Abstract:
A portable gas cooking device for use outdoors, includes a cooking container, a gas burner, and a gas tank disposed within and stacked up from the top to the bottom of an insulated housing for cooking during transportation thereof without safety and leakage problems.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a portable cooking device for use outdoors and more particularly, to a portable gas cooking device having a cooking container, a gas burner, and a gas tank disposed within and stacked up from the top to the bottom of an insulated housing for cooking during transportation thereof without safety and leakage problems. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Various types of gas cooking devices having a gas burner and a gas source are known in the art. Generally, the gas burner is operated by a gas controlling valve or switch, and the gas burner is provided with container supports for supporting the container disposed over the burner. 
     Such gas cooking devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,213,848 to Wei, U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,993 to Oakes, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,350 to Steinhauser. However, such gas cooking devices do not disclose an actually portable cooking device containing a pot, a burner, and a gas tank with an automatic igniting system. Also, such cooking devices do not show a cooking device to enable cooking during transportation of the cooking device without safety and leakage problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable gas cooking device for use outdoors, which eliminates the above problems encountered with conventional gas cooking devices. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable gas cooking device including a cylindrical housing, a replaceable gas tank, a gas burner member with an automatic igniting system, and a cooking container with a lid screwed to the cooking container whereby the portable gas cooking device can be effectively operated outdoors even though the weather is bad, and conveniently used during movement/transportation thereof. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable gas cooking device, which is simple in structure, inexpensive to manufacture, durable in use, and refined in appearance. 
     Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     Briefly described, the present invention is directed to an improved portable gas cooking device including a cooking container such as a pot or a kettle, a gas burner member, and a gas tank disposed within and stacked within an insulated housing for cooking during transportation thereof without safety and leakage problems. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable gas cooking device according to the present invention containing cut away portions in order to illustrate construction of the device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the portable gas cooking device according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a gas burner member of the portable gas cooking device according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now in detail to the drawings for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention, the portable gas cooking device 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a housing 11 having a pivotal handle 15 formed at an upper end of the housing 11, a gas tank 14 fit within the housing 11, a gas burner member 23 positioned over the gas tank 14, and a cooking container 13 positioned above the gas burner member 23. The housing 11 is made of insulating materials such as cellular plastics, glass fibers, or polystyrenes and has a cylindrical configuration. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 11 is provided with a plurality of stoppers 22 extending from an inner wall of the housing 11 for securely positioning the gas tank, and a plurality of gas tank supports 29 fixed to a bottom peripheral edge of the housing with screws 30 for supporting the gas tank 14 thereon (FIG. 3) so as to enable replacement of the gas tank 14 if necessary. An annular space 20 is formed in a base of the housing 11, preferably within a bottom surface thereof, for inducing fresh air therethrough so as to supply oxygen to the gas burner 23. Also, the housing 11 is further provided with a plurality of openings 18 disposed adjacent an upper end thereof for exhausting of the wasted hot air, smell, and smoke to the atmosphere. A lid 12 covers the upper end of the housing 11 by threadably engaging with an inner threaded portion 19 an opening of the cooking container 13 and an outer threaded portion 19&#39; of the lid 12. The plurality of openings 18 are preferably formed as two parallel lines of openings 18. The lid 12 has a nipple 17 which has a small aperture 17&#39; formed therein for generating whistle while the liquid of the cooking container 13 is boiling so as to indicate the state of cooking of food in the cooking container 13 and maintain the safety of the cooking container 13. A knob 16 or the like is provided on the upper surface of the lid 12 to assist in securement and removal thereof to the container 13. 
     The cooking container 13 is supported by a plurality of container supports 21 extending from the inner peripheral wall surface at substantially the middle portion of the housing 11 such that the cooking container 13 is disposed over a burner head 37 of the burner 36. The cooking container 13 is preferably a kind of kettle or pot. The cooking container 13 will boil rice or cook various types of soups therewithin even though the portable gas cooking device 10 is transported outdoors, for example, hiking or mountain climbing and the weather is bad such as a windy and/or rainey day. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the gas burner member 23 includes a gas control valve 24, a burner head 37 having a plurality of gas openings 38, and a burner stem 36 containing a gas pipe 35 operatively communicating with the gas tank 14. The gas control valve 24 is operated by a gas controlling knob 34. Generally, the gas tank 14 contains LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) to be flowed to the plurality of gas openings 38 of the burner head 37 through the gas pipe 35 for transforming the LPG into a flame 39 (FIG. 4). The gas controlling knob 34 is disposed on the exterior of the housing 11. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a knurled igniting knob 25 disposed on the exterior of the housing 11 and in the vicinity of the gas controlling knob 34 includes a threaded steel member 26 and a knob shaft 31 connected between the knurled igniting knob 25 and the threaded steel member 26. The knob shaft 31 is supported by a C-shaped shaft support 32 fixed to the inner wall of the housing 11. A lighter flint 27 is biased by a spring 28 which is supported by an L-shaped lighter flint support 33 and attached to the upper part of the C-shaped shaft support 32 for igniting fire 39 to the burner head 37, so that it is easy to strike fire a spark. 
     Accordingly, the gas cooking device 10 for use outdoors according to the present invention can be used in any weather condition, for example, windy or rainy days, can effectively improve heat efficiency, can be conveniently cook even during movement of the cooking device 10, and can guarantee the safety and non-leakage thereof. Also, it is convenient and economical since the exhausted gas tank 14 can be easily replaced with a new one and the cooking device 10 includes an automatic ignition system disposed therewithin, and it is simple in structure, inexpensive to manufacture, durable in use, and refined in appearance. 
     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.