Abstract:
A device for cooking with a combination of steam and smoke. This device employs a burner for heating a material to create smoke, a container to hold such material; a water pan to catch drippings and also having an aperture to direct the flow of the smoke; a tapered pipe having its inlet attached to the water pan with the taper of the pipe accelerating the speed of the flowing smoke; optionally, a substantially flat plate at the exit of the tapered pipe to cause the smoke to spread farther from the center of its flow through optional apertures in the tapered pipe; optionally, fins attached to the exit in order to cause the smoke to rotate as it rises; and a means for injected steam into the intended path of the smoke.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates a device for utilizing smoke and steam to cook food. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    A number of devices have utilized steam, smoke, or both in relation to food. 
         [0005]    The Pressure Cooking and Smoking Apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,020 employs smoke but no steam; and the food is heated by a source other than that which produces the smoke. In an alternate embodiment, though, the smoke can be filtered through water which may contain “flavoring elements” to “to impart certain flavors” to the food that is being cooked. 
         [0006]    The Mini-kitchen which is the subject of U.S. Pat No. 4,672,944, does the reverse, utilizing steam but no intentional smoke. A grill chamber burns charcoal in its bottom and employs reflector plates to direct thermal radiation upwardly against and through the grill. Water flows downward form a plastic water tank having a releasable cap; through a copper tube around the grill chamber; and then, as steam, into the steam compartment, which is separate from the grill chamber. A water-level indicator is associated with the water tank. 
         [0007]    Similarly, the Steamer Device for Cooking Food in a Grill of U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,142 generates steam but no intended smoke. A refillable container for water is placed above or proximate to the heating source under the grill. Optionally, flavored liquids can be put in the container to flavor the food. 
         [0008]    The Convection Meat Cooker of U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,381 employs convection cooking; has no smoke; and uses moisture only to help cool and clean the Cooker after cooking has been completed. 
         [0009]    In the Cocoshell Filtered Cold Smoke Apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,686 material is electrically heated to produce smoke that is cooled and filtered before being stored as carbon oxide gas in a gas bottle ultimately to be used for smoking meat. Liquid is utilized only for cooling. 
         [0010]    The Outdoor Multi-method Cooker of U.S. Pat. No. 7,156,087 does not use steam. An effect similar to the draw of a fireplace is used with various passageways to provide selective convection, radian, or conductive cooking or combinations thereof. Such cooking operations can be conducted either with or without smoke. 
         [0011]    Within the Outdoor Cooking Machine of U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,509 cold smoking is accomplished by having food on a grill which is to the side of the direct flow of heat; hot smoking is achieved by having the grill directly in the flow of heat with “steaming” produced by an open container of water between the heat source and the grill. Heat and smoke is generated by fire in a firepan. 
         [0012]    During the process for using the Steamer and Smoker Accessory for a Barbecue Grill of U.S. Pat. No. 7,469,630 steam is directed upward from exhausts in conduits with no other technique for mixing such steam with smoke generated by burners separate from those which create the steam. The container within which the steam is generated is pressurized so that it cannot be opened while being operated. Such container, can, however, hold a “marinating mixture.” After grilling, steam can be utilized to “ease the task of cleaning the grill grate.” 
         [0013]    The Steam-generating Attachment for Barbecue of U.S. patent publication No. 2002/0077449 involves no intended smoke. A bottle with a removable cap supplies water from a location exterior to the barbecue which runs through a pipe that is located above the burner and below the grill on which food is placed of cooking. Steam escapes from perforations in the pipe. 
         [0014]    In the Outdoor Cooker Having Improved Heat and Combustion Gas Controls of U.S. patent publication No. 2005/0217659 a grill contains a fire box which is sealed except for its top and which generates heat and smoke. The bottom section of the grill can be filled with water around the lower part of the fire box. Steam is, consequently, created when there is a fire in the fire box. The steam can be used for cooking or cleaning of the Cooker. A convection plate above the fire box uniformly transmits heat from the fire box to the food surface above the convection plate. But no means other means exist for mixing the steam and smoke. 
         [0015]    And Chinese patent publication no. CN 101390706 concerns a Domestic Multifunctional High-temperature Electric Steaming Box. No smoke is involved. A steam cooking cabinet has separate compartments to avoid mixing flavors. There seem, from the drawings, to be two places where water is heated electrically to produce steam. The downstream heater appears to have coils for the water path at the same height as the reservoir so that the level of water being heated would be approximately the same as the level of the water in the reservoir. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    The Device for Cooking with Steam and Smoke of the present invention has a Venturi device, which is a tapered pipe, which is narrower at its exit, to accelerate the smoke, in accordance with the Bernoulli principle, to improve combining of steam with the smoke for better cooking and flavoring of the product. The Inventors are, as the cited prior art suggests, unaware of any earlier use of the Venturi device in a cooker involving smoke and steam. 
         [0017]    Fins located near the exit of the pipe further aid the combining of the smoke with the steam by causing the smoke to rotate as it rises. Preferably, centered between the fins is a substantially flat plate which causes the smoke to spread farther from the center of its flow. Either the fins or the flat plate could be utilized alone to enhance the combining of the smoke and steam, but utilizing the flat pate with the fins most successfully combines the smoke and the steam. 
         [0018]    In the preferred embodiment the steam is created in a separate steam generator that is preferably attached with a traditional quick connect coupling to a steam tube that proceeds inside the cabinet (where smoke is generated) above the fins but below one or more cooking grates for holding the product to be cooked. The steam tube has apertures located to direct steam into the intended path of the smoke, preferably upward; horizontally; or at an angle between vertical and horizontal, inclusive, (It would also be acceptable to have the steam escaping at various angles and to have the angles as great as 180 degrees from upward, i.e., downward.) inside such cabinet for mixing with the smoke coming from the Venturi device through the fins. Preferably, the shape of the steam tube is cylindrical, although any shape that can allow the steam to escape into the intended path of the smoke is, as just indicated, acceptable. 
         [0019]    In another embodiment a pan to which the bottom of the tapered pipe is attached is enlarged to hold water that is turned to steam by heat from the burner for creating the smoke. This steam goes upward and mixes with the smoke coming from the Venturi Device through the fins. 
         [0020]    The preferred embodiment also has a reservoir which is intended to hold a liquid such as water for generating the steam and an openable top for, even during operation of the steam generator, adding the liquid, or adding flavoring to the liquid. Near the bottom of the reservoir, the reservoir is in fluid communication with the steam generator, near the bottom of the steam generator; and the bottom of the reservoir is at substantially the same level as the bottom of the steam generator, making the level of the water in the reservoir approximately the same as the level of the water in the steam generator. And, for easy disassembly, the tube through which the reservoir communicates with the steam generator is preferably attached to the tube from the steam generator with a traditional quick connect coupling. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OFTHE DRAWING 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  shows the operational features of the Device for Cooking with Steam and Smoke. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  illustrates the entire Device for Cooking with Steam and Smoke. 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an aircraft-style quick connect clamp with a safety catch. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  displays an optional support to hold a container for a material such as wood chips to create smoke 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  portrays, attached to a water pan, the tapered pipe having a flat plate at the exit of the pipe and apertures through which the smoke flows near the exit of the pipe. 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the steam tube. 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  depicts the angular relationship of the apertures in the steam tube with respect to the top of the steam tub. 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  clarifies the meaning of “the angle of taper” for the tapered pipe. 
           [0029]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the Device for Cooking with Steam and Smoke. 
           [0030]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an enlarged water pan having the tapered pipe attached to it, which enlarged water pan is utilized in the alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]    The Device for Cooking with Steam and Smoke utilizes, as indicated above, steam to aid smoke in cooking a product (preferably, food including, but not necessarily limited to, meat, fish, and the like). 
         [0032]    In the preferred there are, as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , three basic components: a reservoir  1  for holding the liquid that generates steam; a steam generator  2  receiving water from the reservoir; and a treatment unit  3  comprising a temporarily sealable (i.e., openable) cabinet  4  within which the smoke is generated, combined with the steam, and utilized to treat the product. The openable reservoir  1 , the steam generator  2 , and the treatment unit  3  are all physically separate from one another. 
         [0033]    The reservoir  1  is openable, preferably having an openable top  5  (or, alternatively, is permanently open); and, near the bottom  6  of the reservoir  1  the reservoir  1  is in fluid communication with the steam generator  2  through a pipe  7  that is attached, preferably releas ably (and even more preferably, with a traditional quick connect  8 ), to a pipe  8  connected to the steam generator  2  near the bottom  10  of the steam generator  11 . Therefore, since, the bottom  6  of the reservoir  1 , is, as discussed above, also at substantially the same level as the bottom  10  of the steam generator  11 , the level of water (or other liquid for generating steam) in the reservoir  1  is approximately the same as the level of the water in the steam generator  2 . Having the reservoir  1  separated from the steam generator  2 , thus, enables one to look into the reservoir  1  and determine the approximate level of water in the steam generator  2  and, when necessary, to add water to the reservoir  1  in order to avoid having the steam generator  2  run dry during use. 
         [0034]    The steam generator  2  has a container  12  that is capable of holding liquids and gases. The steam generator  2  is in fluid communication with the cabinet  4 , preferably using a pipe  13  attached to the container  12  of the steam generator  2  at a location higher than the highest intended level of liquid within the container  12  of the steam generator  2  and preferably at the top  14  of the container  12  of the steam generator  2 . It is, in fact, the bottom  10  of the container  12  which is at substantially the same level as the bottom  6  of the reservoir  1 .) The top  14  of the container  12  of the steam generator  2  is preferably conical. To facility cleaning, the steam generator  2  is preferably composed of two sections with the top  14  releasably connected to the bottom  10  preferably using an traditional aircraft-style quick connect clamp with a safety catch  15 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , and a traditional silicon gasket. And a burner  16 , which is preferably adjustable, is located below the container  12  in order to provide the heat for converting the liquid to steam. (And the pipe  8  connected to the steam generator  2  near the bottom  10  of the steam generator  11  is, logically, connected to the container  12 .) 
         [0035]    Another burner  17 , which is preferably adjustable, is located below an aperture  18  in the bottom  19  of the cabinet  4 . A container  20 , which is preferably a pan, for a material such as wood chips to create smoke is situated above the bottom  19  of the cabinet  4  and is preferable wider than the aperture  18  in the bottom  19  of the cabinet  4 . Although the container  20  can sit on the bottom  19  of the cabinet  4 , preferably a support  21 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , for the container  20  is attached to the bottom  19  of the cabinet  4 . A side  22  (if the aperture  18  is oval or circular) or sides  22  of the support  21  surround the aperture  18 ; and, preferably, arms  23  of the support  21  cross the aperture  18  between the side or sides  22 . 
         [0036]    Despite the fact that a fan below the cabinet and ducting within the cabinet  4  could be utilized to mix the smoke and the steam, it is preferable to minimize moving parts. Consequently, within the cabinet  4  the smoke proceeds through a tapered pipe  24 , shown most clearly in  FIG. 5 , which is narrower at its exit  25 , to accelerate the smoke, in accordance with the Venturi effect and the Bernoulli principle, as indicated above, to improve combining of the steam with the smoke for better flavoring of the product. Two or more, preferably four, fins  26  located near the exit  25  of the tapered pipe  24  and attached to such exit  25  further aid, by causing the smoke to rotate as it rises, the combining of the smoke with the steam which is introduced through apertures  27  in a steam tube  28  that is in fluid communication with the container  12  the steam generator  2  and located above the exit  25  of the tapered pipe  24  but below the lowest grate  29  for holding the product to be smoked. (The grates  29  are substantially horizontally located within the cabinet  4  and attached, preferably removably, to the inside  30  of the cabinet  4 .) 
         [0037]    As discussed above, preferably centered between the fins  26  and attached to the exit  25  is a substantially flat plate  31  which causes the smoke to spread farther from the center of its flow. Either the fins  26  or the flat plate  31  could be utilized alone to enhance the combining of the smoke and steam, but utilizing the flat plate  31  with the fins  26  most successfully combines the smoke and the steam. When the flat plate  31  is utilized, apertures  32  in the side  33  (if the tapered pipe  24  has a cross section which is oval or circular) or sides  33  (The general term “perimeter” is used to encompass the side  33  or sides  33  of the tapered pipe  24  and, therefore, to apply whether the tapered pipe  24  has only one side  33  or multiple sides  33 .) of the tapered pipe  24  near the upper end  34  of the tapered pipe  24  serve as the route for smoke to leave the exit  25  of such tapered pipe  24 . 
         [0038]    In order to direct the smoke into the tapered pipe  24  a water pan  35  (which, as its name implies, also serves to capture dripping moisture) is located above the container  20  for the material which is heated to generate smoke but below the steam tube  28  and preferably extends across the entire inside  30  of the cabinet  4 . An aperture  36  exists in the bottom  37  of the water pan  35  for the smoke. The side  33  (if the tapered pipe  24  has a cross section which is oval or circular) or sides  33  of the tapered pipe  24  at the inlet  38  of the tapered pipe  24  are connected to the water pan  35  around the aperture  36  in the water pan  35 , and the inlet  38  of the tapered pipe  24  is below the exit  25  of the tapered pipe  24 . 
         [0039]    The cabinet  4  has a top vent  39 , which is preferable adjustable, to permit the smoke to escape and adjustable side vents  40  to assist in controlling the rate of cooking. 
         [0040]    The fluid communication of the steam tube  28  with the container  12  of the steam generator  2  is preferably achieved by having the steam tube  28  extend through a wall  41  of the cabinet  4  before having the proximal end  42  of the steam tube  28  connected with the pipe  13  from the container  12  of steam generator. This is preferably a releasable connection and is preferably accomplished with a traditional quick connect  43 . 
         [0041]    The steam tube  28  preferably has a cylindrical shape and has its distal end  44  closed, as seen in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 6 ; and the apertures  27  are preferably arranged, as portrayed in  FIG. 6 , in two parallel rows  45  with each row  45  located, as shown in  FIG. 7 , at an angle α of forty-five degrees with respect to the top  46  of the steam tube  28  and with each aperture  27  in each row  45  located at a different distance from the distal end  44  of the steam tube  28  and at substantially the same distance from the distal end  44  of the steam tube  28  as one aperture  27  in the other row  45 . As mentioned above, however, the shape of the steam tube  28  can be any shape which allows the steam to escape from apertures  27  into the intended path of the smoke, preferably horizontally; upward; or at an angle between horizontal and vertical, inclusive. (It would also be acceptable to have the steam escaping at various angles and to have the angles as great as 180 degrees from upward, i.e., downward.) 
         [0042]    Near the bottom  47  of the steam tube  28  is preferably located a drain aperture  48  for removing liquid which may collect in the steam tube  28  and interfere with expulsion of the steam. In the preferred cylindrical shape with the preferred parallel rows  45  of apertures  27 , the drain aperture  48  is preferably located at the same distance from the distal end  44  of the steam tube  28  as is the aperture  27  in each of the rows  45  that is nearest to the distal end  44  of the steam tube  28 . 
         [0043]    Although each of the burners  16 ,  17  can be attached to a separate source of fuel, a fuel manifold  49  preferably connects, as depicted in  FIG. 1 , the burners  16 ,  17  so that they can be serviced with a single source of fuel. 
         [0044]    And, of course, the cabinet  4  is openable to permit the introduction and removal of the product to be treated. 
         [0045]    Furthermore, having both the reservoir  1  and the steam generator  2  separate from the cabinet  4  facilitates cleaning the cabinet  4  after use. When the reservoir  1  contains only water (and no additive to the water, such as flavoring), when the heat created by the burner  16  of the steam generator  2  is set for its maximum operating temperature, and when the burner  17  for creating the smoke in the cabinet  4  is turned to its off position, the steam will not be infused with any smoke and will penetrate the heavy levels of cooked-on food within the cabinet  4 , thereby steam cleaning the cabinet  4  from the inside. 
         [0046]    Having the reservoir  1  attached to the steam generator  2  with a traditional quick connect  8  and the steam generator  2  attached to the cabinet  4  with a “quick connect” facilitates easy and rapid assembly and disassembly of the Device for Cooking with Steam and Smoke. 
         [0047]    And a desirable option makes the Device for Cooking with Steam and Smoke portable. In such an embodiment the reservoir  1 , the steam generator  2 , and the cabinet  4  are, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , placed upon a cart  50 . 
         [0048]    Dimensions will vary dependent upon the size of the Device for Cooking with Steam and Smoke, but several principles will guide the selection of such dimensions sufficiently to enable one of ordinary skill in the field to make the necessary decisions. The reservoir  1  and the container  12  for the steam generator  2  are selected to be as large as is consistent with economics and portability (when that is a desired characteristic of the product incorporating the present invention). The inner diameter of the steam tube  28  is selected to achieve a desired pressure for forcing the steam through the apertures  27 . The diameter of the inlet  38  for the tapered pipe  24  is selected to be of such a size as to capture the column of smoke which is produced by the burner  17  for the cabinet  4 . The taper of the tapered pipe  24  and the diameter of the exit  25  for the tapered pipe  24  are selected so as to optimize the quantity and velocity of smoke passing through the tapered pipe  24 , consistent with having the desired height for the cabinet. The fins  26  have such dimensions as to enable the fins  26  to contact and redirect the smoke coming from the exit  25  of the tapered pipe  24  so that such smoke rotates as it rises. The drain aperture  48  in the steam tube  28  is selected to remove liquid collecting in the steam tube while not impairing the ejection of the steam. 
         [0049]    Using these guidelines, the inventors of the Device for Cooking with Steam and Smoke have determined that, in general an acceptable range for the angle of taper μ, shown in  FIG. 8 , for the tapered pipe  24  is 10 degrees to 80 degrees and that the preferred such range is 40 degrees to forty-five degrees. 
         [0050]    Finally, an optional embodiment for the Device for Cooking with Steam and Smoke is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . This embodiment lacks the external reservoirs  1  and the external steam generator  2 . The enlarged water pan  35 , which is shown in  FIG. 10  replaces the external reservoir  1 , the external steam generator  2 , and the steam tube  28 . A liquid to be heated in order to create the desired steam is placed into the enlarged water pan  35 . Besides creating the smoke in this optional embodiment, the heat from the burner  17  for the cabinet  4  also gradually transforms the liquid in the enlarged water pan  35  into the steam that combines with the smoke. 
         [0051]    The materials and techniques used to construct either embodiment preferably conform to the guidelines for cooking equipment of the National Sanitary Foundation and the Canadian Standards Association. 
         [0052]    As used herein, the term “substantially” indicates that one skilled in the art would consider the value modified by such terms to be within acceptable limits for the stated value. Also as used herein the term “preferable” or “preferably” means that a specified element or technique is more acceptable than another but not that such specified element or technique is a necessity.