Patent Application
20230329481
The present invention relates generally to a grill plate for use in an oven. More particularly, the invention relates to a grill plate that can be placed on a wire rack in an oven such that it is secured in a specific position on the wire rack to facilitate grease or other cooking byproducts draining to specific locations.
Grill plates are frequently used in countertop ovens. The grill plates may be provided with either substantially flat or grill-like raised cooking surfaces. When the grill plate is in an oven, heat generated within the oven may heat up the grill plate such that food placed on the grill plate is heated primarily via direct heat transferred from the heated grill plate. In this manner, the grill plate operates to cook food similarly to a grill or a griddle.
When foods are cooked on a griddle, grease can accumulate on the grill plate. Grease collection on a hot grill plate may pool and smoke, creating an undesirable and potentially dangerous situation for a user. Drain holes in a grill plate may provide a solution to this issue, but drain holes require that the grill plate is coupled with a drain pan to collect the grease. However, placing a drain pan directly beneath the grill plate blocks radiant energy from reaching the grill plate. This reduces the surface temperature on the grill plate and leads to poor cooking performance. If a drain pan is not used, grease drains directly to the floor of an oven, potentially near the heating elements which can cause unwanted results such as excess smoking.
Existing solutions fail to address these concerns. Firstly, grill plates with drain holes require a pitch in order for grease to properly drain from the grill plate toward the drain holes. Existing solutions modify the plate thickness to produce a pitch; however, this causes variable plate thickness and potential surface temperature differences across the plate. This can also cause uneven, poor cooking. Secondly, double-tiered roasting pans allow for grease and fat to drip into lower areas. This solution is not optimal for grill cooking, because it leaves grease drippings below the cooking surface, between the grilling surface and the heating element. This leads to a higher surface temperature on the drain pan than on the grill plate. This ultimately causes a decrease in cooking performance and leads to an increase in smoke generation.
A simple solution is desired whereby grease is directed to a specific drain location without altering the cooking surface itself and without requiring the use of a grease collection pan that blocks heat transfer to the grill plate.
The present invention provides a grill plate having a top surface and a bottom surface. The top surface includes a raised grill-like surface (like a grill) or a flat surface (like a plancha or a griddle) on which food can be cooked. The bottom surface, which sits on a wire rack of an oven when in use, includes feet that project downwardly from the bottom surface. The feet may be sized and shaped to couple the grill plate to the wire rack and tilt the grill plate at an angle. The angle may direct grease toward drain holes provided in the grill plate. The angle may be less than 10 degrees and is preferably less than 5 degrees. The feet may be sufficient to independently tilt the grill plate, or the feet may operate with other features to help tilt the grill plate.
The drain holes in the grill plate may be provided in a specific location and may align with a drainage area in the oven chamber intended to collect grease. Smaller collection pans may be used that align with the drain holes, and this alignment may reduce the need for a larger collection pan that blocks heat transfer from the heating element to the grill plate.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the following accompanying drawings.
A first embodiment of a grill plate 1 and a top surface 5 thereof is illustrated in
The grill plate 1 may be generally configured such that when it is placed on a wire rack of a countertop oven (not illustrated), the grill plate 1 tilts. The grill plate 1 may tilt forwardly from the rear side 20 toward the front side 25 such that grease generated during cooking also flows forwardly from the rear side 20 toward the front side 25. More specifically, drain holes 40 may be provided adjacent to the front side 25 through which grease may drain. The drain holes 40 of the grill plate 1 may be elongated oval-like slits, though in alternative embodiments may take on a number of shapes and sizes. The drain holes 40 may be preferably positioned such that a collection pan or other vessel may be placed below and in substantial alignment with the drain holes 40. The collection pan or pans (not illustrated) may be standalone devices or may be built into the oven chamber. They may be shaped and sized substantially similarly to the drain holes 40. In the illustrated embodiment, there are three drain holes 40, though more or fewer may be provided in alternative embodiments.
The grill plate 1 may preferably include two symmetrical leg members 45 extending downwardly from the left and right sides 30, 35 and may be located at or near a middle of the left and right sides 30, 35. One of the leg members 45 is illustrated in a side elevation view in
The leg members 45 may preferably work in tandem with a wall member 70, which may be built into the rear side 20 of the grill plate 1. Like the leg members 45, the wall member 70 may be substantially symmetrical. The wall member 70 may include a top portion 75 and a bottom portion 80 that extend upwardly and downwardly, respectively, from the grill plate 1. The top portion 75 and bottom portion 80 may work in tandem to create a wall that is taller than the other sidewalls 10. The wall member 70 may prevent grease, which may collect near the wall member 70 due to the pitch of the grill plate 1, from spilling over the front side 25.
When the grill plate 1 sits on a wire rack in a countertop oven in the configuration embodied by
Grease may then fall through the drain holes 40 and into collection pans (not illustrated) positioned and located below the drain holes 40. Furthermore, the engagement between the recesses 65 and the wires of the wire rack may preferably create a repeatable mechanism to help ensure that the grill plate 1 is properly positioned. More specifically, when the recesses 65 engage a wire rack, the plate 1 may be positioned such that the drain holes 40 are properly positioned over collection pans, trays, or the like.
In the embodiment provided in
The grill plate 1 of
Turning now to
The grill plate 90 may be preferably configured to tilt forwardly from the rear side 110 toward the front side 115 when it is placed on an oven's wire rack. Drain holes 130 may be preferably provided adjacent to the front side 115 through which grease may drain when the grill plate 90 is in use. The drain holes 130, like the drain holes 40 of the grill plate 1, may be elongated oval-like slits. However, the drain holes 130, in the illustrated embodiment, are provided in three pairs of two drain holes. In alternative embodiments, the drain holes 130 may take on a nearly limitless number of shapes and sizes. The drain holes 130, like the drain holes 40, may be preferably positioned such that a collection pan or other vessel may be placed below the drain holes 130 in substantial alignment with the drain holes 130.
Unlike the grill plate 1, the grill plate 90 may include two leg members 135 extending downwardly from the left and right sides 120, 125 near the rear side 110 of the grill plate 90 (one leg member 135 is illustrated in side view in
Because the leg members 135 are located near a rear side 110 of the grill plate 90, when the grill plate 90 sits on a wire rack in a countertop oven, the recesses 145 may preferably engage the wires of the wire rack. The leg members 135 may “lift” the rear side 110 of the grill plate 90 relative to the rest of the grill plate 90. Thus, the grill plate 90 may generally slopes downwardly from the rear side 110 toward the front side 115. The angle of the slope may be less than 10 degrees, and in one embodiment, is preferably less than 5 degrees. The sloping surface may direct grease and other cooking byproducts forwardly toward the drain holes 130. Grease may then fall through the drain holes 130 and into collection pans (not illustrated) positioned and located below the drain holes 130.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that the various embodiments of the present invention are well adapted to attain all the objectives and advantages hereinabove set forth together with still other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the present structures. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations of the present embodiments are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Since many possible embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, it is also to be understood that all disclosures herein set forth or illustrated in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. The various constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts, principles, and scope of the present invention.
Many changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is limited only by the claims which follow.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/363,218, filed Apr. 19, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63363218 | Apr 2022 | US |
