WO2003096856A1

WO2003096856A1 - A cooking assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2003096856A1
Application number: PCT/AU2003/000622
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jason Cameron Mckenzie
Original assignee: May, Robert, George
Priority date: 2002-05-22
Filing date: 2003-05-22
Publication date: 2003-11-27
Also published as: AU765383B1

Abstract

A cooking assembly (10) having a housing formed from at least two vertically aligned and engagable sections, the at least two sections including a base section (13) which in use contains a heat source and an upper section (15) defining an opening; the upper section (15) having a lower perimeter which is engagable with an upper perimeter of an adjacent section and when the sections are un-engaged, the upper section (15) can locate substantially within the base section (13); a lid (16) for sealing engagement with the opening; a baking zone intermediate the base section (13) and the opening whereby in use, food items can be placed in the baking zone directly above a heat source contained in the base section (13) and ventilation means for allowing gaseous exchange between the interior and exterior of the housing when the lid is engaged with the opening.

Description

A COOKING ASSEMBLY FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cooking and baking assembly and in particular, an assembly for outdoor cooking. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wood fired or gas operated cooking assemblies for outdoor use are well known in many different forms. The simplest form of cooking assemblies or barbeques are simple in construction and include a cooking plate mounted above a heat source such as a wood fire or gas flame. Such devices generally provide an adequate cooking surface for simple frying but cannot be used for baking. Further, when are in use, the flame of the gas burner or wood fire is exposed to the atmosphere. In fire sensitive areas and in particular native forest areas and National Parks, the presence of a naked flame can constitute a significant fire hazard. For this reason, cooking assemblies of this type are not permitted in many areas. One approach to address the fire risk problem has been to provide a cooking assembly having a housing, which is typically of brick construction. The housing contains a gas burner and supports a hot plate placed above the burner. In use, the flame is completely sealed from the atmosphere. However, these cookers also suffer from the limitation that they are only suitable for frying. In many cases, it is desirable to not only fry but to bake food.

Portable cookers that can be used for baking are also known. One type of cooker is often referred to as a "camp cooker" or "Dutch oven". Food to be baked or cooked is placed inside the cooker and a lid placed on the cooker. A fire is lit and allowed to die down to hot coals. The cooker containing the food is then placed on the coals. The requirement of an open fire to use these types of cookers is clearly unacceptable in the face of any fire risk.

Another type of cooker used for baking or roasting is often referred to as "kettle" cookers or barbeques. These cookers have a base section adapted to receive a heat source, a grill plate that can be placed above the heat source and a dome shaped lid. Baking in these types of cooking devices is conducted by what is often referred to as "indirect cooking". This typically involves providing two separate spaced heat sources in the base. The item to be baked is placed on the grill at a location above the area between the heat sources and the lid placed on the base. The reason for placing the food item vertically between the heat sources is to avoid burning the exterior of the baking item, which will occur if it is placed directly above the heat source(s).

It is also possible to fry food items with the kettle type cookers. In this case, the heat source is uniformly distributed over the base of the cooker and frying is carried out on the grill plate. It can be seen that it is not possible to both fry and bake at the same time using these devices. Still further, whilst in the "frying mode" the lid is not in place, which again can expose a fire to the atmosphere and this can constitute a fire hazard.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cooking assembly that may at least partially overcome the above disadvantages or provide the public with a useful or commercial choice. According to a broad form of the invention, there is provide a cooking assembly having a housing formed from at least two vertically aligned and engagable sections, the at least two sections including a base section which in use contains a heat source and an upper section having an opening; the upper section having a lower perimeter which is engagable with an upper perimeter of an adjacent section and when the sections are un-engaged, the upper section can locate substantially within the base section; a lid for sealing engagement with the opening; a baking zone intermediate the base and the opening whereby in use, food items can be placed in the baking zone directly above a heat source contained in the base and ventilation means for allowing gaseous exchange between the interior and exterior of the housing wen the lid is engaged with the opening. The housing of the assembly may be of any suitable shape. Typically the housing is substantially cylindrical. The housing is formed from at least two, typically three vertically interlocking sections. In this way, the sections can be separated from one another to allow dis-assembly for ease of transport. The upper section when unengaged is able to locate inside the base. For example, the upper section may have side walls moveable between an in use position and a storage position. Latch or locking means may be provided latching or locking the section in the in use position. Alternatively, the housing can comprise a number of frustoconical sections, which sections can be inverted so as to be able to fit into an adjacent section.

The overall size and the dimensions of the housing may be varied depending upon the amount, type or size of the food to be baked. For example, larger housings may be used for baking relatively large cuts or sides of meat. These larger assemblies may be used for catering purposes. Smaller housings may be used by single or light weight campers.

The housing is typically constructed from a rust resistant metallic material such as stainless steel.

The assembly includes a lid which in use seals the opening and can provide a substantially level cooking surface. Alternatively, or in addition, the cooking surface may include a plurality of raised ridges and troughs similar to those found of cooking surfaces known as "griddle" plates or irons. It will be appreciated that when the lid is in place, a heat source is contained within the housing, thereby reducing any fire risk. The lid may also include one or more openings and sealing means for such openings. The opening(s) are dimensioned such that when the sealing means is removed a kettle, saucepan, coffee maker or other cooking device may be placed over a respective opening. Intermediate the base and opening of the housing is a baking zone. The housing is typically dimensioned such that a food item when placed in the baking zone is spaced sufficiently from the heat source such that the food item can be placed directly above a heat source without excessive or undue burning. Typically the assembly includes food holding means within the baking zone. The food holding means may be in any suitable form such as a grill plate, open basket, rotisserie or closed basket which may be shaped to receive a fish or the like therein.

The heat source for use with the apparatus may be any suitable heat source. Preferred heat sources are wood, timber, or commercially available "barbeque fuels". Alternatively, the heat source may be a gas flame in combination with volcanic rocks which are heated by the flame. Such gas/rock combinations are known in the outdoor cooking art.

The assembly also includes ventilation means. Such means may be in the form of apertures such as holes, slots or the like in the housing wall. The ventilation means may also include one or more slots, holes or the like in the lid. Typically, the ventilation means includes at least two apertures located about the outer perimeter of the lid. In some cases any ventilation holes in the lid may also function as drainage holes for drainage of fats, cooking juices and the like. In this case, preferably, the holes direct any fats or coking juices into the interior of the housing.

The assembly may be adapted for indoor use by the provision of a flue for venting gases to an outside environment. Typically the flue is operatively associated with the lid. In this case, the lid is typically provided with a single ventilation hole for gaseous communication with the flue. Typically, the flue is removably engagable with the lid such that the assembly with flue can be disassembled for transport. Such an arrangement may be desirable for heating in a temporary shelter such as a tent or in situations where it is not necessary for a heating apparatus to be permanently installed in a dwelling, such as a weekend cottage or the like. Of course, it may be appreciated that the assembly may be permanently installed if desired. Typically, the lid is adapted so that when the lid is engaged with the flue, an operator can access the interior of the housing to place food therein cooking and for removing cooked food. Typically, the lid has a first section in communication with the flue which in use remains in place and a second section moveable between an open and a closed position. The second section may be hingedly connected to the first section or be formed separately therefrom.

In still a further embodiment of the invention, the assembly includes means for heating water. Typically the assembly includes a heat exchange member adapted to receive heat generated by the heat source. Typically the heat transfer member is in the form of one or more coils operatively associated with the base section. Typically the coils are located within the base section. The coils may be fluidly connected to a water source or reservoir. If desired, a water pump may be operatively associated with the assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 is a side view of a preferred assembly of the present invention, the lid of the assembly in place;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the assembly of Figure 1 without the lid; Figure 3 is a plan view of the lid of the assembly of Figurel ; Figure 4 is a side view of a base section of the assembly of Figure 1 ; Figure 5 is a side view of a middle section of the assembly of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a side view of the upper section of the device of Figure 1 ; Figure 7 is an isometric view of the assembly of Figure 1 in the storage position; Figure 8 is an isometric view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the assembly of Figure 1 and

Figure 9 is a side view showing the lid and flue of the assembly of Figure 1.

BEST METHOD OF PERFORMING THE INVENTION Figure 1 is a side view of a cooking assembly 10. The assembly 10 has an essentially cylindrical housing mounted on a stand 11 and having a base 13, middle 14 and upper 15 sections. The upper section 15 has an opening which can be sealed by a lid 16. The lid 16 has a pair of opposed handles 17, 18.

The base section 13 has opposed handles 19, 20 and an aperture 21 for receiving a gas burner, if desired.

The sections 13, 14 and 15 are removably engagable with respect to each other and this will be described in more detail below.

A rotisserie 22 is rotatably mounted within the upper section 15 of the housing. The upper section 15 has opposed vertical slots 23, 24 which receive the main arm 22a of the rotisserie. The rotisserie 22 may be seen more clearly in Figure 2. The rotisserie 22 has a handle portion 25 connected to main arm 22a, which allows manual turning thereof. The handle 26 has a gripping portion 27 made from a heat resistant material such as wood.

The assembly also includes a pair of food baskets 28, 29 located within upper section 15. The food baskets 28, 29 are removably mounted to the wall of the upper section 15 by means of a pair of projecting arms 30, 31 which locate in a respective pair of slots 32, located in upper section 15. In use, the baskets may hold items such as vegetables or the like. Handle members 33 which can engage arms 30, 31 of a respective basket 28, 29 may be provided to enable a user to remove hot baskets from the assembly upon completion of cooking.

Figure 3 shows a plan view of the assembly with the lid 16 in place. The lid is formed from a circular piece of hardened steel. Drainage holes 34 are located near the outer edge of the lid 16. The lid is slightly convex such that fat is directed away from the centre of the lid towards the drainage holes 34. In use these holes permit drainage of fat into the interior of the housing. The holes 34 also function as ventilation holes.

Figure 4 shows the base 13 which will now be described in more detail. The base 13 has an aperture 21 through which a gas hose for a gas burner located within the base 13 may pass. It will be appreciated that provision of a gas burner is at the option of a user. The aperture 21 may be adequate to allow air to be drawn into the base. Additional ventilation holes (not shown) may be provided if desired. A perforated support plate 35 is supported by inwardly facing tabs 36. In use, the support plate 35 can support volcanic rocks or the like which are used in association with the gas burner. If a gas burner is used, preferably a drip tray 9 is placed on plate 35 so as to protect the gas burner from cooking juices. Alternatively, the support plate 35 can support barb-b- cue fuel. Where the heat source is a combustible fuel such as wood, the fuel is typically placed on the floor 38 of the base 13. The base 13 may include a trap door or the like (not shown) to allow access to a fire located therein during use.

The base 13 has an upper perimeter 39. L shaped guides 40 are located near perimeter 39. The guides 40 receive a lower edge of the middle section in a manner which will be described below.

The base 13 also includes two opposed external latches, 41 , 42, the purpose of which will be discussed below. Figure 5 shows the middle section 14 of the housing The middle section 14 has an outer diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of the base 13 such that the lower edge portion 43 thereof can locate within the upper perimeter 39 of the base and be supported by L shaped guides 40. Section 14 has a vertical seam 44 and an associated latch 45 which in use can latch opposed edges 46, 47of the seam 44 together. When the latch 45 is released, the edges may be separated and overlapped which enables the section to be partially coiled and placed within base 13.

Figure 6 shows the upper section 15. This section is similar to middle section 14 in that it has an open side seam 48 associated with a latch 49. When the latch 49 is in the released position, the edges of the seam 48 may be separated and overlapped so that this section may also be stored inside the base 13. L shaped guides 50 are located adjacent the upper perimeter thereof which can support the lid 16. In use, the lower edge portion of the upper section 15 is received and supported by L shaped guides 51 located adjacent the upper perimeter of the middle section 14. The upper perimeters and associated guides 40, 51 of both the base 13 and middle 14 sections are also dimensioned to allow the lid 16 to fit on either one thereof. This allows for flexibility in cooking. For example if the only form of cooking desired is frying, the lid may be placed on either the base 13 or middle sections 14.

Figure 7 shows the assembly 10 when the respective sections have been disengaged and the upper 15 and middle 14 sections are stored within the base 13 section. It may be seen that the assembly in this position is compact and may easily be carried by the handles 19, 20 on the base section 13. Stand 11 may be inverted so that the base 13 may be placed inside the inverted stand 11. The purpose of latches 41 , 42 may now be appreciated. These latches releasbly latch the lid 16 to the base 13 when in the storage position. Still further, the baskets 28, 29, handles 33, plate 35 and drip tray 9 are all able to be placed within the base section 13 in the storage position. The ability to store all these components in this manner is facilitated by the ability of the middle 14 and upper 15 sections to be manipulated when in the free or open position. In use a wood fire for example is built and lit in the base section 13 of the assembly 10. Alternatively a gas burner may be placed in the base 13. The middle 14 and top 15 sections are then placed in turn on the base 13. An item to be baked is placed on the rotisserie 22 and if desired the baskets 28, 29, holding vegetables or the like are placed in the top section 15. The lid 16 is then placed on the top section 15. It can be seen that with the lid 16 in place, the heat source and any flame is contained completely within the housing. This significantly reduces a fire risk. Still-further it can be seen that the assembly 10 may be used to both bake and fry at the same time. Saucepans or kettles may also be placed on the lid 16.

Figure 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the assembly of Figure 1. The same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same features. The assembly of Figure 8 is essentially the same as that of Figure 1 except for the construction of the lid 60 and the presence of a flue 61. The lid 60 has a hinge 62 which separates the lid into a minor stationary section 63 and a major section 64. A handle 65 is connected to the major section 64 so that that section may be raised to allow access to the interior of the housing so that food basket -28 and rotisserie 22 may be placed in position and/or removed from the housing.

The minor section 63 has a collar 66, which may be seen in Figure 9, for receiving the lower end 67 of flue 61. The lower end 66 of flue 61 is telescopic such that it may be slidably received within the flue body. In use, an operator can simply raise the lower end so that the lid is disengaged from the flue61 to allow the remainder of the assembly to be removed from its position beneath the flue. The present inventor believes that food baked in the assembly 10 of the invention has a superior flavour when compared to food cooked by conventional baking methods.

In use, it has been observed that when cooking with wood or barbecue type fuels, fats and cooking juices from meat on the rotisserie falls directly onto the fire. The fats and juices are then burnt. Whilst not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the burning fats and juices add flavour and also can simultaneously lead to a steaming effect on the food being cooked. If desired, flavour enhancers such as aromatic leaves or smoking chips may be placed on the heat source. It can be appreciated that such direct dripping of fats and cooking juices onto a heat source is not possible with conventional "kettle" style of cookers.

It may also be seen that when frying on the lid 16, fats and cooking juices pass though the drainage holes to the interior of the housing and may also fall onto the heat source and be burnt. Burning of the fats and cooking juices also facilitates clean up of the assembly after use as compared to conventional types of cookers where fats may not be burnt and thus accumulate on surfaces of the cooker and must be cleaned therefrom; Still further, this allows the fats and juices to be completely contained within the housing.

Still further, it may be seen that it is not possible for hot juices, fats, embers and the like to pass from the interior to the exterior of the housing. In this way, the assembly is completely contained and the risk of a fire hazard is minimal. This may be compared to known types of cookers such as the kettle style barbecues which have a series of vents located in the base section. Embers and the like are able to fall though these vents, thereby creating a fire hazard. It will be appreciated that the various changes and modifications may be made to the invention as described and claimed herein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A cooking assembly having a housing formed from at least two vertically aligned and engagable sections, the at least two sections including a base section which in use contains a heat source and an upper section having an opening and a lower perimeter which is engagable with an upper perimeter of an adjacent section and when the sections are un-engaged, the upper section can locate substantially within the base section; a lid for sealing engagement with the opening; a baking zone intermediate the base and the opening whereby in use, food items can be placed in the baking zone directly above a heat source contained in the base and ventilation means for allowing gaseous exchange between the interior and exterior of the housing wen the lid is engaged with the opening.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each section is substantially circular in cross section.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the upper section includes a seam extending between upper and lower edges, the seam being movable between open and closed positions.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , which further includes a third section intermediate and engagable with the base and upper sections.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the middle section when unengaged is locatable within the base section.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the middle section includes a seam extending between upper and lower edges, the seam being moveable between open and closed positions.

7. The assembly of claim 3 which includes a latch associated with the seam, the latch being operative to latch the seam in the closed position.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lid is also engagable with the upper perimeter of the base section.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , which includes a food holding means located within the baking zone.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the food holding means is a rotisserie.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ventilation means includes at least one aperture located in the lid.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the ventilation means, in use, drains any cooking juices into the interior of the housing.

13. The assembly of claim 1 which further includes a flue engagable with the lid