Cooking Grill Using Pellet Fuel

• US 20160255999A1
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crystal Spring Colony Farms Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Crystal Spring Colony Farms Ltd.
• Inventors: McAdams, Tom, Hofer, Ethan, Dnestrianschii, Lucien
• Granted Patent: US 9,814,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0713 with gas burners
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0754 with blowers providing forced air circulation
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0763 Small-size, portable barbecues
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2237/02 two or more burners
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2237/08 two or more different types of fuel simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 1/08 with fuel storage in a single undivided hopper within stove or range
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 1/19 Supplying combustion-air
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 13/04 Arrangements for feeding solid fuel, e.g. hoppers
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 1/04 simultaneously

Abstract

A cooking grill includes a container defining a combustion area and a cooking surface over the combustion area. The grill features a pellet burner unit disposed within the container under the cooking surface and a pellet feeding device arranged to feed pellets into the burner unit. The burner unit comprises a trough into which the pellets are fed. The trough is mounted in a movable support which can be pulled out from within the container. The feeding device includes a removable cartridge for containing pellets and a receptacle for receiving the cartridge inserted thereon so that the cartridge supplies pellets for transfer to the pellet burner unit. In addition, a gas burner system is arranged in the container adjacent to the pellet burner unit so as to apply heat from the gas burner system to the cooking surface in addition to or as an alternative to the pellet burner unit.

Claims

1. A cooking grill comprising:

a container defining a combustion area;

a cooking surface over the combustion area for receiving and supporting food materials to be grilled;

a pellet burner unit disposed within the container under the cooking surface;

a pellet feeding device arranged to feed pellets into the burner unit;

a fan for generating an airflow which at least in part passes through the burner unit for causing combustion of the pellets in the burner unit;

a temperature sensing component arranged to detect temperature in the container;

a heat control system for controlling a rate of feed of the pellets in dependence on a detected temperature; and

a gas burner system arranged in the container adjacent to the pellet burner unit so as to apply heat from the gas burner system to the cooking surface in addition to or as an alternative to the pellet burner unit.

2. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the gas burner system includes a gas burner nozzle on at least one side of the pellet burner unit.

3. The cooking grill according to claim 2 wherein the gas burner nozzle is arranged to the side only so that the gas burner system when both are operating does not supply heat directly into the pellet burner unit.

4. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the gas burner system includes a first and a second gas burner nozzle on respective sides of the pellet burner unit.

5. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the heat control system controls both the gas burner system and the pellet burner unit to maintain a required temperature in the container.

6. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the heat control system controls both the gas burner system and the pellet burner unit so as to increase heat from the gas burner system while reducing heat from the pellet burner unit so as to increase a level of smoke while retaining a required temperature.

7. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the pellet burner unit includes a gas igniter for the pellets receiving a gas pilot light from the gas burner system.

8. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the pellet burner unit is separated from the gas burner system on a side of the pellet burner unit by an upstanding wall in the container.

9. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the fan and the container are arranged to direct air throughout the container so as to spread heat around the container regardless of whether the heat is supplied by one or both of the gas burner system and the pellet burner unit.

10. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the gas burner system is arranged to apply a gas flame directly to the cooking surface with no intervening briquettes over the gas burner system.

11. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the pellet burner unit comprises a trough into which the pellets are fed, the trough being mounted in a movable support which can be pulled out from the container for removal.

12. The cooking grill according to claim 11 wherein the movable support slides out through a front wall of the container.

13. The cooking grill according to claim 11 wherein the trough has opposed perforated walls for passage of air from the fan.

14. The cooking grill according to claim 11 wherein the fan is fixed in the container so that the trough moves with the support away from the fan.

15. The cooking grill according to claim 11 wherein the trough defines front and rear inclined transverse walls which are spaced away from a front wall of the container.

16. The cooking grill according to claim 11 wherein the pellet feeding device is fixed in the container so that the trough moves with the support away from the pellet feeding device.

17. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the pellet burner unit comprises a trough into which the pellets are fed and wherein the pellet feeding device comprises an upstanding feed tube having a pellet transfer device in the tube for feeding the pellets upwardly along the tube from below the trough.

18. The cooking grill according to claim 17 wherein the trough is mounted in a movable support which can be moved leaving the upstanding feed tube at a fixed position in the container.

19. The cooking grill according to claim 17 wherein the trough includes an inclined trough wall with a cut out shaped to partly surround the feed tube.

20. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the pellet feeding device includes a removable cartridge for containing pellets and a receptacle for receiving a neck of the cartridge inserted thereon so that the cartridge supplies pellets for transfer to the pellet burner unit.

21. The cooking grill according to claim 20 wherein the pellet feeding device comprises an upstanding feed tube having a pellet transfer device in the tube for feeding the pellets upwardly along the tube from below the trough with the receptacle for receiving the neck of the removable cartridge being located at a bottom of the feed tube.

22. The cooking grill according to claim 1 wherein the removable cartridge is inclined upwardly and outwardly away from the upstanding feed tube.

23. A cooking grill comprising:

a container defining a combustion area;

a cooking surface over the combustion area for receiving and supporting food materials to be grilled;

a pellet burner unit disposed within the container under the cooking surface;

a pellet feeding device arranged to feed pellets into the burner unit;

a fan for generating an airflow which at least in part passes through the burner unit for causing combustion of the pellets in the burner unit;

wherein the pellet burner unit comprises a trough into which the pellets are fed, the trough being mounted in a movable support which can be pulled out from the container for removal.

24. The cooking grill according to claim 23 wherein the movable support slides out through a front wall of the container.

25. The cooking grill according to claim 23 wherein the trough has opposed perforated walls for passage of air from the fan.

26. The cooking grill according to claim 23 wherein the fan is fixed in the container so that the trough moves with the support away from the fan.

27. The cooking grill according to claim 23 wherein the trough defines front and rear inclined transverse walls which are spaced away from a front wall of the container.

28. The cooking grill according to claim 23 wherein the pellet feeding device is fixed in the container so that the trough moves with the support away from the pellet feeding device.

29. The cooking grill according to claim 23 wherein the pellet feeding device comprises an upstanding feed tube having a pellet transfer device in the tube for feeding the pellets upwardly along the tube from below the trough and wherein the trough is movable in said movable support leaving the upstanding feed tube at a fixed position in the container.

30. The cooking grill according to claim 29 wherein the trough includes an inclined trough wall with a cut out shaped to partly surround the feed tube.

31. A cooking grill comprising:

a container defining a combustion area;

a cooking surface over the combustion area for receiving and supporting food materials to be grilled;

a pellet burner unit disposed within the container under the cooking surface;

a pellet feeding device arranged to feed pellets into the burner unit;

a fan for generating an airflow which at least in part passes through the burner unit for causing combustion of the pellets in the burner unit;

wherein the pellet feeding device includes a removable cartridge for containing pellets and a receptacle for receiving a neck of the cartridge inserted thereon so that the cartridge supplies pellets for transfer to the pellet burner unit.

32. The cooking grill according to claim 31 wherein the pellet feeding device comprises an upstanding feed tube having a pellet transfer device in the tube for feeding the pellets upwardly along the tube from below the trough with the receptacle for receiving the neck of the removable cartridge being located at a bottom of the feed tube.

33. The cooking grill according to claim 31 wherein the removable cartridge is inclined upwardly and outwardly away from the upstanding feed tube.

34. The cooking grill according to claim 31 wherein the removable cartridge is tubular and includes top and bottom end caps to close the cartridge when removed from the pellet feeding device.

35. The cooking grill according to claim 31 wherein the removable cartridge includes a peripheral wall which is transparent.