Patent Publication Number: US-2013232862-A1

Title: Consumable solid fuel package

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a combustible heat source, and more specifically to a solid fuel package that controls a continuous burning of charcoal or other solid fuel and wherein the package is fully consumed by the flames. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Outdoor cooking is a popular recreational activity enjoyed by many while camping or day tripping, picnicking, tail gating at a sports event, or even in one&#39;s own back yard. While gas powered or electric grills may be used in one&#39;s own back yard or even while tail gating, a number of people prefer to use charcoal grills for cooking and/or grilling their meals whether at home, in a parking lot, at a campsite or other remote location for added flavor to the food, aroma, and for the experience. When grilling, it is preferable to be able to quickly and easily prepare the charcoal for cooking. It is also preferable to have easy clean up after food preparation is done—particularly if the cooking is done away from one&#39;s home. 
     Charcoal briquettes are commonly used to provide the heat necessary for cooking and/or grilling food on a grill. Conventional charcoal briquettes are typically provided in a large bag from which a smaller amount must be taken and placed in the grill for use. The briquettes are quite messy and as such, it is desirable to minimize the physical handling of the briquettes. It is common to use conventionally available metal chimneys into which a portion of a charcoal briquette bag is poured and ignited. A flammable liquid such a lighter fluid or the like may also be used to assist ignition of the briquettes. Once the charcoal briquettes are ignited and have burned to a sufficient degree, the chimney is turned over and the briquettes are poured into the grill and spread out for use. When using such a metal chimney, however, the user must bring along the metal chimney, bring along a full bag of charcoal (usually 20 pounds), pour the messy charcoal briquettes into the metal chimney, pour out the hot coals, find a safe place to put the hot metal chimney once the coals are poured out, bring back the unused bag of charcoal and bring back the now dirty metal chimney. What is needed is a single-use, fully consumable chimney that is pre-loaded with the desired amount of charcoal briquettes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. In accordance with one embodiment, a solid fuel package is provided comprising a body formed of combustible material comprising at least one wall having a height and defining an interior space therein, said interior space having a first open end and a second open end distal from said first open end, a cover attached to said second open end further enclosing and defining said interior space, an amount of combustible solid fuel located inside said interior space and supported by said bottom cover, and a venting system, wherein the venting system comprises a plurality of elongated, substantially vertically oriented apertures spaced apart from each other around the exterior of said body. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side perspective of a fuel igniter package incorporating an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the package of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the package of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side perspective view of the package of  FIG. 1  further depicting a top lid; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the package of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the package of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the package of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cut-away view of the bottom side portion of the package of  FIG. 1 , taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a cut-away view of the package of  FIG. 1  depicting the solid fuel contained therein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described. 
     Referring now to the drawing figures in which like reference designators refer to like elements, there is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 9  a fuel package  10  for a fuel source  12 . Fuel package  10  includes a body  11  having side wall  14 , a bottom cover  20  and a venting system  22 . Body  11  preferably comprises a tubular shape formed by side wall  14  that defines a compartment  13  having an interior space. Body  11  has a diameter P D , a length P L , a base end  16  and a top end  18  distal from the base end  16 . The diameter is generally the same at the base end  16  and the top end  18 . The compartment is large enough to store a predetermined quantity of charcoal briquettes or other solid fuel. Although a round tubular shape is the preferred cross-sectional shape for body  11 , non-round tubular shapes such as triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal and the like are also within the scope of the present invention. It is also within the scope of the present invention for body  11  to be formed of more than one side wall, rather than have a continuous tubular construction, wherein the plurality of side walls are connected to form a structure defining a compartment therein. 
     Body  11  is made of paper material, such as cardboard, paperboard, wound paper, pulp paper or the like, or other combustible material known in the industry. The preferred material is also preferably fire-resistant to a degree sufficient to allow body  11  to maintain its structure while the solid fuel  12  burns to a desired degree sufficient for grilling/cooking food, at which point body  11  will be consumed and collapse, leaving the solid fuel  12  ready for use in grilling. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , side wall  14  preferably comprises a bottom lip  21  located at the base end  16  of body  11 . Bottom lip  21  folds under toward the interior of compartment  13  to provide a double layer of body  11  for additional thickness and strength at base end  16 . 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 6-8 , body  11  further comprises a bottom cover  20  for supporting the solid fuel  12  within the interior compartment  13  defined by side wall  14  and bottom cover  20 . Bottom cover  20  is made of the same material as body  11  and is preferably paper in nature or an alternative combustible material. Bottom cover  20  is attached to base end  16  of body  11  by any of numerous methods commonly used in the industry. Preferably, bottom cover  20  comprises a flange  23  located along the exterior edge which is located in between the two layers of body  11  formed by bottom lip  21 . Such methods of attachment include but are not limited to friction fit, adhesive attachment, stitching or any method whereby the attachment material is fully consumed during the burning of the body  11  and the solid fuel  12 . 
     During the manufacture of fuel package  10 , once the body  11  is fully constructed, including the bottom cover  20 , a pre-determined amount of charcoal briquettes or other solid fuel  12 , such as wood pellets, combustible compressed material pellets or other known solid fuels, is deposited into the compartment  13 . 
     Venting system  22  provides the necessary oxygen to the solid fuel  12  for ignition and burning. Venting system  22  comprises a plurality of substantially parallel, elongated venting apertures  24  arranged vertically around the exterior of side wall  14 . Apertures  24  each comprise a top end  26  located on the end nearest the top end  18  of body  11  and a bottom end  28  located on the end nearest the base end  16  of body  11 . Each aperture  24  further comprises a width V W  and a length V L . 
     For strength of the body  11  and ability of the body  11  to resist combustion long enough for the solid fuel  12  to reach the desired state for grilling, it has been found preferable for apertures  24  to be located approximately 2 to 3.5 inches apart from each other, and more preferably approximately 2.5 to 3 inches apart from each other, although other distances are acceptable. As such, as the diameter of body P D  increases, additional apertures  24  may be added to provide adequate ventilation for the ignition of the solid fuel  12 , while still maintaining the necessary structural integrity of the body  11  to support the solid fuel  12  and retain sufficient structure for the time necessary for the solid fuel  12  to reach the desired state for grilling. By way of example only, a body  11  having a diameter P D  of 4 inches would preferably comprise approximately 4 venting apertures  24 . By way of further example, a body  11  having a diameter P D  of 6 inches would preferably comprise approximately 7 venting apertures  24 . 
     It has been found that the venting aperture  24  area is preferably approximately 4 to 12% of the non-vented body  11  surface area and more preferably 7 to 8%. A preferred venting aperture width V W  is approximately 0.2 to 0.3 inches, and more preferably 0.25 inches, but could vary depending on the combustibility of the material used for body  11 , which may in turn depend on the specific type of material as well as the thickness of the material. A preferred venting aperture length V L  is approximately 0.5 inches less than the height of side wall  14 , although the length could vary between 0.42 and 2 inches depending on the type of paper used for the body  11  and could vary more widely if materials other than paper were used. If the distance between vent top end  26  and body top end  18  is too small, body  11  will collapse before the solid fuel  12  has reach the desired state for grilling. Conversely, if the distance between vent top end  26  and body top end  18  is too large, body  11  will not collapse early enough for use of the solid fuel  12  and/or full consumption of body  11 . The distance provided between venting aperture  24  and the edge of body  11  at body top end  18  is substantially equal to the distance provided between venting aperture  24  and the edge of body  11  at body base end  16 . As the combustibility of the material increases, the overall size of the venting apertures in relation to the overall surface area of body  11  would preferably decrease to adjust for the increased speed of combustion and ensure that the structure remained sufficiently intact until the solid fuel was at the desired state. 
     The shape of the ends of venting apertures  24  may be curved, squared, or other shapes capable of manufacture in the industry, keeping in mind ease and feasibility of manufacture. The shape of venting apertures  24  is preferably an elongated slit as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , for ease of manufacture. It is within the scope of the present invention, however, for the shape of venting apertures  24  to be elliptical, oval, or other shapes, provided any increase in venting aperture area is taken into account in determining the appropriate number and size of apertures to include in body  11 . It is also within the scope of the present invention for the apertures to comprise multiple shorter apertures in a single column as opposed to a single, continuous aperture. 
     Optionally, side wall  14  at body top end  18  may comprise a rolled lip (not shown) to provide additional structural and additional surface area for attaching optional lid  30 . An embodiment of the present invention comprises a lid  30  covering body top end  18  to assist in retaining solid fuel  12  within compartment  13  during transport. Lid  30  may be made of plastic, paper, or other material such as aluminum foil. Lid  30  may be removably attached to body  11  by a friction fit, by adhesive (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) or by other means commonly known and used in the packaging industry. Lid  30  may have a shape to match the shape of the top end  18  of body or may include corners or a tab extending past the edge of top end  18  to allow for easy removal. 
     In use, fuel package  10  is placed in a grilling unit in an upright orientation with base end  16  on the bottom. The lid  30  is removed either before placing package  10  in the grilling unit or after. The solid fuel  12  is ignited by user with a match or lighter through the top opening  19  located at top end  18 . As the solid fuel  12  burns, the paper material of body  11  will also burn. The venting apertures  24  allow for the desired air flow through the body  11 . As the solid fuel  12  and body  11  burn, the paper shell of body  11  burns down to the base end  16  and the sold fuel will collapse down on itself forming a uniform pile. The solid fuel, preferably charcoal briquettes, are ready for cooking when the paper body  11  is burned away. Although not necessary, a user could apply an accelerant to the solid fuel. Once the user is done cooking, only ash remains with no paper, metal or other refuse to discard. 
     Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, a certain illustrated embodiment thereof is shown in the drawings and has been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. 
     All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein. 
     The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. 
     Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.