Apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill

A apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill for conveniently using charcoal or other flammable material in a gas grill. The apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill includes an adapter container for holding flammable material. The adapter container is removably positionable in the interior of the housing. The screen is removable from the housing. The adapter container is positionable on the heating system within the housing of a gas grill. The flammable material is placed in the container and ignited. The screen is replaced such that the screen covers the adapter container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 The present invention relates to gas grill converters and more particularly
 pertains to a new apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal
 burning grill for conveniently using charcoal or other flammable material
 in a gas grill.
 2. Description of the Prior Art
 The use of gas grill converters is known in the prior art. More
 specifically, gas grill converters heretofore devised and utilized are
 known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural
 configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the
 crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of
 countless objectives and requirements.
 Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,965; U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,282;
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,555; U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,102; U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,506;
 and U.S. Pat. Des. No. 395,548.
 While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and
 requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new apparatus
 for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill. The inventive
 device includes an adapter container for holding flammable material. The
 adapter container is removably positionable in the interior of the
 housing. The screen is removable from the housing. The adapter container
 is positionable on the heating system within the housing of a gas grill.
 The flammable material is placed in the container and ignited. The screen
 is replaced such that the screen covers the adapter container.
 In these respects, the apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal
 burning grill according to the present invention substantially departs
 from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so
 doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of
 conveniently using charcoal or other flammable material in a gas grill.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of gas
 grill converters now present in the prior art, the present invention
 provides a new apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal
 burning grill construction wherein the same can be utilized for
 conveniently using charcoal or other flammable material in a gas grill.
 The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described
 subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new apparatus for
 converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill apparatus and method
 which has many of the advantages of the gas grill converters mentioned
 heretofore and many novel features that result in a new apparatus for
 converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill which is not
 anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the
 prior art gas grill converters, either alone or in any combination
 thereof.
 To attain this, the present invention generally comprises an adapter
 container for holding flammable material. The adapter container is
 removably positionable in the interior of the housing. The screen is
 removable from the housing. The adapter container is positionable on the
 heating system within the housing of a gas grill. The flammable material
 is placed in the container and ignited. The screen is replaced such that
 the screen covers the adapter container.
 There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features
 of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that
 follows may be better understood, and in order that the present
 contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional
 features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which
 will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
 In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention
 in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its
 application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the
 components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the
 drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being
 practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood
 that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose
 of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
 As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon
 which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the
 designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the
 several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore,
 that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions
 insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present
 invention.
 Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent
 and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the
 scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar
 with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a
 cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of
 the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention
 of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to
 be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
 It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new
 apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill
 apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the gas grill
 converters mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a
 new apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill
 which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by
 any of the prior art gas grill converters, either alone or in any
 combination thereof.
 It is another object of the present invention to provide a new apparatus
 for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill which may be
 easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
 It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new apparatus
 for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill which is of a
 durable and reliable construction.
 An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new
 apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill which
 is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials
 and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale
 to the consuming public, thereby making such apparatus for converting a
 gas grill into a charcoal burning grill economically available to the
 buying public.
 Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new
 apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill which
 provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the
 advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the
 disadvantages normally associated therewith.
 Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new apparatus
 for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill for conveniently
 using charcoal or other flammable material in a gas grill.
 Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new apparatus
 for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill which includes an
 adapter container for holding flammable material. The adapter container is
 removably positionable in the interior of the housing. The screen is
 removable from the housing. The adapter container is positionable on the
 heating system within the housing of a gas grill. The flammable material
 is placed in the container and ignited. The screen is replaced such that
 the screen covers the adapter container.
 Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new
 apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill that is
 simple to use and converts a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill in a
 very short amount of time.
 These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various
 features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with
 particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this
 disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating
 advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should
 be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there
 are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2
 thereof, a new apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal
 burning grill embodying the principles and concepts of the present
 invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be
 described.
 As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus for converting a gas
 grill into a charcoal burning grill 10 generally comprises a gas grill 12
 having a housing 14. The housing has an interior defined by a bottom wall
 16 and two pairs of opposing side walls 18, 20. The housing has an open
 top side. The housing has a heating system 22 therein adapted for
 supplying heat for food preparation from gas combustion.
 A screen 23 supports food above the heating system 22. The screen 23 has a
 shape adapted to rest over the open top side of the housing 14.
 An adapter container 24 for holding charcoal 26. The adapter container 24
 is removably positionable in the interior of the housing 14. The adapter
 container 24 has a bottom wall 28, and a pair of opposing side walls 30,
 32. Each of the side walls has a generally trapezoidal shape such that
 length of a bottom peripheral edge 34 of the adapter container is smaller
 than a length of a top peripheral edge 36 of the adapter container 24. One
 pair of opposing side walls 30 is a short pair of opposing side walls.
 Ideally, each of the side walls 30, 32 have a height generally between
 three inches and four and one-half inches. Preferably, the adapter
 container 24 has a length generally between twenty-one inches and
 twenty-one and half inches. Also preferably, the adapter container 24 has
 a width generally between twelve inches and twelve and one-half inches.
 Ideally, each of a pair of handles 38 for lifting the adapter container 24
 out of the housing 14 is fixedly attached to one of the short opposing
 walls 30. The handles 38 are attached to the short opposing walls 30 at a
 location generally adjacent to the top peripheral edge 36 of the adapter
 container 24.
 FIG. 2 depicts a slightly varied version of the adapter container than is
 shown is FIG. 1. The adapted container can be made in all sizes in order
 to fit all gas grills.
 In use, the screen 23 is removed from the housing 14. The adapter container
 24 is positioned on the heating system 22 within the housing 14. The
 charcoal 26, or other material, is placed in the adapter container 24 and
 ignited. The screen 23 is replaced such that the screen 23 covers the
 adapter container 24. When finished using the adaptive container 24, the
 adapter container 24 is removed such that the gas grill 12 can be
 utilized. Other flammable cooking materials such as mesquite and wood
 chips may be substituted for charcoal.
 As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the
 present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description.
 Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and
 operation will be provided.
 With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the
 optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to
 include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of
 operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to
 one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those
 illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are
 intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
 Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the
 principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and
 changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired
 to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and
 described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may
 be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.