Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COOKING DEVICE HAVING HEAT SOURCES IN A STACKED
ARRANGEMENT
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Nos. 16/001,921,
filed June 6,
2018; and 16/001,924, filed June 6, 2018.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to cooking devices, in particular,
some
embodiments of the present disclosure relate to cooking devices having heat
sources in a
stacked arrangement.
Description of Related Art
Many different types of cooking devices are well known and used for a variety
of
different purposes. For example, some cooking devices may be implemented to
cook
foodstuffs in an outdoor environment such as a park, a yard, while camping,
etc. The
outdoor cooking devices generally combust a particular type of fuel to
generate thermal
energy, which is used to cook the foodstuffs. Examples of the types of fuel
include
propane gas, natural gas, charcoal, wood, etc. Most cooking devices are
configured to
burn a single type of fuel. For instance, charcoal grills are generally
constructed with
areas for charcoal briquettes and provide an access to remove the briquettes
following
use.
Additionally, some cooking devices may be configured for multiple types of
fuels.
However, the dual-fuel or multi-fuel type cooking devices are often comprised
of single-
fuel type cooking devices manufactured into a single device. For instance, an
example of
a duel-fuel cooking device may include a gas grill that is positioned next to
a charcoal
grill and manufactured into a single device. Such configurations are generally
large
compared to single-fuel type cooking devices and do not improve the
functionality of the
cooking device. Instead, these merely provide a fuel option. Moreover, these
duel-fuel
type cooking devices often include multiple separate cooking volumes with
multiple
separate cooking surfaces. Accordingly, these duel-fuel type cooking devices
are not well
suited for a cooking operation involving multiple fuel types or involve the
movement of
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foodstuffs between the separate cooking volumes during use.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any
disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described.
Rather, this
background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where
some
embodiments described herein may be practiced.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
A need therefore exists for a cooking device that eliminates or diminishes the
disadvantages and problems described above.
One aspect of an embodiment includes a cooking device that includes a housing
assembly, a cooking structure, a first heat source, a second heat source, a
baffle, a vent
conduit, a wood pellet reservoir, and a drip tray. The housing assembly may
define a
single integrated cooking volume. The cooking volume may include multiple
portions
that may include a first portion, a second portion, and a central portion. The
central
portion may be disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The
cooking
structure may have a cooking surface that is arranged for placement of a
foodstuff. The
cooking surface may be disposed at a boundary between the central portion and
the first
portion. The first heat source may be disposed in one of the portions of the
volume such
as the central portion and the second heat source may be disposed in one of
the portions
of the volume such as the second portion of the cooking volume. The first heat
source
may be positioned a first distance from the cooking structure in a first
direction. The first
heat source may be disposed in the central portion of the cooking volume and
may be
arranged to heat the cooking structure via convection such that the cooking
structure
provides thermal energy via conduction to a foodstuff placed on the cooking
surface and
to heat the first portion of the cooking volume via convection. The first heat
source may
be configured to combust a first fuel type and may be implemented for a direct
heating
process. The second heat source may be configured to combust a second fuel
type and
may be implemented for an indirect heating process. The first heat source may
include a
gas heat source such as a low-pressure gas grill that may be controllable via
a valve. The
second heat source may be disposed a second distance from the cooking
structure in the
first direction. In detail, at least a portion of the first heat source may be
separated from
the second heat source in only the first direction. The second distance may be
greater than
the first distance. The second heat source may be disposed in the second
portion of the
cooking volume and may be arranged to provide thermal energy indirectly to the
first
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portion and the central portion of the cooking volume. The second heat source
may be
positioned in a middle part of the cooking volume. The first heat source may
be
configurable to bring the first portion of the cooking volume to a particular
temperature at
a first heat rate that is greater than a second heat rate at which the second
heat source is
capable of heating the first portion of the cooking volume to the particular
temperature.
The second heat source may include a wood pellet burner that may be fed via a
feed
subsystem such as an automatic pellet feed subsystem. The first heat source
and the
second heat source may be usable independently and usable concurrently such
that the
housing assembly may be heated by the first heat source, the second heat
source, or a
combination of the first heat source and the second heat source. The baffle
may be
disposed between the first heat source and the second heat source. The baffle
may be
configured to direct at least a portion of the thermal energy produced by the
second heat
source to outer portions of the cooking volume adjacent the housing assembly
and to the
first portion of the cooking volume. The housing assembly may define one or
more
openings such as a vent opening that connects the vent conduit to the first
portion of the
cooking volume. The vent conduit may connect the first portion of the cooking
volume to
an ambient environment. The wood pellet reservoir may be mechanically coupled
to the
housing assembly. The wood pellet burner may include a cylindrical structure
configured
to receive wood pellets from the wood pellet reservoir via an auger. The auger
may be
positioned at a lower portion of the wood pellet reservoir. The drip tray may
be
configured to collect fluids dripping from the foodstuffs during operation.
Advantageously, the heat sources are both positioned in a single, integrated
volume
defined by the housing assembly. Inclusion of the heat sources may reduce an
overall
footprint of the cooking device relative to other cooking devices that define
multiple,
separate cooking volumes that are arranged side-by-side or vertically.
Another aspect of an embodiment includes a cooking device having a stacked
arrangement. The cooking device may include a housing assembly, a cooking
structure, a
gas heat source, a wood pellet heat source, a wood pellet reservoir, and a
lower door. The
housing assembly may define a single volume that may include multiple portions
such as
a lower portion and a central portion. The central portion may be above the
lower portion.
The lower portion of the volume may be defined by an arced lower portion of
the housing
assembly and may include a substantially rectangular cross-section at an upper
end that
substantially corresponds to a footprint of the cooking structure. The central
portion may
include a substantially rectangular volume that may extend from the lower
portion. The
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volume may further comprise an upper portion that may include an arc boundary
defined
at least partially by an upper lid that may be rotatable connected to the
housing assembly.
The cooking structure may have a cooking surface. The cooking surface may be
configured for placement of foodstuffs. The cooking structure may be disposed
in the
central portion of the volume. The gas heat source may be positioned in the
lower portion
of the volume and may be disposed a first distance below the cooking
structure. The gas
heat source may be arranged relative to the cooking structure such that the
gas heat source
is below a portion of the cooking structure or substantially all of the
cooking structure.
The gas heat source may be controllable via a valve, which may be a manual
valve or an
automated valve. The gas heat source may be configurable to bring the upper
portion of
the volume to a particular temperature at a first rate. The first rate may be
greater than a
second rate at which the wood pellet heat source is capable of heating the
upper portion of
the volume to the particular temperature. The wood pellet heat source may be
positioned
below the gas heat source and in the lower portion of the volume. The wood
pellet
reservoir may be mechanically coupled to the housing assembly. The wood pellet
heat
source may be fed via a feed subsystem of an automatic pellet feed subsystem.
The wood
pellet heat source may include a cylindrical structure or another shaped
structure
configured to receive wood pellets from the wood pellet reservoir via an
auger. The auger
may be positioned at a lower portion of the wood pellet reservoir. The gas
heat source and
the wood pellet heat source may be usable independently and usable
concurrently. The
lower door may provide access to the lower portion of the volume. The lower
door may
be rotatably coupled to the housing assembly at a lower housing end. The lower
door may
be configurable in an open position in which the wood pellet heat source is
accessible.
The lower door may be configurable in a closed position in which the volume is
substantially sealed relative to an ambient environment.
Advantageously, the cooking device that includes the stacked arrangement
includes a
disposition of the first heat source, which may be better suited for high-heat
cooking
processes, close to a cooking structure. The stacked arrangement further
includes a
disposition of the second heat source, which may be better suited for low-heat
cooking
processes, farther from the cooking structure. Accordingly, the cooking device
may
enable high-heat operations by the first heat source, low-heat operations by
the second
heat source, as well as cooking operations that involve both heat sources.
Yet another aspect includes a cooking device that may include a housing
assembly, a first
heat source, a second heat source, and feed subsystem such as a pellet feed
subsystem.
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The housing assembly may define a single integrated cooking volume that may
include
multiple portions such as a rectangular cross section that may be arranged to
receive a
cooking structure, a lower arched portion below the rectangular cross section,
and an
upper arched portion above the rectangular cross section. The first heat
source may be
positioned in the housing assembly. The positioning of the first heat source
may enable
particular heating functions such as that of an emission of a first thermal
energy. The first
thermal energy may be emitted and distributed across to most or substantially
all of the
rectangular cross section. The first heat source may be arranged to heat a
cooking
structure received in the housing assembly via direct convection and to heat
the volume
defined by the housing assembly. The first heat source may include a gas heat
source such
as a low-pressure gas grill that may be controllable via one or more valves.
The second
heat source disposed in the housing assembly below the first heat source, the
second heat
source being arranged to provide a second thermal energy to the volume defined
by the
housing assembly. The second heat source may be separated from the first heat
source by
a first distance in a first direction and may be positioned relative to an
interior portion of
the first heat source. The first heat source and the second heat source are
usable
independently and usable concurrently. The second heat source may include a
low
thermal output heat source and the first heat source includes a high thermal
output heat
source relative to the low thermal output heat source. The pellet feed
subsystem may
include a wood pellet reservoir and an auger. The wood pellet reservoir may be
mechanically coupled to the housing assembly. The auger may be positioned at a
lower
portion of the wood pellet reservoir. The second heat source includes a wood
pellet
burner that may have a structure of a particular geometry. In detail, the wood
pellet
burner may include a cylindrical structure. The wood pellet burner may be
configured to
receive wood pellets from the wood pellet reservoir via the auger.
Another aspect of an embodiment includes a cooking device. The cooking device
may
include a housing assembly, one or more device components, an upper lid, and a
lower
door. The housing assembly may at least partially define a cooking volume
configured to
receive a cooking structure on which foodstuffs are placed. The housing
assembly may
include a fixed bottom portion having rear portion that includes lower, rear
curve. The
fixed bottom portion may include an upwardly curved surface that extends from
the
lowermost point of the fixed bottom portion. A cross section of the housing
assembly
may be substantially symmetric about a longitudinal axis that bisects the
housing
assembly through a lowermost point of the lower bottom portion. The lower door
may be
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rotatably coupled to the upwardly curved surface. The lower door may be
rotatably
coupled to the fixed bottom portion of the housing assembly via one or more
hinges. The
housing assembly may include a first side and a second side. The second side
may be
positioned opposite the first side. The lower door may extend an entirety of a
distance
between the first side and the second side. The housing assembly may include
multiple
portions such as an upper arced portion, a lower arced portion, and a
rectangular portion.
The rectangle portion may connect the upper arched portion and the lower arced
portion.
A free edge of the lower door may be positioned adjacent to or may contacts
the
rectangular portion when the lower door is positioned in the closed position.
The cooking
device may also include a first heat source. The first heat source may be
disposed below
the cooking structure a first distance in a first direction. At least a subset
of the device
components is positioned in a lower portion of the cooking volume located
below the
cooking structure. The subset of device components may include a second heat
source
that is disposed below the first heat source and may be separated from the
cooking
structure by a second distance in the first direction. The subset of device
components may
include, for instance, a wood pellet burner, a baffle, the auger conduit, a
drip tray, an
internal surface of the housing assembly, or some combination thereof. The
lower door
that is movably coupled to the fixed bottom portion of the housing assembly
and is
positionable in an open position in which the subset of the device components
is
accessible and in a closed position in which the lower portion of the cooking
volume is
substantially sealed, the lower door including a front lower curve that is
substantially
similar to the lower, rear curve. The lower door may include an upper door
portion and a
lower door portion. In the closed position, the upper door portion may be
disposed
substantially adjacent to an edge of a fixed portion of the housing assembly.
In the open
position, the lower door may be rotated about the fixed lower portion such
that the upper
door portion is separated from the edge. The upper door portion may include a
free edge.
The free edge may translate along a curved path during a transition between
the open
position and the lower position. The curved path may extend down and away to
from the
housing assembly. The upper lid may be rotatably coupled to a fixed upper
portion of the
housing assembly. The upper lid may be configured to rotate in a first angular
direction
relative to the fixed upper portion to allow access to the cooking structure.
The lower
door may be configured to rotate in a second angular direction relative to the
fixed lower
portion. The second angular direction may be substantially opposite the first
angular
direction. The upper lid and the lower door may be positioned on a front of
the cooking
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device that is opposite the rear portion. The upper lid may be positionable in
a closed
position that substantially seals an upper portion of the cooking volume
relative to an
environment surrounding the cooking device. When the lower door is in the
closed
positions, the lower door may substantially seals a lower portion of the
cooking volume
relative to the environment surrounding the cooking device. When the upper lid
and the
lower door are in the closed positions, thermal losses to the environment may
be reduced.
Advantageously, the lower door may provide access to the subset of the device
components in the lower portion of the cooking volume. Additionally, the shape
and
contour of the lower door may provide such access without having any structure
that
extends from other portions of the housing assembly. The lower door may reduce
an
overall footprint of the cooking device relative to other cooking devices as
well as
increase functionality of the cooking device.
Still another aspect of an embodiment includes a housing assembly for a
cooking device.
The housing assembly may one or more components that such as a first side, a
second
side, a fixed housing portion, an upper lid, a lower door, and a rectangular
portion. The
first side may include multiple portions such as a first upper arced planar
portion, a first
upper curved edge that extends along at least a portion of the first upper
arced planar
portion, a first lower arced planar portion, and a first lower curved edge
that extends
along at least a portion of the first lower arced planar portion. The second
side may
include multiple portions such as a second upper arced planar portion, a
second upper
curved edge that extends along at least a portion of the second upper arced
planar portion,
a second lower arced planar portion, and a second lower curved edge that
extends along at
least a portion of the second lower arced planar portion. The fixed housing
portion may
include multiple portions such as a fixed bottom portion and a fixed upper
portion. The
fixed bottom portion may be coupled to the first side along the first lower
curved edge
and to the second side along the second lower curved edge. The fixed bottom
portion may
include a lowermost point and an upwardly curved surface. The upwardly curved
surface
may extend in a direction towards the fixed upper portion from the lowermost
point of the
fixed bottom portion. The lower door may be rotatably coupled to the upwardly
curved
surface via one or more hinges. The fixed bottom portion may include a rear
portion that
includes lower, rear curve. The lower door may include a front lower curve
that may be
substantially similar to the lower, rear curve. In detail, the cross section
of the housing
assembly may be substantially symmetric about a longitudinal axis that bisects
the
housing assembly through the lowermost point. The fixed upper portion may be
coupled
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to the first side along the first upper curved edge and to the second side
along the second
upper curved edge. The upper lid may be rotatably coupled to the fixed upper
portion and
may be positionable in an open position in which a cooking structure is
accessible and in
a closed position in which an upper portion of a cooking volume is
substantially sealed.
The upper lid and the lower door may be positioned on a front of the cooking
device. The
upper lid may be configured to rotate in a first angular direction relative to
the fixed upper
portion. The lower door may be configured to rotate in a second angular
direction relative
to the fixed bottom portion. The second angular direction may be substantially
opposite
the first angular direction. The lower door may include a curve. The curve may
be
substantially similar to the first lower arced curved edge and the second
lower curved
edge. The lower door may be rotatably coupled to the fixed bottom portion and
may be
positionable in an open position in which a subset of cooking device
components is
accessible and in a closed position in which a lower door portion of the
cooking volume is
substantially sealed. The lower door may makes up a substantial portion of a
front, arced
portion of the housing assembly. In detail, the lower door may extend an
entirety of a
distance between the first side and the second side. The lower door may
include an upper
door portion and a lower door portion. When the upper lid and the lower door
are in the
closed position, the upper door portion may be disposed substantially adjacent
to a lower
edge of the upper lid. The rectangular portion may connect the fixed upper
portion and
the fixed bottom portion. The lower door may include an upper door portion and
a lower
door portion. When the lower door is in the closed position, the upper door
portion may
be disposed substantially adjacent to the rectangular portion. In the open
position, the
lower door may be rotated about the fixed bottom portion such that the upper
door portion
is separated from the rectangular portion.
A further aspect provides a cooking device comprising a housing assembly,
cooking
structure, gas heat source and wood pellet heat source. The housing assembly
defines a
single integrated cooking volume including two or more portions. The cooking
structure
has a cooking surface that is arranged for placement of a foodstuff, the
cooking surface
being disposed at a boundary between two of the portions. The gas heat source
is
positioned in the integrated cooking volume, and includes two or more burners,
positioned a first distance from the cooking structure in a first direction.
Each of the two
or more burners heats one portion of two or more overlapping portions of the
cooking
structure such that the first heat source is distributed across the cooking
structure and
arranged to directly heat all of the cooking structure and to heat the cooking
volume. The
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wood pellet heat source is positioned in a central portion of the integrated
cooking
volume directly below the gas heat source such that the wood pellet heat
source is
disposed a second distance from the cooking structure in only the first
direction. The
second distance is greater than the first distance such the gas heat source
and the wood
pellet heat source are in a stacked configuration, the wood pellet heat source
being
arranged to provide thermal energy indirectly to the cooking volume.
In yet an additional aspect, a cooking device having a stacked arrangement
comprises a
housing assembly, a rectangular cooking structure, a gas heat source and a
wood pellet
heat source. The housing assembly defines a single integrated volume that
includes a
rectangular cross section, a lower portion and a central portion that is above
the lower
portion. The rectangular cooking structure has a cooking surface configured
for
placement of foodstuffs, the cooking structure being disposed in the central
portion of the
volume. The gas heat source is positioned in the lower portion of the
integrated volume
and disposed a first distance below the rectangular cooking structure. The gas
heat source
includes two or more burners arranged relative to the cooking structure such
that the gas
heat source is below all of the rectangular cooking structure and directly
heats all of the
cooking structure. The wood pellet heat source is positioned directly below
one of the two
or more burners of the gas heat source and in an interior part in the lower
portion of the
integrated volume. The wood pellet heat source is arranged to provide thermal
energy
indirectly to the cooking volume.
In still yet a further aspect, a cooking device comprises a housing assembly,
a gas heat
source and a wood pellet heat source. The housing assembly defines a single
integrated
cooking volume that includes a rectangular cross section that is arranged to
receive a
cooking structure, a lower arched portion below the rectangular cross section,
and an
upper arched portion above the rectangular cross section. The gas heat source
is
positioned in the integrated cooking volume of the housing assembly, the gas
heat source
including two or more burners each heating one portion of two or more
overlapping
portions of the cooking structure such that a first thermal energy emitted
from the two or
more burners is distributed across all of the rectangular cross section. The
wood pellet
heat source is positioned in a central portion of the integrated cooking
volume and is
disposed directly below one of the two or more burners of the gas heat source.
The wood
pellet heat source is arranged to provide a second thermal energy indirectly
to the housing
assembly.
In still yet an additional aspect, a cooking device comprises a housing
assembly, one or
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more device components and a lower door. The housing assembly defines a
cooking
volume configured to receive a cooking structure on which foodstuffs are
placed. The
housing assembly includes a fixed bottom portion having rear portion that
includes
downwardly extending lower, rear curve, the downwardly extending lower, rear
curve at
least partially disposed towards a longitudinal axis that bisects the housing
assembly. At
least a subset of the device components is positioned in a lower portion of
the cooking
volume located below the cooking structure. The lower door is movably coupled
to the
fixed bottom portion of the housing assembly and is positionable in an open
position in
which the subset of the device components is accessible and in a closed
position in which
the lower portion of the cooking volume is substantially sealed. The lower
door includes a
front lower curve that is substantially similar to the lower, rear curve.
In another aspect, a housing assembly for a cooking device comprises a first
side, a
second side, a fixed bottom portion, a fixed upper portion, an upper lid and a
lower door.
The first side includes a first upper arced planar portion, a first upper
curved edge that
extends along at least a portion of the first upper arced planar portion, a
first lower arced
planar portion, and a first lower curved edge that extends along at least a
portion of the
first lower arced planar portion. The second side includes a second upper
arced planar
portion, a second upper curved edge that extends along at least a portion of
the second
upper arced planar portion, a second lower arced planar portion, and a second
lower
curved edge that extends along at least a portion of the second lower arced
planar portion.
The fixed bottom portion is coupled to the first side along the first lower
curved edge and
to the second side along the second lower curved edge. The fixed upper portion
is coupled
to the first side along the first upper curved edge and to the second side
along the second
upper curved edge. The upper lid is rotatably coupled to the fixed upper
portion and is
positionable in an open position in which a cooking structure is accessible
and in a closed
position in which an upper portion of a cooking volume is substantially
sealed. The lower
door is rotatably coupled to the fixed bottom portion and positionable in an
open position
in which a subset of cooking device components is accessible and in a closed
position in
which a lower portion of the cooking volume is substantially sealed. The lower
door
includes a downwardly extending curved outer surface that is at least
partially disposed
towards a longitudinal axis that bisects the housing assembly when the lower
door is in
the closed position.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will
become
more fully apparent from the following brief description of the drawings, the
drawings,
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the detailed description of preferred embodiments and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The appended drawings contain figures of preferred embodiments to further
illustrate and
clarify the above and other aspects, advantages, and features of the present
invention. It
will be appreciated that these drawings depict only preferred embodiments of
the
invention and are not intended to limit its scope. The invention will be
described and
explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the
accompanying
drawings in which:
Figure lA illustrates an exemplary cooking device;
Figure 1B is another view of the cooking device of Figure 1A;
Figure 2A illustrates a sectional view of the cooking device of Figures lA and
1B;
Figure 2B illustrates another sectional view of the cooking device of Figures
lA and 1B;
Figure 2C illustrates another sectional view of the cooking device of Figures
lA and 1B;
Figure 3 illustrates a top view of a portion of the cooking device of Figures
lA and 1B;
Figure 4A illustrates a detailed view of a portion of the cooking device with
an exemplary
lower door in an open position;
Figure 4B illustrates the cooking device with the lower door in a closed
position;
Figure 4C illustrates a detailed view of a portion of the cooking device with
the lower
door in the closed position;
Figure 4D illustrates a detailed view of a portion of the cooking device with
the lower
door removed;
Figure 5A illustrates an exemplary feed subsystem that may be implemented in
the
cooking device of Figures lA and 1B; and
Figure 5B illustrates a sectional view of the feed subsystem of Figure 5A,
all in accordance with at least one embodiment described in the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0001] The present invention is directed towards cooking devices that
include
multiple heat sources in a stacked arrangement. The principles of the present
invention,
however, are not limited to cooking devices. It will be understood that, in
light of the
present disclosure, the components and arrangements disclosed herein can be
successfully
used in connection with other types of cooking devices.
[0002] Additionally, to assist in the description of the cooking
devices, words such as
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top, bottom, front, rear, right, and left may be used to describe the
accompanying figures. It
will be appreciated that the cooking devices can be disposed in other
positions, used in a
variety of situations and may perform a number of different functions. In
addition, the
drawings may be to scale and may illustrate various configurations,
arrangements, aspects,
and features of the cooking devices. It will be appreciated, however, that the
cooking devices
may have other suitable shapes, sizes, configurations, and arrangements
depending, for
example, upon the intended use of the cooking devices. Further, the cooking
devices may
include any suitable number or combination of aspects, features and the like.
A detailed
description of exemplary embodiments of the cooking devices now follows.
Figures lA and 1B illustrate an exemplary cooking device 100. Figure lA is an
upper
perspective view of the cooking device 100. Figure 1B is a front view of the
cooking
device 100. The cooking device 100 includes multiple heat sources 104 and 106
that are
arranged in a stacked arrangement in which heat sources 104 and 106 are
separated from
one another in substantially a single direction. For example, the heat sources
104 and 106
are arranged in the cooking device 100 such that a first heat source 106 is
separated from
a second heat source 104 by a particular distance in a first direction 108.
The first
direction 108 is substantially parallel to the y-direction in the arbitrarily
defined
coordinate system of Figures lA and 1B.
The stacked arrangement includes a disposition of the first heat source 106,
which may be
better suited for high-heat cooking processes, close to a cooking structure
171 that is
configured for foodstuff placement. The stacked arrangement further includes a
disposition of the second heat source 104, which may be better suited for low-
heat
cooking processes, farther from the cooking structure 171. Generally, the
first heat source
106 may be implemented for direct heating of the foodstuffs. Direct heating as
used in the
present disclosure may indicate that the thermal energy emitted or generated
from the first
heat source 106 heats a bottom surface (e.g., a surface placed on the cooking
structure
171) of the foodstuff. Additionally, direct heating may indicate that the heat
emitted or
generated from the heat source 106 is transferred to the cooking structure
171, which is
then transferred to the foodstuffs via conduction. Direct heating generally
includes
cooking processes that are short in duration when contrasted with indirect
heating. For
instance, direct heating process may have a duration of a few minutes (e.g.,
fewer than
about 5 minutes in some embodiments). Direct heating is contrasted from
indirect
heating. As used in the present disclosure, indirect heating indicates that a
volume or an
environment around the foodstuffs may be heated. However, the distance between
the
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heat source (e.g., 104) and the foodstuffs is sufficient for the thermal
energy to be
diffused or substantially diffused to an environment between the foodstuffs
and the heat
source. Indirect heating generally includes cooking processes that are long in
duration
when contrasted with direct heating. For instance, indirect heating process
may have a
duration of a several minutes to multiple hours (e.g., greater than about 7
minutes to about
12 hours, etc. in some embodiments).
Accordingly, the cooking device 100 may enable high-heat operations and/or
direct
heating by the first heat source 106, low-heat operations and/or indirect
heating by the
second heat source 104, as well as cooking operations that involve both heat
sources 104
and 106. These cooking operations that involve both heat sources 104 and 106
include
some direct heating and some indirect heating. Due to inclusion of both heat
sources 104
and 106, such cooking operations may be performed with minimal movement of the
foodstuffs. Some additional details of the cooking operations involving both
of the heat
sources 104 and 106 are described elsewhere in the present disclosure.
Additionally, the heat sources 104 and 106 are both positioned in a single,
integrated
volume 110 that is defined by a housing assembly 102 of the cooking device
100.
Inclusion of the heat sources 106 and 104 in the volume 110 in the stacked
arrangement
reduces an overall footprint of the cooking device 100 relative to other
cooking devices
that define multiple, separate cooking volumes that are arranged side-by-side
or
vertically. For instance, a conventional cooking device may include a gas
grill in a first
cooking volume that is positioned to one side of a second cooking volume that
implements a charcoal grill. Such side-by-side arrangement may result in an
increased
footprint and limit concurrent operations of this conventional cooking device.
Furthermore, the heat sources 106 and 104 being positioned in the volume 110
may
reduce materials used in construction of the cooking device 100. Thus, the
cooking device
100 and the stacked arrangement of the heat sources 104 and 106 in the volume
110
therein may enable additional cooking processes while including an efficient
footprint
relative to other cooking devices.
The cooking device 100 may include a base structure 101 or another support
structure to
which the housing assembly 102 is mechanically coupled. For instance, the
housing
assembly 102 may be welded to or otherwise mechanically coupled to an upper
portion of
the base structure 101. The base structure 101 may be configured to retain the
housing
assembly 102 above a surface such as a floor or the ground. The base structure
101 of
Figures lA and 1B may include vertical supports 103 that connect to a lower
platform
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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105 and to the housing assembly 102. Casters 107 may be positioned at lower
ends of the
vertical supports 103, which may enable movement of the cooking device 100.
The lower
platform 105 may be configured to support a gas tank 109 relative to the
housing
assembly 102. For instance, in embodiments in which the first heat source 106
includes a
gas grill, the gas tank 109 may be coupled to the gas grill to provide gas
during operation.
Although the base structure 101 of Figures lA and 1B includes four of the
vertical
supports 103, four of the casters 107, and the lower platform 105, in other
embodiments,
the base structure 101 may include a cabinet below the housing assembly 102,
fewer than
two casters 107, multiple lower platforms 105, and other variations. In
addition, in other
embodiments, the cooking device 100 may not include the base structure 101.
For
instance, the cooking device 100 may be integrated into an outdoor kitchen or
another
structure that is not configured for movement. For instance, the housing
assembly 102
and/or one or more other components of the cooking device 100 may be installed
in a
concrete or brick structure installed on a patio or a backyard of a user.
The cooking device 100 may include a feed subsystem 500. The feed subsystem
500 may
temporarily store and feed fuel to the second heat source 104. For instance,
the second
heat source 104 may include a wood pellet burner. Accordingly, in these
embodiments,
the feed subsystem 500 may include a wood pellet feed subsystem that stores
wood
pellets and feeds the wood pellets to the second heat source 104 during at
least some
cooking operations. As used in the present disclosure, wood pellets may
include any
compressed biofuel, which may be used as a fuel source. The wood pellets may
comprise
biomass, and may particularly be comprised of wood that may emit heat and
smoke
during combustion.
The feed subsystem 500 may be mechanically coupled to the housing assembly 102
and
may include portions that extend into a lower portion of the volume 110. For
instance, the
feed subsystem 500 may include an auger conduit 602 that extends into the
volume 110
and to the second heat source 104.
The cooking device 100 may include a vent conduit 113 (Figure 1A). The vent
conduit
113 may be fluidly coupled to the volume 110 defined by the housing assembly
102 by a
vent opening 115 (Figure 1B). The vent opening 115 may be defined in a rear
portion 117
of the housing assembly 102. The vent conduit 113 connects at least a portion
of the
volume 110 to an ambient environment. For instance, in some embodiments, the
second
heat source 104 may include a wood pellet burner. During operation, the vent
conduit 113
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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may provide a path to vent smoke to the ambient environment surrounding the
cooking
device 100.
The housing assembly 102 may define the volume 110. The housing assembly 102
may
include an upper lid 175 and a lower door 400. The upper lid 175 and the lower
door 400
may make up portions of the housing assembly 102 when positioned in a closed
position.
In Figures lA and 1B, the upper lid 175 and the lower door 400 are depicted in
an open
position. In the open position, internal surfaces of the housing assembly 102
and
components (e.g., 171, 104, 106, 177, 179, etc.) may be accessed. For example,
with the
upper lid 175 in the open position, foodstuffs may be placed on and removed
from the
cooking structure 171. Additionally, with the lower door 400 in the open
position, the
second heat source 104 may be accessed to be cleaned or otherwise maintained.
The upper lid 175 may be rotatably coupled to a rear upper portion of the
housing
assembly 102 via upper hinges 119. The upper lid 175 may rotate about axels of
the upper
hinges 119 between the open position and a closed position. In the closed
position, the
upper lid 175 may enclose an upper portion of the housing assembly 102 and/or
substantially seal the upper portion of the housing assembly 102 relative to
the ambient
environment.
Similarly, the lower door 400 may be rotatably coupled to a bottom portion of
the housing
assembly 102 via lower hinges 402A and 402B (generally, lower hinge 402 or
lower
hinges 402). The lower hinges 402 may rotatably connect the lower door 400 to
the
housing assembly 102. The lower door 400 may rotate about axels of the lower
hinges
402 between the open position and a closed position. In the closed position,
the upper lid
175 may enclose a lower portion of the housing assembly 102 and/or
substantially seal
the lower portion of the housing assembly 102 relative to the ambient
environment.
As best depicted in Figure 1B, in the cooking device 100, multiple components
such as
the first heat source 106, the second heat source 104, the cooking structure
171, a baffle
177, and a drip tray 179, or some combination thereof may be positioned in the
volume
110. As introduced above, the heat sources 104 and 106 may be positioned in
the stacked
arrangement. For instance, the first heat source 106 may be separated from the
cooking
structure 171 by a first distance 131 (Figures 1B-2B) and the second heat
source 104 may
be separated from the cooking structure 171 by a second distance 135 (Figures
1B-2B).
The second distance 135 is greater than the first distance 131 such that the
first heat
source 106 is closer to the cooking structure 171.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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The first heat source 106 may include a first type of heat source such as a
gas burner (e.g.,
propane burner or natural gas burner) that may be used for high-heat (e.g.,
greater than
about 350 degrees Fahrenheit (F)) and/or direct cooking processes. For
instance, the first
heat source 106 may include a high heat source relative to the second heat
source 104.
Thus, the first heat source 106 may be used for cooking processes such as
directly heating
(e.g., grilling, searing, blackening, etc.) foodstuffs placed on the cooking
structure 171 or
otherwise disposed in the volume 110.
The second heat source 104 may include a second type of heat source such as a
wood
pellet burner, which may be implemented for low-heat (e.g., lower than about
350
degrees F) and/or indirect cooking processes. For instance, the second heat
source 104
may be used for cooking processes such as indirectly heating (e.g., smoking,
warming,
slow cooking, etc.) foodstuffs placed on the cooking structure 171 or
otherwise disposed
in the volume 110.
The first heat source 106 and the second heat source 104 are usable
independently. For
instance, the first heat source 106 may be operated while the second heat
source 104 is
not operational and vice versa. In addition, the first heat source 106 and the
second heat
source 104 may be usable concurrently and/or in some combination during a
cooking
process. Use of the heat sources 104 and 106 together may reduce fuel use and
reduce
time involved in the cooking process when compared to a similar process
performed by
conventional cooking devices.
For instance, an example smoking process may involve heating the volume 110 to
about
225 degrees F or another suitable temperature. After the volume is about 225
degrees F,
foodstuff may be placed on the cooking structure 171. The volume 110 may be
maintained at about 225 degrees F for several hours while the foodstuff cooks.
During at
least a portion of the several hours, smoke may be introduced and maintained
in the
volume 110. After several hours, the foodstuff may be finished by searing the
foodstuff.
The cooking device 100 may be used to implement this example smoking process.
For
instance, the first heat source 106 may be used to heat the volume 110 to the
225 degrees
F. The first heat source 106 may include a gas grill, which may be capable of
heating the
volume 110 to a particular temperature at a higher rate than the second heat
source 104.
After the volume 110 is heated, the second heat source 104 may be implemented
to
provide smoke and a portion of heat used to maintain the temperature
indirectly. The heat
provided by the first heat source 106 may be reduced to supplement the heat
supplied by
the second heat source 104. Accordingly, the fuel used by the first heat
source 106 and
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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the second heat source 104 may be reduced. The second heat source 104 may be
turned
off when the smoke is no longer introduced to the volume 110 and the first
heat source
106 may be increased to maintain the temperature for the remainder of the
several hours.
After the several hours, the heat supplied directly by the first heat source
106 may be
increased to finish the foodstuffs. During the cooking process implemented by
the
cooking device 100, the foodstuff may remain on the cooking structure 171. The
user may
simply adjust the heat sources 104 and 106 and accordingly lower the heat
provided to the
volume 110 by the heat sources 104 and 106. Additionally, during the cooking
process
the upper lid 175 and the lower door 400 may be maintained in the closed
positions.
Consequently, thermal losses to the environment may be reduced or prevented.
Thus, the
cooking process implemented by the cooking device 100 may reduce or eliminate
a need
to move the foodstuffs from one cooking device to another and to wait long
periods of
time while a low-temperature heat source is used to heat the volume relative
to
conventional cooking devices.
The baffle 177 and the drip tray 179 may be positioned between the heat
sources 104 and
106. For instance, the baffle 177 may be disposed between the first heat
source 106 and
the second heat source 104. The baffle 177 may be configured to direct at
least a portion
of the thermal energy produced by the second heat source 104 to outer portions
of the
volume adjacent the housing assembly 102. The thermal energy produced by the
second
heat source 104 may transfer to an upper, first portion of the volume 110. The
baffle 177
may be substantially flat as shown in Figure 1B. The baffle 177 may be sized
to be
separate from inner surfaces of the housing assembly 102. For instance, there
may be
some distance between the edges of the baffle 177 and the inner surfaces of
the housing
assembly 102. Heat from the second heat source 104 may be transferred from the
second
heat source 104 around the baffle 177 and up to other portions of the volume
110.
The drip tray 179 may be positioned between the baffle 177 and the first heat
source 106.
The drip tray 179 may be extend along a portion the volume 110. The drip tray
179 is
configured to collect fluids dripping from foodstuffs during operation. The
fluids may
proceed down the drip tray 179 and exit the housing assembly 102 via a funnel
161
(Figure 1A).
The cooking structure 171, which is introduced above, may include a lattice or
web of
thermally conductive materials (e.g., metal, ceramic, etc.). The cooking
structure 171 in
Figures 1A and 1B include horizontal and vertical elements that are arranged
relative to
one another in a plane, which may be referred to as a cooking grid. In other
embodiments,
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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the cooking structure 171 may include a solid surface such as a cooking
griddle or a
substantially solid plane with one or more openings defined therein. The
cooking
structure 171 may be removable from the housing assembly 102 and/or may be
moved
farther from or closer to the heat sources 104 and 106. The cooking structure
171 includes
a cooking surface configured for placement of foodstuffs.
In the embodiment depicted in Figures 1A and 1B, the first heat source 106
includes a
low-pressure gas grill or a gas heat source. The gas heat source may be
controllable via
one or more valves 181, which may be manual valves. The gas heat source may
include
three burners that extend from a front of the housing assembly 102 to a rear
of the
housing assembly 102. The three burners may be covered by heat tents, which
may
distribute heat supplied by the burners and reduce an amount of fluids
dripping on the
burners. The gas heat source may be positioned in the housing assembly 102
such that
thermal energy emitted from the gas heat source is distributed across
substantially all of
the cooking structure 171 and/or substantially all of the rectangular cross
section that is
configured to receive the cooking structure 171. The gas heat source is
positioned the first
distance 131 (Figure 1B) from the cooking structure 171 in the first direction
108. The
first distance 131 may be measured from a top of the heat tents to a bottom of
the cooking
structure 171. The first distance 131 may be in a range of between about one
inch and
about six inches. The gas heat source is arranged to heat the cooking
structure 171 and an
upper portion of the volume 110 via convection. Once heated, the cooking
structure 171
may transfer thermal energy via conduction to foodstuffs placed on the cooking
surface
and may radiate thermal energy. The gas heat source may further supply thermal
energy
to an upper portion of the volume 110 via convection and radiation. In other
embodiments
of the cooking device 100, other heat sources may be implemented as the first
heat source
106. Additionally or alternatively, the gas heat source may include any number
of burners
and/or heat tents and may be automatically controlled.
Depiction of the low-pressure gas grill as the first heat source 106 is not
meant to be
limiting. In some embodiments the first heat source 106 may include another
heat source
that may be implemented with one or more diffusers. For instance, the first
heat source
106 may include an infrared heat source that might include, for example, a gas
burner
implemented with a ceramic, a stone, or a glass diffuser.
In the embodiments of Figure 1A and 1B, the second heat source 104 may include
a wood
pellet heat source that is configured for combustion of wood pellets. The wood
pellet heat
source is arranged to produce thermal energy to the housing assembly 102 and
thus
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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indirectly to foodstuffs placed on the cooking structure 171. Indirect heating
generally
indicates that an environment of the foodstuffs is heated, which in turn heats
the
foodstuffs. Direct heating generally indicates that the thermal energy is
applied to a
surface of the foodstuffs without necessarily heating an environment first.
The wood pellet heat source is positioned below an interior part of the gas
heat source and
in the lower portion of the volume 110. The wood pellet heat source is
separated from the
gas heat source by a particular distance 133 (Figures 1B-2B) and separated
from the
cooking structure 171 by a second distance 135 in the first direction 108. The
particular
distance 133 may be measured from a bottom surface of the burner to a top of
the wood
pellet heat source. The particular distance 133 may be between about seven
inches and
about twenty inches. The second distance 135 may be measured from a top of the
wood
pellet heat source to a bottom surface of the cooking structure 171. The
second distance
135 may be in a range between about nine and about 29 inches. The wood pellet
heat
source may be positioned in a middle part of the volume 110 and directly below
a central
burner of the gas heat source. The middle part of the volume 110 may be a
central fifty
percent (50%), a central forty percent (40%), a central thirty percent (30%),
or another
central portion of the volume 110. In other embodiments of the cooking device
100, other
heat sources may be implemented as the second heat source 104.
The gas heat source may supply a high heat or direct heat to the cooking
structure 171
and the volume 110. For instance, the valves 181 may be opened, which
increases gas
suppled to the gas heat source. As a result, the gas heat source may supply
thermal energy
at a high temperature (e.g., about 15,000 British thermal units per hour
(BTU/H) to about
60,000 BTU/H) to the volume 110 and the cooking structure 171. The gas heat
source
may accordingly be configured to bring the volume 110 to a particular
temperature (e.g.,
300 degrees F) at a first heat rate. The wood pellet heat source may provide
thermal
energy indirectly to volume 110. However, the wood pellet heat source may
operate at a
lower temperature than the gas heat source and may be capable of heating the
volume 110
to the particular temperature at a second rate, which is less than the first
heat rate.
Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the cooking device 100
without
departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, the separation
of various
components in the embodiments described herein is not meant to indicate that
the
separation occurs in all embodiments. Moreover, it may be understood with the
benefit of
this disclosure that the described components may generally be integrated
together in a
single component or separated into multiple components.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
- 20 -
Figures 2A-2C illustrate sectional views of the cooking device 100 of Figures
lA and 1B.
Figure 2A depicts a sectional view across a plane that is substantially
parallel to the YX
plane of Figure 1A. Figures 2B and 2C depict sectional views across a plane
that is
substantially parallel to the YZ plane. Figures 2A-2C depict physical
relationships
between the first heat source 106 and the second heat source 104 that are
disposed in the
housing assembly 102.
The housing assembly 102 defines the volume 110. The volume 110 includes a
single
integrated cooking volume. During use, the volume 110 is heated by the first
heat source
106 and/or the second heat source 104, which are both positioned in the single
integrated
cooking volume. The volume 110 may include a first portion 202, a second
portion 204,
and a central portion 206. The central portion 206 may be disposed between the
first
portion 202 and the second portion 204.
The first portion 202 may include an upper portion of the volume 110 that is
bordered by
an upper arced portion 210 of the housing assembly 102. The first portion 202
may also
be selectively bordered by the upper lid 175. For instance, a user may
introduce
foodstuffs to the housing assembly 102 by lifting the upper lid 175. The
cooking structure
171 may be positioned at a lower part of the first portion 202. When the upper
lid 175 is
in the closed position, the first portion 202 of the volume 110 is
substantially enclosed
relative to an ambient environment that surrounds the device 100. The first
portion 202
includes a part of an environment within the housing assembly 102 around the
foodstuffs
that are being cooked in the cooking device 100.
The central portion 206 of the volume 110 may include a rectangular cross
section 169,
which may be defined by a rectangular portion 219. The rectangular cross
section 169
may be arranged to receive the cooking structure 171. For instance, the
rectangular cross
section 169 may substantially correspond to a footprint of the cooking
structure 171. The
cooking structure 171 may be positioned at an upper end of the central portion
206 and/or
a lower portion of the first portion 202. Accordingly, the cooking structure
171 may be
positioned between the first portion 202 and the second portion 204 and in the
central
portion 206.
The second portion 204 may include a lower part or portion of the volume 110.
The
second portion 204 may be bordered by a lower arched portion 213 of the
housing
assembly 102. The lower arched portion 213 may extend from the rectangular
portion 219
or the rectangular cross section 169. Additionally, the second portion 204 of
the volume
110 may be selectively bordered by the lower door 400. For example, the lower
door 400
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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may be transitioned from the open position to the closed position. When the
lower door
400 is in the closed position, the second portion 204 may be enclosed or
substantially
enclosed.
In some embodiments, the first heat source 106 may be disposed in the central
portion
206 and the second heat source 104 may be disposed in the second portion 204.
The first
heat source 106 and the second heat source 104 may be arranged in the stacked
arrangement as described elsewhere in the present disclosure. At least a
portion of the
first heat source 106 is separated from the second heat source 104 in only the
first
direction 108. For instance, the second heat source 104 may be positioned
directly below
(e.g., having a lower y-coordinate) the first heat source 106. The second heat
source 104
is separated from the first heat source 106 by the particular distance 133 in
the first
direction 108 as described above. The second heat source 104 may be disposed
in the
second portion 204 of the volume 110 and may be arranged to provide thermal
energy
indirectly to the first portion 202 and the central portion 206 of the volume
110. The first
heat source 106 may be separated from the cooking structure 171 by the first
distance
131. The second heat source 104 may be separated from the cooking structure
171 by the
second distance 135. The first and second distances 131 and 135 are defined in
the first
direction 108. The second distance 135 is greater than the first distance 131.
With reference to Figures 2A and 2B, the second heat source 104 may supply a
first
thermal energy 215 to the housing assembly 102. The first thermal energy 215
may be
emitted from the second heat source 104 and be routed around the baffle 177 to
the first
portion 202 of the volume 110. For instance, the first thermal energy 215 may
be directed
towards an interior surface of the housing assembly 102. The first thermal
energy 215
may be directed from the portions of the volume 110 near the interior surface
to the first
portion 202. Accordingly, the second heat source 104 may indirectly heat the
first portion
using the first thermal energy 215.
In addition, the first heat source 106 may supply a second thermal energy 217
to the
housing assembly 102. The second thermal energy 217 may be emitted from the
first heat
source 106 and be routed through the cooking structure 171, heating the
cooking structure
171 and the first portion 202 of the volume 110. Accordingly, the first heat
source 106
may directly heat the cooking structure 171 and indirectly heat the first
portion 202 using
the first thermal energy 215.
Figure 3 illustrates a top view of a portion of the cooking device 100 of
Figures lA and
1B. In Figure 3, the upper lid 175, an upper part of the housing assembly 102,
the baffle
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
- 22 -
177, and the drip tray 179 (of Figures 1A and 1B) are omitted. The first heat
source 106
and the second heat source 104 are depicted below the cooking structure 171.
The
cooking structure 171 is depicted in the rectangular cross section 169 of the
housing
assembly 102. The first heat source 106 that is positioned in the housing
assembly 102
such that thermal energy (e.g., 217 of Figures 2A and 2B) emitted from the
first heat
source 106 is distributed across substantially all of the rectangular cross
section 169. For
instance, in the embodiment of Figure 3, the first heat source 106 includes a
gas heat
source. The gas heat source includes three burners 302 (one burner 302 is
shown and
labelled in Figure 3 as 302). The three burners 302 may be covered by heat
tents 304 (two
heat tents 304 are shown and labelled in Figure 3 as 304). The burners 302 and
the heat
tents 304 may be positioned relative to the cooking structure 171 such that
thermal energy
provided by the first heat source 106 is distributed to substantially all of
the cooking
structure 171. For instance, a first burner/heat tent combination 302/304 may
provide
direct heat to a first portion 306A of the cooking structure 171, the burner
302 (which
may be implemented with a heat tent) may direct heat to a second portion 306B
of the
cooking structure 171, and a third burner/heat tent combination 302/304 may
provide
direct heat to a third portion 306C of the cooking structure 171. The first
portion 306A,
the second portion 306B, and the third portion 306C may overlap. Accordingly,
the first
heat source 106 may provide the direct heat over substantially all of the
cooking structure
171 and the direct heat may be distributed across substantially all of the
rectangular cross
section 169.
The second heat source 104 may be disposed at least partially in the housing
assembly
102 with the first heat source 106. For instance, in the depicted embodiment,
the second
heat source 104 may be disposed below (disposed from the first heat source 106
in the
negative y-direction) the first heat source 106 and in a middle part of volume
110 defined
by the housing assembly 102. In these and other embodiments, at least a
portion of the
first heat source 106 is separated from the second heat source 104 in only a
first direction
(108 of Figures 1A-2C) that is substantially parallel to the y-direction.
The second heat source 104 may provide thermal energy (e.g., 215 of Figures 2A
and 2B)
indirectly to the housing assembly 102. The thermal energy provided by the
second heat
source 104 may be emitted and be routed around a baffle (omitted in Figure 3),
which
may indirectly heat the volume 110 and the cooking structure 171.
In the embodiment of Figure 3, the second heat source 104 is positioned and
disposed
such that the first heat source 106 is capable of directly heating
substantially all of the
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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cooking structure 171. For example, the second heat source 104 is below
(displaced in the
y-direction) the first heat source 106. Thus, the second heat source 104 does
not interrupt
transfer of the direct heat to the cooking structure 171. Instead, the second
heat source
104 may provide the indirect heat that may be distributed around the first
heat source 106.
Additionally, in the embodiment of Figure 3, a wood pellet burner 600 may be
positioned
in a center of the housing assembly 102. In other embodiments, the wood pellet
burner
600 or another portion of the second heat source 104 may not be positioned in
the center
of the housing assembly 102. For instance, the portion of the second heat
source 104 may
be disposed in an interior part, which may include a central portion (e.g.,
central fifty
percent) of the cooking structure 171.
Figures 4A-4D illustrates detailed views of an exemplary embodiment of the
housing
assembly 102 that includes an exemplary embodiment of the lower door 400.
Figure 4A
illustrates the housing assembly 102 with the lower door 400 in the open
position. Figure
4B illustrates the housing assembly 102 with the lower door 400 in the closed
position.
Figure 4C illustrates the housing assembly 102 with the lower door 400
removed. Figure
4D illustrates the housing assembly 102 with the lower door 400 in the closed
position.
With combined reference to Figures 2B, 2C and 4A-4D, the lower door 400 may be
implemented to provide access to at least portions of components of the
cooking device
100 such as portions of a wood pellet burner 600 or another second heat source
104, the
baffle 177, the auger conduit 602, the drip tray 179, an internal surface of
the housing
assembly 102, or some combination thereof. With the lower door 400 open, a
user may
clean or otherwise maintain these components. For instance, during operation
of the
cooking device 100, these components may become dirty. For example, following
use of
a pellet burner, soot, combustion by-products, foodstuff by-products, etc. may
become
deposited on the components of cooking device 100. When the components become
dirty,
efficiency of the cooking device 100 may decline. For instance, the soot and
the
combustion by-products may insulate surfaces, which may change the thermal
transfer
characteristics of the components. Additionally, when the components become
dirty, the
components may become unsanitary. For instance, contaminants such as bacteria
and
mold may grow on foodstuff by-products between uses of the cooking device.
Additionally still, contaminants deposited on the components may reduce the
life of the
components due to increases in corrosion rates of the components. Accordingly,
the lower
door 400, which may enable access to the components, which facilitates
cleaning of the
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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components. Removal of the contaminants may increase or maintain the
efficiency of the
components, keep the components sanitary, and increase the life of the
components.
The housing assembly 102 of Figures 4A-4D may include a fixed housing portion
221.
The fixed housing portion 221 may be substantially stationary during use of a
device
(e.g., the device 100) implementing the housing assembly 102. The upper lid
175 and the
lower door 400 may be configured to move relative to the fixed housing portion
221. In
addition, the fixed housing portion 221 may include a fixed upper portion 223
that
includes the upper arched portion 210 and a fixed bottom portion 225 that
includes the
lower arched portion 213. Additionally, a first side 111A, a second side 111B,
and a
rectangular portion 219 may be included in the fixed housing portion 221.
The first side 111A and the second side 111B may be substantially similar. The
first side
111A may include a first upper arced planar portion 227A. A first upper curved
edge
229A may extend along at least a portion of the first upper arced planar
portion 227A. In
addition, the first side 111A may include a first lower arced planar portion
231A. A first
lower curved edge 233A may extends along at least a portion of the first lower
arced
planar portion 231A. Similarly, the second side 111B may include a second
upper arced
planar portion 227B. A second upper curved edge 229B may extend along at least
a
portion of the second upper arced planar portion 227B. In addition, the second
side 111B
may include a second lower arced planar portion 231B. A second lower curved
edge
233B may extends along at least a portion of the second lower arced planar
portion 231B.
The fixed upper portion 223 may be coupled to the first side 111A along at
least a portion
of the first upper curved edge 229A and to the second side 111B along at least
a portion
of the second upper curved edge 229B. For instance, the fixed upper portion
223 may be
welded or otherwise mechanically coupled to the first side 11A and the second
side 111B.
A coupling between the fixed upper portion 223 and the first side 11A and the
second
side 111B may substantially seal the first portion 202 of the volume 110.
The upper lid 175 may be rotatably coupled to the fixed upper portion 223. The
upper lid
175 may be coupled to fixed upper portion 223 via one or more hinges as shown
in
Figures 4A-4D. The upper lid 175 is positionable in a closed position and in
an open
position relative to the fixed housing portion 221. In the open position, a
user may access
the cooking structure 171 and/or foodstuffs placed on the cooking structure
171. In the
closed position, the first portion 202 of the volume 110 may be substantially
sealed
relative to an environment surrounding the housing assembly 102. Figure 4D
depicts the
upper lid 175 is the closed position. Figure 4B depicts the upper lid 175 is
the open
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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position. To transition between the closed position and the open position, the
upper lid
175 may rotate in a first angular direction. The first angular direction is
represented by
arrow 241.
The fixed bottom portion 225 may be coupled to the first side 111A along the
first lower
curved edge 233A and to the second side 111B along the second lower curved
edge 233B.
The fixed bottom portion 225 includes a lowermost point 237. The lowermost
point 237
may include a part of the fixed bottom portion 225 including the lowest y-
coordinate. The
fixed bottom portion 225 may also include a upwardly curved surface 239. The
upwardly
curved surface 239 may extend from the lowermost point 237 in a direction
towards the
fixed upper portion 223. For example, the upwardly curved surface 239 may
extend in the
z direction and in the y direction from the lowermost point 237. The lower
door 400 may
be coupled to the upwardly curved surface 239.
For instance, the lower door 400 may be rotatably coupled to the upwardly
curved surface
239 via hinges 402A and 402B. In the depicted embodiment, the lower hinges 402
may
rotatably connect the lower door 400 to the housing assembly 102. A leaf of
the lower
hinges 402 of the embodiment of Figures 4A-4D may be positioned on a bottom
portion
404 of the housing assembly 102. For instance, the leaf of the lower hinges
402 may be
positioned on an outer curved surface of the housing assembly 102. Another
leaf of the
lower hinges 402 may be connected to a lower door portion 406 of the lower
door 400.
The lower door 400 may rotate about the lower hinge 402 from the open position
to the
closed position. The open position of the lower door 400 is depicted in Figure
4A as well
as Figures lA and 1B described above. The closed position of the lower door
400 is
depicted in Figure 4B and 4D.
The upwardly curved surface 239 may provide a volume at the bottom of the
housing
assembly 102. Ash and other contaminants may accumulate in the volume at the
bottom
of the housing assembly 102. Accordingly, when a user opens the lower door 400
the ash
or other contaminants may not drop to a surface on which the device 100 is
placed.
In some embodiments, the lower door 400 may be coupled to another portion of
the
housing assembly 102. For instance, the lower door 400 may be coupled to one
or both of
the sides 111A and 111B. Alternatively, the lower door 400 may be coupled to
the
rectangular portion 219.
The lower door 400 may be positioned in a closed position (as shown in Figure
4B and
4D) and in an open position (as shown in Figure 2B and 2C). In the closed
positions, the
lower door 400 may substantially seal the lower portion 204 of the volume 110
relative to
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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the environment surrounding the cooking device. In the open position a subset
of the
device components (e.g., 104, 600, 177, and 179) is accessible.
As discussed above, in the open position, the components (e.g., the wood
pellet burner
600, the baffle 177, the auger conduit 602, the drip tray 179, the auger
conduit 602, an
internal surface of the housing assembly 102, etc.) may be accessible such
that these
components may be cleaned or otherwise maintained. In the closed position, the
second
portion 204 of the volume 110 may be enclosed and/or substantially sealed.
Accordingly,
the thermal energy provided by the wood pellet burner 600 of the second heat
source 104
may be contained or substantially contained in the housing assembly 102.
Additionally,
access to the components may be prevented such that users may not be exposed
to hot
components.
The lower door 400 may make up a substantial portion of a front, arced portion
of the
housing assembly 102. For example, the lower door 400 may extends an entirety
of a
distance 414 between the first side 111A and the second side 111B.
Additionally, in some
embodiments, the lower door 400 may extend from the rectangular portion 219 to
the
upwardly curved surface 239. In other embodiments, the lower door 400 may make
up
another portion of the housing assembly 102. For instance, the lower door 400
may
extend a part of the distance 414 between the first side 111A and the second
side 111B.
The lower door 400 may include an upper door portion 411 and a lower door
portion 406.
The upper door portion may include a free edge 419. The free edge 419 of the
lower door
400 is positioned adjacent to or contacts the rectangular portion 219 when the
lower door
400 is positioned in the closed position.
With reference to Figure 4B, the lower door 400 of Figures 4A-4D may be
configured to
rotate such that the upper door portion 411 of the lower door 400 moves along
a curved
path 413 as it transitions between the open position and the closed position.
The curve
path 413 includes a movement in a negative y-direction and extends down and
away from
the housing assembly 102. In the open position, the lower door 400 swings down
and
away from the housing assembly 102 and hangs from the lower door portion 406
that is
coupled to the bottom portion 404 of the housing assembly 102. The curved path
413
represents a rotation of the lower door 400 in a second angular direction. The
second
angular direction is represented by arrow 243.
In the depicted embodiment, the upper lid 175 and the lower door 400 may be
positioned
on the same side of the cooking device 100. For instance, the upper lid 175
and the lower
door 400 may be positioned on a front of the cooking device 100. In these and
other
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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embodiments, the second angular direction 241 is substantially opposite the
first angular
direction 243.
In some embodiments, the lower door 400 may be arced or may include one or
more
arced sections. For instance, the lower door 400 may include an arced
structure that
extends from the rectangular portion 219 of the housing assembly 102 to the
bottom
portion 404 of the housing assembly 102.
The arc of the lower door 400 may be related to curves or structures of the
fixed bottom
portion 225. For instance, the fixed bottom portion 225 includes a rear
portion that
includes lower, rear curve. The lower, rear curve be similar to the lower
curved edges
233A and 233B of the sides 111A and 111B. The lower door 400 may include a
front,
arced portion that is substantially similar to the lower rear curve of the
fixed bottom
portion 225. Additionally, the lower door 400 may makes up a substantial
portion of a
lower portion of the front 245 of the housing assembly 102. Accordingly, the
housing
assembly 102 may be symmetric about a longitudinal axis 425 that bisects the
housing
assembly 102 through the lowermost point 237. The longitudinal axis 425 may
define a
plane that is substantially parallel to the YX plane of Figure 4B.
In the depicted embodiment, the housing assembly 102 includes the rectangular
portion
219 that connects the fixed upper portion 223 and the fixed bottom portion
225. In these
and other embodiments, when the lower door 400 is in the closed position, the
upper door
portion 411 or the free edge 419 may be disposed substantially adjacent to the
rectangular
portion 219. In the open position, the lower door 400 is rotated about the
fixed bottom
portion 225 such that the upper door portion 411 is separated from the
rectangular portion
219.
One or more components of the housing assembly 102 may be implemented in
cooking
devices that do not multiple heat sources in a stacked configuration. For
instance, the
lower door 400 may be implemented in cooking devices that include the second
heat
source 104 and omits the first heat source 106. In these embodiments, the
housing
assembly 102 may omit the rectangular portion 219 or a dimension of the
rectangular
portion 219 in the y-direction may be reduced relative to the depicted
embodiments. In
these and other embodiments, the fixed upper portion 223 may be positioned
adjacent to
the fixed bottom portion 225. Accordingly, when the lower door 400 is in the
closed
position, the upper door portion 411 or the free edge 419 may be disposed
substantially
adjacent to the fixed upper portion 223 or to an edge of the upper lid 175
(e.g., when the
upper lid 175 is in the closed position). In the open position, the lower door
400 is rotated
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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about the fixed bottom portion 225 such that the upper door portion 411 is
separated from
the fixed upper portion 223 or to an edge of the upper lid 175.
Figures 5A and 5B illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a feed subsystem 500
that may
be implemented in the cooking device 100 of Figures lA and 1B. Figure 5A
depicts an
outer or an external view of the feed subsystem 500. Figure 5B depicts a
sectional view of
the feed subsystem 500. The feed subsystem 500 may be configured to feed wood
pellets
to the wood pellet burner 600. For instance, in the depicted embodiment, the
feed
subsystem 500 may be an auger-driven feed subsystem 500. In the auger-driven
feed
subsystem 500, an auger 510 (Figure 5B) may be positioned in a lower portion
of the
wood pellet reservoir 504. The auger 510 may be positioned in an auger conduit
602
coupled to the wood pellet reservoir 504. As the auger 510 rotates, the wood
pellets may
be transferred from the wood pellet reservoir 504 to the wood pellet burner
600 via the
auger conduit 602.
Although the feed subsystem 500 of Figures 5A and 5B includes an auger-driven
feed
subsystem 500, in other embodiments the feed subsystem 500 may include another
type
of feed subsystem. For instance, the feed subsystem 500 may include a gravity-
feed
system, a belt-feed system, a vacuum system, a vertical auger-driven system,
combinations thereof, or another suitable feed subsystem 500.
Referring to Figure 5A, the wood pellet reservoir 504 of the feed subsystem
500 may be
mechanically coupled to a housing assembly of a cooking device. The position
of the
wood pellet reservoir 504 relative to the housing assembly may be related to
the position
of the auger conduit 602 on the wood pellet reservoir 504. For instance, with
combined
reference to Figures 5A and 1A, the wood pellet reservoir 504 may be
mechanically
coupled to or positioned adjacent to a side (e.g., 111A or 111B) of the
housing assembly
102 of the cooking device 100. In these and other embodiments, the auger
conduit 602
may extend from a lower portion 512 of the wood pellet reservoir 504. For
instance, the
lower portion 512 may be between about one and about two inches from a bottom
edge
514 of the wood pellet reservoir 504. Additionally, the auger conduit 602 may
extend
from the wood pellet reservoir 504 at an angle 506. The angle 506 may be about
90
degrees. With the auger conduit 602 extending from the lower portion 512 and
the auger
conduit 602 extending at the angle 506, the wood pellet burner 600 may be
positioned in
the lower portion of the volume 110 defined by the housing assembly 102.
In other embodiments, the wood pellet reservoir 504 may be mechanically
coupled to
another portion of a housing assembly. For instance, the wood pellet reservoir
504 may be
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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mechanically coupled to a rear portion of a housing assembly or a bottom
portion of the
housing assembly. In these embodiments, the auger conduit 602 may extend from
another
part of the wood pellet reservoir 504. Additionally, the angle 506 may be less
than 90
degrees or greater than 90 degrees such that the wood pellet burner 600 is
positioned in
the lower portion of a cooking volume (e.g., the lower portion of the volume
110 of
Figures lA and 1B).
With reference to Figure 5B, the wood pellet reservoir 504 may include a shoot
516. The
shoot 516 may include a sloped surface 518 that directs wood pellets to an
initial portion
520 of the auger 510. The wood pellets may be loaded into the shoot 516 via a
reservoir
opening 522 and may be directed to the initial portion as the auger 510
rotates in the
auger conduit 602. A reservoir door 524 may be included on the wood pellet
reservoir
504. The reservoir door 524 may be selectively positioned to cover or enable
access to the
shoot 516.
The wood pellet reservoir 504 may house a blower 526. The blower 526 may
include an
axial fan or another suitable fan that provides air to the wood pellet burner
600. For
example, the blower may force air out a blower opening 532 and to a second
burner
opening 618 of the wood pellet burner 600. The air may be consumed during
combustion
of wood pellets in the wood pellet burner 600.
In some embodiments, the wood pellet reservoir 504 may also house a controller
530. The
controller 530 may enable input of control settings such as a temperature
(e.g., 225
Fahrenheit (F)), an operating level (e.g., high, low, medium), or a function
(e.g., heat,
smoke, warm). The controller 530 may control the feed subsystem 500. For
instance, the
controller 530 may control the operation of the blower 526, a rotational speed
of the auger
510, a temperature in the wood pellet burner 600, or some combination thereof.
In some
embodiments, the cooking device implementing feed subsystem 500 may include a
thermocouple or another suitable temperature measurement device. The
thermocouple
may be electrically coupled to the controller 530. The controller 530 may
automatically
control the blower 526 and/or the auger 510 to maintain a measured temperature
in the
cooking device. Accordingly, the wood pellets may be automatically fed into
the wood
pellet burner 600 using the controller 530.
The wood pellet burner 600 may be configured to receive wood pellets and
contain the
wood pellets as they combust. Combustion of the wood pellets provides thermal
energy to
the cooking device. Additionally, in some embodiments, the combustion of the
wood
pellets may provide smoke that is used to flavor and to cook foodstuffs placed
in the
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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cooking device. The wood pellet burner 600 may be implemented with the feed
subsystem 500. For instance, the wood pellet burner 600 may be coupled to the
auger
conduit 602. The auger conduit 602 may be coupled to a bottom portion of the
reservoir
502. Wood pellets may travel along the auger conduit 602 and enter the wood
pellet
burner 600. The wood pellet burner 600 may be fluidly coupled to the blower
526, which
may provide air for combustion of the wood pellets.
A first example embodiment includes a cooking device. The cooking device may
include
a housing assembly, a cooking structure, a gas heat source, and a wood pellet
heat source.
The housing assembly may define a single integrated cooking volume including
two or
more portions. The cooking structure may have a cooking surface that is
arranged for
placement of a foodstuff. The cooking surface may be disposed at a boundary
between
two of the portions. The gas heat source may be positioned in the integrated
cooking
volume. The gas heat source may include two or more burners positioned a first
distance
from the cooking structure in a first direction. Each of the two or more
burners heating
one portion of two or more overlapping portion of the cooking structure such
that the first
heat source is distributed across the cooking structure and arranged to
directly heat all of
the cooking structure and to heat the cooking volume. The wood pellet heat
source may
be positioned in a central portion of the integrated cooking volume directly
below the gas
heat source such that the wood pellet heat source is disposed a second
distance from the
cooking structure in only the first direction. The second distance may be
greater than the
first distance such that the gas heat source and the wood pellet heat source
are in a
stacked configuration. The wood pellet heat source may be arranged to provide
thermal
energy indirectly to the cooking volume. A second example embodiment includes
the first
embodiment in which the two or more portions include a first portion, a second
portion,
and a central portion that is disposed between the first portion and the
second portion, the
gas heat source is disposed in the central portion of the cooking volume, and
the second
wood pellet heat source is disposed in the second portion of the cooking
volume.
A third example embodiment includes the cooking devices of the first or second
cooking
devices further comprising a baffle and a vent conduit. The baffle may be
disposed
between the gas heat source and the wood pellet heat source. The baffle may be
configured to direct at least a portion of the thermal energy produced by the
wood pellet
heat source to outer portions of the cooking volume adjacent the housing
assembly and to
the first portion of the cooking volume. The housing assembly may define a
vent opening
that connects the vent conduit to the first portion of the cooking volume. The
vent conduit
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
-31 -
connects the first portion of the cooking volume to an ambient environment. A
fourth
example embodiment includes the cooking devices of any of the first through
the third
embodiments, in which the gas heat source may be arranged to heat the cooking
structure
at least partially via convection such that the cooking structure provides
thermal energy at
least partially via conduction to the foodstuff placed on the cooking surface,
and the wood
pellet heat source may be arranged to heat the cooking volume at least
partially via
convection.
A fifth example embodiment includes the cooking devices of any of the first
through the
fourth embodiments in which the gas heat source and the wood pellet heat
source may be
usable independently and usable concurrently such that the housing assembly is
heatable
by the gas heat source, the wood pellet heat source, or a combination of the
gas heat
source and the wood pellet heat source. A sixth example embodiment includes
the
cooking devices of any of the first through the fifth embodiments in which the
gas heat
source may include a low pressure gas grill that is controllable via a valve,
and the wood
pellet heat source may include a wood pellet burner that is fed via an
automatic pellet
feed subsystem.
A seventh example embodiment includes the cooking devices of any of the first
through
the sixth embodiments further comprising a wood pellet reservoir. The wood
pellet
reservoir may be mechanically coupled to the housing assembly. The wood pellet
burner
may include a cylindrical structure configured to receive wood pellets from
the wood
pellet reservoir via an auger. The auger may be positioned at a lower portion
of the wood
pellet reservoir. An eighth example embodiment includes the cooking devices of
any of
the first through the seventh embodiments in which the housing assembly
includes a
rectangular cross section, a lower arched portion below the rectangular cross
section, and
an upper arched portion above the rectangular cross section.
A ninth example embodiment includes the cooking devices of any of the first
through the
eighth embodiments, further comprising a baffle and a drip tray. The baffle
may be sized
to be separate from inner surfaces of the housing assembly such that heat from
the wood
pellet heat source may be transferred from the wood pellet heat source around
the baffle
and towards an upper portion of the integrated cooking volume. The drip tray
may be
configured to collect fluids dripping from foodstuffs. The drip tray may be
angled relative
to the baffle such that the fluids proceed down the drip tray and exit the
housing assembly
via a funnel. The baffle and the drip tray may be positioned between the gas
heat source
and the wood pellet heat sources.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
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A tenth example embodiment includes another cooking device having a stacked
arrangement. The cooking device may include a housing assembly, a rectangular
cooking
structure, a gas heat source, and a wood pellet heat source. The housing
assembly may
define a single integrated volume that includes a rectangular cross section, a
lower
portion, and a central portion that is above the lower portion. The
rectangular cooking
structure may have a cooking surface configured for placement of foodstuffs.
The
cooking structure may be disposed in the central portion of the volume. The
gas heat
source may be positioned in the lower portion of the integrated volume and may
be
disposed a first distance below the rectangular cooking structure. The gas
heat source may
include two or more burners arranged relative to the cooking structure such
that the gas
heat source is below all of the rectangular cooking structure and directly
heats all of the
cooking structure. The wood pellet heat source may be positioned directly
below one of
the two or more burners of the gas heat source and in an interior part in the
lower portion
of the integrated volume. The wood pellet heat source may be arranged to
provide
thermal energy indirectly to the cooking volume.
An eleventh example embodiment may include the cooking device of the tenth
embodiment in which the lower portion of the volume is defined by an arced
lower
portion of the housing assembly and includes a substantially rectangular cross-
section at
an upper end that substantially corresponds to a footprint of the cooking
structure and the
volume further comprises an upper portion that includes an arc boundary
defined at least
partially by an upper lid that is rotatably connected to the housing assembly.
A twelfth example embodiment includes the cooking device of the tenth or
eleventh
embodiment above further comprising a wood pellet reservoir. The wood pellet
reservoir
may be mechanically coupled to the housing assembly. The wood pellet heat
source may
be fed via an automatic pellet feed subsystem. The wood pellet heat source may
include a
cylindrical structure configured to receive wood pellets from the wood pellet
reservoir via
an auger. The auger may be positioned at a lower portion of the wood pellet
reservoir.
A thirteen example embodiment includes the cooking device of any of the tenth
through
the twelfth embodiments above in which the gas heat source is controllable via
a valve,
the gas heat source and the wood pellet heat source are usable independently
and usable
concurrently; and the gas heat source is configurable to bring the upper
portion of the
volume to a particular temperature at a first rate that is greater than a
second rate at which
the wood pellet heat source is capable of heating the upper portion of the
volume to the
particular temperature. A fourteen example embodiment includes the cooking
device of
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
- 33 -
any of the tenth through the thirteen embodiments above further comprising a
lower door
that provides access to the lower portion of the volume. The lower door is
rotatably
coupled to the housing assembly at a lower housing end. The lower door is
configurable
in an open position in which the wood pellet heat source is accessible. The
lower door is
configurable in a closed position in which the volume is substantially sealed
relative to an
ambient environment.
A fifteenth example embodiment includes cooking device that may include a
housing
assembly, a gas heat source, and a wood pellet heat source. The housing
assembly may
define a single integrated cooking volume that includes a rectangular cross
section that is
arranged to receive a cooking structure, a lower arched portion below the
rectangular
cross section, and an upper arched portion above the rectangular cross
section. The gas
heat source may be positioned in the integrated cooking volume of the housing
assembly.
The gas heat source may include two or more burners each heating one portion
of two or
more overlapping portions of the cooking structure such that a first thermal
energy
emitted from the two or more burners is distributed across all of the
rectangular cross
section. The wood pellet heat source may be positioned in a central portion of
the
integrated cooking volume and disposed directly below one of the two or more
burners of
the first gas heat source. The wood pellet heat source may be arranged to
provide a
second thermal energy indirectly to the housing assembly.
A sixteenth example embodiment includes the cooking device of the fifteenth
embodiment in which the wood pellet heat source is separated from the gas heat
source
by a first distance in only a first direction and the gas heat source and the
wood pellet
heat source are usable independently and usable concurrently. A seventeenth
example
embodiment includes the cooking device of any of the fifteenth through the
sixteenth
embodiments above, further comprising a pellet feed subsystem that includes a
wood
pellet reservoir mechanically coupled to the housing assembly and an auger
that is
positioned at a lower portion of the wood pellet reservoir. The gas heat
source may
include a low pressure gas grill that is controllable via one or more valves.
The wood
pellet heat source may include a wood pellet burner that is configured to
receive wood
pellets from the wood pellet reservoir via the auger. The wood pellet burner
may include
a cylindrical structure.
Although this invention has been described in terms of certain preferred
embodiments,
other embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also
within the scope
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
- 34 -
of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is intended to be
defined only
by the claims which follow.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-06
