U.S. patent application number 13/368530 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-16 for two tier elevated baking rack.
This patent application is currently assigned to ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Joshua Linton, Sheena M. Madden. Invention is credited to Joshua Linton, Sheena M. Madden.
Application Number | 20130119053 13/368530 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48279620 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130119053 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Linton; Joshua ; et
al. |
May 16, 2013 |
TWO TIER ELEVATED BAKING RACK
Abstract
A multiple-tier baking oven rack may include a top tier and a
bottom tier lying substantially parallel to the top tier and a
support base on which the bottom tier is supported. The bottom tier
may be elevated with respect to the support base and the top tier
may be elevated with respect to the bottom tier. The bottom tier
and the top tier may form a space therebetween to facilitate a flow
of air across the bottom tier and the top tier between the opposing
sidewalls of an oven in which the multiple-tier baking oven rack is
usable.
Inventors: |
Linton; Joshua; (Chicago,
IL) ; Madden; Sheena M.; (Chicago, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Linton; Joshua
Madden; Sheena M. |
Chicago
Chicago |
IL
IL |
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
Glenview
IL
|
Family ID: |
48279620 |
Appl. No.: |
13/368530 |
Filed: |
February 8, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61560413 |
Nov 16, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
219/681 ;
126/337R; 219/762 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05B 6/6408 20130101;
F24C 15/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
219/681 ;
126/337.R; 219/762 |
International
Class: |
F24C 7/02 20060101
F24C007/02; F24C 15/16 20060101 F24C015/16 |
Claims
1. An multiple-tier baking oven rack comprising: a top tier; and a
bottom tier lying substantially parallel to the top tier and a
metallic support base on which the bottom tier is supported, the
bottom tier being elevated with respect to the support base and the
top tier being elevated with respect to the bottom tier, the bottom
tier and the top tier defining a space therebetween to facilitate a
flow of air across the bottom tier and the top tier between the
opposing sidewalls of an oven in which the multiple-tier baking
oven rack is usable.
2. The oven rack of claim 1, wherein the bottom tier and the top
tier are each rectangular shaped baking racks of substantially a
same size.
3. The oven rack of claim 1, wherein the bottom tier and the top
tier are separated by a distance substantially equal to a distance
between the bottom tier and a baking pan forming the support
base.
4. The oven rack of claim 3, wherein the bottom tier comprises feet
disposed to extend away from the top tier, and wherein a C-shaped
bracket supports the top tier relative to the bottom tier.
5. The oven rack of claim 1, wherein the top tier is cantilevered
with respect to the bottom tier.
6. The oven rack of claim 1, wherein the top tier and the bottom
tier are separated from each other via a support structure disposed
at each of the respective corners thereof.
7. The oven rack of claim 1, wherein side portions between the top
tier and the bottom tier are open to airflow from airflow slots on
one sidewall of the oven passing to an opposing sidewall of the
oven over substantially an entirety of a space between the top tier
and the bottom tier.
8. The oven rack of claim 1, wherein the oven employs radio
frequency cooking in addition to the provision of airflow.
9. The oven rack of claim 1, wherein the top tier and the bottom
tier each include a wire mesh grate supported by a frame structure
extending around a periphery thereof.
10. The oven rack of claim 1, wherein the top tier and the bottom
tier comprise aluminum or stainless steel components.
11. An oven comprising: a cooking chamber configured to receive a
food product; one or more rack supports disposed along opposing
sidewalls of the cooking chamber to support a metallic support base
inserted therein; and a multiple-tier elevated baking rack
providing at least a bottom tier and a top tier lying substantially
parallel to each other and to the support base, the bottom tier
being elevated with respect to the support base and the top tier
being elevated with respect to the bottom tier, the bottom tier and
the top tier defining a space therebetween to facilitate a flow of
air across the bottom tier and the top tier between the opposing
sidewalls of an oven in which the multiple-tier baking oven rack is
usable.
12. The oven of claim 11, wherein the bottom tier and the top tier
are each rectangular shaped baking racks of substantially a same
size.
13. The oven of claim 11, wherein the bottom tier and the top tier
are separated by a distance substantially equal to a distance
between the bottom tier and a baking pan forming the support
base.
14. The oven of claim 13, wherein the bottom tier comprises feet
disposed to extend away from the top tier, and wherein a C-shaped
bracket supports the top tier relative to the bottom tier.
15. The oven of claim 11, wherein the top tier is cantilevered with
respect to the bottom tier.
16. The oven of claim 11, wherein the multiple-tier elevated baking
rack comprises at least a first assembly and a second assembly
stacked with respect to each other, the first and second assemblies
each comprising an assembly top tier and an assembly bottom tier,
each assembly bottom tier comprising legs, the legs of the assembly
bottom tier of the first assembly contacting the support base, and
the legs of the assembly bottom tier of the second assembly
contacting the assembly top tier of the first assembly.
17. The oven of claim 11, wherein the oven comprises airflow slots
disposed proximate to the rack supports, and wherein side portions
between the top tier and the bottom tier are open to airflow from
airflow slots on one sidewall of the oven passing to the other
sidewall of the oven over substantially an entirety of a space
between the top tier and the bottom tier.
18. The oven of claim 11, wherein the oven employs radio frequency
cooking in addition to the provision of airflow.
19. The oven of claim 11, wherein the top tier and the bottom tier
each include a wire mesh grate supported by a frame structure
extending around a periphery thereof.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/560,413, filed Nov. 16, 2011, the contents of
which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Example embodiments generally relate to ovens and, more
particularly, relate to provision of cookware appliances for an
oven that is enabled to cook using radio frequency (RF).
BACKGROUND
[0003] Combination ovens that are capable of cooking using more
than one heating source (e.g., convection, steam, microwave, etc.)
have been in use for decades. Each cooking source comes with its
own distinct set of characteristics. Thus, a combination oven can
typically leverage the advantages of each different cooking source
to attempt to provide a cooking process that is improved in terms
of time and/or quality.
[0004] Recently, ovens employing RF cooking as at least one
mechanism by which a combination oven may cook food product have
been developed. However, these ovens also have unique
characteristics by virtue of the features made available in
connection with the application of the heat sources involved.
Cooking sequences must be organized in light of the expected
results associated with each energy source that is to be employed.
That said, factors such as air speed, time, temperature, and
sequencing may not be the only factors that impact cooking
characteristics. In this regard, internal characteristics of the
oven structure may also impact the cooking characteristics.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES
[0005] Some example embodiments may provide an oven that employs
multiple cooking sources, or at least an RF energy source. Some
example embodiments may further provide for the addition of
cookware appliances that may be placed within the cooking chamber
of the oven to provide a user with greater flexibility and
versatility with respect to positioning food items for RF cooking
to achieve consistently heated and browned final products. In this
regard, some example embodiments may provide a two tier elevated
baking rack.
[0006] In an example embodiment, a multiple-tier baking oven rack
is provided. The oven rack may include a top tier and a bottom tier
lying substantially parallel to the top tier and a metallic support
base on which the bottom tier is supported. The bottom tier may be
elevated with respect to the support base and the top tier may be
elevated with respect to the bottom tier. The bottom tier and the
top tier may form a space therebetween to facilitate a flow of air
across the bottom tier and the top tier between the opposing
sidewalls of an oven in which the multiple-tier baking oven rack is
usable.
[0007] Some example embodiments may improve the cooking performance
and/or improve the operator convenience when cooking with an oven
employing an example embodiment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0008] Having thus described the invention in general terms,
reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are
not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an oven capable of
employing at least two energy sources according to an example
embodiment;
[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of the oven of
FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment;
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates a cookware appliance that may be used in
connection with the oven 10 of FIG. 1 according to an example
embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates a more detailed view of a single tier
(e.g., the top tier) of the cookware appliance according to an
example embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the oven of FIG. 1
with the cookware appliance of FIG. 3 disposed therein according to
an example embodiment; and
[0014] FIG. 6 illustrates a stacked arrangement of cookware
appliances according to an example embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Some example embodiments now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
some, but not all example embodiments are shown. Indeed, the
examples described and pictured herein should not be construed as
being limiting as to the scope, applicability or configuration of
the present disclosure. Rather, these example embodiments are
provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal
requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements
throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "or" is to be
interpreted as a logical operator that results in true whenever one
or more of its operands are true. As used herein, operable coupling
should be understood to relate to direct or indirect connection
that, in either case, enables functional interconnection of
components that are operably coupled to each other. Furthermore, as
used herein the term "browning" should be understood to refer to
the Maillard reaction or other desirable food coloration reactions
whereby the food product is turned brown via enzymatic or
non-enzymatic processes.
[0016] Some example embodiments may improve the cooking performance
of an oven and/or may improve the operator experience of
individuals employing an example embodiment. In this regard, since
some example embodiments may provide the operator with increased
flexibility and versatility relative to food item positioning, the
operator may take better advantage of the characteristics of the
oven. As an example, the operator may place food items so that RF
cooking and browning characteristics may be utilized to place items
more or less within the airflow path of the heated airstream that
is used for product browning by controlling food product elevation.
Alternatively or additionally, elevation or positioning of food
product within the oven may avoid having one item block energy from
being communicated to another item. Further still, elevation or
positioning of food products may alter the RF cross section of
certain items. Thus, in some cases, a better cooked product may be
achieved in terms of consistent heating and browning by providing
an ability to disperse food items over elevated cooking platforms
within the oven.
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an oven 10
according to an example embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the oven 10
may include a cooking chamber 12 into which a food product may be
placed for the application of heat by any of at least two energy
sources that may be employed by the oven 10. The cooking chamber 12
may include a door 14 and an interface panel 16, which may sit
proximate to the door 14 when the door 14 is closed. In an example
embodiment, the interface panel 16 may include a touch screen
display capable of providing visual indications to an operator and
further capable of receiving touch inputs from the operator. The
interface panel 16 may be the mechanism by which instructions are
provided to the operator, and the mechanism by which feedback is
provided to the operator regarding cooking process status, options
and/or the like.
[0018] In some embodiments, the oven 10 may include multiple racks
or may include rack (or pan) supports 18 or guide slots in order to
facilitate the insertion of one or more racks, pans or other
support bases capable of holding food product that is to be cooked.
In an example embodiment, airflow slots 19 may be positioned
proximate to the rack supports 18 (e.g., above the rack supports in
one embodiment) to enable air to be forced over a surface of food
product placed in a pan or rack associated with the corresponding
rack supports 18. Food product placed on any one of the racks (or
simply on a base of the cooking chamber 12 in embodiments where
multiple racks are not employed) may be heated at least partially
using radio frequency (RF) energy. Meanwhile, the airflow that may
be provided may be heated to enable browning to be
accomplished.
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of the oven 10
according to an example embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the oven 10
may include at least a first energy source 20 and a second energy
source 30. The first and second energy sources 20 and 30 may each
correspond to respective different cooking methods. However, it
should be appreciated that additional energy sources may also be
provided in some embodiments.
[0020] In an example embodiment, the first energy source 20 may be
an RF energy source configured to generate relatively broad
spectrum RF energy to cook food product placed in the cooking
chamber 12 of the oven 10. Thus, for example, the first energy
source 20 may include an antenna assembly 22 and an RF generator
24. The RF generator 24 of one example embodiment may be configured
to generate RF energy at selected levels over a range of 800 MHz to
1 GHz. The antenna assembly 22 may be configured to transmit the RF
energy into the cooking chamber 12 and receive feedback to indicate
absorption levels of respective different frequencies in the food
product. The absorption levels may then be used, at least in part,
to control the generation of RF energy to provide balanced cooking
of the food product.
[0021] In some example embodiments, the second energy source 30 may
be an energy source capable of inducing browning of the food
product. Thus, for example, the second energy source 30 may include
an airflow generator 32 and an air heater 34. However, in some
cases, the second energy source 30 may be an infrared energy
source, or some other energy source. In examples where the second
energy source 30 includes the airflow generator 32, the airflow
generator 32 may include a fan or other device capable of driving
airflow through the cooking chamber 12 and over a surface of the
food product (e.g., via the airflow slots). The air heater 34 may
be an electrical heating element or other type of heater that heats
air to be driven over the surface of the food product by the
airflow generator 32. Both the temperature of the air and the speed
of airflow will impact browning times that are achieved using the
second energy source 30.
[0022] In an example embodiment, the first and second energy
sources 20 and 30 may be controlled, either directly or indirectly,
by a cooking controller 40. Moreover, it should be appreciated that
either or both of the first and second energy sources 20 and 30 may
be operated responsive to settings or control inputs that may be
provided at the beginning, during or at the end of a program
cooking cycle. Furthermore, energy delivered via either or both of
the first and second energy sources 20 and 30 may be displayable
via operation of the cooking controller 40. The cooking controller
40 may be configured to receive inputs descriptive of the food
product and/or cooking conditions in order to provide instructions
or controls to the first and second energy sources 20 and 30 to
control the cooking process. The first energy source 20 may be said
to provide primary heating of the food product, while the second
energy source 30 provides secondary heating of the food product.
However, it should be appreciated that the terms primary and
secondary in this context do not necessarily provide any indication
of the relative amounts of energy added by each source. Thus, for
example, the secondary heating provided by the second energy source
30 may represent a larger total amount of energy than the primary
heating provided by the first energy source 20. Thus, the term
"primary" may indicate a temporal relationship and/or may be
indicative of the fact that the first energy source is an energy
source that can be directly measured, monitored and displayed. In
some embodiments, the cooking controller 40 may be configured to
receive both static and dynamic inputs regarding the food product
and/or cooking conditions. Dynamic inputs may include feedback data
regarding absorption of RF spectrum, as described above. In some
cases, dynamic inputs may include adjustments made by the operator
during the cooking process (e.g., to control the first energy
source 20 or the second energy source 30), or changing (or
changeable) cooking parameters that may be measured via a sensor
network. The static inputs may include parameters that are input by
the operator as initial conditions. For example, the static inputs
may include a description of the food type, initial state or
temperature, final desired state or temperature, a number and/or
size of portions to be cooked, a location of the item to be cooked
(e.g., when multiple trays or levels are employed), and/or the
like.
[0023] In some embodiments, the cooking controller 40 may be
configured to access data tables that define RF cooking parameters
used to drive the RF generator 34 to generate RF energy at
corresponding levels and/or frequencies for corresponding times
determined by the data tables based on initial condition
information descriptive of the food product. As such, the cooking
controller 40 may be configured to employ RF cooking as a primary
energy source for cooking the food product. However, other energy
sources (e.g., secondary and tertiary or other energy sources) may
also be employed in the cooking process. In some cases, programs or
recipes may be provided to define the cooking parameters to be
employed for each of multiple potential cooking stages that may be
defined for the food product and the cooking controller 40 may be
configured to access and/or execute the programs or recipes. In
some embodiments, the cooking controller 40 may be configured to
determine which program to execute based on inputs provided by the
user. In an example embodiment, an input to the cooking controller
40 may also include browning instructions or other instructions
that relate to the application of energy from a secondary energy
source (e.g., the second energy source 30). In this regard, for
example, the browning instructions may include instructions
regarding the air speed, air temperature and/or time of application
of a set air speed and temperature combination. The browning
instructions may be provided via a user interface as described in
greater detail below, or may be provided via instructions
associated with a program or recipe. Furthermore, in some cases,
initial browning instructions may be provided via a program or
recipe, and the operator may make adjustments to the energy added
by the second energy source 30 in order to adjust the amount of
browning to be applied. In such a case, an example embodiment may
employ the cooking controller 40 to account for changes made to the
amount of energy to be added by the second energy source 30, by
adjusting the amount of energy to be added via the first energy
source 20.
[0024] FIG. 3 illustrates a cookware appliance that may be used in
connection with the oven 10 of FIG. 1. However, it should be
appreciated that the cookware appliance may also be useable in
connection with some other ovens by virtue of its removable nature.
The cookware appliance of FIG. 3 is embodied as a multiple-tier
elevated baking rack 100. Although FIG. 3 shows the multiple-tier
elevated baking rack 100 having two tiers, some embodiments may
include more than just two tiers. FIG. 4 illustrates a more
detailed view of a single tier (e.g., the top tier) of the cookware
appliance according to an example embodiment. An example embodiment
will now be described in reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, the multiple-tier elevated baking rack
100 may include a bottom tier 110 and a top tier 120. However, as
indicated above, intermediate tiers between the bottom tier 110 and
the top tier 120 may be included in some cases. In an example
embodiment, the bottom tier 110 and the top tier 120 may each be
substantially rectangular in shape to substantially match a shape
of the cooking chamber 12. However, any shape may be employed as
long as the bottom tier 110 and the top tier 120 fit within the
cooking chamber 12. In some embodiments, the bottom tier 110 and
the top tier 120 may each have substantially the same shape and
dimensions.
[0026] In the example of FIGS. 3 and 4, the top tier 120 includes a
frame 130 that extends around a periphery of the top tier 130. The
frame 130 includes a first frame member 132, a second frame member
134, a third frame member 136 and a fourth frame member 138. The
first frame member 132 extends substantially perpendicular to the
second and fourth frame members 134 and 138, which each connect to
an opposite end of the first frame member 132. The first frame
member 132 also extends substantially parallel to the third frame
member 136. The third frame member 136 extends between the opposite
ends of the second and fourth frame members 134 and 138 relative to
the ends of the second and fourth frame members 134 and 138 that
connect to the first frame member 132. The second and fourth frame
members 134 and 138 also extend substantially perpendicular to the
third frame member 136.
[0027] The top tier 120 further includes a grate structure 140 that
is disposed to lie in the same plane as the frame 130 and cover an
entirety of the area defined by the frame 130. The grate structure
140 of FIG. 4 is formed as a wire mesh that includes members that
extend diagonally relative to the frame members. However, in some
embodiments, the grate structure 140 may include wires, bars, or
other members that extend substantially parallel (or perpendicular)
to the first and third frame members 132 and 136 and substantially
perpendicular (or parallel) to the second and fourth frame members
134 and 138. The grate structure 140 may be affixed to the frame
members by welding, by being pinched between portions of the frame
members, or by another form of adhesion. Alternatively, the grate
structure 140 may be removable from the frame 130 and may rest upon
the frame 130. The bottom tier 110 may be structured in similar
fashion to the structure described above for the top tier 120, so a
specific description of the structure of the bottom tier 110 would
be redundant and will not be provided.
[0028] In an example embodiment, the bottom tier 110 and the top
tier 120 may be connected to each other at only one end thereof.
For example, a C-shaped (or U-shaped) support bracket 145 may be
provided at the third frame member 136 of the top tier 120 to
connect the third frame member 136 to the corresponding frame
member of the bottom tier 110. Accordingly, the top tier 120 (and
any intermediate tiers) may be cantilevered relative to the bottom
tier 110 to extend over the bottom tier 110 without supports or
brackets being provided at three sides. A distance between the
tiers of the multiple-tier elevated baking rack 100 may vary for
different applications. However, for some applications, the
distance may typically be set at somewhere in the range of between
about 2 inches to about 8 inches. By providing the top tier 120 to
be cantilevered relative to the bottom tier 110, and by placing the
support brackets 145 at a back portion of the multiple-tier
elevated baking rack 100 relative to its insertion into the oven
10, the side portions of the multiple-tier elevated baking rack 100
may present no (or minimal) resistance to airflow across the oven
10 between the airflow slots 19. Furthermore, placing the support
brackets 145 at the back, the operator may have unobstructed access
to an entirety of the bottom tier 110 without concern over hitting
a support structure with any implement used to place, maneuver or
retrieve food items placed on the bottom tier 110. As such, the
space between the top tier 120 and the bottom tier 110 may be
relatively uninhibited so that airflow can pass between the tiers
and improve contact with the food items disposed thereon.
[0029] In some embodiments, the bottom tier 110 may include support
feet 150. The support feet 150 may support the bottom tier 110 to
elevate the bottom tier 110 relative to a structure on which the
bottom tier 110 rests. In an example embodiment, a cooking tray,
pan, grate or other structure (e.g., pan 160 in FIG. 5) may be slid
into the rack supports 18 of FIG. 1. The support feet 150 may then
rest on the tray, pan, grate or other such structure. In an example
embodiment, the support feet 150 may be substantially C-shaped or
U-shaped structures that are attached to frame members on opposing
sides. In the example of FIG. 3, the support feet may be disposed
proximate to the corners of the frame of the bottom tier 110 to
provide stable support to the bottom tier 110 when resting on the
tray, pan or other structure disposed within one of the rack
supports 18. However, in an example embodiment, the frame of the
bottom tier 110 (or the top tier 120) may be sized to enable the
multiple-tier elevated baking rack 100 to slide directly into the
rack supports 18. Thus, for example, the top tier 120 may be slid
into the rack supports 18 such that the bottom tier 110 is
supported below the top tier 120 hanging in a cantilevered fashion
from the top tier 120 and supported by the support brackets 145.
Alternatively, the bottom tier 110 may be slid into the rack
supports 18 such that the top tier 120 extends above the bottom
tier 110 in a cantilevered fashion and is supported by the support
brackets 145.
[0030] In an example embodiment, the support feet 150 (or legs) of
the multiple-tier elevated baking rack 100 may be the same heights
as the support brackets 145. Thus, for example, the bottom tier 110
may be elevated above the pan 160 by an amount that is equivalent
to the amount that the top tier 120 is elevated relative to the
bottom tier 110. FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the oven
10 with the multiple-tier elevated baking rack 100 disposed therein
on a pan 160, which forms a metallic base. Food items can be seen
disposed on each of the top tier 120 and the bottom tier 110, and
some could also be placed on the pan 160. However, since the top
tier 120 and the bottom tier 110 each have grates upon which the
food items sit, the food items are not shielded from RF energy the
way they could be shielded (or partially shielded) when placed in a
baking pan having some degree of pan depth. Furthermore, the grates
upon which the food items sit allow improved airflow over the food
items (including a bottom portion of the food items), which may
improve cooking characteristics achieved in the oven 10 in some
cases.
[0031] In some embodiments, a plurality of multiple-tier elevated
baking racks may be provided in a stacked arrangement, as shown in
FIG. 6. Thus, for example, the support feet (or legs) of the bottom
rack may sit on the pan 160, while the support feet (or legs) of
the top rack may sit on the bottom rack. In an example embodiment,
the racks may each have a support post 170 disposed between the top
tier and bottom tier thereof in order to help support the weight of
a stacked arrangement of racks. The provision of multiple elevated
tiers may increase productivity and/or efficiency, but may also
allow increased exposure to airflow and RF penetration so that a
more consistent product may be achieved.
[0032] In an example embodiment, the frame members, the grate
structure, the support brackets and/or the support feet of the
multiple-tier elevated baking rack 100 may be made from aluminum.
However, alternative materials may be used in other embodiments,
such as, for example, stainless steel.
[0033] In some embodiments, cooking using any of the elevated
structures described herein may be enhanced by employing at least
one pan beneath the elevated structure. The pan (e.g., pan 160) may
not only suspend the food to place it in a better position for
reception of airflow and RF energy, but the pan may also reflect or
focus RF energy and/or airflow upward toward the food placed on the
elevated structure. Moreover, in some cases, placing a pan above
the elevated structure may further enhance cooking characteristics
achieved.
[0034] Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions
set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to
which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings
presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated
drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are
not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that
modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included
within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the
foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe
exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary
combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated
that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be
provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the
scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example,
different combinations of elements and/or functions than those
explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set
forth in some of the appended claims. In cases where advantages,
benefits or solutions to problems are described herein, it should
be appreciated that such advantages, benefits and/or solutions may
be applicable to some example embodiments, but not necessarily all
example embodiments. Thus, any advantages, benefits or solutions
described herein should not be thought of as being critical,
required or essential to all embodiments or to that which is
claimed herein. Although specific terms are employed herein, they
are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for
purposes of limitation.
* * * * *