Stoves and furnaces – Stoves – Cooking
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-07
2003-10-14
Price, Carl D. (Department: 3743)
Stoves and furnaces
Stoves
Cooking
C126S00900B, C126S00900B
Reexamination Certificate
active
06631711
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to charcoal grills and charcoal lighting devices, and in particular, to folding charcoal grills and lighting devices arrangeable into multiple configurations to facilitate lighting of coals, for use as or in conjunction with grills, and to facilitate handling and carrying.
2. Background of the Technology
Grilling of foods using fuel driven grills, such as charcoal grills, is well known. The ignition of the fuels is necessary in order to allow such grills to be used. It is known to use a lighting initiator, such as lighter fluid poured on charcoal to allow easier lighting. This approach presents several problems. For example, the use of an initiator, such as lighter fluid, is typically dangerous because such initiators are generally volatile, producing a hazard for burning of the user and toxicity through inhalation. These initiators are also often toxic or harmful to the user's skin and eyes, and may be subject to environmental or other restrictions, such as air pollution regulations. Further, the use of lighter fluid can often necessitate additional cleanup because of spillage, and many people find these initiators to have an adverse effect on the taste of grilled foods.
It is also known to use a chimney, such as a coffee can with the ends removed and vent holes added, to facilitate lighting of fuels. With these devices, paper or another ignition enhancer is placed in the bottom of the chimney, and the charcoal or other fuel is placed on top of the paper. The paper is then lit using the vent holes in the can, which also enhance air flow to increase the speed of lighting of the charcoal. This approach also presents several problems. The chimney typically becomes hot to the touch and is difficult to remove once the charcoal is lit. The chimney must also be carried separately from the grill and remembered when the grill is relocated.
There thus remains an unmet need to provide devices and methods for lighting grill fuels in simpler and more self-contained manners than the existing approaches to fuel lighting. There is a further unmet need to provide a simple manner for transporting and storing such grills and lighting devices without such devices becoming unwieldy. There is yet a further unmet need for improved devices, methods, and systems for transporting grills and lighting equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an advantage of the present invention to meet these needs, and others, by providing rearrangeable grill and lighting devices that are easily transported. It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide variations of grills having at least two sides and a bottom, with adjustable legs and handles, that are rearrangeable into closed lighting positions and into upright grilling positions. It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide such rearrangeable grills that allow rearranging without spilling lit fuel.
It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide rearrangeable charcoal lighting devices that are easily transported and that are usable in conjunction with existing grills. It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a lighting device having sides and a bottom, with one or more adjustable handles, that is rearrangeable into a closed lighting position and into a slim profile, folded configuration for easy carrying, storage, and handling. It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide such a rearrangeable lighting device that allows easy transfer of the lit fuel to the grill without spilling the lit fuel.
It is yet another advantage of the present invention to provide rearrangeable grill devices that are further rearrangeable into slim profile, folded configurations for easy carrying, storage, and handling.
It is yet a further advantage of the present invention to provide rearrangeable grill and lighting devices that, in closed lighting positions, include internal racks to hold fuel above an initiator, and vent openings to facilitate lighting of the fuel.
It is yet a further advantage of the present invention to provide rearrangeable grill and lighting devices that include insulated handles to reduce the likelihood of burning or other injury and to facilitate handling, rearrangement, and carrying of the devices.
A first embodiment of the present invention comprises a self-contained, easily foldable and rearrangeable charcoal lighting device and grill. In an embodiment of the present invention, the grill includes three distinct configurable arrangements, these arrangements facilitating the following: 1) carrying of the grill; 2) igniting of charcoal within the grill; and 3) distributing the charcoal and providing a suitably designed grill for cooking meat or other foods.
In the first embodiment, the grill is configurable into a first arrangement, in which the grill presents a thin profile for easy carrying via one or more attached handles. Rearranged from the first configuration into a second configuration for charcoal lighting, the grill forms a three sided closed shape with openings to receive an ignition source, such as matches, and a triangularly shaped rack bottom trap door to support charcoal for lighting. In this second configuration, an ignition fuel, such as crumpled paper is placed beneath the grill and beneath the rack bottom trap door. Charcoal is placed on top of the rack bottom trap door within the grill, and the fuel is ignited, which, in turn, ignites the contained charcoal. Upon suitable lighting of the charcoal, the grill is rearranged via the handles into a third configuration, in which the grill has a generally U-shaped profile, with extended legs and one or more side handles. The rearrangement into the third configuration causes the grill bottom trap door to sweep and distribute the lit charcoal into the interior portion of the U-shaped grill, with a bottom rack serving as a base for containing the charcoal. In one embodiment, a separate grill rack is placed above the distributed coals to serve as a cooking surface for meats or other grilled foods placed thereupon.
In a second embodiment of the rearrangeable grill device, the grill is configurable into a first arrangement, in which the grill presents a thin profile for easy carrying via one or more attached handles. Rearranged from the first configuration into a second configuration for charcoal lighting, the grill forms a four sided closed shape with openings to receive an ignition source, such as matches, and a square shaped rack bottom trap door to support charcoal for lighting. As with the first embodiment, in this second configuration, an ignition fuel, such as crumpled paper is placed beneath the grill and beneath the rack bottom trap door. Charcoal is placed on top of the rack bottom trap door within the grill, and the fuel is ignited, which, in turn, ignites the contained charcoal. Upon suitable lighting of the charcoal, the grill is rearranged via the handles into a third configuration, in which the grill has a generally U-shaped profile, with extended legs and one or more side handles. In this configuration, this embodiment has a two-piece grill bottom, in contrast to the first embodiment, which has a one-piece grill bottom. In one embodiment, a separate grill rack is placed above the distributed coals to serve as a cooking surface for meats or other grilled foods placed thereupon.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a self-contained, easily foldable and rearrangeable charcoal lighting device. In one embodiment, this device includes two distinct configurable arrangements, these arrangements facilitating the following: 1) carrying of the grill; 2) igniting of charcoal within the device; and 3) easily transferring and distributing the lit charcoal to a grill for cooking meat or other foods.
This embodiment of the lighting device is configurable into a first arrangement, in which the grill presents a thin profile for easy carrying via one or more attached handles. Rearranged from the first configuration into a secon
Arent Fox Kinter Plotkin & Kahn PLLC
Chesser Wilburn
Price Carl D.
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