Patent Publication Number: US-2011073098-A1

Title: Multi-functional cooking stove

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cooking stove, and more particularly to a multi-functional cooking stove suitable for many cooking manners. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Barbecue is popular around the world, especially in reunions or outings with family or friends. People can have fun broiling food manually and interacting with each other at the same time. 
     The conventional cooking stoves, such as the Applicant&#39;s TW pat. No. M327704 and M340020, mainly include an annular web partition disposed at the center of the stove and a grill disposed atop the web partition. The Fuel such as charcoal is displaced between the web partition and the stove shell, preventing the grease and barbecue sauce from directly dripping on the charcoal and causing hazard or smoke. 
     Such conventional cooking stoves are not direct-heating type stove, i.e. the heat source is not located right beneath the food, but they mainly use the heated air flow generated by the lateral heating source to heat the food, and more particularly to broil the food. 
     To make a cooking stove using solid fuel more functional, it is necessary to refine the stove structure to center the heat energy for the cooking stove to be adapted for different cooking manners such as frying, boiling, stewing, sauteing, hot-potting, broiling and roasting, which is the main goal of the Applicant. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a cooking stove adapted for many cooking manners. 
     Another main object of the present invention is to provide a cooking stove that centers the heat energy efficiently. 
     Yet another main object of the present invention is to provide a cooking stove that is easy to catch fire. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, a cooking stove of the present invention includes a stove body, a position frame and a stove element. The stove body has an annular shell which defines an upper opening and a lower opening, and the lower opening is smaller than the upper opening. The position frame is disposed in the stove body and defines a through hole at its center. The stove element has a container body for fuel to dispose therein. The container body passes through the through hole, and the stove element is hung on the position frame. A convection space is defined between the stove body and the stove element. At least one convection bore is disposed on a periphery of the container body. The convection bore communicates the convection space with an interior of the container body. 
     Thereby, the cooking stove can center the heat energy and be adapted for cooking manners such as frying, boiling, stewing, sauteing, hot-potting, broiling and roasting. In addition, the stove element can be taken out of the stove body for the user to easily catch fire. Thereafter, the user can transport the stove element with the help of the position frame and then place the stove element and the position frame in the stove body. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a breakdown drawing showing a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a combination drawing showing a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a profile showing a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a profile showing the operation state of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial breakdown drawing showing a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a combination drawing showing a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial breakdown drawing showing a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a profile showing the operation state of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a partial breakdown drawing showing a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a combination drawing showing a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a profile showing a stove element before catching fire; 
         FIG. 12  is a profile showing a position frame transporting a stove element after catching fire; 
         FIG. 13  is a partial breakdown drawing showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3  for a first embodiment of the present invention. The multi-functional cooking stove includes a stove body  10 , a position frame  20 , a stove element  30 , a base  40 , a coal frame  50 , a stove rack  60  and an annular cover plate  70 . 
     The stove body  10  has an annular shell  11  which defines an upper opening  12  and a lower opening  13 . The lower opening  13  is smaller than the upper opening  12 . The stove body  10  has a lower portion being tapered such that the air flow rate accelerates as the air enters the stove body  10  of bigger cross section via the lower opening  13  of smaller cross section. In addition, a negative pressure of the stove body  10  will draw the air into the stove body  10  to promote its air circulation. In the present embodiment, the tapered lower portion and the vertical upper portion of the stove body  10  is integrally formed, yet they can be separately formed and combined together with fixation means. 
     The base  40  is adapted for the stove body  10  to dispose thereon. Preferably, the base  40  has a displacement portion  41  corresponding to the contour of the stove body  10  and several supportive portions  42 , and the stove body  10  has, on the other hand, a stepped outer engaging section  14  to engage with the displacement portion  41 . 
     The position frame  20  is disposed in the stove body  10  at a predetermined height. Preferably, the position frame  20  has an outer position ring  21  and an inner position ring  22 , which are bridged by a plurality of ribs  23 . The outer position ring  21  is adapted to mount in the stove body  10 , especially on an inner engaging section  15  of the stove body  10 . The inner engaging section  15  can be integrally formed in the manner of rolling or pressing, or it can also be formed by welding additional shanks on the inner surface of the stove body  10  for the outer position ring  21  to mount thereon. Moreover, the inner position ring  22  defines a through hole  24  for a container body  31  of the stove element  30  to pass therethrough such that the stove element  30  can be hung on the position frame  20 . More specifically, the container body  31  has an upper opening, and the stove element  30  has an annular flange  32  radially extending from an upper edge of the container body  31 . The contour of the annular flange  32  exactly corresponds to that of the inner position ring  22  so that the annular flange  32  can mount on the ring  22 . Furthermore, each rib  23  has an inclined section and a vertical section. The inclined section radially extends inward and downward from the outer position ring  21 , and the vertical section axially extends downward from the inner position ring  22 . The inclined section and the vertical section connect to each other and form a turn. A height of the turn is lower than that of the outer position ring  22 , and a height of the inner position ring  21  is higher than that of the outer position ring  22 . A height drop between the outer position ring  21  and the turn is substantially equal to that between the inner and outer position rings  22  and  21 . As such, the user can installed the position frame  20  in the stove body  10  with either side up, e.g. the turns of the position frame may face upward for the annular flange  32  of the stove element  30  to be hung thereon, yet the height drop between the annular flange  32  and the outer position ring  21  remains unchanged. 
     That is to say, the stove element  20  of the present invention is hung on the position frame  20 , and the position frame  20  is then mount in the stove body  10 , thus defining a convection space  16  between the stove body  10  and the stove element  30 . At least one convection bore  33  is disposed on a periphery of the container body  31 . The convection bore  33  is preferably disposed near the bottom of the container body  31 , and it communicates the convection space  16  with an interior of the container body  31 . The stove element  30  is adapted for the heat source to dispose therein. More specifically, the coal frame  50  is disposed in the stove element  30 , e.g. the coal frame  50  may mount on an engaging portion  34  of the stove element  30  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The engaging portion  34  may be integrally formed in the manner of rolling or pressing, or it may be formed by welding additional shanks. A cup  51  may be disposed beneath the coal frame  50 , in which the coal frame  50  is adapted for solid fuel such as charcoal, coconut carbon, thermatomic carbon and etc. to dispose thereon, and the cup  51  is adapter for liquid fuel such as alcohol gel or solid fuel such as tinder or other fire lighter to dispose therein. Preferably, the height of the coal frame  50  is at least higher than the convection bore  33  with the lowest height (in the case that there are several convection bores with different heights). 
     The stove rack  60  is disposed on an upper end of the container body  31 . More specifically, the stove rack  60  has an annular rim  61  corresponding to the annular flange  32  and several stands  62  spaced disposed on the annular rim  61 . The annular rim  61  is disposed on the annular flange  32 , and the stands  62  are adapted for a kettle, a pot, a cooking plate or etc. to dispose thereon. 
     The cover plate  70  is annularly formed and envelops the convection space  16 , and the cover plate  70  defines a plate opening  71  at its center to communicate with the interior of the container body  31  of the stove element  30 . For transportation purpose, two opposite grip portions  72  may be disposed on an upper surface of the cover plate  70  for the user to grip. The grip portions  72  are preferably U-shaped with two ends thereof pivoting on the upper surface of the cover plate  70 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4 . When the cooking stove is at use, the heat is mainly provided by the combustion of the solid fuel, such as charcoal or coconut carbon, disposed on the coal frame  50 . The air flows into the convection space  16  via the bottom opening  13  and then enters the interior of the container body  31  via the convection bores  33  to supply the fire. Because the cooking stove of the present invention is direct-heating type, i.e. the fuel locates right beneath the object to be heated, such as the kettle and the water in the kettle, and further because the convection space  16  is enclosed by the cover plate  70 , most of the heat energy has no other way but goes to the upper opening of the container body  31  to heat the kettle. In this case, the heat energy is centered to provide sufficient heat for user to sauté or to boil the water. Of course, the amount of heat energy may be adjusted by varying the amount and/or the density of the fuel, or by varying the air inlet flow rate of the bottom opening  13  when the user needs gentler heat for frying or stewing. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  for the second embodiment of the present invention. The cooking stove of the present embodiment also includes the stove body  10 , the position frame  20 , the stove element  30 , the base  40  and the coal frame  50 , and it further includes an annular extender  80  which is disposed on the stove body  10  and corresponds to the upper opening  12  to increase the height of the cooking stove for the uniform convection of the heated air. A grill  90  can be disposed atop the annular extender  80  to broil food, and the annular extender  80  may taper off to a bottom thereof as shown in  FIG. 13  in order to get an enlarged broiling area. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8  for the third embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the cooking stoves of the first and second embodiments, the stove of the present embodiment includes the stove body  10 , the position frame  20 , the stove element  30 , the base  40 , the coal frame  50 , the cover plate  70 , the annular extender  80  and the grill  90 , yet it further includes an auxiliary extender  81  disposed on the extender  80  and a roasting rack  91  disposed on the grill  90  for a chicken or the like to hung thereon. A dish  92  may be placed at the bottom of the roasting rack  91  to receive the grease of the chicken. A cover  100  envelops an upper opening of the extender  81  for the user to roast food. When the auxiliary extender  81  is not installed, the cover  100  can cover the extender  80  instead. And when the extender  80  is not installed, the cover  100  can directly envelop the upper opening  12  of the stove body  10  to define a rather airtight roasting space. Note that the cover  100  may have a thermometer  101  and a small bore  102  for the heated air to escape therefrom. 
     Further refer to  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10  for the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The cooking stove of the present invention is installed on a table  5  which has a hole  6  and a shield  7  annularly disposed under the hole  6 . An engaging rim  8  extends inward from a bottom edge of the shield  7  for the base  40  to mount thereon, so as to install the cooking stove on the table  5  with the stove rack  60  substantially flushing with the table  5 . In this case, many users can enjoy cooking at the same time, and the shield  7  can prevent the user from accidentally touching the stove body and get scalded. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 11 . As the user catches fire, the stove element  30  can be taken out of the stove body  10 , and the user can fill the cup  51  with alcohol gel or tinder to accelerate the fire catching procedure. Thereafter, the user simply moves the stove element  30  by lifting the position frame  20 , as shown in  FIG. 12 , and installs the stove element  30  in the stove body  10  easily and quickly. 
     In summarization, the cooking stove of the present invention is multi-functional and adapted for many cooking manners such as flying, boiling, stewing, sauteing, hot-potting, broiling and roasting. The combination of the stove element and the cover plate realizes the object to center the heat energy, such that the cooking stove can provide sufficient heat for sauteing and boiling water. In addition, the stove element is designed to be removable from the stove body, so that the user can catch fire more easily and quickly. With the position frame, the user can easily move the stove element even when the fire is lighted. In light of the foregoing, the cooking stove of the present invention is much superior to the conventional ones for these and other reasons.