Parasol Heater

Abstract

A parasol heater having a housing with a fuel connection adapted to be coupled to a gas fuel supply is described. The heater includes a pole extending upwardly from the housing and adapted to support a gas burner arrangement, the burner arrangement being provided below a parasol adapted to deflect heat generated by the burner downwardly about the pole, the parasol being rotatable relative to a longitudinal axis of the pole.

1 . A parasol heater comprising:
 a housing with a fuel connection adapted to be coupled to a gas fuel supply;   a pole extending upwardly from the housing and adapted to support a gas burner;   a parasol dish rotatably connected to the pole by a rotatable coupling which is adapted to allow the parasol dish to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the pole; and   wherein the gas burner is provided below the parasol dish, the parasol dish being adapted to deflect heat generated by the gas burner downwardly about the pole, and wherein actuation of the rotatable coupling operatively allows a movement of the parasol dish about the longitudinal axis to allow for targeted reflection of heat from the gas burner, and wherein the parasol dish is further coupled to the gas burner such that the gas burner and parasol dish rotate together on actuation of the rotatable coupling.   
     
     
         2 . The heater of  claim 1  wherein the parasol dish is also pivotably connected to the gas burner by a pivot coupling which is adapted to allow the parasol dish to move in an arc over a side edge of the gas burner, the heater comprising an tilting actuator coupled to the dish and extending over the gas burner, and wherein, in use, movement of the tilting actuator effects a corresponding movement of the parasol dish through the pivot coupling. 
     
     
         3 . The heater of  claim 1  comprising a burner housing, the burner housing comprising each of the gas burner and the parasol dish, the rotatable coupling comprising at least one bearing which is configured to engage with the burner housing to enable a rotation of the burner housing about the longitudinal axis of the pole. 
     
     
         4 . The heater of  claim 3  wherein the rotatable coupling comprises an insert, the insert being configured to couple to each of the burner housing and the pole, the at least one bearing being provided on the insert. 
     
     
         5 . The heater of  claim 4  wherein the insert is dimensioned to be received within each of the burner housing and the pole, the insert extending between the burner housing and the pole. 
     
     
         6 . The heater of  claim 4  wherein the insert is dimensioned to be at least partially supported by the pole. 
     
     
         7 . The heater of  claim 4  wherein first and second bearings are provided on, but spaced apart from one another on the insert. 
     
     
         8 . The heater of  claim 1  wherein the fuel connection comprises a tubing extending from the fuel supply heater, the tubing passing through the pole and to the gas burner. 
     
     
         9 . The heater of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable coupling is configured to constrain the rotation to less than 360 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The heater of  claim 1 , comprising a fuel connector coupling providing a fluid connection between the gas burner and the fuel connection, the fluid connection providing relative movement between the fuel supply and the gas burner. 
     
     
         11 . The heater of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable coupling comprises an actuator, the actuator being configured to transition between a locked and an unlocked configuration, wherein in the locked configuration the parasol is not rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the pole and in the unlocked configuration the parasol is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the pole. 
     
     
         12 . The heater of  claim 2 , wherein the tilting actuator comprises a handle pivotably coupled to the dish. 
     
     
         13 . The heater of  claim 12  wherein the handle extends downwardly from the dish along a side of the heater opposite to that of the coupling of the dish to the heater. 
     
     
         14 . The heater of  claim 12  wherein the handle comprises a first bend, the first bend provided along the handle at a location coincident with an edge portion of the gas burner arrangement. 
     
     
         15 . The heater of  claim 1  wherein the gas fuel supply is a gas bottle supply and wherein the heater is configured to receive the gas bottle supply which is housable within the housing of the heater. 
     
     
         16 . The heater of  claim 12  wherein the handle comprises a plurality of pins provided along the length of the handle so as to facilitate a securing of the handle to the heater at one or more defined positions. 
     
     
         17 . The heater of  claim 16  wherein the heater comprises a socket arrangement configured to co-operate with the plurality of pins to secure the handle relative to the heater.