Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   The present application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/823,074, filed 13 Apr. 2004 now abandoned and titled “FOOD ROASTING APPARATUS”, which is incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to roasting devices and, more particularly, to a food roasting apparatus that holds food items when cooking on an open fire or grill. 
   Many people have long enjoyed cooking over open fires. Though people have traditionally cooked over an open fire with a twig or stick, campers and picnickers have long been seeking an easier, cleaner, and better way. In response, several products have been made available for cooking traditional campfire foods such as hot dogs, sausages, and marshmallows. Many of these products employ a skewer-type utensil to hold the food, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,117,558, 6,085,642, and 6,196,121, which require the food item to be punctured. The puncturing of the food can easily cause the food to split apart or lose most of its moisture during cooking. These products also raise safety concerns since the sharp points on the utensils&#39; tips can be especially dangerous for children and can cause accidents when being carried or transported. 
   Other products have used wire baskets to hold the food, but these products have had their own disadvantages. Those with baskets that open and close, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,433,151 and 5,307,797, have been cumbersome to operate, which can easily lead to the operator being burned or dropping the food. Those with open baskets, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,804,819, 4,380,192, 5,355,778, and 5,628,244, are unbalanced or open on the end furthest from the user. In the unbalanced products, the basket and food item are being raised and lowered a small amount as the handle is rotated. This requires extra work to be done by the user, and it may also affect how well the food is cooked by changing the distance between the food and the fire. Thus, user fatigue and uneven cooking result. If the end furthest from the user is open, the food will fall if the user does not keep the device level or angled upwards, and it is somewhat difficult to unload the food to the desired location. If a user becomes fatigued, the end furthest from the user will often become angled downward. 
   Finally, some of the available products do not allow the food to cook evenly by rotating laterally, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,207, and many of those mentioned above cannot be disassembled for cleaning or carrying. 
   Therefore, it is desirable to have a food roasting apparatus that does not puncture food, allows food to cook evenly, is easy to use, easy and safe to carry, and easy to clean. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A food roasting apparatus according to the present invention includes an elongate rigid rod with a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a handle attached to the first end of the rod, and a basket attached to the second end of the rod. The rod defines a rod longitudinal axis, the basket defines a basket longitudinal axis, and the rod includes an offset portion at the second end such that the rod longitudinal axis is inline with the basket longitudinal axis during rotation of the rod about the rod longitudinal axis. The food roasting apparatus may also include a sleeve coupled to the rod and a stand that releasably captures the sleeve and supports the rod. The present invention includes an open-ended basket and a basket that easily opens and closes at the user&#39;s discretion. 
   In use, food is positioned inside the food roasting apparatus&#39; wire basket. The basket is then placed over a heat source such as an open fire or grill. The user can either hold the food roasting apparatus or the stand can be used to support the rod. When the food needs to be rotated, the user rotates the rod about the rod longitudinal axis, causing the basket to rotate about the basket longitudinal axis. Since the rod longitudinal axis is inline with the basket longitudinal axis, the basket does not rise or fall when rotated. If an open-ended basket is used, the end closest to the handle is open. After the food is cooked and removed from the heat source, the user tilts the basket up, causing the food to slide out to a predetermined location. If an opening and closing basket is used, a trigger is located near the handle. After the food is cooked and removed from the heat source, the user engages the trigger, causing the basket to open and the food to fall to a predetermined location. After the food roasting apparatus cools, the basket can be removed from the rod for transport or cleaning. The basket will preferably fit in a standard dishwasher and be dishwasher-safe, though it may also be cleaned by hand. 
   Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a food roasting apparatus that does not puncture food. 
   Another object of this invention is to provide a food roasting apparatus, as aforesaid, that allows food to cook evenly. 
   Still another object of this invention is to provide a food roasting apparatus, as aforesaid, that is easy to use and does not unduly fatigue the user. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide a food roasting apparatus, as aforesaid, that is easy and safe to carry. 
   A further object of this invention is to provide a food roasting apparatus, as aforesaid, that is easy to clean. 
   A still further object of this invention is to provide a food roasting apparatus, as aforesaid, that that can be easily manufactured. 
   Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1   a  is a front view of a food roasting apparatus according to a now preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 1   b  is a top view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 1   a;    
       FIG. 2   a  is a side view of a food roasting apparatus with a straight rod; 
       FIG. 2   b  is a side view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 1   a  without the stand; 
       FIG. 2   c  is a side perspective view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 1   a  with a food item in the basket but without the stand; 
       FIG. 3   a  is an exploded view of the clamp; 
       FIG. 3   b  is an assembled side view of the clamp as in  FIG. 3   a;    
       FIG. 3   c  is a sectional view taken along line  3   c - 3   c  of  FIG. 3   b;    
       FIG. 4   a  is an exploded view of a basket and rod; 
       FIG. 4   b  is a side perspective view of a food roasting apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention with a flat basket attachment but without a stand; 
       FIG. 5   a  is a side view of a food roasting apparatus according to another embodiment with a basket that opens and closes by operating a trigger; 
       FIG. 5   b  is a side view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 5   a  with the basket in an open configuration situated over a food item; 
       FIG. 5   c  is a front view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 5   a  with the basket in a closed configuration; 
       FIG. 5   d  is a front view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 5   a  with the basket in an open configuration situated over a food item; 
       FIG. 5   e  is an isolated sectional view on an enlarged scale of a trigger assembly as in  FIG. 5   a;    
       FIG. 6   a  is a partial side perspective view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 5   a  with the basket in a closed configuration; 
       FIG. 6   b  is a partial side perspective view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 5   a  with the basket in an open configuration; 
       FIG. 7  is a partial exploded view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 5   a;    
       FIG. 8   a  is a front view of a food roasting apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present invention with a flat basket that opens and closes by operating a trigger in a closed configuration; 
       FIG. 8   b  is a front view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 8   a  with the basket in an open configuration; 
       FIG. 8   c  is a side perspective view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 8   a;    
       FIG. 9   a  is a perspective view of the food roasting apparatus as in  FIG. 5   a  in use with a modified sleeve and with the stand and clamp as in  FIG. 3   a ; and 
       FIG. 9   b  is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the sleeve as in  FIG. 9   a.    
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A food roasting apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1   a  through  4   b  of the accompanying drawings. More particularly, a food roasting apparatus  100  according to a now preferred embodiment includes an elongate rigid rod  110  with a first end  111  and a second end  112  opposite the first end  111 . A handle  120  is attached to the first end  111  of the rod  110 , and a basket  130  is removably attached to the second end  112  of the rod  110 . The handle  120  preferably includes an enlarged, round knob  122  to facilitate rotation and is preferably constructed of a material that is slow to conduct heat. 
   The rod  110  defines a rod longitudinal axis  119 , and the basket  130  defines a basket longitudinal axis  139 . The rod  110  includes an offset portion  114  at the second end  112  such that the rod longitudinal axis  119  is inline with the basket longitudinal axis  139  during rotation of the rod  110  about the rod longitudinal axis  119  ( FIG. 2   b ). This keeps the basket  130  from being raised and lowered as the rod  110  is rotated, as would happen without the offset portion  114  ( FIG. 2   a ). Since the basket  130  is not being raised and lowered, less work is required from the user and the food is held at a constant distance from the heat source. 
   The basket  130  is of wire-frame construction and preferably includes a tubular configuration having a continuous side wall  132 . Relative to the handle  120 , the distal end  133  is closed and the proximal end  134  is open. The basket  130  is preferably constructed of stainless steel or a similar material that will not corrode and is easy to clean, and connections are preferably welded together to provide permanent connections that can withstand high heat and repeated use. The basket  130  is removably attached to the rod  110  to aid in cleaning and carrying the food roasting apparatus  100  ( FIG. 4   a ). In  FIG. 4   a , the basket  130  is shown as a threaded attachment, but other methods of connecting the basket  130  to the rod  110  would also be suitable. 
   Instead of the tubular configuration shown throughout most of the drawings, the basket  130  may have a flat configuration  130   b  as seen in  FIG. 4   b . This flat configuration  130   b  may be more suitable for cooking some types of food, such as fish and hamburgers. The flat configuration  130   b  has two opposed short side walls  132   a  and two opposed long side walls  132   b . Relative to the handle  120 , the distal end  133  is closed and the proximal end  134  is open. The rod longitudinal axis  119  is still inline with the basket longitudinal axis  139  during rotation of the rod  110  about the rod longitudinal axis  119 . 
   A sleeve  140  is coupled to the rod  110  and slides and rotates therealong. This allows the user to hold the sleeve  140  with one hand while rotating the handle  120  with the other hand. Alternately, the sleeve  140  may be attached to a stand  150  ( FIG. 1   a ) to provide a hands-free way of holding the food roasting apparatus  100  over the fire. The sleeve  140  is preferably constructed of a material that is slow to conduct heat. The stand  150  includes a stake  152  that can be firmly planted in the ground and a clamp  153  composed of a slider  154 , two clamp plates  156 , and a bolt  158  ( FIG. 3   a ). 
   In use, food is placed in basket  130  through open proximal end  134 . The basket  130  is then placed over a heat source such as an open fire or grill. The user can hold the handle  120  and the sleeve  140 , or the stand  150  can be used to support the rod  110 . If the stand  150  is used, the stake  152  is planted firmly in the ground near the heat source. The slider  154  is coupled to the stake  152 , and the slider  154  can slide and rotate therealong. The sleeve  140  is placed between the clamp plates  156 , and the bolt  158  passes through the clamp plates  156  and threads into the slider  154 . The bolt is then tightened against the stake  152 , holding the sleeve  140  in place ( FIGS. 3   a  through  3   c ). When the food needs to be rotated, the user turns the handle  120 , which rotates the rod  110  about the rod longitudinal axis  119  and causes the basket  130  to rotate about the basket longitudinal axis  139 . Since the rod longitudinal axis  119  is inline with the basket longitudinal axis  139 , the basket  130  does not rise or fall when rotated; this results in minimal effort being required and the food cooking evenly. After the food is cooked and removed from the heat source, the user tilts the basket  130  upwards, causing the food to slide out through open proximal end  134  to a predetermined location. After the food roasting apparatus  100  cools, the basket  130  can be removed from the rod  110  for transport or cleaning. The basket will preferably fit in a standard dishwasher and be dishwasher-safe, though it may also be cleaned by hand. 
   A food roasting apparatus  200  according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 5   a  through  7  and includes a construction substantially similar to the construction previously described except as specifically noted below. More particularly, the food roasting apparatus  200  according to this embodiment includes a basket  230  made of two halves  232  that are removably hinged on the rod  110 . The two basket halves may also be referred to as first and second basket members. A nut  234  attaches to the end of rod  110  to hold the basket halves  232  in place. A mechanical linkage connected to a trigger  270  spreads the basket halves  232  apart, allowing the user to release or pick up food without handling it directly. 
   More particularly, squeezing the trigger  270  moves a pushrod  272  forward, rotating arms  273  with the aid of an arm-linkage  273   a  ( FIG. 6   b ). The arms  273  slide in a track  275  of a fork  274  when rotated, which translates their rotation into upward movement of the fork  274 . The fork  274  is engaged with a link  276  that is connected to a wire  233  on each basket half  232 . When the fork  274  moves upward, the link  276  raises the wires  233 , causing the basket halves  230  to spread apart ( FIGS. 5   b ,  5   d ,  6   b ). A spring  278  operatively coupled to the trigger  270  and linkage returns all parts to the closed position when the trigger  270  is released ( FIGS. 5   a ,  5   c ,  6   a ). The track  275  is open at the end nearest the basket  230 , allowing the user to slide the fork  274  back and remove the basket  230  from the rod  110 . 
   It should be appreciated that the food roasting apparatus  200  according to this embodiment is also able to be used in cooperation with a modified sleeve  240  and with the stand  150  and clamp  153  ( FIGS. 9   a  and  9   b ). More particularly, the sleeve  240  functions in a manner substantially similar to the sleeve  140  described previously; namely, it is coupled to the rod  110  and may slide therealong. This enables the user to hold the sleeve  240  with one hand while operating the trigger  270  with the other hand. By contrast to the first described embodiment, however, a user is not able to completely rotate the rod  110  while the sleeve  240  is attached. As best seen in  FIG. 9   b , the modified sleeve  240  defines an axial bore  241  as well as a secondary bore  242  adjacent parallel to the axial bore  241 . The sleeve  240  includes a hinged construction having a pair of hemispherical sections, each being a substantially mirror image of the other. In use, the sleeve  240  may be moved to an open configuration and the rod  110  may be received in the axial bore  241  such that the sleeve  240  may be slidable along the rod  110  when the sleeve  240  is moved back to the closed configuration. Further, when the sleeve  240  is at the open configuration, the push rod  272  may be received in the secondary bore  242 , also enabling the sleeve  240  to move slidably along the pushrod  272  when the sleeve is moved back to the closed configuration. The sleeve  240  may then be selectively moved along the rod  110  and push rod  272  as desired. The sleeve may then be placed between the clamp plates  156  and secured with the bolt as described above. As the sleeve envelops the push rod  272 , there is no interference between the sleeve  240  and the clamp  153 . 
   A food roasting apparatus  300  according to still another embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 8   a  through  8   c  and includes a construction substantially similar to the construction previously described except as specifically noted below. More particularly, the food roasting apparatus  300  according to this embodiment includes a basket  330  with an opening and closing generally flat configuration. The rod  110  attaches to a bottom surface  332 , and the fork  274  attaches to a link  376  on a basket top  334 . When the fork  274  moves upward, the link  376  and basket top  334  are raised and separated from the bottom surface  332 , allowing food to be inserted or removed. The basket top  334  and the bottom  332  surfaces are slidably connected for operation between open ( FIG. 8   b ) and closed ( FIG. 8   a ) configurations, and releasable stops  338  restrict how far the basket top  334  can be raised in order to keep the arms  273  in the track  275  ( FIG. 7 ) during operation. 
   It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.

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