Abstract:
The inventive cartridge comprises a container having a height, a width and a depth for defining a volume. A cap is formed from a portion of a top portion of the container, and extends downwardly from the top of the container. A hinge portion joins the cap to the remaining portion of the top portion of the container. A quantity of hardwood charcoal is contained within the container.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a container for transporting, storing and dispensing hardwood charcoal. 
       CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0002]    (Not applicable) 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0003]    (Not applicable) 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Sixty thousand years ago, when men first began to cook food, it was done over open fires. Over the years, numerous innovations have been brought to the cooking of food. For example, in Roman times ovens, typically of stone and filled with a fire were used. The fire was set in the ovens for a long period of time to heat them up, after which the ashes were emptied, at least partially, to allow the introduction of bread or other items to be cooked. 
         [0005]    Other societies, for example the aboriginal inhabitants of Hawaii, cooked food in a similar manner by digging a hole in the earth and heating up the surfaces of the hole through the use of burning wood. Following this, the item to be cooked was put into the hole, for example a whole animal, perhaps one in which the insides have been removed and replaced with accompaniments to the meat, such as vegetables, grains or the like. 
         [0006]    An entirely different set of improvements to the cooking process involved the use of cooking vessels, typically copper, bronze, earthenware or the like which provided the advantage of containing the food being cooked, and containing the heat, perhaps through the use of a cover. 
         [0007]    Both of these innovations resulted in minimizing the amount of fuel necessary to cook the food. More particularly, covering the vessel had the effect of preventing the escape of steam and the heat associated therewith. Likewise, containment of the food in a relatively small compartment of the vessel also reduced the area to be heated by the fuel, thus minimizing the amount of fuel necessary to cook the meal. Such innovations were of substantial importance. For example, in the relatively arid Fertile Crescent, fuel was in short supply due to the limited amount of vegetation. Indeed, even in comparatively lush geography, such as in England, wood was a precious commodity and laws regulated the use of this fuel resource. For example, in the English forest of the medieval period, it was legal for people to collect fallen branches in the forest, but the harvesting of live wood cut from trees was prohibited and punished. 
         [0008]    Throughout the entire period of technological innovations and improvements, the cooking of food over a fire without a container or other cooking device has remained a popular option. Indeed, even the extremely convenient technologies of electric stove tops, electric ovens, microwave ovens, gas ovens, induction heaters, and the like have not remotely displaced the continuing practice of cooking food over an open fire. 
         [0009]    No doubt, this is due to something more than a nostalgic or romantic connection to the past. This is in contrast to other areas of technology, where horses have been replaced by automobiles, handwork has been replaced by power tools, writing pens have been replaced by computers, and magazines and books have been replaced by tablets. No doubt, the continued strength of open fire cooking, typically practiced using charcoal briquettes or hardwood charcoal, is due to the superior process with which it cooks food, at least from the standpoint of taste. 
         [0010]    Perhaps the closest approximation is the use of a propane grill which relies upon the item being cooked to release juices which fall upon heated steel or ceramic-like materials which cause it to burn, imparting something of the flavor of wood to the food being cooked. The use of dampened wood chips and the like with propane grills also contribute to making the flavor approach that of food cooked over an open wood fire. However, while propane grills have achieved great popularity, their performance still falls substantially short of hardwood charcoal. 
         [0011]    In an effort to make the relatively inconvenient task of using charcoal more manageable and less troublesome, many innovations have been tried. Typically, and still overwhelmingly today, fuel for cooking is sold in the form of charcoal briquettes in a bag. In another context, fuel may be sold as split hardwood logs. Although the applications for the same are relatively limited, typically the realm of colonial cooking enthusiasts and the like, who have followed the colonial practices of hanging vessels over a fireplace, cooking cake in a Dutch oven nestled into ashes to prevent the cake from burning. 
         [0012]    The present invention has as its object addressing the issues presented by prior art charcoal cooking apparatus and methods. More particularly, extensive efforts made by persons seeking to improve the cooking of food over an open fire have been to use manufactured briquettes whose uniform size allows them to be relatively easily poured out of a bag, for example one with a hole cut in the upper portion of a corner of the bag. The bag is then inverted and the coals are allowed to fall into the charcoal grill. While this technique has some advantages, it also has substantial disadvantages. More particularly, the bags of charcoal, when sold in economical sizes, are very large and difficult to handle and tend to bend over. They are also difficult to turn upside down to expel coal, especially when they are relatively full. 
         [0013]    In an effort to address these issues, the use of rigid boxes for hardwood charcoal have long been recognized. However, these charcoal products tend to be of irregular shape, often elongated in shape and do not lend themselves to being poured from, for example, a paper bag. More particularly, pieces of this type of charcoal tend to interlock with other pieces of charcoal forming an interlocked mass. The only way to obtain a flow is to disrupt the interlocked mass. This can be done, for example, by shaking. However shaking a bag is relatively ineffective because of the free form formability of the bag causing it to tend to conform to the interlocked mass of hardwood charcoal in the bag. 
         [0014]    Accordingly, the use of rigid containers has been proposed for containing hardwood charcoal. In connection with such efforts, the placement of the opening in the box has been proposed at the bottom of the container, insofar as this eliminates the need to turn the container over. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,653. However, this approach has a substantial flaw of resulting in making hardwood charcoal relatively difficult to fall. Accordingly, this approach has seen substantially no commercial use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    In accordance with the invention, it has been recognized that during shipment, hardwood charcoal will be shaken, causing the various pieces of charcoal to more securely interlock with each other. This complicates the interlocking which is built up as the charcoal bag is filled. Moreover, as the charcoal box is filled, the interlocking reinforces itself with upper layers interlocking with and supporting and improving the integrity of the interlocked mass as they add weight and add more structural interlocking elements. As a result, boxes with pour spouts on the bottom suffer from substantial difficulty during use. 
         [0016]    In contrast, the present invention contemplates the use of a cardboard container, or container made of other material, having a size which is small enough to be easily picked up and inverted for emptying of charcoal through the opening on the top of the container. Moreover, the box is made with dimensions which promote the disintegration of the interlocked hardwood charcoal array matrix in the container. The use of relatively small containers in accordance with the invention goes against conventional wisdom which is biased in favor of large containers, due to the relatively low energy density of the typically used charcoal briquettes of the prior art. 
         [0017]    The present invention has the advantage of promoting the use of hardwood charcoal which is environmentally superior due to its high energy density. More particularly, the same number of kilocalories of energy may be stored in relatively small boxes which may be easily moved and sufficiently provided to the consumer. Moreover, boxes of the size contemplated by the invention may be easily stacked in grocery store racks, and fit into shelves in conventional sizes while still providing the amount of energy needed to cook several meals. This dispenses with the necessity for the buyer to return, perhaps by car, to the point of sale to purchase more fuel, as would be the case with conventional low energy density charcoal briquettes. Moreover, while the packages are relatively small, they are not difficult to handle. 
         [0018]    In accordance with the invention, the inventive cartridges containing charcoal are placed in numerous box sizes. However, the sizes take the form of boxes having specific dimensions for providing an easy to handle box shape and size while still providing flexibility in the amount of fuel being purchased. This may be of particular value to, for example, older persons or persons of relatively small strength to handle the inventive boxes in an appropriate size, while providing larger boxes of equally well proportioned size and configuration to enable persons of relatively greater strength to handle a large box and thus purchase in the single box a substantial amount of fuel. This reduces the need for packaging fuel in smaller quantities, but in multiple boxes. It also reduces the need to makes return trips to the store to load up on fuel repeated times. 
         [0019]    In accordance with the invention, a cartridge for transporting, storing and dispensing hardwood charcoal is provided in a configuration which promotes easy handling and cartridge integrity and longevity. 
         [0020]    The cartridge comprises a container having a height, a width and a depth for defining a volume. A cap is formed from a portion of a top portion of the container, and extends downwardly from the top of the container. A hinge portion joins the cap to the remaining portion of the top portion of the container. A quantity of hardwood charcoal is contained within the container. 
         [0021]    The container may be a rectangular solid defined by a top surface, a bottom surface, a right side surface, a left side surface, a front surface, and a rear surface. 
         [0022]    The cartridge container may be made of corrugated cardboard with the corrugations oriented to extend from the bottom to the top of the container. The top is formed from extensions of the corrugated cardboard forming the right side surface and the left side surface, whereby the corrugations forming the top are oriented extending from the right side surface to the left side surface. 
         [0023]    The hinge portion may bend along a path substantially aligned with the corrugations in the corrugated cardboard forming the top. 
         [0024]    The extensions of the corrugated cardboard forming the right side surface and the left side surface may overlie each other, and an extension of the front surface may extend between the top of the front surface and the hinge portion. 
         [0025]    The cartridge height may vary between 10 inches and 18 inches, depth may vary between 10 inches and 18 inches, and width may vary in the range of 7 inches to 9 inches. 
         [0026]    The ratio of the sum of the height and width to the depth may be in the range between 1 and 2. 
         [0027]    Height may vary between 10 inches and 18 inches. Depth may vary between 10 inches and 18 inches. Width may vary in the range of 7 inches to 9 inches. The ratio of the sum of the height and width to the depth may be in the range between 1.25 and 1.95. The ratio of the sum of the height and width to the depth may be in the range between 1.7 and 1.8. The ratio of the sum of the height and width to the depth may also be in the range between 1.2 and 1.7. 
         [0028]    The cap may be defined by a perforated path in the in the container, the perforated path extending partially around the periphery of the cap, the perforated path extending from a beginning point to an ending point and wherein the hinge portion extends between the beginning point and the ending point. 
         [0029]    The container may have a cap comprising a) a roughly triangular member integral with said left side surface and separated from the remaining portion of said left side surface by perforations, b) a roughly triangular member integral with said right side surface and separated from the remaining portion of said right side surface by perforations, c) a roughly rectangular member integral with said top surface and separated from the remaining portion of said top surface by said hinge portion, and d) a roughly rectangular member integral with said front surface and separated from the remaining portion of said front surface by perforations. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0030]    The operation of the inventive charcoal cartridge will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
           [0031]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hardwood charcoal loading cartridge illustrating a general implementation of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a sheet of corrugated cardboard cut into a form for the assembly of the inventive hardwood charcoal loading cartridge; 
           [0033]      FIG. 3  illustrates the embodiment of the hardwood charcoal loading cartridge of the present invention of  FIG. 1  with the cap open for the discharge of hardwood charcoal; 
           [0034]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1  of a hardwood charcoal loading cartridge according to the present invention; 
           [0035]      FIG. 5  illustrates a graphic instruction printed on the inventive hardwood charcoal cartridge in accordance with the invention; 
           [0036]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the inventive hardwood charcoal dispensing cartridge during the discharge of hardwood charcoal; 
           [0037]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the inventive hardwood charcoal dispensing cartridge in a size larger than the cartridge of  FIGS. 1-6 ; 
           [0038]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of a sheet of cardboard cut to form the inventive hardwood charcoal dispensing cartridge illustrated in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0039]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of a sheet of cardboard cut to form the inventive hardwood charcoal dispensing cartridge in an intermediate or medium size; and 
           [0040]      FIG. 10  is a top plan to different at the restaurant okay I have the set limit review them to is a paper there view of a sheet of cardboard cut to form the inventive hardwood charcoal dispensing cartridge in an extra small size. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0041]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , the inventive cartridge  10  comprises a left side  12  and a right side  14 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , cartridge  10  has a depth  16 , a height  18  and a width  20  and is sized to enable comfortable handling and disentangling actions calculated to increase the flow of charcoal from the cartridge, as detailed below. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the depth  16  of cartridge  10  may be made approximately 15.1 inches. Height  18  of cartridge  10  has a dimension of 11.1 inches. Width  20  has a dimension of 7.1 inches. Cartridge  10  has a capacity of 0.88 cubic feet. 
         [0042]    As alluded to above with reference to  FIG. 2 , the cartridge  10  of the present invention is made from a single sheet of cardboard member  22 , which may be either a single ply or a multiple ply corrugated cardboard having vertically oriented corrugations  23 , and a thickness of approximately ⅛ inch. Cardboard member  22  is assembled into cartridge  10  by incorporating a plurality of score lines  24  in the manner typical of prior art corrugated card manufacturer. In accordance with the invention, cardboard member  22  may be bent along vertical score lines  24 . Likewise, in conventional manner, flaps  26  and  28  may be bent upwardly along their respective horizontal score lines  24 . Structural integrity of cartridge  10  is provided, in part, by securing flaps  26  to each other along their length, after flaps  28  have been folded inwardly into the interior of the cartridge  10 . Further structural integrity is provided by gluing flap  30  to the periphery  32  of panel  34 . 
         [0043]    Flaps  36  and  38  are then folded inwardly, followed by the folding in a flap  40  and then flap  42 . If desired, additional strength and ease of operation of the pouring orifice, as described below, may be obtained by gluing flap  36  to flap  40 . Moreover, additional strength can also be obtained by gluing flap  40  to top panel  44 . 
         [0044]    In accordance with the invention, cardboard member  22  is provided with perforations  46  and  48 , which enable the formation of a pouring orifice  50 , by rotating a cap  52  upwardly, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Such rotation is facilitated by score lines  54 . A notch to facilitate breaking perforations  46  and  48  may be formed by breaking perforation lines  58  and rotating at scoring  60 . Cap  52  has a height  62  of about four inches and a depth of about three inches. 
         [0045]    The inventive cartridge  10  also has spaces for printing a product description  62 , graphic instruction  64 , logo  66 , and trademark  68 . 
         [0046]    In accordance with the invention, cartridge  10  is filled to a height approximately 90% the height of the box with hardwood charcoal. By hardwood charcoal is meant charcoal made from hardwood species such as oak, or hickory or other hardwood charcoal with a density of very roughly about 9.3 pounds per cubic foot. 
         [0047]    As alluded to above, the bottom of the cartridge may be taped closed, although glued construction or staples are preferred. In accordance with the invention, the bottom of the cartridge is of standard strength, while the top is of considerably greater strength, comprising multiple full layers of cardboard which may be glued or stapled, as described above, but being of slightly weaker construction at score line  54  to facilitate rotation of the cap  52 . 
         [0048]    When it is desired to use the inventive cartridge  10 , cap  52  is formed by using a fingernail, key or tool to weaken or break perforations  46  and  48 . Notch  70  is then formed by pressing on flap  72 . This causes perforations  58  to break and the folding of flap  72  back along score line  60 . See  FIGS. 1 and 3 . When notch  70  has been thus formed, the user may then pull cap  52  up and out, rotating along score line  54  and ripping perforation  48  then perforations  46 . 
         [0049]    Cartridge  10  may then be rotated forwardly as shown in  FIG. 6  to allow charcoal to be loaded into a grill from the inventive cartridge  10 . Handling may be facilitated by forming a hole for the fingers to grip by ripping perforations  78  and folding along score line  80 . This allows cartridge to be held simultaneously at the corner formed at the interface of the front face and bottom of cartridge  10 , and the hole formed by perforations  78  and score line  80 . 
         [0050]    While specific cartridge dimensions are detailed above, some variation in the same may be implemented. However, depending upon objectives, in accordance with the invention, it has been discovered that maintenance of dimensional parameters within certain ranges provides substantial advantages. More particularly, in accordance with the invention, in the case of a right-handed person, the dimensions of the inventive cartridge  10  should be large enough for the left side  12  of cartridge  10  to fit comfortably against the right side of the torso of the person loading the charcoal into the grill with the right arm wrapped around right side  14  of cartridge  10 . In use, cartridge  10  may be cradled in the crook of the right elbow while the thumb bears against right side  14  of cartridge  10 . This allows for a stable maintenance of the position of the cartridge while also allowing the cartridge to be shaken to untangle the hardwood charcoal contained within cartridge  10 . In the case of a left-handed person, this configuration may be mirrored. 
         [0051]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ratio of the sum of the height  18  and width  20  to the depth  16  of the cartridge should be in the range between 1 and 2, preferably in the range between 1.25 and 1.95, and most preferably in the range between 1.7 and 1.8. Moreover for smaller persons, it has been discovered that the ratio of the sum of the height  18  and width  20  to the depth  16  of the cartridge is advantageously in the range between 1.2 and 1.7. Keeping these parameters within the above specification represents an optimal compromise between control, comfort and the provision of a sufficient quantity of hardwood charcoal in a cartridge. 
         [0052]    Further in accordance with the invention it has been discovered that for the dispensing of hardwood charcoal, a particularly preferred hardwood charcoal dispensing cartridge is provided when height varies between 10 inches and 18 inches, and depth also varies between 10 inches and 18 inches, with width varied to accommodate the amount of hardwood charcoal which one wishes to load in a cartridge, preferably with width in the range of 7 inches to 9 inches and further provided that above ranges of the ratio of the sum of the height  18  and width  20  to the depth  16  are maintained. However, a particularly advantageous cartridge is provided when depth varies between 14 inches and 18 inches. 
         [0053]    In accordance with the invention, a large cartridge  110  may be provided, as illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Cartridge  110  has a height of  16  inches, a depth of 16 inches and a width of 12 inches and can accommodate contents of 1.76 cubic feet. A cardboard member  122  to be formed into cartridge  110 , which is used and formed in the manner of the cartridge of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-6  is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0054]    In accordance with the invention, a medium sized cartridge  210  may be provided, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . Cartridge  210  has a height of 16 inches, a depth of 16 inches and a width of 8 inches and can accommodate contents of 1.18 cubic feet. A cardboard member  222  to be formed into cartridge  210 , which is used and formed in the manner of the cartridge of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-6  is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
         [0055]    In accordance with the invention, an extra small cartridge  310  may be provided, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . Cartridge  310  has a height of 12 inches, a depth of 12 inches and a width of 8 inches and can accommodate contents of 0.66 cubic feet. A cardboard member  322  to be formed into cartridge  310 , which is used and formed in the manner of the cartridge of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-6  is illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0056]    The present invention contemplates the use of materials other than corrugated cardboard, and corrugated cardboard in various thickness. Moreover, cardboard that is not corrugated, as well as other materials such as substantially rigid plastic, wood and metal may be used to implement the inventive cartridge. Such cartridges may be made disposable, recyclable or reusable. For example, reusable cartridges may be made with their top panel secured in place by six screws, allowing the screws to be unscrewed and the top removed to allow the cartridge to be refilled, after which the top panel may be replaced into its original position, and then resecured in position with the screws. 
         [0057]    While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is understood that modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may be made by those of skill in the art. Hardwood charcoal cartridges with such modifications are within the spirit and scope of the invention which is limited and defined only by the appended claims.