GB2410544A - Radiator cover with an access panel - Google Patents

Abstract

A radiator cover comprises an access panel 112 having a ground engaging portion 304 coupled to the cover by a hinge so that the access panel 112 can be rotated open and the ground engaging portion 304 lies flat on the ground. The cover and panel 112 may be metal and fixed to a wall using fixing plates 104. Panel 112 may comprise of a top 302, the ground engaging 304, a recessed 306 and a step portion 308. Step portion 308 may be the same length (1) as the hinge from the floor. The hinge may comprise pins 316 located in U-shaped brackets (204, fig 2). Ventilation slots 116 may be provided on the top 302, ground engaging 304 and recessed 306 portions of the panel 112 and/or an upper 118 and lower 120 front portions of the cover. Panel 112 may have retention means comprising of two latches 310 cooperating with flanges 202 to hold the panel in a closed position. Latches 310 may comprise a rectangular retainer 402 mounted on a shaft 404 having a head 312 with a hexagonal key hole 314. Retention means may also comprise of a lock, adhesive, a stud or hook and loop fasteners and a tool may be used to operate the retention means.

Description

RADIATOR COVER

This invention relates to a radiator cover and in particular, but not exclusively, to a radiator cover to be used in an environment where a high degree of cleanliness and hygiene is required, such as in hospitals, surgeries, kitchens, restaurants, etc. Radiator covers generally serve two purposes. The first is an aesthetic purpose; radiators are not usually designed with aesthetic design the foremost consideration. The second is safety; the surface temperature of radiators can be high enough to burn a person who makes contact with that surface. A radiator cover is usually sized such that a gap is left between the surface of a radiator and the cover and is vented to allow convective transfer of heat. The surface of the cover is then quite some degrees lower in temperature than the radiator without losing significant heat output.

The skilled person will appreciate that, while some institutions such as hospitals may require the use of radiator covers to ensure that people are not burned by contact with a radiator, such a safety-conscious institution is also likely to consider hygiene a high priority. The cavity between a radiator and a radiator cover is warm and liable to build up dust as convection currents draw up air from the floor level. Should any substance such as food or drink fall into the cavity, bacteria will readily breed. A radiator cover is therefore preferably regularly removed such that thorough cleaning can be carried out. This can be cumbersome; the covers are often screwed to walls and/or the radiator therein and have to be removed by a maintenance technician with a screwdriver.

Alternatively, the cover may comprise an access panel that will in general require some tool to remove and will then provide limited access to the interior of the cover.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a radiator cover comprising an access panel arranged to be opened to provide access to the interior of the cover, the access panel comprising a portion of a surface of the cover and a ground engaging portion, the panel being arranged such that when it is opened, at least the ground engaging portion lies substantially flat on the ground.

This is advantageous as the interior of the radiator cover and, in use of the cover, the surface of a radiator it is covering, can be cleaned through the access panel. It is therefore advantageous that the access panel is large. However, such a large panel may put a strain on a mounting between the panel and the cover, particularly if a person were to stand, kneel, etc. on an open cover. It is advantageous that the ground-engaging portion of the panel lies substantially flat on the ground so as to provide a portion which can bear a persons weight and help to prevent strain on a mounting between the cover and the panel.

In one embodiment the panel is hingedly attached to the cover. Such an arrangement provides for a convenient way of mounting the panel and may make the panel easier to open.

Preferably, the access panel comprises a recessed portion in addition to the ground-engaging portion and is arranged such that the distance by which the recessed portion is recessed from the ground-engaging portion is roughly equal to the distance of the hinge from the floor. This is advantageous as the weight of the access panel is supported by the groundengaging portion as well as at the hinge. Further, a person cleaning inside the radiator cover may stand, kneel or otherwise weight bear on the ground-engaging portion. Further, the path near the radiator cover is not restricted when the access panel is open as the ground engaging portion may be walked on. This is particularly advantageous when the radiator cover is to be found in a corridor or other passage way.

Preferably, the cover further comprises a retention means arranged to retain the access panel in a closed position. The retention means may be a latch, a lock, an adhesive portion, a stud, a Velcro strip or some other suitable retention means. Such a retention means is advantageous as, for the majority of the time for which the radiator cover is in use, the access panel will generally be in the closed position.

Preferably, the retention means is arranged to require a tool to operate it.

Such a tool may comprise a key, a screwdriver, a hexagonal key or some other tool. Providing a tool-released access panel is advantageous as the access panel may then only be opened by an authorised person. This may prevent the cover from being opened accidentally or deliberately and items being placed therein.

The radiator cover and/or the access panel may be made of metal or some other thermally conductive material. This is advantageous as a thermally conductive cover will not absorb a substantial portion of the heat output by the radiator.

Preferably the radiator cover and/or the access panel comprise cut-out ventilation slots. Such slots are advantageous as they allow air to circulate though the cavity between the cover and a radiator with which it is being used. This allows convective heating of the area surrounding the radiator cover when in use with a warm radiator.

Conveniently, the hinges holding the panel to the cover are arranged such that the panel can readily be removed from the cover, generally, when the panel is in, or is close to, a fully open position. Such an arrangement is convenient because it allows the panel to be removed which may facilitate access to the interior of the cover.

An embodiment of the invention is now described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a radiator covered by a radiator cover with an access panel; Figure 2 shows the radiator cover of Figure 1 with the access panel removed; Figure 3 shows the access panel of the cover of Figure 1; and Figure 4 shows the radiator cover of Figure 1 with the access panel open.

The radiator cover 100 of Figures 1 and 2 comprises a metal frame 102, which is fixed to a wall using fixing plates 104. The frame 102 comprises four sides of a cuboid consisting of two side panels 106, a top 108 and a stepped front face panel 110. The stepped front face panel 110 comprises an upper portion 118 and a lower portion 120, the upper portion comprising an 'L'-shaped profile and the lower portion comprising a sheet. The lower portion is attached to the upper portion at the right-hand lower end of the 'L' such that the upright of the 'L' and the lower portion are substantially parallel but displaced from each other.

Thus, the stepped front face panel 110 comprises a sheet with a step along its length. Both the top 108 and the stepped front face panel 110 have portions cut therefrom. The cut-out portions are of substantially equal dimensions to an access panel 112 that is described in detail below. In the Figure, a portion of one of the side panels 106 has been cut away to show a radiator 114 inside the cover 100. Ventilation slots 116 have been cut from the front face panel 110.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the frame 102 further comprises two retaining flanges 202 and two hinge brackets 204. The retaining flanges 202 and the hinge brackets 204 are situated on either side of the portion cut from the stepped front face panel 110. The retaining flanges 302 each comprise a metal plate with an aperture cut therefrom. In the embodiment of the figures, the aperture is an oval aperture. The aperture is arranged to cooperate with a latch 310 as is described further herein after. The hinge brackets 204 each comprise 'U'-shaped brackets mounted on the frame 102 near its base. In use of the cover 100, the bases of the inside of the 'U' of the hinge brackets 204 are a distance e from the floor.

The access panel 112 is now described with particular reference to Figures 3 and 4. The access panel 112 comprises a four-portion metal panel. The four portions comprise rectangles of equal width and are formed at right angles to each other. The portions are: a top portion 302, a ground engaging portion 304, a recessed portion 306 and a step portion 308. The top portion 302 and the step portion 308 are arranged parallel to each other in one plane and the ground engaging portion 304 and the recessed portion 306 are arranged parallel to each other in another plane, orthogonal to the first. It should be noted that the step portion 308 is shorter than the top portion 302- in fact, the step portion 308 is roughly of length I. Ventilation slots 116 are cut from the top portion 302, the ground-engaging portion 304 and the recessed portion 306.

The access panel 112 further comprises two latches 310 each providing a retention means. Each latch 310 comprises a rectangular retainer 402 mounted on a shaft 404. The shaft 404 terminates in a head 312 with a hexagonal key hole 314 cut therefrom such as may be turned with a hexagonal key. In use of the radiator cover 100, the latches 310 are arranged to co-operate with the retaining flanges 202. The rectangular retainer 402 can be orientated such that it can pass through the oval aperture cut from the retaining flange 202. A hexagonal key may then be inserted in the hexagonal keyhole 314 in the head 312 and turned by 90 such that the length of the rectangular retainer 402 is orthogonal to the length of the oval aperture and the latch 310 is then held to the retaining flange 202.

The access panel 112 further comprises an edge portion 316 at either end, arranged along the profile of the access panel 112 and protruding orthogonally towards what is in use the interior of the cover 100.

Mounted on each edge portion 316 are pins 318. The pins 318 protrude in the plane of the access panel 112 and are arranged to rest within the hinge brackets 204 when the cover 100 is in use. It will be appreciated that the pins 318 may rotate within the hinge brackets 204 but may also be lifted therefrom if the access panel is to be removed entirely.

In use of the cover, the access panel 112 is arranged such that the pins 318 rest within the hinge brackets 204. The access panel 112 may then be raised to cover the cut-away portion of the frame 102. The retainers 402 are orientated such that they pass through the apertures in the retaining flanges 202 and then rotated such that the retainer 402 cannot be withdrawn through the aperture. The cover 100 is then arranged for standard operation.

When access to the cavity within the radiator cover 100 is required for cleaning, a hexagonal key is required to re-orientate the retainer 402 such that they can pass though the apertures in the retaining flanges 202. The access panel 112 can then be rotated about the pins 318 resting within the hinge brackets 204. Because the step portion 308 is of equal length to the distance of the base of the 'U' of the hinge brackets 204 from the floor, the ground-engaging portion 304 may rest flat on the floor. Access to the inside of the radiator cover 100 is then provided. Because the ground- engaging portion is being supported over substantially its entire area by the floor it is able to withstand a person standing, kneeling or otherwise weight-bearing on it. It may therefore be easier to gain access to the

inside of the cover than prior art covers.

Claims (11)

1. A radiator cover comprising an access panel arranged to be opened to provide access to the interior of the cover, the access panel comprising a portion of a surface of the cover and a ground engaging portion, the panel being arranged such that when it is opened, at least the ground engaging portion lies substantially flat on the ground.

2. A radiator cover as defined in claim 1 wherein the access panel is hingedly attached to the cover.

3. A radiator cover as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the access panel comprises a recessed portion in addition to the ground- engaging portion and is arranged such that the distance by which the recessed portion is recessed from the ground-engaging portion is roughly equal to the distance of the hinge from the floor.

4. A radiator cover as defined in any of claims 1 to 3 which further comprises a retention means arranged to retain the access panel in a closed position.

5. A radiator cover as defined in claim 4 wherein the retention means comprise a latch, a lock, an adhesive portion, a stud, a Velcro strip or some other suitable retention means.

6. A radiator cover as defined in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the retention means is arranged to require a tool to operate it.

7. A radiator cover as defined in claim 6 wherein the tool comprises a key, a screwdriver, a hexagonal key or some other tool.

8. A radiator cover as defined in any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the cover and/or access panel are made of metal or some other thermally conductive material.

9. A radiator cover as defined in any of claims 1 to 8 wherein the cover and/or access panel comprise cut-out ventilation slots.

10. A radiator cover as defined in any of claims 2 to 9 wherein the hinges holding the panel to the cover are arranged such that the panel can readily be removed from the cover when the panel is in, or is close to, a fully open position.

11. A radiator cover substantially as described herein and as illustrated with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 to 4.