Patent Application
20060054034
The present invention relates in general to branding apparatus and methods for making same and for branding a selected portion of a product. The invention, more particularly relates to an apparatus and method for branding with a logo, text, or graphics, a food product being heated on a grill.
There is no admission that the background art disclosed in this section legally constitutes prior art.
In the past, devices for forming indicia such as text, graphics or combinations of text and graphics on food products have been known.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,438,669, there is disclosed a device for branding toast.
A cooking utensil is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,320 for frying foodstuffs including a griddle with a contoured image for transfer of such an image to a fried food.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,246,719, a device provides the appearance to a steak or other meat of having been cooked by broiling.
A waffle iron disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,358,452 causes a monogram or initial letters to be formed in a waffle during the preparation thereof.
The following is a brief description of the drawings:
It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the drawings herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system, components and method of the present invention, as represented in the drawings, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of the embodiment of the invention.
A product branding apparatus and methods as disclosed relate to a branding element having indicia configured in the shape of a desired design to be branded onto a product and a heating conductor for transferring heat from a heating apparatus to the branding element.
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly
With further reference to
In operation as best shown in
The invention is not limited to use with the grill 14. Other types and kinds of cooking or heating devices (not shown) may be used with the disclosed embodiment of the present invention including an oven, a stove, a portable grill and others.
Considering now the branding element 12 in more detail with reference to
The branding element 12 is preferably formed of metal such as steel, copper, aluminum or others. However, other materials such as a suitable ceramic material or others may also be used. A metal material is a preferable material since it is capable of conducting heat which has the effect of branding many food products that come in contact with the material. Other materials that conduct heat may also be suitable.
In the embodiment shown best in
Considering the heating conductors 40 and 45 in more detail and in reference to
The heating conductors 40 and 45, are thermally connected to the branding element 12 through welding or a molding process as is well known in the art. The heat conductors serve to thermally conduct heat from the heating apparatus 25 of the grill 14. By having the heating conductors connected in thermal conductivity with the branding element 12, heat from the heating apparatus 25 is conducted via the heating conductors to the branding element 12. Since branding requires that heat be selectively and directly applied to the food product to form an image thereon, the heat transferred to the branding element 12 from the heat conductors, such as heat conductor 40, enables the branding element 12 to be heated sufficiently to brand products placed in contact with the indicia disposed on the heated branding element 12.
With reference to
As best shown in
In the disclosed embodiment as best seen in
In operation, after the heating conductors 40 and 45 are slipped through spaces in the grate 20, as described heretofore, the mounting bracket 13 is then slipped onto the heating conductor 40 through its first hole 46 until it engages the underside of the grate 20. In this position, the set screw 52 is then tightened until it contacts the heating conductor 40 which has the effect of locking mounting bracket 13 into a fixed position thereby fixing the branding apparatus 10 in a releaseably fixed position on the grate 20 of the grill 14.
Mounting bracket 13 is releasable by releasing the set screw 52 which permits the mounting bracket to slide downwardly along the heating conductor 40 where it may then be removed. After the mounting bracket 13 is removed from the heating conductor 40, the branding apparatus 10 may then be removed by the user from the grill 14.
Considering now a method of using the branding apparatus 10, the user mounts and clamps the apparatus 10 to the grate of the grill 20 through the use of the mounting bracket 13 as described heretofore. The apparatus 10 may be clamped to the grill 14 where branding activity is to occur, as previously described. Heat from the heating apparatus 25 heats the heating conductors such as heating conductors 40 and 45. The heat from the heating apparatus 25 is then thermally conducted through the heating conductor 40 to the branding element 12. Before or after the branding element 12 has reached a sufficient temperature for forming indicia on a product, a food product such as a steak 30 is placed onto the grilling surface 20 over the branding element 12. A spatula 50 may be optionally used to provide pressure over the food product in the proximate location opposite the branding element 12.
As the product is heated, the heat from the heating apparatus 25 is thermally conducted through the heating conductors 40 and 45 to form indicia onto the product 30 at the locations where the top surface of the indicia on the branding element 12 is in contact with the product 30. The result is a food product having an indicia brand 35 formed on one surface thereon as best seen in
Referring now to
The user may removably mount the branding apparatus 53 to a grate 70 of a grill (not shown) through the use of a mounting bracket or elongated clamp 55 having a hole 57 at a suitable location such as at its center. In this embodiment the branding element 44 includes a hole 59 formed at a suitable location such as near the geometric center of the branding element 44. It should be noted that the hole 59 may be placed in other positions of the branding element 44. A fastening device such as a mounting bolt 60 is sized to fit through the hole 59 of the branding element 44 and hole 57 of the clamp 55. A wing nut 65 may be provided to be threaded onto the bolt 60 to clamp the branding element 44 onto the top of the grate 70.
To secure the branding apparatus 53 to the grate 70, the mounting bracket 55 is placed underneath the grate 70 and opposite the branding element 44. The hole 57 of mounting bracket 55 is manually positioned in axial alignment with hole 59 of branding element 44. Bolt 60 is then passed through the hole 59 of the branding element 44 and also through the hole 57 of the mounting bracket 55. The wing nut 65 is then attached to the bolt 60 and tightened until sufficient pressure is applied to the mounting bracket 55 which, in turn, provides pressure to fix releaseably the element 44 to the grate 70 to hold the apparatus 53 in a fixed position during branding operations.
To release the apparatus 53 from the grate 70, the wing nut 65 is loosened until it can be removed from the bolt 60. Bolt 60 is then removed from the hole 59 of the branding element 44 and the hole 57 of the mounting bracket 55. The apparatus 53 may then be removed from the grate 70.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that various different modifications are possible and are contemplated within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, other products or objects could also be branded with the instant apparatus and method such as furniture or construction materials. There is no intention, therefore, of limitations to the exact abstract or disclosure herein presented.
