Foods and beverages: apparatus – Cooking – Slice toaster or broiler
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-19
2001-11-13
Sherrer, Curtis E (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Cooking
Slice toaster or broiler
C099S445000, C099S446000, C099S447000, C099S449000, C099S450000, C126S04100R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314871
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to cooking appliances and cooking assemblies for use in cooking appliances.
BACKGROUND ART
In a cooking appliance, a cooking assembly is mounted within the cooking appliance housing. The cooking assembly typically includes a cooking assembly housing, a burner assembly within the cooking assembly housing, and a cooking grid positioned above the burner assembly for placing food to be cooked thereon.
Some cooking assemblies employ a sear grid between the burner assembly and the cooking grid. In such cooking assemblies, it is desirable to have controlled heat distribution so that a user may have precise control over the cooking process. Many attempts have been made to provide various features on a cooking assembly to provide better control over heat distribution.
Because it is always desirable to provide the best cooking assembly with the best and most controlled heat distribution, there is a need for an improved cooking appliance and cooking assembly that provide more precise control over heat distribution than do existing cooking assemblies.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved cooking assembly for use in a cooking appliance that utilizes one or more improved features to provide more precise control over heat distribution.
In carrying out the above object, a cooking assembly for use in a cooking appliance is provided. The cooking assembly comprises a cooking assembly housing, a burner assembly, a cooking grid, and a sear grid. The burner assembly includes at least one burner extending within the cooking assembly housing. The cooking grid is positioned above at least one burner with respect to the cooking assembly housing. The sear grid includes a radiant panel having an undulating shape. The panel is located between the burner and the cooking grid. The panel defines at least one generally parabolic dome with a radiused peak to allow liquids at the peak to be rapidly heated by at least one burner. Further, the generally parabolic dome has sides extending away from the peak. The sides have a generally increasing slope as the sides extend away from the peak to cause liquids flowing down the sides of the dome to accelerate.
Preferably, the radiant panel has a first end and a second end with the dome extending from the first end to the second end. Further, the panel preferably defines a plurality of apertures through the sides of the dome to promote convection heating. Further, preferably, the plurality of apertures through the sides of the dome are located at at least one of the first and second panel ends. Still further, a preferred radiant panel defines a plurality of generally parabolic domes with a trough defined between each pair of adjacent domes. Further, preferably, each trough defines a plurality of apertures to drain liquids as liquids flow down the sides of the adjacent domes.
In a preferred configuration, the cooking assembly further comprises a deflector plate and a drip pan. The deflector plate is positioned below the sear grid with respect to the cooking assembly housing, and has inclined surfaces arranged to control the flow of liquids that drip past the sear grid. The drip pan is positioned below the deflector plate with respect to the cooking assembly housing for collecting liquids that flow past the deflector plate.
Further, in a preferred embodiment, the cooking assembly housing has a front support and a rear support located above the front support. The cooking grid preferably comprises a cooking grid section with a first end defining at least one first leg of a first length and a second end defining at least one leg of a second length that is longer than the first length. As such, positioning the cooking grid section with at least one first leg on the front support and at least one second leg on the rear support orients the cooking grid section to produce a grilling surface with a forward sloping inclination. Further, positioning the cooking grid section with at least one first leg on the rear support and at least one second leg on the front support orients the cooking grid section to produce a level grilling surface.
Preferably, the cooking grid section has a top surface for grilling and a bottom surface. The bottom surface preferably defines a plurality of drip stop bumps for providing controlled dripping of liquids that pass through the cooking grid section.
Further, in carrying out the present invention, a cooking appliance comprising a housing and a cooking assembly with a sear grid including a radiant panel having an undulating shape is provided. The panel defines at least one generally parabolic dome with a radiused peak, and with sides extending away from the peak. The sides have a generally increasing slope as the sides extend away from the peak.
Preferably, the cooking appliance further includes a side shelf pivotally mounted to the cooking appliance housing. A latch release mechanism is configured for locking the side shelf in an extended position, and for releasing the side shelf to allow pivoting from the extended position to a relaxed position adjacent to the cooking assembly housing.
Still further, in accordance with the present invention, a burner for use in a cooking assembly of a cooking appliance is provided. The burner comprises a U-shaped burner and a U-shaped connecting tube. The U-shaped burner has a base for positioning at the front of the cooking assembly and a pair of legs that extend toward the rear of the cooking assembly. The U-shaped connecting tube is positioned to connect the U-shaped burner base to the front of the cooking assembly housing. Preferably, the U-shaped burner has a plurality of flame ports located along sides of the legs.
The advantages associated with embodiments of the present invention are numerous. For example, a sear grid with a radiant panel that has a dome with a radiused peak and sides with a generally increasing slope allows liquids to vaporize at the peak and otherwise to be rapidly urged toward apertures in the adjacent trough by the increasing slope. Further, a U-shaped burner with a U-shaped connecting tube advantageously allows the gas in a gas grill to enter the burner at a lower temperature while still providing a hot grilling surface at the front of the cooking assembly.
The above object and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 54852 (1920-04-01), Kerr et al.
patent: 806475 (1905-12-01), Koneman
patent: 2940381 (1960-06-01), Cottongim et al.
patent: 2985097 (1961-05-01), Nevin et al.
patent: 3593647 (1971-07-01), Copeland, Jr.
patent: 4428281 (1984-01-01), Miller
patent: 4454805 (1984-06-01), Matthews
patent: 4493308 (1985-01-01), Hurley et al.
patent: 4727853 (1988-03-01), Stephen et al.
patent: 4979440 (1990-12-01), Latour et al.
patent: 5062408 (1991-11-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5105725 (1992-04-01), Haglund
patent: 5237914 (1993-08-01), Carstensen
patent: 5345923 (1994-09-01), Luebke et al.
patent: 5355868 (1994-10-01), Haen
patent: 5368009 (1994-11-01), Jones
patent: 5421319 (1995-06-01), Moore, Jr. et al.
patent: 5467691 (1995-11-01), Koziol
patent: 5473980 (1995-12-01), Carpenter
patent: 5481965 (1996-01-01), Kronman
patent: 5542345 (1996-08-01), Gongwer
patent: 5613486 (1997-03-01), Johnston
patent: 5617778 (1997-04-01), Schroeter et al.
patent: 5765469 (1998-06-01), Schlosser et al.
patent: 5806412 (1998-09-01), Bedford et al.
patent: 5873355 (1999-02-01), Schlosser et al.
patent: 5878739 (1999-03-01), Guidry
patent: 5890482 (1999-04-01), Farnsworth et al.
patent: 5911812 (1999-06-01), Stanek et al.
Betancourt Filiberto
Busta Jeff
Holbrook Richard M.
Lam Jeff
Layfield James
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Mai Hao
Sherrer Curtis E
Thermador Corporation
LandOfFree
Cooking appliance with improved heat distribution does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cooking appliance with improved heat distribution, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cooking appliance with improved heat distribution will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2616356