Abstract:
Provided is a cooking grate for improving cooking performance on an outdoor cooking grill. The cooking grate has a metallic plate, configured to be placed over a heat source in the outdoor cooking grill, where the metallic plate has a plurality of perforation holes. The cooking grate further includes a plurality of cooking surface ribs, configured to support food during cooking and positioned above the metallic plate. Also provided are methods of providing an improved cooking grate for an outdoor cooking grill including the steps of: perforating a metallic plate, configured to be positioned above a heat source on the outdoor cooking grill; forming a plurality of cooking surface ribs, configured to receive food to be cooked thereon.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present disclosure is generally related to outdoor cooking grills and, more particularly, is related to an apparatus and method for providing an improved cooking grate for an outdoor cooking grill.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Outdoor cooking grills are popular for many reasons including enhanced food flavor and enjoyment of the outdoor cooking process. Gas-fired cooking grills are popular for home use and differ from traditional barbecue grills in that they rely upon a gas flame for heat energy, as opposed to the combustion of charcoal briquettes or the like.  
         [0003]     Conventional burner gas grills frequently utilize tubular burners having multiple combustion ports or orifices. The grills often employ an inert material, such as so-called “lava rocks” or ceramic tiles, to absorb drippings from food cooking on a grate positioned above the material and to radiate heat for providing a more even heat distribution.  
         [0004]     Infrared burner gas grills provide a generally planar heat source where the combustion occurs at or near the surface of a ceramic or fiber element. The planar configuration of infrared burners reduces or eliminates the need for the inert material with respect to heat distribution.  
         [0005]     A disadvantage with such grills is that food drippings, such as liquefied greases and oils, that come into contact with gas flames or other heat sources during cooking cause flash flames or “flare-ups,” which can result in the charring of the food product being grilled. Although vaporization of the food drippings is desirable because the vapors enhance the flavor of food cooked on a grill, the flare-ups frequently associated with the food drippings can be detrimental to the resulting quality of grilled food. One attempted solution to the problem of flare-ups includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,780 to Campbell, which discloses a grate for a cooking grill that utilizes the spacing between the rails to prevent flames from passing through the spaces. Another device, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,260, utilizes one or more tiles positioned between the heat source and the cooking surface. The tiles include channels for allowing food drippings to flow through to the heat source. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,666 utilizes a ceramic infrared radiant energy emitter that is positioned above the heat source. The emitter re-radiates thermal energy that is absorbed from the burner below. Other devices, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,812, utilize fluid channels to direct the food drippings away from the hottest section of the cooking grill. Still other devices, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,870 utilize various forms of drip pans placed between the item being cooked and the heat source. In some cases, the above described devices require additional grill structural features for proper implementation. For example, the tiles of the &#39;260 patent and the emitter of the &#39;666 patent require a support structure between the heat source and the cooking grate. Similarly, other of the devices reduce the flavor of the cooked food by completely eliminating or reducing the favorable impact of the food drippings. Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006]     Briefly described, one embodiment, among others, can be implemented as a cooking grate for improving cooking performance on an outdoor cooking grill, comprising: a metallic plate configured to be placed over a heat source in the outdoor cooking grill, the metallic plate having a plurality of perforation holes; and a plurality of cooking surface ribs configured to support food during cooking and positioned above the metallic plate.  
         [0007]     Embodiments of the present disclosure can also be viewed as providing methods of providing an improved cooking grate for an outdoor cooking grill comprising:  
         [0008]     perforating a metallic plate, configured to be positioned above a heat source on the outdoor cooking grill; forming a plurality of cooking surface ribs, configured to be received by the plurality of cooking rib supports and positioned above the metallic plate;  
         [0009]     and assembling a cooking grate by attaching the plurality of cooking rib supports to the metallic plate utilizing the plurality of cooking rib supports.  
         [0010]     Embodiments of the present disclosure can also be viewed as providing an apparatus for improving cooking performance on an outdoor cooking grill, comprising: a grate bar assembly, configured to support food on the outdoor grill; a grate housing, configured to receive the grate bar assembly; a first end cap, attached to the grate housing; and a second end cap, attached to the grate housing.  
         [0011]     Embodiments of the present disclosure can also be viewed as providing a cooking grill, comprising: a housing having a cavity; a heat source mounted within the cavity of the housing; and a cooking surface, supported in the housing at a position above the heat source. The cooking surface comprises a perforated plate and a plurality of cooking surface ribs positioned above the perforated plate.  
         [0012]     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 DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     Many 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.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a side view illustrating an outdoor cooking grill as utilized in an embodiment of the disclosure herein.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an alternative embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a partial top view illustrating an embodiment of a cooking grate having exposed and covered sections.  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view illustrating an embodiment of cooking surface ribs as disclosed herein.  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a rib mount as disclosed herein.  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an alternative embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein.  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a grate housing as disclosed herein.  
         [0023]      FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a grate bar assembly as disclosed herein.  
         [0024]      FIG. 11  is a partial top cut-away view of an embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein.  
         [0025]      FIG. 12  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an alternative embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein.  
         [0026]      FIG. 13  is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an exemplary method as disclosed herein.  
         [0027]      FIG. 14  is an exploded perspective view illustrating another alternative embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein.  
         [0028]      FIG. 15  is a partial exploded perspective view illustrating another alternative embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein.  
         [0029]      FIGS. 16A and 16B  are side views of alternative embodiments of a cooking grate as disclosed herein. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0030]     Having summarized various aspects of the present disclosure, reference will now be made in detail to the description of the disclosure as illustrated in the drawings. While the disclosure will be described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.  
         [0031]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 1 , which is a side view illustrating an outdoor cooking grill as utilized in an embodiment as disclosed herein. The outdoor cooking grill  100  includes a grill housing  102  having a cavity  103 . Located inside the cavity  103  is a heat source  104 , which is attached to a fuel supply line  106 . The heat source  104  of this embodiment is a gas fired burner fueled by natural gas or propane gas. The heat source  104  can be constructed as a hollow heat resistant structure having multiple combustion ports. Alternatively, the heat source  104  can be an infrared burner utilizing a ceramic and/or fiber material configured in a generally planar geometry, where combustion occurs on or near the planar surface.  
         [0032]     The cooking grill  100  includes a cooking grate  108  positioned above the heat source  104  and supported within the cavity  103  by cooking grate supports  110 . One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the cooking grate supports  110  can be configured as separately attached members or integrally formed into the grill housing  102 .  
         [0033]     Further, the grill supports  110  can be configured as multiple distinct points of support around the periphery of the grill housing  102  or as a supporting surface, such as a lip or ledge, integrally formed in the grill housing  102 .  
         [0034]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 2 , which is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein. The cooking grate  108  includes a metallic plate  124  having perforation holes  125 . The cooking grate  108  also includes cooking surface ribs  122  for supporting food during cooking. The cooking surface ribs  122  are supported by rib mounts  120 . The rib mounts  120  are attached to the metallic plate  124  and provide support for the cooking surface ribs  122  relative to the metallic plate  124 .  
         [0035]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 3 , which shows an exploded view of the cooking grate of  FIG. 2  and better illustrates relational configuration between the rib mounts  120 , the cooking surface ribs  122 , and the metallic plate  124 . The cooking grate  108  can also be configured to include end walls  126  and side walls  128 . The end and side walls  126 ,  128  can be formed from the same material as the metallic plate  124  or, in the alternative, can be constructed separately and attached to the metallic plate  124  using any number of mechanical fastening techniques including, but not limited to, bonding, welding, or fastening with mechanical fasteners such as rivets, screws, bolts, clips, and clamps among others. The rib mounts  120  are formed of a heat resistant material and can optionally be attached to the metallic plate  124  or can be configured to maintain their position based on the interference fit of the cooking surface ribs  122 . Each of the cooking surface ribs  122  is constructed of an elongated heat resistant sheet or plate material that is formed to have a generally U-shaped profile. One of ordinary skill in the art knows or will know that the cooking surface ribs  122  can be constructed of different materials using different techniques within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. For example, the cooking surface ribs  122  can be elongated sheet formed into a profile other than U-shaped or can be constructed out of a solid elongated heat resistant material including, but not limited to, metallic or ceramic bar, rod, or wire.  
         [0036]     The metallic plate  124  also includes multiple perforation holes  125 . During cooking, the perforation holes  125  are configured to allow a portion of the liquid drippings from the food to drop to the heat source. As the drippings are vaporized by the heat source, the flavor of the food is enhanced by the resulting vapors. Additionally, the remaining portion of the drippings are vaporized by the elevated temperature of the metallic plate  124 . Further, the configuration of the perforations reduces the flow of air from the cavity  103  and thus to the spaces between the ribs  122 , which reduces or eliminates requisite combustion air for grill flare-ups.  
         [0037]     Alternative embodiments of the cooking grate can be configured without the rib mounts  120 . For example, the cooking surface ribs  122  can be directly attached to the metallic plate  124  through any of the mechanical fastening techniques discussed above.  
         [0038]     Alternatively, the cooking surface ribs  122  may be supported by a structural component in the grill housing (not shown). An exemplary structural component for supporting the cooking surface ribs  122  can include a ledge or lip feature attached to or integrated into the grill housing, among others. Similarly, although the cooking surface ribs are illustrated as substantially parallel, other cooking surface rib arrangements are consistent within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.  
         [0039]     Brief reference is now made to  FIG. 4 , which is an exploded view illustrating an alternative embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein. The cooking grate  108  includes a metallic plate  124 , the rib mounts  120 , and the plate side walls  126  as formed from a single sheet. The perforation holes  125  are configured in rows such that the rows coincide with areas of the metallic plate not covered by the cooking surface ribs  122 . In some embodiments, integrally formed rib mounts  120  serve a similar structural function as the plate end walls. Although the figures generally depict two rib mounts  120 , one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a single centrally located rib mount may be utilized within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Also contemplated within the scope and spirit of this disclosure is a configuration that justifies more than two rib mounts  120 .  
         [0040]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 5 , which is a partial top view illustrating an embodiment of a cooking grate having exposed and covered sections. The partial view of the cooking grate includes the metallic plate  124  and the rib mounts  120 . The perforation holes  125  are arranged in rows between similarly placed sections of non-perforated plate. Additionally, the rib mount  120  includes multiple notches  134  to receive the cooking surface ribs, such that when the cooking surface ribs  122  are in place, there are covered sections  130  and exposed sections  132 . Although in some embodiments the perforation holes  125  are generally located in the exposed sections, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the perforation holes  125  could also be arranged in the covered sections  130  within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.  
         [0041]     Brief reference is now made to  FIG. 6 , which is a partial perspective view illustrating an embodiment of cooking surface ribs as disclosed herein. The cooking surface ribs  122  can be formed of an elongated heat resistant material including, but not limited to, metal or ceramic. Although the cooking surface ribs  122  are illustrated as being generally U-shaped, one of ordinary skill in the art knows or will know that other geometries are contemplated within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. For example, other possible geometries include, but are not limited to, V-shaped, C-shaped, W-shaped,  0 -shaped, D-shaped, triangular, and rectangular among others. The rib mounts  120 , as illustrated in the partial view of  FIG. 7 , are configured with notches  134  to receive and support the cooking surface ribs  122 . The rib mounts  120  can be formed by stamping and breaking or bending a sheet or plate of heat resistant material such as metal.  
         [0042]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 8 , which is an exploded perspective view illustrating an alternative embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein. The cooking grate includes a grate bar assembly  140 , a grate housing  142  configured to receive the grate bar assembly, and end caps  144 , which are attached to the grate housing over the grate bar assembly  140 . As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , which is an exploded perspective view of the grate housing of  FIG. 8 , the grate housing  142  includes first and second housing components  146 ,  148 . The housing components  146 ,  148  each include a substantially planar surface  150 ,  151  having multiple perforation holes  160 ,  161 . End walls  152 ,  153  are formed along one edge of each of the substantially planar surfaces  150 ,  151  and mating surfaces  154 ,  155  are formed along another edge of the substantially planar surfaces  150 ,  151 . The first and second housing components  146 ,  148  are constructed such that the grate housing  142  is formed by bonding the mating surface  154  of the first housing component  146  to the mating surface  155  of the second housing component  148 .  
         [0043]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 10 , which is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a grate bar assembly. The grate bar assembly  140  includes multiple grate bars  158  arranged in a parallel configuration and attached to support brackets  156 . The support brackets  156  are constructed of elongated heat resistant material and may be formed in a variety of profiles to increase structural rigidity including U-shaped, S-shaped, rectangular, triangular, and circular among others. The support brackets  156  are arranged substantially perpendicular to the multiple grate bars  158 . The grate bars  158  of this embodiment feature relief sections  159  for receiving the support brackets  156 . One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that alternative embodiments can utilize a single support bracket  156  located in a substantially central position or more than two support brackets  156  within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.  
         [0044]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 11 , which is a partial top cut-away view of an embodiment of a cooking grate. The cooking grate includes a grate housing consisting of a first housing component  146  attached to a second housing component  148  at their respective mating surfaces  154 ,  155 . The mating surfaces can be attached using a variety of techniques including, but not limited to, mechanical fasteners, welding, and bonding among others. The mechanical fasteners can include, but are not limited to, screws, rivets, bolts, retaining clips, and resilient elements among others. The top section of the cut-away view illustrates grate bars  158  attached to the grate housing  142  and an end cap  144  installed over the grate bars  158 . Note that although the grate bars  158  are illustrated as covering non-perforated sections of the grate housing  142  and the joined mating surfaces  154 ,  155  of the first and second housing components  146 ,  148 , one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that this feature is not intended to limit the scope or spirit of this disclosure.  
         [0045]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 12 , which is an exploded perspective view illustrating an alternative embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein. The cooking grate includes two grate bar assemblies  182 ,  184 , a grate housing  180  configured to receive the grate bar assemblies  182 ,  184 , and end caps  186 . Similar to an embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the grate housing  180  can include multiple housing components, each having a substantially planar surface and multiple perforation holes. One benefit of utilizing multiple housing components is increased structural integrity that can prove to be beneficial in a thermally diverse environment. The housing components can further include cleanout holes  188  located near the edges for scraping debris on the grate housing into the grill housing below. The grate bar assemblies  182 ,  184  can generally be constructed consistent with the grate bar assembly described above regarding  FIG. 10 . In use and operation, the grate bar assemblies  182 ,  184  can be lifted off of the grate housing  180  for ease of cleaning.  
         [0046]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 13 , which is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method as disclosed herein. The method includes perforating a metallic plate in block  170 . The metallic plate provides a structure that collects a portion of food drippings during the cooking process such that the elevated temperatures of the metallic plate vaporize the food drippings thereby enhancing the flavor of the food. The perforations in the metallic plate permit a portion of the food drippings to transfer to the heat source below for further vaporization. The perforations do not, however, allow the requisite air for unwanted combustion to flow from the grill cavity to the areas between the ribs. The absence of additional combustion air reduces or prevents the occurrence of excessive flare-ups fueled from the drippings by reducing the requisite oxygen for the flare-up combustion process.  
         [0047]     In optional block  172 , cooking rib supports are fabricated to provide support and alignment of the cooking surface ribs, which are formed in block  174 . The cooking rib supports are generally elongated and configured to receive the generally elongated cooking surface ribs in a substantially perpendicular arrangement. The cooking grate is assembled in block  176  by attaching the cooking rib supports to the metallic plate at, for example, opposite edges and then attaching the cooking surface ribs to the cooking rib supports such that the cooking surface ribs are arranged to create a substantially planar cooking surface above the metallic plate. Alternatively, in the absence of cooking rib supports, the cooking surface ribs can be supported by a structural feature, such as a ledge or a lip, either attached to or integrated into the grill housing (not shown). In some embodiments, the cooking surface ribs can also be directly attached or mounted to the perforated plate.  
         [0048]     Reference is made to  FIG. 14 , which is an exploded perspective view of another alternative embodiment of a cooking grate. The cooking grate includes a grate housing  202  that includes side walls  206  formed at opposing edges of the of the grate housing  202  and inverted, generally U-shaped channels  208  formed at other opposing edges of the grate housing  202 . The U-shaped channels  208  are configured to receive rib mounts  210 , which are configured to receive cooking ribs  204 . Additionally, the U-shaped channels, in combination with the side walls  206 , provide increased structural integrity. While the cooking grate  200  is illustrated as a single unit, it is contemplated within the scope and spirit of this disclosure that more than one cooking grate  200  of this configuration can be utilized in combination to create a larger cooking surface. Further, multiple cooking grates can be permanently or removeably secured to one another in some embodiments.  
         [0049]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 15 , which is a partial exploded perspective view illustrating another alternative embodiment of a cooking grate as disclosed herein. The cooking grate includes a plurality of cooking ribs  224  configured to be supported by a grate housing  220 . Some embodiments provide that the cooking ribs  224  can be removably or non-removably attached or secured to the grate housing  220 . The cooking ribs can be further connected in groups such that multiple cooking ribs can be installed and removed at the same time. The grate housing  220  can be formed of a single piece of planar heat resistant material including but not limited to metallic plate, among others. The grate housing  220  can include one or more side walls  222  configured to receive the outermost cooking rib and to provide additional structural integrity to the grate housing  220 . Further, the grate housing  220  can include channels  226  formed into the top surface and configured to receive the cooking ribs  224  or the housing can be substantially flat. The grate housing also includes perforated sections  228  that are arranged on the raised area between the channels  226 , when designed in this configuration. The perforated sections include perforation holes configured to permit drippings from food to pass through the cooking grate in limited quantities. The channels  226  alternate with perforated sections  228  that are arranged between the cooking ribs  224  when installed into the grate housing  220 . The unitary nature of cooking grates in these embodiments provides a design capable of being manufactured in a cost effective manner.  
         [0050]     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 16A and 16B , which are side views of alternative embodiments of a cooking grate as disclosed herein. The cooking grate of  FIG. 16A  includes multiple cooking ribs  224  configured to provide a cooking surface. The cooking grate also includes a grate housing  220  configured with channels  226  for receiving and supporting the cooking ribs  224 . Between and defining the channels  226 , are perforated sections  228  having perforation holes. Additionally, the grate housing  220  includes side walls  222  configured to provide structural integrity and to receive the outermost cooking rib.  
         [0051]      FIG. 16B  provides a cooking grate  230  having a unitary design. The forming process can include pressing, folding, and bending among others. The cooking grate  230  is formed to create cooking ribs  234  separated by perforated sections  232 . The cooking grate  230  can be formed of a planar heat resistant material including but not limited to metallic sheet. Metallic sheet can include titanium, aluminum, mild steel, stainless steel, and tempered steel among others. The cooking grate is formed as a unitary structure that is cost effective to manufacture.  
         [0052]     Although the above descriptions and drawings illustrate a generally rectangular geometry, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the scope and spirit of this disclosure is not limited to a specific geometry. For example, the apparatus and methods herein are directly applicable to grates and grills having circular, elliptical, or a variety of polygonal geometries. Additionally, where metal material is recited above, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the metal can be any one or a combination of a variety of steels including mild, carbon, or stainless or any other heat resistant metal or combination or alloy thereof.  
         [0053]     In the use and operation of an embodiment, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a user places the cooking grate  108  on the cooking grate supports  110  located in the cavity  103  of an outdoor cooking grill  100 . The heat source  104  is supplied with fuel from the fuel supply line  106  and ignited from an ignition source (not shown). Food is placed on top of the cooking grate  108  and is cooked as a result of the heat generated by the heat source  104  and by the radiant heat from the perforated plate. As the food cooks, food drippings, including, for example, liquefied fat, drip down onto the cooking grate  108 . A portion of the food drippings may flow through the perforation holes  125  of the cooking grate and contact the heat source  104 . The elevated temperature of the heat source can vaporize the food drippings thereby providing flavor enhancing vapor to the food. However, since the perforations limit the flow of air up through the perforated plate to the area between the ribs, the presence of additional air necessary for combustion of the food drippings is reduced or eliminated thereby reducing or eliminating flare-ups. Additionally, any portion of the food drippings that does not flow through the perforation holes  125  is vaporized by the elevated temperature of the cooking grate.  
         [0054]     It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, particularly, any illustrated embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present disclosure and protected by the following claims.