Stove Top BBQ

A stove top barbeque may be used with common stoves to provide grilled cooking results. The stove top barbeque includes a base, a lid, and a grate for supporting food. The base includes lower flutes for catching liquids, and inverted upper flutes above the lower flutes to guide the liquids into the lower flutes. The lower flutes are staggered upwards from the middle pair outwards to distribute to distribute the flame below more evenly. This configuration allows for direct flame-grilling of food placed on the grate. The upper and lower flutes have a gradual slope to carry liquids to a trough along the front of the stove top barbeque. The grate lifts off for cleaning. The lid has an open position and a closed position over the base and is removable by lifting from the base. A catch holds the lid open in a nearly vertical position to drain condensation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to cooking and in particular to a grill positionable on a stove to barbeque food.

The flavor of barbequed food is widely enjoyed. Generally, barbequing is performed on an outdoor barbeque. Unfortunately, it is not always convenient to cook outdoors and there is a need for a barbeque grill which can be used with a common stove to obtain the results achieved using an outdoor barbeque. Known indoor grills do not allow flame-grilling.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a stove top barbeque which may be used with common stoves to provide grilled cooking results. The stove top barbeque includes a base, a lid, and a grate for supporting food. The base includes lower flutes for catching liquids, and inverted upper flutes above the lower flutes to guide the liquids into the lower flutes. The lower flutes are staggered upwards from the middle pair outwards to distribute to distribute the flame below more evenly. This configuration allows for direct flame-grilling of food placed on the grate. The upper and lower flutes have a gradual slope to carry liquids to a trough along the front of the stove top barbeque. The grate lifts off for cleaning. The lid has an open position and a closed position over the base and is removable by lifting from the base. A catch holds the lid open in a nearly vertical position to drain condensation.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a set of lower flutes captures liquid dripping from a grate. A pair of inner flutes are lowest, a pair of intermediate flutes are outside and above the inner pair, and a pair of outer flutes are outside the intermediate flutes and higher than both the inner and the intermediate flutes. The staggered depths of the inner flutes improves the spreading of heat across the width of the barbeque.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Where the terms “about” or “generally” are associated with an element of the invention, it is intended to describe a feature's appearance to the human eye or human perception, and not a precise measurement.

An exploded view of a stove top barbeque10according to the present invention is shown inFIG. 1. The stove top barbeque10includes a base14, a grate12, and a lid28. The base14preferably includes a rectangular body13with a width W, a length L and height H. The Width W is preferably about 26 cm, the Length L is preferably about 26 cm, and the height H is preferably about 15 cm. The base14includes a trough24along the front14a,and contains lower flutes20and inverted upper flutes22(seeFIG. 4) above and overlapping the lower flutes20. The inverted upper flutes22overlap the lower flutes20and deflect liquids into the lower flutes20, and the lower flutes20slope downward towards the trough24and release the liquids through openings17in the front14aof the base14, to the trough24for collection. Grate stops18in the interior of the base14support the grate12above the flutes20and22. Optional chafing burner rails26reside at the bottom of the base14. Each side14cof the base14has an open bottom gap15having a height h0of preferably about 1.5 cm.

The lid28is hingedly attached to the base14by operation of a lid catch36(seeFIGS. 5, 6, 7A, and 7B). The lid28pivots closed by the cooperation of a flap40attached to the lid28with catch portions36aand36battached to the base14. The lid28may be disengaged from the base14by lifting which separates the flap40from the catch portions36aand36b.The lid28includes a skirt28awhich slides into the base14and the catch36and a flap34at the front of the lid28, to limit the depth the lid28enters the base14. The lid28further includes skewer notches16ain sides of the skirt29aligned with base skewer notches16bin the base14, which may serve as venting.

A front view of the base14is shown inFIG. 2A, a side view of the base16is shown inFIG. 2B, and a top view of the base14is shown inFIG. 2C. The lower flutes20and inverted upper flutes22slope downward a slope S from the rear14bto the front14ato the trough24to capture liquids released during cooking in the trough24. The slope S is preferably about 1 cm. The base14includes an open bottom14ato allow flame-grilling. The inverted upper flutes22a,22b,and22care between and overlap the lower flutes20a,20b, and20c.For clarity, only the inverted upper flutes22aand22c,and the lower flutes20, and20care shown inFIG. 2B.

A cross-sectional view of the base14taken along line3-3ofFIG. 2Ais shown inFIG. 3. The lower flutes20a,20b,and20cslope down towards the trough24a slope S. The front ends of the lower flutes20aare a distance d1above the bottom of the base14. The slope S is preferably about 1 cm and the distance d1is preferably about 1.5 cm.

A cross-sectional view of the base14taken along line4-4ofFIG. 2Cat the front of the base14, is shown inFIG. 4. The lower flutes20a,22b,and22chave a width w1and height h1, and are separated by gaps g1, and the inverted upper flutes22a,22b,and22chave a width w2and height h2, and are separated by gaps g2. The widths w1and w2are preferably about 3cm, the heights h1and h2are preferably about 1.5 cm, and the gaps g1and g2are preferably about 0.8 cm. The lower flutes20a,20b,and20care vertically spaced apart a distance d2of preferably about 0.8 cm and the inverted upper flutes22a,22b,and22care vertically spaced apart a distance d4of preferably about 0.8 cm. Each of the lower flutes20a,20b,and20care vertically spaced apart from the inverted upper flutes22a,22b,and22crespectively by preferably about 0.8 cm. The lower flute20ais vertically spaced the distance d1above the bottom of the base14of preferably about 1.5 cm, and the inverted upper flute22cis preferably spaced a distance d5below the grate12, at the front of the base14, of preferably about 1 cm. The grate12is vertically spaced a distance d6below the top of the base14of preferably about 3.1 cm. The gaps g1and g2are preferably about 2 cm.

A first catch portion36aof a catch36(seeFIGS. 7A and 7B) attached to the rear of the lid28is shown inFIG. 5. The first catch portion36aincludes a flap40which engages the second catch portion36b(seeFIG. 6) to hold the lid28open.

The second catch portion36bof the catch36attached to the base14is shown inFIG. 6. The second catch portion36bincludes a fixed strap44, and vertically spaced apart fixed rods46aand46b.

The catch36is shown holding the lid28open inFIG. 7A. The flap40is between the base14and both rods46aand46bholding the lid28in the open position.

The catch36is shown with the lid14closed inFIG. 7B. The flap40reaches between the rods46aand46b.

A perspective view of the lid28separated from the base14of the stove top barbeque10is shown inFIG. 8A, a perspective view of the lid28closed on the base14is shown inFIG. 8B, and a perspective view of the lid28held open on the base14is shown inFIG. 8C.