Abstract:
A multipurpose charcoal igniter makes a fire with much charcoal in safety, which can be carried easily, and which can be used in cooking foods as a burner for portable pots or pans. The multipurpose charcoal igniter includes a case in which charcoal is put and an igniter joined below the case for igniting fire. The case includes a brazier mounted inside the case to put charcoal therein and the igniter includes a fuel inlet to which a portable fuel bottle is joined, so that charcoal catches fire when the igniter is lit by receiving fuel from the portable fuel bottle.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES 
       [0001]    Applicant claims foreign priority under Paris Convention to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0106606, filed Oct. 18, 2011, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, where the entire contents are incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a charcoal igniter, and more particularly, to a multipurpose charcoal igniter which can rapidly make a fire with much charcoal in safety, which can be carried easily, and which can be used in cooking foods as a burner for portable pots or pans. 
         [0004]    2. Background Art 
         [0005]    Recently, as the society becomes prosperous and leisure activities are becoming more common, Roasting meat outdoors using various heating means, for instance, LPG, butane gas, charcoal, electricity, and so on, as a heat source has become a food culture trend. Roasting meat with charcoal fire is one of the favored cooking methods because it makes the meaty taste good and adds a fine flavor of meat, and hence, various tools for roasting with charcoal are provided. 
         [0006]    In order to roast meat with charcoal, a person has to make a charcoal fire by lighting charcoal. Accordingly, in order to make a charcoal fire indoors or in the open air, a charcoal igniting method to light charcoal. 
         [0007]    However, a conventional charcoal igniting method is to make a charcoal fire by putting charcoal into a closed space, such as a brazier and manually applying fire to the charcoal. Accordingly, the conventional charcoal igniting method has several problems in that it is difficult to light a fire, it takes much time to make a fire, and a lot of charcoal is wasted because the charcoal does not catch fire or burns out completely if the person cannot control the ignited fire. 
         [0008]    Moreover, in the majority of cases, people ignite fire outdoors because various harmful substances, such as smoke, ashes, dust particles, and so on, are generated during the ignition, and in rainy weather or windy weather, such harmful substances spread around more during the ignition to thereby cause environmental pollution. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior arts, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a multipurpose charcoal igniter, which can rapidly make a charcoal fire in safety after putting charcoal in a case, which can be simply carried with no limitations in places or environments because a portable fuel gas is used as a source of heat, and which can be utilized in cooking foods as a burner. 
         [0010]    To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a multipurpose charcoal igniter including: a case in which charcoal is put; and an igniter joined below the case for igniting fire, wherein the case includes a brazier mounted inside the case to put charcoal therein and the igniter includes a fuel inlet to which a portable fuel bottle is joined, so that charcoal catches fire when the igniter is lit by receiving fuel from the portable fuel bottle. 
         [0011]    The multipurpose charcoal igniter according to the present invention can rapidly make a charcoal fire in safety because fire is made with a large quantity of charcoal in the case serving as a shield, is eco-friendly because it can prevent that harmful substances, such as ashes and dust particles, generated during the ignition process spread out, and provides portability without limitations in places or environments because it uses portable fuel gas as a source of heat. 
         [0012]    Furthermore, the multipurpose charcoal igniter according to the present invention is effective because it can make still more charcoal fire at once due to the multi-stage case. 
         [0013]    Additionally, the multipurpose charcoal igniter according to the present invention can be utilized as a burner to cook foods by supporting a cooking tool, such as a portable pot or pan, on the case when it does not make charcoal fire, and can be used as a fire pit outdoors. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a charcoal igniter according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the charcoal igniter; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a charcoal igniter according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a side sectional view of the charcoal igniter according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a side sectional view showing a state where a portable pot is joined to the charcoal igniter according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a side sectional view showing a state where a portable pot is joined to the charcoal igniter according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    Referring to the attached drawings, the preferred embodiments of the present invention which those skilled in the art can easily carry out will be described in detail. In addition, in the detailed description of the present invention, when it is judged that detailed descriptions of known functions or structures related with the present invention may make the essential points vague, the detailed descriptions of the known functions or structures will be omitted. 
         [0022]    Hereinafter, referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a charcoal igniter according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the charcoal igniter,  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a charcoal igniter according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 4  is a side sectional view of the charcoal igniter according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 5  is a side sectional view showing a state where a portable pot is joined to the charcoal igniter according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 6  is a side sectional view showing a state where a portable pot is joined to the charcoal igniter according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the charcoal igniter  10  according to the present invention includes a cylindrical case  10  in which charcoal (A) is contained and an igniter  200  joined below the case  100  for igniting fire. 
         [0025]    The case  100  has a cylindrical shape opened at the upper part and the lower part and a conical brazier  120  of a net type which is mounted inside the case  100  and has a number of pores formed on the surface thereof. That is, the conical brazier  120  is mounted inside the case  100 , and then, a large quantity of charcoal (A) is put on the brazier  120 . In this instance, a support protrusion (not shown) for supporting and fixing the brazier  120  mounted therein may be mounted at the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the case  100 . 
         [0026]    Moreover, a hand-grip  130  is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the case  100 , so that a user can easily and conveniently change a used position or carry by grasping the hand-grip  130  with the hands. 
         [0027]    Furthermore, the igniter  200  for making fire is joined to the lower end of the case  100 . The igniter  200  includes a cylindrical shielding body  210  corresponding to the case  100  and a ring-shaped ignition nozzle  220  located inside the shielding body  210 . The shielding body  210  has a plurality of holes formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof to thereby continuously supply oxygen, which is one of three elements for ignition, to the inside through the holes. Additionally, the ignition nozzle  220  has a plurality of ignition holes spaced apart from one another at regular intervals, so that the igniter belches forth fire through the ignition holes and applies fire to the charcoal (A). 
         [0028]    Now, a process of igniting the charcoal (A) using the case  100  and the igniter  200  will be described. First, the shielding body  210  of the igniter  200  is put on the ground, the ignition nozzle  220  is mounted inside the igniter  200 , and then, the case  100  is joined to the top of the shielding body  210 . Moreover, the conical brazier  120  is mounted inside the case  100 , and a large quantity of charcoal (A) is put on the brazier  120 . When the charcoal (A) of a necessary amount is put on the brazier  120 , fire is ignited to the ignition nozzle  220  so as to continuously apply fire to the charcoal (A), then, the charcoal catches fire. 
         [0029]    In this instance, the igniter  200  is communicated with the ignition nozzle  220 , and has a fuel inlet  202  to which a portable fuel bottle  300  is joined. The fuel inlet  202  is exposed to an end of the outer circumferential surface of the shielding body  210  and the portable fuel bottle  300  is detachably joined to the exposed portion in such a way as to be communicated with the ignition nozzle  220 , so that fuel stored in the portable fuel bottle  300  is continuously supplied to the ignition nozzle  220 . The fuel inlet  202  may have the size that butane gas bottles for portable burners easily purchasable in the market can be joined, but may have various sizes that various fuel containers, such as the butane gas bottles for portable burners or cylindrical butane gas containers, can be joined to the fuel inlet  202 . 
         [0030]    In addition, the igniter  200  further includes an ignition plug  212  and a fuel supply control button  214  linked with the ignition nozzle  220  and the fuel inlet  202 . The ignition plug  212  is linked with the ignition nozzle  220  in order to ignite fire to the ignition nozzle  220  with electric flames, and the fuel supply control button  214  is linked with the fuel inlet  202  and controls a supply amount of fuel supplied to the ignition nozzle  220  so as to control firepower of the ignition nozzle  220 . 
         [0031]    In the meantime, as shown in  FIGS. 2 to 4 , the case  100  includes an inner case  110  which is movable vertically along the inner surface thereof, and the inner case  110  has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the case  100  and abuts on the inner circumferential surface of the case  100 . In other words, when the inner case  110  upwardly moves along the inner circumferential surface of the case  100 , the inner space in which the charcoal (A) can be contained is widened, so that a large quantity of charcoal (A) can be put and catch fire in the inner case  110  at once. Moreover, the upper rim of the inner case  110  is outwardly bent at a predetermined angle, so that the user can easily pull up the inner case  110  after grasping the bent portion with the hands. 
         [0032]    In this instance, the case  100  includes a movement guiding part  106  for guiding a vertical movement of the inner case  110 , and the movement guiding part  106  includes a vertical slot  102  extending along a longitudinal direction of the case  100  and a horizontal slot bent at the top of the vertical slot  102  at right angles. Furthermore, the inner case  110  includes a fixing protrusion  112  which is formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof and penetrates the horizontal slot  104  and the vertical slot  102  of the movement guiding part  106 . The fixing protrusion  112  moves along the horizontal slot  104  and the vertical slot  102  so as to guide the movement of the inner case  110  and fix a movement position of the inner case  110 . 
         [0033]    In more detail, when the inner case  110  is located inside the case  100 , the fixing protrusion  112  engages with the lower end of the vertical slot  102  and fixes the position of the inner case  110 . When the inner case  110  is pulled up, the fixing protrusion  112  moves along the vertical slot  102  to guide the movement of the inner case  110 . Furthermore, when the fixing protrusion  112  is located at the top of the vertical slot  102 , the inner case  110  is rotated in the direction of the horizontal slot  104 , and the fixing protrusion  112  is moved to the end of the horizontal slot  104  along the horizontal slot  104  to thereby guide the rotation of the inner case  110 . Then, the fixing protrusion  112  engages with the end of the horizontal slot  104 , such that the inner case  110  keeps the pulled-up state. 
         [0034]    In the meantime, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the present invention can be used as a burner for cooking foods when a portable pot  400 , which is widely used as an outdoor tool, is put and supported in the inner case  110  in the case that charcoal fire is not made. In other words, when charcoal fire is needed, charcoal (A) is put and ignited inside the inner case  110  and the case  100  to make charcoal fire, but, when charcoal fire is not needed or the user wants to cook foods using the charcoal igniter of the present invention, the user can make various foods after putting the portable pot  400  on the upper rim of the inner case  110 . 
         [0035]    As described above, the portable pot  400  which is larger in diameter than the inner case  110  is put on the top of the inner case  110 , but the portable pot  400  which is smaller in diameter than the inner case  110  is fit into the inner case  110  to be used. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the inner case  110  includes at least one support protrusion  114  formed on the inner circumferential surface thereof for supporting the portable pot  400  inserted into the inner case  110 . The support protrusion  114  is located collinearly with the top of the conical brazier  120  when the inner case  110  is located inside the case  100 , so that the bottom surface of the portable pot  400  is located above the top of the brazier  120 . Accordingly, the charcoal igniter according to the present invention can cook various foods contained in the portable pot  400  using firepower of the ignition nozzle  220  and heat of the brazier  120  heated at high temperature. 
         [0036]    Additionally, the case  100  and the inner case  110  respectively have hand-grip recesses  108  to which a hand-grip of the portable pot  400  is inserted, and the hand-grip recesses  108  have a predetermined depth formed along the longitudinal direction from the tops of the case  100  and the inner case  110 . In this instance, the hand-grip recesses  108  formed in the case  100  and the inner case  110  are separated from each other as long as the length of the horizontal slot  104  when the inner case  110  is pulled upwardly, but are located collinearly when the inner case  110  moves downwardly to be located inside the case  100 . Therefore, because the handgrip of the portable pot  400  is inserted into the handgrip recesses  108  of the case  100  and the inner case  110 , the portable pot  400  can be easily joined to the charcoal igniter and it improves convenience in use.