Cooking grill

• US 6,755,187 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2001
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CFM US Corporation (Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board)
• Original Assignee: The Great Outdoors Grill Co. (Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board)
• Inventors: Ogden, Wesley H., Harrod, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Carl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/996,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20030094170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 126/25, 126/39.R, 126/41.R, 126/40, 126/50, 126/304, 126/306, 108/150, 108/161, 297/188.1, 297/188.09
• US Class Current: 126/25.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0704 with horizontal fire box

Abstract

A portable grill having a rectangular structural foam base and a structural foam pillar defining the outside of the grill. A metal collar is mounted on the pillar with a ceramic insulating gasket and a metal heat shield in contact with the gasket and collar. Aluminum bottom and top shells enclose the burner. At least one shelf bracket is on the bottom shell with a structural foam side table mounted thereon. The preferred foamed polymer has a flexural modulus of over 150,000 psi and a hardness of over 80 Rockwell Hardness R. The pillar and base have ribs aligned to resist bending or flexing. The preferred gasket is formed from ceramic material capable of resisting a temperature of at least 1800° F. during continuous use. The grill can operate at full combustion for at least eight hours for at least six consecutive days.

Claims

1. A portable grill comprising:

a base;

a substantially hollow structural foam pillar having a bottom end mounted on said base and having a center portion defining the front of said grill and two side portions defining opposing side ends of said grill;

a metal pillar collar mounted on a top end of said pillar;

a thermally insulating gasket sized to fit on said collar;

a metal heat shield having an upper lip in contact with said gasket for support by said collar, said shield having a tapered front, tapered sides and a flat bottom for reflection of heat in a direction away from the top end of said pillar; and

a bottom shell supported on said collar and in contact with the metal heat shield.

2. The grill of claim 1, wherein said structural foam is formed from a foamed polymer having a flexural modulus of at least 150,000 psi and a hardness of at least 80 on the Rockwell Hardness R scale.

3. The grill of claim 2, wherein said polymer is polypropylene having a flexural modulus of at least 200,000 psi and a hardness of at least 100 on the Rockwell Hardness R scale.

4. The grill of claim 1, wherein said pillar has support ribs aligned vertically and horizontally to resist bending of said pillar when weight is applied to said grill.

5. The grill of claim 1, wherein said base comprises structural foam with a plurality of ribs on the underside thereof for resisting torsion when weight is placed on said grill.

6. The grill of claim 1, wherein said gasket is formed from ceramic material capable of resisting a temperature of at least 1800°

F. during continuous use.

7. The grill of claim 1, wherein said grill is capable of operating at full combustion capacity for at least eight hours for at least six consecutive days.

18. The grill of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one shelf bracket extending from the bottom shell; and

at least one structural foam side table mounted on the shelf bracket.

19. The grill of claim 1 further comprising a top shell pivotally mounted on the bottom shell, the top shell having a handle to permit opening of the top shell.

8. A portable grill comprising:

a structural foam base, said base having a plurality of ribs on the underside thereof for resisting torsion when weight is placed on said grill;

a substantially hollow structural foam pillar having a bottom end mounted on said base and having a center portion defining the front of the said grill and two side portions defining opposing side ends of said grill, said pillar having support ribs aligned vertically and horizontally to resist bending of said pillar when weight is placed on said grill;

a metal pillar collar mounted on a top end of said pillar;

a thermally insulating gasket sized to fit on said collar;

a metal heat shield having an upper lip in contact with said gasket for support by said collar, said shield having a tapered front, tapered sides and a flat bottom for reflection of heat in a direction away from the top end of said pillar;

a bottom shell supported on said collar and in contact with the metal heat shield;

said structural foam for said base and pillar being formed from a foamed polymer having a flexural modulus of at least 150,000 psi and a hardness of at least 80 on the Rockwell Hardness R scale.

9. The grill of claim 8, wherein said polymer is polypropylene having a flexural modulus of at least 200,000 psi and a hardness of at least 100 on the Rockwell Hardness R scale.

10. The grill of claim 8, wherein said gasket is formed from ceramic material capable of resisting a temperature of at least 1800°

F. during continuous use.

11. The grill of claim 8, wherein said grill is capable of operating at full combustion capacity for at least eight hours for at least six consecutive days.

12. The grill of claim 8 further comprising:

at least one shelf bracket extending from the bottom shell; and

at least one structural foam side table mounted on the shelf bracket.

13. The grill of claim 8 further comprising a top shell pivotally mounted on the bottom shell, the top shell having a handle to permit opening of the top shell.

14. A portable grill comprising:

a rectangular structural foam base, said base having a plurality of ribs on the underside thereof for resisting torsion when weight is placed on said grill;

a structural foam pillar having a bottom end mounted on said base and having a center portion defining the front of said grill and two side portions defining opposing side ends of said grill, said pillar having support ribs aligned vertically to resist bending of said pillar when weight is placed on said grill;

a metal pillar collar mounted on a top end of said pillar;

a ceramic insulating gasket sized to fit on said collar;

a metal heat shield having an upper lip in contact with said gasket for support by said collar, said shield having a tapered front, tapered sides and a flat bottom for reflection of heat in a direction away from the top end of said pillar;

a bottom shell supported on said collar and in contact with the metal heat shield;

a top shell pivotally mounted on said bottom shell, said top shell having a handle to permit opening of said top shell; and

at least one structural foam side table mounted on said bottom shell;

said structural foam for said base, pillar and side table being formed from a foamed polymer having a flexural modulus of at least 150,000 psi and a hardness of at least 80 on the Rockwell Hardness R scale.

16. The grill of claim 14, wherein said gasket is formed from ceramic material capable of resisting a temperature of at least 1800°

F. during continuous use.

17. The grill of claim 16, wherein said grill is capable of operating at full combustion capacity for at least eight hours for at least six consecutive days.

15. The grill of claim wherein said polymer is polypropylene having a flexural modulus of at least 200,000 psi and a hardness of at least 100 on the Rockwell Hardness R scale.