GB2209926A

GB2209926A - Electric cooking grill

Info

Publication number: GB2209926A
Application number: GB8821931A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenzo Okamoto; Jun Yoshikado
Original assignee: IMARFLEX Manufacturing; Imanishi Kinzoku Kogyo KK
Current assignee: IMARFLEX Manufacturing; Imanishi Kinzoku Kogyo KK
Priority date: 1987-09-22
Filing date: 1988-09-19
Publication date: 1989-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2008-09-19
Also published as: JPH0176733U; JPH0423494Y2; GB2209926B; GB8821931D0

Abstract

An electric cooking grill comprises: an electric heater (4, not shown); a sear grid (7) disposed above the electric heater; and a dripping-receiving vessel (6) disposed under the electric heater. The electric heater (4) is mounted between opposite side plates (1) and between front and rear cover plates (9, 10) so as to be surrounded by them. One of the front and rear cover plates (10) is swingably mounted on the cooking grill and provided with a handle (12), to assist the user in handling the dripping receiving vessel (6) without burning his fingers. The space between the sear grid (7) and the electric heater (4) can be varied. <IMAGE>

Description

COOKING GRILL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to an improvement of a cooking grill provided with: an electric heater for generating heat applied to food products such as meat, fish and the like to be cooked; a food-supporting membersuch as broiling pans and sear grids and the like disposed above the electric heater; and a drippingreceiving vessel disposed under the electric heater for receiving grease drippings that drip from the food products to be cooked during the cooking process in the cooking grill.

DescriDtion of the Prior Art: Hitherto, in this type of cooking grill, an electric heater is mounted between opposite side plates of the cooking grill, one of which side plates is provided with a plug of the electric heater, the plug being connected to an electrical power line. Such electric heater is covered by front and rear cover plates in its front and rear areas, the cover plates being fixed to the opposite side plates so that the heater is surrounded with these opposite side plates and cover plates, to make it possible to prevent the user from touching the heater by mistake.

Since the conventional cooking grill has the above construction, it is difficult for the user to handle the dripping-receiving vessel, which is disposed under the heater in the cooking grill, due to the presence of the front cover plate.

In addition, in case that the front cover plate is made of metal, the cover plate is heated to a considerably high temperature through radiant heating during the cooking process. Consequently, there is always a fear that the user burns his fingers with such hot front cover plate when he handles the dripping-receiving vessel.

SUMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to resolve the above problem inherent in the conventional cooking grill of this type by providing: a cooking grill provided with an electric heater a front area of which is covered by a front cover plate which is swingably mounted on opposite side plates of the cooking grill, to make it possible to swing up the front cover plate when a dripping-receiving vessel disposed under the heater is handled, so that the handling of the dripping vessel is improvement in easiness so as to prevent the user from burning his fingers with the hot front cover plate.

According to the present invention, there is provided: In a cooking grill comprising: opposite side plates one of which is provided with a plug for connecting the cooking grill with an electrical power line; a connecting plate which is disposed between said opposite side plates while provided with opposite side upright portions to which said opposite side plates are fixed; an electric heater which is connected to said plug while mounted between said opposite side plates; a pair of front and rear cover plates mounted between said opposite side plates for covering said electric heater in its front and rear areas; a vessel-supporting portion which is formed in said connecting plate while disposed under said electric heater; a dripping-receiving vessel mounted on said vessel-supporting portion of said connecting plate; and a sear grid provided with a pair of engaging portions in its opposite ends, said engaging portions of said sear grid being mounted on said opposite side plates: the improvement wherein: a pair of slits are provided in an upper portion of each of said upright portions of said connecting plate, in which slits are detachably mounted said engaging portions of said sear grid which is reversed to change a distance between a lower surface of said sear grid and said electric heater; and a handle is fixedly mounted on said front cover plate so as to extend forward from said front cover plate which is swingably mounted on said upright portions of said connecting plate through a pair of pivotal pins so as to be swung up by the user, said front cover plate being brought into contact with an engaging projection when swung down, said engaging projection being provided in said upright portions of said connecting plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cooking grill of the present invention with the sear grid mounted thereon; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the cooking grill of the present invention shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cooking grill of the present invention in which the sear grid is removed, taken along the line 111-111 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sear grid of the cooking grill of the present invention shown in Fig. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a cooking grill of the present invention will be hereinbelow described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the cooking grill of the present invention, a plug for connecting an electric heater 4 with an electrical power line is fixedly mounted on one of opposite side plates 1 of the cooking grill. The opposite side plates 1 are made of heat-resisting synthetic resins, while fixedly mounted' on opposite upright portions 3b of a U-shaped connecting plate 3. The upright portions 3b of the connecting plate 3 carry the electric heater 4 and a supporting segment 5 for supporting the electric heater 4 therebetween. The electric heater 4 generates heat applied to food products to be cooked in the cooking grill. The supporting segment 5 dismounted on the upright portions 3b of the connecting plate 3.

A horizontal portion of the U-shaped connecting plate 3 forms a vessel-supporting portion 3a for supporting a dripping-receiving vessel 6 thereon. The drippingreceiving vessel 6 receives grease drippings that drip from the food products such as meat, fish and the like during the cooking process conducted in the cooking grill.

A pair of slits 3c are formed in an upper portion of each of the upright portions 3b of the connecting plate 3. A sear grid 7 of the cooking grill is provided with engaging portions 7a which are detachably received in the slits 3c of the upright portions 3b of the connecting plate 3, to make it possible to dispose the sear grid 7 above the electric heater 4.

Since the sear grid 7 is disposed above the electric heater 4 as described above, the electric heater 4 catches the grease drippings from the food products to immediately burn the grease drippings so that substantially no fume is produced it the cooling grill of the present invention.

A rear area of the electric heater 4 is covered by a rear cover plate 9 fixedly mounted on the opposite side plates 1.

A front area of the electric heater 4 is covered by a front cover plate 10 which is swingably mounted on the opposite side plates 1 through pivotal pins 11.

A handle 12 is provided in a suitable position of a front surface of the front cover plate 10 so as to extend forward from the front cover plate 10.

In addition, an engaging projection 13 is provided in the upright portions 3b of the U-shaped connecting plate 3. When the front cover plate 10 is placed in its vertical position so as to close a front area of the electric heater 4, such engaging projection 13 is brought into contact with a rear end of the front cover plate 10 to make it possible to hold the front cover plate 10 at its vertical position.

These front 10 and rear 9 cover plates prevents the user from touching the electric heater 4 by mistake during the cooking process of the food products such as meat, fish and the like, to make it possible to prevent the user from burning his fingers with the electric heater 4.

In the cooking grill of the present invention, the food products such as meat, fish and the like is placed on the sear grid 7 disposed over the electric heater 4 so as to be heated thereby. It is also possible to replace the sear grip with a suitable broiling pan (not shown) in the cooking grill of the present invention.

In the cooking process of the food products, the food products produce the grease drippings which are received in the dripping-receiving vessel 6 which is disposed under the electric heater 4 and some water is previously received therein. After completion of the cooking process, the dripping-receiving vessel 6 in which a mixture of the grease drippings from the food products and water having been received is removed from the vesselsupporting portion 3a of the U-shaped connecting plate 3. At this time, the front cover plate 10 is swung up by the user by means of the handle 12 to increase a distance between the dripping-receiving vessel 6 and the front cover plate 10 so as to make it possible to easily remove the dripping-receiving vessel 6 from the vessel supporting portion 3a of the U-shaped connecting plate 3. Consequently, there is no fear that the user touches the hot front cover plate 10 when the dripping-receiving vessel 6 is removed from the coking grill.

During the cooking process, the front cover plate 10 is swung down to be brought into contact with the engaging projection 13 so that the front area of the electric heater 4 is covered by the front cover plate 10 to prevent the user from touching the electric heater 4 by mistake.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a cooking grill comprising: opposite side plates one of which is provided with a plug for connecting the cooking grill with an electrical power line; a connecting plate which is disposed between said opposite side plates while provided with opposite side upright portions to which said opposite side plates are fixed; an electric heater which is connected to said plug while mounted between said opposite side plates; a pair of front and rear cover plates mounted between said opposite side plates for covering said electric heater in its front and rear areas; a vessel-supporting portion which is formed in said connecting plate while disposed under said electric heater; a dripping-receiving vessel mounted on said vessel-supporting portion of said connecting plate; and a sear grid provided with a pair of engaging portions in its opposite ends, said engaging portions of said sear grid being mounted on said opposite side plates: the improvement wherein: a pair of slits are provided in an upper portion of each of said upright portions of said connecting plate, in which slits are detachably mounted said engaging portions of said sear grid which is reversed to change a distance between a lower surface of said sear grid and said electric heater; and a handle is fixedly mounted on said front cover plate so as to extend forward from said front cover plate which is swingably mounted on said upright portions of said connecting plate through a pair of pivotal pins so as to be swung up by the user, said front cover plate being brought into contact with an engaging projection when swung down, said engaging projection being provided in said upright portions of said connecting plate.