Stoves and furnaces – Stoves – Cooking
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-12
2001-12-11
Yeung, James C. (Department: 3743)
Stoves and furnaces
Stoves
Cooking
C126S0250AA, C044S519000, C044S520000, C044S532000, C220S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328028
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This application relates generally to outdoor cooking products, and more particularly to a carton containing a firestarter and combustible material for use in outdoor cooking and barbecuing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, charcoal briquettes are purchased in bulk in a large bag. A portion of briquettes is removed, generally saturated with a combustible liquid (typically a petroleum distillate), then ignited. Transferring charcoal briquettes from the bag to the grill, and arranging them on the grill can be messy, and use of a starter fluid that must be stored poses a potential fire hazard. Some efforts have been made to impregnate the charcoal briquettes with a combustible liquid to avoid the need for a separate starter fluid. However, this is expensive to make, emits volatile organic compounds in the manufacturing process, emits an offensive odor when cooking and can impart a bad taste to the food being cooked. To avoid the mess and inconvenience, combustible packages have been described that contain the charcoal in an effort to minimize handling and positioning of the charcoal for burning.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,834,661 (Chaplin) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,029 (Foote) describe two-part containers molded from pulp having an inside wall that forms a central chimney. As the walls of the chimney section burn, the charcoal is fed into the center. The packages include ribs or recesses to provide an air passage underneath the package.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,277 (Strauss) discloses a complicated multipart fire kindling device made of a container with a complicated fuel insert, and charcoal or other fuel loaded into the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,377 (Kalil) discloses a container with a complex structure including an upper compartment containing charcoal or other combustible material, and a lower compartment containing a paraffin wax firelighter. A central flue extends from the lower chamber through the upper chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,533 (Witt) describes a complexly shaped combustible package for outdoor grilling having a central chimney, and an unspecified ignitor that is lit with a fuse.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,721 (Campana) describes a fuel package in which an inorganic ignitor with a wick element, which produces a thermite reaction, is positioned inside the container with the charcoal.
A drawback of the foregoing fuel packages is that they require multiple separate components, central chimneys, or complicated structure for forming the package. The packages are complex, costly, have low efficacy, and present manufacturing problems and safety hazards. The irregular external shapes and other structural characteristics limit the useful visible or printing space on the package, or preclude the use of an overwrap, either of which might be used to provide advertising and coupon space. When an igniting material is packaged inside the container in contact with the charcoal, there is a danger that the ignitor material will accidentally ignite, presenting a hazard during shipping or storage. Where no ignitor is provided, some sort of starter fluid is likely needed as the burning of the cardboard structures, in and of themselves, are not likely to provide sufficient fuel to get the charcoal to a state suitable for cooking. Many of these packages are also irregularly shaped. This precludes tight stacking of multiple packages for shipping and display purposes.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a charcoal package with improved features that overcome the shortcomings of other fuel packages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects and advantages are achieved in a self-contained fuel package made of a carton containing a fire starting material and charcoal or other combustible material, a carton blank for forming the carton, and methods of assembling and using the carton and its components to prepare a heat source for cooking.
The carton includes a pair of foldable legs underneath the carton. The underside of the carton preferably includes vent holes, or a perforated or thin center section, between the legs to permit access to the charcoal by a flame, and air flow into the container. In use, the legs of the box are folded out and into position, and a solid firestarter product placed between the legs under the center of the carton, and lit. The flame then consumes the carton and kindles the charcoal while the firestarter expends itself.
Advantageously, the integrated package provides a portable, all-in-one, charcoal package that can be used on a non-igniting support surface, frame or rack, for fast and easy barbecuing in the backyard, tailgating in the middle of a parking lot at a sporting event, or at any number of locations and events. It eliminates the need for additional items for the consumer to transport to a location, and the problem of purchasing goods in different units. It also eliminates the need for liquid lighter fluid, pre-allocation of charcoal, and the need to carry out or dispose of leftover charcoal after the cookout if less than a full bag is used. The single-use carton fires up fast, provides a simple burn, is entirely consumed, and eliminates messy clean-ups. The package eliminates the need for direct handling of charcoal, which is contained within the carton. The carton and its contents are readily ignitable and will form a suitable bed of coals for cooking. The carton blank is a simple design that is easily assembled into the carton. The carton itself is stackable on a pallet, and allows for easy shipping and space-saving, in-store stacking of the product. Moreover, the simple shape of the carton lends itself to direct printing or otherwise permits the use of an overwrap that can be used for advertising, coupons or the like. The carton also preferably includes structure to maintain the ignitor or the firestarter securely in the carton and separate from the charcoal or other combustible material during storage and shipping, and allow the firestarter to be readily removed from the carton for use. The carton is easy to convert from its storage/shipping form to its “fire-starting” form.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1401803 (1921-12-01), Lynes
patent: 3031277 (1962-04-01), Strauss
patent: 3370582 (1968-02-01), Rauh
patent: 4906254 (1990-03-01), Antosko
patent: 4953533 (1990-09-01), Witt
patent: 5374289 (1994-12-01), Campana
Caruso David
Cayse Bruce
BCDC Enterprises
Godfrey & Kahn S.C.
Yeung James C.
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