Patent Publication Number: US-2019183288-A1

Title: A cooker

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to a cooker. The present invention has particular, although not exclusive application to a barbeque cooker. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. 
     A barbeque is an apparatus used to barbeque or grill food. 
     A known barbeque includes a cooking grill on which the food is cooked. Burners are located beneath the grill and burn gas to form flames that heat the grill. In practice, grease and fat from the cooking food passes over the burners and into a drip tray below. 
     The Applicant has perceived that is often awkward and difficult to clean accumulated grease and fat from the burners after cooking. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooker including: 
     a support for supporting a cooking member; and 
     a burner for being sheltered by the support and for burning gas to form one or more flames. 
     Preferably, the burner is sheltered by the support to impede dripping grease or fat, from the cooking member, from accumulating on the burners during cooking to thereby reduce cleaning when compared with the known barbeque. 
     In one embodiment, the flames heat the cooking member. Alternatively, the flames impact charcoal in a charcoal tray. The gas flames may be extinguished once the charcoal is ignited so that charcoal flames instead heat the cooking member. The cooker may include a charcoal tray supported by the support. The charcoal tray may be removable. The charcoal tray may have at least one lip that engages with the support. 
     Preferably, the flames include jet flames. Preferably, the cooker is a barbeque. Preferably, the barbeque is portable. In one embodiment, the barbeque is fixed. 
     The flames may be directed horizontal or downwards. The burner may include distributed major ports from which major flames extend, and distributed minor ports interspersed between major ports from which minor flames extend. The burner may include an ignition at one end for igniting a flame which then serially lights the major and minor flames along the burner. 
     The burner may include a burner housing, and tubular outlets extending through the housing and defining the major ports. The burner may define gaps between the housing and outlets. The housing may define the minor ports. The burner may further include conduits for conveying gas into the housing. The conduits may be located between outlets. 
     The cooker may further include a gas supply manifold for supplying gas to the burner. The manifold may supply gas jets to the burner. The manifold may distribute gas to the burner at discrete and distributed points. The manifold may include injectors for injecting gas into respective outlets. The manifold may further include injectors for injecting gas into respective conduits. The barbeque may define gaps between the burner and gas supply manifold to facilitate mixing of air and gas. The burner and gas supply manifold may be elongate and extend in parallel. The cooker may include connectors for connecting the burner and gas supply manifold. 
     The support may define a channel. The support may be rectangular. The support may include stainless steel. The support may define tapering inner lips to facilitate burner sheltering. The cooker may include a tray holder for holding a tray beneath the cooking member. The cooker may include another burner spaced apart from the burner and configured so that the flames from both burners are directed toward each other. The flames from respective burners may form a gap. 
     The cooker may include an ignition bracket for holding an electrode. The cooker may include a thermocouple for measuring temperature. The cooking member may include a grill or a hot plate. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooker burner assembly including: 
     a burner for burning gas to form one or more flames; and 
     a gas supply manifold for supplying gas to the burner. 
     Preferably, the gas supply manifold is configured to distribute gas to the burner at discrete and distributed points. Preferably, the gas supply manifold supplies gas jets to the burner which forms jet flames. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a burner for a cooker, the burner configured to burn gas to form one or more jet flames. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gas supply manifold for a cooker, the manifold configured to supply gas jets to the burner. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooker including: 
     a support for supporting a cooking member; and 
     a burner for burning gas to form one or more flames initially projected level or downward. 
     Any of the features described herein can be combined in any combination with any one or more of the other features described herein within the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows: 
         FIG. 1  is a side sectional view of a barbeque in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a burner assembly of the barbeque of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the burner assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4 a    is a plan view of the burner assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4 b    is a sectional view of the burner assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows sectional views of the burner assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a side sectional view of a coal barbeque in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the barbeque of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a portable barbeque  100  (i.e. cooker) as shown in  FIG. 1 . The barbeque  100  includes a rectangular support  102  for supporting a cooking grill  104  (i.e. member). The barbeque  100  further includes a pair of lower burner assemblies  106 . 
     Each burner assembly  106  includes a gas supply manifold  108  supplying gas to a jet burner  110 . Each burner  110  is sheltered by the support  102  and burns the supplied gas to form flames  112  that heat the cooking grill  104 . Advantageously, each burner  110  is sheltered by the support  102  to impede dripping grease and fat, from food on the grill  104 , from accumulating on the burners  110  during cooking. Cleaning is thereby reduced when compared with known barbeques where grease and fat drip on the burners. 
     The support  102  defines an endless underside channel that may, at least in part, receive the lower burner assemblies  106 . The support  102  is formed of bent stainless steel and may be glazed with glass. The support  102  defines tapering inner lips  114  to facilitate burner sheltering. 
     The barbeque  100  further includes a tray holder  116  for holding a disposable oil-collecting foil tray  118  beneath the grill  104 . The jet flames  112  from both burners  110  are directed toward each other. The jet flames  112  are initially directed downwards and then curve upwards to form a gap. The heating of the grill  104  is quite consistent. 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , the burner  110  includes distributed major ports  200  from which the major jet flames  112  extend. Distributed minor ports  202 , from which minor flames extend, are interspersed between the major ports  200 . The burner  110  also includes an ignition  204  at one end for igniting a flame, which then serially lights the major and minor flames along the burner  110 . 
     As can best be seen in  FIG. 3 , the burner  110  includes a tubular burner housing  300 . Tubular Venturi outlets  302  extend through the housing  300  and define the major ports  200 . The burner  110  defines flame bridging gaps between the housing  300  and tubes  302 , when the square outlets  302  are inserted into corresponding round housing holes  304 . The housing  300  defines the minor ports  202  and upon ignition, the flames creep along the minor ports  202  and gaps whilst lighting the major ports  200 . 
     The burner  110  further includes tubular Venturi conduits  306  for conveying gas into the housing  300 . The conduits  306  are located between outlets  302 , and have a stopped free end and small lateral outlets through which the gas passes into the housing  300  (see  FIG. 4 b    where arrows show internal gas flow). Once again, the burner  110  defines flame bridging gaps between the housing  300  and the conduits  306  when the square conduits  306  are inserted into corresponding round housing holes  304 . 
     The gas supply manifold  108  supplies gas jets to the burner  110  at discrete and distributed points in register with the tubular Venturi outlets  302  and the tubular Venturi conduits  306 . In this regard, the manifold  108  includes injectors  308 , with securing nuts  310 , for injecting gas into respective aligned outlets  302  and conduits  306 . Each injector  308  is essentially a tube with a stopped free end defining a small outlet. The burner housing  300  and tubular manifold housing  312  are elongate and extend in parallel. The burner assembly  106  includes two end connectors  314 , with fastening nuts  316 , for connecting the burner  110  and gas supply manifold  108 . 
     The burner assembly  106  includes an ignition bracket  318  for holding an electrode of the ignition  204 . The bracket  318  also holds a thermocouple  320  for measuring temperature. 
     As can best be seen in  FIG. 4 a    and  FIG. 5 , gaps  400  are formed between injectors  308  of the manifold  108  and the aligned outlets  302  and conduits  306  of the burner  110  to facilitate mixing of air and gas. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  show a coal barbeque  600  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Like reference numerals refer to like features previously described. 
     The flames  112  projecting from each burner assembly  106  impact charcoal  602  in a charcoal tray  604 . The gas flames  112  can be turned off once the charcoal  602  is ignited so that charcoal flames instead heat the cooking member  104 , or re-ignited to cook simultaneously with both gas and charcoal flames. The barbeque  600  includes the removable charcoal tray  604  that is supported by the support  102 ′, and which can be removed if not required so that only the gas flames  112  are used for cooking. 
     As can best be seen in  FIG. 7 , the charcoal tray  604  has lips  700  that engage with the support  102 ′. The tray  604  also has a permeable base  702  flanked by walls  704  to contain the coal  602 . A drip tray  706  is located beneath the charcoal tray  604  which can be simply slid out for cleaning. As before, the gas flames  112  are initially directed level or slightly downward. 
     A person skilled in the art will appreciate that many embodiments and variations can be made without departing from the ambit of the present invention. 
     The grill  104  may be replaced by a solid hot plate. In one embodiment, the barbeque is fixed in a bench. 
     In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. 
     Reference throughout this specification to ‘one embodiment’ or ‘an embodiment’ means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases ‘in one embodiment’ or ‘in an embodiment’ in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations.