BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to the field of fire poking devices of existing art and more specifically relates to a device for moving burning material around a fire pit.
RELATED ART
A fire pit can range from a basic pit dug in the ground to a rigid structure made of stone, brick, or the like. Fire pits may be used for a number of reasons. For example, a campfire is usually contained in a fire pit at a campsite. A campfire generally provides light and warmth, and heat for cooking. Campfires are a popular feature of camping or gathering with family and friends.
Typically, burning materials are used to build and maintain a fire. For example, usually, fire pits utilize wood blocks. Commonly, it is desirable to selectively move the wood blocks around the fire pit to direct the wood blocks and control the fire as needed. It would thus be desirable for a device that can be used for easily moving a variety of burning materials without risk of harm to a user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known fire poking device art, the present disclosure provides a novel fire pit device. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a device that allows for easy moving of burning materials within a fire pit.
A device for moving burning materials around a fire pit is disclosed herein. The device may include a device handle and a device head. The device handle may include a handle shaft defining a first handle end opposite a second handle end. The second handle end may define a rear of the device. The device handle may be made from a material having a substantially low thermal conductivity. The device head may include a head shaft defining a first head end opposite a second head end. The second head end may be attached about the first handle end of the device handle. The device head may further include a first hook portion attached about a first side of the head shaft, a second hook portion attached about a second side of the head shaft and a substantially flat portion attached about the first head end.
According to another embodiment, a method of using a device to move burning materials around a fire pit is also disclosed herein. The method includes providing the device as above; grasping the handle shaft about the second handle end; inserting the device head into the fire pit; selectively poking one or more burning materials with one of the first hook portion and the second hook portion; and selectively shoveling said one or more burning materials with the substantially flat portion.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a fire pit device, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device being used for moving burning materials in a fire pit, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the device illustrating a device handle and a device head, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the device illustrating the device handle and the device head, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a top view of the device illustrating the device handle and the device head made from one elongated piece of material, the device handle having finger grooves for facilitating easy handling of the device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8 is a front view of the device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 9 is a close up top view of the device illustrating the device head according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10 is a close up top view of the device illustrating the device head according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 11 a front perspective view of the device illustrating the device head according to another embodiment of the present disclosure
FIG. 12 is a close up top view of the device illustrating the device head according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 13 is a front view of the device illustrating the device head according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of using a device to move burning materials around a fire pit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to fire poking devices and more particularly to a fire pit device for use in selectively poking and/or shoveling burning materials in a fire pit. Generally, the fire pit device may include a stick having a wooden handle with metal hooks and a spade on an end thereof. The wooden handle may be made from high quality hickory wood and the metal hooks and spade may be made from tempered steel. Each hook may be located on either side of the fire pit device, with one hook pointing upwardly and one hook pointing downwardly. Preferably, the fire pit device may be easily transportable.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in FIGS. 1-13, various views of a device 100. As shown, the device 100 may include a device handle 110 and a device head 120. As shown in FIG. 1, the device 100 may be used for moving burning materials 5 around a fire pit 10. For example, the burning materials 5 may include firewood, coals, or the like. Also, it should be appreciated that the device 100 is not limited to use with burning materials 5. For example, the device 100 may be used for moving grates, food, etc. It should also be appreciated that ‘fire pit’ is contemplated to include any structure, pit, etc. that utilizes burning materials 5 in a fire. For example, campfires, outdoor grills, fireplaces, etc.
As shown in FIGS. 2-6, the device handle 110 may include a handle shaft 112 defining a first handle end 114 opposite a second handle end 116. The second handle end 116 may define a rear 102 of the device (the second handle end 116 being the rearmost point of the device 100). As shown in FIG. 1, the handle shaft 112 may be grasped by a user when using the device 100. As such, the device handle 110 may be made from a material having a substantially low thermal conductivity so that the device handle 110 does not hold too much heat (so as to not burn a hand of the user). In some embodiments, the material having the substantially low thermal conductivity material may be a wood material. For example, the wood material may be a hickory wood. However, it should be appreciated that the device handle 110 is not limited to this material, nor is it limited to the wood material.
Preferably, the handle shaft 112 may be ergonomically shaped to accommodate the hand of the user. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2-6, the handle shaft 112 may include a curvature configured to conform to the hand of the user. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the device 100 may be long enough to allow the device head 120 to reach into the fire pit 10 whilst maintaining a safe distance between the hand of the user and the fire pit 10. In some embodiments, the device handle 110 may include a length 117 of between 6 inches-44 inches as measured from the second handle end 116 to the first handle end 114. However, it should be appreciated that the device handle 110 is not limited to a particular size (nor the device 100 or any element of the device 100). Preferably, the device head 120 may be durable and substantially inflexible such that the device head 120 is not easily bent when moving the burning materials 5. As such, preferably, the device head 120 may be made from a substantially metal material. For example, the metal material may be tempered steel.
As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 specifically, the device 100 may further comprise a sleeve 130 for covering a portion of the handle shaft 112 and a head shaft 122 (of the device head 120). Preferably, the sleeve 130 may be made from a substantially fire-resistant material. For example, the substantially fire-resistant material may be stainless steel.
The device head 120 may include the head shaft 122 defining a first head end 124 opposite a second head end 126. As shown in FIGS. 2-6, the second head end 126 may be attached about the first handle end 114 of the device handle 110. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the second head end 126 may be inserted within the handle shaft 112 at the first handle end 114. Further, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, the device handle 110 may not include the sleeve 130 or the wood material. In some embodiments, the head shaft 122 and the handle shaft 112 may be one elongated piece of material, such as metal. In addition, in some embodiments as shown in FIG. 7, the device handle 110 may include finger grooves 118 at the second handle end 116 for facilitating easy handling of the device 100.
As shown in FIG. 4, the device head 120 may include a first hook portion 220 attached about a first side 121 of the head shaft 122, a second hook portion 320 attached about a second side 123 of the head shaft 122; and a substantially flat portion 420 attached about the first head end 124. As shown in FIGS. 3-4 specifically, the first hook portion 220 may include a first curved body 221 having a first wide end 222 tapering into a first pointed end 223 and the second hook portion 320 may include a second curved body 321 having a second wide end 322 tapering into a second pointed end 323. As shown, the first wide end 222 and the second wide end 322 may extend substantially perpendicular from the head shaft 122.
In some embodiments, the first hook portion 220 and the second hook portion 320 may both include a length of between 3-4 inches. As such, as demonstrated in FIG. 6, the first pointed end 223 may be located at a distance 225 between 3-4 inches from the first side 121 (FIG. 4) of the head shaft 122, and the second pointed end 323 may be located at a distance 325 between 3-4 inches from the second side 123 (FIG. 4) of the head shaft 122. It should be appreciated that the pointed ends 223, 323 are not limited to these lengths/distances.
In some embodiments, the first hook portion 220 and the second hook portion 320 may be ‘staggered’ relative each other, as shown in FIGS. 1-7 and FIGS. 11-12. In other embodiments, the first hook portion 220 and the second hook portion 320 may be in line with each other, as shown in FIGS. 9-10.
As shown in FIGS. 2-10, one of the first pointed end 223 and the second pointed end 323 may be orientated in a downward direction towards the rear 102 of the device 100, and another one of the first pointed end 223 and the second pointed end 323 may be orientated in an upward direction towards a front 104 of the device 100 (the front 104 of the device 100 being opposite the rear 102 of the device 100, as shown in FIGS. 2-3). For example, as shown specifically in FIGS. 2-4, the first pointed end 223 may be orientated in the downward direction and the second pointed end 323 may be orientated in the upward direction. Further, in some embodiments, the first hook portion 220 may include a radius of 1-2 inches and the second hook portion 320 may include a radius of 1-2 inches. However, it should be appreciated that the hook portions 220, 320 are not limited to this size. In addition, in some embodiments, as shown particularly in FIG. 5 and FIG. 8, the first hook portion 220 and the second hook portion 320 may be angled relative to head shaft 122
The substantially flat portion 420 may include a flat body 421 having a first flat side 422 opposite a second flat side 423 and a shaft end 424 opposite a tip end 425, the tip end 425 terminating at the front 104 of the device (the tip end 425 being the frontmost point of the device 100). The substantially flat portion 420 may be used primarily as a ‘spade’ or ‘shovel’ for shoveling the burning materials 5. As such, the substantially flat portion 420 may include a thickness sufficient enough to allow the substantially flat portion 420 to get underneath the burning materials 5 whilst having sufficient durability to prevent bending of the substantially flat portion 420. Further, as demonstrated in FIG. 6, the substantially flat portion 420 may include a length 428 of 4 inches as measured from the shaft end 424 to the tip end 425 and, as demonstrated in FIG. 8, the substantially flat portion 420 may include a width 427 of 4 inches as measured from a furthest point of the first flat side 422 and a furthest point of the second flat side 424. It should be appreciated that substantially flat portion 420 is not limited to these dimensions.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-9, the first flat side 422 and the second flat side 423 may be identical in size and shape. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1-7, the substantially flat portion 420 may include a substantially spade or ‘heart’ shape, in that the first flat side 422 and the second flat side 423 include matching halves of a spade (or heart) shape. In other examples, as shown in FIG. 9, the substantially flat portion 420 may include a substantially triangle shape (again, in that the first flat side 422 and the second flat side 423 include matching halves of a triangle shape).
In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, the first flat side 422 and the second flat side 423 may not be identical in size and shape. For example, one of the first flat side 422 and the second flat side 423 may include a half triangle shape (the second flat side 423 is shown to include the half triangle shape in FIG. 10) and another one of the first flat side 422 and the second flat side 423 may include a half spade shape (the first flat side 422 is shown to include the half spade shape in FIG. 10). As such, the first flat side 422 and the second flat side 423 may include non-matching halves. It should be appreciated however that the substantially flat portion 420 is not limited to the shapes and sized discussed and shown here.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 11-13, the substantially flat portion 420 may additionally include a third hook portion 127 attached about a top surface 4211 of the flat body 421 and a fourth hook portion 128 attached about a bottom surface 4212 of the flat body 421.
Referring now to FIG. 14 showing a flow diagram illustrating a method 500 of using a device to move burning materials around a fire pit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, the method 500 may include one or more components or features of the device 100 as described above. As illustrated, the method of use 500 may include the steps of: step one 501, providing the device as above; step two 502, grasping the handle shaft about the second handle end; step three 503, inserting the device head into the fire pit; step four 504, selectively poking one or more burning materials with one of the first hook portion and the second hook portion; and step five 505, selectively shoveling the one or more burning materials with the substantially flat portion.
It should be noted that certain steps may be optional and may not be implemented in all cases. It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for moving burning materials around a fire pit are taught herein.
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
Patent Application
20230213198
