US20110023868A1

US20110023868A1 - Solar oven

Info

Publication number: US20110023868A1
Application number: US12/462,072
Authority: US
Inventors: Melinda Seller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-07-30
Filing date: 2009-07-30
Publication date: 2011-02-03

Abstract

A portable solar oven which relies upon sunlight as a clean, readily-available and inexpensive source of fuel to generate the heat necessary to cook solid foods or boil liquids. The solar oven includes a cooking trough in which the food to be cooked or liquid to be boiled is placed. A hood is hingedly connected to the cooking trough and rotatable between a closed position seated upon the trough and an open position lifted upwardly and off the trough. A flared sunlight collector is connected atop the hood and rotatable therewith. The solar oven is removably received by and transported from place to place in a stand. The solar oven is rotatable relative to the stand in response to a pushing or pulling force that is applied to a position-control arm attached to the cooking trough whereby the sunlight collector can be correspondingly repositioned to remain in alignment with the sun as it moves across the sky.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a portable solar oven capable of being transported from place to place in a stand and used at most locations around the world by taking advantage of the sun as a clean, readily-available and inexpensive source of fuel for generating the heat necessary to cook food. The solar oven is removable from or rotatable within the stand so that a sunlight collector can be repositioned to remain in alignment with the sun as it moves across the sky during the day.
2. Background Art
Conventional cooking ovens of the kind commonly found in a home are known to consume natural gas or electricity. Some outdoor barbecues are powered by electricity, while others use different sources of carbon-based fuel (e.g., charcoal) to generate the heat necessary to cook food. Such cooking ovens and barbecues may not be entirely compatible with a philosophy that promotes protecting the environment and conserving natural resources. That is to say, at a time when “going green” is attracting attention, the desirability of an environmentally-friendly and economical means to cook food is becoming increasingly important.
What is even more, electricity and natural gas are not available in some areas of the world. The inhabitants of these areas are typically required to use wood and wood byproducts as a source of fuel for cooking. In the case of a large population, trees have been cut down in order to provide the wood by which to fuel a cooking fire. In some locations, an abundance of trees is not available so as to supply the wood needed to maintain the cooking fires. Thus, an alternate means to cook food is desirable which does not necessitate the destruction or consumption of natural resources and is powered by a clean, readily-available and inexpensive fuel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general terms, a portable solar oven is disclosed which uses sunlight as a clean, readily-available and inexpensive fuel to generate the heat necessary to cook solid foods or boil liquids. The solar oven is carried by and transported in a stand that can be moved into areas flooded with sunlight. The solar oven includes a cooking trough in which the solid food or liquid is placed. A hood is pivotally connected to the cooking trough at a hinge lying therebetween, and a flared sunlight collector and reflector is mounted atop the hood. The hood is rotatable at the hinge between an open position, lifted upwardly and off the cooking trough at which to permit access to the interior of the trough, and a closed position seated upon the cooking trough, at which access thereto is prevented. At least one laterally-extending light-transparent panel is located between the hood and the flared sunlight collector so that with the hood in the closed position, rays of sunlight emitted by the sun can be reflected into the cooking trough via the light-transparent panel.
A pair of hubs which are axially aligned with one another extend inwardly through opposite sides of the cooking trough. A grill hangs downwardly from the pair of hubs by means of a pair of hooks which surround the hubs. A cooking vessel laid upon the grill will be suspended within the cooking trough so that the contents thereof can be heated within the solar oven by the rays of sunlight which are captured by the sunlight collector and transmitted through the transparent panel.
The stand includes pairs of legs and a rectangular frame which extends between the pairs of legs. A utility shelf projects outwardly from each pair of legs at the top of the stand. The solar oven is removably received by the stand by moving the cooking trough through an open window surrounded by the frame such that the pair of hubs which project through the sides of the cooking trough are dropped into respective coupling notches formed in the utility shelves. A pushing or pulling force applied to a position-control arm attached to the cooking trough causes the solar oven to rotate relative to the stand. That is, the hubs projecting from the cooking trough rotate within the coupling notches of the utility shelves, whereby the position of the trough can be selectively adjusted until the flared sunlight collector of the solar oven is correspondingly moved into alignment with the sun depending upon its particular location in the sky throughout the day.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a solar oven according to a preferred embodiment of this invention carried by a stand and positioned so as to receive light emitted by the sun for heating a cooking vessel that is suspended within a cooking trough of the oven;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the solar oven of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a hood of the solar oven rotated to an open position off the cooking trough to permit access to the interior of the trough;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of the solar oven having a plurality of grills extending across the cooking trough thereof;

FIG. 5 illustrates the solar oven moving into removable receipt by the stand;

FIG. 6 illustrates the solar oven after being received by the stand so that the contents of the cooking vessel are heated by sunlight within the cooking trough of the oven; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the solar oven being rotated relative to the stand so that a sunlight collector of the oven is correspondingly moved into alignment with the sun depending upon the position thereof in the sky.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A portable solar oven 1 according to a preferred embodiment of this invention is initially described while referring concurrently to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings. As will soon be described, the solar oven 1 relies upon the sun as a clean, readily-available and inexpensive source of fuel to generate the heat necessary to cook solid food or boil liquids. Thus, the solar oven 1 can be advantageously operated almost anywhere in the world at any location where sunlight is present during the day. In this same regard, the solar oven 1 can be used without consuming scarce natural resources and requires no additional fuel so as to avoid polluting the environment. As will also be described, the solar oven 1 is removably received by and carried in a stand 3 (best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) to facilitate a convenient transport of the oven 1 from one place to another.
The solar oven 1 includes a hollow semi-cylindrical cooking trough 5 that is preferably manufactured from a refractory material. The dimensions of the cooking trough 5 may vary depending upon the food or liquid to be heated therewithin. A pair of cylindrical hubs 7 (best shown in FIG. 2) project through opposite sides and inwardly of the cooking trough 5. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the cooking trough 5 is adapted to be removed from or rotated within the stand 3 in which it is carried. To this end, a position-control arm 9 (also best shown in FIG. 2) is attached to and manually accessible at a side of the cooking trough 5. A pushing or pulling force applied to the position-control arm 9 will impart a corresponding rotation to the cooking trough 5 for a purpose that will be described while referring to FIGS. 7 and 8. A hollow leg 10 projects downwardly from the bottom near the rear of the cooking trough 5. A set of bumps or stops 11 (best shown in FIG. 1) may be formed at the bottom near the front of the cooking trough 5. In the case where the solar oven 1 is removed from and used independently of its stand 3, the leg 10 and stops 11 support the cooking trough 5 on the ground and prevent a displacement thereof should the ground be sloped. To this same end, a leg extension 10-1 can be slidably received and locked within the hollow leg 10 in order to increase the length of the leg 10 and adjust the alignment of the cooking trough 5 with respect to the position of the sun.
A cylindrical coupling barrel 12 runs longitudinally along the top of one side wall of the cooking trough 5. A pivot pin 14 (of FIG. 2) runs along the rear of a hood 16. With the pivot pin 14 moved inwardly through the coupling barrel 12 to create a hinge, the hood 16 is rotatable relative to the trough 5 between an open position, raised upwardly and off the cooking trough 5 (best shown in FIG. 3) at which to allow a user to gain access to the interior thereof, to a closed position, moved downwardly and seated upon the cooking trough 5 (best shown in FIG. 1) at which to cover the trough and separate the interior thereof from the user. The barrel 12 and the pivot pin 14 may also be located on the opposite side of the oven 1. Like the cooking trough 5, the hood 16 of solar oven 1 is preferably manufactured from a refractory material. Each of the cooking trough 5 and the hood 16 of the solar oven 1 are preferably covered with a layer of light-absorbing (e.g., enamel) material to maximize the heat generated within the oven for cooking purposes.
A handle 18 is manually accessible at the front of the hood 16. A lifting force applied by the user to the handle 18 will cause the hood 16 to rotate from the closed position of FIG. 1 to the open position of FIG. 3 so that solid food or liquid can be located in or removed from the cooking trough 5 of the solar oven 1.
Projecting upwardly from the top of the hood 16 is a metallic sunlight collector and reflector 20 that ideally flares outwardly for alignment with the sun. A first light-transparent panel 22 extends laterally across the hood 16 so as to lie between the cooking trough 5 and the sunlight collector and reflector 20 when the hood is in the closed position. A second light-transparent panel 24 also extends laterally across the hood 16 so as to lie above and in spaced parallel alignment with the first panel 22. By way of a preferred embodiment, the first transparent panel 22 is manufactured from an insulating (e.g., plastic) material that is adapted to withstand high temperatures, and the second transparent panel is manufactured from glass. As is best represented in FIG. 1, rays of sunlight emitted from the sun which are directed towards the sunlight collector 20 are reflected through the light- transparent panels 22 and 24 for receipt by the cooking trough 5 of oven 1. With the hood 16 rotated to the closed position, the pair of light- transparent panels 22 and 24 seal the cooking trough 5 and prevent the escape of heat therefrom.
The earlier-described hubs 7 which project inwardly through the sides of the cooking trough 5 are axially aligned to establish a support from which a grill 28 or the like can be suspended. A pair of upstanding hooks 30 are attached to respective opposite ends of the grill 28. The hooks 30 are sized to freely surround and hang downwardly from the hubs 7 such that the grill 28 will be positioned within the cooking trough 5 of the solar oven 1 below the light- transparent panels 22 and 24. By virtue of the foregoing, a cooking vessel 32 containing a solid food or a liquid can be laid upon the grill 28 to be cooked or heated by means of the sunlight captured by flared sunlight collector 20 located atop the hood 16.
As is best shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, a set of (e.g., four) grill supports seats 34 project inwardly from each side wall of the cooking trough 5 of oven 1. The grill support seats 34 from each set thereof are spaced one above the other along the inside wall of the trough 5 so as to lie in opposing axial alignment. It may be that a relatively wide grill or a plurality of grills are desirable for use within the oven 1 at the same time in place of the single relatively narrow grill 28 shown hanging from the rod 26 in FIGS. 1 and 3. In this case, one or more grills (e.g., designated 36-1 and 36-2 in FIG. 4) are placed upon and extend between any pair of the grill support seats 34 which project inwardly from opposite sides of the trough 5. Thus, the grills 36-1 and 36-2 can support correspondingly larger cooking vessels compared with the cooking vessel 28 that is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Moreover, a number of different grills 36-1 and 36-2 can be used to support a corresponding number of cooking vessels.
As is also best shown in FIG. 4, an optional thermostat 17 communicates with the interior of the solar oven 1 (e.g., through the hood 16) so as to provide the user with an indication of the cooking temperature therewithin.
Turning now to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the solar oven 1 is shown being removably received by its stand 3. That is, the solar oven 1 can be shipped, stored and used independently of the stand 3. The stand 3 includes a set of vertical legs 40. At least some (e.g., two) of the legs 40 are connected at first ends thereof to wheels 42 to enable the stand 3 of the solar oven 1 to be rolled to a location at which sunlight is plentiful. The opposite ends of the legs 40 terminate at a pair of utility shelves 44 located at opposite sides of the stand 3. The utility shelves 44 may be used for a variety of purposes such as, for example, to provide a surface on which to place food to be cooked, cooking vessels, cooking utensils, plates, etc. The stand 3 may also include a storage shelf 46 connected to each of the legs 40 below the utility shelves 44.
Located between and below the utility shelves 44 of the stand 3 is a (e.g., rectangular) frame 48. The frame 48 surrounds an open window 50 near the top of the stand 3. The window 50 is sized to receive therethrough the cooking trough 5 of the solar oven 1. An arcuate coupling notch 52 is formed in each of the utility shelves 44 above opposite sides of the frame 48. The coupling notches 52 are axially aligned and sized to removably receive respective ones of the cylindrical hubs 7 which project through the opposite sides of the cooking trough 5 of oven 1. When the cooking trough 5 is moved through window 50 inside the frame 48 of stand 3, the hubs 7 of the trough 5 will automatically drop into the coupling notches 52 formed in the utility shelves 44 of the stand, by which to permit the position of the solar oven 1 to be selectively adjusted with respect to the position of the sun in the sky.
Referring in this regard to FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, the solar oven 1 is shown rotated within the stand 3 so that the flared sunlight collector 20 atop the hood 16 of oven 1 is aimed towards the sun to receive rays of light through the light- transparent panels 22 and 24 in order to supply the heat necessary for cooking the solid food or liquid within the cooking vessel 32 that is laid upon the grill 28 which is suspended from the hubs 7. More particularly, a pulling or pushing force is applied by the user to the position-control arm 9 (of FIG. 6) at one side of the cooking trough 5 of oven 1. The pulling or pushing force is transferred from arm 9 to the trough 5, whereby to cause the trough to rotate within the window 50 (of FIG. 5) of the stand 3. That is, the pushing or pulling force applied to the position-control arm 9 causes the cylindrical hubs 7 at opposite sides of trough 5 to rotate within the coupling notches 52 (of FIG. 6) formed in the utility shelves 44 of the stand 3 in which the hubs 7 are removably received. Accordingly, the cooking trough 5, the hood 16 and the sunlight collector 20 will all rotate together relative to stand 3 without having to move the stand as the position of the sun changes.
Once the sunlight collector and reflector 20 has been rotated into axial alignment with the sun, the force applied to the position-control arm 9 is terminated. It may, however, be necessary to reposition the sunlight collector 20 from time to time as the sun moves across the sky during the day. Because the grill 28 hangs downwardly within the trough 5 by way of the hooks 30 which surround the hubs 7, the grill 28 will not rotate with the trough, but will remain suspended under the influence of gravity in parallel alignment with the ground. Thus, the position of the cooking vessel 32 seated upon the grill 28 will not tip, slide or spill its contents during the heating/cooking process.

Claims

1. A solar oven in which to cook food or boil a liquid by means of sunlight, said solar oven comprising:

a cooking trough having an interior at which the food or liquid is placed;

a hood connected to said cooking trough and movable between a closed position seated upon said trough and an open position lifted upwardly and off said trough so as to permit access to the interior thereof; and

a first light-transparent panel located above said cooking trough and extending across said hood so that rays of light emitted from the sun are supplied to the interior of the cooking trough by way of said first light-transparent panel for providing heat to cook the food or boil the liquid when said hood is in the closed position.

2. The solar oven recited in claim 1, wherein said hood is pivotally connected to said cooking trough so that said hood is rotatable relative to said trough between said closed and open positions.

3. The solar oven recited in claim 1, wherein said hood is pivotally connected to said coupling trough at a hinge extending therebetween.

4. The solar oven recited in claim 1, further comprising a flared light-reflective sunlight collector rhounted atop and movable with said hood between said closed and open positions, said sunlight collector extending above said light-transparent panel to reflect light rays from the sun to the interior of the cooking trough by way of said first light-transmitting panel when said hood is in said closed position.

5. The solar oven recited in claim 1, further comprising a second light-transparent panel extending across said hood in spaced parallel alignment with said first light-transparent panel so as to completely cover said cooking trough, at least one of said first and second light-transparent panels being manufactured from an insulating material to prevent heat generated by the rays of sunlight from escaping from said cooking trough.

6. The solar oven recited in claim 1, further comprising a pair of hubs projecting inwardly from opposite sides of said cooking trough and a grill hanging from said pair of hubs, said grill adapted to receive the food to be cooked or the liquid to be boiled.

7. The solar oven recited in claim 1, further comprising a position-control arm connected to said cooking trough, a pushing or pulling force applied to said position-control arm causing a corresponding displacement of said cooking trough and said hood connected thereto.

8. A combination comprising:

a stand; and

a solar oven in which to cook food or boil a liquid by means of sunlight, said solar oven mounted on said stand and including:

a cooking trough having an interior at which the food or liquid is placed, said cooking trough being rotatable relative to said stand;

a light-transparent panel located above said cooking trough and extending completely across said hood so that rays of light emitted from the sun are supplied to the interior of said cooking trough by way of said light-transparent panel for providing heat to cook the food or boil the liquid when said hood is in the closed position.

9. The combination recited in claim 8, wherein said stand includes a frame surrounding an open window at the top of said stand, the cooking trough of said solar oven being removably received through said open window and supported by said frame for rotation relative to said stand.

10. The combination recited in claim 9, wherein said solar oven also includes a pair of hubs extending inwardly and lying in spaced axial alignment with one another through opposite sides of the cooking trough, and said stand includes a coupling notch formed in each of the opposite ends of said frame, said pair of hubs being received by respective ones of said coupling notches so that said hubs are rotatable within said notches.

11. The combination recited in claim 10, wherein said solar oven also includes a grill hanging downwardly from said pair of hubs, said grill positioned to receive the food to be cooked or the liquid to be boiled within said cooking trough.

12. The combination recited in claim 9, wherein said solar oven also includes a position-control arm connected to said cooking trough, a pushing or pulling force applied to said position-control arm causing the cooking trough of said solar oven to rotate within the open window of the frame of said stand.

13. The combination recited in claim 8, wherein the hood of said solar oven is pivotally connected to the cooking trough of said oven by means of a hinge extending therebetween so that said hood is rotatable relative to said trough between said open and closed positions.

14. The combination recited in claim 8, wherein said solar oven also includes a flared light-reflective sunlight collector mounted atop and movable with the hood of said solar oven between said closed and open positions, said sunlight collector extending above said light-transparent panel to be moved into alignment with the sun in response to a rotation of the cooking trough relative to the stand depending upon the position of the sun in the sky.

15. The combination recited in claim 8, wherein the cooking trough of said solar oven includes at least one leg projecting downwardly thereform so as to contact the ground and thereby hold said cooking trough in alignment with the sun when said solar oven is removed from and used independently of said frame.

16. The combination recited in claim 15, wherein the length of said one leg is adjustable.