Portable cooking grill having collapsible and extendable frame

• US 7,080,640 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Heidi M. Sanders, Larry E. Sanders
• Original Assignee: Heidi M. Sanders, Larry E. Sanders
• Inventors: Sanders, Larry E., Sanders, Heidi M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barrow, James G.
• Application Number:
  US10/992,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20060102163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 126/30, 126/29, 126/9.R, 126/9.B, 126/304.R, 126/304.A, 126/333, 211/153, 211/149, 211/195, 211/186, 211/132.1, 211/126.6, 211/130.1, 108/169, 108/166, 108/132, 108/115, 108/35, 108/38, 994/49
• US Class Current: 126/30
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 2037/0777 with foldable construction for storage or transport purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 33/00 Camp cooking devices without integral heating means travelling cookers with one burner A47J36/26
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 1/205 collapsible

Abstract

A portable cooking grill that is configured with a collapsible frame having telescoping legs and a pair of frame sections that extend outwardly to allow the user to adjust the height of the grilling surface and the size of the frame is disclosed. Each frame section has a pair of telescoping legs pivotally connected to the ends of side support rails which support a grill insert, having a pair of foldably connected grill sections, that forms the grilling surface. The legs include a securing mechanism suitable for securing the legs at the height desired by the user. The side support rails slidably engage grill supports located at the sides of the grill insert to extend the position of the legs outwardly. A locking mechanism locks the legs in either their upstanding or folded positions. A slidable connecting mechanism locks the legs in or between the retracted and extended positions.

Claims

1. A portable cooking grill, comprising:

a frame having at least two pairs of legs and at least two pairs of side support rails, each of said pair of legs having a first end, a second end, a first leg member and a second leg member in telescoping cooperation with said first leg member, each of said side support rails having a first end and a second end, said first end of said legs pivotally connected to said first end of said side support rails;

means attached to said legs and/or said side support rails for locking said frame in either a first position extended and open for cooking or and a second position closed for storage folded; and

a grill insert having a first grill section and a second grill section, each of said first grill section and said second grill section having a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side, said second end of said first grill section foldably connected to said second end of said second grill section, said first side and said second side of at least one of said first grill section and said second grill section slidably connected to said side support rail and configured to extend one pair of said at least two pairs of legs of said frame outwardly.

2. The portable cooking grill according to claim 1 further comprising a hinge interconnecting said second end of said first grill section and said second end of said second grill section.

3. The portable cooking grill according to claim 1 further comprising a handle at said first end of at least one of said first grill section and said second grill section.

4. The portable cooking grill according to claim 1 further comprising means for securing the position of said second leg member relative to said first leg member.

5. The portable cooking grill according to claim 1, wherein said legs are configured to pivot from substantially adjacent to said side support rails in said second position to downward projecting in said first position.

6. The portable cooking grill according to claim 1, wherein said locking means comprises a pair of plates attached to either said legs or said side support rails, a first locking aperture on said plates, a second locking aperture on said plates and a removable locking pin, said locking pin sized and configured to engage said first locking aperture to secure said portable cooking grill in said first position and to engage said second locking aperture to secure said portable cooking grill in said second position.

7. The portable cooking grill according to claim 1 further comprising a first grill support at each of said first side and said second side of said first grill section and/or a second grill support at each of said first side and said second side of said second grill section, each of said first grill support and/or said second grill support having a slide lock connector configured to slidably engage said side support rails and extend one of said two pairs of legs outwardly.

8. The portable cooking grill according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first grill section and said second grill section comprises a grate having a plurality of substantially parallel disposes grate rods interconnecting said first side and said second side of said of said first grill section and/or said second grill section.

9. The portable cooking grill according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first grill section and said second grill section is replaceable.

10. A portable cooking grill, comprising:

a frame having at least two pairs of legs and at least two pairs of side support rails, each of said pair of legs having a first end, a second end, a first leg member, a second leg member in telescoping cooperation with said first leg member and means for securing said first leg member relative to said second leg member, each of said side support rails having a first end and a second end;

means at said first end of each of said legs for pivotally connecting said first end of one of said legs to said first end of one of said side support rails;

means at each of said pivotally connecting means for locking said frame in either a first position extended and open for cooking or and a second position closed for storage folded;

a grill insert having a first grill section and a second grill section, each of said first grill section and said second grill section having a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side;

means interconnecting said second end of said first grill section to said second end of said second grill section for folding said grill insert;

a grill support on each of said first side and said second side of at least one of said first grill section and said second grill section; and

means at each of said grill supports for slidably connecting one of said side support rails to one of said grill supports, said slidably connecting means configured to extend one pair of said at least two pairs of legs of said frame outwardly from said folding means.

11. The portable cooking grill according to claim 10, wherein said locking means comprises a pair of plates attached to either said legs or said side support rails, a first locking aperture on said plates, a second locking aperture on said plates and a removable locking pin, said locking pin sized and configured to engage said first locking aperture to secure said portable cooking grill in said first position and to engage said second locking aperture to secure said portable cooking grill in said second position.

12. The portable cooking grill according to claim 11, wherein said pivotally connecting means comprises a pivot pin disposed through said pair of plates.

13. The portable cooking grill according to claim 10, wherein said folding means is a hinge.

14. The portable cooking grill according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said first grill section and said second grill section is replaceable.

15. The portable cooking grill according to claim 10 further comprising a handle at said first end of at least one of said first grill section and said second grill section.

16. A portable cooking grill, comprising:

a frame having a first frame section and a second frame section, each of said first frame section and said second frame section having a pair of legs and a pair of side support rails, each of said pair of legs having a first end, a second end, a first leg member, a second leg member in telescoping cooperation with said first leg member and means for securing said first leg member relative to said second leg member, each of said side support rails having a first end and a second end;

means at said first end of each of said legs for pivotally connecting said first end of said legs to said first end of one of said side support rails;

means at each of said pivotally connecting means for locking each of said first frame section and said second frame section in either a first position extended and open for cooking and a second position closed for storage folded;

a grill inset having a first grill section and a second grill section, each of said first grill section and said second grill section having a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side;

means interconnecting said second end of said first grill section to said second end of said second grill section for folding said grill insert;

a first grill support on each of said first side and said second side of said first grill section, each of said first grill supports having means for slidably connecting one of said side support rails to said first side of said first grill section and one of said side support rails to said second side of said first grill section, said first grill supports and said slidably connecting means configured to extend said legs of said first frame section outwardly from said folding means; and

a pair of second grill supports on each of said first side and said second side of said second grill section, each of said second grill supports having said slidably connecting means connecting one of said side support rails to said first side of said second grill section and one of said side support rails to said second side of said second grill section, said second grill supports and said slidably connecting means configured to extend said legs of said second frame section outwardly from said folding means.

17. The portable cooking grill according to claim 16, wherein said locking means comprises a pair of plates attached to either said legs or said side support rails, a first locking aperture on said plates, a second locking aperture on said plates and a removable locking pin, said locking pin sized and configured to engage said first locking aperture to secure said portable cooking grill in said first position and to engage said second locking aperture to secure said portable cooking grill in said second position.

18. The portable cooking grill according to claim 17, wherein said pivotally connecting means comprises a pivot pin disposed through said pair of plates.

19. The portable cooking grill according to claim 16, wherein said folding means is a hinge.

20. The portable cooking grill according to claim 16, wherein at least one of said first grill section and said second grill section is replaceable.