Self leveling, no spill, cooking stove

• US 6,257,125 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2000
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joel R. Pate
• Original Assignee: Joel R. Pate
• Inventors: Pate, Joel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US09/740,744
• Time in Patent Office: 203 Days
• Field of Search: 993/39, 993/40, 993/37, 993/38, 994/03--18, 994/44--50, 994/81, 994/82, 126/24, 126/25.A, 126/25.R, 126/39.R, 126/38, 126/50, 126/9.R, 126/9.B, 211/80, 211/81, 211/175, 248/278.1, 248/311.2, 248/172, 114/91, 431/343
• US Class Current: 99/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/34 Supports for cooking-vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/027 Ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/14 with special adaptation for travelling, e.g. collapsible

Abstract

A portable stove that is especially useful for marine and recreational vehicle use in that the cooking vessel (pot or pan) holding the food or liquid is gimbaled to swing about perpendicular axes to remain upright despite substantial rolling or pitching of the marine vehicle and the movement of the recreational vehicle to prevent the spilling of the contents of the cooking vessel. The portable stove generally comprises a gimbal ring having two sets of gimbals or bearings therearound, a frame associated with one set of gimbals or bearings for pivotally supporting the gimbal ring, a hanger assembly associated with the other set of the gimbals or bearings and being pivotally supported by the gimbal ring, a fuel supply tank positioned within a basket formed in the hanger assembly, a burner assembly connected with the fuel supply tank, and a pedestal within the vehicle, associated with the frame for normally maintaining the frame in a vertical position. The structure of the portable stove is such that the axis of the pedestal and the axis of the gimbal ring are in vertical alignment.

Claims

1. A portable cooking stove for use in motion filled, non-stable environments for cooking food in a pot and for minimizing the spilling of food from the pot, said stove including means for supporting the pot, said stove comprising:

a support frame including a pair of side members having inturned upper protrusions, and a bottom member having means associated therewith for supporting the support frame in a normal vertical posture;

a gimbal ring including a pair of first gimbals spaced one hundred eighty degrees from each other, and a pair of second gimbals spaced one hundred eighty degrees from each other with adjacent first and second gimbals being respectively spaced ninety degrees around said ring, each of said first and second gimbals having an opening therein, and each of said openings in each said second gimbal being adapted for receiving a respective inturned upper protrusion of said side members of said support frame;

a hanger assembly including a pair of legs, each having an upper section having an outturned protrusion, an intermediate section having the means for supporting the pot and a lower section, each of said openings in each said first gimbal being adapted for receiving a respective outturned protrusion of said upper section of said hanger assembly;

a fuel supply source mounted within said lower section of said hanger assembly;

valve means connected to said fuel supply source; and

a burner having a plurality of fuel emitting openings therein connected to said valve means.

2. The portable stove of claim 1 wherein said means associated with said bottom member of said support frame for supporting the support frame in a normal vertical posture has an axis which is in vertical alignment with the axis of said gimbal ring.

3. The portable stove of claim 2 wherein said means for supporting said support frame in a normal vertical posture includes a pedestal.

4. The portable stove of claim 3 wherein said means for supporting the pot is a ring having a plurality of spaced hooks extending inwardly therefrom.

5. The portable stove of claim 4 further including a burner base associated with said burner, said burner base having a lip at its periphery and adapted to engage and rest upon said hooks to stabilize said fuel supply tank, said burner and said burner base.

6. A portable stove for detachable connection to a structural member attached to a generally horizontal floor of a vehicle which may be subject to move substantially in any direction, said stove including means for supporting a cooking vessel, said stove comprising:

a support frame including a pair of side members having inturned upper protrusions, and a bottom member having means associated therewith for supporting the support frame within the structural member in a normal vertical posture;

a gimbal ring including a pair of first gimbals spaced one hundred eighty degrees from each other, and a pair of second gimbals spaced one hundred eighty degrees from each other with adjacent first and second gimbals being respectively spaced ninety degrees around said gimbal ring, each of said first and second gimbals having an opening therein, and each of said openings in each said second gimbal being adapted for receiving a respective inturned upper protrusion of said side members of said support frame;

a hanger assembly including a pair of legs, each having an upper section having an outturned protrusion, an intermediate section having the means for supporting the cooking vessel and a lower section, each of said openings in each said first gimbal being adapted for receiving a respective outturned protrusion of said upper section of said hanger assembly;

a fuel supply source mounted within said lower section of said hanger assembly;

valve means connected to said fuel supply source; and

a burner assembly having a plurality of fuel emitting openings therein connected to said valve means.

7. The portable stove of claim 6 wherein said means for supporting said support frame has an axis which is in vertical alignment with the axis of said gimbal ring.

8. The portable stove of claim 7 wherein said means for supporting said support frame includes a pedestal extending upwardly from the horizontal floor of the vehicle.

9. The portable stove of claim 8 wherein said means for supporting the cooking vessel is a ring having a plurality of hooks extending inwardly therefrom.

10. The portable stove of claim 9 wherein said burner assembly includes a burner and burner base and wherein said hooks on said ring engage said burner base to stabilize the burner assembly.