Patent Application
20220397282
The present invention relates to a barbecue grill and, more particularly, to a supporting unit for a barbecue grill.
To start a fire, a torch is often used to ignite tinder before the burning tinder is used to ignite charcoal. A fan is often used to facilitate the ignition of the charcoal because it is difficult to ignite the charcoal. The use of the fan is exhausting.
To solve the foregoing problem, U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,872, FIGS. 4a and 4b, has disclosed a collapsible barrel to facilitate the ignition of charcoal. This collapsible barrel includes multiple sections 24 pivotally connected to one another by hinge pins 19. The sections 24 are separated from one another when the hinge pins 19 are removed. It is however troublesome to store the sections 24 and the hinge pins 19 since they are separated from one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,028,689 has disclosed a collapsible fire starter for facilitating ignition of charcoal. The fire starter is located in a collapsed position when it is not in use. In use, the fire starter is located in an extended position. However, the fire starter cannot be used as a stove or a barbecue grill for it is not suitable for supporting a cooking utensil such as pan, a pot and a grid. Therefore, to cook, a barbecue grill or a stove has to be used in addition to the fire starter, and this is troublesome.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a collapsible barbecue grill.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the barbecue grill includes a barrel and a supporting unit. The barrel includes multiple panels and two lugs. The panels are pivotally connected to one another so that the barrel is switchable between an extended position and a collapsed position. The lugs are formed on one of the panels. The supporting unit includes a frame and multiple loops. The frame includes two lateral sections and two pivots. The lateral sections extend parallel to each other. The pivots extend from the lateral sections, respectively. The pivots are inserted in the lugs when the lateral sections are released. The pivots are disengaged from the lugs when the lateral sections are moved relative to each other. The loops are located on and connected to the lateral sections.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
Referring to
Referring to
The lateral section 24 extends perpendicular to the pivot 23. The intermediate section 25 extends perpendicular to the lateral section 24. The lateral section 26 extends perpendicular to the intermediate section 25. The pivot 27 extends perpendicular to the lateral section 26. The pivots 23 and 27 extend along a common axis. The lateral sections 24 and 26 extend parallel to each other. The intermediate section 25 extends parallel to the common axis of the pivots 23 and 27.
The short bar 28 is used as a reinforcing bar. The reinforcing bar 28 includes an end connected to the lateral section 24 by welding for example and another end connected to the lateral section 26. The reinforcing bar 28 extends parallel to the intermediate section 25.
The pivots 23 and 27 are connected to the barrel 40 so that the supporting unit 10 is allowed to pivot on the barrel 40.
The loops 30a and 30d are connected to the lateral section 24 by welding for example. The loops 30b and 30c are connected to the lateral section 26 by welding for example. The loops 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d identical to one in shape. For example, each of the loops 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d includes an arched section 31, a horizontal section 32, a vertical section 34, an apex 35 and a slant section 36. The arched section 31 is formed between the horizontal section 32 and the slant section 36. The bent section 33 is formed between the vertical section 34 and the horizontal section 32. The apex 35 is formed between the vertical section 34 and the slant section 36. The slant section 36 extends downward to the arched section 31 from the apex 35 (
The horizontal section 32 of the loop 30a or 30d is connected to the lateral section 24 by welding for example. The horizontal section 32 of the loop 30b or 30c is connected to the lateral section 26 by welding for example.
Referring to
Referring to
The loops 30b and 30d extend along another phantom line 13 intersecting the lateral sections 24 and 26. There is an acute angle 13a and an obtuse angle 13b between the phantom line 13 and the lateral section 24. The acute angle 13a is supplementary to the obtuse angle 13b. There is an acute angle 13c and an obtuse angle 13d between the phantom line 13 and the lateral section 26. The acute angle 13c is supplementary to the obtuse angle 13d.
The phantom lines 12 and 13 intersect each other. An area defined by the arched sections 31 of the loops 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d is located in an area defined by the apexes 35 of the loops 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d.
The lateral sections 24 and 26 are separated from each other by a distance 29. The distance 29 varies as the lateral sections 24 and 26 are pivoted relative to the barrel 40. The pivots 23 and 27 are located closer to each other as the distance 29 is reduced.
Referring to
As mentioned above, the barrel 40 is collapsible. That is, the barrel 40 is switchable between an extended position shown in
A gas stove 50 is located in the barrel 40 in the extended position. The supporting unit 10 is supported on the barrel 40, above the gas stove 50. Each of the lateral sections 24 and 26 includes a portion inserted in one of the cutouts 44 made in the second panel 41 and another portion inserted in one of the cutouts 44 made in the fourth panel 41. Thus, the loops 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d are located at four corners of barrel 40 so that the supporting unit 10 extends above the gas stove 50. The pivots 23 and 27 are inserted in the lugs 45, respectively. Thus, the supporting unit 10 is allowed to pivot relative to the barrel 40. The bottom plates 42 increases the area of the bottom of the barrel 40 to allow the barrel 40 to stand firmly on a floor for example. The handle 43 facilitates handling of the barbecue grill, which consists of the barrel 40, the gas stove 50 and the supporting unit 10.
In use, a cooking utensil such as a pan, a pot and a grid is supported on the loops 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d supported on the frame 20 supported on the barrel 40. Air is admitted into the barrel 40 via the opening 46 to facilitate combustion of gas from the stove 50 located in the barrel 40.
Referring to
To detach the supporting unit 10 from the barrel 40, the lateral sections 24 and 26 are pressed toward each other to disengage the pivots 23 and 27 from the lugs 45. The supporting unit 10 is flipped before the lateral sections 24 and 26 are pressed toward each other again to allow the pivots 23 and 27 to be aligned with the lugs 45. The lateral sections 24 and 26 are released to insert the pivots 23 in the lugs 45 again. Then, the frame 20 is located against the fourth panel 41 so that the loops 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d extend from the fourth panel 41. Thus, the entire barbecue grill occupies a minimum volume.
The present invention has been described via illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
