U-door folding fireplace screen

Abstract

A foldable fireplace screen for use with fireplaces and other heating units includes a main screen assembly, a left screen assembly and a right screen assembly, each of which is pivotally attached to the main screen assembly. The main screen assembly includes a U-shaped frame on which is pivotally mounted a screened door. When the screened door is pivoted to an open position on the U-shaped frame, full access is provided to the fireplace or other heating unit in front of which the fireplace screen is situated. The top bridging member or structure found on conventional fireplace screens is eliminated to allow the user full access to the fireplace or heating unit through the opened screened door.

1 . A foldable protective screen for use with a heating unit, which comprises:
 a main screen assembly, the main screen assembly having a first lateral side and a second lateral side situated opposite the first lateral side;   a first side screen assembly pivotally mounted to the first lateral side of the main screen assembly; and   a second side screen assembly pivotally mounted to the second lateral side of the main screen assembly;   the main screen assembly including a U-shaped frame having a first vertical leg disposed on the first lateral side of the main screen assembly, a second vertical leg disposed on the second lateral side of the main screen assembly, and a horizontal bottom leg joined to and interconnecting the first vertical leg and the second vertical leg, the U-shaped frame defining an open area between the first and second vertical legs and the horizontal bottom leg and further defining the open area with a top opening situated opposite the horizontal bottom leg; and   at least one screened door pivotally joined to at least one of the first vertical leg and the second vertical leg of the U-shaped frame and selectively disposed across the open area defined by the U-shaped frame;   wherein the at least one screened door is pivotally moveable on the U-shaped frame between a first position in which the at least one screened door is disposed across the open area defined by the U-shaped frame and at least partially bridges the top opening, and at least a second position in which the at least one screened door is not disposed across the open area so as not to at least partially bridge the top opening, whereby a user may have access to the heating unit through the open area and top opening of the foldable protective screen when the at least one screened door is in the at least second position.   
   
   
       2 . A foldable protective screen as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the first side screen assembly and the second side screen assembly are pivotally attached respectively to the first vertical leg and the second vertical leg of the U-shaped frame; and
 wherein the fireplace screen further comprises first hinges for pivotally attaching the first and second side screen assemblies respectively to the first and second vertical legs of the U-shaped frame, and at least one second hinge for pivotally attaching the at least one screened door to at least one of the first vertical leg and the second vertical leg of the U-shaped frame, whereby the at least one screened door is hingedly mounted to the U-shaped frame separately from the first and second side screen assemblies.   
   
   
       3 . A foldable protective screen as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the at least one screened door is a single door extending between the first vertical leg and the second vertical leg of the U-shaped member. 
   
   
       4 . A foldable protective screen as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the at least one screen door is defined by a first screen door and a second screen door, the first screen door being pivotally mounted to the first vertical leg of the U-shaped flame, the second screened door being pivotally mounted to the second vertical leg of the U-shaped frame. 
   
   
       5 . A foldable protective screen as defined by  claim 1 , wherein each of the first side screen assembly and the second side screen assembly includes at least one bracket extending laterally therefrom, the bracket being provided for attachment to the heating unit. 
   
   
       6 . A foldable protective screen as defined by  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 an expandable rod, the expandable rod being operatively joined to the first side screen assembly and the second side screen assembly, the rod being expandable in an axial direction to engage the heating unit and to provide further stability to the foldable protective screen.   
   
   
       7 . A foldable fireplace screen for use with fireplaces, stoves, radiators, burners and other sources of heat, the fireplace screen comprising:
 a main screen assembly, the main screen assembly having a first lateral side and a second lateral side situated opposite the first lateral side;   a first side screen assembly pivotally mounted to the first lateral side of the main screen assembly; and   a second screen assembly pivotally mounted to the second lateral side of the main screen assembly;   the main screen assembly including a U-shaped frame having a first vertical leg disposed on the first lateral side of the main screen assembly, a second vertical leg disposed on the second lateral side of the main screen assembly, each of the first and second vertical legs having a lowermost end, and only one horizontal leg situated at a bottom of the U-shaped frame and joined to and interconnecting the lowermost ends of the first vertical leg and the second vertical leg, the U-shaped frame defining an open area between the first and second vertical legs and the horizontal leg situated at the bottom of the U-shaped frame and further defining the open area with a top opening situated opposite the horizontal leg, the first vertical leg, the second vertical leg and the horizontal leg mutually residing in the same plane; and   at least one screened door pivotally joined to at least one of the first vertical leg and the second vertical leg of the U-shaped frame and selectively situated within the open area defined by the U-shaped frame;   wherein the at least one screened door is pivotally moveable on the U-shaped frame between a first position in which it at least partially resides in the plane in which the first vertical leg, second vertical leg and horizontal leg of the U-shaped frame resides and within the open area defined by the U-shaped frame and at least partially bridges the top opening, and at least a second position in which the at least one screened door is situated out of the plane in which the first vertical leg, the second vertical leg and the horizontal leg reside so as not to at least partially bridge the top opening, whereby a user may have access to the fireplace, stove, radiator, burner and other source of heat through the open area and the top opening of the foldable fireplace screen when the at least one screened door is in the at least second position