Patent Application
20130106269
Large full sized gas grills normally consist of a firebox containing a cooking system, a lid that attaches to the firebox, side shelves that attach to the firebox and a frame that supports the firebox. These are normally shipped in corrugated cardboard boxes with supplemental expanded plastic foam pads for support and protection. The corners of the box may have corner posts to support vertical loads made of fiberboard or folded corrugated paper with structural properties approximating wood. Upon unpacking, the firebox and lid are often preassembled but the side shelves must be assembled to the firebox, the frame must be assembled, and the firebox set atop the frame. Often, formed steel angles and channels are mated with flat sheets of steel to form a stressed structure to support the firebox. The firebox normally is made of sheet steel or cast aluminum and is attached to the frame structure directly or through intermediate brackets with the use of threaded fasteners.
There are several significant shortcomings to the current art. The first of these has to do with the assembly of the grill at point of sale or point of use. The majority of grills are shipped in a partially or nearly completely disassembled configuration. Assembly of major components and even subassemblies may be required. Often the number of parts needed to be assembled is considerable and requires a large array of different types of fasteners leading to prolonged time required for assembly.
The second shortcoming is that the package required to ship the grill components must perform two distinct roles. It must contain and protect the subassemblies and components, and it must support the weight of several packages being stacked atop each other for shipment and storage in the product distribution system. This is normally done by use of corrugated paper products (e.g., cardboard). Sheets of cardboard may be used having multiple flutes and sheets engineered to carry out the two roles by itself, or cardboard may be used in conjunction with corner posts mentioned above. However, such material can lose up to 30% of its strength with storage in high humidity conditions, requiring significant overdesign and additional material with associated costs and environmental impact. A third shortcoming of the traditional methods is that the traditional grill subassemblies and components do not form an inherently rigid structure, and most assembled grills demonstrate some perceptible deflection of structure under even moderate loads.
What is needed is a system and method to address the above, and related, concerns.
The invention of the present disclosure, in one embodiment thereof, comprises an appliance kit. The kit includes an upper cabinet, and first and second support members. The first and second support members may be attached to the upper cabinet to place the appliance in operational form. The first and second support members are also used as structural support inside a shipping container for shipping the appliance, the first and second support members being located astride the upper cabinet to support the shipping container against crushing.
In some embodiments, the upper cabinet is the firebox of a cooking grill. In some embodiments, the first and second support members further comprise first and second portions, respectively, of a lower cabinet that, when placed astride the upper cabinet in the shipping container, provides support against lateral loads on sides of the shipping container. The first portion of the lower cabinet may be preassembled with at least one attached door. A shelf unit may also be included that fits into the lower cabinet when assembled, and rests upon the upper cabinet in the shipping container providing resistance against damage to the cabinet. Also included with the kit may be a set of wheels that are attachable to the lower support members when attached to the upper cabinet to mobilize the assembled kit.
The first and second support members comprise frames constructed from tubular steel members. The kit may include a plurality of connectors used for joining the first and second support members together to construct a lower cabinet. At least one of the plurality of fasteners may comprise a threaded member that inserts partially into a first receiving end of one of the tubular steel members of the first support member, and inserts partially into a second receiving end of one of the tubular steel members of the second support member, the threaded member providing a first threaded connection adjacent an opening in the first receiving end and a second threaded connection adjacent an opening in the second receiving end, the first and second threaded connections accepting first and second threaded fasteners for retaining the first and second receiving ends to the threaded member.
The shipping container may be configured to at least partially surround the first and second support members protecting the first and second support members from abrasion damage during shipping and handling. The shipping container may comprise a cardboard structure internally supported by the first and second support members. The kit may also include a lower guide member having a surface contoured to locate the upper cabinet and the first and second support members in a predetermined relationship for packaging. A lower platform may also be included for supporting the lower guide member and providing a rigid bottom side of a shipping container.
The invention of the present disclosure, in another embodiment thereof, comprises a method of shipping an appliance. The method includes providing an appliance, providing first and second support members that may be assembled into a cabinet for supporting the appliance, and arranging the first and second support members around the appliance in a predetermined relationship inside a shipping container, the predetermined relationship of the first and second support members preventing crush damage to the appliance inside the shipping container.
In some embodiments, the method includes providing a lower guide member in the shipping container, the lower guide member having a surface contour corresponding to correct placement of the first and second guide members relative to the appliance to prevent damage to the appliance inside the shipping container. The method may also include providing a shelf that may be placed in the cabinet when assembled, and placing the shelf atop the appliance in the shipping container to prevent damage to the container from a high pressure point.
Referring now to
The subframes 102, 104 and each of the various constituent members may be made from welded tubular steel. In other embodiments, the tubular members may be bolted together or fastened by some other means. It is also contemplated that, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the front subframe 102 and/or rear subframe 104 may comprise a durable polymer.
In the present embodiment, four connectors 114 serve to selectively attach the front subframe 102 to the rear subframe 104. When the front subframe 102 and rear subframe 104 are adjoined via the connectors 114, bolts 115 may be used to finalize the connection and complete construction of the frame 100. Referring now also to
Referring now also to
Referring now to
When the front and rear support members 301, 302 made from the front and rear subframes 102, 104 are joined together to complete the cabinet 300, the cabinet 300 may be used to support an appliance 303 at a useful height. In the present embodiment, the appliance 302 is a cooking grill. However, in other embodiments, the appliance could be another useful device that a user might prefer to have at a taller height, and which would benefit from the packing methods described below. In one respect, the grill or appliance 303 may be considered as an upper cabinet positioned on the lower cabinet 300.
As the supported appliance, or upper cabinet 303, in the present embodiment is a cooking grill, the frame lower cabinet 300 is shown assembled into a storage cabinet accessible via doors 304. Ventilation louvers 307, as well as other utilitarian and/or decorative features may also be provided on the frame cabinet 300. The present embodiment also includes a side shelf 308 and a side burner 310. It is understood that these items are provided only for illustration as other accessories and implements could also be attached to the grill 302 and/or frame lower cabinet 300.
Referring now to
In the present embodiment, a portion of a shipping container is shown as a lower platform 402. The lower platform 402 may comprise a rigid or resilient structure, capable of being moved by a forklift without damage, for example. In addition to the lower platform 402, a lower guide member 404 may be provided. The contour of the surface of lower guide member 404 may include features that aid in retaining the appliance 303, and front and rear support members 301, 302 in a predetermined location relative to one another.
When placed in the configuration shown in preparation for shipping, the various components such as the appliance 303 and the front and rear support members 301, 302, may be considered a shipping unit 405. In the present embodiment, the lower guide member 404 provides a front wall 406 designed to fit against the front support member 301 and a portion of the grill 303. The lower guide member 404 also has a rear wall 408 designed to fit against the rear support member 302 and a portion of the grill 303. Also shown as part of the shipping unit in the present embodiment are the removable wheels 306 and a shelf 410. The shelf 410 may be utilized within the cabinet 300 formed by the front and rear support members 102, 104.
With reference back to
Referring now to
In the present embodiment, the outer covering 510 is shown as a component that slides down over the pieces it contains, and attaches to the lower platform 402. However, it is understood that the outer covering may also be pre-attached to the lower platform 402, and the shipping unit 405 may be inserted through the top. The outer covering 510 may be cardboard or another inexpensive material. When the shipping container and the shipping unit 405 are assembled for shipment, it can be appreciated that the front and rear support members 301, 302 define a region inside the shipping container that will be protected from crushing forces. In this manner, the pieces of the shipping container itself may be made lighter and thinner, and therefore less expensive, while the front and rear support members 301, 302 of the cabinet 300 of the appliance 303 serve as internal structure. Once the shipping container arrives at its final destination, there will be relatively less waste material to discard when the appliance 303 is placed into operation.
Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as those inherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes and modifications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such changes and modifications are encompassed within the invention as defined by the claims.
