AU620654B2

AU620654B2 - Cooking apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU620654B2
Application number: AU44328/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Lewis Mammarella
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-11-16
Filing date: 1989-11-02
Publication date: 1992-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 2009-11-02
Also published as: AU4432889A

Description

To: The Commissioner of Patents PF-1-1 ~..IIII I I I AU S TR AL I A PATENTS ACT COMPLETE SPECIFICATION 62065 O R I G I NA L (FOR OFFICE USE) ClIas s mnt Class Application Number: Lodged: 9- Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Publ ished: Priority: Related Art: a t.

0 .0 0 1 00a dame of Applicant(s): 1 I. Ad dre ss o f AppI Ican t(s) 68. Whtehors e, Road. .Box ,Hill. 31.28...

Actual Inventor(s) 1,.W j 5.,M1MMAPEA Address for Service: PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICES 26 Ellingworth Parade, Box Hill, Victoria 3128 Complete specification for the invention entitled: COOKING APPARATUS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me i^-i i ii i -ilii- I "'Lyiii r_-rrrrr~;c~wswiLXs =ul *I_ COOKING APPARATUS This invention relates to cooking apparatus particularly for roasting, grilling or barbecueing food over a heat source.

Conventional barbeques which comprise a rectangular grill or plate placed over a source of heat are generally unsuitable for cooking food on sticks or skewers such as shashlik, kabobs or satay. It is frequently difficult to place a large number of such sticks on the barbecue. Also it can be difficult and dangerous to reach over the barbecue and rotate the sticks for even cooking. Also setting up and lighting conventional barbecues can be difficult and cleaning of conventional 4. I S barbecues after use can also be difficult or tiresome.

o 44 SIt is an object of the present invention to provide cooking a *On* apparatus which can alleviate the disadvantages outlined above.

0*Q0 It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide boo* a cooking apparatus which is capable of ready use for cooking a substantial number of food sticks or skewers.

*ado oa° According to the present invention there is provided a 4a cooking apparatus for cooking food on sticks or skewers, the apparatus including: a main cooking section comprising a cooking channel including a bottom section in which a heat source is in use located, the cooking channel further including opposed side walls, the side walls being arranged to support in use transverse food sticks or skewers, the cooking channel being elongated and providing a substantial length for the cooking of numbers of the food sticks or skewers with the food sticks or skewers extending across between the side walls, the elongation of the cooking channel also causing in use an air flow along the 2 r I I

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length of the channel; and a smoke channel directed upwardly, the smoke channel being located at one end of the cooking channel and arranged so that the air flow within the cooking channel passes to the smoke channel for discharging upwardly smoke entrained in the air flow along the cooking channel.

Preferably the heat source is provided by combustion of fuel within the bottom section, at least one of the opposed side walls of the cooking channel being provided with air holes through which air is in use drawn to support combustion within the cooking channel. The air holes may be provided in one only of the two opposed side walls, the other side wall being a Scontinuous material so as to provide a shield against heat 14 radiation from the combustion of fuel within the cooking 41 channel, a person using the cooking apparatus thereby being shielded against heat radiation if standing and using the apparatus from the side of the continuous side wall.

The cooking channel may include a perforated rack spaced Ii Sabove the base of the cooking channel and arranged to support a It Ssolid fuel undergoing combustion whereby air can flow along the '2p cooking channel beneath the fuel supporting rack, the air Spassing upwardly through the rack to support combustion of the S fuel on the rack.

41 Preferably the height of each of the opposed side walls is sufficient to leave at least half the height of the cooking channel open for the flow of air and smoke along the cooking channel above the heat source and below the transverse food sticks or skewers whereby the transverse food sticks or skewers co-operate with the side walls to effectively form a flue for passage of smoke and heated gases which pass to the smoke

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Ur 0U *a 0 channel and are discharged thereby. The food sticks or skewers in use may be supported at a height of about 130mm above the base of the cooking channel, the fuel in use being arranged to fill up to about 70mm of the height of the cooking channel whereby the remainder of the height forms the flue for smoke and heated gases.

The cooking channel may have an inlet end opposite to the end where the smoke channel is provided, the inlet end being partially closed by a lower end wall having a height generally equal to or slightly exceeding the recommended depth of fuel in the cooking section but terminating before the top edges of the o 00 0 04 0 o opposed side walls whereby air can be drawn into the inlet end 0 0o 0. 0 of the end wall and between the opposed side walls.

0 0 In one possible embodiment, the top edges of the two opposed 0000 °Ol5 side walls are generally level so that food sticks or skewers oo00 supported thereby are generally horizontal. In an alternative possible embodiment, a further one of the two opposed side walls o oo is provided with holes for receiving ends of the food sticks or 00 0 0 00 0°o skewers remote from the user, the ends of the food sticks or skewers closer to the user being supported in use by the top 0 0 edge of the nearer side wall.

0 0 The smoke channel is preferably inclined to the horizontal 0 0 0 o0 whereby the air flow along the cooking channel is deflected ;upwardly in passing through and being discharged from the smoke channel. The smoke channel may be comprised by a continuation of the cooking channel which is turned upwardly to the horizontal, the smoke channel comprising a solid base and opposed upright side walls. The smoke channel may be inclined in use at between 15° and 45° to the horizonal. Preferably the ii iiii i i length of the cooking channel exceeds three times the width of the cooking channel.

Possible and preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawing. However it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawing are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention. The drawingshows a perspective view of a cooking apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Oo::The cooking apparatus in the drawing is for cooking food on °o sticks or skewers 10. The apparatus includes a main cooking section 11 comprising a cooking channel 12 which is elongated 0 oaa along the general length of the channel. The cooking channel 12 oa includes a bottom section 13 in which a heat source 15 is in use located. The heat source 15 is a solid fuel heat source such as 00: coal, charcoal or a synthetic substitute. The cooking channel o 12 further includes opposed side walls 16, 17, the side walls 16, 17 in use being arranged to support the transverse food sticks or skewers 10. The cooking channel 12 is !longated so as to provide a substantial length for the cooking of numbers of the food sticks or skewers 10 extending across between the side walls 16, 17 and for causing an air flow in use along the length of the cooking channel. The cooking apparatus also includes a smoke channel 25 directed upwardly, the smoke channel being located at one end of the cooking channel 12 so that the air flow within the cooking channel passes to the smoke channel for discharging upwardly smoke entrained in the air flow along the cooking channel 12.

The bottom section 13 of the cooking channel may be a solid base wall 14 on which solid fuel 15 rests. In this arrangement there may be provided air holes 20 in one or both side walls 16, 17 of the cooking channel 12 so as to enable air to be drawn through the holes 20 to support combustion of the fuel. As illustrated, the holes 20 may be provided in only the further one of the two opposed side walls 16, the nearer side wall 17 being solid continuous material so as to provide a shield whereby a person using the apparatus can be shielded by the solid side wall 17 from direct heat radiation from the solid S fuel 15 undergoing combustion. That is, the user locates the S apparatus so that the food sticks or skewers 10 are placed sr .rp S across the cooking channel 12 from the side having the solid 0Oo0 side wall 17, the air to support the combustion being drawn 8o9o 0*°°15 through the holes 20 in the opposite side wall 16.

In the drawing, the top edges 21, 22 of each of the two Sopposed side walls 16, 17 are generally level so that the food sticks or skewers 10 are generally horizontal. Variations 8 88 however are possible. For example, the ends of the food sticks 'b remote from the user can be located in holes ifi the far side wall 16 with the top edge 22 of the near side wall 17 supporting the ends of the food sticks 10 which are grasped and manipulated by the user.

In an alternative arrangement to the cooking channel having a bottom section with a solid base 14 and air holes 20 in the side walls 16, 17, there may be provided an elevated perforated rack (not shown) spaced above the base 14 and arranged to support solid fuel 15 thereby enabling air to flow along the channel 12 beneath the fuel supporting rack, the air passing upwardly through the rack to support combustion of the fuel on the rack.

The length of the cooking channel 12 preferably exceeds twice the width. The width preferably is about 130 150mm so as to support commonly used food sticks or skewers 10. Most preferably the cooking channel length exceeds three times the width. A suitable channel length is about 700mm.

The smoke channel 25 at one end of the cooking channel 12 is inclined to the horizontal so that the air flow along the cooking channel 12 is deflected upwardly in passing out through the smoke channel 25. For example the smoke channel 25 may be.

inclined at between 15° and 450 to the horizontal at o s o° a 300). As illustrated the smoke channel 25 may be comprised by a o o continuation of the cooking channel 12 which is turned up to the 0000 horizontal. That is, the smoke channel 25 comprises a solid base 26 and opposed upright side walls 27. The length of the smoke channel 25 may be between 200 and 400mm, e.g. about 250mm.

o The height of the opposed side walls 16, 17 is preferably 0 OS sufficient to leave at least half of the height of the cooking *2'O channel 12 open for flow of air and smoke along the cooking channel 12 above the heat source 15 and below the transverse food sticks or skewers 10. With this arrangement the transverse food sticks or skewers 10 co-operate with the side walls 16, 17 :to effectively form a flue or tunnel for passage of smoke and heated gases, the smoke and gases passing to the smoke channel and then being discharged upwardly away from the apparatus.

This arrangement helps to promote even cooking temperatures along substantially the entire length of the cooking channel 12. In practice the height of the opposed side walls 16, 17 may 7 L. be about 130mm, the fuel 15 bei.g in use arranged to fill say 40-70mm of the height, the remainder of the height forming the flue or passage for smoke and gas.

The inlet end of the cooking channel 12 opposite to the smoke outlet end where the smoke channel 25 is provided is partially closed by a lower end wall 29 having a height generally equal to or slightly exceeding the recommended depth of fuel in the cooking section. For example, the end wall 29 may be about 65mm in height, the remainder of the height of the side wall 16, 17 at the inlet end being open so as to provide a main entrance for the flow of air along the cooking section 12.

This inlet end can be in use faced generally upwind when the apparatus is being used in an open place so as to thereby promote the operation of the apparatus as desired.

The cooking channel 12 includes ledges 36, 37 along the side walls 16, 17 respectively. The ledges 36, 37 are just below the top edges 21,22 of the walls 16, 17 and can support a grill 39

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I for receiving food to be cooked in conventional fashion. The ledges 36, 37 also shield to some extent the ends of the skewers which are therefore less likely to burn. The 'ledges 36, 37 and/or grill 39 need not extend the full length of the working channel 12.

The apparatus is provided with or used with a support base :or structure. In the drawing, for example, the cooking apparatus is provided with support legs 30, 31. The support legs 30, 31 each comprises two longitudinally spaced generally L-shaped panels which are mounted beneath the cooking channel 12. The L-shaped panels are pivoted about transverse axes 32, f _i i L. Li p ii-i i.

33 at the angle in the L-shape so that the panels can be hinged to enable either the two longer legs 34 to extend downwardly to engage with the ground (as shown in broken line) or to be hinged to an opposite position in which the shorter legs 35 of the L-shaped panels extend downwardly to enable the apparatus to be supported on the short legs 35, e.g. on a table top.

It will be seen that the preferred embodiment of the cooking apparatus according to the invention as described and illustrated will enable a relatively large number of food sticks or skewers 10 to be placed along the cooking channel 12 and to 0 0a be simultaneously cooked. The sticks can be manipulated easily o o °oo from one side, the user of the apparatus being shielded by the So near side wall 17 from direct heat radiation and without any oo 0 need to reach over the source. The smoke and heated gases are 000o c 0 1 5 channelled along the cooking channel 12 and are discharged upwardly away from the cooking channel 12 by the smoke channel 25. rhe apparatus is relatively easy to set up and start and 00a ;0 o can be seen to be relatively easy to clean after use.

o 00 It is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be made to the features of the possible and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention as herein described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims

2. A cooking apparatus as claimed in Claim I wherein the heat source is provided by combustion of fuel within the bottom section, at least one of the opposed side walls of the cooking channel being provided with air holes through which air is in use drawn to support combustion within the cooking channel.
3. A cooking apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the air holes are provided in one only of the two opposed side walls, the other side wall being a continuous material so as to provide a shield against heat radiat from the combustion of fuel within the cooking channel- using the cooking apparatus thereby being shielded aqj~nst heat radiation if standing and using the apparatus from the side of the continuous side wall.
4. A cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the cooking channel includes a perforated rack spaced above the base of the cooking channel and arranged to support a solid fuel undergoing combustion whereby air can flow along the cooking channel b-neath the fuel supporting rack, the air passing upwardly through the rack to support combustion of the fuel on the rack. A cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the height of each of the opposed side walls is sufficient to leave at least half the height of the cooking channel open for the flow of air and smoke along the cooking channel above the heat source and below the transverse food sticks or skewers whereby the transverse food sticks or st.ewers lc co-operate with the side walls to effectively form a flue for passage of smoke and heated gases which pass to the smoke channel and are discharged thereby.
6. A cooking apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the food sticks or skewers are in use supported at a height of about 130mm above the base of the cooking channel, the fuel in use being arranged to fill up to about 70mm of the height of the cooking channel whereby the remainder of the height forms the flue for smoke and heated gases.
7. A cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the cooking channel has an inlet end opposite to the end where the smoke channel is provided, the inlet end being partially closed by a lower end wall having a height generally equal to or slightly exceeding the recommended depth of fuel in the cooking section but terminating before the top edges of the opposed side walls whereby air can be drawn into the inlet end of the end wall and between the opposed side walls. S.4 i r i '~YC~ i D C- a oi r rr pcb C elL
8. A cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the top edges of the two opposed side walls are generally level so that food sticks or skewers supported thereby are generally horizontal.
9. A cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims I to 7 wherein a further one of the t,,o orpposed side walls is provided with hols for receiving ends of the food sticks or skewers remote from the user, the ends of the food sticks or skewers closer to the user being supported in use by the top edge of the nearer side wall.
10. A cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the smoke channel is inclined to the horizontal whereby the air flow along the cooking channel is deflected S upwardly in passing through and being discharged from the smoke channel.
11. A cooking apparatus as claimed in Claim 10 wherein the smoke Schannel is comprised by a continuation of the cooking channel ft which is turned upwardly to the horizontal, the smoke channel comprising a solid base and opposed upright side walls.
12. A cooking apparatus as claimed in Claim 10 or 11 wherein the smoke channel is inclined in use at between 15° and 45' to the horizontl.
13. A cooking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the length of the cooking channel exceeds three times the width of the cooking channel. t 4 4 4 i 14 A cooking apparatus as celained in any one of t he prec-odingj e laims and furl her imneludingl a l edge provideod a longj each of opposed side walls in proximity to) the top edges thereof, the l edges bei nq on oppositt- e idesL of the eookingj vhannel so as to0 r) be vapab1o of support ing a gril1.1
19.* A cooki ng ppahral us ,;ubst ant i a lix as hereoin before deseri1bed with part ioular re-forenee t o t hc t'eonapanyinq drawings. Vilmt e0051i 171lh c-iv of V)89be, PAXrFNT ATTOIFY SF;RVI S I' A tl I rnevsfo TJIWIS N2A>1MARFLT 1 A