Solid Fuel Grill Temperature Control System
First Claim
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1. A grill comprising:
- a grill housing defining a cooking area therein;
a grate in the housing positioned at or near the cooking area;
a fuel support in the housing for supporting solid fuel;
an air vent formed in the grill housing;
a damper movably positioned over the air vent, wherein a position of the damper relative to the air vent dictates an amount of air flow through the air vent;
a motor for adjusting the position of the damper relative to the air vent in response to a drive signal;
a controller disposed outside of the grill housing;
a temperature probe disposed in the grill housing at or near the cooking area for measuring a temperature of the cooking area and providing a temperature signal to the controller;
wherein the controller is configured to generate and send the drive signal to the motor in response to the temperature signal from the temperature probe.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A solid fuel grill containing a controller designed to automatically maintain a user defined cooking temperature. The controller is provided with a temperature signals from a thermocouple probe inside the grill, and calculates the appropriate airflow change needed to increase, decrease or maintain the cooking temperature and drives a motor to position a damper over the air vent to the appropriate position. This allows the grill to automatically maintain an accurate cooking temperature until the food is cooked. A low fuel alarm is initiated when the level of fuel falls below required levels to maintain the desired cooking temperature.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A grill comprising:
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a grill housing defining a cooking area therein; a grate in the housing positioned at or near the cooking area; a fuel support in the housing for supporting solid fuel; an air vent formed in the grill housing; a damper movably positioned over the air vent, wherein a position of the damper relative to the air vent dictates an amount of air flow through the air vent; a motor for adjusting the position of the damper relative to the air vent in response to a drive signal; a controller disposed outside of the grill housing; a temperature probe disposed in the grill housing at or near the cooking area for measuring a temperature of the cooking area and providing a temperature signal to the controller; wherein the controller is configured to generate and send the drive signal to the motor in response to the temperature signal from the temperature probe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A grill comprising:
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a grill housing defining a cooking area therein; a grate in the housing positioned at or near the cooking area; a fuel support in the housing for supporting solid fuel; an air vent formed in the grill housing; a damper movably positioned over the air vent, wherein a position of the damper relative to the air vent dictates an amount of air flow through the air vent; a motor for adjusting the position of the damper relative to the air vent in response to a drive signal; a controller disposed outside of the grill housing; a temperature probe configured for insertion into food disposed in the grill housing for measuring a temperature thereof, and configured to provide a temperature signal to the controller wherein the controller is configured to generate and send the drive signal to the motor in response to the temperature signal from the temperature probe. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification