GB2461403A

GB2461403A - Barbecue with folding A frame arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2461403A
Application number: GB0911625A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Robert Gaze; Terrance William Gander; Angus Davidson
Original assignee: Plum Products Ltd
Current assignee: Plum Products Ltd
Priority date: 2008-07-03
Filing date: 2009-07-03
Publication date: 2010-01-06
Also published as: GB0812176D0; WO2010001133A1; GB0911625D0

Abstract

A portable barbecue with an A-frame form adapted to stand upright on a supporting surface. Front 2 and rear 1 panels are coupled together at or adjacent their first ends 3 and 4 so that respective second ends 5 and 6 may stand on the supporting surface at positions spaced from each other. A basket 10 adapted to support heating elements selected from solid fuel, gas burners and electric elements is supported between the panels at a first height. A grill 18 is supported in use at least by the rear panel 1 at a second height above the first height. The panels 1 and 2 may be hingedly coupled, there may be an opening 7 in the front panel 2 to access the food, the basket 10 may rest on a cross piece 9 and have a section that is wider than the opening for it, there may be an ash tray and fire box arrangement and the second height may be chosen from a plurality of heights.

Description

BARBECUE

This disclosure relates to barbecues.

Barbecues may be provided as permanent structures for grilling food out of doors or as portable structures to be brought out when the weather permits. Most such portable barbecues are substantial wheeled structures that pose a storage problem when not being used.

The present disclosure adopts a different approach aimed to allow the barbecue to be stored in a minimum of space when not required.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a portable barbecue of generally A-frame form adapted to stand upright on a supporting surface, and comprising: a front panel and a rear panel, each having a first end and a second end, and being coupled together at or adjacent their first ends so that their respective second ends may stand on the supporting surface at positions spaced from each other; a basket adapted to serve as an ash can for solid fuel or for supporting heating elements selected from solid fuel, gas burners and electric elements, the basket being adapted to be supported between the front and rear panels at a first height above the supporting surface; and a grill for supporting food to be cooked on the barbecue, the grill being arranged to be supported at least by the rear panel at a second height above the supporting surface, the second height being higher than the first.

Preferred embodiments have one or more of the following features: The second height is selectable between a plurality of second heights. The front and rear panels are hingedly coupled. Alternatively, the first ends slot together. The front panel defmes an opening for access by a user to food cooking in the barbecue, the opening being bounded by side portions of the front panel and a cross-piece that joins the side portions adjacent the second end of the front paneL A rear portion of the basket is coupled to the rear panel, and a forward portion of the basket is adapted to be supported by the cross-piece of the front panel. The basket comprises a basket proper and the said forward portion, the basket proper having a width less than that of the said opening from one side to the other, and said forward portion both resting upon said cross-piece in use of the barbecue and extending forwardly thereof, said forward portion having a width greater than that of said opening. The basket has a rear portion hingedly coupled to the rear panel. The basket may be pivoted from a use position in which its forward portion is supported on the cross-piece to a stored position in which the forward portion confronts an extended portion of the rear panel beyond positions where the front and rear panels are hingedly coupled. The barbecue is adapted to burn solid fuel, the basket serves as an ash can, and a fire box is provided to hold charcoal for burning, the fire box being adapted to be supported from the rear panel at a height above the basketiash can, the bottom of the fire box being apertured to allow ash to fall into the ash can. The fire box is detachable from the rear panel and dimensioned to fit within the volume defined by the basket. The second height is selectable between a plurality of second heights. The grill is supported by grooves formed in the side portions of the front panel.

Preferred embodiments of barbecue are described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. I is an overall perspective view of a first embodiment of barbecue; Fig. 2 shows the barbecue of Fig. 1 in fully collapsed condition; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the barbecue of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the barbecue of Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the barbecue of Figs. 1, 3 and 4; Fig. 6 is an overall perspective view of a second embodiment of barbecue; Fig. 7 is a rear view of the barbecue of Fig. 6 with the grill and fire box removed; Fig. 8 is scrap view illustrating how the firebox is supported from the rear panel; Fig. 9 shows the barbecue of Figs. 6, 7 and 8 in collapsed condition for storage; and Fig. 10 illustrates packing of the collapsed barbecue of Fig. 9 into a carry case..

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the first illustrated embodiment of barbecue is of generally A-frame form, comprising a rear panel 1 and a front panel 2, upper end portions 3 and 4 of which are coupled together so that lower end portions 5 and 6 are spaced apart so that the barbecue may stand on a supporting surface, such as the ground, with its rear panel 1 standing substantially vertically. In this case upper end 4 of the front panel is hingedly coupled to the rear panel. However, it will readily be understood that the two panels may be formed so that they slot together. Front panel 2 is substantially open, defining an opening 7 bounded by side portions 8 and a cross-piece 9.

A basket 10, here a fire basket for solid fuel such as barbecue charcoal, the basket being provided with through openings 11 for air to reach the fuel and for ash to fall through, is supported between the front and rear panels. It will be readily appreciated that a gas burner or an electric element could be substituted for solid fuel with appropriate modification to basket 10. Basket 10 is formed as a basket proper 12 with a front wall 13, a rear wall 14 adapted for facial contact with the rear panel as shown in Fig. 5, and side walls 15 spaced from each other by slightly less than the distance between the side portions 8 of the front panel so that the basket can be inserted through opening 7 into position. It may be formed with projections or detents, not show in the drawings, adapted to marry with location means on the rear panel. Basket proper 12 is integrally formed with a handle portion 16 with a through opening 17 providing a hand grip.

Wire grill 18 is provided with a detachable wire handle 19, and has a width greater than the distance between side portions 8. By providing spaced notches 20 in the side portions, the grill can be located at a selected height above the basket 10. Grill 18 has extensions 21 that marry with respective openings 22 formed through rear panel 1.

The uppermost end of rear panel 1 is formed with a handle portion 23 of similar dimensions to basket handle portion 16, and with a similar hand grip opening 24. When the grill panel and basket are removed and the A-frame collapsed to bring the front and rear panels into facial contact, as shown in Fig. 2, the basket 10 may be placed on top of the collapsed A-frame with its basket proper between the side portions 8 and the two handle portions 16 and 23 in facial contact.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the rear panel 1 is formed with a shallow well 25, into which the removed grill 18 is adapted to be accommodated with its extensions 21 fitting into extensions 26 of well 25 formed along its upper edge 27.

The front and rear panels and the basket may be formed as metal castings. As shown at 28, the supplier's Trademark may be formed in the casting by through openings in front panel 2 defming letter silhouettes.

Turning now to the second embodiment of barbecue illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10 of the accompanying drawings. It will be seen that in many respects it is similar to the first described embodiment. Where feasible like reference numerals are employed for like parts.

It will be seen that in this embodiment, the handles are omitted, thereby reducing the danger that a user may be tempted to move the erect barbecue while hot by grasping the handle 24 of the rear panel of the first described embodiment.

While the use of a basket 10 as a support for heating elements, as in the first described embodiment is entirely satisfactory when those elements comprise gas burners or electrical elements, when solid fuel is employed, there will be an accumulation of ash over time, and the efficiency of the burning solid fuel will be reduced unless the ash can be removed. Providing apertures in the bottom of the basket 10 will allow ash to fall out of the basket on to the support surface on which the barbecue stands. There is a danger that hot ashes may cause a fire in the countryside or in a garden if the barbecue simply stands on the ground. If the barbecue is supported on a table, damage to the table may result from hot ashes.

The second embodiment of barbecue illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10 has been developed to overcome these potential problems. In this embodiment, basket 10 serves as an ash can with a solid base to catch any ash falling through apertures in the base of a separate firebox 29 arranged to be supported above the basket/ash can 10 and below the grill 18.

Firebox 29 may have a grill 30 forming its top surface, charcoal being placed within the firebox and the grill 30 being placed over the charcoal before it is lit. The width of the firebox is less than the width of opening 7 and is supported only by rear panel 1. To this end, as shown in Fig. 8, firebox 29 is provided with tabs 31 adapted to pass through apertures 32 in rear panel 1 and to slot over the edge of those apertures. Firebox 29 is dimensioned so that, when detached from rear panel I, it may be accommodated within the volume defined by basket/ash can 10.

To reduce the overall height of the second embodiment of barbecue, the grill positions defined for the food grill 18 are significantly nearer the top of the barbecue than in the first embodiment. Although the grill could in theory just be supported from the rear panel, for example by employing tabs similar to tabs 31, additional support in notches 20 in the side portions 8 of the front panel is preferred. To provide better stability for the grill in notches 20, the front panel 2 is cranked or offset forwardly by distance piece 33 integral with the front panel.

Basket/ash can 10 of this embodiment has an integrally formed forward portion 34 which is supported on cross-piece 9 in a manner similar to that of handle 16 of basket 10 of the first described embodiment. Rear portion 35 of basket/ash can 10 is hingedly coupled to rear panel i, so that, when the barbecue is no longer hot, the basket/ash can 10 may be pivoted from the operative position shown in Fig. 6 to a stored position shown in Fig. 9, in which forward portion 34 of the basket/ash can confronts an extension 36 of rear panel 1 beyond the hinged connection between the front and rear panels. In the stored condition shown in Fig. 9, in which the spacing between the lower end portions 5 and 6 of the front and rear panels is also reduced by pivoting the front panel relative to the rear panel, the collapsed barbecue may readily be slipped into a carry case 37, as shown in Fig. 10.

Claims

Claims 1. A portable barbecue of generally A-frame form adapted to stand upright on a supporting surface, and comprising: a front panel and a rear panel, each having a first end and a second end, and being coupled together at or adjacent their first ends so that their respective second ends may stand on the supporting surface at positions spaced from each other; a basket adapted to serve as an ash can for solid fuel or for supporting heating elements selected from solid fuel, gas burners and electric elements, the basket being adapted to be supported between the front and rear panels at a first height above the supporting surface; and a grill for supporting food to be cooked on the barbecue, the grill being arranged to be supported at least by the rear panel at a second height above the supporting surface, the second height being higher than the first.
2. A portable barbecue according to Claim I, wherein the front and rear panels are hingedly coupled.
3. A portable barbecue according to Claim 1, wherein the first ends slot together.
4. A portable barbecue according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the front panel defmes an opening for access by a user to food cooking in the barbecue, the opening being bounded by side portions of the front panel and a cross-piece that joins the side portions adjacent the second end of the front panel.
5. A portable barbecue according to Claim 4, wherein a rear portion of the basket is coupled to the rear panel, and a forward portion of the basket is adapted to be supported by the cross-piece of the front panel.
6. A portable barbecue according to Claim 5, wherein the basket comprises a basket proper and said forward portion, the basket proper having a width less than that of the said opening from one side to the other, and said forward portion both resting upon said cross-piece in use of the barbecue and extending forwardly thereof, said forward portion having a width greater than that of said opening.
7. A portable barbecue according to preceding Claim, wherein the basket has a rear portion hingedly coupled to the rear panel.
8. A portable barbecue according to Claim 1, wherein the front and rear panels are coupled together by a hinged connection between the first end of the front panel and the rear panel at a position adjacent to but separated from the first end of the rear panel, whereby the rear panel defmes an extended portion thereof that extends beyond the first end of the front panel; wherein the front panel defines an opening for access by a user to food cooking in the barbecue, the opening being bounded by side portions of the front panel and a cross-piece that joins the side portions adjacent the second end of the front panel; wherein a rear portion of the basket is hingedly coupled to the rear panel, and a forward portion of the basket is arranged to be supported by the cross-piece of the front panel in use of the barbecue; and wherein the basket comprises a basket proper and said forward portion, the basket proper having a width less than that of the said opening from one side to the other, and said forward portion both resting upon said cross-piece in use of the barbecue and extending forwardly thereof, said forward portion having a width greater than that of said opening; whereby the basket may be pivoted from a use position in which its forward portion is supported on the cross-piece to a stored position in which the forward portion confronts the said extended portion of the rear panel.
9. A portable barbecue according to any preceding Claim adapted to burn solid fuel, wherein the basket is adapted to serve as an ash can; the barbecue further comprising a fire box adapted to hold charcoal for burning, the fire box being adapted to be supported from the rear panel at a height above the ash can, the bottom of the fire box being apertured to allow ash to fall into the ash can.
10. A portable barbecue according to Claim 9, wherein the fire box is detachable from the rear panel and dimensioned to fit within the volume defmed by the basket
11. A portable barbecue according to any preceding Claim, wherein the second height is selectable between a plurality of second heights.
12. A portable barbecue according to Claim 4, wherein the grill is supported both by a locating aperture in the rear panel into which a portion of the grill is adapted to be inserted and by grooves formed in the side portions of the front panel.
13. A portable barbecue substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. ito 5 or Figs. 6 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.