GB2125275A - Cooking and heating appliances - Google Patents

Abstract

A barbecue has downwardly projecting side walls 12, 14, 16, 18 between which is mounted a movable bellows plate 22 below the fire platform 20. To start the barbecue burning the bellows plate is moved up and down to generate a forced draught through apertures 30 in the platform 20. Air inlet apertures 26 with control flaps 28 are provided to control the draught during normal burning. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cooking and heating appliances This invention relates to cooking and heating appliances and more especially to portable barbecues suitable for outdoor activities.

Barbecues are commonly provided with a plurality of air vents or apertures for the inlet of air for enhancing combustion of charcoal or the like fuel in the barbecue. Methods used to hasten the combustion process generally included using copious amounts of a relatively rapid burning starting material or mechanically fanning the fire with a rigid sheet or the like. This makes a lot of smoke.

It is an object of the invention to provide means for hastening the combustion of fuel and avoiding smoke.

According to the present invention a barbecue or similar appliance has integral means for generating a forced air draught through the fuel to be burned. This means is preferably in the form of an integral bellows.

Preferably, there is a fuel receptacle with a perforated base and an air chamber below the base, and the means for generating a forced draught are in or form part of the air chamber. For example, a movable bellows plate may form the underside or other boundary of the air chamber.

The air chamber preferably has air inlet ports and means for controlling the air flow through these. Conveniently, the air chamber is defined by walls extending downwards below the fuel receptacle, and the air ports are in at least one such side wall. The fuel receptacle may also have air inlet ports in its side walls above its base, which ports may also be provided with means for controlling the airflow.

Preferably the barbecue comprises a rectangular body having side walls and a base, the base is located a short distance above the lower level of the side walls so that it forms a raised platform inside the body.

The means for producing a forced air draught is preferably located below the platform. The means may comprise a sheet of material e.g. metal having peripheral dimensions slightly less than the dimensions of the platform. The sheet may be hingedly attached to a side wall of the barbecue close to the platform. A handle attached to the sheet on the side opposite the hinged end may extend upwardly through the platform to permit a user to move the sheet up and down.

The platform and the side walls may preferably be provided with a plurality of apertures for ventilation. The apertures in the platform allow for passage of air generated by movement of the sheet to enter the area above the platform while the apertures in the side walls act as ventilation openings for air from the outside. The apertures in the side walls may have valves so that the inflow of air generated by the draught through the fire can be controlled. The valve for the aperture may comprise a hinged flap or the like.

The barbecue may include means for locating articles to be cooked above the platform.

An embodiment of the invention is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which is seen a perspective view of a barbecue according to the invention.

The barbecue 10 comprises a rectangular receptacle having sheet metal side walls 12, 14, 16 and 1 8 and a platform 20.

The platform 20 is raised above the lower level of the side walls so that two compartments are formed, namely a fuel receptacle above and an air chamber below the platform 20. A bellows plate of metal sheet 22 is hingedly attached to the side wall 1 6 close to the platform 20. The end of the plate 22 adjacent the opposite side wall 12 carries a handle 24, which projects upwards through the platform.

Ventilation apertures 26 are formed in the side walls below the platform and have pivoted flaps 28 for opening and closing the apertures. The platform 20 is also provided with a plurality of air holes 30.

In use of the barbecue charcoal and a starting material are placed on the platform 20 in the usual manner and a fire is started. To enhance the burning process the lever 24 is reciprocated up and down which causes the plate 22 to swing towards and away from the platform 20. There being little clearance between the edges of the plate 22 and the side walls, air flow generated by the movement is expelled through the air holes 30 in the platform 20, the ventilation apertures 26 normally being closed. Because of the use of the bellows to enhance combustion in the early stages, the usual starting materials can be reduced in amount, thereby cutting down or eliminating the production of smoke.

When the fuel is burning as desired, operation of the bellows plate ceases and the plate is left in its lowered position as shown in the drawing. One or more of the ventilation apertures 26 is then opened to allow air flow through the fuel by virtue of natural draught and any wind. If there is wind, preferably apertures 26 facing upwind are opened, to obtain the best draught. The number of apertures that are opened will depend on the strength of the wind and the desired rate of combustion. Alternatively or in addition, a valve plate may be provided below the platform 20, to enable the air flow through the holes 30 to be controlled. The side walls above the platform may also be provided with ventilation apertures to enable advantage to be taken of the wind, and these may also be provided with flow control means such as flaps 28.

Numerous variations are possibie. For example the means for generating forced air draught may comprise a foot-operated bellows or pump.

Whereas in the described barbecue the forced draught enters the fuel only through the platform or base of the fuel receptacle, alternatively or additionally the forced air draught may be directed through the sides of the fuel receptacle by suitable construction of the air chamber or by air ducting connecting it to air ports in the sides of the fuel receptacle.

The air inlet apertures of the air chamber may be provided with non-return valves allowing entry of ambient air and preventing air outflow when the bellows plate is operated. In this case, these apertures will normally be open during operation of the bellows plate but they may be provided with control valves for adjusting air inflow during subsequent operation of the barbecue.

Claims (7)

1. A barbecue or similar appliance comprising an integral means for generating a forced air draught through the fuel to be burned.

2. A barbecue or similar appliance according to claim 1 having a fuel receptacle with a perforated base and an air chamber below the base, said means for generating a forced draught being disposed in or forming part of the air chamber.

3. A barbecue or similar appliance as claimed in claim 2 in which the air chamber has air ports and means for controlling the air flow through the air ports.

4. A barbecue as claimed in claim 3 in which the air chamber is defined by walls depending from the fuel receptacle and the air ports are in at least one said wall.

5. A barbecue as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, in which the means for generating a forced draught is a plate and means for moving the plate to act as a bellows.

6. A barbecue or similar device as claimed in claim 1 comprising a fuel receptacle with a perforated base and with side walls extending below the base to form an air chamber below the base, at least one air port in at least one said side wall for admitting air to the air chamber, valve means for controlling air flow through the air port(s), a movable plate disposed between the side walls partly defining the air chamber, and means for moving the said plate thereby to decrease the volume of the air chamber and generate the said forced draught.

7. A barbecue or similar device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.