Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PORTABLE COOKING SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[00011 The present disclosure relates to portable cooking devices.
BACKGROUND OF TIE INVENTION
100021 Portable cooking appliances have grown in popularity in recent years.
There are a
number of types of portable cooking appliances commonly used: gas cooking
appliances and
electric cooking appliances, and solid fuel cooking appliances. Gas cooking
appliances
employ at least one gas burner to cook food that is supported on a grate above
the burner(s).
The fuel source for gas grills is typically liquid propane or natural gas.
Electric cooking
appliances can utilize an electrical heating element integrated into the
cooking surface. A
power supply is connected to the cooking appliance to provide power to the
heating element.
Regardless of the type, the cooking appliance has a cooking chamber that
includes a cover
and a cooking surface. By movement of the cover, the cooking chamber is
movable between
an open position and a closed position. The cooking chamber may be in the
closed position
when the food is being cooked by the cooking appliance. Preferably, the cover
is in the
closed position when the cooking appliance is not in use, and instead is
stored between uses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
100031 A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the
attendant
advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference
to the
following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the
accompanying
drawings wherein:
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[00041 FIG. I depicts a front perspective view of a portable cooking assembly
of the
present disclosure including a removable grill cooking surface;
[00051 FIG. 2 depicts a front perspective sectional view of the portable
cooking assembly;
[00061 FIG. 3 depicts a front perspective view of the portable cooking
assembly without
the grill cooking surface;
10007] I,IG. 4 depicts a front perspective view of a grill cooking surface for
use with the
portable cooking assembly of FIG. I;
[00081 FIG. 5 depicts a front perspective view of the portable cooking
assembly of the
present disclosure including a removable griddle cooking surface;
100091 FIG. 6 depicts a front perspective view of a griddle cooking surface
for use with
the portable cooking assembly of FIG. 1;
100101 FIG. 7 depicts a front perspective view of the portable cooking
assembly including
stackable grill and griddle surfaces; and
100111 FIG. 8 depicts a front perspective sectional view of the portable
cooking assembly
including a stacked grill and griddle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[00121 The present disclosure provides a portable cooking assembly having a
plurality of
interchangeable cooking surfaces. The cooking surfaces can include a grill
surface, griddle
surface, and the like, each of which can be removably connected to a bottom.
portion of the
cooking assembly. Alternatively, a cooking container, such as a cooking pot
can he
removably positioned on the bottom portion.
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[00131 Referring now to the drawing figures in which like reference
designators refer to
like elements, there is shown in FIGS. I and 2 a portable cooking assembly 10
of the present
disclosure. The portable cooking assembly 1.0 generally includes a bottom
portion 12
defining a cooking chamber 14, where the bottom portion 12 includes a support
structure
(Legs) 16 for supporting the cooking assembly 10 on a level surface. A cover
(lid) 18 is
hingedly connected to the bottom portion 12, where the cover 18 is rotatably
positionable
between an open and a closed position. A cover locking mechanism 22 is
positioned on the
bottom portion 12, and can releasably engage the cover 1.8 in the closed
position, locking the
cover 18 to bottom portion 12 in the closed positioned.
1.00141 Referring also to FIG. 3, the cooking chamber 14 includes a drip pan
24 positioned
therein. A burner 26 is centrally positioned in the cooking chamber 14,
protruding through a
central aperture 28 in the drip pan 24. The burner 26 is fluidly connected to
a low pressure
regulator 30, where a removable fuel source, for example a propane fuel
canister, can be
removable connected to the low pressure regulator 30 at a connection port 31,
opposite the
burner 26. The low pressure regulator 30 can control the amount of fuel
provided to the
burner 26.
100151 A grill 32 is removably positioned generally within the cooking chamber
14, above
the burner 26 and drip pan 24. The grill 32 defines a cooking surface upon
which food is
placed during operation of the portable cooking assembly 10. The grill 32 can
be removably
secured to the bottom portion 12 with a locking mechanism 34.
100161 Referring also to FIG. 4, the grill 32 includes a top portion 36,
defining the
cooking surface, and sidewalls 38 extending downwardly from the top portion
36. When the
grill 32 is positioned within the cooking chamber 14, the sidewalls 38 of the
grill 32 are
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supported by the drip pan 24. Opposite end portions 40 of the sidewalls 38
include locking
slots 42 for engagement of the locking mechanisms 34.
[00171 A locking mechanism 34 is positioned on each of the end portions 44 of
the bottom
portion 12, and includes a locking arm 46 which is movable between a locked
and unlocked
position. The locking arm 46 is slid.ingly mounted within a support frame 48
affixed to the
bottom portion 12, and includes a tab portion 50 for grasping and moving by a
user. In the
locked position, the locking arms 46 are positioned through the locking slots
42 in the grill
sidewall 38, locking the grill 32 to the bottom portion 12. In the unlocked
position, the
locking arms 46 are removed from the locking slots 42 in the grill sidewall
38, unlocking and
allowing the grill 32 to be removed from the bottom portion 12.
[00181 Referring to Fig. 5, the portable cooking assembly 10 can further
include a griddle
52. Similar to the grill 32, the griddle 52 can be removably positioned
generally within the
cooking chamber 14, above the burner 26 and drip pan 24. The griddle 52
defines a cooking
surface upon which food is placed during operation of the portable cooking
assembly 10. The
griddle 52 can be removably secured to the bottom portion 12 with the locking
mechanism
34.
[00191 Referring also to FIG. 6, the griddle 52 includes a top portion 54,
defining the
cooking surface, and sidewalls 56 extending downwardly from the top portions
54. When the
griddle 52 is positioned within the cooking chamber 14, the sidewall 56 of the
griddle 52 is
supported by the drip pan 24. Opposite end portions 58 of the sidewall 56
include locking
slots 60 for engagement of the locking arms 46 of locking mechanisms 34. In
the locked
position, the locking arms 46 are positioned through the locking slots 60 in
the griddle
sidewall 56, locking the griddle 52 to the bottom portion 12. In the unlocked
position, the
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locking arms 46 are removed from the locking slots 60 in the griddle sidewall
56, unlocking
and allowing the griddle 52 to be removed from the bottom portion 12.
[00201 In a manner similar to that described above for the grill 32 and
griddle 52,
additional accessories (not shown) may be utilized with the cooking assembly
10 such as a
wire cooking grid, a grate, a skillet, a double broiler, a warming dish, a
slow cooker and the
like. Each of these accessories may comprise locking slots which will
accommodate the
locking arms 46 to removably secure the accessory to the bottom portion 12 or
the accessory
may be set atop the grill 32, griddle 52 or the like. Additional cooking
accessories may
include a cooking container. In one example, the cooking container can take
the form of a
cooking pot, with lid, that is positionable on the bottom casing. To aid in
the support of the
cooking pot, a permanent or removable cooking rack can be positioned within
the cooking
chamber, being support within the drip pan. A permanent cooking rack can be an
integral
part of the drip pan. Alternatively, the cooking rack can be removably placed
on the drip pan.
The cooking pot can be supported on the cooking rack for cooking.
100211 Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the grill 32 and the griddle 52 are
stackable on the
bottom portion 12 of the portable cooking assembly 10. In an embodiment, the
griddle
sidewalls 56 are configured such that the griddle 52 can be positioned over
the grill 32,
allowing the grill 32 to be nested under and within the griddle 52. In the
nested position, the
locking slots 42 and 60 on the grill 32 and the griddle 52 are aligned. In
this manned, when
both the grill 32 and griddle 52 are positioned within the bottom portion 12,
the grill and
griddle locking slots 42 and 60 are aligned with the locking mechanisms 34.
The alignment
of the locking slots 42 and 60 with the locking mechanism 34 allow for the
positioning of the
locking arms 46 through both the grill and griddle locking slots 42 and 60,
securing the grill
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32 and griddle 52 to the bottom portion 12. The cover 18 can be rotated closed
and locked
over the secured grill 32 and griddle 52, allowing for compact storage.
10022] In the above embodiment, the griddle 52 is positioned over the grill
32. However
it is contemplated that the grill 32 can be positioned over the griddle 52,
nesting the griddle
52 under the grill 32. Similar to the above, in the nested position, the
locking slots 42 and 60
on the grill 32 and the griddle 52 are aligned. In this manner, when both the
grill 32 and
griddle 52 are positioned within the bottom portion 12, the grill and griddle
locking slots 42
and 60 are aligned with the locking mechanisms 34. The alignment of the
locking slots 42
and 60 with the locking mechanism 34 allow for the positioning of the locking
arms 46
through both the grill and griddle locking slots 42 and 60, securing the grill
32 and griddle 52
to the bottom portion 12. The cover 18 can be rotated closed and locked over
the secured
grill 32 and griddle 52, allowing for compact storage.
[0023] The stackable nature of the grill 32 and griddle 52 within the cover 18
and bottom
portion 12 allows for a more compact storage, and an case of transport. In a
similar manner,
additional cooking accessories, such as the wire cooking grid, grate, skillet,
double broiler,
warming dish, slow cooker and the like may be stacked within the cover 18 and
bottom
portion 12 for ease of storage and transport.
100241 A soft or hard-sided carry case may also be provided for storage and
transport of
the cooking assembly 10 wherein the cooking assembly 10 and all related
cooking
accessories fits within the carry case using the stacking configuration. The
carry case may
provide a specific storage location for any fuel canisters which are necessary
for operation of
the cooking assembly 10.
[0025] All references cited herein are expressly incorporated by reference in
their entirety.
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[0026] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present
invention is not
limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In
addition, Unless
mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the
accompanying
drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are
possible in light of
the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the
invention, which is
limited only by the following claims.
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