Cooking vessel

• US 6,931,985 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mana Attie, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mana Attie, LLC
• Inventors: Attie, Nobile
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US10/640,101
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 993/39, 993/40, 99345-347, 993/86, 994/00, 994/01, 994/51, 994/43.R, 994/43.C, 994/26, 994/27, 99444-450, 994/81, 994/83, 126/41.R, 126/9.R, 126/25.R, 126/40, 126/30, 219/388, 219/400, 219/401
• US Class Current: 99/340
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0652 with reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0682 gas-heated

Abstract

A cooking vessel that combines the functions of a grill and an oven. The vessel includes a cooking chamber having an upwardly arched ceiling comprised of fire brick. A cooking surface is located within the cooking chamber. A pull-out mechanism is attached to the cooking surface and is adapted to move the cooking surface in and out of the cooking chamber through a front opening. The front opening defines a baffle, which traps heat in the cooking chamber. Two infrared gas burners, located below and outboard from the cooking surface, heat food located on the cooking surface directly. Radiant heat from the ceiling indirectly heats the food.

Claims

1. A cooking vessel comprising:

a cooking chamber defined by an upwardly arched ceiling having an inner surface, a left side wall, a right side wall, a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom wall, the ceiling being located above the left side wall, right side wall and rear wall;

a cooking surface located within the cooking chamber, the cooking surface defining a cooking plane and being bisected from left to right by a first vertical axis;

a first heat source located below the cooking surface and offset to the left of the first vertical axis, the first heat source being adapted to emit heat along a first direct heating path, the first direct heating path intersecting the cooking plane at a first angle, the first angle being non-orthogonal; and

a second heat source located below the cooking surface and to the right of the first vertical axis, the second heat source being adapted to emit heat along a second direct heating path, the second direct heating path intersecting the cooking plane at a second angle, the second angle being non-orthogonal.

2. The cooking vessel of claim 1, wherein the front wall includes a first opening having a top edge and a first baffle located between the ceiling and the top edge of the first opening, the first baffle having a width defined as the distance from the inner surface of the ceiling to the top edge of the first opening.

3. The cooking vessel of claim 2, wherein the width of the first baffle is at least 1.0 inches.

4. The cooking vessel of claim 2, wherein the first opening includes right and right side edges, a second baffle is located between the left side edge of the first opening and the left side wall of the cooking chamber and a third baffle is located between the right side edge of the first opening and the right side wall of the cooking chamber, the second baffle having a width defined as the distance from the left side edge to the left side wall and the third baffle having a width defined as the distance from the right side edge to the right side wall.

5. The cooking vessel of claim 4, wherein the width of each of the second and third baffles is at least 1.0 inches.

6. The cooking vessel of claim 2, wherein the top edge of the first opening is upwardly arched.

7. The cooking vessel of claim 6, wherein the ceiling includes a first rise and the top edge of the first opening includes a second rise that is less than the first rise.

8. The cooking vessel of claim 2, wherein the first opening provides the only exhaust outlet for the cooking chamber.

9. The cooking vessel of claim 1, wherein the cooking surface is attached to a pull-out mechanism adapted to move the cooking surface in and out of the cooking chamber through the first opening.

10. The cooking vessel of claim 9, wherein the pull-out mechanism comprises at least one horizontal slider and a handle attached to a face member, the cooking surface is rigidly connected to the face member and the face member is connected to the at least one horizontal slider.

11. The cooking vessel of claim 10, wherein the at least one horizontal slider is located below the bottom wall.

12. The cooking vessel of claim 10, wherein the pull-out mechanism further comprises a drip pan located below the cooking surface that moves with the cooking surface when the cooking surface is moved in and out of the cooking chamber.

13. The cooking vessel of claim 1, wherein the cooking surface comprises a grill.

14. The cooking vessel of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the cooking surface comprises a hearth.

15. The cooking vessel of claim 14, wherein the at least a portion of the cooking surface comprises a hearth is permanently mounted within the cooking chamber.

16. The cooking vessel of claim 13, wherein the cooking surface comprises a rotisserie.

17. The cooking vessel of claim 16, wherein the front wall includes a first opening, the first opening having a lower portion than can be opened, to allow insertion and removal of the rotisserie from the cooking chamber, and closed, to reduce heat loss through the lower portion of the first opening.

18. The cooking vessel of claim 1, wherein heat emitted along the first direct heat path intersects the celling to the right of the first vertical axis and heat emitted along the second direct heat path intersects the ceiling to the left of the first vertical axis.

19. The cooking vessel of claim 18, wherein the first and second angles are each between 25 and 40 degrees.

20. The cooking vessel of claim 19, wherein the first and second angles are each between 30 and 35 degrees.

21. The cooking vessel of claim 1, wherein the first and second heat sources are both infrared gas burners.

22. The cooking vessel of claim 1, wherein the ceiling comprises fire brick.

23. The cooking vessel of claim 22, wherein the fire brick comprises a clayed fire brick.

24. The cooking vessel of claim 23, wherein the fire brick comprises at least 50% clay.

25. The cooking vessel of claim 22, wherein the ceiling comprises fire brick layered inside a ceramic insulation layer.

26. A cooking vessel comprising:

a cooking chamber defined by an upwardly arched ceiling having an inner surface, a left side wall, a right side wall, a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom wall, the ceiling being located above the left side wall, right side wall and rear wall;

a cooking surface located within the cooking chamber, the cooking surface defining a cooking plane and being bisected from left to right by a first vertical axis;

a pull-out mechanism attached to the cooking surface, the pull-out mechanism being adapted to move the cooking surface in and out of the cooking chamber through the first opening;

a first heat source located below the cooking surface and offset to the left of the first vertical axis, the first heat source being adapted to emit heat along a first direct heating path, the first direct heating path intersecting the cooking plane at a first angle, the first angle being non-orthogonal; and

a second heat source located below the cooking surface and to the right of the first vertical axis, the second heat source being adapted to emit heat along a second direct heating path, the second direct heating path intersecting the cooking plane at a second angle, the second angle being non-orthogonal.