Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02632960 2008-05-30
GRILL APPARATUS
BACKGROUND
The present disclosure generally relates to cooking appliances and, in
particular, relates to a grill apparatus having a pair of grilling plates with
individual
temperature controls and a latch mechanism for releasably securing the
grilling plates to
the grill base.
Grills, and in particular electric grills, are known. These devices are
generally constructed with heating plates having a particular surface geometry
for heating
food placed thereon. The heating plates may be secured to a housing and heated
by an
electrical resistance heater. An example of a grill apparatus is disclosed in
commonly
assigned U.S. Patent No. 7,109,442 to Steinberg.
SUMMARY
Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to further improvements in
grill apparatuses. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the grill
apparatus
includes a base, first and second grills supported by the base with each grill
having a
grilling surface for cooking a food product, and first and second control
members for
independently and selectively controlling the temperature of the grilling
surfaces of the
first and second grills respectively. First and second heating elements may be
supported
by the base and in communication with the first and second grills
respectively. The first
and second heating elements are controlled the first and second control
members
respectively. A release mechanism for releasably securing at least one of the
first and
=
second grills to the base may be provided. The release mechanism may include a
release
member having a latch releasably engageable with the one of the first and
second grills.
The release member is movable from a locked position whereby the latch engages
the one
of the first and second grills and a release position whereby the latch
releases the one of
the first and second grills to permit removal from the base. The release
member may be
normally biased toward the locked position. In one embodiment, first and
second release
mechanisms for releasably securing the first and second grills respectively to
the base are
provided.
The release member may be slideably movable relative to the base to
move between the locked position and the release position. In the alternative,
the release
member may be adapted to pivot relative to the base between the locked
position and the
release position. One of the first and second grills may be normally biased in
a direction
away from the base whereby, upon release of the latch of the release member
during
movement thereof to the release position, the one of the first and second
grills is
displaced from the base to thereby facilitate removal therefrom. The base may
house a
biasing spring. The biasing spring engages and biases the one of the first and
second
grills away from the base.
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In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is a grill
apparatus, which comprises:
a base;
first and second grills supported by the base, each grill having a grilling
surface for cooking a food product;
first and second control members for independently and selectively
controlling the temperature of the grilling surfaces of the first and second
grills
respectively;
first and second heating elements supported by the base and in
communication with the first and second grills respectively, the first and
second heating
elements being controlled by the first and second control members
respectively; and
a release mechanism for releasably securing at least one of the first and
second grills to the base, wherein the release mechanism comprises a release
member
having a latch releasably engageable with the one of the first and second
grills, the
release member movable from a locked position whereby the latch engages the
one of
the first and second grills and a release position whereby the latch releases
the one of
the first and second grills to permit removal from the base, and further
wherein the one
of the first and second grills is normally biased in a direction away from the
base
whereby, upon release of the latch of the release member during movement
thereof to
the release position, the one of the first and second grills is displaced from
the base, to
thereby facilitate said removal therefrom.
2a
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a
part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and,
together with a
general description of the disclosure given above, and the detailed
description of the
embodiment(s) given below, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure,
wherein
FIGS. 1-2 are frontal and rear perspective views, respectively, of a grill
apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure
illustrating the base,
grill plates supported within the base and the control knobs;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the grill apparatus;
FIGS. 4-5 are front and side plan views, respectively, of the grill
apparatus;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the grill apparatus taken along the lines
6-6 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 7A is an enlarged view of the area of detail depicted in FIG. 6
illustrating the release mechanism for releasably securing the grill plates to
the base, and
in a locked position;
FIG. 7B is a view similar to the view of FIG. 7A illustrating the release
mechanism in an unlocked position;
FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the grill apparatus illustrating the grill plates
removed;
FIGS. 9-10 are top and frontal plan views of an alternate embodiment of
the grill apparatus of FIG. 1; and
3
FIGS. 11A-11B are views illustrating the release mechanism for
releasably securing the grill plates of the grill apparatus of FIGS. 9-10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawings wherein like references identical or similar
elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1-8 illustrate an embodiment of
the
cooking apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.
Cooking
apparatus 10 is preferably a portable unit adapted for positioning on a
support surface
such as a table, countertop or the like. Cooking apparatus 10 includes base 12
having
handles 14 extending from opposed sides of the base 12, and first and second
grills 16, 18
supported by the base 12. Base 12 may incorporate four legs 20 at each corner
to elevate
base 12 from the support surface. Handles 14 preferably include release
members 22
adapted to releasably secure first and second grills 16, 18 to base 12.
Release members
22 will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.
First and second grills 16, 18 are nested within base 12. In one
embodiment, first and second grills 16, 18 reside on internal ledges of base
12. Each grill
16, 18 is in electrical communication with a separate heater or coil 24a, 24b
(FIG. 8)
disposed beneath the respective grill 16, 18. Heater or coils 24a, 24h are
preferably
resistive heating elements known in the art. Heaters 24a, 24b are controlled
by separate
temperature controls or dials 26 mounted to the front face of base 12. Thus,
heaters 24a,
24h are separately and individually controlled via dials 26a, 26b to
individually heat first
and second grills 16, 18 to desired cooking or grilling temperatures.
Accordingly,
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different food products may be cooked simultaneously on first and second
grills 16, 18
thereby increasing the versatility and usability of cooking apparatus 10.
First grill 16 may include a grilling surface 16a defining a ribbed contour
incorporating a plurality of ribs 28 to elevate the food product cooked on the
first grill 16.
Ribs 28 are illustrated as parallel and of constant length; however, other
designs are
contemplated. Second grill 18 may have a generally planar or flat cooking
surface 18a. 1
Each grill 16, 18 further includes a plurality of drainage holes 30 adjacent
the mid section
of base 12. Drainage holes 30 are adapted to receive and drain food and
cooking residue
such as fat, oil etc, to remove the residue from the cooking surfaces. First
and second
grills 16, 18 may be sloped toward drainage holes 30 to facilitate run off of
the residue.
The cooking residue preferably drains into a removable trough 32 (FIG. 6)
located
beneath first and second grills 16, 18.
.=
Release members 22 are adapted to releasably Secure first and second
grills 16, 18 relative to base 12. Various release members 22 are
contemplated. With
reference to FIGS. 6, 7A and 7B, in one arrangement, each release member 22 is
operatively connected to release latch 34. Release latch 34 defines ledge 36
which
engages peripheral edge 38 of first and second grills 16, 18 when in the
locked position
of release member 22 and the release latch 34 as best depicted in FIG. 7A,
i.e., the
peripheral edge 38 of the first or second grill 16, 18 may be captured between
ledge 36 of
release latch 32 and horizontal surface 40 within base 12. Release member 22
is adapted
to move in the direction of directional arrow "k" from the locked position
depicted in
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FIG. 7A to a release position depicted in FIG. 7B. In the release position,
ledge 36 of
release latch 34 clears peripheral edge 38 of first or second grills 16, 18 to
permit the grill
16, 18 to be removed from base 12. In one embodiment, grills 16, 18 are biased
in a
vertical direction through spring elements 42 whereby upon movement of release
member 22 and release latch 34 to the release position, the grills 16, 18 are
displaced
upwardly in the direction of arrow "m" by the spring elements 42 thereby
facilitating
removal of the respective grill 16, 18 from base 12. Release member 22 is
normally
biased toward the locked position by coil spring 44. Once individually
released, grills 16,
18 may be cleaned.
FIGS. 9, 10 and 11A-11B illustrate an alternate release member 50 for use
with cooking apparatus 10. Release member 50 incorporates knob 52 having latch
spring
54 depending from the knob 52. Release member 50 is positioned within slot 56
of each
handle 14 whereby knob 52 extends from the slots 56. In the locked position of
release
member 50, arcuate locking portion 58 of spring leg 60 engages a peripheral
edge 62
(shown schematically) of first or second grills 16, 18 to secure the grill 16,
18 to base 12.
Arcuate locking portion may extend through recess 64 within the edge of first
and second
grills 16, 18 as shown in FIG. 9.To release first or second grills 16, 18,
knob 52 is
pressed downwardly in the direction of arrow "b" to cause spring leg 60 to
pivot about
fulcrum 66 in the direction of arrow "t" thereby displacing arcuate locking
surface 58
from the edge 62 of the grills 16, 18 to permit removal of the respective
grill 16, 18.
Release member 50 is normally biased upwardly to the locked position by spring
leg 68
which contacts a support surface of base 12.
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Another release mechanism suitable for use with apparatus 10 is disclosed
in commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 7,109,442 to Steinberg et al.
While the invention has been particularly shown, and described with
reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled
in the art
that various modifications and changes in form and detail may be made therein
without
departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly,
modifications such as
those suggested above, but not limited thereto, are to be considered within
the scope of
the invention.
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