Patent Application
20240065479
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The disclosure relates to combination grill and smoker devices and more particularly pertains to a new combination grill and smoker device for grilling or smoking food with a device that can be collapsed into a portable flat configuration.
The prior art discloses combination grill and smoker devices which fold down for convenient transportation and storage. However, none of these devices are comprised of a plurality of panels which are pivotably coupled such that they flatten into a cross shape and include rods for forming a grill for supporting food while grilling or smoking.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a collapsible box comprising a bottom panel, a top panel, a front panel, a back panel, a first lateral panel, and a second lateral panel. The back panel is pivotably coupled to each of the top panel, the bottom panel, the first lateral panel and the second lateral panel. And the front panel is pivotably coupled to the first lateral panel. The collapsible box is positionable in a flattened configuration wherein the back panel is coplanar with each of the bottom panel, the top panel, the first lateral panel, the second lateral panel, and the front panel.
The collapsible box is also positionable in a deployed configuration wherein the first lateral panel is positioned in facing alignment with the second lateral panel and the front panel is positioned in facing alignment with the back panel, while each of the front panel, the back panel, the first lateral panel, and second lateral panel defines a perimeter wall. While the collapsible box is in the deployed configuration, the perimeter wall is positioned on the bottom panel, and the top panel is positioned on the perimeter wall opposite the bottom panel. The collapsible box also defines a chamber when in the deployed configuration.
An air intake hole extends through the front panel proximate a bottom edge of the front panel, and a smoke outlet hole extends through the top panel. A plurality of first rod holes extends through the first lateral panel and is arranged in a row. A plurality of second rod holes extends through the second lateral panel, wherein each second rod hole aligns with an associated first rod hole of the plurality of first rod holes when the collapsible box is in the deployed configuration. A plurality of rods is insertable through the plurality of first rod holes and the plurality of second rod holes when the collapsible box is in the deployed configuration to form a grill.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The collapsible box 12 is also positionable in a deployed configuration 30 wherein the first lateral panel 22 is positioned in facing alignment with the second lateral panel 24 and the front panel 18 is positioned in facing alignment with the back panel 20. While in the deployed configuration 30, each of the front panel 18, the back panel 20, the first lateral panel 22, and the second lateral panel 24 define a perimeter wall 32 which is positioned on the bottom panel 14. The top panel 16 is also positioned on the perimeter wall 32 opposite the bottom panel 14 and the collapsible box 12 defines a chamber 34 when the collapsible box 12 is in the deployed configuration 30.
Each of a pair of latches 36 has a pair of members 38 that are removably couplable to each other. One of the pair of members 38 is coupled to the front panel 18, while another of the pair of members 38 is coupled to the second lateral panel 24. The pair of latches 36 are capable of removably securing the front panel 18 to the second lateral panel 24. A plurality of air intake holes 40 extends through the front panel 18 proximate a bottom edge 18 of the front panel 18, and a plurality of smoke outlet holes 44 extend through the top panel 16. The plurality of smoke outlet holes 44 is centered between a proximal edge 46 of the top panel 16 relative to the back panel 20 and a distal edge 48 of the top panel 16 relative to the back panel 20.
A plurality of first rod holes 50 extends through the first lateral panel 22 and is arranged in a top row 54 and a bottom row 56, wherein each of the top row 54 and the bottom row 56 is parallel to a bottom edge 18 of the first lateral panel 22. A plurality of second rod holes 52 extends through the second lateral panel 24, and each second rod hole 52 aligns with an associated first rod hole 50 of the plurality of first rod holes 50 when the collapsible box 12 is in the deployed configuration 30. A plurality of rods 58 is insertable through the plurality of first rod holes 50 and the plurality of second rod holes 52 when the collapsible box 12 is in the deployed configuration 30 to form a top grill 60 and a bottom grill 62.
A drip guard panel 64 has a proximal end 66 relative to the back panel 20 which is pivotably coupled to the back panel 20. The drip guard panel 64 has a bottom surface 68 that is positionable on the bottom grill 62 when the collapsible box 12 is in the deployed configuration 30 and the bottom grill 62 is formed. When the bottom surface 68 of the drip guard panel 64 is positioned on the bottom grill 62, a peripheral edge 70 of the drip guard panel 64 and the perimeter wall 32 define a gap 72. The drip guard panel 64 is also positionable with the bottom surface 68 in abutment with the back panel 20 when the collapsible box 12 is in the flattened configuration 28.
In use, the collapsible box 12 is positioned in the deployed configuration 30 and a pan 74 or similar container is placed on the bottom panel 14 with charcoal 76 or another combustion fuel contained within the pan 74. The combustion fuel is lit to begin generating heat for cooking food. To grill with direct heat, the bottom grill 62 is formed using the plurality of rods 58 and a food to be cooked is placed on the bottom grill 62. To smoke or otherwise cook using less direct heat, the top grill 60 is formed and the food to be cooked is placed on the top grill 60. The drip guard panel 64 may optionally be positioned on the bottom grill 62 while cooking with food on the top grill 60 to prevent fat from dripping directly into the combustion fuel while facilitating smoke and heat traveling through the gap 72 between the drip guard pan 74 and the perimeter wall 32.
In either of the cooking methods, air flows freely through the plurality of air intake holes 40, supplying oxygen to the combustion reaction. Smoke and heated air are permitted to leave the chamber 34 through the smoke outlet holes 44. The front panel 18 can be removed from the second lateral panel 24 to access the contents of the chamber 34 and can be removably secured to the second lateral panel 24 via the pair of latches 36. The collapsible box 12 may also be used with the top panel 16 moved away from the perimeter wall 32 to contain a bonfire or to cook food by holding it over a heat source contained by the collapsible box 12. For example, marshmallows may be held over the collapsible box 12 in this configuration to roast them.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
