Abstract:
A multi-piece removable drain pan for a cooking device such as a grill, the drain pan comprising at least first and second portions, each portion comprising a channel having side walls capable of retaining a liquid therein even when said pan portion is in a tilted orientation, the at least first and second portions abutting each adjacent portion to fit within the cooking cavity of the grill.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/980,087, filed on Apr. 16, 2014, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Portable cooking appliances have grown in popularity over the years. There are a number of types of portable cooking appliances commonly used: gas cooking appliances, electric cooking appliances and solid guel cooking appliances. Gas cooking appliances employ at least one burner to cook food that is supported on a grate above the burner(s). The fuel source for gas grills is typically liquid propane or natural gas. Electric cooking appliances can utilize an electric heating element integrated into the cooking surface but the cooking surface can include a grate-like element similar to a gas grill. Solid fuel cooking appliances similarly can utilize solid fuel such as charcoal and the like wherein the solid fuel is located under a grate which supports the food. A drawback in cooking with these types of portable cooking appliances is the grease and food drippings created by the food during cooking. These drippings can splatter on the inside bottom of the appliance, making cleanup difficult. Drip pans can be used in these portable cooking appliances, but the unitary pieced drip pans currently known and used are not easily removed from the cooking appliance without spilling the grease and food drippings. Additionally, the known unitary piece drip pans are not easily cleaned. What is needed is a multi-piece drip pan which can be easily removed from the cooking appliance in separate pieces without spilling any grease or food drippings and which can be easily placed in a dishwasher or otherwise cleaned because of its smaller construction. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0003]    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. 
         [0004]    A removable drip pan for a cooking device such as a grill, the drip pan comprising at least two separate and distinct pans, each pan having a channel defined by side walls capable of retaining liquid within said channel when said pan is in a tilted or non-tilted orientation, each pan abutting the adjacent pan when installed within a cavity of a cooking device. 
         [0005]    In certain embodiments described herein, the drip pan utilizes two generally “U” shaped pans which form an oval shape when installed within a cavity of a cooking device. 
         [0006]    For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  shows an exploded view of a grill having a drip pan of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows a top view of the drip pan  FIG. 1 , shown with a grill grate in reference lines on half of the drip pan. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows atop view of one half of the drip pan of FIG. I. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows a cut away view of the drip pan of  FIG. 3 , taken along lines  4 - 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    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. It will also be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, 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. 
         [0012]    Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  shows a portable grill  10  having a removable, multi-piece drip pan. The grill  10  comprises a housing  20 , lid  30 , burner assembly  40 , cooking surface  50  and drip pan  60 . Grill  10  can be a conventional grill known in the current art, having the conventional working parts and construction for the housing, burner assembly, cooking surface and lid. As shown in  FIG. 1 , burner assembly  40 , cooking surface  50  and drip pan  60  are located within the interior cavity of grill  10 . Burner assembly  40  is located underneath at least a portion of drip pan  60  and drip pan  60  is located underneath the cooking surface  50 . As shown in the figures, at least a portion of the drip pan resides below the burner line and the burner assembly is above at least a portion of the drip pan channels. In the present invention, cooking surface is preferably a slotted grate although other types of cooking surfaces are within the scope of the present invention such as a griddle, a pan, a perforated surface and the like. Cooking surface  50  in  FIG. 1  is depicted as being  2  separate pieces but could also be a single piece cooking surface as long as it is removable from the interior of the grill to provide access to drip pan  60 . 
         [0013]    Drip pan  60  is shaped and configured to fit within the body or frame of the grill  60 . As depicted in  FIGS. 1-4 , drip pan  60  is oval so as to fit within the shape of the grill housing  20  depicted herein but drip pan  60  could be any shape which corresponds to the shape of the grill housing such as rectangular, square, round and so on. Drip pan  60  preferably comprises two distinct and separate sections  60   a,    60   b.  For purposes of explanation, only section  60   a  will be described herein but it should be understood that section  60   b  is identical in construction. As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , drip pan section  60   a  comprises channel  62 , center opening  70  and channel stops  72 . 
         [0014]    Channel  62  is generally “U” shaped such that when drip pan sections  60   a  and  60   b  are installed within grill cavity, they form a generally oval shape within the oval shaped grill depicted in the figures. Channel  62  comprises inner side wall  64 , outer side wall  66  and lower portion  68  which form channel  62 , which is preferably curved as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 . Inner side wall  64  is preferably shorter in height than outer side wall  66  as outer side wall extends up to the top edge of the grill housing  20 . The free edge of outer side wall comprises upper lip  74  which extends over the upper edge of grill housing  20  and also comprises outer lip edge  76  which extends around the perimeter of grill housing  20  and serves to secure drip pan  60  in place within grill housing. Upper lip  74  and outer lip edge  76  define the exterior perimeter of the drip pan  60 . 
         [0015]    The end of drip pan  60   a  opposite the curved portion of the “U” shape (e.g. the end closest the center of the grill) comprises channel stops  72 , which are shown herein to be straight. Channel stops  72  allow the interior ends of drip pan  60   a,    60   b  to abut each other. It is within the scope of the present invention for drip pan  60   a,    60   b  to connect to each other (not shown) at or around channel stops  72  but this is not required. The lower portion  68  of the pan retains the food drippings and water/grease mixture, assisted in the retention by inner side walls  64 , outer side walls  66  and channel stops  72 . Channel stops  72  serve to retain the water/grease mixture in the channels  62  even when each pan piece is removed from the grill and even if each pan piece is tilted during the removal process. 
         [0016]    As described above, drip pan  60  preferably comprises two sections  60   a,    60   b.  It is also within the scope of the present invention, however, for drip pan  60  to comprise more than two pieces provided each piece comprises inner and outer side walls and channel stops and provided that each piece abuts each adjacent drip pan piece. If the grill is other than oval shaped, channel  62  would be correspondingly altered in shape to fit within the grill cavity. Similarly, if there are more than two pieces for drip pan, all of the pieces will not necessarily be symmetrical but should be configured to abut the next adjacent piece and still fit within the interior cavity of the grill housing. 
         [0017]    Drip pan  60  is dishwasher safe and small enough to fit in a dishwasher so that further cleaning is simple. Drip pan  60  is preferably made of a material that allows for repeated use due to its ability to be cleaned and to withstand the cleaning process. Suitable materials would include aluminum, stamped steel with a nonstick coating and other metallic materials. It is also within the scope of the invention for drip pan  60  to be comprised of a material that allows only a single use after which the pan can be easily disposed of. Such materials would include pressed cardboard, aluminum foil, non-flammable liner materials and wax paper. 
         [0018]    Drip pan  60  is placed underneath the cooking surface  50  and collects grease or food drippings created during cooking. The addition of the removable drip pan  60  enables easier cleaning of the grill and its parts due to the ability to remove the pan in separate pieces and dispose of the water and grease mixture without spilling the contents- even if the drip pan  60  is tilted during removal. The pan  60  may have water placed in it prior to use such that during use the water in the pan quenches grease or food drippings that have caught on fire, effectively reducing the amount of flare ups in the cooking unit. The multi-piece pan allows for water to be added to the pan before the pan is placed in the grill as the pan can be tilted and still not spill the contents of the pan. 
         [0019]    Grill  10  may also comprise a stand  80  as well as optional shelves  82 , a handle  84  and other accessories known in the art. Grill  10  will also comprise controls (not shown) and if a fueled appliance, will also include a fuel canister and appropriate valves and connections (not shown). 
         [0020]    Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have 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. 
         [0021]    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. 
         [0022]    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. 
         [0023]    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.