Patent ID: 8662070

Claim:
A cooking grill comprising: a firebox having a combustive heat source near a bottom therein; a cooking surface disposed along an upper portion of the firebox; and a fixed substantially smooth, convex intermediate element interposing the combustive heat source and the cooking surface, the intermediate element having a continuously curved surface having an apex near the cooking surface, each of the sides spaced apart from the cooking surface and having a portion that is tangent to vertical; wherein a vertical distance from the apex of the intermediate element to a bottom of the spaced apart sides is greater than a vertical distance from the bottom of the spaced apart sides to a plane containing a burner port of the heat source; wherein the convex intermediate element defines a plurality of holes proximate each of the vertical portions and spaced apart from the apex, wherein hot gas flowing from the plurality of holes heats the spaced apart sides; and wherein the convex intermediate element is heated by the combustive heat source and generates infrared energy directed toward the cooking surface; the convex intermediate element provides inwardly projecting portions on the spaced apart sides to aid in trapping gases from the combustive heat source.