Patent Publication Number: US-2021169271-A1

Title: Process and tool for cleaning barbecue grills

Description:
This non-provisional patent application is based on provisional patent application No. 62/944,512 filed on Dec. 6, 2019. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to tools for cleaning barbeque grills and, more particularly, a device that is structured to hold one or more corrugated cardboard strips so that a forward leading edge of the one or more cardboard strips is positioned forwardly of the jaw for movement against a grill surface in order to remove grease, food particles and other cooking debris from the grill surface. 
     Discussion of the Related Art 
     Cooking food on grills has become increasingly popular, both for outdoor and indoor cooking. In particular, outdoor grills are typically heated with use of either charcoal or a flammable gas such as propane. The process of cooking on grills, and particularly outdoor grills, results in the accumulation of grease, food particles and other charred debris on the grate surface of the grill. This charred debris is formed from the foods being cooked on the grate surface, such as meat, fish, vegetables, sauces, marinades and other food items. After use, or prior to cooking fresh food on the grill, it is desirable to clean the grill in order to remove the charred debris, grease and other undesirable substances from the grate surface which would otherwise impact the taste and appearance of the fresh food being cooked. Currently, the most common tools used for cleaning the grate surface of grills includes a wide variety of wire brushes, metal scrapers and wood plank scrapers. 
     Recently, it has been revealed that the use of wire brushes to clean the grate surface of barbecue grills is undesirable and potentially hazardous to a person&#39;s health due to the possibility of fragments of the wire brush being left on the grate surface which can attach to or become embedded in food that is cooked on the grill. This leads to instances where people unintentionally consume food that contains small wire fragments from the cleaning brush. In fact, x-rays of patients have revealed the presence of these small wire fragments in their stomach and other digestive tract tissue. 
     While metal scrapers are effective to remove clumps of charred debris that adhere to the grate surface of the cooking grill, they are generally not effective to remove all of the grease, grime, small charred particles and other debris. The same is true with wood plank scrapers which have become increasingly popular, particularly due to the public awareness of the dangers of wire brushes. Wood scrapers remove larger particles, but are not effective to fully clean the grate surface. 
     Considering the forgoing, there still remains a need for an effective grill cleaning tool that is safe to use, and which does not leave any harmful particles on the grill surface that might be subsequently ingested by people when eating food that has been cooked on the grill. Moreover, there is a need for a more effective barbecue grill cleaning tool that removes both larger pieces of charred debris that are stuck to the grill surface, as well as smaller particles and grease and grime that inevitably accumulates on the grate surface. 
     The present invention proposes a simple and highly effective process and tool for cleaning barbecue grills, wherein a stacked arrangement of corrugated cardboard strips is held in a manner that allows for use of a leading edge of the stacked arrangement of cardboard strips to be scraped along the grate surface of the grill to effectively remove charred particles, grease, grime and other undesirable residue from the grate surface prior to cooking on the grill. Unlike wire brushes, metal blade scrapers and wood plank scrapers, the stacked arrangement of cardboard effectively wipes the grate surface clean while leaving no harmful particles on the grate surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It has been discovered by the Inventors of the present invention that the use of corrugated cardboard provides an excellent medium for cleaning the surface of barbecue grills which is more effective than use of metal scrapers, wire brushes and wood plank scrapers. More particularly, the Inventors of the process and tool of the present invention have discovered that at least one, and preferably two or more pieces of cardboard in a stacked arrangement, can be held in one hand so that the reinforced edge (i.e., the edge that reveals the corrugated construction) of the cardboard can be moved against the grill surface and in a back and forth scrubbing action, to thereby remove charred debris, grease, and other undesirable substances from the grill surface. Ideally, the grill surface should be heated to a temperature of at least 150-200 degrees Fahrenheit prior to cleaning. 
     A process for cleaning barbecue grills according to the present invention uses at least one, and preferably two or more pieces of cardboard held in a stacked arrangement. Preferably, the cardboard pieces are cut to the size of approximately 5-6 inches in length (i.e., measured between opposite ends) and 4-5 inches in width (i.e., measured between a front leading edge and a back edge). The process includes the steps of: heating the grill to a temperature of at least 150-200 degrees Fahrenheit; holding the cardboard pieces in one hand with the four fingers on the top of the cardboard stack and the thumb on the bottom of the stack so that the leading edges of the cardboard pieces have the corrugated (i.e., wave or serpentine core) construction revealed; and moving the leading edges of the stacked arrangement of cardboard pieces against the grill surface in a back and forth scrubbing action to remove debris, grease and other undesirable substances. The leading edges and front corners can also be moved along the edges of the grates and at least partially under the grates to remove charred debris and other substances therefrom. A tool for cleaning barbecue grills includes a main body having an upper jaw member, a lower jaw member, a back end extending between the upper and lower jaw members, opposite sides and a front face. The body is formed to include an open mouth between the upper and lower jaw members, with the open mouth extending across the front face and along the opposite sides. The open mouth is specifically sized, structured and configured for tight fitted receipt of a stacked arrangement of corrugated cardboard strips so that a forward leading edge of the stacked arrangement of cardboard strips is positioned exteriorly and forward of the open mouth for movement against the barbecue grill surface in a manner that removes charred debris, grease and other undesirable substances, thereby cleaning the grill surface prior to cooking. The interior of the open mouth may be provided with one or more teeth that are tapered in a manner that promotes sliding insertion of the stacked arrangement of corrugated strips within the mouth, while discouraging removal, as the teeth bite into the top and bottom surfaces of the stack of cardboard strips. The main body may further include a metal scraper extending forwardly, beyond the front face and a bottle opener on one side. The main body may further be structured for removable attachment of an extension pole or handle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded front, top perspective view of the barbecue grill cleaning tool of the present invention shown with an optional extension handle removed from the main body of the tool; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded rear, top perspective view of the barbecue grill cleaning tool of the present invention shown with the extension handle removed from the main body of the tool; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of the barbecue grill cleaning tool of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view thereof; 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the barbecue grill cleaning tool shown with a strip of corrugated cardboard being inserted within an open mouth of the main body of the tool as teeth within the mouth engage the top and bottom surfaces of the strip of corrugated cardboard; 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the barbecue grill cleaning tool shown with the corrugated cardboard strip fully inserted within the open mouth of the tool with the teeth engaged and biting into the corrugated cardboard strip; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the barbecue grill cleaning tool used with the corrugated cardboard strip for removing grease and other residue from the top surface of a barbecue grill; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the barbecue grill cleaning tool of the present invention with the extension handle attached and the tool holding the corrugated cardboard strip for use in removing grease and other residue from the top surface of the barbecue grill; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing a rigid scraper blade on the main body of the barbecue grill cleaning tool being used for scraping and removing residue and other debris from the top surface of the barbecue grill; and 
         FIG. 10  is a front perspective view showing the corrugated cardboard strip fully received and engaged within the open mouth of the barbecue grill cleaning tool and revealing the corrugated, serpentine-shaped core construction of the corrugated cardboard strip along a leading edge thereof. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the several views of the drawings, and initially  FIGS. 1-6 , the barbecue grill cleaning tool of the present invention is shown and generally indicated as  10 . The barbecue grill cleaning tool  10  of the present invention includes a main body  12  that may be formed as a single molded piece or, alternatively, as two or more pieces that are assembled together during manufacture. The main body  12  includes an upper jaw member  14  having a top surface  15  and a lower jaw member  16  having a bottom surface  17 . The main body  12  further includes a back end  18  that is formed by the combined structures of the upper and lower jaw members. The back end  18  is preferably shaped and configured to provide for an ergonomic fit within a user&#39;s hand with the fingers on the top surface  15  and the thumb on the bottom surface  17 . As seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the back end  18  is rounded at the upper and lower corners to provide the desired ergonomic shape. The main body further includes a left side  20 , a right side  22  and a front face  24 . The front face  24  includes the front of the upper jaw member  14  and the front of the lower jaw member  16 . An open mouth  26  extends across the front face  24  and partially along the opposite sides  20 , 22 , between the upper jaw member  14  and the lower jaw member  16 . Teeth  28  are provided within the open mouth  26  and are specifically shaped to allow insertion of one or several corrugated cardboard strips  50  into the open mouth, as indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 5 . The teeth  28  are rounded on the front facing side and have an abrupt, perpendicular edge on the back side so that the corrugated cardboard strip can slide into the mouth  26 , while discouraging removal of the cardboard strip outwardly from the front face as the teeth  28  bite into the top and bottom surfaces of the corrugated cardboard strip. It should be noted that the drawing figures show a single corrugated cardboard strip  50  inserted within the open mouth  26  of the main body  12  of the tool  10 . However, it is contemplated that a stacked arrangement of two or more cardboard strips  50  may be inserted into the open mouth. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1-4 , the main body  12  of the tool  10  further includes a rigid scraping blade  30  for use in removing charred debris and other food substances that are baked onto the barbecue grill surface.  FIG. 9  illustrates use of the rigid scraping blade  30  to remove the grease, charred debris and other residue material  110  from the grill surface  100 . The main body  12  further includes a bottle opener  32  that extends from one side of the main body. Preferably, the rigid scraping blade  30  and the bottle opener  32  extend from the lower jaw member  16 . It is also noted that the rigid scraping blade  30  and the bottle opener  32  may be formed as one piece during manufacture and attached to the lower jaw member  16  by screw fasteners or other well-known means of fixed attachment. In at least one embodiment, the rigid scraping blade  30  and the bottle opener  32  are formed of a metal material such as stainless steel or aluminum. The rigid scraping blade  30  and the bottle opener  32  may also be provided with a protective coating that discourages rust and deterioration. Alternatively, the metal material of the rigid scraping blade  30  and the bottle opener  32  may be left bare, without any coating material. As seen throughout the several drawing figures, the main body is provided with concave depressions for receipt of the user&#39;s fingers and thumb. Specifically, the top surface  15  of the main body  12  includes four concave depressions  40  that are specifically arranged and positioned for placement of the tips of the user&#39;s four fingers therein, as seen in  FIG. 7 . The bottom surface  17  of the main body  12  includes two concave depressions  42  that are angled relative to one another for selective placement of either the right thumb or the left thumb of the user. More particularly, one of the concave depressions  42  is angled for receipt of the left thumb in the event the user prefers to grasp the tool  10  in the left hand, while the other depression  42  on the bottom surface  17  is angled to receive the right thumb in the event the user prefers to grasp the main body  12  of the tool  10  in the right hand. The finger depressions  40  and  42  on the top and bottom surfaces of the main body promote a better grip of the tool in the user&#39;s hand, while also providing for an ergonomic design that is more comfortable for the user. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 5-8 and 10 , the open mouth  26  of the main body  12  is specifically sized, structured and arranged for tight fitted receipt of one or more corrugated cardboard strips  50  therein. As seen in the drawings, a corrugated cardboard strip  50  is comprised of a layer of cardboard having opposite side faces and an interior corrugated core  52  that has a serpentine or sinusoidal configuration. This corrugated configuration  52  is revealed at the leading edge of the corrugated cardboard strip  50  that engages the grill surface, as seen in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 and 8 , an optional handle extension  60  may be attached to the main body  12  to provide more leverage when scraping the grill surface  100 , while also distances the user&#39;s hands from the grill surface  100  that may be hot. The handle extension  60  includes a handle grip  62  that is grasped in either the right hand or left hand of the user. A neck  64  extends from the handle grip  62  to a head  68  of the handle extension  60 . The head  68  is specifically structured for removable attachment to the back end  18  of the main body  12  of the grill cleaning tool. More specifically, in one embodiment, the head  68  is provided with locking members  70  that are specifically structured for interlocking receipt within locking slots  80  in the back end  18  of the main body  12 . In this particular embodiment, the locking members  70  each include a post  72  extending from a distal end of the head  68  and an enlarged head  74  on the end of the post  72 . The enlarged head  74  of each of the locking members  70  is specifically sized and structured for receipt through a corresponding enlarged opening  82  of the locking slots  80  in the back end  18  of the main body  12 . Once the enlarged heads  74  are fully inserted into the corresponding openings  82 , the handle extension  60 , and particularly the head  68 , is moved sideways, as indicated by the arrows in  FIG. 2 , so that the posts  72  of the locking members  70  slide into slot extensions  84  of the locking slots  80  with the enlarged heads  74  of the locking members  70  captivated behind the slot extensions  84  and within the interior of the main body  12 , thereby fixedly securing the handle extension  60  to the main body  12 . The handle extension  60  can easily be removed by moving the head  68  in the opposite direction so that the enlarged heads  74  align with the enlarged openings  82  whereupon the locking members  70  can easily be removed from the locking slots  80 . 
     Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail can be made to the described embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.