Foods and beverages: apparatus – Cooking – Opposed heated mold or surface type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-19
2001-08-07
Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Cooking
Opposed heated mold or surface type
C099S380000, C099S372000, C099S445000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269738
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a grill device, more particularly to a grill device for cooking meat, fish, poultry, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conventional grill device is shown to include a base unit
4
and an upper unit
3
which is hinged to the base unit
4
along a pivot axis.
The base and upper units
4
,
3
respectively have lower and upper cooking plates
2
,
1
which have a plurality of rib portions
202
,
102
mounted in heat conducting relationship for retaining food in position when the upper unit
3
is moved to a closed position where the upper unit
3
is superimposed upon the base unit
4
.
The lower cooking plate
2
has a plate surface
201
which inclines gradually and downwardly from a proximate position relative to the pivot axis toward a distal position, and which is formed with a fluid outlet
206
that is disposed at the distal position for draining liquid from the lower cooking plate
2
outwardly. The base unit
4
further has an upright peripheral wall
205
confining the periphery of the lower cooking plate
2
. When meat
5
is disposed on the rib portions
202
for grilling, liquid dripping from the lower cooking plate
2
will flow through the fluid outlet
206
and a through hole
401
formed in the base unit
4
into an accumulating tray
402
.
However, the conventional grill device cannot be used when the upper unit
3
is in an open position relative to the base unit
4
since the meat
5
disposed on the rib portions
202
may slide toward the distal position due to the gradually inclined plate surface
201
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a grill device which can be used in closed and open positions, and where liquid is effectively collected and can be conveniently disposed after the grilling operation.
According to this invention, the grilling device includes an annular bottom wall which is adapted to be placed above a flat support, and which includes first outer and inner annular peripheries opposed to each other and surrounding a central line. An outer annular wall extends uprightly from the first outer annular periphery and in a transverse direction to form an outer upper annular edge distal to the first outer annular periphery and with a first height. An inner annular wall extends uprightly from the first inner annular periphery and in the transverse direction to form an inner upper annular edge distal to the first inner annular periphery and with a second height which is lower than the first height. The inner annular wall, the outer annular wall and the annular bottom wall confine an annular fluid collecting groove there among. A lower cooking member includes upper and lower major walls normal to the central line and opposite to each other in the transverse direction. The upper major wall includes an outer circumferential area which surrounds the central line and which is integrally formed with and which extends inwardly and towards the central line from the upper inner annular edge to form an inner annular boundary line that is proximate to and that surrounds the central line, and a central area which is disposed to have the central line passing therethrough, which is normal to the central line, and which includes an outer annular boundary line that is distal to the central line and that is coincident with the inner annular boundary line. The central area is raised so as to be higher than the outer circumferential area. The lower major wall is punched upwardly and in the transverse direction to form a plurality of first and second ridge portions respectively in the central and outer circumferential areas. The first and second ridge portions are of such heights in the transverse direction so that along a respective one of a plurality of radial directions, the respective one of the first ridge portions is not higher than the respective one of the second ridge portions. An upper cooking member is disposed to be hinged to the lower cooking member so as to cover and be superimposed on the lower cooking member. Therefore, meat disposed on the first and second ridge portions can be held in position even when the upper cooking member is in an open position relative to the lower cooking member. Due to the different heights of the central and outer circumferential areas, liquid dripping from the lower cooking member can flow into the annular fluid collecting groove so to be effectively collected and conveniently disposed after the grilling operation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 264867 (1882-09-01), Ege
patent: 5845562 (1998-12-01), Deni et al.
Alexander Reginald L.
Trop Pruner & Hu P.C.
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