Patent Application
20140261377
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a barbecue apparatus and, more particularly, to a barbecue apparatus good for cooking food and keeping it warm.
2. Related Prior Art
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,290, a conventional grill 10 includes a casing 11, a cooking grate 20, a cover 25, a warming grate 29, two grate-supporting brackets 30, two attaching brackets 44, two guide arms 47 and two latches 51. The cooking grate 20 is placed in the casing 11. The cover 25 is pivotally connected to the casing 11. The warming grate 29 is detachably supported on the grate-supporting brackets 30. Each grate-supporting bracket 30 includes a base 33 connected to a groove element 37 by two posts 38 and 39. The base 33 of each grate-supporting bracket 30 is secured to the casing 12. Each attaching bracket 44 includes an aperture 44b defined therein and is attached to the cover 25. Each guide arm 47 includes a pin 49 secured thereto. Each latch 51 includes a notched end 51b. Each guide arm 47 is pivotally connected to a corresponding leg 39. Each latch 51 is pivotally connected to a corresponding guide arm 47. Each pin 49 is inserted through a corresponding aperture 44b. The notched end 51b of each latch 51 is engaged with a corresponding pin 49. Thus, the grate-supporting brackets 30 are extended to place the warming grate 29 horizontally for use when the cover 25 is lifted from the casing 11. The use of the grill 10 is not without any problems. To add coal into the casing 11 from time to time, the cooking grate 20 has to be removed or lifted from the casing 11. A user can remove food from the cooking grate 20 before he or she uses a hand to remove or lift the cooking grate 20 from the casing 11 and uses the other hand to add coal into the casing 11. Alternatively, the user can leave the food on the cooking grate 20 and use both hands to move the cooking grate 20 to a safe place from the casing 11 before he or she uses a hand to add coal into the casing 11. Both practices are inconvenient. Moreover, the addition of coal deep into a rear portion of the interior of the casing 11 is hindered by the warming grate 29.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,437, another conventional barbecue grill 12 includes a housing 16, a cover 18, a gas burner 20, a cooking grill 22, a lower warming rack 24, a lower U-shaped bail 25, an upper warming rack 26 and an upper U-shaped bail 34. The cover 18 is pivotally connected to the housing 16. The gas burner 20 is placed in and connected to the housing 16. The cooking grill 22 is placed in the housing 16. The lower warming rack 24 and the upper warming rack 26 are pivotally connected to the cover 18. The lower U-shaped bail 25 includes a lower portion pivotally connected to the housing 16 and an upper portion pivotally connected to the lower warming rack 24. The upper U-shaped bail 34 includes a lower portion movably connected to the lower warming rack 24 and an upper portion pivotally connected to the upper warming rack 26. Thus, the warming racks 24 and 26 are placed horizontally for use when the cover 18 is lift from the housing 16. This configuration is suitable for gas-burning grills, not for coal-burning grills. To add coal into the housing 16 from time to time, the cooking grill 22 has to be removed or lifted from the housing 16. However, the movement of the cooking grill 22 is hindered by the lower U-shaped bail 34. A user can remove food from the cooking grill 22 before he or she uses a hand to remove or lift the cooking grill 22 from the housing 16 and uses the other hand to add coal into the housing 16. Alternatively, the user can leave the food on the cooking grill 22 and use both hands to move the cooking grill 22 to a safe place from the housing 16 before he or she uses a hand to add coal into the casing 16. Moreover, the addition of coal deep into a rear portion of the interior of the housing 16 is hindered by the lower warming rack 24.
As disclosed in US Patent Application Publication 2006/0086354, another conventional grill 100 includes a housing 162, a cover 164, a cooking structure 170, a warming rack 110, two supports 120 and two mounting devices 130. The cover 164 is pivotally connected to the housing 162. The cooking structure 170 is placed in the housing 162. Each support 120 includes two legs 124 extending from a beam 126. Each leg 124 is pivotally connected to the cooking structure 170 by a corresponding mounting device 130. The warming rack 110 is connected to the beams of the supports 120. The use of the grill 100 is not without any problems. The lifting of the cover 164 from the housing 162 does not automatically place the warming rack 110 in an active position because the warming rack 110 is not connected to the cover 164. Therefore, a user has to lift the cover 164 before he or she can place the warming rack 110 in an active position. Moreover, to add coal into the housing 162 from time to time, the user has to remove all of the cooking structure 170, the warming rack 110, the supports 120 and the mounting devices 130 from the housing 162, and this could be a heavy load for the user. The user can remove food from the cooking structure 170 before he or she uses a hand to remove or lift the cooking structure 170, the warming rack 110, the supports 120 and the mounting devices 130 from the housing 162 and uses the other hand to add coal into the housing 162. Alternatively, the user can leave the food on the cooking structure 170 and the warming rack 110 and use both hands to move the cooking structure 170, the warming rack 110, the supports 120 and the mounting devices 130 to a safe place from the housing 162 before he or she uses a hand to add coal into the housing 162.
Therefore, the present invention is intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a convenient barbecue apparatus.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the barbecue apparatus includes a casing, a cover, two cooking grills, two handles, two warming grills, an axle and two supporting elements. The casing includes two lateral walls, a rear wall formed between the lateral walls, and two hooks formed on the rear wall. Each of the lateral walls includes a recess defined therein. The cover is pivotally connected to the casing. Each of the cooking grills includes an aperture for receiving a corresponding one of the hooks so that the cooking grills are pivotally connected to the casing. Each of the handles extends out of a corresponding one of the recesses from a corresponding one of the cooking grills. The axle is used to pivotally connect the warming grills to the cover. Each of the supporting elements includes a beam pivotally connected to a corresponding one of the warming grills, a pivot pivotally connected to a corresponding one of the cooking grills and a post extending to the pivot from the beam.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
Referring to
The casing 10 includes a front wall 12, a rear wall 14 and two lateral walls 16 extending to the front wall 12 from the rear wall 14. The front wall 12 includes a shoulder 11 formed on an internal side thereof. Two hooks 13 are formed on an internal side of the rear wall 14. Each of the lateral walls 16 includes a recess 15 defined therein.
Referring to
The cover 20 is formed with two lateral walls 24. The cover 20 is provided with a handle 22 for easy maneuvering thereof.
The hinge 30 includes an upper element 32, a lower element 34 and a pin 36. The upper element 32 is secured to the cover 20 by welding or rivets for example. The lower element 34 is secured to the casing 10 by welding or rivets for example. The lower element 34 is formed with a stop 38. The pin 36 is inserted in the upper element 32 and the lower element 34. Thus, the cover 20 is pivotally connected to the casing 10.
A user can maneuver the handle 22 to move the cover 20 between a closing position shown in
In the closing position, the cover 20 is placed on the casing 10. The lateral walls 24 of the cover 20 are placed against the abutting portions 19 of the resilient locks 17. Thus, the cover 20 is resiliently locked to the casing 10 by the resilient locks 17.
In a final phase of the movement of the cover 20 into the closing position from the opening position, the lateral walls 24 of the cover 20 are smoothly brought into contact with the abutting portions 19 of the resilient locks 17 because the lateral walls 24 of the cover 20 are guided by the guiding portions 18 of the resilient locks 17.
The barbecue apparatus includes two cooking grills 40, two warming grills 50 and a linkage 60. The linkage 60 includes an axle 61 and two supporting elements 70. The axle 61 is used to pivotally connect the warming grills 50 to the cover 20. The supporting elements 70 are used to support the warming grills 50 on the cooking grills 40.
Each of the cooking grills 40 is pivotally connected to the casing 10. Each of the cooking grills 40 includes an aperture 41 defined in a rear portion thereof, an upper lug 42 extending upward from a first lateral portion thereof, a first lower lug 43 extending downward from the first lateral portion, and a second lower lug 43 extending downward from a second lateral portion. Each of the cooking grills 40 is pivotally connected to the casing 10 as the rear portion thereof is hooked by a corresponding one of the hooks 13, which is inserted in the aperture 41 thereof.
Each of the cooking grills 40 is provided with a handle 44 for easy maneuvering thereof. Each of the handles 44 includes a rod 45 inserted in a grip 46. The rod 45 of each handle 44 is inserted in and connected to the first lower lug 43 of the corresponding cooking grill 40. For example, the rod 45 includes a threaded portion driven in a screw hole defined in the first lower lug 43. The grip 46 is made of metal and includes two rings 47 and 48 fit on the rod 45 and arched strips 49 each extending between the rings 47 and 48. The arched strips 49 are used for radiation so that the user can hold the grips 46 without the risk of being burnt. The arched strips 49 may be replaced with fins in another embodiment. The grip 46 may be made plastics or rubber in another embodiment.
When the cooking grills 40 are placed in the casing 10, the grips 46 are placed out of the casing 10 and the rods 45 are inserted through the recesses 15. Hence, the closing of the casing 10 by the cover 20 is not interfered with by the handles 44.
Referring to
Referring to
Each of the warming grills 50 includes crossbars 51, middle bars 52 and two lateral bars 53. The crossbars 51 extend parallel to one another. The middle bars 52 and the lateral bars 53 extend parallel to one another. The crossbars 51 extend perpendicular to the middle bars 52 and the lateral bars 53. The crossbars 51 are secured to the middle bars 52 and the lateral bars 53 by welding for example. Each of the lateral bars 53 includes a J-shaped portion 54 formed at a rear end and a U-shaped portion 55 formed near a front end.
The axle 61 includes a flat middle portion 63 formed between two terminal portions. A ring 62 is placed on each of the terminal portions of the axle 61 so that the flat middle portion 63 of the axle 61 is placed between the rings 62.
Each terminal portion of the axle 61 is inserted through the J-shaped portions 54 of the lateral bars 53 of the corresponding warming grill 50, placed against the middle bars 52, and inserted in the corresponding lateral wall 24 of the cover 20. Thus, the warming grills 50 are pivotally connected to the cover 20 by the axle 61. Each of the warming grills 50 is substantially not movable along the axle 61 as each of the warming grills 50 is confined between a corresponding one of the rings 62 and the corresponding lateral wall of the cover 20.
Referring to
The beam 71 of each supporting element 70 is inserted through the U-shaped portions 55 of the lateral bars 53 of the corresponding warming grill 50 and placed against the middle bars 52 of the corresponding warming grill 50. Thus, the supporting elements 70 are pivotally connected to the warming grills 50.
The first end 72 of each supporting element 70 is placed against the U-shaped portion 55 of one of the lateral bars 53 of the corresponding warming grill 50. Thus, each supporting element 70 is kept to the corresponding warming grill 50.
The pivot 74 of each supporting element 70 is inserted in the upper lug 42 of the corresponding cooking grill 40. Thus, the supporting elements 70 are pivotally connected to the cooking grills 40.
Referring to
Referring to
The warming grills 50 are automatically placed in an active position when the cover 20 is placed in the opening position. This is because of the use of the linkage 60 to connect the warming grills 50 to the cover 20 and the cooking grills 40.
When there is no food on any of the grills 40 and 50, the user can use the connector 80 to connect the cooking grills 40 to each other. The user can use the left hand to operate the left handle 44 to lift both of the left cooking grills 40 from the casing 10 and use the right hand to add coal into the casing 10. The coal can quickly be placed into the casing 10 without any interference from any of the grills 40 and 50.
When there is food on any of the grills 40 and 50, the user can remove the connector 80 form the cooking grills 40 as shown in
The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
