AU2015101698A4 - Micro burner temperature controlled offset smoker and barbeque system - Google Patents

Abstract

A micro burner temperature controlled offset smoker and barbeque (BBQ) system wherein heat in one or more cooking chambers as a consequence of burning wood or 5 charcoal in the smoker can be augmented or reduced rapidly to control and maintain a substantially constant and uniform cooking temperature in each chamber without disruption to the cooking process. 16a

Description

MICRO BURNER TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED OFFSET SMOKER AND BARBEQUE SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 This invention relates to outdoor and recreational cooking apparatus, in particular, but not limited to a fully integrated micro burner temperature controlled offset smoker and barbeque (BBQ) system. A major purpose of the invention is to combine the indirect (and inaccurate) heat method of cooking delivered by a smoker which burns solid fuel 0 such as wood and charcoal with the accuracy and adjustability of a significantly more controllable auxiliary micro burner electric or gas system. An equally important purpose is to also enable the flexibility of cooking in a conventional manner utilising the electric or gas application. 5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Recreational outdoor cooking with barbeques has become a way of life in many households in the developed world. Domestic residences now often include specially !0 designated outside entertainment areas which incorporate outdoor BBQs, pizza ovens and other appliances rivalling that of the most expensive indoor kitchens, Outdoor cuisine has also risen to a sophisticated level where conventional fare such as sausages and rissoles have given way to smoke flavoured meats, baked or slow cooked to gastronomic perfection in an essentially fully equipped outdoor "kitchen", 25 Offset smokers deliver indirect heat which enables tougher cuts of meat to be cooked at lower temperatures albeit with an extended cooking period. Prior art outdoor cookers and BBQs comprising a smoker therefore need to be able to maintain constant temperatures for very long periods of time, for example, for up to twelve hours. This can be difficult when using natural fuel sources such as wood and 30 charcoal which are unpredictable in the way in which they burn and therefore the intensity and the amount of heat they deliver. A further challenge with a conventional smoker system is that having a fire box at one end of the cooking chamber often results in an uneven heat distribution across the entire chamber wherein cooking temperatures can vary quite significantly from one end of the 35 chamber to the other. The problem is exacerbated where there is more than one cooking ~-1 chamber utilising a common smoker as opening the hood of one chamber instantly leaks smoke and also causes the temperature to drop in the neighbouring chamber thereby detracting from the overall cooking process. It is extremely critical that heat and smoke flowing between the chambers can be rapidly controlled and equalised without the need 5 to open them (and allowing any escape) thereby disrupting the cooking process. While there are prior art solutions such as the use of "tuning plates" which are large deflector plates often with a graded array of holes, this is a crude and often unsuccessful attempt to induce a uniform heat distribution in an offset smoker and barbeque (BBQ) system. There is therefore a need to be able to fine tune' both heat and smoke 0 distribution in refining the cooking process to meet modern day expectations in outdoor dining. It is therefore an object of the present invention to seek to eliminate or ameliorate some of the problems of the prior art by providing a fully integrated, micro burner temperature controlled offset smoker and barbeque (BBQ) system that combines indirect heat delivered by the smoker when burning solid fuel such as wood or charcoal with the flexibility and controllability of an electric or gas application. STATEMENT OF INVENTION Briefly, the invention relates to a micro burner temperature controlled offset smoker and barbeque (BBQ) system wherein heat in one or more cooking chambers as a consequence of burning wood or charcoal in the smoker can be augmented or reduced rapidly to control and maintain a substantially constant and equal cooking temperature in 25 each chamber without disruption to the overall cooking process. In one aspect therefore the invention resides in a micro burner temperature controlled offset smoker and barbeque (B10) system comprising in combination; one or more hooded or lidded enclosed cooking chambers; 30 an offset wood or charcoal fuelled smoker at one end of, and in communication with the one or more cooking chambers; one or more variably adjustable micro burners at the other end of, and in communication with the one or more cooking chambers; external control means adapted to vary the output of the micro burners wherein cooking 35 heat as a consequence of burning the wood or charcoal is variably and accurately -2augmented or reduced by adjusting the micro burners wherein said cooking heat is maintained at a substantially constant temperature in each chamber without having to lift the hood or lid of any chamber. 5 Preferably, each cooking chamber comprises a base with cooking surface covered by a hinged hood or lid to form a substantially smoke tight enclosure. The offset smoker suitably includes an air inlet and a smoke outlet whereby smoke from burning wood or charcoal is circulated or fed into the one or more cooking chambers. 0 Where there are more than one cooking chambers, the chambers are in communication with one another via an externally adjustable aperture, opening or port whereby the flow of gases between the chambers can be adjusted to maintain a substantially equal temperature in each chamber. 5 In a preferred version, the chambers are in communication via an externally adjustable rotary damper positioned in an internal partition between the chambers. In another example, there is an electric fan to augment or mix the gases in the one or more cooking chambers as well as to maintain a substantially equal temperature .0 throughout each chamber. Preferably, the micro burners are located below a base of one of the cooking chambers and controlled by the external control means to maintain heat in the one or more cooking chambers at a substantially constant temperature. 25 Preferably, the micro burners are gas powered and the external control means is a manually operated gas tap or valve which varies the gas supply to the gas micro burners. 30 in another preferred system, the external control means is a thermostatically operated gas tap or valve which automatically varies the gas supply to gas powered micro burners. In the alternative, the micro burners are electric and the external control means is a 35 manually operated rheostat which varies electric current to the electric micro burners. -3 - In an automated electric version, the external control means can be a thermally activated microprocessor which automatically varies the power supply to electric micro burners within a predetermined temperature range. 5 Preferably, there are external temperature gauges to visually display and monitor the temperature inside the cooking chambers. 0 Preferably, there are also additional standard gas burners to allow the base with the cooking surface to be used in a conventional manner or to moderate or supplement the heat of the wood or charcoal fuelled smoker and the micro burners, Preferably, there are one or more chimneys venting the charnbers individually or jointly 5 to further control heat and smoke volume, BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order for the invention to be better understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein; Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the invention as herein described. 25 Figure 2 shows a front sectional view of the invention of Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a plan sectional view of the invention of Figure 1. Figures 4A and 4B show the position and detail of the rotary damper. 30 Figures 5A and 5B show perspective and plan views of the gas burner arrangement with micro burners. 35 -4- DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In reference to the drawings, the numbering system of identical parts and components 5 has been kept as consistent as is possible for all drawings. Essential parts described in a previous drawing may also be numbered even though they may not be referred to in the interest of conceptual understanding and clarity. Referring now to the drawings and in particular Figures 1, 2 and 3 there are shown perspective and sectional representations of a preferred combination offset smoker 0 barbeque (BBQ) with the micro burner temperature control system. The BBQ has cooking chambers 12, 14 and an offset wood or charcoal fuelled smoker 16 at one end. Variably adjustable micro burners 18, 20 (see Figure 3) are located at the other end and are in communication with the cooking chambers. Cooking heat as a consequence of burning the wood 22 or charcoal in the smoker 16 is increased or reduced by accurately 5 adjusting the micro burners 18. 20 and maintained at a substantially constant temperature in each chamber. This eliminates having to lift the hood or lid 24, 26 of any chamber which will allow heat and smoke to escape, Each cooking chamber comprises a cooking surface 28, 30 covered by the hinged hood or lid to form a substantially smoke tight enclosure. The offset smoker 16 includes an air inlet 16a and a smoke outlet 16b 0 (see Figure 2) whereby smoke from burning wood or charcoal is circulated or fed into the cooking chambers. The cooking chambers are in communication with one another via externally adjustable rotary damper 32 positioned in internal partition 34 between the chambers. The position and detail of the rotary damper is shown more clearly in perspective by Figures 4A and 25 4B. There can be optionally an electric fan (not shown) to augment or mix the gases in the chambers as well as to maintain a substantially uniform temperature throughout each chamber. As shown in Figure 3 and Figures 5A and 5B, micro burners 18, 20 are gas powered and 30 the external control means is a manually operated gas tap or valve 36 which varies the gas supply to the gas micro burners. There are also additional standard gas burners 42 to allow cooking surface to be used in a conventional manner or to additionally moderate or supplement the heat of the wood or charcoal fuelled smoker and the micro burners. -.5- As previously mentioned, in an automated system, the external control means can be a thermostatically operated gas tap or valve which automatically varies the gas supply to gas powered micro burners. The micro burners may also be electric and the external control means may be a manually operated rheostat which varies electric current supply. In an automated electric version, the external control means can be a thermally activated microprocessor which automatically varies the power supply to electric micro burners within a predetermined temperature range. There are external temperature gauges 38, 40 to visually display and monitor the 0 temperature inside cooking chambers whereby the micro burners can be adjusted to supplement the heat of the wood or charcoal smoker 16. There are one or more chimneys 45. 47, (see especially Figure 2) venting the chambers individually or jointly to further control heat and smoke volume. 5 it will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth. In the specification the terms "comprising" and "containing" shall be understood to have 25 a broad meaning similar to the term "including" and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps, This definition also applies to variations on the terms "comprising" and "containing" such as "comprise", "comprises" "contain" and "contains". - 6-

Claims (14)

1. A micro burner temperature controlled offset smoker and barbeque (BBQ) systern comprising in combination: 5 one or more hooded or lidded enclosed cooking chambers; an offset wood or charcoal fuelled smoker at one end of, and in communication with the one or more cooking chambers; one or more variably adjustable micro burners at the other end of, and in communication with the one or more cooking chambers; 10 external control means adapted to vary the output of the micro burners wherein cooking heat as a consequence of burning the wood or charcoal is variably and accurately augmented or reduced by adjusting the micro burners wherein said cooking heat is maintained at a substantially constant temperature in each chamber without having to lift the hood or lid of any chamber. 15

2. The BBQ system according to Claim 1 wherein where there are more than one cooking chambers, the chambers are in communication with one another via an externally adjustable aperture, opening or port whereby the flow of gases between the chambers can be adjusted to maintain a substantially equal temperature in each 20 chamber,

3. The BBQ system according to Claim 1 wherein where there are more than one cooking chambers, the chambers are in communication with the one another via an externally adjustable rotary damper positioned in an internal partition between the 25 chambers whereby the flow of gases between the chambers can be adjusted to maintain a substantially equal temperature in each chamber.

4. The BBQ system according to Claim I wherein the offset smoker suitably includes an air inlet and a smoke outlet whereby smoke from burning wood or charcoa! is circulated 30 or fed into the one or more cooking chambers,

5. The BBQ system according to Claim 1 wherein each cooking chamber comprises a base with cooking surface covered by a hinged hood or lid to form a substantially smoke tight enclosure. 35

6 The BBQ system according to Claim I wherein there is an electric fan to augment or mix the gases in the one or more cooking chambers as well as to maintain a substantially equal temperature throughout each chamber. 5

7. The BBQ system according to Claim 1 wherein the micro burners are located below a base of one of the cooking chambers and controlled by the external control means to maintain heat in the one or more cooking chambers at a substantially constant temperature. 10

8. The BBQ system according to Claim 1 wherein the micro burners are gas powered and the external control means is a manually operated gas tap or valve which varies the gas supply to the gas micro burners.

9, The BBQ system according to Claim I wherein the external control means is a 15 thermostatically operated gas tap or valve which automatically varies the gas supply to gas powered micro burners.

10. The BBQ system according to Claim I wherein the micro burners are electric and the external control means is a manually operated rheostat which varies electric current to 20 the electric micro burners.

I. The BBQ system according to Claim I wherein the external control means is a thermally activated microprocessor which automatically varies the power supply to electric micro burners within a predetermined temperature range, 25

12. The BBQ system according to Claim 1 wherein there are external temperature gauges to visually display and monitor the temperature inside the cooking chambers.

13. The BBQ system according to Claim I wherein there are additional gas or electric 30 burners to allow the base with the cooking surface to be used in a conventional manner or to moderate or supplement the heat of the wood or charcoal fuelled smoker and the micro burners.

14 The BBQ system according to Claim I wherein there are one or more chimneys 35 venting the chambers individually or jointly to further control heat and smoke volume. 8 -