Grill cleaning claw

A grill cleaning apparatus is provided for scraping to the grooves of grill broiler plates to remove unwanted matter comprising of an elongated body having a handle portion at one end and a scraper portion at the other end, with a claw extending outward from the scraper portion. The claw is shaped to fit into the angled grooves of most grills, having a trunk with at least two side portions that widen outward from the scraper portion and terminates with a plurality of spaced apart teeth. Each tooth has at least one projection for accessing the depth of the grooves to grasp and release any unwanted matter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a grill cleaning apparatus and, more particularly, to a tool for scraping to clean grills.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many restaurants, and to some extent individuals, rely on grills that have grooved surfaces on their broiler grates for cooking items such as fish, chicken, steaks, ribs and many other food items thereon. Such grooved surfaces on the broiler grates are often designed with inward by angled grooves to prevent food items from falling into bottom of the grill. The grooves may be at right angles and have a depth of ½ to 1 inch or ¾ inch, which depth may not be consistent across the width of each groove. Depending on the broiler design, each groove may have multiple depths and each portion may be deeper. An example of this broiler grate design is the Vulcan® VCCB series gas char-broiler. While grilling, food particles, grease and the like separate from the food and fall into the grooves. Residual food particles may stick to surfaces in and around the grooves.

To maintain a consistent grilling surface and sanitary cooking conditions the grill must be regularly cleaned. Oils from the food being grilled run down the grooved of the broiler grates to the bottom of the grill. Cleaning of the oils, carbonaceous char, and other matter, is most commonly performed using wire brushes having bristles of uniform length. However the unique topographical features of such grooved grills make them particularly challenging to clean using uniform lengths of bristle. The bristles prove incompatible with the grooved surface of the grill. The depth of the grooves, typically ¾ inch, and particularly the angle further prevent the bristles from reaching into between the grooves for cleaning. Typical bristle brushes can only effectively clean the top of the grill surfaces, but not in between the grooves for sufficient cleaning.

Bristle brushes as well as various other scraping implements do not offer an adequate solution for cleaning the broiler grate in its entirety, including the surfaces and in between the grooves. Consequently, a need exists for an effective cleaning tool for adequately cleaning broiler grates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a grill cleaning apparatus that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and provides benefits to the art of grill cleaning. The invention provides a grill cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated body having a handle portion at one end and a scraper portion at the other end, and a claw extending outward from the scraper portion. The outwardly extending claw is shaped to fit into the angled grooves of most grills. The claw has a trunk with at least two side portions that widen outward from the scraper portion, and terminates with a plurality of spaced apart teeth. Each tooth has several edges and at least one projection for accessing the depth of the grooves.

The unique shape and contour of the present invention enables it to reach between and down into the depths of grill grooves to grasp and release any unwanted food particles, grease, and the like. It also provides the benefit of not becoming too hot for use and having a long enough handle to minimize or prevent injury to the user. Other advantages include its ease of use and inexpensive manufacturing cost.

Having briefly described the present invention, these and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.

EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

A grill cleaning apparatus10comprises a generally elongated body11having a handle portion12and a scraper portion14, as shown inFIG. 1. A claw16extends outwardly from scraper portion14and terminates with a plurality of teeth30, as depicted inFIGS. 1,3, and5.

Handle portion12is of any graspable shape and, preferably, has an elongated cylindrical shape, as can be seen inFIG. 1. In an example, the handle of the present invention is made out of a thermo resistant material that does not easily conduct heat to protect and minimize injury to the user. In this way, the grill cleaning claw can be utilized on a hot grill without becoming too hot to hold. Materials such as wood, ceramic, plastic, and various other composite materials have these desired heat resistant properties. In the alternative, in a grill application other than for hot grills, the handle12may be constructed of other materials than these. The handle should be such that it can comfortably fit into the palm of the user's hand and provide sufficient thickness to enable the user to push downward while scraping without buckling the handle. Unlike the prior scraper devices, the handle of the present invention has a much longer handle length, as measured from the proximal end to the distal end (the proximal end being that end held by the user and the distal end being the end nearest the teeth). The longer handle length reduces or eliminates the likelihood of grease or other materials splashing up on the user's hand while the scraper is being used to scrape the grill surface.

Claw16is associated with scraper portion14opposite handle portion12, as shown inFIG. 2. The claw16may be internally integrated or detachably integrated to the scraper portion14opposite handle portion12. In an embodiment, an example of which is illustrated inFIG. 2, claw16comprises a rigid molded body removably or fixedly attached to elongated body11by connecting mechanism18(not shown) connected to scraper portion14. Connecting mechanism18(not shown) consists of securing means such as bolts, nails, screws, snaps, clamps, straps, adhesive, or the like;18aand18b, as depicted inFIG. 2, to provide the desired hold—fixed, semi-rigid, or flexible. For example, five bolts can be used to affix the claw16to the scraper portion using holes therein sized to accept the bolts. The holes may be made 17/64 inch in diameter in this example.

The claw16of the present invention can be made out of a variety of any suitable materials, such as stainless steel, woods, plastics, or other materials that provide the benefits described herein. The claw should be sufficiently strong to avoid buckling while scraping and adaptable to having a relatively sharp edge. It is also preferable to use a material suitable for being cleaned or sterilized as necessary. The claw16is comprised of multiple teeth30, as can be seen inFIGS. 3 and 5. The teeth are designed to be of a sufficient depth and angle to reach the sides and into the depths of the deepest grooves of the grill. These vary to accommodate the groove depth and angle of a particular grill. Depending upon the particular grill application, it may be desirous for the teeth30to have a projection38to fit fairly snug in the groove of a grill to scrape out smaller particles, liquids or grease, as can be seen inFIG. 5. In an example of a particular embodiment, each of the teeth has at least one projection, which may be a V-shaped, pointed extension38at the end of the tooth, shown inFIG. 5, where the projection or extension extends into the groove in order to clean out the small grease trough in each of the grooves of the grill. In an example, the projection38is measured as P, as shown inFIG. 5, and is within the range of about ⅙ inch to about 2 inches, and preferably about ⅛ inch.

Claw16has a trunk22with at least two side portions23and24, examples of which are shown inFIGS. 3 and 4. Side portions23and24widen outward from the scraper portion14and terminate with a plurality of spaced apart teeth30, as can be seen inFIGS. 3 and 4. The width along the teeth W2and the width of the handle W1along the handle or at the opposite end of elongated body are in such proportion that W1is smaller than the teeth width W2. Preferably, W1is at least half that of W2. In an example, trunk width W1is about ⅜ inch to about 1½ inches, preferably 1¼ inches, and W2is about 4 to about 8 inches, and preferably about 5⅜ inches.

As shown inFIG. 5, each tooth30has a first edge31provided away from the trunk22creating a first angle31arelative to the trunk's horizontal axis and a second complementary angle relative to the trunk's vertical axis (as indicated by the dotted line). A second edge32is provided inward from the first edge31and forms a projection38from the tooth. Projection38is designed to slide through the depths of grill grooves. Tooth dimensions adjust to accommodate the contours of anticipated grill grooves. A third edge33is provided from the second edge32extending generally along trunk's22horizontal axis, and a fourth edge34is provided inward from the third edge33to the trunk to create a third angle33arelative to the trunk's or teeth's horizontal axis W2.

Any number of teeth30can be used.FIG. 5shows an example. The number of teeth30is selected and configured to the size of elongated body11chosen for the particular grilling application. Teeth30are generally of the same or substantially the same or similar in size and shape. A gap or tapering indent35is formed between each tooth30having an end wall36at or along the end of trunk22. In an example, end wall36aligns generally parallel with W2or is curved. In an example, the curve has a radius of about ⅛ inch, which may vary by about 15%. The radius is adjustable to fit the contours of the surface of a grill grate. The series of indents or gaps35between the teeth30are generally all of the same, substantially similar, or similar in dimension.

In an example of an embodiment of the present invention as shown inFIG. 5, each tooth30ranges in length T from about ½ inch to about 1½ inches, preferably ¾ inch, from end wall36to third edge33where it adjoins second edge32. In this example, each of projections32extends about another distance P of about 1/16 inch to about ¼ inch therefrom, or preferably ⅛ inch. Also in this example, the distance from one projection to the next, P1, is about ½ inch to 1 inch, preferably 0.775 inches. The distance from a second projection of P1to the next, P2, ranges from about ¼ to about 1¼ inches, preferably 0.775 inches. In a preferred embodiment, distances P1and P2are the same or substantially similar and the distance between each projection38is generally the same or similar. In another embodiment, the length T of each tooth30increases with each successive tooth, going from left to right from the perspective of a tool oriented as inFIG. 5.

As can be seen inFIG. 5, teeth30have inner width dimension T1and outer width dimension T2. T1ranges from about 7/16 inch to about 11/16 inch, and T2ranges from about 5/16 inch to about 9/16 inch. Preferably, T1is about 9/16 inch and T2is about 7/16 inch. Teeth length T in an example ranges from about ½ inch to about 1¼ inch. Preferably, T is about ¾ inch.

Also as depicted inFIG. 5, sides of projections32form a fourth angle38aand a fifth angle38bmeasured along the vertical axis of elongated body11, angles38a, measuring the left side of the projection's angle as shown inFIG. 5, and38b, measuring the right side of the projection's angle as shown inFIG. 5, are preferably the same to provide a symmetric projection; however, they can differ as dictated by a grill groove. In an example, angle38ameasures about 21° to about 25°. Preferably it is about 23°. In another example, when measured from the horizontal axis along W2, angles31aand33aof first edge31and fourth edge34range from about 64° to about 70°, and about 63° to about 67°, respectively. In an embodiment, angle31ais about 67° and angle33ais about 75°. Preferably, the magnitudes of the complementary second angle of31a(shown inFIG. 5as a complementary angle of31a, as measured from the vertical axis which is represented by a dashed line) and the fourth angle38a, also measured from the vertical axis, are substantially similar if not the same.

In an example as illustrated inFIG. 2(not drawn to scale), elongated body11is about 20 to about 38 inches and is preferably about 26 inches in length. The claw16extending from handle portion is about 4 to about 8 inches, and preferably 6 inches. When the claw16is removably or fixedly attached to scraper portion14, bolts18aand18bare used, as can be seen in the example ofFIG. 4. In an example as shown, where four bolts are used the distances between each are B1, B2, B3and B4. In an example, B1and B2are about 1¼ inches, B3is about 1 inch and B4is about 3½ inches.

In use, the person using the grill cleaning claw of the present invention to scrape the grill will grab the device in the palm of his or her hand and apply a generally downward force against the broiler grate on the grill and slide it along the grooves of the grill to scrape the surfaces and push the grease and other materials through the small troughs in the grooves.

Accordingly, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a grill scraper which can be inexpensively made and easily utilized as a scraping tool for use with cleaning the grooves of this particular style of grill. Another important objective of the present invention is to provide a grill scraper having a handle of sufficient length to help prevent or minimize splashing of grease or food onto the user of the present invention during scraping operation.

The aforementioned and further objects of the present invention will be explained in greater detail by reference to the attached figures and the following description of the preferred embodiment. As set forth herein, the present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, mode of operation, and combination of parts presently described and embodied by the claims.