GB2030445A - Device for grilling food - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for grilling food, chiefly intended for portable use, comprising a polygonal cross-sectional bowl 1 for receiving the fuel, the bowl having downwardly converging walls, a grill or grid being locatable through the upper open end of the bowl, and a stand 9 for supporting the bowl, the bowl and/or the stand being provided with means 5, 11 for the connection thereof to other bowls or stands respectively so as to provide a plurality of different sized and shaped grilling surface areas in a unitary structure. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A device for grilling food The present invention relates to a device for grilling food, the device being chiefly intended for grilling food at the table or outdoors as a barbecue grill.

A known device for grilling food comprises a polygonal cross-sectional bowl or basin for charcoal, the bowl having sloping walls which converge towards the base, a grill tray or plate located and supported in the upper region of the bowl or basin and a stand for supporting the basin or bowl.

A device of this known type forms a complete unit.

However, the dimensions of such a device depends upon its main intended use, particularly the dimensions of the open upper region of the bowl or basin since this determines the effective grilling surface area. Thus a grill for outdoor use will be relatively large in that it will be considerably largerthan a device for use indoors for grilling food at the table.

Although the overall dimension of such known devices are generally selected that they suffice for normal demands, there is frequently a desire by the user to increase the size of the effective grilling surface. This is not possible unless a larger dimensioned device is purchased.

The demand for a device in which the grilling surface area can be increased has been partially met by the provision of devices having a plurality of grilling basins or bowls which, by suitable manipulation can provide an arrangement in which the effective grilling surface area is increased. Thus, by effecting various pivotal movements of the basins or bowls, a number of grilling surfaces may be brought into juxtaposition with one another. It may even be possible to arrange the bowls or basins at different ievels. An unfavourable feature of such arrangements is that they require relatively complicated manipulation to achieve the desired effect. Frequently, after repeated use, this becomes more difficult since the individual levers and locking elements therefor required for such manipulations become distorted by the heat.

The present invention seeks to provide a device for grilling food of the general type described hereinbefore but which is so constructed that it may be detachably connected to other, preferably identically shaped grilling devices to obtain a rigid, conveyable unitary structure thereby providing a ready increase in size of the effective grilling surface as and when required.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for grilling food comprising a bowl of polygonal cross-section for receiving the fuel, the basin having side walls which converge towards the base of the bowl, a grill or grid inserted through the upper open end of the bowl and detachably retained therein and a support stand located below the base of the bowl, wherein the bowl andlorthe stand is provided with means for the detachable securing thereto of a further grilling device or fuel bowl and/or support elements respectively.

This structure permits the original unitary structure to be optionally and substantially enlarged in the simplest manner, and produces a multiple grilling device in which the individual devices may be optionally fitted and operated. The detachability of the support elements provides the advantage that they may be fitted at any of a plurality of suitable positions on the structure, thus facilitating the transportation of the device.

Preferably, the side walls of the bowl include a vertical wall region at their upper end, each vertical wall region having at least on horizontally extending aperture formed therein.

Desirably, the aperture is located centrally in the vertical wall region.

When placing identical grilling devices side-byside, flat wall regions which abut one another facilitate the interconnection of the units. In one embodiment, nut and bolt couplings may be passed through the horizontal apertures or bores to effect the connection.

Advantageously, the stand and the bowl have identical polygonal cross-sections, the stand including vertical support walls which are so dimensioned that the support walls be flush with the vertical wall regions of the bowl. Each vertical support wall of the stand in this case has at least one horizontal bore or aperture formed therein, which bore may be centrally located, through which the nut and bolt couplings are passed.

By mutually interconnecting identical grilling devices in the vertical wall region of the bowl and in the region of the vertical support wall of the stand, an enlarged unitary structure which is optimally stable is provided.

Further preferably the support elements are in the form of handles having a threaded portion which is retained in position by a lock nut.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a device in accordance with the present invention, the device having a polygonal cross-section, the Figure also showing the connection of the device to two identical devices; Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the devices shown in Figure 1; and Figures 3 to 5 show schematically, various possible assemblies of identical devices into a unitary structure, the three Figures showing devices of different cross-sections.

A device for grilling food in accordance with the invention as shown in the Figures comprises a bowl 1 for charcoal, the bowl being of polygonal crosssection. Thus, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3, the bowl is octagonal in cross-section, in Figure 4 it has a square cross-section and in Figure 5, it has a hexagonal cross-section. The charcoal bowl 1 is generally conical in shape, the side walls 2 converging towards the base 3 of the bowl. The side walls 2 have vertically extending regions 4 in their upper regions, that is to say, at the upper, open end of the bowl. In each of the vertically wall portions 4, at least one horizontally extending bore or aperture 5 is provided. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1,a single central bore 5 is provided.

A grill tray or plate 6 (see Figure 2) is insertable into the charcoal bowl 1 from the upper, open end thereof. The grill or grating 6 is desirably removable so that it is relatively easy to remove the ash upon completion of the grilling operation. The grill or grating 6 may thus be supported on a step or shoulder, not shown, formed on the internal wall surface of the bowl 1.

The base of the bowl is mounted on a support stand 9 through the intermediary of a spacer member 8 provided with vent holes 7. This stand 8 has a polygonal cross-section which is identical to that of the charcoal bowl 1. Moreover, the stand has vertically extending support walls 10. The dimensions of the stand 9 are so selected that the support walls 10 be flush with the vertical wall portions 4 at the open, upper end of th charcoal bowl 1. Each vertical support wall 10 of the stand 9 is also provided with at least one horizontally extending bore or aperture 11. Again, as shown, a single central apertures is provided.

To detachably secure one or more charcoal bowls 1 and/or stands 9 together, nut and bolt couplings passing through the horizontally extending apertures 5 or 11 are provided. One such coupling is denoted at 12 in Figure 1.

The stand 9 shown in Figure 1 comprises a plate having suitably bent-over portions which form the vertical support walls 10.

As carrying members, handles 13 are provided which are provided with threaded portions 13a retained by means of locknuts 1 3b.

By securing together identical devices of the type shown and described above, it is possible to form structures of varying sizes and shapes. By interconnecting both the bowls 1 and the stands 9, a compact and stable unit is produced. Figures 3 to 5 show schematically some possibilities of assemblies which may be provided by the present invention.

Thus, Figure 3 shows a plurality of interconnected octagonal devices. Figure 4 shows a unit formed of six devices of square cross-section and Figure 5 shows a unit comprised of four devices of hexagonal cross-section. The chain-dotted lines in these Figures indicate the mutual connection between the individual devices. These are, as aforementioned, effected by nut and bolt couplings 12 passing through the horizontal apertures 5, 11 respectively.

A handle 13 may be fixed in any of the bores 5 in the side walls 4 of the charcoal bowl 1 or in the bores 11 of the support walls 10 of the stands 9 which are not required for the mutual interconnection of the individual devices. The location and number of the handles depends upon individual preferences.

In place of the horizontal apertures or bores 5, 11, a plurality of bores may be formed in the vertical wall regions 4 or 10 of the charcoal bowls 1 or the stands 9, which bores are so arranged that, during assembly of a plurality of identical devices, they are in register with one another.

Claims (9)

1. A device for grilling food comprising a bowl of polygonal cross-section for receiving the fuel, the basin having side walls which converge towards the base of the bowl, a grill or grid inserted through the upper open end of the bowl and detachably retained therein and a support stand located belowthe base of the bowl, wherein the bowl and/or the stand is provided with means for the detachable securing thereto of a further grilling device or fuel bowl and/or support elements respectively.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side walls of the bowl include a vertical wall region at their upper end, each vertical wall region having at least one horizontally extending aperture formed therein.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the aperture is located centrally in the vertical wall region.

4. A device as claimed in claims 2 or 3 wherein the stand and the bowl have identical polygonal cross-sections, the stand including vertical support walls which are so dimensioned that the support walls lie flush with the vertical wall regions of the bowl.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein each vertical support wall of th stand has at least one horizontally extending aperture formed therein.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the aperture is centrally located in the vertical wall region.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the means detachably connecting two or more bowls and/or stands comprises but and bolt couplings passing through corresponding horizontal bores or apertures in the bowls or stands.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the support elements are in the form of handles having a threaded portion which is retained in position by a lock nut.

9. A device for grilling food constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, Figure 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.