Portable camp stove and barbecue grill

• US 5,313,928 A
• Filed: 06/09/1992
• Issued: 05/24/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Firelight Leisure Products, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Firelight Leisure Products, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hope, Norman B., Hope, Kenneth P., Rodgers, Aubrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Hornsby, Harvey C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US07/895,362
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 99/339, 99/447-450, 126/9 R, 126/38, 126/41 R, 126/83, 126/201, 126/304 R, 126/305
• US Class Current: 126/38
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/26 Devices for warming vessels containing drinks or food, especially by means of burners Warming devices with a burner, e.g. using gasoline; Travelling cookers, e.g. using petroleum or gasoline with one burner
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0713 with gas burners
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0763 Small-size, portable barbecues
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/027 Ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/14 with special adaptation for travelling, e.g. collapsible

Abstract

The present invention provides a portable camp stove and barbecue grill which includes both a propane-fueled barbecue grill and a propane-fueled camp stove within the same unit. The unit stores compactly within its own case for ease of transportation and opens to cooking positions whereby both barbecue grill and camp stove sections can be used simultaneously. A metal smoker plate is substituted for lava rock in the barbecue section to facilitate compact storage, and a storable heat shield is provided which in its operating position underlies the barbecue section to keep the supporting surface cool.

Claims

1. A portable combination camp stove and barbecue adapted for use on a supporting surface, comprising:

a) a first housing having a top wall and four side walls forming an open bottom and provided with a gas stove burner element;

b) a second housing having a bottom wall and four side walls forming an open top and provided with a gas barbecue burner element and adapted for hingedly co-operating with said first housing to form the casing of a unit able to be hingedly opened and closed;

c) fuel supply means for providing a supply of fuel to said stove and barbecue burner elements;

d) regulator means for controlling the supply of fuel to said stove and barbecue burner elements;

e) a first grate adapted for sitting above said barbecue burner element in said second housing;

f) a heat transferring plate adapted for removable mounting in said second housing between said first grate and said barbecue burner element and having an extended upwardly-facing surface;

g) means for supporting said heat transferring plate above said barbecue burner element;

h) means for supporting said first grate above said barbecue burner element;

i) a second grate adapted for sitting above said stove burner element;

j) means for supporting said second grate above said stove burner element; and

k) heat shielding means having an upper surface and a lower surface and adapted to be positioned between said bottom wall of said second housing and said supporting surface, said heat shielding means comprising upper and lower heat insulating spacer means adapted to bear respectively against the upper and lower surfaces thereof for supporting said second housing above said supporting surface;

wherein said second housing is adapted to be supported by said upper heat insulating spacer means above and spaced from the upper surface of said heat shielding means, wherein said heat shielding means is adapted to be supported by said lower heat insulating spacer means such that the lower surface thereof is above and spaced from said supporting surface, wherein said first and second grates, said heat shielding means and said heat transferring plate are adapted to fit within said first and second housings when closed, wherein said heat shielding means comprises a planar sheet of heat shielding material extending over an area comparable to the area of said bottom wall, wherein said bottom wall is provided with one or more apertures adapted to permit the passage of air to the interior of said second housing from an area between said bottom wall and said heat shielding means when said barbecue burner element is in operation and said heat shielding means is in position between said bottom wall and said supporting surface.

2. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 1 further comprising latching means for securing said first housing to said second housing.

3. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 2 further comprising hinge means for hingedly connecting said first and second housings.

4. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 3 wherein said hinge means is adapted so that said top wall of said first housing and said heat shielding means, when said housings are in an open position, are supported on a common plane.

5. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 1 wherein said lower heat insulating spacer means comprises at least three supporting legs secured to said lower surface.

6. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 5 wherein said upper heat insulating spacer means comprises at least three upper supporting legs secured to said upper surface.

7. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 6 wherein said bottom wall comprises a plurality of support apertures in the lower surface thereof and each of said upper supporting legs comprises elongated means extending upwardly for mating with a corresponding one of said support apertures in said bottom wall.

8. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 1 wherein said first housing is provided with handle means.

9. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 1 wherein said second housing is provided with handle means.

10. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 1 wherein said first housing includes two gas stove burner elements.

11. The portable combination campstove and barbecue of claim 1 wherein said upper heat insulating spacer means comprises a plurality of supporting legs secured to said upper surface for supporting said second housing above said heat shielding means.

12. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 1 wherein the size of said one or more apertures in said bottom wall, the spacing of said upper surface from said bottom wall and the spacing of said lower surface from said supporting surface are such that operation of said barbecue burner element causes the upper and lower surfaces of said heat shield means to be cooled by a flow of ambient air drawn across said upper surface and through said one or more apertures.

13. A portable combination camp stove and barbecue grill adapted for use on a supporting surface, comprising:

a first housing having a top wall and four side walls forming an open first chamber and provided with at least one gas stove burner element in said first chamber;

a first grate adapted for sitting above said stove burner element;

means for supporting said first grate above said stove burner element;

a second housing having a bottom wall and four side walls forming an open second chamber and provided with at least one gas barbecue burner element in said second chamber, said second housing being adapted for hingedly co-operating with said first housing to form a portable casing of a combination unit able to be hingedly opened and closed;

fuel supply means for providing a supply of fuel to said stove and barbecue burner elements;

a second grate adapted for sitting above said barbecue burner element in said second housing;

a heat transferring plate adapted for removable mounting in said second housing between said second grate and said barbecue burner element and having an extended upwardly-facing surface;

means for supporting said heat transferring plate above said barbecue burner element;

means for supporting said second grate above said barbecue burner element; and

,

heat shielding means comprising a planar heat shield member adapted to be positioned between said bottom wall of said second housing and said supporting surface, and a plurality of upper and lower heat insulating spacer means adapted to bear respectively against an upper surface and a lower surface of the heat shield member for supporting said second housing above said supporting surface;

said second housing being adapted to be supported by said upper heat insulating spacer means above and spaced from said heat shield member,

said heat shield member being adapted to be supported by said lower heat insulating spacer means above and spaced from said supporting surface,

said first and second grates, said heat shielding means and said heat transferring plate being adapted to fit within said first and second housings when closed,

said heat shield member extending over an area comparable to the area of said bottom wall of said second housing,

and said bottom wall being provided with at least one air inlet aperture adapted to permit the passage of air into the interior of said second housing from an area between said bottom wall and said heat shield member when said barbecue burner element is in operation and said heat shield member is in position between said bottom wall and said supporting surface, such that operation of said barbecue burner element causes said heat shield member to be cooled by a flow of ambient air drawn across said heat shield member and through said at least one air inlet aperture.

14. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 13 wherein said upper heat insulating spacer means comprises a plurality of supporting legs secured to said upper surface.

15. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 14 wherein said lower heat insulating spacer means comprises a plurality of lower supporting legs secured to said lower surface.

16. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 14 wherein said bottom wall comprises a plurality of support apertures in the lower surface thereof and each of said supporting legs comprises elongated means extending upwardly for mating with a corresponding one of said support apertures in said bottom wall.

17. A portable cooking apparatus adapted for use on a supporting surface, comprising:

a) a housing having a bottom wall and four sidewalls forming an open top and provided with a gas burner element;

b) fuel supply means for providing a supply of fuel to said burner element;

c) regulator means for controlling the supply of fuel to said burner element;

d) heat shielding means adapted to be positioned between said bottom wall of said housing and said supporting surface for reducing the transfer of heat from said housing to said supporting surface, said heat shielding means comprising an upper and a lower surface, and upper and lower heat insulating spacer means adapted to bear respectively against said upper and lower surfaces thereof for supporting said housing and said heat shielding means above said supporting surface;

wherein said housing is adapted to be supported by said upper heat insulating spacer means above and spaced from the upper surface of said heat shielding means, wherein said heat shielding means is adapted to be supported by said lower heat insulating spacer means such that the lower surface thereof is above and spaced from said supporting surface, wherein said heat shielding means comprises a planar sheet of heat shielding material spaced from said bottom wall and extending over an area comparable to the area thereof, and wherein said bottom wall is provided with one or more apertures adapted to permit the passage of air to the interior of said housing from an area between said bottom wall and said heat shielding means when said burner element is in operation and said heat shielding means is in position between said bottom wall and said supporting surface, the size of said one or more apertures in said bottom wall and the spacing of said planar sheet from said bottom wall being selected to maximize the heat shielding effect of said heat shielding means under normal operating conditions.

18. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 17 wherein said lower heat insulating spacer means comprises at least three supporting legs secured to said lower surface.

19. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 18 wherein said upper heat insulating spacer means comprises at least three upper supporting legs secured to said upper surface.

20. The portable camp stove and barbecue of claim 19 wherein said bottom wall comprises a plurality of support apertures in the lower surface thereof and each of said upper supporting legs comprises elongated means extending upwardly for mating with a corresponding one of said support apertures in said bottom wall.