Stoves and furnaces – Stoves – Cooking
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-24
2004-02-03
Clarke, Sara (Department: 3743)
Stoves and furnaces
Stoves
Cooking
C126S00900B, C126S305000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06684876
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to barbecue kettle grills, and more particularly to the leg configuration of a barbecue kettle grill.
A number of different structures are known for assembling and securing a leg onto a kettle-type barbecue grill. The most common structure is to slidably insert a tubular leg into a mating socket member that has been fixed to the grill as by welding. A friction fit is achieved with a dimple or detent in the socket member which tightly engages the leg.
A first disadvantage of this system is that welding is both a relatively costly and destructive method of attaching one piece to another. During the welding process, the materials joined are usually weakened. Welding is also inherently inaccurate. Dimensional tolerances for welding require additional room for variations caused by the welding process. Also, the cost of welding is relatively high in this application due to the awkwardness of the process in securing a socket to a curved kettle bowl surface. Cost, accuracy and strength of the welding process could be improved upon by incorporating another way of attaching the leg to the grill which eliminates welding all together.
A second disadvantage of the conventional barbecue kettle leg attachment is that the grill assembly requires that the leg and the welded socket member have an interference fit relationship. If the manufacturing tolerances are too tight, there may be difficulty in assembly. Removing the interference fit of the leg to the mating grill member will improve the ease of assembly, as well as disassembly, if required.
In an effort to address the drawbacks of the welded leg support member mentioned above, it is also known to attach the leg to a barbecue kettle grill by using a single bolt, typically passing through the lower kettle portion or bowl and threadably engaging a captured nut in the upper end of the leg. This assembly makes it relatively easy to assemble, but since a single bolt is used, the strength of the joint could be questioned depending on how tight the bolt has been turned by the installer. Also, since there is less support for the leg, the stability of the leg is reduced compared to the welded system described above. Improving the relationship between the grill and the leg will reduce or eliminate the vibration, stripping, stability and strength issues presented by the prior art.
Grills of this type encounter stability problems when the grill is placed on a curved surface such as a driveway, patio, deck, lawn, or any typical surface where a grill may be found standing. This is caused, in some cases, by the high center of gravity established by the grill due to the configuration of the legs. The legs are placed close to the bottom of the grill to incorporate a straight leg design and maintain a grill base footprint that does not interfere with the operation of the grill. In other cases, instability is caused due the use of four legs. Utilization of four legs is inherently less stable on uneven surfaces. Lowering the center of gravity and utilizing three legs on a kettle-type barbecue grill will improve the stability of the grill on uneven surfaces.
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide an improved barbecue kettle leg support configuration that features a body which does not require welding for attachment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved kettle-type barbecue grill leg support that features a locking mechanism that replaces the prior interference fit and allows for ease of assembly and disassembly of the leg.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved kettle-type barbecue grill leg support that features a mounting position which allows for a lower center of gravity, causing an increase in overall stability of the grill.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the above listed objects are met or exceeded by the present improved barbecue kettle leg support, featuring a body which, at a first end, is contoured to fit the curved, or spheroidal, shape of the bowl. A second end, opposite the first end, of the leg support is configured with a bore to receive an end of a leg. A center portion, generally positioned between the first and second end, is provided with a throughbore in communication with the second end bore to receive a corresponding locking engagement from the end of the leg. The locking mechanism is positive, yet releasable, and avoids the fit problems identified with the prior art.
In the preferred embodiment, the leg support is generally “L”-shaped, and at the first end, has three fastener bores, spaced apart from each other, for mounting to the bowl. Also, at the second end, the leg support is preferably provided with a keyed bore, generally cylindrical in shape, which receives a leg with a locking formation. A release recess and a throughbore that communicates with the keyed bore is preferably housed by the central portion of present the leg support.
Another feature of the present barbecue leg support is a leg with an upper end housing a locking formation. Preferably the locking formation is a pin that is biased by a spring forcing the pin to extend radially through an opening in the leg. A keyed bore is dimensioned to provide a rotational interface with respect to the leg and locking formation. Upon assembly, the pin from the locking formation radially extends through the leg and the throughbore in the leg support.
In addition to the barbecue kettle, leg support and leg, the kettle-type barbecue is provided with a tray or shelf-like base configured to allow engagement of a lower end of at least one leg. Also, the present base is preferably configured to define a line between two leg lower ends that is longer than a width of the barbecue kettle itself.
The present barbecue kettle is configured with a bowl that has a top and bottom. The bowl is configured to allow for assembly of at least one leg support half way between the top and bottom of the bowl.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2964123 (1960-12-01), Larson
patent: 3488697 (1970-01-01), Lewandowski et al.
patent: 3538906 (1970-11-01), Heraty et al.
patent: 5076252 (1991-12-01), Schlosser et al.
patent: 5279214 (1994-01-01), Lamendola
patent: 5572983 (1996-11-01), Schlosser et al.
patent: 5794608 (1998-08-01), Von Berg
patent: 5931085 (1999-08-01), Benzschawel
patent: 2003/0015186 (2003-01-01), McDonald
patent: 11-70047 (1999-03-01), None
Clarke Sara
CPD Associates Inc.
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