U.S. patent number RE36,464 [Application Number 08/731,394] was granted by the patent office on 1999-12-28 for griller.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Breville R & D Pty Limited. Invention is credited to Stephen J. McClean, William J. O'Brien.
United States Patent |
RE36,464 |
O'Brien , et al. |
December 28, 1999 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Griller
Abstract
A griller having a substantially horizontally extending grill
member to support food while being grilled, the grill member
consisting of alternating bars and slots the bars being made of
aluminium, aluminium alloy or a substance having similar heat
transmitting properties there being arranged under the grill member
an elongated electric heating element that is accommodated within a
groove formed on the underside of the grill member, whereby fats
and liquids emerging from food being cooked on the grill member are
prevented from coming into contact with the electric heating
element, an electric plug socket connected to the electric heating
element directly and without intervention of a thermostat, the
heating element and the grill member being constructed and arranged
so that heat from the heating element is distributed more or less
evenly over the surface of the grill member, the grill member being
removeably supported on a container that in use underlies the grill
member and acts to catch fat and liquids from the food being
grilled, there being a circumferential gap between an outer wall of
the container and the periphery of the grill member the width of
the gap being such as to permit a flow of air into the space
beneath the grill member to control the temperature of the heating
element and grill member and prevent thermal run away.
Inventors: |
O'Brien; William J. (Vaucluse,
AU), McClean; Stephen J. (Beverly Hills,
AU) |
Assignee: |
Breville R & D Pty Limited
(AU)
|
Family
ID: |
37663379 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/731,394 |
Filed: |
October 18, 1996 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
082042 |
Jun 24, 1993 |
05355779 |
Oct 18, 1994 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Jul 10, 1992 [AU] |
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PL3476 |
Mar 9, 1993 [AU] |
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34093/93 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
99/446 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J
37/0676 (20130101); H05B 3/72 (20130101); H05B
3/68 (20130101); A47J 37/0694 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47J
37/06 (20060101); H05B 3/68 (20060101); H05B
3/72 (20060101); A47J 037/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;99/375,400,425,444-446,450 ;219/443,455 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Spisich; Mark
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Christie, Parker & Hale,
LLP
Parent Case Text
.Iadd.CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application (appl. Ser. No. 08/731,394, filed Oct. 18, 1996)
and copending appl. Ser. No. 09/294,598, filed Apr. 19, 1999, are
both reissues of U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,779, appl. Ser. No.
08/082,042, filed Jun. 24, 1993. .Iaddend.
Claims
We claim:
1. A griller having a substantially horizontally extending grill
member to support food while being grilled, the grill member
consisting of alternating bars and slots the bars being made of
material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum
alloy and a material having similar heat transmitting properties to
aluminum, the slots passing through the grill member, there being
arranged under the grill member and spaced from the slots an
elongated electric heating element that is accommodated within in a
groove formed on an underside of the grill member, whereby fats and
liquids emerging from food being cooked on the grill member are
prevented from coming into contact with the electric heating
element, electric plug receiving means connected to said electric
heating element directly and without intervention of a thermostat,
the heating element and the grill member being constructed and
arranged so that heat from the heating element is distributed over
a surface of the grill member, the grill member being removably
supported on a container that in use underlies the grill member and
acts to catch fat and liquids from the food being grilled, the
underside of said grill member being vertically spaced above an
outer peripheral wall of said container to define a gap between the
outer wall of said container and the underside of the grill member
positioned so as to permit a flow of air transversely through the
gap into the space beneath the grill member to control the
temperature of the heating element and grill member and prevent
abnormal heating.
2. A griller as claimed in claim 1 wherein the groove formed on the
underside of the grill member is defined by sides that extend below
the heating element to promote the shedding of fats and liquid from
food being cooked to prevent it coming into contact with the
heating element.
3. A griller as claimed in claim 1 having an area intended for the
cooking of foodstuffs at a lower temperature, the lower temperature
in this area being achieved by the termination of the heating
element a short distance before the electrical plug receiving
means.
4. A griller as claimed in claim 1 wherein both the container and
the grill member are provided with handles of insulating material
whereby either the container together with the grill member may be
placed on a table for direct service of food from the grill member
or the grill member may be removed from the container for
washing.
5. A griller as claimed in claim 1 wherein upper surfaces of the
bars are slightly rounded to expedite the flow of fats and liquid
from a foodstuff being grilled.
6. A griller as claimed in claim 1 wherein the power consumption of
the heater element is 1600 watts and the weight of the grill member
about 3.5 kg.
7. A griller as claimed in claim 1 wherein the container is
provided with legs that support the container at a distance above a
table surface to control the temperature of the table surface
during operation of the griller. .Iadd.
8. A griller having a substantially horizontally extending grill
member to support food while being grilled, the grill member
consisting of alternating bars and slots, the bars being made of
materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum
alloy, and a material having similar heat transmitting properties
to aluminum, the slots passing through the grill member, there
being arranged under the grill member and spaced from the slots an
elongated electric heating element that is accommodated within in a
groove formed on an underside of the grill member, whereby fats and
liquids emerging from the food being cooked on the grill member are
prevented from coming into contact with the electric heating
element, electric plug receiving means connected to said electric
heating element directly and without intervention of a thermostat,
the heating element and the grill member being constructed and
arranged so that heat from the heating element is distributed over
a surface of the grill member, the grill member being removably
supported on a container that in use underlies the grill member and
acts to catch fat and liquids from the food being grilled, said
griller having at least one aperture forming an air gap on opposite
sides of the griller, said at least one aperture being located
below the underside of the grill member between an interior and
exterior of the grill for permitting air flow transversely in the
space beneath the grill member. .Iaddend..Iadd.9. A griller as
claimed in claim 8 wherein the underside of said grill member is
vertically spaced above an outer peripheral wall of said container,
and wherein said at least one aperture is defined by the vertical
space between the outer wall of said container and the underside of
the grill member. .Iaddend..Iadd.10. A griller having a
substantially horizontally extending grill member to support food
while being grilled on a cooking surface, the grill member
consisting of alternating bars and slots, the bars being made of
materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum
alloy, and a material having similar heat transmitting properties
to aluminum, the slots passing through the grill member, there
being arranged under the grill member and spaced from the slots an
elongated electric heating element that is accommodated within in a
groove formed on an underside of the grill member, whereby fats and
liquids emerging from the food being cooked on the grill member are
prevented from coming into contact with the electric heating
element, electric plug receiving means connected to said electric
heating element directly and without intervention of a thermostat,
the heating element and the grill member being constructed and
arranged so that heat from the heating element is distributed over
a surface of the grill member, the grill member being removably
supported on a container that in use underlies the grill member and
acts to catch fat and liquids from the food being grilled, air
entry means, located on opposite sides of the griller, for
permitting air flow transversely In the space beneath the underside
of the grill member to control the temperature of the heating
element and grill member and prevent abnormal heating by
cooperation between the air flow and the electric heating element
without intervention of a thermostat.
.Iaddend..Iadd.11. A griller as claimed in claim 10 wherein the
underside of said grill member is vertically spaced above an outer
peripheral wall of said container, and wherein said air entry means
is defined by the vertical space between the outer wall of said
container and the underside of the grill member. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a griller for the grilling of
foodstuffs, such as steaks, by means of an electric heating
element. The griller, the subject of the invention, can be used
both outdoors and indoors.
Many forms of grillers are in use domestically and with at least
some of them a problem arises as to the disposal of melted fat and
liquid emerging from the foodstuff being cooked. If this fat is
allowed to come into contact with the means of heating the griller
smoke is produced, as are carcinogenic compounds. While forms of
grillers consisting of a grid arranged to heat an article of food
to be grilled, beneath which and spaced from the grid, is an
electric heating element onto which fat and liquids can fall are
very popular, the problems referred to above have been recognised
and addressed in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,180 which
is described in the Abstract accompanying the specification as:
"An electric grill-simulated charcoal broiler for use indoors with
smoke, grease/fire abatement The iron grid is somewhat rectangular
shaped with horizontal elongated grooves positioned therein for
searing the meat and elongated slots to receive and direct the
ensuing greases and juices through parallel openings to a water pad
positioned thereunder. The electrical grill heating element
positioned directly beneath the iron grid bars is not exposed to
the openings. The grill element has sufficient width to impart the
heat directly to the meat by way of convection and conduction. The
overall unit is simple in construction composed of readily detached
or removable components for accessibility and sanitation and is
self-contained and may be portable".
In this construction the electric heating elements are positioned
directly beneath the iron grid bars and fat is carried off in
grooves formed in the upper surfaces of the bars.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an electrically
heated griller having similar advantages to those of the
construction described above but having additional features
resulting in a simpler and more effective construction. Details of
these advantages are set out below.
The present invention consists in a griller having a substantially
horizontally extending grill member to support food while being
grilled, the grill member consisting of alternating bars and slots
the bars being made of aluminium, aluminium alloy and a material
having similar heat transmitting properties to aluminium, the slots
passing through the grill member; there being arranged under the
grill member spaced from the slots an elongated electric heating
element that is accommodated within a groove formed on the
underside of the grill member, whereby fats and liquids emerging
from food being cooked on the grill member are prevented from
coming into contact with the electric heating element, electric
plug receiving means connected to said electric heating element
directly and without intervention of a thermostat, the heating
element and the grill member being constructed and arranged so that
heat from the heating element is distributed more or less evenly
over a surface of the grill member, the grill member being
removeably supported on a container that in use underlies the grill
member and acts to catch fat and liquids from the food being
grilled, the underside of said grill member being vertically spaced
above an outer peripheral wall of said container to define gap
between the outer wall of said container and the underside of the
grill member positioned so as to permit a flow of air transversely
through the gap into the space beneath the grill member to control
the temperature of the heating element and grill member and prevent
abnormal heating.
In order that the nature of the invention may be better understood,
a preferred form thereof is hereinafter described by way of example
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a griller according to the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectioned perspective view showing one half of the
griller of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is an underneath plan view of the griller.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The griller in the preferred form consists of a grill member 10
which is in the form of an aluminium casting. Alloys of aluminium
may be used or any other material having a similar capacity for
heat transfer. For the effective operation of the griller it is
important that heat from the electric heater element described
below be distributed more or less evenly over the surface of the
grill member 10.
The shape and configuration of the grill member can be readily seen
from the drawings and it will be appreciated that this serves not
only to support food being grilled but also to permit fats and
liquids emerging from the food to pass through the grill
member.
In the embodiment illustrated, the grill member 10 consists in a
series of parallel bars 11 separated by slots 12 and joined at
their ends by a surrounding portion 13 and having two parallel
longitudinally extending members 14 and two transversely extending
members 15 which between them receive on their undersides an
electric heating element 16. This is accommodated in a groove 17 on
the underside of the members 14 and 15, as is best seen in FIG. 3,
and this is held in place by staking (not seen). FIG. 2 shows that
the heating element 16 is largely shielded from fat and liquids
flowing from foodstuffs being cooked. The upper surfaces of the
bars 11 are slightly rounded to assist in effecting a fast runoff
of fats and liquids from food being grilled. The edges 18 of the
groove 17 extend below the heating element 16 to shed fat or liquid
emerging from food being grilled and to prevent its reaching the
heating element 16. The heating element 16 is connected to an
electric socket 20 into which a standard plug may be inserted. The
electric heater element 16 which, for a griller of the size
indicated, may be a 1600 watt element as this has been found to
maintain the temperature of the grill member at about 280.degree.
C. where the weight of the grill member is about 3.5 kg.
In most electric grillers overheating is prevented by the
incorporation of a thermostat in the electrical circuitry. This,
however, has the disadvantage that the griller cannot be immersed
in water for cleaning. A griller according to the present invention
dispenses with a thermostat and temperature control is achieved by
careful design which achieves a balance between the beat output of
the heater element and the mass of metal in the grill member, and
by proper choice of the size of the air gap 29 thermal runaway
being, guarded against by the provision of air circulation in the
manner described below. The fact that the grill member can be
totally immersed in water for cleaning is a very substantial
practical advantage.
The arrangement of the heater element 16 in the configuration shown
in FIG. 3 ensures substantially even heating of the grill member
over the whole of its surface. It is to be noted that in use the
highest temperature achieved in the heating element is at the part
immediately opposite the plug 20 and to help dissipate heat at this
point additional metal is included by means of the member 21.
The grill member 10, at one end, has a portion in the form of a
plate 22. This is arranged to have a temperature of about
200.degree. C. which acts as a cool spot for the cooking of
materials such as tomatoes, onions or mushrooms which require a
lower cooking temperature than, for example, does a steak. The
temperature in this area is reduced by providing the heating
element with "a cold end" that is to say that the heating element
proper is terminated a short distance before the plug 20 and is
connected to the plug by low resistance conductors. The whole of
the grill member 10 is covered with PTFE which, while being capable
of resisting cooking temperatures, also greatly facilitates
cleaning.
The grill member 10 is supported on the periphery of a shallow
container 23 which serves to catch fat and liquids from food being
grilled. This can either be used as a receptacle for water or
absorbent material thus providing two different means of dealing
with fat and liquid from the food being cooked. The bottom of the
container 23 may be coated with a heat reflecting coating or
covered with aluminium foil to reflect heat back to the grill
member 10 with a view to preventing the temperature of any surface
on which the container is placed from being heated to an
unacceptable temperature. The container 23 is provided with legs 24
which act to support it so that there is a space between the
container and any table top on which the griller is placed and the
temperature of the table top may be controlled by making the legs
24 shorter or longer.
As is best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the periphery of the grill member
10 is separated from the peripheral edge of the container 23 by an
air gap 29. This air gap has a most important function in
permitting the inflow of air to cool the grill member 10 and
protect the heating element from thermal run away without the
necessity for incorporating a thermostat in the construction. The
width of the gap 29 must be correctly chosen so that the grill
member is not cooled unduly or insufficiently. For any particular
griller the correct width of this gap can only be determined by
experiment. This form of temperature control of the grill member
has another advantage and that is that if an item of food is placed
on the grill member it immediately reduces the surface temperature
of the bars 11 and thus the searing effect on the food. However,
with the present design the placing of, for example, a steak on the
grill member blocks off some of the slots between bars 11 thus
diminishing the flow of air through the grill member and reducing
the drop in temperature caused by placing the steak on the grill
member.
After the grilling of a foodstuff has been completed the plug 20
may be removed and, by means of the handles 26, the whole container
and griller may be taken to the table and the food served directly
from the grill member 10.
The grill member 10 is provided at each end with a ceramic or
phenolic handle 27 which is spaced apart from the grill member by
supports 28 which are made hollow to minimise the transmission of
heat from the grill member to the handle. After removal of the plug
20 the grill member may be removed by means of the handles 27 and
placed in water for washing. As pointed out above this is possible
due to the absence of a thermostat in the construction.
In an alternative form of construction not illustrated the heating
element 16 may be cast into the grill members 11 and 12 instead of
being held in position by staking as illustrated.
The embodiment of the invention described above is merely
illustrative of one form of embodiment of the invention, the
construction of the griller being capable of variation within the
general scope of the invention as defined above.
* * * * *