Foods and beverages: apparatus – Subjecting food to an enclosed modified atmosphere – With separate support for fume-producing material
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-11
2001-07-10
Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Subjecting food to an enclosed modified atmosphere
With separate support for fume-producing material
C099S337000, C099S340000, C099S385000, C099S400000, C099S422000, C099S450000, C126S0250AA, C126S04100R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257130
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to outdoor cooking devices and, more particularly, to a smoker assembly for gas grills.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Barbecue grills have become increasingly popular in recent years because of the interest in outdoor cooking. Conventionally, gas grills include a burner assembly adjacent the lower portion of a firebox with a cooking grid supported along the upper edge and lava rock located between the cooking grid and the burner assembly. The lava rock, acting as a form of a conductive member, absorbs the heat from the burning gas and provides a generally uniform heat-producing means for the food being cooked. Grease and other combustible particles, however, build up on the lava rock and cause undesirable flare ups and hot spots within the grilling cavity.
Accordingly, the Assignee of the present invention previously developed a gas grill which eliminates the need for lava rock. Such a grill is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,677,964; 5,765,469; and, 5,934,183. The gas grills disclosed therein have revolutionized the gas grill industry by eliminating the need for the lava rock, which often caused flare-ups and which had to be replaced periodically due to degradation. The gas grills disclosed in the above noted patents utilize sear bars which are positioned between the cooking grid and the gas burners to vaporize any greases that emanate from the food being cooked. Accordingly, the food is cooked utilizing a generally indirect grilling method which substantially eliminates flare ups and provides for an initial searing of the outside of the food.
Following the remarkable degree of consumer acceptance for the commercial embodiment of the invention recited in the above noted patents, the Assignee developed a variety of accessories for such grill, including a smoker assembly which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,183 and is similarly assigned to the Assignee of the present invention. The smoker assembly of the '183 patent comprises a generally rectangular housing having a bottom wall made of a perforated metal material. The smoker housing is situated on the apexes of the sear bars of the barbecue grill. As such, the heat for igniting the wood chips in the smoker assembly is generated substantially by convection means through the perforations in the smoker housing assembly. Accordingly, it often takes a longer period of time than desired to adequately heat the wood chips to produce the necessary smoke.
Subsequently, the Assignee developed an improved smoker assembly which is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,028. The smoker assembly of the '028 patent includes a smoker container having a plurality of sides and a bottom defining a cavity of the container. The bottom of the smoker container has at least one opening to allow a portion of the sear bars of the grill to pass through the opening in the container and to be positioned within the cavity of the container to more efficiently heat the smoker particles via conductive means.
Both of the above-described smoker assemblies, as well as other prior art devices, however, do not have an effective means for distributing the generated smoke throughout the entirety of the grill. To date, all smoker assemblies merely provide for the smoke to emanate from the smoker container itself, instead of distributing the smoke throughout the entirety of the grill cavity.
Accordingly, there is a need for an inexpensive and effective smoker assembly for a barbecue grill that heats up the chips located therein more quickly and efficiently, and that distributes the smoke throughout the entire grilling chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The smoker assembly of the present invention provides a removable assembly for a barbecue grill for heating and burning smoker particles, and further for evenly dispersing the resultant smoke throughout the entirety of the grilling chamber to produce flavored smoke in the barbecue grill. Generally, the barbecue grill utilized in conjunction with the smoker attachment includes a bottom chamber having a cooking grid, a burner assembly, and a conductive member between the burner assembly and the cooking grid. The smoker attachment of the present invention includes a container adapted to contain smoker particles in an interior cavity of the container, and a duct member associating with the interior cavity of the container.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the container is located adjacent the heat source, and has a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls defining the interior cavity of the container. The duct member of the smoker attachment associates with the interior cavity of the container and has a passageway extending from a first end of the duct member to allow smoke produced in the container to flow out of the container and into the passageway of the duct member. The passageway provides a gaseous path from the cavity of the receptacle through the interior of the duct member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the smoker further comprises a second duct member having a passageway extending from a first end thereof. The second duct member similarly associates with the interior cavity of the container to allow smoke produced in the container to flow out of the container and into the passageway of the second duct member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the duct members have a plurality of openings about their length. The openings extend from the interior of the duct members through to an exterior thereof, such that the gaseous path from the cavity of the container continues through the passageway and out of the openings in the duct members.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the duct members comprise an upper member having an apex. The upper member is adapted to shield the duct openings from food drippings.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the duct members are positioned transverse to the container and include a duct-stop adjacent a first end of the duct member. The duct-stop positions the duct member relative to the side wall of the container.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the smoker attachment further comprises a lid for the container. The lid provides access to the cavity of the container when in an open position to allow for replenishing the quantity of smoker particles in the container.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the container of the smoker assembly is adjacent a selected one of the plurality of burners in the bottom chamber of the barbecue grill. As such, the smoker assembly can be selectively heated by independent control of the selected one of the plurality of burners of the grill.
Accordingly, a smoker attachment made in accordance with the present invention provides an inexpensive and easily manufactured assembly which eliminates the drawbacks of prior smoker assemblies.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings.
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Simone Timothy F.
Wallenstein & Wagner
Weber-Stephen Products Co.
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