Patent Application
20230023660
The present patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Great Britain Patent Application No. 2110694.3, entitled “PORTABLE OVEN,” filed Jul. 26, 2021, which patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a portable oven, in particular a collapsible multifunctional oven.
For campers, anglers and others who enjoy spending their free time outdoors doing recreational activities, it is important to have a way of preparing cooked food outdoors.
Typically, campers and anglers will use a traditional camping stove or a portable grill to prepare cooked food outdoors. A drawback to using a camping stove is that the user cannot bake or grill their food, which limits the range of food they are able to prepare. Similarly, a drawback to using a portable grill is that the user cannot bake or cook, e.g. fry or boil, their food, which again limits the range of food they are able to prepare. In order to be able to both grill and cook food outdoors, a camper or angler must carry both a stove and a grill. This is inconvenient because these items take up a lot of space.
An aim of the present invention is to provide a portable oven suitable for use outdoors that can be collapsed down into a small folded state, allowing the oven to be more conveniently transported.
Another aim of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional portable oven that can be used for cooking, baking and grilling food, thereby enabling the user to prepare a wide range of foods outdoors without needing to carry multiple different cooking devices.
A third aim of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional portable oven that can be used for multiple functions simultaneously. For example, the multifunctional portable oven may be used to both cook food and bake food simultaneously.
In one embodiment, a portable oven is provided, the portable oven comprising an upper and a lower point of attachment for a gas burner, wherein the portable oven is foldable such that the portable oven can be moved between a folded state and an unfolded state.
In one embodiment, a portable oven comprises a top portion, a base plate, a left and a right side panel, and a back panel. In one embodiment, at least one or the left and right side panels and the back panel are rotatably attached to the top portion. In one embodiment, the base plate is attachable to and detachable from the back panel and the left and right side panels. In one embodiment, the portable oven is movable from the unfolded state to the folded state via detachment of the base plate from the back panel and the left and right side panels, and rotation of the back panel and the left and right side panels towards the top portion.
In one embodiment, an underside of the base plate is configured to receive the top portion, the back panel, and the left and right side panels therein in the folded state. In one embodiment, the top portion comprises a detachable top plate.
In one embodiment, the back panel comprises at least one flange on each of a left edge and a right edge thereof. In one embodiment, the left and the right side panels each comprise at least one flange on a rear edge thereof. In one embodiment, flanges of the back panel support and stabilize the left and the right side panels in the unfolded state. In one embodiment, at least one flange of each of the left and the right side panels supports and stabilizes the back panel in the unfolded state.
In one embodiment, the back panel comprises at least one projection on a lower edge thereof. In one embodiment, each of the left and the right side panels comprises at least one projection on a lower edge thereof. In one embodiment, the base plate comprises corresponding apertures in a top thereof for receiving the at least one projection of the back panel, the at least one projection of the left side panel, and the at least one projection of the right side panel therethrough.
In one embodiment, each at least one projection of the left side panel and each at least one projection of the right side panel comprises a notch for receiving a portion of the base plate therein.
In one embodiment, at least one projection of the left side panel and at least one projection of the right side panel comprises a pin aperture therethrough. In one embodiment, the base plate comprises corresponding pin apertures in a side thereof. In one embodiment, in the unfolded state, each pin aperture of the left and right side panels aligns with one of the pin apertures in the base plate. In one embodiment, the portable oven further comprises a plurality of pins. In one embodiment, in the unfolded state, each pin aperture in the base plate and aligned pin aperture of the side panels receives one of the plurality of pins such that the left and right side panels are locked to the base plate.
In one embodiment, the base plate comprises a sleeve holding a magnet adjacent each pin aperture in the base plate, each sleeve being attached to an inner surface of the base plate, and each pin being magnetic.
In one embodiment, each magnet comprises a pin aperture therethrough, the pin aperture of each magnet being aligned with the adjacent pin aperture of the base plate; and, in the unfolded state, each pin aperture in the base plate, aligned pin aperture in the adjacent magnet, and aligned pin aperture in the side panels receives one of the plurality of pins such that the left and right side panels are locked to the base plate.
In one embodiment, each pin comprises a collar.
In order that the present disclosure may be more readily understood, preferable embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
It can be appreciated that, although the points of attachment 20, 30 are depicted as both being on the same side of the portable oven 10 in the attached figures, the points of attachment 20, 30 may also be located one on each side of the portable oven 10.
It can be appreciated that the user may use the portable oven 10 with a single gas burner 15 attached to one of the points of attachment 20, 30 or with two gas burners 15: one attached to each point of attachment. The user may decide how many gas burners 15 to use and which point of attachment 20, 30 to use based on their cooking needs.
As depicted in
The upper point of attachment 20 is located in the top portion 50. The lower point of attachment 30 is located in one of the left and right side panels 70, 80.
In the depicted arrangement, the top portion 50 comprises at least one aperture 52 for attachment of the door 40. The door 40 may comprise a corresponding at least one hook for hooking through the at least one aperture 52. It can be appreciated that, in other arrangements (not depicted), the door 40 and top portion 50 comprise alternative attachment means for attaching the door 40 to the portable oven 10.
The top portion 50 comprises a top plate 54. The top plate 54 may or may not be detachable from the remainder of the top portion 50. In the depicted arrangement, the top plate 54 functions as a hot plate for cooking food. In alternative arrangements, the top plate 54 functions as a plate for grilling food. In arrangements wherein the top plate 54 is detachable from the remainder of the top portion 50, the user may interchange the top plate 54, e.g. between a plate for grilling and a plate for cooking, depending on the type of food they wish to cook on the top plate 54. It can be appreciated that the portable oven 10 may be sold together with a plurality of interchangeable top plates 54.
As depicted in
It can be appreciated that the portable oven 10 can be used to perform multiple functions. For example, food may be cooked or grilled on the top plate 54, and food may be grilled and/or baked within the oven chamber. It can also be appreciated that the portable oven 10 can be used to perform multiple functions simultaneously. For example, the user may cook food on the hot plate 54 at the same time as baking and/or grilling food in the oven chamber.
As also depicted in
As depicted in
As can be seen in
In the depicted arrangement, to assemble the oven from the folded state, the user must first rotate the back panel 60 away from the top portion 50. The user can then rotate the left and right side panels 70, 80 away from the top portion 50.
As can be seen in
As can be seen in
It can be appreciated that the flanges 64 of the back panel 60 support and stabilise the left and the right side panels 70, 80 in the unfolded state. Similarly, the at least one flange 74, 84 of each of the left and the right side panels 70, 80 supports and stabilises the back panel 60 in the unfolded state.
In alternative arrangements (not depicted), the at least one flange 74, 84 provides a stop limiting the rotation of the back panel 60 away from the top portion 50, and the flanges 64 provide a stop preventing rotation of the left and right side panels 70, 80 towards the top portion 50. In such an arrangement, the flanges 64, 74 and 84 also support and stabilise the oven 10 in the unfolded state. Furthermore, in such an arrangement, to move the portable oven 10 from the folded to the unfolded state, the user would first need to rotate the left and right side panels 70, 80 away from the top portion 50 followed by the back panel 60.
After the back panel 60 and the left and right side panels 70, 80 have been unfolded from the top portion 50, they are attached to the base plate 90. As can be seen in
In one embodiment, the projections 78 and 88 of the left and right side panels 70, 80 comprise a notch 210. When connecting the back panel 60 and left and right side panels 70, 80 to the base plate 90, the user first inserts the projections 68, 78 and 88 into the respective apertures 96, 97 and 98. The user may then slide the left and right side panels forwards or backwards, depending on the positioning of the notches 210, so that a portion of the base plate 90 is received within the notches 210. Here, ‘backwards’ is used to mean in the direction of the back panel 60. In the arrangement depicted in
In arrangements wherein the projections 78 and 88 comprise a notch 210, the at least one aperture 96 for receiving the at least one projection 68 should be sized and shaped so as to also allow corresponding forwards or backwards motion of the back panel 60 when the user slides the left and right side panels 70, 80 forwards or backwards. In preferred arrangements, the at least one aperture 96 and the at least one projection 68 are sized and shaped so as to also secure the back panel 60 to the base plate 90 upon forward or backward motion of the at least one projection 68 in the at least one aperture 96. For example, the at least one projection 68 may be shaped as in
In some embodiments, at least one projection 78 and at least one projection 88 comprises a pin aperture 100. Corresponding pin apertures 110 are located in the left and right sides of the base plate 90. These corresponding pin apertures 110 align with the pin apertures 100 in the projections 78, 88 when the oven 10 is in the unfolded state. In such arrangements, the oven 10 further comprises a plurality of pins 130. The pins 130 lock the oven in the unfolded state. Once the projections 78, 88 have been received in the apertures 97, 98, the user inserts a pin 130 into each pin aperture 110 in the base plate 90. Each pin 130 is also received in an aligned pin aperture 100 from the projections 78, 88. After the pins 130 have been inserted into the pin apertures 100, 110, the left and right side panels 70, 80 cannot be detached from the base plate 90 without the user removing the pins 130 from the pin apertures 100, 110.
In alternative arrangements, each magnet does not comprise a pin aperture and the sleeves 130 simply hold magnets adjacent to the pin apertures 110.
In some arrangements, each pin 130 comprises a magnet.
Many means of attachment of the sleeves 120 to the inner surface of the base plate 90 are possible. In the figures, the sleeves 120 are depicted as being riveted to the inner surface of the base plate 90. However, welding, screwing and other types of fastening are possible.
Each pin 130 may comprise a collar 135. The collar 135 acts as a stop preventing further insertion of the pin 130 through the pin aperture 110 in the unfolded state. In other words, the collar 135 limits the insertion depth of the pin 130. The collar 135 prevents the pin 130 from simply passing through the pin aperture 110 and ensures that the pin 130 is retained within the pin aperture 110 in the unfolded state.
When used in this specification and claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.
The invention may also broadly consist in the parts, elements, steps, examples and/or features referred to or indicated in the specification individually or collectively in any and all combinations of two or more said parts, elements, steps, examples and/or features. In particular, one or more features in any of the embodiments described herein may be combined with one or more features from any other embodiment(s) described herein.
Protection may be sought for any features disclosed in any one or more published documents referenced herein in combination with the present disclosure.
Although certain example embodiments of the invention have been described, the scope of the appended claims is not intended to be limited solely to these embodiments. The claims are to be construed literally, purposively, and/or to encompass equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2110694.3 | Jul 2021 | GB | national |
