Abstract:
An outdoor barbecuing grill is connected to a charcoal storage bin. The storage bin can preserve up to twenty pounds of charcoal for ready use in grilling. The grill is a standard construct of a cooking chamber with a lid and having inside it a food grate positioned over a fuel holding grate, which is then positioned over an ash catcher. The cooking chamber is removable and attached to the storage bin on top. The storage bin has portions facilitating the ease of access to the charcoal, such as by scooping charcoal from the bin with a scoop. The scoop hangs from a hanger, which is below the door. The storage bin also has 4 functions. Drip frame for keeping water outside the storage bin. Inside barrier frame to allow charcoal from being excessively pushed out of doors opening. The door, which opens at a outward position. The door has two sidewalls to keep charcoal from falling off the door and on the ground. The basin floor which has two sides that angle outward and upward and plus it angles downward away from doors opening to keep charcoal from excessively pushing out of storage bin.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field Of The Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates generally to barbecue and smoker grills and, in particular, to a combination barbecue and smoker grill that incorporates a bin mounted to the grill for storing solid fuel.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Cooking grills include are designed for either cooking foods 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 mounted upon a support structure, such as a pedestal or cart assembly. A lower portion for holding a fuel source is usually mounted to the support structure. A lid accompanies the storage bin and grill, and is formed to cooperate with the cooking chamber and lower portion to form a cooking enclosure. The cooking enclosure is configured for placing various food items therein, such as upon a grate or other cooking surface that rests within a lower region of the cooking chamber.  
         [0005]     In a typical barbecue grill, the fuel source is usually charcoal briquettes or wood pieces. The fuel is the heat source and is burned below the cooking surface of the grill for heating the cooking chamber. Various food items placed on the grate are then heated to a sufficient temperature.  
         [0006]     In a typical smoker grill, an enclosure called a firebox maintains a fire for smoldering wood therein, serving as an indirect source for heating food on the grate. The firebox is typically arranged adjacent to or underneath the cooking enclosure. The smoke and heat produced within the firebox enter the cooking chamber for smoking the food items placed on the grate.  
         [0007]     For those who especially enjoy barbecuing, using solid fuels is often not the choice for grilling. Many people often choose a barbecue grill that uses a cooking gas such as propane as a fuel source. This is generally because of a perceived lack of ease of use of grills employing solid fuels. A major factor causing this perception among grilling enthusiasts is that the solid fuels used in barbecuing and smoking can be problematic in their storage around the home. Usually such fuels are stored outside of a home, for example, in a garage or shed. However, unless the fuel is used relatively soon after initial storage, the fuels can absorb water from the ground and out of the air. The result is a damp fuel source, which will not ignite without a generous amount of an accelerant, such as charcoal lighter fluid. A great amount of the accelerant usually causes foods to have the flavor of the accelerant. This is because the moisture can retard the combustion of the accelerant, leaving residual accelerant in the cooking chamber, even after a significant portion of the accelerant combusts.  
         [0008]     Additionally, charcoal briquettes produce charcoal dust that collects on the clothing and hands of the user as the charcoal is loaded into the grill for burning. A person always gets dirty when using charcoal. For those grilling enthusiasts who regularly choose to employ solid fuels, there exists a need for a grilling accessory that imparts ease in the storage and transfer of fuel to the grill, without touching the fuel. A need exists to allow the user to avoid using his hands at all.  
         [0009]     Therefore, there is a need for providing improved grills and smokers that address the shortcomings of the prior art.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating the grill.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the door in the open position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a view in section illustrating the grill from the rear.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a view in section illustrating the grill from the front  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a view in section illustrating the grill from the side.  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the door in the closed position. 
     
    
       [0016]     Numerous other embodiments and objects will be evident from the description below.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the invention is a grill  10  consisting of a cooking chamber  12  and a storage bin  14 . The cooking chamber  12  has a surrounding sidewall  16 , which is generally circular. The surrounding sidewall  16  has an inner surface and an outer surface, and portions defining air holes  13  for ventilation in the cooking process. In the preferred embodiment, the cooking chambers  12  diameter is approximately 14.5 inches to 22.5 inches. The cooking chamber  12  may be another shape, such as the sort typically utilized in grilling. For example, a square, rectangular, or other polygonal shape in which the opposing edges of smaller sidewalls are joined together in sequence to form a larger surrounding wall (not shown).  
         [0018]     A lid  21  is mountable onto an upper portion of the surrounding sidewall  16 , thereby forming the cooking chamber  12 . Also the lid  21  maybe mountable on the sidewalls of the storage bin  14  when cooking chamber  12  is not mounted on top of storage bin  14 . The lid  21  may have vent holes as is standard in grill lids, in order to provide ventilation for the cooking process. The vent holes are usually adjusted by a rotating plate movably fixed to a grill  10  at the center of the plate, so that when the plate is rotated, the vent holes are revealed. Oxygen is permitted to enter the cooking chamber  12  in order to promote and maintain burning, and combustive air-borne byproducts are exhausted from the cooking chamber  12 . In this way, the grill  10  performs the cooking process without the build-up of carbon-based combustive byproducts has on the food.  
         [0019]     The cooking chamber  12  a standard food grate for supporting food located adjacent to the lid  21  in the cooking chamber  12 . The food grate extends across the cooking chamber  12 . A fuel grate for supporting a fuel source is located in the cooking chamber  12  underneath the food grate. Generally, in grilling the solid fuel source utilized is charcoal briquettes, wood chips, and hunks of wood. The preferred embodiment uses standard charcoal grilling briquettes employed in outdoor grilling, but variations may include wood chips and wood hunks used in smoking.  
         [0020]     Also inside the cooking chamber  12  is an ash collection pan positioned underneath the fuel grate. The collection pan has a floor and a surrounding pan wall. As the charcoal burns to ash, smaller bits of burning fuel and combustive byproducts from the food and fuel collect on the floor. The collection pan has handles for grasping and lifting the collection pan off the cooking chamber  12 . In order to dispose of byproducts after the grill  10  is used. The cooking chamber  12  is formed to rest on the top of storage bin  14   
         [0021]     In the preferred embodiment, at least two support brackets secure the cooking chamber  12  onto the storage bin  14 , and the storage bin  14  is located underneath the cooking chamber  12 . The support braces (not shown) are fixed onto the outer surface of the cooking chamber  12  surrounding sidewall  16  and the outer sidewall of storage bin  14 . It is contemplated that the invention may be practiced by associating the storage bin  14  and the grill  10  in other orientations. For example the invention may be practiced by laterally connecting the storage bin  14  to the grill  10 . The invention contemplates that the fuel used for grilling is stored for ready use in immediate and a close association to the grill  10 . In other words, the fuel is preserved in a safe and proper state for convenient use in grilling. The orientation of the grill  10  and the storage bin  14  is generally limited by the type and manner of exhaust used in the grilling process.  
         [0022]     The storage bin  14  has a barrel  36  with a panel  38 . The panel  38  is a planar side, which is the front of the storage bin  14  with portions defining an opening  40 , and has an inner surface and an outer surface. Preferably, the barrel  36  is made from steel or similar rigid metal. The steel is formed to be heat-resistant.  
         [0023]     A door  46  for covering the opening  40  is attached with a hinge  89  to the outer surface of the panel  38 . The hinge  89  is attached to the panel at a bottom edge area  48  of the opening. The door opens outwardly by pivoting on the hinge. Preferably the door  46  measures about six inches by six inches (6″×6″) through ten inches by ten inches (10″×10″). The door  46  has a lock  50  for being secured in a closed position. The lock  50  has a portion for grasping  52 , which can serve as a handle for the door  46 .  
         [0024]     Door sidewalls  54  and  56  are opposingly attached substantially parallel to each other and perpendicular to the door  46 . The door sidewalls  54  and  56  are attached approximately three-fourths of an inch (¾″) inwardly of the respective edges of the door  46 . The door sidewalls  54  and  56  extend approximately two and one-half inches (2½″) outwardly from the door  46  and longitudinally along substantially the entire length of the door  46 .  
         [0025]     The door sidewalls  54  and  56  function as barriers to stop pieces of the charcoal from falling out of the storage bin  14 . The bin  14  may be filled full of charcoal to an extent at which individual pieces of the fuel pile above the opening  40 . If the charcoal pieces spill out of the storage bin  14 , through the opening  40  and onto the door  46 , then they will be stopped from falling further to the ground. This is because the door sidewalls  54  and  56  will prohibit further movement of the pieces laterally off of the door  46  and onto the ground. The door sidewalls  54  and  56  function to keep charcoal from landing on a clean outdoor surface, thereby discoloring the surface or becoming wet.  
         [0026]     A inside door barrier frame  58  is attached to the inner surface of the panel  38 . The barrier frame  58  extends into the storage bin  14  are approximately five inches (5″) in the preferred embodiment, although greater and lesser distances are possible. The frame  58  extends along both lateral sides and a top side of the door opening  40 . A top surface panel  60  of the frame  58  extends inwardly and angled downwardly into the storage bin  14 . The sides of inside door barrier frame  58  are angled inwardly to keep solid fuel to be stuck on the sides of inside door barrier frame  58 .  
         [0027]     An outside door drip frame  62  is attached to the outer surface of the panel  38 . The drip frame  62  is attached substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of panel  38 , extending approximately three-fourths of an inch (¾″) outwardly from the storage bin  14 . The drip frame  62  extends substantially entirely around sides and topside of the opening  40 . The drip frame  62  is connected to the outside of panel  38  around door opening  40  by a rim portion of the frame  62  being bent longitudinally in half substantially perpendicular. A series of rivets or bolts  65  fasten the drip frame  62  to the panel  38 . A hole  64  for the door lock  50  is centered on the topside of the outside drip frame  62  in the preferred embodiment, but other locking methods may be implemented in this invention, which could avoid the need of the hole  64  along the topside.  
         [0028]     The outside door drip frame  62  prohibits water from entering the storage bin  14 , when the door  46  is in an open or a closed position as shown in the Figures. The outside door drip frame  62  functions to ensure that the fuel in the storage bin  14  is kept dry for use. When the door  46  is closed, a seam  66  forms between the door  46  and the panel  38 . The drip frame  62  physically repels any moisture that would fall onto the seam  66  from entering the storage bin  14 . Also, the drip frame  62  extends around the door  46  sides in order to prohibit water that would splash from lateral directions from entering the storage bin  14  through the seam  66  between the panel  38  and the door  46  and dampening the fuel. When the door  46  is in the open position, the drip frame  62  stops moisture from landing on the opened door  46  and flowing inwardly to the storage bin  14  when the door  46  is open or closed thereafter.  
         [0029]     A fuel collection basin  68  inside the storage bin  14  has a substantially horizontal basin floor  70  and at least two basin sidewalls  72  and  74  connected to the perimeter of the basin floor  70 . The basin sidewalls  72  and  74  are beveled outwardly and upward from the basin floor  70 . In the preferred embodiment, the basin sidewalls  72  and  74  are angled outwardly and upward at approximately zero to seventy degrees (0 to 70°) relative to the substantially horizontal basin floor  70 . The basin floor  70  is a plate which is angled downward approximately zero to seventy degrees (0° to 70) from doors opening  40  to the back of the inside of storage bin  14 . Angle bends along opposing sides to form the beveled sidewalls  72  and  74 .  
         [0030]     The basin sidewalls  72  and  74  are designed angled in order to aim charcoal  20  briquettes toward the basin floor  70 . The charcoal briquettes loaded into the bin  14  contacts the basin sidewalls  72  and  74  and are channeled downwardly to the floor  70  by the basin sidewalls  72  and  74 . The force of gravity acting downwardly on the charcoal pulls each briquette downwardly, until the briquette contacts the basin sidewalls  72  and  74 . Once in contact with the basin sidewalls  72  and  74 , the briquette moves inwardly and downwardly toward the basin floor  70  away from door opening  40 . The storage bins  14  capacity is for approximately twenty pounds (20 lbs.) of charcoal briquettes depends on size of storage bin  14  that is made.  
         [0031]     In an alternative embodiment not shown, the storage bin  14  may additionally have a loading ramp for receiving the charcoal that is loaded into a collection basin. The ramp loading has a first end and a second end. The loading ramp is connected to a floor of the basin. The first end is secured to a bottom lip of the doors opening. The second end is secured to the collection basin.  
         [0032]     The floor  70  declines from the opening  40  toward the storage basin floor  70 . In the preferred embodiment, the floor  70  declines approximately zero to six inches (0″ to 7″) from the first end to the second end. The charcoal briquettes are loaded into the storage bin  14  by pouring the charcoal y directly from a bag of charcoal, or by scooping the charcoal by using a tool. The charcoal is loaded by inserting through the top of storage bin  14  and onto the basin floor  70 . The charcoal slides downwardly on the basin floor  70  and inwardly toward the storage bins  14  charcoal repository area. Likewise, if any charcoal or wood chips fall from the bag or scooping tool, then those solid fuel pieces will land on the door.  
         [0033]     The preferred embodiment for the grill  10  has four legs  76 ,  78 ,  80  and  82 . The legs  76 ,  78 ,  80  and  82  are attached to the side of the bin  14 , through any standard means for substantially permanently securing metal parts together may be used, such as welding, screws, bolts, rivets, or wing nuts. Preferably, wing nuts are utilized to allow easy removal of the legs  76 ,  78 ,  80  and  82 , for storage or transport of the grill  10 .  
         [0034]     Preferably, at least two legs have wheels. The wheels are located on the on the side legs. The wheels are important for moving the grill, especially when the bin is loaded with the wood chips or charcoal. The wheels spare a user from having to lift a heavy bag of charcoal every time the grill  10  is used.  
         [0035]     The invention is a, esthetically pleasing, appearing as an outside piece of furniture. It maybe used with the grill  10  or just with the storage bin  14  itself to just store the charcoal or woodchips. It is contemplated that, in alternative embodiments, the grill  10  may have typical grilling accessories associated therewith. For example, a table surface for use in food preparation could be attached to the grill. At least two bottom braces are necessary for supporting the table. A first end of the brace is attached to a bottom surface of the table, and a second end of the brace is attached to the leg. The braces can be collapsed, and have leg stiffeners on each brace. The stiffeners impart sturdiness to the braces.  
         [0036]     In the preferred embodiment, each of a pair of handles  84  and  86  is secured to opposing sides of the grill. The handles  84  and  86  are made from a material that significantly reduces, or completely prohibits, heat conduction. A user moves the grill  10  by grasping at least one of the handles  84  and  86 , lifts, and rolls the grill  10  to a desired destination.  
         [0037]     In further alternative embodiments not shown, it is contemplated that the invention may include any one or combination of accessories typically used in grilling. For example, the present invention may be equipped with accessories such as a receptacle attached to the outer surface for holding a container of charcoal lighter fluid. Also, a thermometer, heat and smoke vent, and ash catcher may be attached to the grill. Furthermore, a table may be attached to various places on the grill  10 , such as the front panel or to the side of the barrel.  
         [0038]     Finally, a hook used for hanging the scooping tool  88  may be attached to the storage bin  14 . The hook  87  is attached to the panel  38  of the storage bin  14 , below the door  46 . The scoop  88  is necessary to avoid contact with the charcoal. In this way, the hands of a cook are kept free of charcoal soot while preparing the food on the grill  10 . The hook  87  further serves as a means for prohibiting the door  46  from opening further than 75 degrees relative to the storage bin  14 .  
         [0039]     While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in detail, it is to be understood that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims.