Patent Application
20060160485
The present invention relates generally to accessories for cooking device, and more particularly to an improved side light for gas barbeque grills.
Barbeque gas grills are very popular for outdoor cooking. They generally comprise a cart, a firebox or cooking chamber, a cover for the firebox or cooking chamber, one or more gas burners, controls for the gas burners, one or more propane (e.g. gas) cylinders, cooking grid, side shelves with or without burners, and perhaps one or more warming racks. Numerous models exist in all types, styles, sizes and shapes. An example of such a typical barbeque is shown in U.S. Pat. No. D462,564. This patent shows at least two side tables, one of which having a side burner and grill.
Gas grills are generally used for outdoor barbecuing. Many of these grills are of the transportable type wherein the grill is attached to a support structure having wheels and handles for pushing the support structure or cart into a desired location. Accordingly, the grill may be used at night and in a location that is not provided with direct, task or indirect lighting. Even if indirect lighting is provided, it may be insufficient to allow for the person using the gas grill to be able to grill items to the desired level.
Various devices have been proposed in the prior art for lighting a grill, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,618 to Matthews; U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,169 to Walendziak; U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,875 to Hegedus; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,640 to Naperola.
As such, it is desired to have portable lighting which does not reduce the ability of the grill to be moved to a desired location. It is also desired to have a grill lighting device that is easily installed on new or existing gas grills. Furthermore, it is desirable to have a lighting apparatus which is directable so as to direct the light on to the grill cooking grate or an area adjacent to the grill.
An aspect of the present invention is a barbecue light comprising: (a) a base having a C-shaped socket with a slot; (b) a first arm having a first end with an opening and a second end being receivable in the slot and having a ball sized to be movably received in the slot so as to allow rotary motion of the second arm; (c) a second arm having a first and second end, the first slidably receivable in the opening of the first arm between an extended and a retracted position; and (d) an illuminating means pivotally attached to the second end of the second arm, the illuminating means is controlled by control means having an off position when the illuminating means is in a substantially horizontal position and an on position when the illuminating means is moved beyond the substantially horizontal position; whereby a user directs light by any one of pivoting the illuminating means, moving the second arm between the extended and retracted position, and rotating the second arm.
The barbeque light of the present invention is portable and can be easily affixed to a side table of gas grill so as to illuminate items cooking on a grate at night or under low light conditions and to enable a person using the barbecue grill to see the item(s) cooking. It can be easily and rapidly attached to the side plate by a person having limited technical ability without the use of numerous tools.
Various objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated and better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
FIGS. 3 to 5 are explodes view of a portion of
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
In the description and drawings herein, and unless noted otherwise, the terms “vertical” and “horizontal”, can be references to a Cartesian co-ordinate system in which the vertical direction generally extends in an “up and down” orientation from bottom to top while the horizontal direction generally extends in a “left to right” or “side to side” orientation. In addition, the lateral direction generally extends in an orientation that is extending out from or into the page.
Referring to
In the context of describing embodiments of the claimed invention, variations of detail are disclosed. While one such variation is described in conjunction with another particular variation, yet other variations may generally be used in association as well. The description provided is therefore not intended to be limited to the particular combination of variations disclosed.
Lighting Element
Light fixture 30 can be provided by any light that provides sufficient illumination to allow the user to see the items cooking. In the preferred embodiment, three battery powered light-emitting diode (LED) 30′, 30″ and 30″′ are provided. Light fixture 30 consists of a circuit which can include a “tilt switch”, known in the art. Typically such “tilt switches” are placed in electronic devices to automatically turn the electronic device “on” and “off” based on the position of conductive material such as a sphere or ball. As such, tilt switches can also be referred to as “ball switches”. A typical tilt switch comprises a hollow, enclosed housing or capsule having electrodes within the housing and extending through and outside the housing. Conventionally, a conductive material, such a ball is placed within the hollow housing. The housing is aligned in an “on” position when the conductive material in the shape of a ball electrically connects each of the electrodes, allowing the flow of electricity. The housing is aligned in an “off” position when the ball in the housing is tilted and does not electrically connect the electrodes, preventing the flow of electricity. It will be understood that when lighting fix 30 is in a generally horizontal position, as shown in
It will be understood that the light fixture 30 could also be placed in the lid of the barbeque or on the handle such that when the lid is lifted the lights will be on and will be off when the lid is returned to the initial closed position.
Once out of the horizontal position, it can be seen in
In addition to movement along joints 34 and 38, arm 32 can telescope between a retracted, shorter position and an extended, longer position, as seen in
In operation, light element 18 can be removably attached to side table 16 by nuts and bolts 40a′ and 40a″ as well as 41a′ and 41a″ (as shown in
When the user of barbeque 10 required task lighting, however, such as when items were being cooked on grill plates 14, light element 18 can be lifted up by arm 32 from the downward horizontal position towards a more vertical position. Once light 30 was lifted sufficiently vertical to move the conductive material into the “on” position, LED lights 30′, 30″ and 30″′ will be activated and provide the necessary illumination. By moving one or both of joints 34 and 38, light 30 can be positioned so as to provide maximum task lighting to the area as dictated by the user. In addition, should further positioning be required, outer portion 50 of arm 32 can be moved from either the shortened or lengthened position to provide maximum lightening.
Over time or with increased use, however, ball and socket joint 38 may loosen. As such, the ability of lighting element 18 to maintain a particular desired position may decrease relative to when the lighting element was first used or installed. In order to overcome this, generally C-shaped wall 44 will prevent arm 32 from moving to the horizontal position. As shown in
It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.
