Campfire safety apparatus

Abstract

The campfire safety apparatus shields people and animals from unintentional contact with a campfire. The apparatus encloses the fire ring of a campfire to protect potential burn victims from the flames or smoldering coals. The apparatus may be a single unitary unit for permanent installations or the apparatus may be constructed of a number of rigid interlocking safety panels joined together to create an apparatus that is portable. The top edge, or upper rail, of the apparatus is above the campfire flame height such that a child or adult cannot trip over the apparatus and fall into the fire ring. The interlocking rigid safety panels incorporate cooperating pin receivers that lock the panels together when a pin is inserted. In certain embodiments the pins extend through the cooperating pin receivers and terminate into the ground to anchor the apparatus and increase its ability to resist tipping over.

1 . A campfire safety apparatus for installation around a campfire fire ring creating a barrier shielding people and animals from unintentional contact with the campfire, comprising: 
 at least one rigid safety panel having a lower rail, an upper rail, and a plurality of interconnected intermediate rails providing structural integrity and increasing the panel's effectiveness as a barrier, wherein the rigid safety panel encloses a campfire and the upper rail is above the campfire flame height.    
   
   
       2 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the free area ratio of the rigid safety panel is at least fifty percent.  
   
   
       3 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the free area ratio of the rigid safety panel is at least eight-five percent.  
   
   
       4 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one rigid safety panel for enclosing a campfire consists of a plurality of portable interlocking rigid safety panels, each having a lower rail, an upper rail, a first sidewall rail having a pin receiver, and a second sidewall rail having a pin receiver, wherein the pin receivers on adjacent rigid safety panels cooperate to receive a pin, having a proximal end and a distal end, that releasably secures the adjacent panels together.  
   
   
       5 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the distal end of at least one of the pins extends through the cooperating pin receivers and terminates into the ground to anchor the apparatus.  
   
   
       6 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 5 , further including an anchor on the distal end of at least one of the pins to facilitate easy ingress of the distal end into the ground, resist egress from the ground, and prevent rotation.  
   
   
       7 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 5 , further including a screw on the distal end of at least one of the pins to facilitate easy ingress of the distal end into the ground and resist unintended egress from the ground.  
   
   
       8 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein one of the portable interlocking rigid safety panels has an upper panel section and a lower panel section, the sections are rotably joined so that the upper panel section may rotate down about an intermediate hinge to permit greater access to the campfire fire ring and its contents, and having a retainer to secure the upper panel section in place when greater access is not required.  
   
   
       9 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 2 , further including a rigid top panel having a perimeter rail and a plurality of interconnected intermediate rails, wherein the perimeter rail cooperates with the rigid safety panel upper rail to prevent unintentional contact with the campfire from above the upper rail.  
   
   
       10 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 2 , further including a campfire accessory tool having a plurality of connection devices that cooperate with the rails of the rigid safety panel to releasably fasten the tool to the rigid safety panel.  
   
   
       11 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 2 , further including a plurality of auxiliary supports to secure the apparatus to the campfire fire ring thereby further adding stability to the apparatus.  
   
   
       12 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the auxiliary supports have a telescoping rod with a distal end and a proximal end, a fire ring pad attached to the distal end to rigidly secure the support to the fire ring, and a panel interface at the proximal end to rigidly secure the support to the rigid safety panel.  
   
   
       13 . A campfire safety apparatus for installation around a campfire fire ring creating a barrier shielding people and animals from unintentional contact with the campfire, comprising: 
 a plurality of portable interlocking rigid safety panels, each having a lower rail, an upper rail, a first sidewall rail having a pin receiver, and a second sidewall rail having a pin receiver, wherein the pin receivers on adjacent rigid safety panels cooperate to receive a pin, having a proximal end and a distal end, that releasably secures the adjacent panels together, and a plurality of interconnected intermediate rails providing structural integrity and increasing the panels effectiveness as a barrier, while maintaining a free area ratio of the rigid safety panel of at least eighty-five percent, wherein the rigid safety panel encloses a campfire and the upper rail is above the campfire flame height.    
   
   
       14 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the distal end of at least one of the pins extends through the cooperating pin receivers and terminates into the ground to anchor the apparatus.  
   
   
       15 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 14 , further including an anchor on the distal end of at least one of the pins to facilitate easy ingress of the distal end into the ground, resist egress from the ground, and prevent rotation.  
   
   
       16 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 14 , further including a screw on the distal end of at least one of the pins to facilitate easy ingress of the distal end into the ground and resist unintended egress from the ground.  
   
   
       17 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein one of the portable interlocking rigid safety panels has an upper panel section and a lower panel section, the sections are rotably joined so that the upper panel section may rotate down about an intermediate hinge to permit greater access to the campfire fire ring and its contents, and having a retainer to secure the upper panel section in place when greater access is not required.  
   
   
       18 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 13 , further including a rigid top panel having a perimeter rail and a plurality of interconnected intermediate rails, wherein the perimeter rail cooperates with the rigid safety panel upper rail to prevent unintentional contact with the campfire from above the upper rail.  
   
   
       19 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 13 , further including a campfire accessory tool having a plurality of connection devices that cooperate with the rails of the rigid safety panel to releasably fasten the tool to the rigid safety panel.  
   
   
       20 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 13 , further including a plurality of auxiliary supports to secure the apparatus to the campfire fire ring thereby further adding stability to the apparatus.  
   
   
       21 . The campfire safety apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the auxiliary supports have a telescoping rod with a distal end and a proximal end, a fire ring pad attached to the distal end to rigidly secure the support to the fire ring, and a panel interface at the proximal end to rigidly secure the support to the rigid safety panel.  
   
   
       22 . A campfire safety apparatus for installation around a campfire fire ring creating a barrier shielding people and animals from unintentional contact with the campfire, comprising: 
 a plurality of portable interlocking rigid safety panels, each having a lower rail, an upper rail, a first sidewall rail having a pin receiver, and a second sidewall rail having a pin receiver, wherein the pin receivers on adjacent rigid safety panels cooperate to receive a pin, having a proximal end and a distal end, that releasably secures the adjacent panels together and terminates into the ground with an anchor to facilitate easy ingress of the distal end into the ground, resist egress from the ground, and prevent rotation, and a plurality of interconnected intermediate rails providing structural integrity and increasing the panels effectiveness as a barrier, while maintaining a free area ratio of the rigid safety panel of at least eighty-five percent, wherein the rigid safety panel encloses a campfire and the upper rail is above the campfire flame height.