U.S. patent application number 11/946451 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-29 for convection based cooking apparatus with grate.
Invention is credited to Jimmy A. Sikes.
Application Number | 20080121118 11/946451 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33314073 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080121118 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sikes; Jimmy A. |
May 29, 2008 |
CONVECTION BASED COOKING APPARATUS WITH GRATE
Abstract
A draft chimney for a convention based apparatus. The draft
chimney comprises a flue at least partially defining a path of
convection airflow through at least a portion of the interior of a
cabinet. The flue passes convection airflow to the exterior of the
cabinet.
Inventors: |
Sikes; Jimmy A.; (Vidalia,
GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SMITH FROHWEIN TEMPEL GREENLEE BLAHA, LLC
Two Ravinia Drive, Suite 700
ATLANTA
GA
30346
US
|
Family ID: |
33314073 |
Appl. No.: |
11/946451 |
Filed: |
November 28, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10947117 |
Sep 22, 2004 |
7320278 |
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11946451 |
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09677164 |
Oct 2, 2000 |
6813995 |
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10947117 |
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09329690 |
Jun 10, 1999 |
6143341 |
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09677164 |
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09083416 |
May 22, 1998 |
6038964 |
|
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09329690 |
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60061042 |
Sep 26, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
99/447 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J 37/07 20130101;
A47J 37/0754 20130101; A47J 37/0704 20130101; A23L 5/17
20160801 |
Class at
Publication: |
99/447 |
International
Class: |
A47J 37/07 20060101
A47J037/07 |
Claims
1-34. (canceled)
35. A cooking apparatus comprising: a cabinet having surfaces that
define a cabinet interior; a heating chamber located within the
cabinet interior and including an air inlet, a heating source and a
grate positioned over at least a portion of the heating source; an
indirect cooking chamber located within the cabinet interior and
having a substantially horizontal displacement from the heating
chamber and including at least three vertically oriented surfaces;
a multi-walled baffle positioned between the heating chamber and
cooking chamber; an air outlet defined by at least one surface of
the indirect cooking chamber; and a first air flow path from the
air inlet to the air outlet that passes through the indirect
cooking chamber.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of pending
application Ser. No. 09/329,690 filed Jun. 10, 1999 entitled "A
Convection Based Cooking Apparatus with Improved Air Flow."
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to convection based ovens,
grills and similar cooking apparatus and, more specifically, to a
convection based cooking apparatus with an internal draft
chimney.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Convection based cooking apparatus operate on the principle
that hot air rises. A heating element generates hot air within a
cabinet of the cooking device. The hot air generated by the heating
element is drawn over a cooking surface inside the cabinet.
Typically, an elongated draft chimney is used as a draft generator
to pull air through the cabinet interior. Known draft chimneys are
attached to the exterior of a side wall of the cabinet. The heated
air that is forced into the chimney rises to the top of the chimney
and exits through an opening at the top of the chimney. As the
heated air rises through the chimney, a vacuum, similar to a
siphon, is generated to draw additional air through the interior of
the cabinet. This allows items on the cooking surface to be cooked
more quickly. Alternatively, decreasing the rate of airflow through
the chimney allows items on the cooking surface to be cooked at a
slower rate.
[0004] However, these known draft chimneys attached to the exterior
of the cabinet are large and cumbersome. The length of the chimney
typically extends approximately two feet above the cabinet. Also,
because the chimneys are attached to the exterior side wall of the
cabinet, the width of the entire apparatus is increased by at least
the width of the chimney.
[0005] Therefore, there is a need in the art for a compact
convection based apparatus that does not include a massive,
exterior mounted, chimney, but continues to facilitate airflow as
described above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention solves the above-identified problem by
providing an improved draft chimney for convention based cooking
apparatus. The improved draft chimney of the present invention is
substantially contained within the confines of the cabinet of the
cooking apparatus.
[0007] Generally described, the draft chimney of the present
invention includes a flue. The flue at least partially defines a
path of convection airflow through at least a portion of the
interior of a cabinet of the cooking apparatus. The flue passes
convection airflow to the exterior of the cabinet.
[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, the draft chimney is
entirely defined within the cabinet and the path of convection
airflow communicates with the exterior of the cabinet at an end of
the path.
[0009] More particularly described, the flue includes opposing
first and second openings. The first opening communicates with the
cabinet interior and is at least partially defined by at least a
portion of a surface of the cabinet interior. Preferably, the first
opening is at least partially defined by either a portion of a
bottom surface of the cabinet or by the entire width of the bottom
surface of the cabinet.
[0010] The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the more
pertinent aspects and features of the present invention. These
should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more
prominent features and applications of the invention. Other
beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed
information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed
embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive
understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the
detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in addition to the
scope of the invention defined by the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of
the improved draft chimney of the present invention within a
convection based grill.
[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative
embodiment of the improved draft chimney of the present invention
within a convection based grill.
[0013] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a side view of the convection
based grill of either of FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the convection based grill
of either of FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a
hood of a convection based grill showing, in particular, a
plurality of exit openings for venting airflow from the cabinet
through the chimney of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals
indicate like elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 and 2
each depict one embodiment of an improved draft chimney 10 of the
present invention within a convection based grill 12. Each
convection based grill 12 includes a cabinet 14 with a plurality of
surfaces for defining a cabinet interior 16 (FIGS. 3A and 3B). The
cabinet interior 16 is divided into two chambers by an insulating
baffle 18 extending across the longitudinal dimension of the
cabinet 14. The two chambers include a heating chamber 20 and a
cooking chamber 22.
[0017] In the lower portion of the heating chamber 20 is a heating
element 24 and a steel flame grate 26 is positioned over the
heating element 24. A cooking surface 28 substantially extends the
length and the width of the cooking chamber 22. The grill 12 is
described in greater detail in copending U.S. patent application
having U.S. Ser. No. 09/083,416 filed on May 22, 1998 and titled "A
CONVECTION BASED COOKING APPARATUS WITH IMPROVED AIRFLOW", and in
copending U.S. patent application having U.S. Ser. No. 09/329,690
filed on Jun. 10, 1999 and titled "A CONVECTION BASED COOKING
APPARATUS WITH IMPROVED AIRFLOW", the entire disclosures of which
are incorporated herein by reference.
[0018] Referring now to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 4, the cabinet 14 is
defined by a bottom surface 30, a front surface 32, a back surface
34, a left side surface 36, and a right side surface 38. The
combination of the bottom surface 30 with lower portions of the
front surface 32, the back surface 34, the left side surface 36 and
the right side surface 38, defines a lower portion of the cabinet
interior, and is commonly referred to as a lower container 40.
Also, the cabinet 14 is further defined by a hood 42, the interior
of which is commonly referred to as an upper cabinet interior, best
illustrated in FIG. 5. The hood 42 is defined by upper portions of
the front surface 32, the back surface 34, the left side surface
36, and the right side surface 38.
[0019] Still referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the chimney 10 is
defined by the right side surface 38, portions of the front and
back side surfaces 32, 34, and an internal surface 50 positioned in
substantially a vertical manner. In FIG. 3A, the internal surface
50 is parallel to the right side surface 38. In another embodiment,
as shown in FIG. 3B, a portion of the internal surface 50 is
parallel to the right side surface 38 and an another portion of the
internal surface 50 tapers away from the right side surface 38.
[0020] As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the internal surface 50 has
an upper portion 52 and a lower portion 54. The upper portion 52 is
attached to the inside of the hood 42 and the lower portion 54 is
attached to the inside of the lower container 40. When the hood 42
is opened to expose the cabinet interior 16 as shown in FIGS. 1 and
2, the draft chimney 10 is separated into two pieces. However, when
the hood 42 is closed as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the upper and
lower portions 52, 54 are joined together to define the entire
length of the draft chimney 10. The length of the draft chimney is
commonly refer to as a flue and is described in greater detail
below.
[0021] In order to insure the upper and lower portions 52, 54 of
the internal surface 50 are properly joined together each time they
come into contact with each other, the ends of each portion are
bent back in a widthwise manner to define flanges 56 and 58. The
end of the upper portion 52 of the internal surface is bent inward
and the end of the lower portion 54 of the internal surface in bent
outward toward the right side surface 38 to form a seal when the
hood 42 is closed. FIG. 4 also illustrates the inwardly bent
flanges 56, 58 of the internal surface 50. The seal is formed by
permitting the upper and lower portions 52, 54 to overlap as shown
in FIG. 3A. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3B, the seal could be
formed by permitting the flange 56 to directly abut the flange 58
without the upper and lower portions 52, 54 overlapping.
[0022] The draft chimney 10 includes an elongated, vertical flue 60
having a first opening 62 and a second opening 64. The internal
surface 50 defines a portion of the flue 60. Therefore, the flue 60
is separable into two portions as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Preferably, the flue 60 is prismatic and the length of the flue 60
in the direction of airflow is longer than the width of the flue;
however, alternative configurations are also anticipated by the
present invention. The first opening 62 communicates with the
cabinet interior 16. Preferably, the first opening 62 is defined
between the bottom surface 30 and the end of the vertically
positioned internal surface 50 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The width
of the first opening 62 can extend only a portion of the width of
the cabinet 14 as shown in FIG. 1 or, alternatively, the width of
the first opening 62 can extend the full width of the cabinet 14 as
shown in FIG. 2.
[0023] In operation, ambient air enters the heating chamber 20
through an air inlet 70. The ambient air is heated and rises
through the steel frame grate 26 towards the top of the heating
chamber 20. Eventually, the heated air is forced through an air
passage 72 over the baffle 18 into the cooking chamber 22. As the
heated air is forced into the cooking chamber 22, the cooler air
existing the cooking chamber 22 is forced down through the first
opening 62 of the flue 60. The heated air that is forced into the
flue 60 of the draft chimney 10 rises to the top and exits through
the second opening 64 in the top of the hood 42 to the environment
surrounding the cabinet 14. In the preferred embodiment, a
plurality of smaller exit openings combined together to form the
second opening 64 as shown in FIG. 5. The portion of the surface
with the smaller exit openings is commonly referred to as being
grilled.
[0024] A path of convection airflow, generally shown by arrows 80a,
80b and 80c in FIGS. 3A and 3B is created within the cabinet 14
during operation of the grill 12. The portion 80a of the path
begins at the air inlet 70 and proceeds to the passage 72 over the
baffle 18 as described above. Then, the path continues through the
cooking chamber 22 to pass over the cooking surface 28 in an even
manner. This portion of the path is shown by the reference numeral
80b. Next, the path continues to the first opening 62 of the flue
60 of the draft chimney 10. The portion 80c begins at the first
opening 62, rises to the second opening 64, and passes into the
exterior environment surrounding the grill 12. Preferably, the
draft chimney 10 is entirely defined within the cabinet 14 such
that the end of the path 70 communicates with the exterior of the
cabinet as best shown in FIGS. 1-3A and 3B. Alternatively, the flue
60 may extend beyond the top of the hood 42 so that a portion of
the path of airflow extends beyond the cabinet 16 before exiting to
the environment surrounding the grill.
[0025] The present invention has been illustrated in relation to
particular embodiments which are intended in all respects to be
illustrative rather than restrictive. Those skilled in the art will
recognize that the present invention is capable of many
modifications and variations without departing from the scope of
the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is
described by the claims appended hereto and supported by the
foregoing.
* * * * *