Abstract:
The invention relates to an improved barbecue cooking device. The barbecue cooking device has particular application for use with wood or charcoal fuels and enables the cooking platform to be raised and lowered towards the heat source.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a barbecue cooking device and more particularly to a barbecue cooking device which uses a wood or charcoal fuel.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Despite the increasing use of gas barbecues, wood and charcoal fuel barbecues remain popular. Charcoal is widely used as a fuel in barbecue kettles, whilst wood fires remain the common cooking medium for campers and the like.  
           [0003]    One of the difficulties with using charcoal or wood as a fuel for barbecues is that it is difficult to control the heat to the cooking platform as the intensity of the heat source varies. This often leads to burning of the food being barbecued getting burnt. The present invention seeks to address this problem.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cooking device including a base plate, an upright arranged to be detachably connected to the baseplate and a cooking platform, said cooking platform being arranged to be detachably connected to the upright and further arranged so that it can be moved towards and away from the base plate.  
           [0005]    Preferably the upright has a lower end and an upper end. The base plate is preferably arranged to be connected adjacent the lower end of the upright. The cooking platform is preferably arranged to be detachably connected adjacent to the upper end of the upright.  
           [0006]    Preferably, the upper end of the upright is threaded and the cooking platform includes a bore with an internal mating thread. The cooking platform is preferably arranged to be moved towards and away from the base plate by rotating the cooking plate so that it drives down and up respectively along the thread of the upright.  
           [0007]    In one embodiment of the invention, the lower end of the upright is threaded and is arranged to engage with a mating threaded bore formed in or on the base plate. The lower end of the upright being arranged to extend through the threaded bore so that a locking nut can be attached thereto and tightened against the underside of the base plate to prevent the base plate and upright from accidentally detaching.  
           [0008]    The threaded bore in the base plate is preferably formed by attaching a nut or the like by welding to the base plate. The threaded bore in the cooking platform is preferably formed by attaching a nut or the like by welding to the cooking platform.  
           [0009]    The base plate preferably includes a series of apertures to enable air to pass therethrough during cooking when the cooking device is positioned in a barbecue kettle.  
           [0010]    The base plate is preferably made from a sheet of metal plate and is preferably circular.  
           [0011]    The cooking platform is preferably made from a metal grill and is preferably circular. At least one handle is preferably provided on the cooking platform to facilitate removal of the cooking platform from the upright and rotation of the cooking platform.  
           [0012]    The diameter of the cooking platform is preferably greater than the diameter of the base plate.  
           [0013]    The bore in the base plate and the bore in the cooking platform are preferably located at their respective centres.  
           [0014]    The upright is preferably threaded along its entire length so as to provide maximum possible variation in the height of the cooking platform above the base plate.  
           [0015]    In another embodiment of the invention, the base plate includes a sleeve arranged to receive the lower end of the upright. The lower end of the upright and the sleeve being sized so that the upright is supported by the sleeve.  
           [0016]    In another preferred arrangement, the base plate is sized so that it can be located within the bowl of a conventional barbecue kettle. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooking device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a side view of the cooking device shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a side view of a cooking device in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 1 when in use in a conventional barbecue kettle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    [0022]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a cooking device or barbecue  10  including a base plate  12 , an upright  14  and a cooking platform  16 .  
         [0023]    The base plate  12  is formed from a sheet of metal plate and is circular. The base plate  12  includes a central aperture  18  and a plurality of air flow apertures  19 . The function of the air flow apertures  19  will be described subsequently. Attached coaxially about the central aperture  18  and welded to the base plate  12  is a nut  20 .  
         [0024]    The upright  14  is formed form a length of metal rod which includes an external thread which is sized to engage with the thread of the nut  20 . The upright  14  has a lower end  14   a  and an upper end  14   b . The lower end  14   a  is arranged to matingly engage with the thread on the nut  20  and to extend through the aperture  18  so that a locking nut  22  can be applied to the lower end  14   a  of the upright  14  and thereby lock the upright  14  to the underside  12   a  of the base plate  12 .  
         [0025]    The cooking platform  16  is circular in shape and is formed as a grill. The grill should be sized to prevent food falling through. The cooking platform  16  includes a pair of handles  24 ,  26  which facilitate removal of the cooking platform  16  from the upright  14  and rotation thereon. The cooking platform  16  may also include a peripheral rim or hoop to prevent food from inadvertently falling off the platform.  
         [0026]    Located centrally of the cooking platform  16  is a threaded bore  28 . As illustrated in FIG. 2, the threaded bore  28  is formed by welding a nut to the underside of the cooking platform  16  so that it is in coaxial alignment with an aperture  30  formed therein. Alternatively, the nut  28  could be integrally formed with the grill of the cooking platform  16 . The thread of the nut  28  is sized so that it can matingly engage with the thread on the upright  14 . This enables the upper end  14   b  of the upright  14  to be located within the bore  28  of the cooking platform  16 . The cooking platform  16  can then be rotated about the upright  14  so that the cooking platform  16  can be driven along the length of the upright  14 . This enables the cooking platform  16  to be easily moved towards and away from the base plate  12 .  
         [0027]    To use the barbecue  10 , the upright  14  must first be attached to the base plate  12  using the locking nut  22 . The cooking platform  16  can then be attached to the upright  14  by engaging the upper end  14   b  with the bore  28  and simply rotating the cooking platform  16 .  
         [0028]    After the barbecue  10  is assembled it should be placed on the ground and then the user should scrape the dirt under the base plate  12  and the locking nut  22  so that the base plate  12  sits flat on the ground. Typically a small depression will need to be formed in the ground into which the locking nut  22  can be positioned.  
         [0029]    A fire can then be built on an upper surface  12   b  of the base plate  12 .  
         [0030]    The height of the cooking platform  16  above the base plate  12  can then be adjusted to suit the height of the flames or heat of the fire which has been established on the base plate  12 . When the fire is first established it may be appropriate to maintain the cooking platform  16  towards the upper end  14   b  of the upright  14 . However, once the fire has died down so that only coals or embers remain, the cooking platform  16  can be rotated down along the length of the upright  14  towards the base plate  12 . Thus, it will be appreciated that the height of the cooking platform  16  above the base plate  12  can be readily adjusted to suit any cooking situation.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the barbecue  100 . In accordance with this embodiment, the base plate  112  includes a centrally located sleeve  150 , instead of the nut  20  as described in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 1. The sleeve  150  is sized so that it can receive and support the upright  114  in the desired orientation. The upright  114  does not extend through the base plate and thus no locking nut  22  is required.  
         [0032]    It will be appreciated that the upright  114  in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 3 need not be threaded at its lower end and that the cooking platform  116  is formed substantially the same as described in relation to the embodiment of FIG. 1.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 illustrates the barbecue  10  shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ready for use in a conventional barbecue kettle  200 . The base plate  12  of the barbecue  10  is supported within the bowl  220  of the kettle  200  by resting the periphery of the underside  12   a  of the base plate  12  against the supports  230 . The supports  230  would conventionally support the grill on which the kettle fuel would be located.  
         [0034]    A fire can then be built on the upper surface  12   b  of the base plate  12 . Air to fuel the fire on the base plate  12  is drawn from underneath the base plate  12  through the air flow apertures  19  formed therein  
         [0035]    The described embodiments of the present invention provide a simple but effective mechanism by which the height of a cooking platform can be adjusted to suit the intensity of the heat source used to barbecue the food located on the cooking platform. The barbecues described herein can be readily assembled and disassembled and include the minimum of componentry. Accordingly, they can be easily disassembled when not required.  
         [0036]    It is envisaged that barbecues in accordance with an embodiment of this invention could be sized so that when disassembled they can be stored within the wheel well of a vehicle. Alternatively, they could be stored within a case or other packaging so that they would not dirty or damage a vehicle after use and when being transported.  
         [0037]    The embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention.