Self-assembly water heater enclosure and kit
OwnerW. Jeffrey McCraneyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A water heater enclosure and kit having a box-like configuration, with a top panel, a pair of opposing side panels secured to the top panel at upper ends, front and rear braces which secure the lower ends of the side panels together, and a removable access panel. The top panel has a pair of side rails having inverted U-shaped mounting channels which receive and seat upper edges of the pair of side panels. Once seated, bendable upper-joint tabs on the side panels are bent around end flanges of the mounting channels to secure the side panels with the top panel. The front and rear braces have lower-joint tabs which extend into slots on lower corners of the side panels and are also bent to form and maintain the lower joints.
Claims18
An enclosure for protectively enclosing a water heater positioned adjacent a wall, said enclosure comprising:
- a top panel having a pair of opposing side rails, each side rail having an inverted U-shaped mounting channel with a shoulder having an end flange transversely extending therefrom;
- a pair of opposing side panels, each having an upper edge at an upper end seated in the corresponding inverted U-shaped mounting channel of said pair of side rails, and at least one upper-joint tab at the upper end extending adjacent the corresponding end flange of the pair of side rails and establishing a securing relation therewith;
- a front brace having a pair of opposing ends connected to lower front corners of said pair of opposing side panels by joint securing means, wherein said front brace, a front end of said top panel, and forward ends of said pair of opposing side panels, together define an access perimeter surrounding an access opening into said enclosure;
- and
- an access panel having means for detachably securing said access panel to the access perimeter to thereby close the access opening.
An enclosure kit having component parts capable of being assembled by a user for enclosing a water heater, said enclosure kit comprising the combination of:
- a top panel having a pair of opposing side rails, each side rail having an inverted U-shaped mounting channel with a shoulder having a securing flange transversely extending therefrom;
- a pair of opposing side panels, each having an upper edge at an upper end to be seated in the corresponding inverted U-shaped mounting channel of said pair of side rails, and at least one upper-joint tab at the upper end to be secured to the corresponding end flange subsequent to seating the upper edges of said pair of opposing side panels in said inverted U-shaped mounting channels;
- a front brace having a pair of opposing ends adapted to be connected to lower front corners of said pair of opposing side panels by joint securing means, wherein said front brace, a front end of said top panel, and forward ends of said pair of opposing side panels, may together define an access perimeter surrounding an access opening when finally assembled;
- and
- an access panel adapted to be detachably secured to the access perimeter for closing the access opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.