GRILL LID

A grill includes a main body with a main body rear right corner and a main body rear left corner. A lid cover includes a lid cover left sidewall and a lid cover right sidewall. A hinge linkage assembly connects the grill body to the grill lid. The linkage assembly includes a right front hinge link, a right rear hinge link, a left front hinge link, and a left rear hinge link. The right rear hinge link has a right rear hinge link upper joint connected to the lid cover right sidewall, and a right rear hinge link lower joint connected to the main body rear right corner. The left rear hinge link has a left rear hinge link upper joint connected to the lid cover left sidewall, and a left rear hinge link lower joint connected to the main body rear left corner.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of grills.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

A variety of grill lids have been invented with swivel lids.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A grill includes a main body with a main body rear right corner and a main body rear left corner. A lid cover includes a lid cover left sidewall and a lid cover right sidewall. A hinge linkage assembly connects the grill body to the grill lid. The linkage assembly includes a right front hinge link, a right rear hinge link, a left front hinge link, and a left rear hinge link. The right rear hinge link has a right rear hinge link upper joint connected to the lid cover right sidewall, and a right rear hinge link lower joint connected to the main body rear right corner. The left rear hinge link has a left rear hinge link upper joint connected to the lid cover left sidewall, and a left rear hinge link lower joint connected to the main body rear left corner.

A right side bracket is connected to the main body rear right corner, and a left side is bracket connected to the main body rear left corner. The hinge linkage assembly is connected to the right side bracket and the left side bracket. The right rear hinge link lower joint and the right front hinge link lower joint are pivotally mounted to the right side bracket. The left rear hinge link lower joint and the left front hinge link lower joint are pivotally mounted to the left side bracket.

The hinge linkage assembly is mounted to the lid cover left sidewall inside surface and the lid cover right sidewall inside surface. The right rear hinge link of the right front hinge link is mounted to the lid cover right sidewall inside surface. The left rear hinge link and the left front hinge link are mounted to the lid cover right sidewall inside surface.

A right side bracket and a left side bracket are externally mounted. The right side bracket is externally mounted to a main body right sidewall, and the left side bracket is externally mounted to a main body left sidewall. The hinge linkage assembly is externally mounted to the right side bracket and externally mounted to the left side bracket.

The left front hinge link is longer than the left rear hinge link, and the right front hinge link is longer than the right rear hinge link. A distance between the left rear hinge link upper joint and the left front hinge link upper joint is greater than a distance between the left rear hinge link lower joint and the left front hinge link lower joint. A distance between the right rear hinge link upper joint and the right front hinge link upper joint is greater than a distance between the right rear hinge link lower joint and the right front hinge link lower joint.

The following call out numbers can be a useful guide in referencing the element numbers of the drawings.20Main Body21Main Body Rear Right Corner22Main Body Rear Left Corner23Main Body Right Sidewall24Main Body Left Sidewall26Main Body Left Sidewall Upper Edge Trim25Main Body Right Sidewall Upper Edge Trim30Cooktop Tray31Cooktop Surface32Cooktop Rear Sidewall33Cooktop Left Sidewall34Cooktop Right Sidewall35Cooktop Sidewall Height40Hinge Bracket41Right Side Bracket42Left Side Bracket43Right Side Bracket Upper Connection44Left Side Bracket Upper Connection45Right Side Bracket Lower Connector46Left Side Bracket Lower Connector47Right Side Bracket Lower Extension48Left Side Bracket Lower Extension51Right Rear Hinge Link52Left Rear Hinge Link53Right Front Hinge Link54Left Front Hinge Link55Right Side Bracket Forward Extension56Left Side Bracket Forward Extension60Hinge Linkage Assembly61Right Rear Hinge Link Lower Joint67Right Rear Hinge Link Lower Joint63Right Front Hinge Link Lower Joint65Right Rear Hinge Link Upper Joint62Left Rear Hinge Link Lower Joint64Left Front Hinge Link Lower Joint66Left Lower Hinge Link Upper Joint68Left Rear Hinge Link Upper Joint81Lid Cover Top Surface82Lid Cover Front Sidewall83Lid Cover Left Side Wall84Lid Cover Right Side Wall Inside Surface85Lid Cover Left Sidewall Inside Surface87Lid Offset Gap88Front Lid Handle91Right Rear Hinge Link Length92Right Front Hinge Link Length93Left Rear Hinge Link Length94Left Front Hinge Link Length95Right Table Extension Upper Surface96Left Table Extension Upper Surface

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As seen inFIGS.1-4, the grill can be a gas grill or wood fired grill. The grill generally has a main body20that contains the burner assembly. The main body20has a right table extension96and a left table extension98and is supported by legs70. A user can lift the lid cover80at the front handle88and swivel the lid cover80from an open position to a closed position back to an open position and then back to a closed position. The right table extension97can be used for storing cooked meats, while the left table extension98can be used for storing raw meat freshly marinated and ready to cook.

The main body20is preferably formed as panels that include a front panel, a left panel, a right panel, and a rear panel. Thus, the main body has a main body right sidewall23, and a main body left sidewall24. The main body20is preferably formed of steel. Similarly, the lid cover80is also formed of steel and has a lid cover front sidewall82. The front lid handle88is mounted to the lid cover front sidewall82. The lid cover80also has a lid cover top surface81that is formed between a lid cover left sidewall83and a lid cover right sidewall84. The lid cover80has a lid offset gap87such that it floats at a height above the main body21when in its closed position.

The lid cover80is mounted to the main body20at a hinge bracket40. The hinge bracket40is externally mounted to the main body20by connectors. The hinge bracket40supports a hinge linkage assembly60.

As seen inFIGS.1-2, the cooktop tray30can be mounted over the main body20. The cooktop tray has a cooktop left sidewall31and a cooktop right sidewall34with a cooktop rear sidewall32bounding a cooktop surface31. When closed, the lid cover front sidewall82covers the cooktop surface31and optionally a cooktop front sidewall. The cooktop tray30has a cooktop sidewall height35. The cooktop sidewall height35provides an underlap with the lid cover left sidewall83, the lid cover front sidewall82, and the lid cover left sidewall84, while still allowing airflow.

The hinge linkage assembly60includes a total of four links, namely a right rear hinge link51, a right front hinge link53, a left front hinge link54, and a left rear hinge link52. A the right side bracket41has the right side bracket lower extension47that extends downwardly, and a right side bracket forward extension55that extends forwardly from a main body rear right corner21. The right side bracket lower extension57can be connected to the main body right sidewall23at a right side bracket lower connector45and a right side rocket upper connector43such as by screws or rivets.

The side bracket forward extension55is at a main body right sidewall upper edge trim55of the main body right sidewall23. The right rear hinge link51is mounted to the right side bracket41at the right rear hinge link lower joint61and is mounted to the lid cover right sidewall84at the right rear hinge link upper joint67. The right front hinge link53is mounted to the right side bracket forward extension55at the right front hinge link lower joint63. The right front hinge link53is also mounted to the lid cover right sidewall84at the right rear hinge link upper joint65. The right front hinge link53has a right front hinge link length92that is longer than the right rear hinge link length91of the right rear hinge link51.

The lid cover sidewall inside surfaces such as the lid cover left sidewall inside surface85and the lid cover right sidewall inside surface86receive the joint connections. The right front hinge link upper joint65and the right rear hinge link upper joint67are both mounted to the lid cover right sidewall inside surface86such that the right front hinge link53and the right rear hinge link51are pivotally mounted to and parallel to the lid cover right sidewall inside surface86. The right front hinge link53and the right rear hinge link51are mounted to an external surface of the right side bracket41. The main body right sidewall upper edge trim25is optionally included to be mounted to an upper edge of the main body right sidewall23. The main body right sidewall23can be formed as a thick gauge steel sidewall. A the main body right sidewall upper edge trim25extend over an upper edge of the main body right sidewall23to provide structural rigidity.

As seen inFIGS.3-4, the left side bracket42can be mounted to the main body20at a left bracket upper connector44and a left bracket lower connector46. The side bracket forward extension56receives external mounting of pivot joints. The left rear hinge link lower joint62and the left front hinge link lower joint64are externally mounted to the left side bracket42at the left side bracket upper connector44. Similarly, the main body left sidewall upper edge trim26can be formed as an overlap that reinforces and encloses the upper edge of the main body left sidewall24.

The left rear hinge link length93is less than the left front hinge link length94. The left rear hinge link52is mounted behind the left front hinge link54. The left rear hinge link52has a left rear hinge link lower joint63that is mounted to the left side bracket42near the main body rear left corner22and may also be connected to the main body20at the main body left sidewall24. The left rear hinge link52has a left rear hinge link upper joint68that is pivotally connected to the lid cover left sidewall83. The left front hinge link upper joint66is also totally connected to the lid cover left sidewall83. The distance between the left rear hinge link upper joint68and the left front hinge link upper joint66is greater than the distance between the left rear hinge link lower joint62and the left front hinge link lower joint64. This is symmetrical to the right side where the distance between the right rear hinge link upper joint67and the right front hinge link upper joint65is greater than the distance between the right rear hinge link lower joint61and the right front hinge link lower joint63.

The left front hinge link upper joint66is mounted with the left rear hinge link upper joint on the lid cover left sidewall inside surface85such that the left rear hinge link52and the left front hinge link54are parallel to the lid cover left sidewall inside surface85and pivotally mounted to the lid cover left sidewall inside surface85.

The lid cover front sidewall82can be beveled so that it rests on the cooktop tray30. The right side bracket and the left side bracket are preferably and flat along the portion that they connect to the main body left sidewall and the main body right sidewall. Similarly, the main body left sidewall and the main body right sidewall are flat in the preferred embodiment where the grill lid is rectangular. Similarly, the hinge links are flat and fitted between the lid cover side walls and the main body sidewalls.