GB2189385A - Table with heater - Google Patents

Abstract

A draught excluder is fixed to the bottom of the long legs of a western style Kotatsu which is a table having a heater fixed underneath and covered with a quilt. This allows the quilt to clear the floor without allowing heat to escape through the gap between the quilt and the floor. It also strengthens the legs of the table, acting as stretchers. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A Draught Excluder For a Long-Legged Kotatsu (A KotatsuA Japanese Heater Fixed Under A Table) This invention is a draught excluder added to the Western version of the Japanese Kotatsu, the traditional heater fixed underneath a low table covered with a quilt. The table in the Western version of the Kotatsu has long legs designed for people who sit on a chair or sofa, not on the floor.

The Japanese take off their shoes when entering a house, so the floor stays clean and the quilt covering the Kotatsu table and touching the floor all round also stays clean. In Europe, people keep their shoes on, and inevitably bring in dirt from the road outside and make the floor dirty. In time, the edges of the quilt covering the Kotatsu get very dirty and look a mess. If the sides of the quilt are shortened so that the edges clear the floor, draughts get in round our feet and some of the heat escapes.

My invention is to attach a draught excluder round the bottom of the legs which would allow a shortened quilt to clear the floor without causing draughts or loss of heat.

In Japan, people put cusions and quilts on the floor covered with the Tatami mats (woven straw mats) but this practice looks odd in Western rooms.

This is because normally in Western rooms cusions and quilts are placed on chairs, sofas or beds so a draught excluder provides a more conventional looks for Asian-type furniture.

Figure 1 shows a traditional Japanese Kotatsu.

Figure 2 shows my Kotatsu with permanently fixed legs and a draught excluder.

Figure 3 shows a draught excluder.

Figure 4 shows a quilt with rounded corners.

The draught excluder consists of four 10 cm high boards with measurement the same as the Kotatsu square table above. It can be fixed to the Kotatsu legs permanently or attached by the purchaser. The draught excluder has two triangle metal plates in each corner. The top plate has a hole which allows one of the Kotatsu legs go through it and the bottom one provides a shallow cup where the leg can rest and be secured by a screw inserted from underneath. The first Kotatsu with permanently fixed legs and draught excluder may be covered with a suitable table cloth in summer and used as an occasional table for ornaments, flowers or card games. The latter could be stored in a cardboard box after removing the draught excluder and legs.

The box would go under the most European beds.

The quilt should have rounded corners so that nothing touches the floor.

CLAIM

The main claim is to conserve heat in a limited space while keeping the quilt covering the Kotatsu off the floor. The second one is to prevent the quilt from getting dirty. The third one is to provide a more conventional looks for Asian-type furniture in Western rooms. The last is to strengthen the table's longer legs which are required by people who want to sit on chairs instead of the floor, in other words to act as strechers.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (1)

1. **WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

   SPECIFICATION A Draught Excluder For a Long-Legged Kotatsu (A KotatsuA Japanese Heater Fixed Under A Table) This invention is a draught excluder added to the Western version of the Japanese Kotatsu, the traditional heater fixed underneath a low table covered with a quilt. The table in the Western version of the Kotatsu has long legs designed for people who sit on a chair or sofa, not on the floor.

   The Japanese take off their shoes when entering a house, so the floor stays clean and the quilt covering the Kotatsu table and touching the floor all round also stays clean. In Europe, people keep their shoes on, and inevitably bring in dirt from the road outside and make the floor dirty. In time, the edges of the quilt covering the Kotatsu get very dirty and look a mess. If the sides of the quilt are shortened so that the edges clear the floor, draughts get in round our feet and some of the heat escapes.

   My invention is to attach a draught excluder round the bottom of the legs which would allow a shortened quilt to clear the floor without causing draughts or loss of heat.

   In Japan, people put cusions and quilts on the floor covered with the Tatami mats (woven straw mats) but this practice looks odd in Western rooms.

   This is because normally in Western rooms cusions and quilts are placed on chairs, sofas or beds so a draught excluder provides a more conventional looks for Asian-type furniture.

   Figure 1 shows a traditional Japanese Kotatsu.

   Figure 2 shows my Kotatsu with permanently fixed legs and a draught excluder.

   Figure 3 shows a draught excluder.

   Figure 4 shows a quilt with rounded corners.

   The draught excluder consists of four 10 cm high boards with measurement the same as the Kotatsu square table above. It can be fixed to the Kotatsu legs permanently or attached by the purchaser. The draught excluder has two triangle metal plates in each corner. The top plate has a hole which allows one of the Kotatsu legs go through it and the bottom one provides a shallow cup where the leg can rest and be secured by a screw inserted from underneath. The first Kotatsu with permanently fixed legs and draught excluder may be covered with a suitable table cloth in summer and used as an occasional table for ornaments, flowers or card games. The latter could be stored in a cardboard box after removing the draught excluder and legs.

   The box would go under the most European beds.

   The quilt should have rounded corners so that nothing touches the floor.

   CLAIM

   The main claim is to conserve heat in a limited space while keeping the quilt covering the Kotatsu off the floor. The second one is to prevent the quilt from getting dirty. The third one is to provide a more conventional looks for Asian-type furniture in Western rooms. The last is to strengthen the table's longer legs which are required by people who want to sit on chairs instead of the floor, in other words to act as strechers.