Screw top grate for portable stove

• US 10,203,116 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sterno Products, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sterno Products, LLC
• Inventors: Kuhn, Jarrod
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Namay, Daniel E
• Application Number:
  US15/050,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20160298854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 126 9 B, 126262, 126 26, 126 29, 126 43, 126 45, 126 49, 2481211, 248128, 248150, 2481762
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 2037/0777 with foldable construction for storage or transport purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/34 Supports for cooking-vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0763 Small-size, portable barbecues
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 1/022 easily collapsible or easily removable
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 1/182 with additional provisions for cooking
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 1/193 Grates; Irons
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 5/04 wick type
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 5/20 with special adaptation for travelling, e.g. collapsible

Abstract

A portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container has a threaded collar that screws onto the neck of a chafing dish fuel container. Three panels are each rotatably connected to the collar with an offset hinge. The panels rotate between a first collapsed position in which the panels contact a top surface of the collar and a second position in which the panels are in a deployed position at an angle of about 105 to 155 degrees outward from the top surface. Rotation stops on the panel and collar limit the rotation.

Claims

1. A portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container, the holder being releasably connectable to a fuel container having a neck and a top rim, comprising:

a collar having an opening therethrough forming an inward facing surface configured to rotatably engage the neck during use of the holder, the opening having a longitudinal axis;

several panels each rotatably connected to the collar with an offset hinge, each panel rotating between a first collapsed position in which the panels are generally parallel to a top surface of the collar and a second position in which the panels are in a deployed position with the panels rotated at an angle of 105 to 155 degrees outward from the top surface of the collar; and

a rotation stop on at least one of the panel and collar to limit the motion of each of the several panels beyond the deployed position.

2. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 1, wherein there are three panels each configured to contact the top surface of the collar in the first, collapsed configuration.

3. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 2, wherein when the panels are in the first, collapsed configuration each of the three panels has two opposing sides inclined at an angle of 120 degrees to each other.

4. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 2, wherein each panel has an outermost side in the second, deployed configuration which outermost sides are in substantially the same plane and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

5. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 4, wherein the outermost side is textured.

6. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 2, further comprising the fuel container and wherein the opening in the collar is threadingly engaged with the external threads on the neck of the fuel container.

7. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 1, wherein there are three panels, each having a second, deployed position between 105 to 125 degrees.

8. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 1, wherein there are three panels each rotatably connected to a different one of three, equally spaced, outwardly extending projections of the collar, the projections extending outward a distance sufficient so each projection may contact the top rim of the fuel container during use of the holder.

9. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 8, wherein there are three panels, each having a second, deployed position between 105 to 125 degrees.

10. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 8, wherein when the panels are in the first, collapsed configuration each of the three panels has two opposing sides inclined at an angle of 120 degrees to each other, and wherein each panel has an outermost side in the second, deployed configuration which outermost sides are in substantially the same plane which is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the outermost side is textured.

11. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 1, wherein there are three panels each configured to interleave with another panel one of which is in contact with the top surface of the collar in the first, collapsed configuration.

12. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 1, wherein there are three panels and the collar has an annular shape with three outward extending projections and a different panel rotatably connected to a different one of the three projections, and wherein the threaded opening in the collar has a diameter of 1 and ⅜

inch with multiple lead threads, and wherein the collar is made of metal and is less than ¾

inches thick measured parallel to the longitudinal axis.

13. The portable, collapsible holder for a cooking container of claim 1, wherein the opening in the collar has internal threads configured to threadingly engage mating external threads on the neck of the fuel container during use.

14. A portable stove kit, comprising:

a container of ethanol, methanol or glycol based fuel, the container having a neck extending from a top surface of the container, the neck defining an opening for access to the fuel for burning, the container having a top rim connected to the top surface;

a collar having an opening extending through the collar and configured to rotatably engage the neck of the container during use;

several panels each rotatably connected to the collar with an offset hinge, each panel rotating between a first collapsed position in which the panels are generally parallel to a top surface of the collar and a second position in which the panels are in a deployed position with the panels rotated at an obtuse angle of 105 to 155 degrees outward from the top surface of the collar, the collar and panels configured so at least one of the collar and panels can rest against the top rim when the panels are in the second, deployed position during use;

a rotation stop on at least one of the collar and each panel to limit rotation beyond the deployed position of each of the several panels.

15. The kit of claim 14, further comprising a cooking container having a bottom configured to fit within a juncture of the panels and the collar when the cooking container during use, and wherein the container of fuel contains a glycol-based fuel with a wick.

16. The kit of claim 14, wherein there are three panels each configured to contact the top surface of the collar in the first, collapsed configuration.

17. The kit of claim 14, wherein the collar is threadingly engaged with the neck of the fuel container.

18. The kit of claim 14, wherein each panel has an outermost side in the second, deployed configuration which outermost sides are in substantially the same plane.

19. The kit of claim 18, further comprising a cooking container having a bottom configured to rest upon and extend beyond the three outermost sides of the panels when the panels are in the second, deployed position.

20. The kit of claim 18, wherein the outermost side of at least one panel is textured.

21. The kit of claim 16, wherein when the panels are in the first, collapsed configuration each of the three panels has two opposing sides inclined at an angle of 120 degrees to each other.

22. The kit of claim 14, wherein there are three panels, each having a second, deployed position between 105 to 125 degrees.

23. The kit of claim 22, wherein there are three panels each rotatably connected to a different one of three, equally spaced, outwardly extending projections of the collar, the projections extending outward a distance sufficient to contact the top rim during use of the holder.

24. The kit of claim 14, wherein there are three panels each configured to interleave with another panel one of which is in contact with the top surface of the collar in the first, collapsed configuration.

25. The kit of claim 14, wherein there are three panels and the collar has an annular shape with three outward extending projections and a different panel rotatably connected to a different one of the three projections, and wherein the threaded opening in the collar has a diameter with internal threads configured to engage mating threads on the neck, and wherein the collar is made of metal and is less than ¾

inches thick measured parallel to the longitudinal axis.

26. The kit of claim 14, wherein the opening in the collar has internal threads configured to threadingly engage mating external threads on the neck of the fuel container during use.