Flame tamers and arrangement thereof for barbeque grills

0001The present invention relates to a design of flame tamer for use in a barbeque burner box and more particularly to flame tamers that have protruding openings for guiding the heat energy from heat sources toward particular directions so that the heat energy can be evenly distributed to enhance the cooking efficiency. The invention relates also to ways of arrangement of the flame tamers in the barbeque burner box.

0002A known flame tamer for a barbeque burner box is to be bridged on a barbeque burner box above a heat source. This design of flame tamer has a double-beveled configuration. Small holes may be made on the flame tamer for allowing upward hot air to pass. However, this design of flame tamer cannot distribute heat energy evenly throughout the whole area of the barbeque cooking surface. During cooking, there is a temperature difference between the hot spot around the center of the barbeque cooking surface and the cold spot around the border of the barbeque grill. This temperature difference results in low cooking efficiency and waste of fuel energy, and the food tends to be overcooked or undercooked.

0003<patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US6332395B"><text>US Pat. No. 6332395</text></patcit> teaches the use of a board in a barbeque burner box above a heat source to enhance heat distribution. However, this arrangement cannot evenly distribute heat energy throughout the whole cooking area. <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="US5617778A"><text>US Pat. No. 5617778</text></patcit> teaches the application of apertures to guide heat source. This measure still cannot achieve even distribution of heat source. <patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="US6187359B"><text>US Pat. No. 6187359</text></patcit> teaches the use of a resistant metal plate for placing over the burners. The plate has a series of louvered openings which allow heat to rise from the barbeque flames while blocking the flames.

0004<patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="US4446776A"><text>US 4 446 776</text></patcit> discloses is a heating appliance comprising a first and second section, the first section having a top surface supported by side walls via an interconnecting conical transition section. The top surface is formed with a peripherally extending raised rim adjacent a plurality of apertures arranged in groups wherein adjacent groups are separated by a spacing having a louvered vent therein. A second raised rim separates a second group of louvered vents which are radially aligned with the spacing between adjacent apertures within each group of apertures. Air pockets in the surface underside are aligned with the raised rims. A cover or second section having a plurality of openings is formed with a declined extending lip for positioning on the conical transition section; <patcit id="pcit0005" dnum="US5617778A"><text>US 5 617 778</text></patcit> discloses a gas barbecue having a rectangular body, gas control means, a cooking grill, and a burner assembly. The burner assembly includes an elongate tube burner and a generally L-shaped tube burner having a primary tube member and a secondary tube member intersecting the primary tube member thereby forming the general L shape. The free end of the secondary tube member is positioned in close proximity to the elongate tube burner such that the ignition of the elongate tube burner causes cross-ignition of the L-shaped tube burner when gas is supplied thereto.

0005<patcit id="pcit0006" dnum="US2884849A"><text>US 2 884 849</text></patcit> discloses a grill for cooking food comprising a body of generally rectangular configuration formed of sheet material having a main portion formed with longitudinally extending corrugations providing upwardly opening grooves and with down-turned sides whose lower marginal portions are in-turned to form with said main portion inwardly opening channels, said sides being of greater height at one end of the body than at the other end thereof so that the main portion will be disposed in a sloping position from end to end when the body is supported with said in-turned portions resting on a horizontally positioned support, said grooves being open at their lower ends to permit liquid to flow off of said main portion along the grooves when the body is so upported, said main portion having openings in the sides of said grooves above the bottoms of the grooves and a liquid receiving and rigidifying member removably supported in said channels and extending beyond the lower ends of said grooves in position to receive liquid from the grooves; said member having a portion positioned for engagement with said corrugations beneath the bottoms of said grooves along the lower end of said main portion to hold the same against flexing. <patcit id="pcit0007" dnum="DEG9205776"><text>DE G9205776</text></patcit> discloses a folded flame tamer for a grill. <patcit id="pcit0008" dnum="DE4236773"><text>DE 4236773</text></patcit> discloses a bended flame tamer having a cross section shape of a wave with openings in the slopes.

0006Because conventional designs cannot guide heat source to be evenly distributed over the whole area of the barbeque cooking surface, the temperature around the center area of the barbeque cooking surface will be relatively higher than the border area of the barbeque cooking surface, resulting in low cooking efficiency and waste of fuel gas.

0007The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the object of the present invention to provide a flame tamer for bridging in a barbeque burner box in a barbeque grill set to distribute heat energy evenly over the barbeque cooking surface so that the food can be cooked evenly and efficiently, thus saving much energy consumption.

0008To achieve this object of the present invention, a flame tamer for use in a barbeque burner box is to be bridged on two opposite peripheral walls, namely, the front and rear walls of the barbeque burner box, having at least one protruding opening for guiding the hot air from the heat source in the barbeque burner box toward at least one of the peripheral walls of the barbeque burner box so that the food can be cooked evenly and efficiently on the barbeque cooking surface.

0009In one application example, a left flame tamer, a right flame tamer and at least one middle flame tamer are bridged on the front wall and rear wall of the barbeque burner box above the heat sources. The left flame tamer is disposed close to the left sidewall of the barbeque burner box, having at least one first protruding opening extending in a direction toward the left sidewall of the barbeque burner box and at least one second protruding opening extending in a direction toward the front wall of the barbeque burner box. The right flame tamer is disposed close to the right sidewall of the barbeque burner box, having at least one first protruding opening extending in a direction toward the right sidewall of the barbeque burner box and at least one second protruding opening extending in a direction toward the front wall of the barbeque burner box. The at least one middle flame tamer is set between the left flame tamer and the right flame tamer. Each middle flame tamer has at least one first protruding opening disposed at one end thereof and extending in a direction toward the front wall of the barbeque burner box. <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li><figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> is a perspective view of a flame tamer in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.</li><li><figref idref="f0001">FIG. 2</figref> is a sectional view taken along line A-A of <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>.</li><li><figref idref="f0002">FIG. 3</figref> is a perspective view of a flame tamer in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.</li><li><figref idref="f0002">FIG. 4</figref> is a sectional view taken along line B-B of <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 3</figref>.</li><li><figref idref="f0003">FIG. 5</figref> is a perspective view of a flame tamer in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.</li><li><figref idref="f0003">FIG. 6</figref> is a sectional view taken along line C-C of <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 5</figref>.</li><li><figref idref="f0004">FIG. 7</figref> is a top view of the present invention, showing flame tamers of the first, second and third embodiments arranged on a barbeque burner box.</li><li><figref idref="f0005">FIG. 8</figref> is a sectional view taken along line D-D of <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 7</figref>.</li><li><figref idref="f0005">FIG. 9</figref> is schematic sectional assembly of the present invention, showing the flame tamers bridged on the barbeque burner box above the heat sources.</li></ul>

0010Referring to <figref idref="f0001 f0002 f0003">FIGS. 1-6</figref>, first, second and third flame tamers 1,2,3 constructed according to the first, second and third embodiments of the present invention are shown. As shown in <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 7</figref>, a barbeque burner box 4 of a barbeque grill set has four peripheral walls 41, 42, 43 and 44. The flame tamers 1, 2, 3 commonly have at least one protruding opening facing one of the peripheral walls 41, 42, 43 or 44 of the barbeque burner box 4 (see <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 7</figref>) for guiding the upward flow of hot air from the heat sources 5 (see <figref idref="f0005">FIG, 8 and FIG. 9</figref>) toward the cold spot of the barbeque burner box 4 to rapidly and evenly distribute the thermal energy over the whole area of the barbeque grill 6 to cook the food on the barbeque grill 6, thereby saving energy consumption and preventing the food from being unevenly cooked.

0011Referring to <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 7</figref> and <figref idref="f0001">FIGS. 1 and 2</figref> again, the first flame tamer 1 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention is supported between two opposite peripheral walls, namely, the front wall 42 and the rear wall 44 of the barbeque burner box 4 near one side wall 41 (the left side of the barbeque burner box 4), having at least one, for example three, first protruding openings 11 arranged in line and extending in a direction toward the left side wall 41 and at least one, for example two, second protruding openings 12 extending in a direction toward the front wall 42.

0012Referring to <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 3, FIG. 4</figref> and <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 7</figref> again, at least one second flame tamer 2 in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention is supported between the front wall 42 and the rear wall 44 of the barbeque burner box 4 in the middle, having at least one, for example two, protruding openings 21 extending in a direction toward the front wall 42. The number of the second flame tamer 2 to be bridged on the barbeque burner box 4 is determined according to the size of the barbeque burner box 4. According to the application example shown in <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 7</figref>, two pieces of second flame tamers 2 are bridged on the barbeque burner box 4 in the middle.

0013Referring to <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 5, FIG. 6</figref> and <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 7</figref> again, the third flame tamer 3 in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention is supported between the front wall 42 and the rear wall 44 of the barbeque burner box 4 near the other side wall 43 (the right side of the barbeque burner box 4), having at least one, for example three, first protruding openings 31 arranged in line and extending in a direction toward the right side wall 43 of the barbeque burner box 4 and at least one, for example two, second protruding openings 32 extending in a direction toward the front wall 42.

0014Referring to <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 8</figref>, the aforesaid flame tamers 1, 2 and 3 are bridged on the barbeque burner box 4 above the heat sources 5. According to this application example, the heat sources 5 are elongated gas burners (see <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 9</figref>) controllable by respective burner control knobs 7. When the heat sources 5 are activated, heat energy is transferred to the flame tamers 1, 2 and 3 and evenly distributed through the whole area of the barbeque grill 6. At the same time, the protruding openings 11, 12, 21, 31 and 32 of the flame tamers 1, 2 and 3 guide part of the heat energy toward the border area of the barbeque burner box 4 so that heat energy is evenly distributed throughout the whole area of the barbeque grill 6 to cook food thoroughly, thus achieving high cooking efficiency and preventing the food from being overcooked or undercooked.

0015Each of the flame tamers 1, 2 and 3 has a plate body with a double-beveled configuration. Each of the protruding openings (11, 12, 21, 31 or 32) comprises an opening on the plate body and a chute protruding over the opening in a certain direction for guiding the hot air flowing through the opening. Except the protruding openings 11, 12, 21, 31 or 32, the plate body forming each of the flame tamers is an enclosed surface. To reinforce the structural strength and heat transfer effect, the flame tamers 1, 2 and 3 preferably have a concave convex surface configuration. The flame tamer 1 further has a front extension portion 14 and a rear extension portion 13 for supporting on the front wall 42 and the rear wall 44 of the barbeque burner box 4 respectively. Similarly, the flame tamer 2 further has a front extension portion 23 and a rear extension portion 22, and the flame tamer 3 further has a front extension portion 34 and a rear extension portion 33, for supporting on the front wall 42 and the rear extension wall 44 respectively.

0016There is no any special limitation on the configuration of the barbeque burner box 4. The heat sources 5 of the barbeque burner box 4 are not limited to fuel gas. Further, the configurations of the flame tamers 1, 2 and 3 may be changed, however the protruding openings 11, 12, 21, 31 and 32 are requisite structural features. As far as the length, width and material are concerned, they are determined according to actual needs. However, excellent heat distribution is necessary. Further, the shape, opening and elevation angle of the protruding openings 11, 12, 21, 31 and 32 as well as the positioning structure between the flame tamers 1, 2 and 3 and the front wall 42 and the rear wall 44 of the barbeque burner box 4 can be altered.

0017Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.