Abstract:
A waterproof, heat-proof, and fire-proof protective cover for a hot barbecue grill or other cooking apparatus. In one embodiment, the protective cover includes a waterproof flexible outside shell conforming generally to the shape of the hot barbecue grill and having an underside, and at least one inside flexible shell coupled to the underside of the outside shell. The inside shell includes at least one heat-dissipating material disposed to contact a hot portion of the hot barbecue grill when the protective cover is placed thereon.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/819,859, filed May 6, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The disclosure relates, generally, to cooking apparatus, and more particularly, to protective covering devices for barbecue grills and other cooking apparatus. 
     Conventional covers protect barbecue grills and other outdoor cooking apparatus against sun, rain, snow, dust, rodents, tree sap, spills, and the like. 
     After a barbecue grill has been used for cooking, a conventional protective cover can be placed over the grill only once the grill has cooled down to a temperature sufficient to avoid melting, deforming, or otherwise damaging the cover, or causing the cover to adhere to the grill. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure provide protective covers for use with barbecue grills fueled by propane, natural gas, and charcoal, as well as rotisseries, roasters, turkey fryers, seafood boilers, smokers, burners, and other indoor and other outdoor cooking apparatus. A protective cover consistent with embodiments of the disclosure can safely be applied to cover a hot grill or other cooking apparatus, immediately after the use of such apparatus for cooking. 
     In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a protective cover including a waterproof flexible outside shell having an underside, and at least one inside flexible shell coupled to the underside of the outside shell. The inside shell includes at least one heat-dissipating material. 
     In another embodiment, the disclosure provides a method for covering a hot cooking apparatus. The method includes: heating the cooking apparatus to a temperature used for cooking; and while the cooking apparatus is still at or near the temperature used for cooking, placing a protective cover on the cooking apparatus. The protective cover includes a waterproof flexible outside shell having an underside, and at least one inside flexible shell coupled to the underside of the outside shell. The inside shell includes at least one heat-dissipating material. 
     In a further embodiment, the disclosure provides a protective cover for a hot barbecue grill having at least one hot portion. The protective cover includes a waterproof flexible outside shell conforming generally to the shape of the hot barbecue grill and having an underside, and at least one inside flexible shell coupled to the underside of the outside shell. The inside shell includes at least one heat-dissipating material disposed to contact a hot portion of the hot barbecue grill when the protective cover is placed thereon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a front perspective view of an exemplary protective cover consistent with a first embodiment of the disclosure, with hidden lines illustrating the inside shell and seams; 
         FIG. 2  shows a front perspective view of the inside shell of the protective cover, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a plan view of the four individual sections of material that are joined to form the outside shell of the protective cover, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows a plan view of the four individual sections of material that are joined to form the inside shell of the protective cover, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary seam joining two individual sections of material of the outside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of one of the upper seams joining the front panel of the outside shell and the front panel of the inside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  shows a slightly-exploded perspective view of the portion of the upper seam of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a portion of the lower seam joining the front panel of the outside shell and the front panel of the inside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  shows exemplary dimensions for the side sections of the outside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  shows exemplary dimensions for the front section of the outside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 11  shows exemplary dimensions for the rear section of the outside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 12  shows exemplary dimensions for the side sections of the inside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 13  shows exemplary dimensions for the front section of the inside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 14  shows exemplary dimensions for the rear section of the inside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 15  shows a front perspective view of an exemplary protective cover consistent with a second embodiment of the disclosure, with hidden lines illustrating the inside shell; 
         FIG. 16  shows a plan view of the four individual sections of material that are joined to form the outside shell of the protective cover, in the embodiment of  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 17  shows an initial step of assembling a portion of the outside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 18  shows the inside shell, in the embodiment of  FIG. 15 ; and 
         FIG. 19  shows a subsequent step of assembling the protective cover of  FIG. 15 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Detailed illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. However, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in many alternative forms and should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments of the disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  shows a front perspective view of a protective cover  100  consistent with a first exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. In this embodiment, cover  100  is intended for use with a conventional cart-style barbecue grill up to 60 inches wide, including integral side burners and/or raised drop-leaf side tables or shelves. 
     As shown, cover  100  includes an outside shell  101  and an inside shell  102  (illustrated in dashed hidden lines) disposed within and joined to outside shell  101  by means of a plurality of individual upper seams  108  (illustrated in larger dotted hidden lines) and a continuous lower seam  109  (illustrated in smaller dotted hidden lines). 
     Outside shell  101  is constructed from polyester and/or nylon, with a waterproof inner coating (e.g., poly-acrylic, polyurethane, PEVA, PVC, or the like), although, in alternative embodiments, shell  101  may be constructed from another waterproof material. The material of outside shell  101  may be treated to be flame-resistant and fire-retardant (non-propagating) and self-extinguishing if accidently exposed to direct flame. Outside shell  101  is desirably flexible, although, in some embodiments, portions of outside shell  101  may be rigid. 
     Outside shell  101  includes a front panel  104 , two side panels  105  (only one of which is visible in  FIG. 1 ), a rear panel (not visible in the drawings), two sloping panels  106  (only one of which is visible in  FIG. 1 ), and a top panel  107 . Panels  104 ,  105 ,  106 , and  107  are surfaces of an integral outside shell  101  formed by joining a plurality of sections of material via seams  110 , as will be explained in further detail below. 
     Inside shell  102  is a baffle or felt-like blanket made from a heat-resistant and thermally-insulating material, such cover  100  does not melt or burn when applied to a hot grill, but rather, dissipates heat over a large surface area. “Felt-like” refers to a textile that is produced by matting, condensing, and pressing together fibers. However, inside shell  102  may include both woven and non-woven components. For example, one or more materials such as FR Rayon, Basofil® (BASF brand of preoxidized acrylonitrilefiber), Panox® (SGL Group brand of polyacrylonitrile fiber), Nomex® (DuPont brand of meta-aramid synthetic fiber), Kevlar® (DuPont brand of para-aramid synthetic fiber), other aramid fiber, asbestos, or the like, may be woven singularly or together in a blend to achieve sufficient heat-resistance and thermal-insulation. Other fibers that provide similar physical properties may be used. Inside shell  102  is constructed to have a degree of loft so that it can dissipate heat quickly and efficiently, for example, having a thickness of 3/16″. Inside shell  102  is desirably flexible, although, in some embodiments, portions of inside shell  102  may be rigid. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , inside shell  102  includes a front panel  204 , two side panels  205  (only one of which is visible in  FIG. 2 ), a rear panel (not visible in the drawings), two sloping panels  206  (only one of which is visible in  FIG. 1 ), and a top panel  207 . Panels  204 ,  205 ,  206 , and  207  are surfaces of an integral inside shell  102  formed by joining a plurality of sections of material via seams  210 , as will be explained in further detail below. 
     Cover  100  includes straps  103  disposed at the hem  111  of cover  100  for fastening cover  100  around the grill. Straps  103  may include, e.g., hook-and-loop fastener, snaps, zippers, buckles, locks or other anti-theft devices, or the like. Alternatively or additionally, one or more cords, elastic members, locks or other anti-theft devices, or similar devices (not shown in the drawings) may be used at or near hem  111  to secure cover  100  and/or to create a snug fit around the grill. 
       FIG. 3  shows details of the construction of outside shell  101 , which includes four individual sections of material joined together by means of seams  110 . The individual sections include an irregular octagonal front section  304 , two irregular hexagonal side sections  305 , and an irregular hexagonal rear section  311 . Sections  304 ,  305 , and  311  are shown in  FIG. 3  as being laid out in plan view, prior to being assembled by means of seams  110  to form outside shell  101  of protective cover  100 . While only certain representative areas that are joined by seams  110  are indicated by arrows  110  in  FIG. 3 , it should be understood that seams  110  are, in fact, used (i) to join section  304  to sections  305 , (ii) to join sections  304  and  311 , and (iii) to join section  311  to sections  305 .  FIG. 5  shows a portion  500  of one such seam  110 , which joins front section  304  with one of the side sections  305 . In this embodiment, seams  110  are bound seams of type BSa-1, although other types of seams may be used in alternative embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 5 , each bound seam  110  is formed by folding binding strips  112  (or ribbon, braid, tape, or the like) over the edges of front section  304  and side section  305  and using a single-needle stitch to reinforce and finish the edges. 
       FIG. 4  shows details of the construction of inside shell  102 , which includes four individual sections of material joined together by means of seams  210 . The individual sections include an irregular octagonal front section  404 , two irregular hexagonal side sections  405 , and an irregular hexagonal rear section  411 . Sections  404 ,  405 , and  411  are shown in  FIG. 4  as being laid out in plan view, prior to being assembled by means of seams  210  to form inside shell  102  of protective cover  100 . While only certain representative areas that are joined by seams  210  are indicated by arrows  210  in  FIG. 4 , it should be understood that seams  210  are, in fact, used (i) to join section  404  to sections  405 , (ii) to join sections  404  and  411 , and (iii) to join section  411  to sections  405 . Seams  210  are substantially similar to seams  110 , which are shown in further detail in  FIG. 5 , and, in this embodiment, are bound seams of type BSa-1, although other types of seams may be used in alternative embodiments. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  show a portion  600  of one of upper seams  108 , which joins front panel  104  of outside shell  101  with front panel  204  of inside shell  102 . In this embodiment, seams  108  are single-needle bound seams of type BSa+BSa, although other types of seams may be used in alternative embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 1 , three seams  108  join front panel  104  to front panel  204 , four seams  108  join each sloping panel  106  to a respective sloping panel  206  (although only one set of side panels  106 ,  206  is visible in  FIG. 1 ), and four seams  108  join each side panel  105  to a respective side panel  205 . Although not visible in  FIG. 1 , three seams  108  also join the rear panel of outside shell  101  with the rear panel of inside shell  102 , in like manner to the three seams  108  that join front panels  104 ,  204 . In this embodiment, to reduce labor and material costs, seams  108  do not extend to the edges and corners of the panels being joined, because the shorter lengths of seams  108  are sufficient to couple outside shell  101  securely to inside shell  102 . However, in other embodiments, one or more seams  108  may extend all the way to their respective edges and/or corners. 
       FIG. 8  shows a portion  800  of lower seam  109 , which is a continuous seam that joins outside shell  101  with inside shell  102 . In this embodiment, lower seam  109  is a lapped seam of type LSd-1, although other types of seams may be used in alternative embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 8 , continuous lapped lower seam  109  is formed by folding in the edge of front panel  204  and using a single-needle stitch to join front panels  104 ,  204 . Lower seam  109  is continuous because it traverses the entire width of front panel  104 , side panels  105 , and the rear panel (not shown) of outside shell  101 , joining each of those panels to its respective counterpart panel of inside shell  102 , namely, front panel  204 , side panels  205 , and the rear panel (not shown). Lower seam  109  encircles outside shell  101  and inside shell  102  and forms a seal between outside shell  101  and inside shell  102  to prevent the infiltration of dirt, moisture, food residue, and the like. 
     Although not shown in the drawings, hem  111 , in this embodiment, is a bound seam of type BSa-1, although other types of seams may be used in alternative embodiments. 
     The thread used for seams  108 ,  109 ,  110  and hem  11  is a heat-resistant thread, such as one or more of Aramid®, Kevlar®, Nomex®, or the like. 
     In alternative embodiments, instead of employing seams with threads, one or more of seams  108 ,  109 ,  110  may be constructed using ultrasonic bonding, e.g., to create a waterproof cover. In this scenario, an ultrasonic bonding system may be employed, which includes an engraved anvil drum and an ultrasonic system with acoustic stack (e.g., converter, amplitude coupler, and sonotrode). The acoustic stack is mounted above the rotating anvil drum, leaving a small gap between the surface of the rotating anvil and the sonotrode. The sonotrode constantly expands and contracts (amplitude), e.g., at a rate of 20,000 times per second. As material passes through the gap, the material is subjected to force and amplitude. During the expansion cycle, sufficient compression is applied through the material against the raised bonding points of the anvil drum, which creates surface friction that melts the woven or nonwoven materials being bonded. During the contraction cycle, the gap increases, so that the material can move through the gap without jamming. The strength of the ultrasonic bond depends on based on the constantly-controlled speed of the material, the constant amplitude, and a consistent force applied to a specific anvil drum pattern. 
     It should be understood that the locations of the seams shown in  FIG. 1  and the types of seams and bonding methods shown in  FIGS. 5-8  are merely exemplary, and that other locations and types of seams and bonding methods may be used in alternative embodiments. 
       FIGS. 9-14  provide exemplary dimensions (in inches) for the sections of material for cover  100 , which is intended for use with a cart-style barbecue grill up to 60 inches wide. 
       FIG. 9  shows exemplary dimensions for side sections  305  of outside shell  101 .  FIG. 10  shows exemplary dimensions for front section  304  of outside shell  101 .  FIG. 11  shows exemplary dimensions for rear section  311  of outside shell  101 .  FIG. 12  shows exemplary dimensions for side sections  405  of inside shell  102 .  FIG. 13  shows exemplary dimensions for front section  404  of inside shell  102 .  FIG. 14  shows exemplary dimensions for rear section  411  of inside shell  102 . 
     Cover  100  can safely be applied to a hot grill immediately after cooking, without requiring the user to wait until the grill cools, and without risk of cover  100  melting or igniting. Although, in this embodiment, the grill cover is designed to fit a particular style of grill, it should be understood that a cover consistent with embodiments of the disclosure can alternatively be made in various sizes and shapes to fit other types of grills, as well as other cooking apparatus typically used outdoors, including, e.g., rotisseries, turkey fryers, seafood boilers, and the like, and that the term “grill,” as used herein, should not be construed as limiting in any way. 
       FIG. 15  illustrates a front perspective view of a protective cover  1500  consistent with a second exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. Cover  1500  is similar to cover  100  described above and illustrated in  FIGS. 1-14  and is intended for use with a conventional cart-style barbecue grill up to 65 inches wide, including integral side burners and/or raised drop-leaf side tables or shelves. Cover  1500  has a different construction from that of cover  100  and has an inside shell  1502  that has a different configuration from inside shell  102  of cover  100 . 
     As shown, cover  1500  includes an outside shell  1501  and inside shell  1502  (illustrated in dashed hidden lines) disposed within and joined to outside shell  1501 . Although all of the seams joining the various components of cover  1500  are not shown in the drawings, it should be understood that these seams are substantially similar to those of cover  100 . 
       FIG. 16  shows details of the construction of outside shell  1501 , which includes four individual sections of material joined together by means of bound seams (not shown). The individual sections include an irregular octagonal front section  1604 , two irregular hexagonal side sections  1605 , and an irregular hexagonal rear section  1611 . Sections  1604 ,  1605 , and  1611  are shown in  FIG. 16  as being laid out in plan view, prior to being assembled by means of bound seams to form outside shell  1501  of protective cover  1500 . In like manner to the bound seams used to join the sections of outside shell  301  shown in  FIG. 3 , bound seams are used (i) to join section  1604  to sections  1605 , (ii) to join sections  1604  and  1611 , and (iii) to join section  1611  to sections  1605 . 
       FIG. 17  shows an initial step of assembling a portion of outside shell  1501 . As shown, sections  1604  and  1611  are joined by means of a bound seam  1725 , such that a portion  1720  (illustrated in dashed hidden lines) of section  1604  overlaps with section  1611 . 
       FIG. 18  shows inside shell  1502 , which, in this embodiment, is a single rectangular section of material. 
     As shown in  FIG. 19 , after sections  1604  and  1611  are joined (as shown in  FIG. 17 ), inside shell  1502  is laid out on top of joined sections  1604  and  1611 . 
     Next, inside shell  1502  is joined to sections  1604  and  1611  by means of one or more continuous, lapped seams (not shown). To complete the assembly of cover  1500 , bound seams are then used to join sections  1604  and  1611  to sections  1605 , in like manner to the seams used to join the sections of outside shell  301  shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Alternatively, instead of employing one or more seams with threads, ultrasonic bonding may be used for one or more seams that join the various components of cover  1500 . 
     As with cover  100 , cover  1500  can safely be applied to a hot grill immediately after cooking, without requiring the user to wait until the grill cools, and without risk of cover  1500  melting or igniting. Since inside shell  1502  does not involve the assembly of multiple components, as is the case with panels  204 ,  205 ,  206 , and  207  of cover  100 , the construction of cover  1500  is simplified relative to that of cover  100 , thus saving time and lowering manufacturing costs by reducing labor and materials used to construct cover  1500 . 
     Although cover  100  and cover  1500  both include inside shells that are suitably sized and shaped and disposed in a region intended to contact hot portions of a grill being covered, it should be understood that, in alternative embodiments, the sizes, shapes, and locations of the inside shell may vary. In some alternative embodiments, multiple inside shells (each of which could be, e.g., a single section of material) may be used within an outside shell, where the inside shells are disposed at different locations within the underside of the outside shell that are intended to contact hot portions of a grill being covered. 
     Although embodiments of the disclosure are described as being used in connection with cooking apparatus, it should be understood that a protective cover consistent with embodiments of the disclosure may alternatively be used as a heatproof and/or waterproof protective cover for other items. 
     It should be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this disclosure may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. 
     Although the disclosure has been described using relative terms such as “front,” “back,” “side,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “above,” “under” and the like in the description and in the claims, such terms are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the disclosure described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. 
     Although the disclosure is described herein with reference to specific embodiments, various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. Any benefits, advantages, or solutions to problems that are described herein with regard to specific embodiments are not intended to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims. 
     It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments of the disclosure. 
     Although the elements in the following method claims, if any, are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarily intended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence. 
     Although the disclosure has been set forth in terms of the exemplary embodiments described herein and illustrated in the attached drawings, it is to be understood that such disclosure is purely illustrative and is not to be interpreted as limiting. Consequently, various alterations, modifications, and/or alternative embodiments and applications may be suggested to those skilled in the art after having read this disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that the disclosure be interpreted as encompassing all alterations, modifications, or alternative embodiments and applications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this disclosure. 
     It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this disclosure may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the disclosure as expressed in the following claims. 
     The embodiments covered by the claims in this application are limited to embodiments that (1) are enabled by this specification and (2) correspond to statutory subject matter. Non-enabled embodiments and embodiments that correspond to non-statutory subject matter are explicitly disclaimed even if they fall within the scope of the claims.