Patent Application
20120285338
The present invention relates generally to the field of barbeque grilling. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to an improved attachment for grilling or barbequing hot dogs, bratwursts, or the like.
Many people enjoy grilling and barbeques (BBQ). Getting together, cooking, and eating food has long been a tradition of people as a way to socialize, celebrate events, exchange ideas, etc. In addition, people enjoy using grills to cook food such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and bratwursts. When available, people will use BBQ grills, which can use gas, charcoal, smoke, or electric heating elements to cook the food. However, the problem with using any of these types of grills is that the person in charge of cooking must keep a constant watch on the food as it cooks to ensure that the food does not burn, gets fully cooked, and gets cooked evenly. When using a gas or charcoal grill, there is also the possibility of flame-ups, which can char or cause unwanted taste to the food. By constantly watching the food, the chef or grill master may miss out on conversations, events, games, or other activities.
Therefore, devices, attachments, and systems have been designed which allow some food, such as hot dogs, bratwursts, sausages, and other cylindrically shaped foods to cook without the need for constant watching by a grill master. U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,220 discloses a portable roller grill for cooking hot dogs. The '220 patent discloses a roller grill including a plurality of rollers having alternating drive gears and intermediate gears, which cause opposing rollers to roll in opposite directions. The rollers cause the hot dogs to spin on the rollers to cook evenly over a heat source.
However, problems exist with the design of the '220 patent. The gears can become jammed, which causes the rollers to stop spinning The hot dogs will not spin, and will burn on one side and not cook evenly. Additionally, the patent includes attaching a chuck of a rotisserie motor to one side of the roller at a driver gear. Therefore, the chuck may detach from the roller. In other words, the roller may “walk,” separating itself from the adapter rod. Without the connection to the rotisserie motor, the individual rollers will not spin, and thus, the hot dogs will not spin. The idle hot dogs will then burn on one side if not checked on.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved attachment to a barbeque or grill that allows a cook to prepare food such as hot dogs, bratwursts, sausages, and the like, evenly and thoroughly without having to constantly watch the cooking process. There is also a need in the art for a grill attachment that will not jam or stop spinning, and that will not walk from a rotisserie or spinning mechanism.
It is therefore a primary object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to overcome or improve on deficiencies in the art.
It is another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide a grill attachment with spinning rollers that does not rely on gears to control.
It is yet another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide a universal grill attachment for cooking food.
It is another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide a grill attachment with spinning rollers driven by sprockets and chains to evenly cook hot dogs, bratwursts, sausages, and the like.
It is still another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide a grill attachment that will not become detached from a spinning mechanism.
It is still another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide a height adjustable grill attachment for attaching to existing rotisserie devices on a grill or other cooking device.
It is yet another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide a grill attachment that will not deform under high heat.
These and/or other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The present invention is not to be limited to or by these objects, features and advantages. No single embodiment need provide each and every object, feature, or advantage.
The rollers 28 are operatively connected to the drive shaft 24 such that the rotation of the drive shaft 24 due to the spinning rotisserie 16 will further cause the rollers 28 to rotate at the same or similar speed. The rotation of the driven rollers 28 is caused by the connection of the rollers to the drive axle 24 via chains 30 positioned on sprockets 34 that are mounted on the ends of the rollers 28 and drive axle 24, 28. The sprockets are attached to the drive axle 24 and rollers 28 at the ends of the drive axle 24 and rollers 28 and are located outside of the first frame member 36 and the second frame member 38. The ends of the drive axle 24 and roller 28 are tapered such that the ends are inserted through apertures 40 through the first and second frame members 36, 38. After the ends of the rollers 28 have been inserted through the apertures 40, the sprockets 34 are attached to the ends thereof. The sprockets 34 may be attached by threading an internal thread of the sprockets 34 to a thread at the ends of the rollers 28, the sprockets 34 may be welded to the rollers 28, or the sprockets 34 may be adhered to the ends of the rollers 28 in other manners. However, it is preferred that the sprockets 34 are connected to the ends of the rollers 28 such that the sprockets 34 and rollers 28 will rotate as one uniform element.
A chain 30 connects two sprockets 34 of the drive axle 24 and/or plurality of rollers 28 such that the two members will rotate at approximately the same rotational velocity. The chains 30 are standard chains including chain links 32 that fit about the ends of the sprockets 34. Therefore, as shown in
It should be appreciated that while the present invention includes a drive axle 24 and three driven rollers 28, the invention is not limited to the number of rollers shown, and it is contemplated that the number of rollers will be determined by the amount of food desired to be placed on the grill attachment 10; as well as the size of the heating element. Furthermore, while the drive axle 24 is discussed as being separate from the driven rollers 28, it should be appreciated that the rollers and the drive axle comprise generally the same size, shape and material as one another. The drive axle is merely the directly driven roller of the grill attachment 10. Furthermore, the rollers 28 and drive axle 24 comprise stainless steel. The stainless steel is beneficial because it will heat up and retain heat to aid in the cooking of the food 22. Therefore, once the rollers 28 are warmed, it would be possible to remove the heat source and continue to cook the food. The retention of heat saves on resources and space on a grill or other heating element. As noted above, a shaft, such as a ¼ inch shaft is welded or otherwise attached at the end of the roller 28 to be inserted through the first and second frame members 36, 38. Both ends of the roller are free to rotate within apertures 40 in the first and second frame members 36, 38. In addition, the space between adjacent rollers may be varied via the aperture 40 in the first and second frame members 36, 38 to allow for the cooking of various sizes of foods 22. Put another way, the apertures 40 may be wider than the width of the roller ends such the rollers can be moved along the length of the apertures 40. A retention member (not shown) would hold the roller in place within the apertures 40.
As stated above, the first and second frame members 36, 38 are positioned at the ends of the drive axle 24 and driven rollers 28. The first and second frame members 36, 38 also comprise stainless steel and include apertures 40 therethrough to house the rollers 28 and frame supports 42. The frame supports 42 are generally steel rods that are spaced between the first and second frame members 36, 38 to provide support for the frame members 36, 38. Thus, the frame supports 42 include threads on both ends of the frame supports 42 such that a securing member 44, such as a nut, may be placed on both sides of the frame member 36, 38 to support the grill attachment 10. The use of a securing member 44, such as a nut, allows for the width of the grill attachment 10 to be adjusted. The number of frame supports 42 may be varied, and may also perform a function of catching any food that slips between the rollers of the grill attachment 10. It should be also appreciated that the frame supports 42 may be welded to the first and second frame members 36, 38 to more permanently affix the supports 42 to the frame members 36, 28.
As shown generally in
The first and second legs 46, 48 include a base 50 and an opening 52. The base 50 provides support for the legs 46, 48 such that the legs will not wobble or tip over during use with the grill attachment 10. The opening 52 provides an area to slide the edge of the grill attachment 10 relative to the legs 46, 48 to adjust the height of the grill attachment 10. For example, as shown in
The use of the grill attachment 10 as shown in
The invention has been shown and described above with reference to the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made all within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the number of driven rollers, and therefore, the number of chains and sprockets, may be adjusted to vary the size and cooking capacity of the grill attachment 10. Furthermore, the material used for the components of the invention may vary. For example, it is preferred that food grade materials be used such that they are easy to clean and safe food preparation, however, it is appreciated that other materials, such as Teflon, may be used to coat the rollers and other components of the invention. Furthermore, the invention may also include covers at both the first and second frame members 36, 28 to enclose the chain and rotating sprockets of the rollers such that the grill attachment 10 may be safer. Finally, the legs may include different means of adjusting the height of the grill attachment 10 other than that shown in the Figures. The invention is only to be limited by claims appended hereto.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to provisional application Ser. No. 61/485,297 filed May 12, 2011, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61485297 | May 2011 | US |
