Abstract:
A barbecue oven that enables operator control of the combustion process through selective control of gas flow through and/or around a hot, oxygenated bed of coals and further enables automatic control of oven temperature through thermostatic regulation of forced draft.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to barbecue ovens, and more specifically to a firebox, draft system and method of operation that improves operator control of the combustion process and oven temperature. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0002]    Barbecue ovens are used to cook meat with the hot gases of a wood and/or charcoal fire. While most barbecue ovens are capable of producing excellent cooked meat, they suffer from a number of drawbacks, such as limited control of the combustion process and difficult control of oven temperature. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a barbecue oven is provided that includes a firebox, a cooking chamber, a passageway connecting the firebox to the cooking chamber, and a forced draft device configured to withdraw gases from the cooking chamber. The firebox comprises a vented charcoal tray disposed within a housing, an upper chamber above the charcoal tray, configured to hold wood and charcoal and comprising a vent configured to admit combustion air to the upper portion of the charcoal tray, and a lower chamber below the charcoal tray configured to collect ash. The cooking chamber is vented and configured to hold meat. The passageway connects the firebox to the cooking chamber and comprises an inlet configured to receive gases from the lower chamber of the firebox and an outlet configured to discharge gases into the cooking chamber. The forced draft device is thermostatically controlled and comprised in the vent in the cooking chamber, and when activated causes flow from atmosphere, through the vent in the upper chamber of the firebox to the upper portion of the charcoal tray, downward through the vent in the charcoal tray to the lower chamber of the firebox, through the passageway to the cooking chamber, and through the vent in the cooking chamber back to atmosphere. In this manner, the gases produced by the decomposition of wood and charcoal are thoroughly burned and oven temperature is controlled automatically. 
         [0004]    Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional diagram of a barbecue oven in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional diagram of a barbecue oven in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional diagram of a barbecue oven in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional diagram of a barbecue oven in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional diagram of a barbecue oven in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional diagram of a barbecue oven in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a diagram of a barbecue oven having a firebox on top, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    In the description that follows, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawing figures might not be to scale, and certain components can be shown in generalized or schematic form and identified by commercial designations in the interest of clarity and conciseness. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of barbecue oven  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Barbecue oven  100  can be made of carbon steel, stainless steel or other suitable materials and can be welded, riveted, or formed in other suitable manners. Barbecue oven  100  includes firebox  200  that includes charcoal tray  210  having vent  211  disposed therein. Firebox upper chamber  220  is located above charcoal tray  210  and is configured to hold wood  221 , charcoal  222 , and ash  223 . Firebox upper chamber  220  also includes vent  223 , which is configured to admit combustion air to the upper portion of charcoal tray  210 . Firebox lower chamber  230  is located below charcoal tray  210  and is configured to collect ash  231 . Cooking chamber  300  is configured to hold meat  301  and includes vent  302 , which can be used to exhaust heated gas from cooking chamber  300  or for other suitable purposes. 
         [0015]    Passageway  400  connects firebox  200  to cooking chamber  300  and includes inlet  401  and outlet  402 . Forced draft device  500  is disposed in cooking chamber vent  302  and generates a pressure differential that causes air to flow from the atmosphere surrounding barbecue oven  100 , through vent  223  in firebox upper chamber  220  to the upper portion of charcoal tray  210 , downward through vent  211  in charcoal tray  210  to firebox lower chamber  230 , through passageway  400  to cooking chamber  300 , and through vent  302  back to the atmosphere. This action thoroughly combusts the gases generated by pyrolyzing wood  221  as they pass through hot, oxygenated charcoal  222  and produces a light, sweet flavor profile on meat  301  or other foods that are placed within cooking chamber  300 . 
         [0016]    Forced draft device  500  can further include a thermostat controller having a user-selectable temperature set point, wherein a thermocouple is disposed within cooking chamber  300 . In this exemplary embodiment, when the temperature measured in cooking chamber  300  using the thermocouple is lower than the user-selectable temperature set point, forced draft device  500  can be activated and can draw uncombusted wood smoke from firebox upper chamber  220  through vent  211  of charcoal tray  210 , thus creating clean, fully combusted smoke that is subsequently drawn through passageway  400  and into cooking chamber  300 . This process can continue until the temperature within cooking chamber  300  increases past the set point, at which point the thermostat can turn the forced draft device off. 
         [0017]    In one exemplary embodiment, barbecue oven  100  can include one or more features from the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,895,942, entitled “Barbecue Firebox and Method of Operation,” issued Mar. 1, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if set forth herein in its entirety. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of barbecue oven  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, forced draft device  500  is located in passageway  400  and is of suitable design, such as an eductor, so as to tolerate the higher gas temperatures to which forced draft device  500  will be exposed in this location. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of barbecue oven  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, forced draft device  500  is attached to the firebox upper chamber vent  223  and is designed to allow high temperature backflow when deactivated, thereby preventing gases generated by pyrolyzing wood  221  from entering firebox lower chamber  230  uncombusted. 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of barbecue oven  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, passageway  400  additionally comprises second inlet  403 , which is configured to receive gases from firebox upper chamber  220  and wherein activation of forced draft device  500  additionally causes flow from firebox upper chamber  220 , through passageway  400  to cooking chamber  300 , bypassing hot, oxygenated charcoal  222 . In this manner, partially combusted wood gases are provided to cooking chamber  300 , which contributes a heavier, smoky flavor to meat  301  or other food in cooking chamber  300 . While excessive volumes of such partially combusted wood gas can impart a harsh or bitter taste to the food in cooking chamber  300  if the food cooks for a long time (such as a beef brisket, pork butt or pork shoulder that might be cooked for six hours or more), if the food is not going to be cooked for a long period of time (such as a chicken or fish), the additional partially combusted wood gas can help to impart a wood smoked flavor to the food. 
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of barbecue oven  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Passageway  400  additionally comprises damper  404 , which enables the operator to select light, sweet gases from firebox lower chamber  230  and/or heavy, smoky gases from firebox upper chamber  220 . In this manner, the proportions of fully combusted wood gas and partially combusted wood gas that are introduced to the firebox can be selected and adjusted by the user. 
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of barbecue oven  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Dampers  404  are of poppet valve style and enable the operator to select light, sweet gases from firebox lower chamber  230  and/or heavy, smoky gases from firebox upper chamber  220 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 7  is a diagram of a barbecue oven  100  having a firebox on top, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, firebox  200  can have a rectangular cross section and is disposed on top of cooking chamber  300 . Passageway  400  extends downward from and adjacent to firebox  200  and cooking chamber  300 , and can enter cooking chamber  300  at the bottom, so as to create a more even distribution of heat within cooking chamber  300 . 
         [0024]    Although exemplary embodiments of a system and method of the present invention have been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art will also recognize that various substitutions and modifications can be made to the systems and methods without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.