Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent, understood and appreciated upon reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment thereof;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective view thereof as referred to FIG. 1; and
FIG. 6 is an exploded, perspective view thereof as referred to FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Before describing the preferred embodiments of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the phraseologies and terminologies employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals designate the same components or elements all throughout the succeeding description, there is shown in FIG. 1 a grilling implement for use in conjunction with a cooking device generally designated by reference numeral 10 comprising a base frame 11 having an open top portion 12, an open bottom portion 13 and a peripheral wall 14, stably seatable on an heating surface 15 of a cooking device 16, preferably a grate 27 of a griller 25. The peripheral wall 14 has mounting means 17 into which at least one grill accessory 18 is suspendedly mounted, and into which anchor lugs and protuberances 25a on the grate's surface are engaged for mounting stability of the base frame 11 onto the grate 27.
The mounting means 17 is preferably in forms of one or more aligned notches 19 and apertures 20 and combination thereof oppositely provided at the peripheral wall 14. In the illustrative example herein disclosed, the notches 19 are spacedly provided at the upper portion of the peripheral wall 14 at the transverse sides, wherein one group of notches 19a is to accommodate, one at a time, the mounting of one or more skewers 21 and clamp-type wire mesh grill 22a (FIG. 2) proximate the handles thereof, and another group of notches 19b at the opposite side is to facilitate the engagement of respective attaching means 29, preferably in a form of hook members 30, provided at the upper front end portion of a skewer driver 22. The apertures 20 are spacedly provided at the mid section of the peripheral wall 14 at the opposite transverse side in alignment with the notches 19a at the opposite side, to accommodate mounting of respective slotted spindles 31a of gears 31 (FIG. 3) provided at the front section of the driver 22.
The grill accessory 18 is preferably in forms of the above-mentioned one or more skewers 21 (generally accessory 18a), or clamp-type wire mesh grill 22a (generally accessory 18b) having one or more mountable handles 23 and tines 24. The skewers 21, preferably with a polygonal cross-section such as square or rectangular profile, have the pointed end portions 21a thereof (as shown in FIG. 3) lockably engaged with and rotatably driven, through respective gear slots 32 with same profile, by at least one of skewer driver 22 that is mounted on the mounting means 17 in a manner that the skewer driver 22 functions also as a handle for lifting the base frame 11. The skewers 21 are each provided with a handle 21b. The skewer driver 22 comprises of the gears 31 driven by a prime mover, preferably a motor unit 33 with a speed reducer, and intermediate gears (not shown) for rotational uniformity in terms of speed and direction. The motor unit 33, which is turned on or off by a switch 35, is preferably powered by a battery 34, or as options, a power source via an adaptor (not shown) or an electrical power outlet means (not shown) provided to the griller 25 wherein a corresponding plug or switch (not shown) provided to the driver 22 automatically engages or connects when mounted in place. All elements of the skewer driver 22 are contained in a housing 36 thereof having a generally elongated rear portion 37 that is of sufficient size just enough to facilitate a hand grip for convenient lifting or carrying thereof and the entire assemblage of the base frame 11 during grilling, especially when a flame occurs.
The cooking device 16 is preferably the griller 25 of a type having a pair of hinged grate components 26a and 26b on which the grilling implement 10 or base frame 11 is stably seated when the griller 25 is in an open position. When a single grilling implement 10 is in use, it is preferably interposed by the grate components 26a and 26b, with the covering grate component 26a at the top position as shown in FIG. 4. The grate component 26a is preferably provided with a grate 27 made of screen material 28. This screen material 28 is a more effective and efficient heat transfer medium than the grate plate 27a (shown in FIG. 6) which is an opaque material, especially for non-contact grilling as taught by the invention. Preferably, the screen material 28 is made of stainless steel or aluminum wire mesh of sufficient mesh sizes just enough to allow radiating heat from the griller's heating element to effectively pass through.
Shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 is a preferred embodiment of the invention in form of a combination 10a of the grilling implement 10 comprising the base frame 11; the griller 25 having the pair of hinged grate components 26a and 26b on which the base frame 11 is stably seated; and the grill accessory 18a in a form of one or more suspendedly mounted skewers 21 that are rotatably driven by the skewer driver 22 mounted into the mounting means 17 in a manner that the skewer driver 22 functions also as the handle for lifting the base frame 11.
Shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 is another preferred embodiment of the invention in form of another combination 10b of the grilling implement 10 comprising the base frame 11; the griller 25 having the pair of hinged grate components 26a and 26b on which the base frame 11 is stably seated, wherein when a single grilling implement 10 or base frame 11 is in use, the latter is interposed by the grate components 26a and 26b, with the covering grate component 26a at the top position having the grate 27 made of screen material as earlier mentioned; and the grill accessory 18b in a form of one or more clamp-type wire mesh grills 22a suspendedly mounted into the mounting means 17 through the mountable handles 23 and tines 24 thereof. The clamp-type wire mesh grill 22a comprises of a pair of hinged wire mesh clamping members 38 provided with the respective handles 23 at the distal end portion thereof opposite the tines 24. In usage, the grillable food items “F”, e.g. fish and meat, is interposed and clamped in between the members 38 and locked in place therein by a locking means 39.
To use or operate the invention, the base frame 11 is first stably mounted or seated on the heating surface 15, preferably on the grate 27, after the cooking device 16, preferably the griller 25, is opened half way with the grate component 26a in an upstanding vertical position or totally with the grate component 26a in an horizontal position as shown by an arrow “G” in FIGS. 1 and 2. For using the skewers 21, the skewer driver 22 is then hookedly and fittingly mounted into the respective notches 19b and apertures 20 of the base frame 11 as shown by invisible arrows “B” in FIG. 5. The skewers 21 containing already the grillable food items “F” are then conveniently inserted into corresponding gear slots 32 (shown by arrows “C” in FIG. 5), while the other end portions thereof proximate their respective handles 21b are mounted into the corresponding notches 19a (shown by arrows “D” in FIG. 5). The griller 25 and skewer driver 22 are turned on. The skewers 21 then rotate as shown by arrows “A”. Hence, the grilling process using skewers 21 commences. On the other hand, for opting to use the clamp-type wire mesh grill 22a, the grill 22a is first opened (shown by arrow “H”) using the handles 23 thereof to accommodate the grillable food item “F” therein that is then clamped by clamping members 38. After locking clamping members 38 together, the grill 22a is then positioned in place by inserting the tines 24 into corresponding apertures 20 of the base frame 11 as shown by arrows “E” in FIG. 6, while mounting the other end portions thereof proximate the handles 23 into the respective notches 19a. With this set-up where the grill 22a is suspendedly seated on the base frame 11, the grilling process commences with the switching-on of the griller 25 and covering the grill 22a with the grate component 26a that is provided with the screen material 28 in lieu of the grate plate 27a as shown in FIG. 6.
Before defining the scope of the following claims, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applications to the details of the embodied system and method set forth in the preceding description or illustrated in the drawings. It is to be noted that the invention is capable of other embodiments and limitless applications not disclosed herein, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways falling within the teaching and scope of the following claims.
Patent Application
20080034980
