Patent US3646880A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3646880A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cooking grill
Assignee: THERMAL PROCESS ENGINEERING Co
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Filing: 1970-08-21
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Granted: 1972-03-07
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Expires: 1990-08-21
Abstract
Abstract An electrically heated cooking grill for rapidly cooking cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, french toast, bacon, pancakes, crepe suzette (thin pancakes), pizza crust, scrambled eggs, and other food products. The food products are conveyed between a pair of endless heating belts which are heated by upper and lower heating units in the form of heating platens which have variable temperature heating zones so arranged that the cooking temperature is varied as the food product moves through the variable temperature heating zones. The upper heating unit includes front and rear upper heating platens which are vertically adjustable with the upper heating belt relative to the lower heating unit or platens and heating belt to provide for food products of varying sizes and thicknesses and the front and rear upper heating platens may be tilted relative to the horizontal so that as the food product moves progressively through the grill from front to rear and shrinks in size due to the cooking operation the front and rear upper heating platens and the upper heating belt will be disposed in the most advantageous heating position relative to the lower heating belt and heating unit or platens. The endless heating belts are designed to be nonsticky and to provide for rapid heat transfer from the heating units or platens to the food products being cooked and for long wear life.
Inventors
- 👤 James D Norris
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 11:11
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47J; A47J37/00; A47J37/04; A47J37/044
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
314 words
An electrically heated food cooking grill comprising a. a supporting frame structure; b. heat-conductive endless upper and lower heating and conveyor belt members movably mounted in said supporting frame structure in vertically spaced relationship relative to each other and for movement in a generally horizontal plane; c. means for moving said heat-conductive endless heat and conveyor belt members so as to move food products therebetween through the said cooking grill; d. electrical heating means for heating the said heat-conductive endless upper and lower heating and conveyor belt members as they are moved in and relative to the said food products simultaneously from the top and bottom thereof as the said food products are moved through the said cooking grill; the said electrical heating means including 1. a plurality of upper electrical heating units arranged above and in longitudinally spaced heat-conductive relationship with the said upper endless heating and conveyor belt member; and 2. a plurality of lower electrical heating units arranged below and in longitudinally spaced heat-conductive relationship with the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member; e. an upper and relatively movable supporting frame unit movably mounted upon and vertically adjustable relative to the said supporting frame structure; f. the said heat-conductive endless upper heating and conveyor belt member and the said upper electrical heating units being mounted on and being vertically adjustable With the said upper and movable supporting frame unit relative to the said supporting frame structure and the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating units; and g. adjusting means for vertically adjusting the said upper frame unit and the said upper endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said upper heating units mounted thereon relative to the said supporting frame structure and the said lower endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating units.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
314 words
An electrically heated food cooking grill comprising a. a supporting frame structure; b. heat-conductive endless upper and lower heating and conveyor belt members movably mounted in said supporting frame structure in vertically spaced relationship relative to each other and for movement in a generally horizontal plane; c. means for moving said heat-conductive endless heat and conveyor belt members so as to move food products therebetween through the said cooking grill; d. electrical heating means for heating the said heat-conductive endless upper and lower heating and conveyor belt members as they are moved in and relative to the said food products simultaneously from the top and bottom thereof as the said food products are moved through the said cooking grill; the said electrical heating means including 1. a plurality of upper electrical heating units arranged above and in longitudinally spaced heat-conductive relationship with the said upper endless heating and conveyor belt member; and 2. a plurality of lower electrical heating units arranged below and in longitudinally spaced heat-conductive relationship with the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member; e. an upper and relatively movable supporting frame unit movably mounted upon and vertically adjustable relative to the said supporting frame structure; f. the said heat-conductive endless upper heating and conveyor belt member and the said upper electrical heating units being mounted on and being vertically adjustable With the said upper and movable supporting frame unit relative to the said supporting frame structure and the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating units; and g. adjusting means for vertically adjusting the said upper frame unit and the said upper endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said upper heating units mounted thereon relative to the said supporting frame structure and the said lower endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating units.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
161 words
a plurality of lower electrical heating units arranged below and in longitudinally spaced heat-conductive relationship with the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member; e. an upper and relatively movable supporting frame unit movably mounted upon and vertically adjustable relative to the said supporting frame structure; f. the said heat-conductive endless upper heating and conveyor belt member and the said upper electrical heating units being mounted on and being vertically adjustable With the said upper and movable supporting frame unit relative to the said supporting frame structure and the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating units; and g. adjusting means for vertically adjusting the said upper frame unit and the said upper endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said upper heating units mounted thereon relative to the said supporting frame structure and the said lower endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating units.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
161 words
a plurality of lower electrical heating units arranged below and in longitudinally spaced heat-conductive relationship with the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member; e. an upper and relatively movable supporting frame unit movably mounted upon and vertically adjustable relative to the said supporting frame structure; f. the said heat-conductive endless upper heating and conveyor belt member and the said upper electrical heating units being mounted on and being vertically adjustable With the said upper and movable supporting frame unit relative to the said supporting frame structure and the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating units; and g. adjusting means for vertically adjusting the said upper frame unit and the said upper endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said upper heating units mounted thereon relative to the said supporting frame structure and the said lower endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating units.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
130 words
An electrically heated food cooking grill as defined in claim 1 in which a. the said upper electrical heating units have inner end portions adjacent to each other and outer end portions facing away from each other; and in which the said electrically heated food cooking grill includes b. pivotal mounting means for pivotally mounting the said inner end portions of the said upper electrical heating units upon and for pivotal movement relative to the said upper and relatively movable supporting frame unit; and c. means coacting with the said outer end portions of the said upper electrical heating units for adjustably pivoting the said upper electrical heating units on the said pivotal mounting means therefor toward and away from the said upper heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
128 words
an axially inner end portion; and in which the said electrically heated food cooking grill includes b. pivotal mounting means for pivotally mounting the said axially inner end portions of the said upper electrical heating platens; and c. means for tilting the said axially outer end portions of each of the said upper electrical heating platen units upwardly and downwardly upon and relative to the said movable supporting frame unit so as to pivot the said axially inner end portions of the said upper electrical heating platens upon the said pivotal mounting means relative to the said movable supporting frame unit and relative to the said supporting frame structure and relative to the said lower endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating platens.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
128 words
an axially inner end portion; and in which the said electrically heated food cooking grill includes b. pivotal mounting means for pivotally mounting the said axially inner end portions of the said upper electrical heating platens; and c. means for tilting the said axially outer end portions of each of the said upper electrical heating platen units upwardly and downwardly upon and relative to the said movable supporting frame unit so as to pivot the said axially inner end portions of the said upper electrical heating platens upon the said pivotal mounting means relative to the said movable supporting frame unit and relative to the said supporting frame structure and relative to the said lower endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating platens.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
a central area between the said outer and areas; and in which f. the said electrical strip heater elements are spaced relatively further from each other in the said central areas of the said electrical heating platens and relatively closer to each other in the said outer end areas of the said heating platens.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
a central area between the said outer and areas; and in which f. the said electrical strip heater elements are spaced relatively further from each other in the said central areas of the said electrical heating platens and relatively closer to each other in the said outer end areas of the said heating platens.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
a coating of polymerized tetrafluoro ethylene resin whereby heat is rapidly transferred by conduction through the said heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt members from the said electrical heating platens but adhesion to the said heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt members of food products conveyed thereby and disposed and grilled therebetween is prevented.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
a coating of polymerized tetrafluoro ethylene resin whereby heat is rapidly transferred by conduction through the said heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt members from the said electrical heating platens but adhesion to the said heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt members of food products conveyed thereby and disposed and grilled therebetween is prevented.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
An electrically heated cooking grill as defined in claim 2 in which a. the said means for adjustably pivoting the said upper electrical heating units upon the said pivotal mounting means therefor is in the form of manually operable adjustment means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
180 words
A food cooking grill comprising a. a supporting frame structure; b. heat-conductive endless upper and lower heating and conveyor belt members movably mounted in said supporting frame structure in vertically spaced relationship relative to each other and for movement in a generally horizontal plane; c. means for moving the said heat-conductive endless upper and lower heating and conveyor belt members so as to move food products therebetween through the said food cooking grill; d. an upper generally flat elongated electrical heating platen arranged in a generally horizontal position above and in heat-conductive contact with the said heat-conductive upper endless heating and conveyor belt member, and a lower and generally flat, elongated electrical heating platen arranged in a generally horizontal position below and in heat-conductive contact with the bottom surface of the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member for heating the said food products simultaneously by conduction from the top and bottom thereof as the said food products are moved through the said cooking grill by the said heat-conductive upper and lower endless heating and conveyor belt members.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
180 words
A food cooking grill comprising a. a supporting frame structure; b. heat-conductive endless upper and lower heating and conveyor belt members movably mounted in said supporting frame structure in vertically spaced relationship relative to each other and for movement in a generally horizontal plane; c. means for moving the said heat-conductive endless upper and lower heating and conveyor belt members so as to move food products therebetween through the said food cooking grill; d. an upper generally flat elongated electrical heating platen arranged in a generally horizontal position above and in heat-conductive contact with the said heat-conductive upper endless heating and conveyor belt member, and a lower and generally flat, elongated electrical heating platen arranged in a generally horizontal position below and in heat-conductive contact with the bottom surface of the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member for heating the said food products simultaneously by conduction from the top and bottom thereof as the said food products are moved through the said cooking grill by the said heat-conductive upper and lower endless heating and conveyor belt members.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
85 words
A food-cooking grill as defined in claim 4 which includes a. a plurality of the said upper generally flat elongated electrical heating platens arranged in generally coplanar horizontal relationship with each other above and in heat-conductive contact with the said upper endless heating and conveyor belt member; and which includes b. a plurality of the said lower generally flat, elongated electrical lower heating platens arranged in generally coplanar horizontal relationship below and in heat-conductive contact with the said lower endless heating and conveyor belt member.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
105 words
A food cooking grill as defined in claim 5 in which a. the said upper heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member includes a lower run having a generally flat upper surface; and in which each of the said upper heating platens is in the form of b. a generally flat, elongated, upper electrical heating platen disposed above and in generally parallel relationship with and in heat-conductive contact with the said generally flat upper surface of the said lower run of the said upper heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member; and in which the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member has
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
156 words
A food cooking grill as defined in claim 5 which includes a. an upper and relatively movable supporting frame unit movably mounted upon and vertically adjustable relative to the said supporting frame structure; and in which b. the said heat-conductive endless upper heating and conveyor belt member and the said upper electrical heating platens are mounted on and are vertically adjustable with the said upper and movable supporting frame unit relative to the said supporting frame structure and the said lower heat-conductive endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating platens; and which includes c. adjusting means for vertically adjusting the said upper movable supporting frame unit and the said upper endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said upper electrical heating platens mounted thereon relative to the said supporting frame structure and relative to the said lower endless heating and conveyor belt member and the said lower electrical heating platens.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electrically heated food cooking grill as defined in claim 7 in which a. each of the said upper electrical heating platens includes
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
A food cooking grill as defined in claim 5 in which a. the said upper and lower endless heating and conveyor belt members have
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
A food cooking grill as defined in claim 5 in which a. the said heat-coNductive endless heating and conveyor belt members are composed of
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-03-07 | 1975-09-06 | 1976-03-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-03-07 | 1979-09-06 | 1980-03-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-03-07 | 1983-09-06 | 1984-03-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |