Patent ID: 8662067

Claim:
An igniter for solid cooking fuels, the igniter comprising a body, comprising: a shell that defines an internal compartment having at least one inlet and an outlet, wherein the internal compartment includes a lower chamber, wherein the at least one inlet includes at least a forced-air inlet, which is adapted to deliver a positive forced airflow to the lower chamber, and further wherein the lower chamber is adapted to receive a quantity of a combustible starting fuel, and further wherein the internal compartment is configured to receive a quantity of a solid cooking fuel above the quantity of the combustible starting fuel; and a handle extending from the shell, including a primary air inlet, and defining an air conduit that extends from the primary air inlet to the forced-air inlet of the lower chamber, the handle comprising: a hand grip sized to be grasped in a user's hand for moving the igniter; and at least one linkage interconnecting the hand grip with the shell, wherein the at least one linkage includes a hollow linkage that establishes fluid communication with the forced-air inlet of the lower chamber, and further wherein the air conduit extends from the primary air inlet, through the hand grip to the hollow linkage, and from the hollow linkage to the forced-air inlet of the lower chamber; and an air delivery mechanism that, when actuated, provides the positive forced airflow through the hollow linkage to the lower chamber to promote combustion of the starting fuel and the cooking fuel, wherein the provision of the positive forced airflow by the air delivery mechanism results in air flowing through the hand grip to cool the hand grip, and further wherein the air delivery mechanism is at least substantially housed in the handle, and further wherein the air delivery mechanism comprises: an air propulsion source adapted to generate the positive forced airflow from air external the igniter and to deliver the positive airflow through the hollow linkage to the lower chamber through the forced-air inlet; a drive assembly adapted to selectively power the air propulsion source to generate the positive forced airflow; and an actuator adapted to initiate actuation of the air propulsion source by the drive assembly responsive to receipt of a user input.