidentally fall off the stove on which it is used. 
     Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. 
     The recitation herein of desirable objects which are met by various embodiments of the present invention is not meant to imply or suggest that any or all of these objects are present as essential features, either individually or collectively, in the most general embodiment of the present invention or in any of its more specific embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of practice, together with the further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a portion of conventional gas stove showing the relationship between the gas burners and the knobs that control the flow of gas to the burners; 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of one embodiment of the safety stop apparatus in accordance with the present invention, 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the same embodiment of the safety stop apparatus shown in  FIG. 2  illustrating the cooperation with knobs of a stove. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As best shown in  FIG. 1  a conventional gas cooking stove  10  typically has a plurality of burners  12  disposed on the top surface  14  thereof in addition to a plurality of knobs  16  often disposed at the top of the front surface thereof. The knobs  16  are carried on respective shafts. The typical gas fired stove includes a mechanism that allows the discharge of flammable gas at one of the respective burners  12  when one of the knobs  16  is depressed. Typically, the control mechanism requires depression of each of the knobs  16  before that knob  16  may be rotated clockwise to a position suitable for cooking throughout a finite cooking period. Although it is necessary to depress a knob  16  before the mechanism allows rotation of the knob  16  to a position suitable for passage of gas over a finite cooking period, typical burner and oven controls allow passage of flammable gas to the burner merely upon depression of one of the knobs and  16 . 
     It is this characteristic of typical burner controls that creates a safety hazard if a person inadvertently presses one or more of the respective knobs  16  such as when leaning against the front of the stove  10 . This may occur if an adult is reaching a cabinet above the stove  10 . Similarly, children playing near the stove  10  may depress one or more knob  16 . In each case the person inadvertently depressing a knob  16  may not realize that a knob  16  has been pressed much less that the consequence of the knob  16  depression, namely, that the depression results in the escape of flammable gas and that the escape may result in the accumulation of a significant amount of flammable gas which may thus constitute an even greater safety concerns. 
     The safety apparatus  20  in accordance with one form of the present invention is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 2 . The apparatus  20  includes a virtually extended elongated plan  22  having a thickness that is small enough to fit between the front of the stove and the rear of the respective knobs  16  as well as thick enough to limit the axial movement of the shaft mounting the respective knobs sufficiently to prevent any possibility of discharge of flammable gas. The flanged  22  is provided with U-shaped openings  24  for cooperation and engagement with respective shafts carrying respective knobs. 
     The construction of certain stoves  10  may require that some embodiments of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention cooperate to have alternative constructions. More specifically, the apparatus  10  includes an opening  26  that is generally rectangular. The opening  26  is intended for use with a stove  10  having a central knob intended for control of an oven. The alternate generally rectangular shape allows for clearance with respect to a screw or any other obstruction that is part of the stove  10  and which is disposed above any knob. In the illustrated embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  the generally rectangular contour is proximate to a central knob within the array of knobs on the front of the stove  10 . 
     In the illustrated preferred embodiment the apparatus  20  includes a second flanged  28  which in the illustrated preferred embodiment is generally horizontal and thus perpendicular to the generally vertical flanged  22 . The generally horizontal flanged  28  is convenient for a user to grasp both when the flanged  22  is being placed in the safety position intermediate the back of the knobs  16  and the front of the stove  10  or being removed from the position intermediate the back of the knob  16  and the front of the stove  10 . Other embodiments may have the first flanged  22  and the second flanged  28  disposed in coplanar relationship. 
     Many stoves mount the knobs  16  on a flat planar surface in the manner shown in  FIG. 1 . Other stoves mount the knobs on a curved surface. For stoves that mount the knobs on a curved surface the apparatus of the present invention will be contoured to nest with the face of the curved surface of the stove. Accordingly, the term “planar” as used herein in both the specification and claims comprehends both flat planar surfaces as well as curvilinear planar surfaces. 
     The apparatus of the present invention may be manufactured from a wide variety of materials including but not limited to plastic, cardboard, metal and/or wood. 
     All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. 
     Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus, the scope of this invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly to be limited by the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural, chemical, and functional equivalents to the elements of the above-described preferred embodiment that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present invention, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”