GB2479192A

GB2479192A - A Barbecue

Info

Publication number: GB2479192A
Application number: GB1005554A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph O'connell; Stewart O'connell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-04-01
Filing date: 2010-04-01
Publication date: 2011-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2030-04-01
Also published as: GB201005554D0; GB2479192B

Abstract

A gas fuelled barbecue includes a hood 120 having a window 130 defined therein. The window may be mounted to an interior surface of the hood using, for example, a combination of brackets and / or elastomeric sealants and may be curved. The barbecue is configured to provide an air wash system for a manipulation of a flow or air to keep smoke and grease away from the window. An air gap 140 may be provided and the cold air 150 that is drawn in through the air gap is forced along the interior surface of the hood and passes proximal to the window. The air then passes out of the top of the hood 120 through one or more vents provided in an upper rear surface of the hood.

Description

A barbecue

Field

The invention relates to barbecues and in particular to gas fuelled barbecues

Background

With the growth in the enjoyment of the outdoors more and more people are turning to their gardens and using them as an outdoor room.

The use of gas fuelled barbecues which are used to cook in the outdoors is well known. Such barbecues typically provide a housing having a base portion within which the burner elements are located. A grill is provided over the burner and food is then cooked on that grill.

Typically such barbecues also employ a hood may be pivotably opened to provide access to the grill. As the barbecue is used outdoors and to ensure adequate and efficient cooking this hood is typically provided in a closed configuration so as to maintain the heat generated by the burner elements within the environment of the food. However, it is also important to ensure that the food is cooking properly, which has traditionally required a repeated opening of the hood. This results in the loss of heat each time the hood is opened, thereby delaying the cooking process.

To address this problem it has been known to provide a window in the hood to allow the user to view the food cooking without having to open the hood.

However problems associated with use of such a window include the fact that over extended use of the barbecue the window may be come stained or otherwise dirtied thereby reducing the visibility through to the food. This typically arises because the window is in close proximity to the vapours emitted by the food and any spitting during the cooking process. Over extended periods this staining may be such as to make the window non-transparent.

There is therefore a continued need to allow a user to view the food cooking without having to open the hood.

Summary

Accord ingly these and other problems are addressed by a barbecue in accordance with present invention as defined in claim 1 with further advantageous features being provided in the dependent claims.

These and other features of the present invention will be better understood with reference to the following drawing.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view from the front of portion of a barbecue according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the drawings.

The invention will now be described with reference to an exemplary embodiment thereof which are provide to illustrate the type of structure that may be provided in accordance with the teachings of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention in any way except as may be deemed necessary in the light of the appended claims.

Figure 1 shows an upper portion of a barbecue 100 in accordance with the present teaching. Other components of the barbecue are as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art and are not all shown. The cooking portion includes a sink 110 within which at least one burner element may be provided. The burner is configured, in use, to be in fluid communication with a bottle of gas through the use of rubber tubing connecting the burner with the gas supply, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Control of the flow of gas from the bottle to the burner is provided by a control knob 101 located on an exterior face 102 of the cooking portion. Two side panels 103 are provided on either side of the cooking portion and in use provide accessory surfaces for a user to utilise during the cooking process. The side panels are desirably removably mountable to the barbecue. The cooking portion is mounted on a plurality of legs 104.

A hood 120 is pivotably mounted to the sink. The hood has a handle 125 that allows a user to lift the hood upwardly and pivot it towards the rear of the barbecue to provide access to an interior volume of the barbecue where a grill is located on which food may be placed and cooked.

In this exemplary configuration the hood is provided having a curved top surface 126 within which a window 130 is provided. The window is desirably mounted to an interior surface of the hood using for example a combination of formed brackets within the hood structure and/or elastomeric sealants. The window needs to be fabricated using a heat resistant material such as tempered glass or a heat resistant plastic material. Similarly, the means for securing the window to the hood needs to be capable of withstanding the temperatures that will be operationally encountered within the interior of the barbecue. By using a sealant it is possible to obviate any gas escaping between the edge formed by the window and the hood.

The window is desirably also curved to allow it to adopt the contours of the curved hood. The use of a flexible sealant to secure the window to the hood is also advantageous in that it allows for compensation in any mis-match in the curved form of the window and the hood.

The curved viewing window 130 allows the barbecue user to see the progress of their food cooking while keeping the hood in the down position, thus maintaining the BBQ roasting effect. To address problems associated with previous attempts to provide windows including complaints that the window gets greasy and dirty very quickly and is unattractive and ineffective as it cannot be seen through, the present inventors have configured the barbecue to provide an air-wash system which directs air over an interior surface of the window thereby preventing contact of the window with the grease and other dirt elements that are generated during cooking.

In accordance with the present teaching incorporation of an air-wash system provides for a manipulation of a flow of air to keep the smoke and grease created by the barbecuing away from the window.

As shown in Figure 1, an air-gap 140 is provided between a lower front surface 128 of the hood 120 and an upper front surface 115 of the sink 110.

Thjs air-gap may be provided by having the hood project forwardly of the sink or by providing one or more vents in this region to allow air to enter into the interior volume of the barbecue. The lower front surface 128 is substantially level with the grill within the barbecue sink and by providing an air-gap in this location between the front of the hood and the sink air 150 is drawn into the barbecue cooking volume. It will be appreciated that this draw of air is accentuated by the hot air within the barbecue resultant from the cooking process.

The cold air 150 that is drawn in through the air gap is forced along the interior surface of the hood and passes proximal to the window. This passage of air 151 passed the window 130 provides screen of air 151 rushing along the inside of the hood/window that prevents the smoke from the barbecue tarnishing it and in effect keeps the window clean and clear.

The air then passes out of the top of the hood 120 through one or more vents provided in the upper rear surface of the hood. These vents provide a dual function in that they allow the cooking emissions to exit but also define the exit chimney of the air wash and out the back at the top vents. Again, the hot air inside the barbecue body operably forces the air-wash air along the top of the hood and out the vents at the back where it exits upwardly as an air stream 152.

As has been described already the hood is configured to be moveable to cover the cooking portion. Such movement of the hood may be achieved, as discussed previously by the use of hinges or could for example be a completely removable item that is placed separately from the barbecue when not required. The hood may further include a second grill which can be used to store food before and after the cooking process.

It will be understood that what has been described herein are exemplary embodiments of a gas fuelled barbecue. By providing an air wash system within the hood it is possible to prevent build up of dirt and grease on a window provided within the hood. As a result of this reduction in the grease, it is therefore possible to view food cooking through the window for longer periods without having to repeatably clean the window. While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiments of an air vent provided to the front of the hood providing an influx of air into the cooking volume, passed the window prior to escaping through vents positioned high at the back of the hood, it will be appreciated that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present teaching. What is important is that means for providing a flow of air along an inside surface of the hood proximal to the window is provided, that flow or air creating an air wash effect.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended that the invention be limited in any way except as may be deemed necessary in the light of the appended claims.

The words comprises/comprising when used in this specification are to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

Claims

Claims.1. A bottle gas fuelled barbecue comprising: a sink within which a gas burner is located, a hood co-operable with the sink to define a cooking volume within which food may be cooked and wherein the hood comprises a window, the window operably allowing a viewing of cooking food within the cooking volume, the barbecue further comprising means for providing a flow of air along an inside surface of the hood proximal to the window, the flow or air creating an air wash effect against the window.
2. The barbecue of claim 1 wherein the hood and sink operably meet at a front portion of the barbecue, the means for providing a flow of air comprises an air access point provided at that front portion.
3. The barbecue of claim 2 wherein the hood or sink define a plurality of vents at the front portion to allow an ingress of air into the cooking volume.
4. The barbecue of claim 2 wherein the hood projects forwardly of the sink at the front portion of the barbecue so as to provide an air gap between the two in this region.
5. The barbecue of any preceding claim wherein the hood comprises at least one vent in an upper region thereof, the vent allowing an escape of air out from the cooking volume.
6. The barbecue of any preceding claim wherein the hood and window each comprise a curved surface
7. The barbecue of any preceding claim wherein the window is coupled to the hood using an elastomeric sealant to prevent escape of air out through any gaps between surfaces of the hood and the window.
8. A barbecue substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.