Barbecue grill and smoker with bottom mounted firebox

A preferred embodiment of the present invention incorporates a cooking chamber, including a lower portion and a lid that cooperate to define a cooking enclosure. Preferably, the lid is moveably mounted to the lower portion, and the lower portion has a lower surface, which is arranged at least partially beneath the cooking enclosure. Additionally, the lower surface preferably includes an opening formed therethrough that cooperates with a firebox so that an interior of the firebox engages in fluid communication with the cooking enclosure via the opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to barbecue and smoker grills and, in particular, to a combination barbecue and smoker grill which preferably incorporates a firebox mounted below the cooking chamber of the grill.

2. Description of the Related Art

Outdoor grills include devices that are designed for either cooking food items by direct heating, generally referred to as barbecue grills, and cooking food items by indirect heating and smoking, generally referred to as smokers. In both types of grills, a cooking chamber typically is provided which is mounted upon a support structure, such as a pedestal or cart assembly. Typically, such a cooking chamber is configured with a lower portion, mounted to the support structure, and a lid, hingedly mounted to the lower portion, that cooperate to form a cooking enclosure. The cooking enclosure is configured for placing various food items therein, such as upon a grill or other cooking surface that is mounted within the lower portion of the cooking chamber.

In a typical barbecue grill, a heat source, such as charcoal briquettes or gas-fed burners, is provided below the cooking surface of the grill for heating the cooking enclosure and any food items placed therein to a sufficient temperature for cooking the various food items.

In a typical smoker grill, a firebox is provided for maintaining a fire for smoldering wood therein. The firebox is arranged to communicate with the cooking enclosure, with the firebox typically being mounted to a side wall of the cooking chamber. So configured, the smoke and heat produced within the firebox enter the cooking enclosure for smoking food items placed in the cooking chamber. Since the heat from the firebox is not provided directly beneath the food items, however, these grills typically have been unable to cook food items in the same manner as one may accomplish with the use of a barbecue grill which provides for direct heating of the food items.

Therefore, there is a need for providing improved grills which address these and other shortcomings of the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly stated, the present invention relates to a grill, which preferably is capable of functioning both as a barbecue grill and as a smoker grill. In a preferred embodiment, the grill incorporates a cooking chamber, including a lower portion and a lid that cooperate to define a cooking enclosure. Preferably, the lid is moveably mounted to the lower portion, and the lower portion has a lower surface, which is arranged at least partially beneath the cooking enclosure. Additionally, the lower surface preferably includes an opening formed therethrough. Preferably, a firebox engages the cooking chambers lower surface, whereby there is fluid communication between the cooking chamber and the firebox. The cooking enclosure preferably contains a baffle pan the substantially spans the length and width of the enclosure.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the invention as illustrated in the drawings with like reference numerals indicating like parts throughout the several views. As shown in FIG. 1 , a preferred embodiment of the grill 10 of the present invention incorporates a cooking chamber 12 , which includes a lower portion 14 and a lid 16 . Lid 16 typically is hingedly attached to the lower portion and is moveable between a closed position (not shown) and an open position for providing access to a cooking chamber or enclosure 18 . Enclosure 18 is sufficiently sized and shaped for the placement of food items for cooking and/or smoking when the lid is in either its open or closed position. Enclosure 18 also includes means defining an opening or passageway 19 formed in the bottom surface thereof.

A firebox 20 preferably is mounted to the chamber 18 , such as to a lower surface 22 thereof and includes means defining an opening or port 24 , which allows the interior of the firebox 20 to fluidly communicate with the enclosure 18 , due to communication between passageway 19 and port 24 . So configured, heat and smoke produced within the firebox can be delivered through the port 24 and into the enclosure 18 for cooking and/or smoking food items within the enclosure 18 . Firebox 20 also is provided with an access door 26 , which provides access to the interior of the firebox 20 . Additionally, the access door 26 can be provided with at least one adjustable air baffle or damper 28 for adjusting the flow of air into and through the firebox 20 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , a baffle pan 30 , preferably angled inwardly, (e.g. with a v-shaped cross-section), is provided in a lower portion of the enclosure 18 for distributing heat provided from the firebox 20 throughout the enclosure 18 . The baffle pan 30 substantially spans the length and width of the enclosure 18 . The baffle pan 30 also serves as a component of a drippings collection system for funneling drippings of the various food products away from the firebox 20 . This is accomplished by providing a slight downward slope of the baffle pan 30 away from the firebox 20 toward a dripping collection orifice 32 , preferably formed at the other end of the enclosure 18 from the firebox 20 . A dripping receptacle 34 , such as a can, (not shown) can then be mounted below the collection orifice 32 for receiving the various drippings.

As shown in FIG. 2 , a chamber access door 36 preferably is provided which includes at least one or more dampers 38 . The dampers 38 of the chamber access door 36 cooperate with the dampers 28 of the firebox door 20 for adjusting the air flow within and through the firebox 20 and the enclosure 18 .

As described hereinbefore, prior art smoker grills typically have been configured with the firebox mounted adjacent the cooking chamber, such as at a side wall of the lower portion of the cooking chamber, so that the smoke and heat produced in the firebox flows into the enclosure through an orifice formed in a side wall of the cooking chamber. This configuration, however, typically does not provide sufficient direct heating of the food items placed within the cooking enclosure for cooking the food items as can be accomplished in a conventional barbecue type grill. In particular, such a configuration typically allows the heat from the firebox to rise to the top of the cooking enclosure after travelling through the orifice of the firebox so that the intense heat from the firebox does not directly contact the food. In contrast, in a barbecue grill, the food items are placed upon a cooking surface, which is oriented directly above a source of heat. Therefore, the intense heat rising from the source of heat is exposed directly to the food products for cooking and browning the food.

By mounting the firebox 20 of the present invention below the cooking chamber, heat is provided directly below the food items placed within the cooking enclosure 18 . Thus, the present invention provides for cooking and browning of food items, as has heretofore been accomplished in direct heat cooking grills, as well as smoking of the food items.

Embodiments of the present invention also may be adapted to be utilized as a direct heating grill with or without utilizing the smoker characteristics of the grill. In these embodiments, a charcoal grate (not shown) may be provided, such as above the baffle pan, for holding charcoal briquettes. So configured, the baffle pan functions as an ash collector for receiving ashes from the charcoal briquettes during operation.