Patent Publication Number: US-2021187558-A1

Title: Grill cleaner and method of cleaning a grill

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/950,283, filed on Dec. 19, 2019. The complete disclosure of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/950,283 is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The described embodiments relate to a grill cleaner, particularly a grill cleaner for use with an ice block. 
     BACKGROUND 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,460 purports to disclose a device for cleaning a barbeque grill comprising a block of ice having a wedge-shaped cross-section at one end and handle of temperature insulating material at the other. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,306 purports to disclose a grill cleaning brush and scraper having a replaceable cleaning bristle head with scraper blade. This application also discloses a second handle grip for improved leverage and force application permits more efficient cleaning with less effort. The device also provides a soft-grip handle and curved neck portion for improved comfort during use. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings included herewith are for illustrating various examples of systems, methods, and apparatus of the present specification. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1A  is a top plan view of a grill cleaner, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 1B  is a right side elevation view of the grill cleaner of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1C  is a bottom plan view of the grill cleaner of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1D  is an exploded view of the grill cleaner of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2A  is a top perspective view of a head of the grill cleaner of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2B  is a top plan view of the head of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 2C  is a rear elevation view of the head of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 2D  is a cross sectional view of the head of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 2E  is a bottom plan view of the head of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3A  is a top perspective view of a handle of the grill cleaner of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 3B  is a top perspective view of a grip of the handle of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 3C  is a top plan view of the grip of  FIG. 3B ; 
         FIG. 3D  is a front elevation view of the grip of  FIG. 3B ; 
         FIG. 3E  is a right elevation view of the grip of  FIG. 3B ; 
         FIG. 3F  is a bottom plan view of the grip of  FIG. 3B ; 
         FIG. 3G  is a front elevation view of a shaft of the handle of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 3H  is a top plan view of the shaft of  FIG. 3G ; 
         FIG. 3I  is a right elevation view of the shaft of  FIG. 3G ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a top perspective view of an ice mount of the grill cleaner of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 4B  is a bottom perspective view of a socket of the ice mount of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 4C  is a bottom plan view of the socket of  FIG. 4B ; 
         FIG. 4D  is a right elevation view of the socket of  FIG. 4B ; 
         FIG. 4E  is a rear elevation view of the socket of  FIG. 4B ; 
         FIG. 4F  is a top elevation view of an ice support of the ice mount of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 4G  is a rear elevation view of the ice support of  FIG. 4F ; 
         FIG. 4H  is a right elevation view of the ice support of  FIG. 4F ; 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of a grill cleaner system, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5B  is a cross sectional view of the grill cleaner system of  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 6A  is top perspective view of a tray of the grill cleaner system of  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 6B  is a cutaway top perspective view of the tray of  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 6C  is a top plan view of the tray of  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 6D  is a cross sectional view of the tray of  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 6E  is a bottom plan view of the tray of  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 6F  is a right elevation view of the tray of  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 6G  is a top plan view of a perimeter support of the tray of  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 7A  is a perspective exploded view of a grill cleaner system, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 7B  is a top plan view of a pair of ice mounts of the grill cleaner system of  FIG. 7A  received in an ice tray of the grill cleaner system of  FIG. 7A ; 
         FIG. 7C  is a front elevation view of the pair of ice mounts received in the ice tray of  FIG. 7B ; 
         FIG. 7D  is a cross sectional view of the pair of ice mounts received in the ice tray of  FIG. 7B ; 
         FIG. 7E  is a top plan view of the tray of  FIG. 7B ; 
         FIG. 7F  is a front elevation view of the tray of  FIG. 7B ; 
         FIG. 7G  is a bottom plan view of an ice mount of the grill cleaner system of  FIG. 7A ; 
         FIG. 7H  is a right elevation view of the ice mount of  FIG. 7G ; and 
         FIG. 7I  is a front elevation view of the ice mount of  FIG. 7G . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various systems, methods and apparatus will be described below to provide an example of each claimed embodiment. No embodiment described below limits any claimed embodiment and any claimed embodiment may cover systems, methods and/or apparatus that differ from those described below. The claimed embodiments are not limited to systems, methods and apparatus having all of the features of any one system, method and apparatus described below or to features common to multiple or all. 
     Reference is first made to  FIG. 1 , showing a grill cleaner  100 . Grill cleaner  100  includes a head  200 , further detailed in  FIG. 2 . Grill cleaner  100  also includes a handle  300 , further detailed in  FIG. 3 . Handle  300  is firmly secured to head  200  and extends from head  200 . Grill cleaner  100  also includes an ice mount  400 , further detailed in  FIG. 4 . 
     Head  200  is formed of a synthetic resin and has a forward end  210  and a rear end  220 . Head  200  has a socket cavity  230  in a grill facing surface  240  of head  200 . Grill facing surface  240  is a generally convexly curved surface.  FIG. 2A  is a top perspective view of head  200  which shows underside and internal features in outline. 
     Handle  300  is an elongated handle to allow a user to drive head  200  in cleaning a hot grill without unduly exposing themselves to the heat of the grill by grasping a distal end of handle  300 . Handle  300  includes a shaft  310  formed of a stainless steel plate folded to form supporting ribs. Handle  300  also includes a grip  320  formed of a synthetic resin. Handle  300  is fixedly joined to head  200  by an interference fit of a proximal end of shaft  310  in a receiving cavity formed on a rear end  220  of head  200 . A distal end of shaft  310  is joined to grip  320  via an interference fit of the distal end of shaft  310  in a receiving cavity formed on a proximal end of grip  320 . A logo  322  is formed on grip  320  and finished to a polished gloss, while the remainder of the exterior surface of grip  320  is finished with a textured finish. 
     Ice mount  400  includes an ice support  420  and a socket insert  410 . Insert  410  is formed of a synthetic resin. Ice support  420  is a folded stainless steel plate joined to insert  410  via an interference fit of the vertical legs into receiving cavities of insert  410 . Ice support  420  of ice mount  400  defines a head facing surface  422  and a grill facing surface  424 . Head facing surface  422  is spaced from grill facing surface  240  of head  200 , allowing for the formation of ice between. Ice support  420  includes a set of apertures  426  through from the head facing surface  422  to the grill facing surface  424  to allow the formation of ice through the apertures  426 . 
     Grill facing surface  424  defines an operational plane  440 , shown in  FIGS. 1B and 4H . Handle  300  forms an oblique angle relative to operation plane  440  to better enable a user to drive head  200  in a grill cleaning operation. 
     Ice mount  400  is removably joined to head  200  by a spring lock system  500  indicated in  FIG. 1B . Insert  410  is sized and shaped to be received in socket cavity  230  and removably held in socket cavity  230  via spring lock system  500 . 
     Spring lock system  500  includes a pair of rigid forward projections  510  and  520  of ice mount  400 . Forward projection  510  corresponds to a forward recess (not shown) formed in head  200 , while forward projection  520  corresponds to a forward recess  540  formed in head  200 . Spring lock system also includes a moveable rear clip  550  of ice mount  400  and corresponding to a rear recess  560  formed in head  200 . Rear clip  550  is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position, and is biased by a spring toward the extended position. 
     Ice mount  400  is removably secured to head  200  when insert  410  is held in socket  230 . Insert  410  is held in socket  230  when it is received in socket  230 , forward projections  510  and  520  are received in the forward recesses of head  200 , and clip  550  is extended into recess  560 . Ice mount  400  may be released from head  200  by moving clip  550  into a retracted position, thus freeing insert  410  to be removed from socket  230 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a grill cleaning system  110  that includes a grill cleaner  100  and an ice tray  600 . As depicted, ice tray  600  is provided to hold a quantity of water within which ice support  420  is partly immersed. The quantity of water is then to be frozen into a block of ice  680  in which a lower portion of ice support  420  is embedded. With ice support  420  secured to socket insert  410  and embedded in the block of ice, the ice support  400  can be coupled to head  200  and head  200  can be driven by handle  300  to apply the block of ice against a grate of a grill. 
     Ice tray  600 , further detailed in  FIG. 6 , is a collapsible tray having a rigid upper rim  610  supported by a brace  620  embedded within rim  610 . Brace  620  is formed of cold rolled steel. Tray  600  includes a set of three cups  630 ,  640 , and  650 , each of which forms a cavity for holding water and receiving an ice support of an ice mount to be at least partly immersed in the water as the water freezes into a block of ice coupled to the ice support. 
     Tray  600  is formed of a water resistant material such as flexible silicone, such as a food grade standard silicon suitable for temperatures below −15° C. The walls of each cup  630 ,  640 , and  650  are sloped to allow an ice block formed in the corresponding cavity to be lifted out. The interior surface of the walls of each cavity are polished for a low-friction fit with an ice block formed therein. 
     A logo-shaped recess, such as recess  632 , is molded into an inside face of the bottom of each cup such that an ice block formed in the cavity includes a corresponding logo. Each cup also includes a fill line, such as fill line  634 , to indicate how much water should be added to the cavity to fill the cavity prior to receiving an ice support therein. 
     The walls of each cup include two laterally encircling sections of reduced thickness which form folding sections to allow the tray to be collapsed. For example, cup  630  can be collapsed along first folding section  636  and second folding section  638 . 
     Tray  600  also includes information  660 , such as a Food Safe logo and an identification of material used, on an outside face of the bottom of the tray. Each cup also includes a base, such as base  642 . 
     Rim  610  of ice tray  600  includes sets of corner bosses  672 ,  674 , and  676  for use in positioning ice mounts when the ice mounts are received within cavities of the tray. Ice mounts each include a set of corner sockets for use in cooperating with bosses of ice tray  600 . For example, corner bosses  674  cooperate with sockets  430  of ice mount  400 . As depicted particularly in  FIG. 5B , sizing of corner bosses  674 , cup  640 , and ice mount  400  cooperate to allow for the formation of a block of ice having approximately 10 to 15 percent of the thickness of the block received between head facing surface  422  and grill facing surface  240 . 
     Synthetic resin and stainless steel are used in construction of grill cleaning system  110 . The synthetic resin may be for example polypropylene resin, with the resin grade selected to minimize shrink. Visible surfaces of grill cleaner  100  are finished. For example, parts made of synthetic resin are cleared of any flash and stainless steel parts are free of burrs and blemishes. Stainless steel surfaces may be finished to a bright polish or with a brushed finish. 
     In some embodiments, a set of ice mounts, such as ice mount  400 , is used with one grill cleaner head, one grill cleaner handle, and one ice tray. In such embodiments, a set of ice mounts may include at least one ice mount for each cavity of the ice tray, such that each cavity of the ice tray may be used to form a block of ice around an ice mount. In such embodiments, the grill cleaner head and grill cleaner handle can be used with one ice mount at a time, such as to allow a grill cleaning operation using a first ice mount and coupled block of ice and then to allow the first ice mount to be released from the head to be replaced with a second ice mount and coupled block of ice. 
     In some embodiments, in using ice cleaner  100 , a user freezes a block of ice, secures an elongated handle to the block of ice, and applies the block of ice to a grill in a grill cleaning operation. The user can freeze a block of ice by filling a cavity of tray  600  with a quantity of water, and then freezing the water. The user can freeze the block of ice around and through ice mount  400 , specifically around ice support  420 , as the ice mount  400  rests on a rim of the cavity of tray  600 . The user can secure an elongated handle  300  to the block of ice by coupling embedded ice mount  400  to head  200 , since head  200  is secured to handle  300 . The user can then apply the block of ice to the grill in a grill cleaning operation by grasping handle  300  and manipulating handle  300  to drive head  200  such that the ice block moves within operational plane  440 . The removable coupling of ice mount  400  to head  200  permits a user to switch between different ice mounts, such as to replace an ice block which has melted beyond a useable extent. 
     A grill cleaning system according to another embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 7A to 7I , which is formed of a durable and rigid synthetic resin. Grill cleaning system  700  includes a head  710  with an elongated handle  720  extending from head  710 . Grill cleaning system  700  includes a pair of ice mounts  800  and an ice tray  900 . Ice mounts  800  include a first ice mount  810  and a second ice mount  820 , corresponding respectively to a first cup  910  and a second cup  920  of rigid tray  900 . 
     Head  710  and handle  720  of grill cleaning system  700  are integral pieces, with ice mounts  810  and  820  interchangeably mountable to head  710  via a spring lock system similar to spring lock system  500 . Each of ice mounts  810  and  820  includes a socket insert  812  and  822  and an ice support  814  and  824 . Socket insert  812  and ice support  814  are integrally formed of a synthetic resin, as are socket insert  822  and ice support  824 . 
     Ice mounts  810  and  820  each have a set of sockets corresponding to bosses of tray  900 . Sockets  816  of ice mount  810  correspond to bosses  932  near cup  910  of tray  900 . Similarly, sockets of ice mount  820  correspond to bosses near cup  920  of tray  900 . The corresponding sets of sockets and bosses are provided to assist in positioning ice mounts  810  and  820  in appropriate positions above cups  910  and  920 , respectively. Appropriate positioning assists in ensuring that ice supports  814  and  824  are securely embedded in ice blocks which form from water held in cups  910  and  920 , respectively. 
     Each of ice mounts  810  and  820  includes a set of apertures through the bottom to allow ice to extend through the ice mount to assist in securely embedding the ice supports  814  and  824  therein. 
     In some embodiments, a block of ice is formed using unaltered water, such as tap water or bottled water. In some embodiments, a block of ice is formed of scented water, flavored water, fortified water, or fluids other than water. 
     While the above description provides examples of one or more apparatus, methods, or systems, it will be appreciated that other apparatus, methods, or systems may be within the scope of the claims as interpreted by one of skill in the art.