Abstract:
A grill grate lifting tool that engages the grill at three or more points. The grill lifter hooks between the tines of the grill grate at the rim and/or to a handle of the grill grate. The grill grate lifting tool includes a handle attached to three or more legs, which is generally central above the center of mass of the grill grate to provide a stable lifting point with or without food on the grate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/590,508, filed Aug. 21, 2012, which claimed benefit from provisional application Ser. No. 61/530,669, filed Sep. 2, 2011, both entitled GRILL GRATE LIFTER. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a lifter to manipulate a grill grate used on barbeques and the like and, more particularly, to a lifter for engaging a hot grill grate to lift and manipulate the grill grate with or without meat or other foods being grilled on the grill grate. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Grill grate lifting devices are generally known in the art. Barbeque grills are designed for cooking meat or other foods over hot charcoal or other heat sources. The food is placed on the grill grate, which supports the food over the heat source. Often times, especially with charcoal grills and especially when smoking the meat or food placed on the grill grate, additional charcoal needs to be added. In order to add the charcoal, the grill grate must be removed. Manipulating the hot grill grate without dropping the food off the grill grate can be difficult. 
         [0004]    Various grill grate lifting devices have been proposed to remove a hot grill grate. Typically, these devices include a handle with a long shaft with a hook at the end of the shaft opposite the handle. The hook can be passed under the tines of the grill grate to securely hold the grate. The shaft acts as a lever arm to aid in lifting the grate from the grill. Because the hook engages the grate generally at a single location, the grill grate is unstable when being lifted from the grill. Further, if there is food on the grill grate, the user might balance the food and grate as it is being lifted from the grill grate. The problem is further exacerbated by the lever arm of the shaft, increasing the load experienced by the user at the same time making it difficult to control and balance. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present invention provides a grill grate lifting tool that engages the grill at three or more points. The grill lifter hooks between the tines of the grill grate and/or to a handle of the grill grate. The grill grate lifting tool includes a handle attached to three or more legs, which is generally central above the grill grate to provide a stable lifting point with or without food on the grate. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the grill grate lifter of the present invention engaged with a grill grate on a grill. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the grill grate lifter of the present invention engaged with a grill grate and sitting on a stand. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the grill grate lifter of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the grill grate lifter of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of one of the hooks of the grill grate lifter. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a grill grate lifter of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for the claims and/or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
         [0013]    Moreover, except where otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical quantities in this description and in the claims are to be understood as modified by the word “about” in describing the broader scope of this invention. Practice within the numerical limits stated is generally preferred. Also, unless expressly stated to the contrary, the description of a group or class of materials as suitable or preferred for a given purpose in connection with the invention implies that mixtures or combinations of any two or more members of the group or class may be equally suitable or preferred. 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , an embodiment of a grill grate lifter is generally indicated by reference numeral  10 . The grate lifter  10  includes three legs  12 ,  14  and  16 , a handle  18  and a heat shield  20 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the grate lifter  10  is shown engaged with a grill grate  22  of a barbeque grill  24 . The legs  12 ,  14  and  16  are joined together forming a body portion at the handle  18  and each terminates at a hooked end  26 ,  28  and  30 , respectively. The legs  12 ,  14  and  16  have an arcuate shape to position the handle  18  (and a person&#39;s hand) well away from the hot charcoal or other heat source in the barbeque grill  24 , and to provide space above a food item  32  cooking on the grate  22 . 
         [0015]    The legs  12 ,  14  and  16  may a rod made of a steel, aluminum, brass, copper or other appropriate material, bent to shape. The legs  14  and  16  may be made of a single rod cut to length and formed into an arc. The other leg  12  may then be welded to the mid-point of the arc to form a tripod. Legs  14  and  16  lie generally in a first plane and leg  12  lies in a second plane. The second plane is generally vertical and perpendicular to the first plane in a horizontal reference plane. The first plane is tilted at an angle from vertical with both legs  14  and  16  projecting away from leg  12 . 
         [0016]    The handle  18  includes a hand grip  34  and a pair of parallel legs  36  and  38 , which are welded or otherwise coupled to the leg  12 , with leg  38  secured at the intersection of leg  12  with legs  14  and  16  and leg  36  secured to leg  12  forward of the intersection point of the legs  12 ,  14  and  16 . The hand grip  34  may be made of plastic, wood or other suitable material. 
         [0017]    The hooks  28  and  30  clip into the grate  22  hooking a tine  40  at the peripheral or outside rim  42  of the grate  22  or onto the rim  42 . The legs  14  and  16  are biased outwardly when engaged with the grate  22  so that they are pressed or biased against the outside rim  42  or into the intersection of the tine  40  and rim  42 . The other leg  12  may be hooked on the handle portion  44  of the periphery of the grate or another tine  46 , or rim  42  on the other side of the grate  22 , particularly for grates  22  that may not have a handle  44 . The three-point connection to the grate  22  generally forms an equilateral triangle. The handle  18  is positioned above the center of mass of the grate  22  and provides a stable and balanced platform for handling a hot grate  22 , especially when loaded with food  32 . When removed from the grill  24 , the grate  22  may be placed on a stand  48  to support the grate  22  until it is replaced on the grill  24 , or for serving the cooked food  32 . 
         [0018]    The heat shield  20  is secured to the legs  12 ,  14  and  16  below the handle  18  to protect a person&#39;s hand from the heat of the hot charcoal or other heat source in the barbeque grill  24 . 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , at the end of each leg  12 ,  14  and  16  near the hooked end  26 ,  28  and  30 , the leg may include a bend  50  of between  25  degrees and  45  degrees relative to a longitudinal axis  52  of the leg. The bend  50  allows for easier insertion and removal from the grate  22 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , an alternative embodiment of a grill grate lifter is generally indicated by reference numeral  60 . Grill grate lifter  60  includes four legs  62 ,  64 ,  66  and  68 , a handle  70  and a heat shield  72 . Legs  62  and  64  are formed from a single length of rod bent into a C-shape. Likewise, legs  66  and  68  are also formed from a single length of rod bent into a C-shape. The C-shapes are welded together to form a spine  74 . The legs  76  and  78  of the handle  70  are welded to the spine  74 . Each of the legs  62 ,  64 ,  66  and  68  terminates in an end hook  80 ,  82  and  84 , respectively (not shown for leg  68 ). The four-legged grill grate lifter  60  may be used for larger grill grates or to provide additional stability. 
         [0021]    It is to be understood that while certain now preferred forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims.