Abstract:
A portable cooker for outdoor use having one or two side shelves which can be moved to a compact upright stowage position for carrying, storage or transport and can then be deployed to a horizontal position when using the portable cooker for cooking at a campsite, at a park, on a boat, at a tail-gate party, or at any other location. In the upright stowage position, the side shelves are located outside of the cooking chamber so that the shelves do not come into contact with the cooking grate and do not pick up food particles, grease, or other cooking residues which are present on the cooking grate or elsewhere in the cooking chamber. Also, because the side shelves are not folded into the cooking chamber during carrying or transport, the portable cooker can additionally include an interior warming rack and other features which are used in “non-portable” grills but would interfere with the operation of the side shelves of the portable grill if the shelves were required to be folded into the cooking chamber.

Description:
RELATED CASE 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/262,483 filed on Dec. 3, 2015 and incorporates said provisional application by reference into this document as if fully set out at this point. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to portable outdoor grills and in other portable outdoor cooking systems. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Most outdoor gas cooking grills are constructed such that the grill head (typically comprising the grill firebox and lid) is permanently attached to a supporting frame or cabinet. Thus, although the supporting frame or cabinet will typically be equipped with rollers which allow the grill assembly to be rolled a short distance to or from a garage, storage shed, and/or patio, these “non-portable” grills cannot be conveniently lifted by hand for carrying or for easily loading the grill in the trunk of a vehicle or the bed of a pick-up truck for use away from the home at a campsite, on a boat, at a stadium tail-gate party, etc. 
         [0004]    Moreover, although some portable outdoor grills embodying a firebox, a heat source, and a lid have been formed for lifting, carrying and transport, these portable grills typically (a) have not been adaptable for full home use by removably mounting the portable grill on the same type of rolling frame or cabinet used in non-portable home grills and (b) have had other shortcomings in terms of their features, useful life, function, and maintenance. 
         [0005]    For example, as with a “non-portable” home grill, it is very desirable that a portable grill include one or more, preferably two, side shelves for use when preparing meals and entrees and for holding cooking utensils, pots, pans, platters, dishes, and other articles. To provide a unitary portable system and to prevent the side shelves, or any attachments therefore, from being lost, it is also preferable that the side shelves be permanently attached to the grill head in such a way that they can be moved to a safe, compact stowage position for lifting, carrying, and transport but can be easily and securely deployed for use at the cooking site. 
         [0006]    Unfortunately, although some portable grill assemblies heretofore known in the art have included side shelves, it has been necessary when carrying and transporting the prior grills to fold the side trays to a stowage position inside the grill cooking chamber. As a result, the top surfaces of the side trays, i.e., the surfaces of the side trays which will be used for supporting dishes and other items when cooking, typically rest upon or otherwise come into contact with the cooking grate which supports the food in the cooking chamber during cooking. Consequently the top surfaces of the side shelves are soiled and contaminated with the food particles and pieces, grease and other cooking residues which are present on the cooking grate and in the cooking chamber. Therefore, when the shelves are subsequently deployed outwardly for use, they must first be thoroughly cleaned to remove these greasy residues. 
         [0007]    In addition, to protect the side shelves from heat damage, the side shelves must either be formed of a more expensive heat resistant material, or care must always be taken to ensure that the grill has cooled sufficiently after use to allow the side shelves to be folded into the firebox. 
         [0008]    Thus, a need exists for an improved portable outdoor cooking grill having one or more side shelves wherein the shelves can be moved to a compact and secure stowage position for carrying and transport without placing the shelves in the cooking chamber and/or in contact with the cooking grate. A need also exists for a portable outdoor grill which is adaptable for full home use by removably mounting the portable grill on the same type of rolling frame or cabinet used in “non-portable” home grills. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention provides a portable outdoor cooker which satisfies the needs and alleviates the problems discussed above. 
         [0010]    In one aspect, there is provided portable cooker for outdoor use which preferably comprises: a housing having at least one heating source positioned therein, the housing having a top opening; a lid positionable over the housing for opening and closing the top opening; a lifting handle adjacent to a lateral side of the housing; and a side shelf mounted adjacent to the lateral side of the housing. The side shelf is selectively positionable in an upright stowage position and in a horizontally extending deployed position. In the upright stowage position, the side shelf is positioned between the lifting handle and the lid such that the side shelf is located outside of the lid and the housing (i.e., outside of the cooking chamber). 
         [0011]    In another aspect, the portable cooker preferably comprises a pair of side shelves of this type positioned on each lateral side of the housing. 
         [0012]    Consequently, in the inventive portable cooker, the compact stowage position of each of the side shelves is outside of the cooking chamber of the assembly so that the shelves do not come into contact with the food debris, grease, and other residues which have accumulated on the cooking grate or are otherwise present in the cooking chamber. Nor will the shelves be damaged if they are moved to the storage position before the grill has been allowed sufficient time to cool. 
         [0013]    Further aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those in the art upon examining the accompanying drawings and upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment 2 of the outdoor cooker provided by the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment 4 of a removable portable grill head assembly used in the inventive cooker  2 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of a housing  6  used in the inventive portable grill head assembly  4 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the housing  6 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a subframe  18  used in the inventive portable grill head assembly  4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0019]    An embodiment 2 of the inventive portable outdoor cooker is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-5 . The inventive cooker  2  preferably comprises a portable grill head assembly  4  which is which is removably positionable for use on a frame or cabinet  5  of the type used for “non-portable” gas, charcoal, or electric grills. The portable grill head assembly  4  preferably comprises: a grill housing  6  which contains the grill firebox  8 ; at least one heating source  34 ,  36  positioned in the firebox  8 ; a lid  10  which is pivotably connected to or otherwise removably positionable on the grill housing  6  for opening and closing the firebox  8 ; one or two, preferably a pair, of stowable side shelves  12  and  14 ; a corresponding number of shelf attachment brackets  15  and  16  for mounting the side shelves  12  and  14  on the left and right lateral ends of the grill housing  6 ; a grill head subframe  18  which holds and supports the grill housing  6 ; and a cooking control panel  20 . 
         [0020]    The grill housing  6  comprises: a bottom wall  22 ; an upwardly extending front wall  24 ; an upwardly extending back wall  26 ; an upwardly extending left end wall  28 ; an upwardly extending right end wall  30 ; and a top opening  32  for the firebox  8 . Two heating sources, in this case parallel tube burner elements  34  and  36 , extend horizontally within the firebox  8  from front to back above the bottom wall  22  of the housing  6 . The burner elements  34  and  36  have forward end portions  35  and  37  which project through apertures  38  and  40  formed in the front wall  24  of the housing  6 . Igniters  42  and  44  for the burners  34  and  36  also extend into the firebox  8  via the same apertures  38  and  40  provided through the front wall  24  of the housing  6 . 
         [0021]    The grill housing  6  also includes a flat upper flange  46  which surrounds the top opening  32  of the firebox  8  for supporting a cooking grate (not shown) on or in the upper portion of the firebox  8  above the heating elements  34  and  36 . The cooking grate can be a conventional convection type grate, an infrared cooking grate, a combination convection and infrared grate, a one or two piece grate, or any other type of outdoor cooking grate used in the art. An upwardly projecting mounting bracket  48  extends around the perimeter of upper flange  46  for pivotably attaching the grill lid  10  to the grill housing  6 . The mounting bracket  48  extends around the top opening  32  of the firebox  8  and is received within and in close proximity to the interior wall of the lid  10  when the lid  10  is closed. 
         [0022]    Because the side shelves  12  and  14  of the portable grill head assembly  4  are not folded into or otherwise placed inside the cooking chamber of the grill head  4  (i.e., are not placed within the interior chamber formed by the firebox  8  and the lid  10  when the lid  10  is closed), the cooking chamber can also include an interior warming rack or tray (not shown) of the same type used in conventional “non-portable” home grills. The warming rack will preferably be positioned toward the back of the cooking chamber above the cooking grate such that, as with a typical home grill, the warming rack will be exposed for placing food items thereon when the lid  10  is open and will be entirely covered by the lid  10  when the lid  10  is closed. 
         [0023]    Although the inventive portable grill head assembly  4  is described above as including a pair of gas tube burners  34  and  36 , it will be understood that any number or any other arrangement or type of heating source(s)  34  and/or  36  (e.g., one or more pan burners, electric heating elements, infrared burner assemblies, box burner assemblies, charcoal pans, etc.) can alternatively be used. The heating source(s)  34  and/or  36  will preferably be gas burner elements. 
         [0024]    The grill head subframe  18  for holding the grill housing  6  comprises: (a) a laterally extending front frame panel  50  having short, downwardly extending left and right support legs  52  and  54  on the left and right ends of the front panel  50 , the legs  52  and  54  preferably having foot elements  56  and  58  on the bottoms thereof; (b) a parallel, laterally extending back frame panel  60  having short, downwardly extending left and right support legs  62  and  64  on the left and right ends of the back panel  60 , the legs  62  and  64  preferably having foot elements  66  and  68  on the bottoms thereof; (c) a left gripping rod or other lifting handle  70  extending between the upper left end portions of the front and back frame panels  50  and  60 ; (d) a right gripping rod or other lifting handle  72  extending between the upper right end portions of the front and back frame panels  50  and  60 ; (e) a frame base plate  74  extending between the lower central portions of the front and back frame panels  50  and  60 ; and (f) a pair of parallel support bars  76  and  78  extending between the lower central portions of the front and back frame panels  50  and  60  above the frame base plate  74 . 
         [0025]    The grill housing  6  is received in the grill head subframe  18  such that (a) the grill housing  6  is positioned between the lift handles  70  and  72  and (b) the bottom wall  22  of the grill housing  6  rests on the subframe support bars  76  and  78 . Also, a pair of apertures  80  and  82  are provided in the front panel  50  of the subframe  18  for receiving therethrough the forward end portions  35  and  37  of the burner elements  34  and  36  which extend forwardly out of the front wall  24  of the grill housing  6 . 
         [0026]    Each of the side shelves  12  and  14  is preferably a panel structure comprising: a flat “upper” surface  84  on which cooking utensils, pots, pans, platters, dishes, packages of buns, and other items can be placed when the shelf  12  or  14  is deployed for cooking; a straight proximal end  86  which is positioned adjacent to the grill housing  6 ; a distal end  88  which preferably has curved outer edges  90  and  92  or is otherwise configured to correspond to the end profile shape  94  of the grill housing  6  and lid  10  assembly when the lid  10  is closed; and a pair of opposing guide pins or other guide elements  96  and  98  which extend laterally outward, with respect to the longitudinal axis  102  of the side shelf  12  or  14 , from the sides  104  and  106  of the shelf  12  or  14  near the proximal end  86  thereof. 
         [0027]    As noted above, the side shelves  12  and  14  are mounted on the left and right lateral ends of the grill housing  6  using a pair of shelf attachment brackets  15  and  16 . The shelf attachment brackets  15  and  16  are secured, respectively, on the exterior of the left end wall  28  and the exterior of the right end wall  30  of the grill housing  6  by bolting, welding, or any other suitable attachments. Each of the shelf attachment brackets  15  and  16  comprises a pair of opposing, spaced apart, outwardly extending mounting ears or other mounting structures  108  and  110  which include parallel slots, grooves or similar guide tracks  112  and  114  for the shelf guide pins  96  and  98 . In this arrangement, the proximal end portion  86  of each shelf  12  or  14  is positioned between the mounting ears  108  and  110  of the shelf attachment bracket  15  or  16  such that the guide pins  96  and  98  of the shelf  12  or  14  are received in and are slideably and rotatably retained by the mounting ear guide tracks  112  and  114 . 
         [0028]    The guide tracks  112  and  114  of the mounting ears  108  and  110  preferably extend upwardly in a straight line which is either vertical or is angled to some degree toward the lid  10  of the grill head assembly  4 . More preferably, each of the guide tracks  112  and  114  extends upwardly at an angle toward the grill lid  10  which is in the range of from 0° to 30°, more preferably from 15° to 25°, from vertical. The guide tracks  112  and  114  are preferably angled toward the grill lid  10  at about 20° from vertical. 
         [0029]    Each side shelf  12  and  14  can be moved to selectively place the shelf  12  or  14  in either (a) an upright stowage position  116  for carrying, transport, or storage or (b) a horizontally extending deployed position  118  for use when cooking. In the upright stowage position  116 , the shelf guide pins  96  and  98  are positioned at the bottom ends  120  and  122  of the mounting ear guide tracks  112  and  114  and the side shelf  12  or  14  is in an upwardly extending position between the lid  10  and the lifting handle  70  or  72 . In the upright stowage position  116 , the side shelf  12  or  14  is preferably either vertically oriented or inclined toward the grill lid  10 . Most preferably, in the upright stowage position  116 , the side shelf  12  or  14  is inclined toward the grill lid  10  such that the side shell  12  or  14  is either in close proximity to or is in contact with the lid  10 . 
         [0030]    To move each side shelf  12  or  14  from the upright stowage position  116  to the deployed position  118  for use, the shelf  12  or  14  is lifted and also rotated outwardly such that (a) the shelf guide pins  96  and  98  travel to the upper ends  124  and  126  of the mounting ear guide tracks  112  and  114  and (b) the upper surface  84  of the side shelf  12  or  14  is horizontal. In the deployed position  118 , each side shelf  12  or  14  will preferably rest upon and be supported by the adjacent lifting handle  70  or  72 . 
         [0031]    When in use, the inventive portable grill head assembly  4  can be placed on a picnic table, on the ground, or on any other surface. Moreover, as noted above, the entire inventive cooker assembly  2  will preferably also include a frame or cabinet  5  on which the grill head assembly  4  can be removably positioned for use in the same manner as a more standard “non-portable” grill. The upper end or upper surface  125  of the frame or cabinet  5  will preferably include holding wells or other holding structures  130  for removably receiving the legs  52 ,  54 ,  62 , and  64  and feet elements  56 ,  58 ,  66 , and  68  of the portable grill head assembly  4  in order to more securely retain the portable grill head assembly  4  on the frame or cabinet  5 . 
         [0032]    As with a typical “non-portable” assembly of this type, the frame or cabinet  5  of the inventive cooker assembly  2  will preferably include a plurality of wheels  128  on the bottom thereof for rolling the cooker assembly  2  a short distance. The frame or cabinet  5  will preferably also be sized and configured for holding a standard home sized gas fuel bottle and other items carried by or within the typical frames or cabinets used in “non-portable” grills. 
         [0033]    Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as those inherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes and modifications will be apparent to those in the art. Such changes and modifications are encompassed within this invention as defined by the claims.