GB2380542A

GB2380542A - Cooking grill apparatus having angled burners

Info

Publication number: GB2380542A
Application number: GB0120199A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Anthony Gaunt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-20
Filing date: 2001-08-20
Publication date: 2003-04-09
Also published as: GB0120199D0

Abstract

A cooking grill apparatus has at least one pair of burners 38, each burner or burner pair is angled towards the other burner such that the heat footprints overlap to distribute heat evenly across a cooking area. Each burner may include an elongate sheet-metal hood 40 with closed ends, a gas inlet 44 with an associated venturi for mixing air, and a rectangular ceramic plaque or grid 42 located to enclose the underside of the burner hood. The apparatus may also include a chimney 48, a casing having fabricated side sections 20 and outer panels 12,14,16,18, and cast internal walls 22. Air may flow between the inner walls and outer panels. Gas controls (46 fig 1) may also be included, located where the air flow between panels can keep them cool. The internal walls may include horizontal ribs 24 for supporting a branding plate (26 fig 2) and carrier (25 fig 2). The branding plate may be of rectangular cast form and have one end culminating in a chevron shape which in use protrudes from the grill. Brackets (36 fig 1) may also be provided, as a pair, at the front of the casing to receive a channel shaped receptacle (34 fig 2) with closed ends. The receptacle may be used to collect juices from foodstuffs being cooked or warmed on the branding plate.

Description

Cooking grill apparatus The invention relates to a cooking grill apparatus, that is to say to a cooking apparatus of the kind for radiating heat downwards towards foodstuffs which are to be cooked or heated, The apparatus is primarily intended for use on commercial premises where it is important that an operator is given the greatest possible flexibility in operating the apparatus in order to maximise efficiency and ensure consistent results.

In any apparatus including a burner which radiates heat downwards upon a surface, there is produced a so-called heat footprint, that is to say a shape produced at said surface within which the heat produced is effective. However, the heat produced is not equally effective across the entire area of the footprint, the heating effect at the centre of the footprint being greater than that in the regions adjacent the perimeter of the footprint.

Apparatus of the kind referred to, and having two or more burners closely spaced and radiating heat downwards, is well known but suffers from a particular drawback, this being that the heat footprints of the respective burners, being arranged side by side, cause the heat produced to be not uniformly distributed across the width of the cooking area. It is therefore very difficult for an operator to maintain consistent results.

According to the invention, there is provided a cooking grill apparatus having at least one pair of burners, each burner of the or each pair of burners being angled towards the other burner such that the heat footprints of the two burners overlap each other so that the heat produced is more evenly distributed across the cooking area. Each burner may include an elongate sheet metal hood with closed ends, a rectangular ceramic plaque or grid located so as to close the open underside of said hood, and a gas venturi pipe in which gas and air can be mixed. There may be a chimney, or respective chimneys, centrally located between the or each pair of burners. Side sections of a casing of the apparatus may be constituted by fabricated outer panels and cast internal walls between which air can flow upwards into an upper region of the casing in which the at least one pair of burners is located. In this case, controls for regulating the flow of gas to the or each pair of burners may be located where the upward flow of air between the outer panels and the cast internal walls of the side sections of the casing can keep them cool. The cast internal walls may be provided with horizontal ribs for supporting a branding plate carrier which supports a branding plate on which foodstuffs can be placed in a selected position within the apparatus. There may be provided a pair of brackets projecting from the front of the casing to receive a channel shaped receptacle with closed ends, said receptacle being arranged to receive juices from foodstuffs being cooked or warmed on the branding plate. The branding plate will preferably be of rectangular cast form with one end culminating in a chevron shape which in use protrudes from the grill.

One way of carrying out the invention is described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate, by way of example only, one specific embodiment, in which :Figure 1 is a view of a cooking grill apparatus embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the addition of certain items, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus in an unfinished state but showing various internal fitments in dotted lines.

Referring now to the drawings, the cooking grill apparatus there illustrated has a metal casing, generally indicated 10, comprising a fabricated base section 12, a fabricated roof section 14, a fabricated rear wall 16, a fabricated front facia panel 18, and side sections which are constituted by fabricated outer panels 20,20 and cast internal walls 22,22. As shown, the cast internal walls are provided with a number of horizontal ribs 24 for supporting a branding plate carrier 25 which carries a socalled branding plate 26 of ribbed cast metal form on which foodstuffs can be placed in a selected position within the apparatus. The ribbing on the surface of the branding plate extends parallel to the sides of the plate as shown. A further point of note is that air flowing into a space beneath the apparatus through a series of slots 13 in the fabricated base section can flow upwards, through spaces formed between the outer panels 20,20 and the cast internal walls 22,22 of the side sections, into an upper region of the casing.

The branding plate carrier is provided with handles 28 which in use of the apparatus project outwards of the casing 10. In

addition, the branding plate carrier is provided with forwardly and rearwardly positioned pairs of outwardly projecting support pegs 30, only one of which is shown (in Figure 2).

When the apparatus is in use, an operative can insert the branding plate, on its carrier, through an aperture 32 in the front facia panel, selecting the required position and inclination of the branding plate by selectively positioning the forwardly located support pegs 30,30 between a particular pair of the horizontal ribs 24 aligned with an upper region of the aperture 32 and selectively positioning the rearwardly located support pegs 30,30 between a particular pair of the horizontal ribs 24 aligned with a lower region of said aperture. The branding plate is thus downwardly inclined from the rear to the front of the grill casing to an extent chosen by the operative and is of course re-adjustable from time to time. Also in Figure 2 there is shown to have been positioned a channel shaped receptacle 34 on a pair of brackets 36,36 which project from the front edge of the base section 12. A central portion of the rearward edge of the branding plate is shown to overlie the receptacle for a purpose which will presently be explained.

Referring now in particular to Figure 3, within the upper region of the casing 10 there are located two pairs of burners, generally indicated 38,38 arranged side by side and extending across the space between the fabricated rear wall 16 and the front facia panel 18 of said casing. As shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, each burner includes an elongate sheet metal hood 40 of substantially triangular cross sectional shape with closed ends, a rectangular plaque or grid 42 located so as to close the open

underside of the hood, and a gas inlet pipe 44, containing a venturi (not shown) by means of which, in operation of the apparatus, gas and air can be mixed within the hood and percolate through the plaque to be ignited externally of the burner.

Radiant heat produced by each plaque or grid 42 is directed downwards to heat whatever foodstuffs have been placed within the apparatus. However, it will be seen that the burners are not arranged to direct the heat vertically downwards but that each burner is angled towards the other. In this way the heat footprint of each burner is caused to overlap the other to at least some extent.

A removable part 19 of the front facia panel 18 (see Figures 1 and 2) gives direct access to thermo-couple flame safety devices (not shown) and facilitates further access to the burners.

Controls 46,46 on the front face of the casing (see Figures 1 and 2) are provided so that the volume of gas flowing to the two pairs of burners can be controlled selectively, that is to say one control regulating the flow of gas to one pair of burners and the other control regulating the flow of gas to the other pair of burners.

Referring again in particular to Figure 3, it will be seen that there are formed two chimneys 48,48 opening from the interior of the casing, said chimneys being centrally located between the respective pairs of burners 38,38. The cross sectional shapes of the chimneys are of relatively narrow width (being of a width similar to the spacing of the adjacent elongate edges of the burners beneath them) but of a length similar to the overall

length of each burner. In Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that the finished apparatus has been fitted with perforated and open ended baffle plates 50,50 which deter operatives from placing plates or other items over the chimneys.

In use of the apparatus, an operative has considerable flexibility in the way in which he cooks or heats the foodstuffs involved. He can, for example, operate the apparatus with both pairs of burners alight or with only one pair alight; if both pairs are alight he can operate them at the same level of heat output or he may operate one at a high heat output and the other at a relatively low heat output (perhaps for the purpose of cooking food located on one half of the branding plate and keeping hot already cooked food located on the other half of the branding plate). Throughout the operation of the apparatus, air which is drawn upwards between the outer panels 20 and the cast internal walls 22 serves to keep the outer panels and the controls 46,46 at a cool temperature. Air also flows across the foodstuffs on the branding plate and upwards between the respective pairs of burners to exit the apparatus through the chimneys 48,48. The angle of the burners, and the shape and the position of the chimneys greatly assists the immediate removal of the products of combustion and so improves the operatives view of the cooking area.

The fact that the branding plate is of cast metal construction causes heat from the burners to be stored in said plate so that to some extent the foodstuffs are cooked/kept warm by heat from said plate. The form of the ribbing on the branding plate causes juices from the foodstuffs to flow downwards and inwards of said

plate and to flow through a hole in said plate, the juices then being collected in the receptacle 34. (When meat is being cooked on the branding plate, the contents of the receptacle can be used for basting).

Thus there is provided a cooking grill apparatus in which each pair of burners produces a heat footprint in which the heat is more evenly distributed across the width of said footprint, that is to say across the cooking area beneath the pair of burners. It is, therefore, easier for an operative to maintain consistent results.

Various modifications may be made, and it will be understood that it will be possible to determine the optimum amount by which each burner of the or each pair of burners may be angled towards the other by trial and experiment. Similarly, an operator of the apparatus will, by continued use, gain experience of how the possible flexibility in operating the apparatus in order to maximise efficiency and ensure consistent results can best be achieved.

Claims

Claims 1. A cooking grill apparatus having at least one pair of burners, each burner of the or each pair of burners being angled towards the other burner such that the heat footprints of the two burners overlap each other so that the heat produced is evenly distributed across the cooking area
2. A cooking grill apparatus according to claim 1, in which each burner includes an elongate sheet metal hood with closed ends, a rectangular ceramic plaque or grid located so as to close the open underside of said hood, and a gas venturi pipe in which gas and air can be mixed.
3. A cooking grill apparatus according to either one of the preceding claims, in which there is a chimney, or respective chimneys, centrally located between the or each pair of burners.
4. A cooking grill apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which side sections of a casing of the apparatus are constituted by fabricated outer panels and cast internal walls between which air can flow upwards into an upper region of the casing in which the at least one pair of burners is located.
5. A cooking grill apparatus according to claim 4, in which controls for regulating the flow of gas to the or each pair of burners are located where the

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upward flow of air between the outer panels and the cast internal walls of the side sections of the casing can keep them cool.
6. A cooking grill apparatus according to either one of claims 4 and 5, in which the cast internal walls are provided with horizontal ribs for supporting a branding plate carrier which supports a branding plate on which foodstuffs can be placed in a selected position within the apparatus.
7. A cooking grill apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, in which there are provided a pair of brackets projecting from the front of the casing to receive a channel shaped receptacle with closed ends, said receptacle being arranged to receive juices from foodstuffs being cooked or warmed on the branding plate.
8. A cooking grill apparatus according to either one of claims 6 and 7, in which the branding plate is of rectangular cast form with one end culminating in a chevron shape which in use protrudes from the grill.
9. A cooking grill apparatus constructed, arranged and adapted to be used substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.