Abstract:
For use with a barbecue grill, a locking insert mounted to the firebowl of the grill and having a slot or slots formed in its upper rim. A cooking grate having a bar or bars underlying the cooking surface is disposed over the insert, the bars mating with the slots to secure the grate in a defined position. The grate has laterally extending handles for lifting the grate and the grill hood off of the insert for replenishing spent fuel.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Outdoor barbecue cooking is a popular method of preparing food throughout the world. Barbecue grills come in myriad sizes, shapes, styles, and fuel sources. For example, grills can be round, square, rectangular, tall, short, fixed-in-place, cart mounted, portable, light, heavy, and so on. Similarly, grills can be fueled by burning wood, charcoal, LP (liquid propane), butane, and/or natural gas, electrical elements, etc. 
         [0002]    Equally vast are the varieties of foods that can be and are cooked on barbecue grills. Meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruits, breads, as well as fully prepared dishes, such as casseroles, can all be prepared over hot coals, gas burners, and the like. The variety of cooking means and foods to cook are virtually endless, limited only by the skill and creativity of the chef. 
         [0003]    A relatively recent addition to the line-up of foodstuffs suitable for grilling is pizza. Pizza, often called pizza pie, comes in a variety of forms; i.e., thin crust, thick crust, deep dish, and so on; and can also contain a wide variety of ingredients. In general; however, pizza comprises a base layer of bread-type, cracker, or doughy crust, a layer of sauce, e.g. tomato sauce, cheese, and from there, virtually any edible item that is used as a topping. When made and ready to be cooked, a pizza, in general, is relatively soft and flexible, thus requiring a hard, flat surface for cooking. 
         [0004]    When cooked on a barbecue grill, a substantially solid, heat conducting base, termed a pizza stone, or like expedient, is used for supporting the pizza within the barbecue grill, where a typical support surface is a wire cooking grate. Whatever is used for the supporting base, it is normally a conductor of heat in order to facilitate cooking, sturdy enough to withstand the elevated temperatures associated with grilling, and possessing of a hard, flat, surface, so as to facilitate the placement and removal of the pizza when cooked. 
         [0005]    U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2011/0214662A1 to Contarino Jr. details an accessory that is used to convert a common barbecue grill, such as a kettle style grill, to an oven-type enclosure for grilling pizza and other foods that are not particularly suited to being cooked on a cooking grate, or being cooked on a barbecue grill itself. 
         [0006]    The application teaches a cylindrical insert, round in the example so as to follow the shape of the kettle grill, open at the top and bottom, and designed to fit between the firebox and the hood or lid of the grill. The insert is of a gauge substantial enough to withstand the high temperature of grilling and to support the weight of the grill hood. A window is formed in the side of the insert and used for inserting and withdrawing foods cooked in the grill. A ceramic stone or like means is placed over the cooking grate to support the pizza or other foods. This application is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
         [0007]    While the conversion device performs well for its intended use, the present application teaches improvements that have been designed to further enhance the utility of the barbecue grill as a cooking device. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The present application teaches a locking insert and a modified cooking grate assembly for use with a grill according to the Contarino, Jr. application or with other barbecue grills. The insert is mounted on the firebox and receives and supports the insert with the window, the cooking grate, the cooking stone, and the grill hood. The cooking grate includes elongated handles and integral feet for supporting the grate on a stable surface upon its removal from the grill. The assembly may also be used with other conventional grills that do not use the insert with the window. 
         [0009]    Various additional objects and advantages of the present locking insert and modified grate will become evident from the description hereinbelow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of the present locking insert and modified cooking grate, illustrating their relative positions in a kettle-type grill; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a partial, exploded, perspective view showing the locking insert, grate, and circular insert with the window; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a partial, cross-sectional view showing the assembled condition of the locking insert and grate; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a partial, exploded, perspective view illustrating the assembly in working form; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a partial, cross-sectional view showing the grill assembled without the insert having the window. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Referring now more specifically to the drawings, and to  FIG. 1  in particular, numeral  10  designates generally a kettle grill, shown here in exploded format. The kettle grill has a firebowl  12  and a hood  14  and is mounted for portability on cart  16 . Inside the firebowl is a coal grate  18  that supports whatever combustible material is used for cooking, i.e. charcoal briquettes, wood chunks, etc. The firebowl can also contain alternative heat sources such as a gas burner or burners, electric elements, and the like. 
         [0016]    In the Contarino, Jr. application, insert  20  with its window  22  is mounted on the firebowl  12 , supported thereon by the upper rim  28  of the firebowl; or it is mounted inside the firebowl, supported by the original equipment cooking grate (not shown). The pizza stone  24  is mounted in the firebowl, either on the original equipment lugs (not shown) that normally support the cooking grate, or on the original grate itself. 
         [0017]    As discussed in the Contarino, Jr. application, the cooking fuel, e.g. charcoal, is piled near the rear of the firebowl. The combination of the localized fuel, the shape of the kettle enclosure, and the vents in the firebowl and hood, generate a draft and thus, a tremendous amount of heat. Temperatures upwards of 600-700° F. and higher are common and necessary for successfully grilling pizza. However, the factors that generate the extreme heat also rapidly consume the fuel. In order to grill multiple pizzas, or other foods, it is necessary to replenish the fuel supply. In order to replenish the fuel in the Contarino, Jr. device, the hood, pizza stone, and cooking rack must be removed and replaced, individually, and in sequential order. This is, of course, complicated by the extreme temperatures. 
         [0018]    To address this issue, the present Applicants have devised a novel solution. Referring again to  FIG. 1 , firebowl  12  is modified with the addition of L-shaped tabs  26 , disposed inside the firebowl below the upper rim  28 . The circular insert  20  is removed and replaced by the present locking insert  40 . While the description references a locking insert, it is to be understood that the locking insert is a solid walled insert designed to mate with the firebowl and, as such, will be made in the shape of the firebowl, e.g. round, square, rectangular, etc. The cooking grate will then be similarly shaped and any such variations are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0019]    The locking insert  40  includes at least one, and in the embodiment shown, a plurality of C-shaped brackets  42 . The lower ends of brackets  42  are secured to tabs  26  with screws, bolts  44  and nuts  46 , (as shown in  FIG. 5 ), rivets, or some other type of fastener. The lower, outer rim of the insert  40  is flared outwardly to encircle and cover the upper rim of the firebowl, providing a substantially sealed engagement therewith. The locking insert can be permanently, or, at least semi-permanently, attached to the firebowl  12 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , effectively making the firebowl deeper and facilitating the draft effect which helps to achieve the elevated temperatures needed to grill pizzas or other foods. The upper ends of the C-shaped brackets extend inwardly from ring  40  to form horizontal supports  47 , which are disposed generally parallel to the base or ground, for use as described hereinbelow. 
         [0020]    Insert  40  also includes at least one, and in the embodiment shown, a plurality of slots  48 , which are formed in the upper rim  50  of insert  40 . In this embodiment, four such slots  48  are provided, generally opposite one another in the lengthwise, or side-to-side, direction of the firebowl. The horizontal supports  47  are configured such that the top surface of each support is disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane as the bottoms of the slots  48 . 
         [0021]    In the Contarino, Jr. device, the original equipment grill surface, i.e. a cooking grate, is discussed in paragraph 0031 as being mounted on supports 105, shown in FIG. 4B. The OE grill surface is not illustrated, but in grills of this type, the grill surface is supported in the interior of the firebowl and is completely covered by the grill hood. This arrangement facilitates the generally sealed environment of a kettle-type grill, which utilizes the restriction of influent oxygen to control flare-ups. Without a cooking surface in place, the supports 105 are used to mount the pizza stone, typically a heavy, round, ceramic or stone element on which the pizza is cooked. 
         [0022]    In the present device, modified cooking grate  52  is provided, as shown in  FIGS. 1-5 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the grate can comprise a circular element having a succession of closely spaced wire rods that are used either to support food being cooked over the heat source or, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the pizza stone  24 . While shown as a circular, wire grate, the grate can be made in different shapes, generally corresponding to the shape of the firebowl and hood, and with many different materials that can withstand the heat used for cooking food thereon, such as steel, aluminum, ceramics, and the like. The cooking grate can also be cast iron, aluminum bars, ceramic rods, or other suitable material. The configuration of the grate can also take various forms, using circular elements, elongated bars, flat surfaces, rectangular surfaces, and the like. Cooking grate  52  is modified using at least one, and in some embodiments, a plurality of elongated, lengthwise, horizontal bars  54  that underlie and support the food support rods  56 . The bars  54  are extended radially outwardly from the grate  52  on each side, and converge on each side thereof to where they terminate in grate handles  58 . 
         [0023]    When the grate is placed over the locking insert  40 , the outer ends of bars  54  are received in the slots  48  in the upper rim of insert  40 . This arrangement locks the grate in place against rotating, and also signals to the user that the grate is correctly seated with the handles  58  disposed outwardly of the firebowl. Localized portions of the food support rods are received on top of supports  47 , further ensuring a stably mounted surface. In addition, at least one, and in this embodiment, a plurality of rods  56  are bent downwardly to form V-shaped supports  60 , below the cooking grate  52 . These supports  60  serve as feet to suspend the grate  52  over another supporting surface, as described more fully hereinbelow. 
         [0024]    Referring again to  FIG. 2 , in order to convert the insert  20  of Contarino, Jr. to be usable with the present locking insert and modified cooking grate, the insert  20  is modified to include at least one, and in this embodiment, a plurality of downwardly facing slots  70 , formed in the bottom rim  72  of insert  20 . The bottom rim  72  is flared outwardly to fit over the upper rim  50  of the locking ring  40 . The downwardly facing slots  70  fit over the grate bars  54 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , where the various elements are shown assembled. The combination of the grate bars  54  and the complementary-formed slots  48  and  70 , serve to help seal what would otherwise be an unobstructed pathway for the ingress of air and the egress of heat, each with its own possibly deleterious effect on the cooking process. 
         [0025]    As discussed hereinabove, the design of the Contarino, Jr. device makes it effective for achieving the high temperatures required to successfully grill pizzas, but also requires that the fuel be replenished for grilling multiple pizzas or other foods due to the fact that the draft effect created by the deep firebowl, the vents in the firebowl and hood, and the open window in the insert  20 , rapidly consumes fuel. Referring to  FIG. 4 , one of the beneficial effects of the present modifications is illustrated. When it becomes necessary to replenish the fuel, the user grasps the extended handles  58  and lifts the cooking grate, the pizza stone, and the grill hood off of the locking ring as a single unit. The integrity of the unit is maintained by the engagement of the grate bars  54  with the slots  70 , formed in the modified circular insert  20 . The now separated upper portion of the grill can be then placed on any suitable supporting surface, resting on the V-shaped supports  60 . This provides direct access to the firebowl for adding more fuel, i.e. charcoal, wood chunks for flavoring, etc. After adding the fuel, the entire upper portion is replaced on the locking insert, the reception of the grate bars  54  in the slots  48  indicating to the user that the upper portion is securely seated and locked in place for further use. Exact registering of the bars  54  with slots  48  is not a requirement during the replacement of the upper assembly as the bars  54 , upon making resting contact with the upper rim  50  of the locking insert, support the assembly while a slight rotation of the assembly in one direction or the other will result in registry of the bars with the slots. As the seating is a positive engagement that can be felt even if not seen, given the environment, the user is assured that the grate, stone, and hood have been securely and safely re-positioned in a defined orientation over the firebowl. 
         [0026]    While discussed above with relation to the Contarino, Jr. application, the present locking insert and modified cooking grate assembly can also be used with virtually any grill type of virtually any shape, e.g. kettle-type grills, rectangular or square grills, hibachi-type grills, etc. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the locking insert  40  is installed on a typical kettle-type grill firebowl  12 . The grate  52  is installed thereon, the bars  54  of the grate being received in the slots  48  of ring  40 . Food to be cooked is placed on the grate and the hood  14  is placed over ring  40 . The ring is sized to fit just inside the outer rim of the hood, providing a substantially sealed cooking environment while adding the benefit of the deepened firebowl and increased draft effect. For a grill that is not circular, the locking “insert” becomes a locking “spacer”, serving to space the hood farther up from its normal position on top of the firebowl. The cooking grate is similarly modified to conform to the shape of the grill, while providing extended handles that extend beyond the outer perimeter of the grill proper, and bars that lock into slots formed in the locking spacer. 
         [0027]    While an embodiment of a locking insert and modified cooking grate has been shown and described in detail herein, various additional changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.