Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: BAR.BEOUE TANK SUPPORT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to barbeques and in
particular to a support arrangement for conveniently
securing a fuel tank to a barbeque cart.
Gas barbeques have become extremely popular due to
their reliability, convenience and ease of use. A fuel
tank is supported at one of the barbeque and is connected
to a barbeque burner via a releasable fuel line. From time
to time, it is necessary to refill the fuel tank, and for
this reason, the fuel tank is supported in a releasable
manner to allow removal and convenient replacement.
The most common approach for supporting the fuel
tank is to support the base of the tank either beneath or
to one side of the barbeque. This support can have
appropriate projections and/or recesses for engaging the
base of the tank. A lockable vertical member releasably
engages an upper edge of the handle and is locked to
maintain the fuel tank in a secured position. Although
this type of support functions in a satisfactory manner, it
is relatively expensive and is not versatile with respect
to different sizes of tanks. Essentially this type of
support system is designed for a specific size and shape of
fuel tank.
There remains a need to provide a simple cost
effective support arrangement for securing of a fuel tank
to a barbeque that has increased adaptability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A barbeque grill according to the present invention
comprises a casting supported at an elevated position on a
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barbeque cart. The barbeque cart has two opposed uprights
with a fuel tank support extending outwardly and to one
side of the opposed uprights. The fuel tank has a bottom
flange supported by the fuel tank support with the tank
overhanging the support. Each upright has a clip member
snugly engaging an upright in a non-rotatable manner with
the clip including a journal receiving an end of a fuel
tank support rod. The fuel tank support rod has one end
thereof supported in the journal of one clip and the
opposite end of the rod supported in the other clip. The
rod support includes a shaped central portion engaging a
side surface of the tank. The rod support further includes
a strap arrangement secured thereto and the strap is
trained around part of the periphery of the tank to draw
the tank into engagement with the shaped portion of the rod
support. In this way, the tank is secured to the barbeque
cart.
According to an aspect of the invention, the clips
are molded plastic parts which have an open side such that
the clip is securable to the upright member by means of a
snap fit.
According to yet a further aspect of the invention,
the clips are of a molded nylon material.
According to yet a further aspect of the invention,
each journal of the clip is positioned on a upright and
extends to the same side of the barbeque.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in
the drawings wherein;
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a barbeque grill
with a fuel tank supported to one side of the barbeque;
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- Figure 2 is a partial perspective view showing
additional details of the fuel tank support arrangement;
Figure 3 is a partial perspective assembly view
showing various components of the support arrangement;
Figures 4 and 5 are side views showing support of
different diameter and different height fuel tanks;
Figure 6 is a partial perspective view showing
additional details of the clip and the received support
rod;
Figure 7 is a partial top view showing the fuel
tank support extending to one side of the barbeque cart and
receiving different size base flanges; and
Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 3 with an
alternate orientation of the rod support clips.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The barbeque grill 2 shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a
base casting 4 supported at an elevated position by the
barbeque cart 8. The base casting cooperates with a
pivotting lid 6 to define the cooking cavity containing the
burner and grill arrangement of the barbeque in a
conventional manner. A fuel tank 20 contains pressurized
gas and is supported to one side of the cart 8. In many
jurisdictions it is necessary for the tank to be disposed
at a position generally exterior to the base casting, i.e.
not beneath the base casting.
The barbeque cart 8 includes opposed upright
members 10 at the corners of the cart and these uprights
are normally joined by horizontal members 12 near the upper
edge of the cart. The casting 4 acts as a brace support
from the front to back of the barbeque as well as from side
to side. A base shelf pan 14 is attached to each of the
uprights 10 and cooperates to provide a structurally sound
frame for the barbeque. Various gussets can be provided
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for adding rigidity. Often the barbeque cart includes
wheels at one end thereof for convenient moving of the
barbeque. The fuel tank 20 is a pressure vessel and
typically has a ring base 22 for support of the fuel tank.
In contrast to adapting the pan shelf 14 for
receiving and supporting the fuel tank 20 a projecting bent
and notched bracket 30 extends between the two opposed
upright members 10. The bracket 30 includes an outwardly
angled extending portion 31 having two V-shaped notches 32
for receiving part of the ring base 22. This support
arrangement engages different sizes of ring bases 22
associated with fuel tanks of different shapes and
capacities as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 7. This support
arrangement is able to accept widely varying ring bases of
different sizes and capacities. Two different diameter
fuel tanks are shown in Figures 4 and 5 and these tanks are
of different heights.
To accommodate the different heights of tanks, a
different arrangement for maintaining the tank in a
generally upright position is necessary. In this case,
snap on clips 42 are appropriately secured at a desired
position on the uprights 10 and these clips each include a
journal 44 for receiving an end 43 of the support rod 40.
The support rod 40 includes a shaped central portion 41
which cooperates with a side of the fuel tank and provides
a rear support.
A strap 36 is partially trained around the fuel
tank 20 and urges and maintains the tank against the
shaped portion 41. The strap 36 includes a first segment
37 and a second segment 38 which are releasably connected
by means of the cooperating male/female adjustable clips 50
and 52.
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As can be appreciated from a review of Figures 4
and 5, the adjustable length strap is secured to the
support rod 40 by means of the eyelets 39 which receive the
support rod 40. The snap on clips 42 have the journals 44
which receive the ends of the support rod. The clips 42
have an open side portion which allows the clip to be
snapped around the uprights 10 and maintained in a friction
fit therewith. The clips can move vertically on the
uprights by forcing them along the upright, however they
generally have an interference or tight fit with the
upright member.
Figure 8 shows an alternate orientation of the
clips 42. In this case, the front face of upright 10 is
essentially clear and a finish face, such as wood panels
(not shown) can cover,the front face of the barbeque and be
secured to the upright. Flange 66 is on the front face but
only at the outside edge. The orientation of the clips ,
allows for conventional securement of finished panels below
the control panel of the barbeque.
With this structure the user can appropriately
locate the snap on clips on the uprights 10 according to
the particular tank which is to be supported. In the event
that a different size and shape of tank is to be supported,
the clips can be repositioned on the uprights by forcing
them along the uprights. No tools are required, although
tapping of the clips to the desired position may be
necessary. The projecting bracket member accommodates the
different size of rings of fuel tanks and there is no
requirement to change this member to accommodate a tank of
a different capacity.
Details of the snap on clips are shown in Figure 6.
The support rod 40 is typically inserted in the journal 44
of the clips 40 after the clips have been secured to the
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uprights. The support rod can be temporarily distorted to
allow connection with the clips. Each clip 42 includes a
stub flange 60, which partially overlaps with an surface of
the upright, a full portion 62, a front full portion 64 and
a snap over flange 66. The height of the clip is
sufficient to provide a snap fit and sufficient engagement
with the upright 10 to avoid inadvertent sliding of the
clip on the upright or removal of the clip from the
upright.
The clip is applied by locating stub flange 60 in
its appropriate position and then forcing the clip around
the upright with member 66 camming by one edge of the
upright and snapping to the desired position. The clips
can be secured at appropriate positions on the upright and
then the rod support 40 inserted in the clips. The rod can
be over inserted in the journal of one clip until the
opposite end is aligned with the other journal. The rod
can then be moved to appropriately capture the rod.
Alternatively, the length and shape of the support rod 40
allows appropriate distortion of the support rod allowing
the ends to be inserted in the clips. Again, the fit of
the rod within the journals 44 of the clip is quite snug
and the inserted support rod can be positioned such that
the curved section will engage a side of the tank. It has
been found that this position is maintained due to the
friction between the journals and the ends of the support
rod.
The projecting bracket and support strap
arrangement has proven particularly convenient for
applications where different sized tanks are necessary and
is cost effective. The adjustability of the clips on the
uprights of the barbeque cart provides flexibility and the
clips can be manually forced to a new position if
necessary.
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The clips are reversible in orientation and
therefore, left and right hand clips are not required.
The clips are of a molded nylon and provide a
mechanically sound connection of the support rod to the
cart. For a one inch square cross section upright, the
full portions 62 and 64 are one inch, stub portion 60
preferrably overlaps the upright about 1/3 of an inch and
snap over, flange 66 overlaps approximately 1/5 of an inch.
Each clip is of a height of approximately one inch.
Although preferred embodiments of the invention
have been described herein in detail, it will be understood
by those skilled in the art that variations may be made
thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention
or the scope of the appended claims.
