AU2009202581A1

AU2009202581A1 - Barbecue Mounted Pizza Oven

Info

Publication number: AU2009202581A1
Application number: AU2009202581A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Yariv Ktalav
Original assignee: Woodland Home Products Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Woodland Home Products Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2008-06-29
Filing date: 2009-06-26
Publication date: 2010-01-14
Also published as: AU2008100666A4

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: WOODLAND HOME PRODUCTS PTY LIMITED Inventor: YARIV KTALAV Address for Service: PAPPAS IP PO Box 242 Mosman NSW 242 Title: Barbecue Mounted Pizza Oven Details of Associated Provisional application: 2008903312 filed 30 June 2008 The invention is described in the following statement:- 2 Barbecue Mounted Pizza Oven TECHNICAL FIELD 5 This invention relates to a barbecue mounted pizza oven. In particular the invention is directed to an accessory for enhanced cooking, the accessory being a pizza-oven device which is removably mountable to a conventional barbecue. BACKGROUND Cooking of foods on a barbecue is an extremely popular method of food preparation around the 10 world, be it in the backyard, at a picnic, etc. The typical modern barbeque grill comprises a heat source in the form of a gas burner and grate(s) and/or plate(s) suspended above the heat source. The grate and/or plate serve as means to support the food being cooked over the heat source. Foods typically grilled in this way include chicken, beef, pork, etc. In order to contain the heat, most modern barbecues also include a hinged lid or cover which provides a substantial enclosed space 15 above the grate and/or plate. Conventionally, barbecues were intended primarily for grilling meats thereon. However over the last forty years various accessories have made barbecues more versatile in cooking various foods. For example, US Patent No. 4,332,828 (Gallagher) depicts a grill overlay in the form of a flat'rigid 20 pad having a central core of heat insulating material supported between two sheets of reflective material, such as foil. The idea behind this is to form a kind of convection oven within which food such as a meat roast can be cooked without drying out. Other systems include US patent 5,242,707 (Presiagiacomo) disclosing a flame suppresant marinating grill, overlay and US 3,786,741(Plumey) for cooking and smoking food. 25 There have also been various attempts to provide accesories that allow a barbecue to be used for cooking pizza. US Patent No. 6,187,359 (Zuccarini) describes a deep pan structure with a series of slots in its base for cooking pizza. Zuccarini's device is configured to be enclosed by the lid of a barbecue. In order to access food cooked therein, a portion of the device must.be removed from the barbecue via a handle.

3 Another accessory is a pizza insert for a barbecue as disclosed In US Patent 6,640,695(Stark). This "pizza insert" provides a cooking surface in the form of a ceramic or stone tile that in use is spaced above the grate of a barbecue. These abovementioned prior art accesories for cooking pizzas on barbecues attempt to provide 5 even heat to the cooking surface beneath the pizza. However, in order to cook a pizza properly, the larger part of the heat provided, must come from the top and assist in cooking the ingredients that are placed on top of the dough, as well as the dough itself, and melt the cheese. US 2006/0191528 (Spangrud) discloses a gas grill compatible oven. This device is mountable above stove top gas burners as shown its Fig 11. It has a housing with grill support therein, a door, 10 and a vent leading from above the housing. In this device the heat of the gas burners is permitted to enter the housing from below like a conventional household oven. This device has heat being evenly distributed in the oven, which ultimately dissipates from the top. Again like that of the abovementioned prior art it suffers from the fact that it does not provide the larger part of the heat from the top to properly cook the top side of a pizza. 15 The traditional hinged hood that many barbecues are equipped with, cannot provide the solution for this problem, because even if some heat does build up above the pizza when it is closed, most of it will dissipate immediately as soon as the hood is opened in order to insert a new pizza, or to remove one that is already in, and by the time the heat is re-built on the top after closing the hood, the pizza will be burned on the bottom, but uncooked on top. 20 As barbecues are used outdoors, commonly for parties and family gatherings, a large volume of food is cooked in a continuous manner. The prior art US Patent No. 6,187,359 and US Patent 6,640,695 will suffer from the loss of heat everytime the hood of the barbecue is opened to remove a pizza and insert a new pizza. This makes them unsuitable or practical for making a large volume of pizzas. 25 The object of the present invention is to ameliorate at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a removable pizza oven mountable on a barbecue.

4 SUMMARY OF INVENTION According to a first aspect the present invention consists in a removable pizza-oven device for mounting above the grill of a barbecue, said device comprising: a hood having an open end adapted to be placed over said grill and an aperture therein that allows 5 for a pizza to be removably placed on or above said grill for cooking thereon; and wherein said hood further comprises channeling means disposed within said hood for channeling heat sourced from side portions of said grill towards the top side of said pizza. Preferably said channeling means channels the heat sourced from said side portions so that it moves upwardly and then inwardly towards the top side of said pizza. 10 Preferably said channeling means comprises at least two internal baffles. Preferably said internal baffles are made of sheet metal. Preferably said channeling means comprises at least one reflector. Preferably said reflector is made of sheet metal. Preferably said heat sourced from side portions of said grill and chanelled towards the top side of 15 said pizza is controlled independently from at least a second heat source emanating from a central portion of the grill. According to a second aspect the present invention consists in a removable pizza-oven device for mounting above the grill of a barbecue, said device comprising: a hood having spaced apart opposed side edges on either side of an opening at its base, wherein in 20 use said side edges are disposed near side regions of said grill on either side of a substantially central region of said grill, said hood further having an aperture therein to allow a pizza to be removably placed on or above said central region of said grill; and channeling means for channeling heat sourced from said side regions of said grill disposed near said opposed side edges in a direction firstly upwardly and then secondly in a direction inwardly 25 towards the top side of said pizza. Preferably said heat sourced from said side regions of said grill and chanelled towards the top side of said pizza is controlled independently from at least a second heat source emanating from said central region of said grill. According to a third aspect the present invention consists in an accessory for a barbecue grill, said 30 accessory removably mountable over said grill, said accessory comprising a hood substantially 5 made of sheet metal with an aperture means therein allowing for a pizza to be removably placed at or near a central portion of said grill, said accessory further comprising a channeling means for channeling heat sourced from opposed side portions of said grill towards the top side of said pizza. Preferably said channeling means comprises two spaced apart internal baffles, each of said baffles 5 made substantially of sheet metal and in in use is associated with a respective one of said opposed side portions of said grill. Preferably said channeling means comprises an arcuate reflector made of sheet metal, wherein use said reflector spans over said grill. Preferably wherein in use, each internal baffle channels heat from its associated side portion 10 upwardly and said reflector channels said heat inwardly above the top side of said pizza. Preferably said heat sourced from opposed side portions of said grill and chanelled towards the top side of said pizza is controlled independently from at least a second heat source emanating from said central portion of said grill. According to a fourth aspect the present invention consists in a barbecue in combination with an 15 accessory device removably mounted thereon, said barbecue being of the type having a grill with a plurality of independently controlled burners, said grill having a central portion and two side portions on either side of said central portion, each of said side portions and said central portion being provided with heat from one or more of said plurality of independently controlled burners, and said accessory device comprising a hood having spaced apart opposed side edges on either side 20 of an opening at its base, said side edges are disposed respectively near said side portions of said grill on either side of said central portion of said grill, said hood further having an aperture therein to allow a pizza to be removably placed on or above said central portion of said grill; and channeling means for channeling heat sourced from said side regions of said grill in a direction firstly upwardly towards a central portion of said hood, and then secondly in a direction inwardly 25 towards the top side of said pizza. Preferably said channeling means comprises two spaced apart internal baffles, and an arcuate reflector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. I is a lower perspective view of an embodiment of a removable pizza-oven device for 30 mounting above a barbecue grill in accordance with the present invention.

6 Fig. 2 is an upper perspective view of the removable pizza-oven device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a reduced front elevation view of the removable pizza-oven device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a reduced underside view of the removable pizza-oven device shown in Fig. 1. 5 Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view through A-A shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cutaway perspective view showing a half of the pizza-oven device of Fig. 1 above a barbecue grill. DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Figs. I to 6 depict a removable pizza-oven device I for mounting above the grill 3 of a barbecue 2. 10 The barbecue 2 as shown in Fig 6, is of the type having a plurality of burners (not shown). The barbecue has a central portion (or region) 3c, with two side portions (or regions) 3a,3b on either side thereof. The burner control knobs 12a, and 12b, allow for control of the heat emanating from side portions 3a and 3b respectively, independently to that of heat controlled by burner control knobs 12c for central portion 3c of grill 3. In the embodiment shown, the central portion 3c of grill 15 3 is a plate member, and the side portions 3a,3b of grill 3 are grate members. The pizza-oven device I comprises a hood (outer shell) 4 with two internally spaced apart baffles (walls) 5a,5b and an arcuate (single-arched) reflector 6. The hood 4 has an arcuate central section 15, a rear wall 14, a front wall 10, an open ended base 7, handles 8, and an aperture (or cut-out) 9 in its front wall 10. Hood 4 also has side edges 1 la and 20 11 b, and a thermometer 13. Preferably for ease of construction the hood 4, baffles 5a, 5b and reflector 6 are made of sheet metal material. The pizza oven device 1 can be placed on barbecue 2 and does not need to be moved, changed, or opened while in use. When in place the baffles 5a,5b and the side edges I la, lb are on either side 25 of central portion 3c of a grill 3. Each baffle 5a, 5b is associated with a respective side portion 3a, 3b of grill 3.

7 The aperture (or cut-out) 9 allows for a pizza (not shown) to be placed directly on the central portion 3c of grill 3, or on pizza stone (not shown) that has been placed on the central portion 3c of grill 3. In use, pizza-oven device I constantly uses the heat sources from the outside burners controlled by 5 burner knobs 12a, 12b associated with the side portions 3a,3b of grill 3 to cook the top of the pizza, while utilizing the heat from the inside burners (not shown) controlled by knobs 12c associated with the central portion 3c of grill 3 cook the bottom. Pizza-oven device I provides the flexibility to control heat emanating at each side portion 3a,3b of the grill 3 individually by means of the burner control knobs 12a and 12b, enabling the user to achieve the required balance, and thus have 10 the pizza perfectly cooked on both sides in a very short period of time. This is an important feature as the ability to direct independently controlled heat emanating from the side portions 3a,3b towards the top side of the pizza, whilst utilising a substantially different independently controlled heat source, that emanating from the central region 3c to cook the underside of the pizza, overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art. 15 The baffles 5a,5b and the reflector 6 in combination form a "channeling means". Each baffle 5a,5b is in effect a chimney that can direct heat upwardly from its associated side portion 3a,3b of grill 3, and via reflector 6 direct the heat to the top side of the pizza. The steady channeling of heat via the "channeling means", also ensures that pizzas can be cooked one after another in a continuous process, as there is not the large loss of heat that occurs 20 disadvantageously with the prior art hinged-hood barbecues. Pizza oven-device 1 when used as an accessory can preferably can fit any barbecue big enough to take it, and as long as grates and plates which make up the grill 3 can be arranged as required, it will work efficiently, making it an easy add-on to any "four burner" barbecue or larger. It can even be placed on hooded barbecues when the hood is fully open (or removed). 25 It should also be understood that whilst the pizza-oven device 1 can be used as an accessory to fit a range of barbecues, both as a retrofit accessory or supplied with a barbecue, it can also be made to suit an individual sized barbecue. In the present embodiment, the sheet metal construction may be finished in conventional finishes used in barbecue components.

8 Whilst the present embodiment preferably shows central portion 3c as a plate member, and the side portions 3a,3b grate members, it should be understood that in other not shown embodiments the present invention may still be used with other plate/grate grill configurations. Whilst the present embodiment of the pizza-oven device I operates effectively without a door, it 5 should be understood that in other not shown embodiments it may be fitted with a door or other hinged covering to aperture 9. Also, in other not shown embodiments pizza-oven device I may be fitted with a viewing pane or some other viewing device. In other not shown embodiments, reflector 6 may be of some other shape and/or congfiguration. For example, rather than being "single arched" as in the present embodiment, the reflector may 10 have a double-arch (or m- shaped). Also, the reflector may be integrally formed with the hood. In other not shown embodiments the "channeling means" may comprise a reflector, without the use of side-baffles 5a,5b. However, an embodiment with baffles operates more effectively. It should be understood that the shape of the hood (outer shell) 4 is not important to the cooking operation, and the hood (outer shell) may in other not shown embodiments be of some other shape. 15 Also whilst thin sheet metal has been used that is easily formed into the various components, it should be noted that other forms of construction and materials can be used. In other not shown embodiments pizza-oven device I may be adorned with aesthetic features such as a "pseudo" (or fake) chimney mounted on top of the hood, or a finish to the outer surface hood that makes the device 1, look like an old style conventional pizza oven. 20 The term "pizza" used herein includes within its meaning food items typically having a bread dough base covered with various toppings. The food items may include conventional italian-style pizza spread with tomato sauce and cheese with other toppings, and variations thereof, including lahmacun (turkish, near and middle eastern style pizza). Whilst the pizza-oven device 1, is partcularly suited to cooking pizza and pizza style food items, it 25 should be understood that it is not limited to the cooking of pizza only, in that it can be used for cooking other food items. The term "comprising" as used herein (and its grammatical variations) is used in the inclusive sense of "having" or "including" and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of'.

Claims

1. A removable pizza-oven device for mounting above the grill of a barbecue, said device comprising: a hood having an open end adapted to be placed over said grill and an aperture therein that 5 allows for a pizza to be removably placed on or above said grill for cooking thereon; and wherein said hood further comprises channeling means disposed within said hood for channeling heat sourced from side portions of said grill towards the top side of said pizza.

2. A removable pizza oven device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said channeling means channels the heat sourced from said side portions so that it moves upwardly and then 10 inwardly towards the top side of said pizza.

3. A removable pizza-oven device as claimed in claims I or 2, wherein said channeling means comprises at least two internal baffles.

4. A removable pizza-oven device wherein said internal baffles are made of sheet metal.

5. A removable pizza-oven device as claimed in claims I to 4, wherein said channeling means 15 comprises at least one reflector.

6. A removable pizza-oven device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said reflector is made of sheet metal.

7. A removable pizza-oven device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat sourced from side portions of said grill and chanelled towards the top side of said pizza is controlled 20 independently from at least a second heat source emanating from a central portion of the grill.

8. A removable pizza-oven device for mounting above the grill of a barbecue, said device comprising: a hood having spaced apart opposed side edges on either side of an opening at its base, 25 wherein in use said side edges are disposed near side regions of said grill on either side of a substantially central region of said grill, said hood further having an aperture therein to allow a pizza to be removably placed on or above said central region of said grill; and channeling means for channeling heat sourced from said side regions of said grill disposed near said opposed side edges in a direction firstly upwardly and then secondly in a direction 30 inwardly towards the top side of said pizza. 10

9. A removable pizza-oven as claimed in claim 8, wherein said heat sourced from said side regions of said grill and chanelled towards the top side of said pizza is controlled independently from at least a second heat source emanating from said central region of said grill. 5 10. An accessory for a barbecue grill, said accessory removably mountable over said grill, said accessory comprising a hood substantially made of sheet metal with an aperture means therein allowing for a pizza to be removably placed at or near a central portion of said grill, said accessory further comprising a channeling means for channeling heat sourced from opposed side portions of said grill towards the top side of said pizza.

10

11. An accessory as claimed in claim 10, wherein said channeling means comprises two spaced apart internal baffles, each of said baffles made substantially of sheet metal and in in use is associated with a respective one of said opposed side portions of said grill.

12. An accessory as claimed in claims 8 or 9, wherein said channeling means further comprises an arcuate reflector made of sheet metal, wherein use said reflector spans over said grill. 15

13. An accessory as claimed in claim 10, wherein in use each internal baffle channels heat from its associated side portion upwardly and said reflector channels said heat inwardly above the top side of said pizza.

14. An accessory for a barbecue grill as claimed in claim 10, wherein said heat sourced from opposed side portions of said grill and chanelled towards the top side of said pizza is 20 controlled independently from at least a second heat source emanating from said central portion of said grill.

15. A barbecue in combination with an accessory device removably mounted thereon, said barbecue being of the type having a grill with a plurality of independently controlled burners, said grill having a central portion and two side portions on either side of said 25 central portion, each of said side portions and said central portion being provided with heat from one or more of said plurality of independently controlled burners, and said accessory device comprising a hood having spaced apart opposed side edges on either side of an opening at its base, said side edges are disposed respectively near said side portions of said grill on either side of said central portion of said grill, said hood further having an aperture 30 therein to allow a pizza to be removably placed on or above said central portion of said 11 grill; and channeling means for channeling heat sourced from said side regions of said grill in a direction firstly upwardly towards a central portion of said hood, and then secondly in a direction inwardly towards the top side of said pizza.

16. A barbecue in combination with an accessory device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said 5 channeling means comprises two spaced apart internal baffles, and an arcuate reflector.

17. A barbecue in combination with an accessory device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said hood, said internal baffles and said arcuate reflector are made of sheet metal.

18. A removable pizza-oven device as substantially hereinbefore described and with reference to any of the figures. 10

19. An accessory for a barbecue grill, as substantially hereinbefore described and with reference to any of the figures.

20. A barbecue in combination with an accessory device as substantially hereinbefore described and with reference to any of the figures.