GB2247748A

GB2247748A - A fuel container

Info

Publication number: GB2247748A
Application number: GB9116413A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Harry Stokes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-07-31
Filing date: 1991-07-30
Publication date: 1992-03-11
Also published as: GB9016749D0; GB9116413D0

Abstract

A fuel container for housing a solid fuel such as charcoal which is to be ignited for use in a barbeque 16 consists of an upright container 10 having an open top, an open base, and an air inlet 20, 22 adjacent to the base of the container. The side walls induce air flow through the ignited fuel in the container from the base to the top thereof to produce a chimney effect and facilitate ignition of the fuel therein. Air inlet slots 28 are provided in the side walls. Where the container is to be re-usable additional air in lets 28 allow the ingress of additional air from the exterior of the container between over the height of the side walls from the base to the top thereof to facilitate ignition of the upper layers of fuel. Where the container is not re-usable the side walls are formed of material, such as cardboard and aluminium foil, which is consumed when the fuel reaches ignition temperature so that additional air is progressively admitted to facilitate ignition of the entire column of fuel in the container. As shown, the container is pivoted upwardly from the barbeque 16 to allow discharge of ignited fuel 14 from the grid 18. <IMAGE>

Description

"A Fuel Container" This invention relates to a fuel container and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a fuel container for housing a solid fuel such as charcoal for use in combination with a barbeque.

It has been found when using charcoal as a fuel in barbeques that the ignition of the charcoal is a time consuming operation often requiring the use of copious amounts of liquid lighter fuel before a satisfactory bed of hot charcoal is obtained over which food can be cooked.

In addition to the above disadvantages of the conventional method of lighting the charcoal in a barbeque using liquid lighter fuel, there is also the danger of a flash-back occurring when the liquid is squirted onto partially ignited charcoal in the situation where the initial application of lighter fuel is insufficient to achieve full ignition of the charcoal. Such a flash-back can result in serious injury and burns to the person lighting the charcoal and persons in the immediate vicinity of the barbeque.

It is already known to provide an upright fuel container for use in combination with a barbeque comprising a housing in which a column of charcoal is stored. The housing has impermeable walls and is provided with air inlets at the lower end and an air outlet at the upper end which is usually open to produce a chimney effect to facilitate the ignition of the charcoal therein when the charcoal at lower end of the housing is ignited.

Although such known containers make it easier and quicker to ignite charcoal than the direct ignition of a layer of charcoal in the usual relatively shallow tray of a barbeque, they suffer from the disadvantage that a relatively long period of time is required to ignite the upper layers of the column of charcoal in the container after ignition of the lower layer of charcoal.

The object of this invention is to provide a fuel container for solid fuel which alleviates the above difficulty.

According to one aspect of this invention, a fuel container for housing solid fuel comprises an upright container having an open top, an open or openable base1 an air inlet at or adjacent to the base of the container, and side walls for inducing air flow through the ignited fuel in the container from the base to the top thereof to produce a chimney effect and facilitate ignition of the fuel therein wherein the side walls are not impermeable during the entire ignition process.

Preferably, the container is provided with additional air inlet means to allow the ingress of additional air from the exterior of the container between the base and the top thereof.

Preferably, also, the additional air inlet means comprises air inlets at spaced-apart locations over the height of the side walls of the container.

The container, preferably, has air permeable fuel retaining means extending across the interior thereof at a point adjacent to but spaced-apart above the base.

Preferably, the retaining means comprises a grid or lattice.

Preferably, also, the grid or lattice is pivotally connected to one side of the container so as to be capable of pivoting downwardly when the container is lifted upwardly to release the ignited fuel from the base thereof.

Connection means is, preferably, provided on the external surface of one or more of the sides of the container for enabling handle means to be attached thereto to facilitate lifting of the container during discharge of the ignited fuel therefrom.

Preferably, the sides of the container are pivotally foldably, or releasably connected together to enable the container to be either folded flat or dismantled to facilitate storage or transportation.

Preferably, also, the additional air inlet means is incorporated in the pivotal, foldable, or releasable connections of the sides of the container.

The container is, preferably, formed of sections each of which forms one, two, three or more sides of the container to enable a container of variable area to be formed from standard sections.

Preferably, where the container is to be re-usable, the container is formed of a heat resistant material, such as sheet metal.

Alternatively, where the container is not re-usable, the container is formed of a material which either melts or burns when the fuel therein has reached the desired temperature so as to allow the ingress of additional air to the layers of fuel which have not reached said temperature to facilitate rapid ignition thereof.

Preferably, the container is formed of combustible material, such as cardboard, which is treated with a flame retardant composition.

Preferably, also, the container is formed of a laminate having the combustible material on the internal surface of the container and a heat resistant material on the external surface which melts or burns at the desired temperature of the ignited fuel.

The laminate is, preferably, formed of paper or card having a layer of metal foil such as, aluninium foil, thereon.

According to another aspect of this invention, a fuel cartridge comprises a container according to said one aspect of the invention having a charge of solid fuel housed therein.

Preferably, the solid fuel within the container is charcoal.

Preferably, also, fuel lighting means is disposed in the base of the container below the solid fuel.

The fuel lighting means is, preferably, one or more fire lighters or the like.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic partly sectioned side elevation of a fuel container during ignition of the fuel therein; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the fuel container shown in Figure 1 during the discharge of ignited fuel therefrom; and Figure 3 is a plan view of one section from which the container can be assembled.

Referring now to the drawings, a fuel container indicated generally at 10 comprises an upright container 12 for housing particulate solid fuel 14, such as charcoal which is to be ignited for use in, for example, a barbeque 16 or the like, The container 12 is placed in the barbeque 16 in an upright position and the fuel 14 is inserted into the open top of the container.

The bottom of the container 12 is open and a grid or lattice 18 is pivotally connected to one of the sides of the container 12. During ignition of the fuel 14, the grid or lattice 18 extends across the container 12 in a position adjacent to, but spaced-apart above, the base so that the fuel 14 is supported thereby leaving an air space therebeneath. This is achieved by making the grid or lattice 18 of an L-shape so that the side of the L remote from the pivotal connection is in contact with the barbeque 16 to retain it in the desired position.

Each side of the container 12 is provided with a recess 20 forming an aperture and additional apertures 22 through which air can flow into the open base of the container 12, upwardly through the grid or lattice 18, through the fuel 14 supported thereon, and out of the open top of the container 12 producing a chimney effect facilitating ignition of the fuel 14.

The sides of the container 12 are formed of a heat resistant material such as, for example, sheet metal and the grid or lattice 18 is formed of metal mesh or wire.

A handle connection bracket 24 is formed on one or more of the sides of the container 12 to enable a handle 26 to be attached thereto by means of which the container 12 can be raised to allow the ignited fuel 14 to be discharged through the open base of the container 12, the grid or lattice 18 pivoting downwardly as the container 12 is raised clear of the barbeque 16.

The sides of the container 12 are pivotally1 foldably, or releasably secured together to enable the container 12 either to be folded flat or to be dismantled for ease of storage or transportation. The pivotable, foldable, or releasable connections of the sides of the container 12 incorporate additional air inlets 28 spaced-apart over the height of the container to allow the ingress of additional air to the upper layers of fuel 14.

Referring now particularly to Figure 3 of the drawings, the container 12 is formed of a plurality of standard sections 30. Each section 30 is provided with a fold line 32 to enable the two halves of the section 30 to be folded to form two walls of the container 12 and a container 12 having a single length of wall is formed from two of the sections 30. One edge of each section 30 is provided with tabs 34 which are inserted into corresponding holes 36 in the opposite edge of a corresponding section 30 and folded over to for a connection.

Where a larger size of container 12 is required the container 12 is formed by connecting together more than two Sections 30 thus allowing the container 12 to have walls of a length equal to any desired multiple of halves of each section 30.

The fold line 32 of each section 30 includes apertures 38 extending over a substantial part of the height of the assembled container 12 with connections of small width therebetween to facilitate folding. The apertures 38 provide the additional air inlets 28. The tabs 34 are also formed with a step so that when the tabs 34 are inserted into the holes 36, a space forming the additional air inlet 28 is left between the connected edges of the sections 30.

In operation, when the fuel 14 in the assembled container 12 is ignited at the bottom, air flows upwardly through the container 12. This air flow causes a chinney effect facilitating rapid ignition of the lower layers of fuel 14. Where the walls of the container 12 are impermeable the ignition of the upper layers of fuel 14 is inhibited due the presence of carbon monoxide and the supply of additional air through the additional air inlets 28 facilitates the rapid ignition of the upper layers of fuel 14.

In a modification, where the fuel is of a suitably large particulate size to permit adequate air flow into the base of the container 12 through the recesses 20 and apertures 22, the grid or lattice can be dispensed with.

In a further modification, where the container is not designed to be re-usable, the container is formed of a combustible material, such as cardboard, which may be treated with a flame retardant substance to ensure a sufficient container life for all of the fuel 14 therein to be ignited. As the lower layer of fuel 14 ignites and reaches the desired temperature1 the combustible material burns through allowing the ingress of additional air to the upper layers of fuel 14 to facilitate rapid ignition thereof.

The container may also be formed of a laminate of combustible material such as cardboard and a metal foil.

The cardboard may be disposed on the internal surface and the metal foil on the external surface or vice versa.

Alternatively, the cardboard can be sandwiched between two layers of metal foil.

The laminate is designed to melt and collapse when the charcoal reaches the desired temperature to allow the ingress of additional air to the upper layers of fuel 14 and to then automatically release the ignited charcoal from the container thus enabling the grid or lattice to be dispensed with.

The container can conveniently be supplied as a blank which is then folded into shape and the two free ends secured together by providing a trapezium shaped cut out in one end and a complementary trapezium shaped projection in the other end. The blank is also provided with perforated sections enabling the air inlets to be pressed out when the container is being assembled. In addition, the blank can be supplied folded in half so as to form the packaging within which additional folded container blanks can be secured thereby obviating the need for separate packaging.

In another modification1 the container charged with solid fuel can be supplied as a fuel cartridge and one or more fire lighters can be incorporated into the base thereof to enable initial ignition to be effected.

It will be appreciated that although the fuel container or fuel cartridge is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with barbeques or the like, it can be used for other purposes, for example, as a temporary or portable cooking unit with a cooking utensil located on the top of the container, without departing from the scope of this invention.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A fuel container for housing solid fuel comprising an upright container having an open top, an open or openable base1 an air inlet at or adjacent to the base of the container, and side walls for inducing air flow through the ignited fuel in the container from the base to the top thereof to produce a chimney effect and facilitate ignition of the fuel therein, characterised in that the side walls are not impermeable during the entire ignition process.

2. A fuel container according to Claim 1, further characterised in that the container is provided with additional air inlet means to allow the ingress of additional air from the exterior of the container between the base and the top thereof.

3. A fuel container according to Claim 2, further characterised in that the additional air inlet means comprises air inlets at spaced-apart locations over the height of the side walls of the container.

4. A fuel container according to any one of the preceding claims1 further characterised in that the container has air permeable fuel retaining means extending across the interior thereof at a point adjacent to but spaced-apart above the base.

5. A fuel container according to Claim 4, further characterised in that the retaining means comprises a grid or lattice.

6. A fuel container according to Claim 5, further characterised in that the grid or lattice is pivotally connected to one side of the container so as to be capable of pivoting downwardly when the container is lifted upwardly to release the ignited fuel from the base thereof.

7. A fuel container according to any one of the preceding claims1 further characterised in that connection means is provided on the external surface of one or more of the sides of the container for enabling handle means to be attached thereto to facilitate lifting of the container during discharge of the ignited fuel therefrom.

8. A fuel container according to any one of the preceding claims1 further characterised in that the sides of the container are pivotally foldably, or releasably connected together to enable the container to be either folded flat or dismantled to facilitate storage or transportation.

9. A fuel container according to Claim 8, further characterised in that the additional air inlet means is incorporated in the pivotal, foldable, or releasable connections of the sides of the container.

10. A fuel container according to any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the container is formed of sections each of which forms one, two, three or more sides of the container to enable a container of variable area to be formed from standard sections.

11. A fuel container which is to be re-usable according to any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the container is formed of a heat resistant material, such as sheet metal.

12. A fuel container which is not re-usable according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, further characterised in that the container is formed of a material which either melts or burns when the fuel therein has reached the desired temperature so as to allow the ingress of additional air to the layers of fuel which have not reached said temperature to facilitate rapid ignition thereof.

13. A fuel container according to Claim 12, further characterised in that the container is formed of combustible material, such as cardboard, which is treated with a flame retardant composition.

14. A fuel container according to Claim 12, further characterised in that the container is formed of a laminate having combustible material on the internal surface of the container and a heat resistant material on the external surface which melts or burns at the desired temperature of the ignited fuel.

15. A fuel container according to Claim 14, further characterised in that the laminate is formed of paper or card having a layer of metal foil such as, aluminium foil, thereon.

16. A fuel cartridge comprising a container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the container has a charge of solid fuel housed therein.

17. A fuel cartridge according to Claim 16, further characterised in that the solid fuel within the container is charcoal.

18. A fuel cartridge according to Claim 16 or Claim 17, further characterised in that fuel lighting means is disposed in the base of the container below the solid fuel.

19. A fuel cartridge according to Claim 18, further characterised in that the fuel lighting means comprises one or more fire lighters or the like.

20. A fuel container constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.

21. A fuel cartridge constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described.