Portable gas-fired cooking grill

Claim 2

A portable, gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a receptacle adapted to be removably supported in a horizontal position and having an open top; a cover adapted to fit over the open top of the receptacle to form a portable substantially closed housing; a gas burner means mounted in a lower portion of said receptacle and having means for connecting the burner means to a fuel supply; a cooking grid mounted in the receptacle above the burner means; a plurality of substantially identical ceramic briquettes; and means for fixedly supporting said briquettes between the burner means and the cooking grid in a predetermined pattern.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the cover is generally hollow and has an open end substantially conforming to the open top of the receptacle, and including hinge means connecting the cover to the receptacle whereby the cover is swingable between an open position and a closed position wherein its open end mates with the open top of the receptacle to form said substantially closed housing.

Claim 4

The invention defined in claim 2 and including locking means for releasably locking the cover in its closed position.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 3 and including handle means attached to and extending outwardly from the cover adjacent the open end of the cover opposite the hinge means.

Claim 6

The invention defined in claim 4 wherein the fuel supply comprises a propane tank and the cover means includes means for removably securing the propane tank within the cover, the means for connecting the burner means to the fuel supply including a disconnectable coupling.

Claim 7

The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the receptacle has a flat bottom surface parallel to the open top and adapted to support the grill in a horizontal position.

Claim 8

The invention defined in claim 6 wherein the receptacle includes a plurality of sidewalls, one of said sidewalls including at least one opening; and tubing means removably connectable to the burner means and extending through said opening, the opposite end of said tubing means being connected to a portable gas supply having associated control valve means for selectively controlling the flow of gas from the gas supply through the tubing means to the burner.

Claim 9

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the supporting means for said ceramic elements are associated with the cooking grid whereby the elements are suspended from the bottom of the cooking grid.

Claim 10

The invention defined in claim 8 wherein the cooking grid is provided with a large number of apertures and the burner means are disposed directly below some of said apertures, and at least some of the ceramic elements are interposed directly between the burner means and all the apertures directly thereabove.

Claim 11

A gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a receptacle having an open top; a gas burner means mounted in a lower portion of said receptacle; a horizontal cooking grid mounted in the receptacle above the burner means and spanning the open top of the receptacle; a plurality of ceramic briquettes; and means attached to the grid for fixedly mounting the briquettes in a predetermined pattern within the receptacle between the burner means and the cooking grid.

Claim 12

A gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a receptacle having an open top; a gas burner means mounted in a lower portion of said receptacle; a horizontal cooking grid mounted in the receptacle above the burner means and spanning the open top of the receptacle; a plurality of ceramic briquettes; and means attached to the grid for fixedly mounting the briquettes in a predetermined pattern within the receptacle between the burner means and the cooking grid.

Claim 13

The invention defined in claim 10 wherein the cooking grid is made of cast metal and includes a plurality of depending bosses having recesses adapted to receive the briquettes and the mounting means includes retainer means for holding the briquettes in said recesses.

Claim 14

A portable, gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a receptacle having an open top and flat bottom surface generally parallel to the top for removably supporting the receptacle in horizontal condition; a generally hollow cover having an open bottom conforming to and mateable with the open top of the receptacle to form a hollow substantially closed housing and movable therefrom to expose the open top of the receptacle; a gas burner means mounted in a lower portion of said receptacle; a flat cooking grid spanning the open top of the receptacle above the burner means; a plurality of noncombustible, heat absorbing and radiating elements; and means for fixedly supporting said elements in a predetermined pattern in the receptacle between the burner means and the cooking grid.

Claim 15

A portable, gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a receptacle having an open top and flat bottom surface generally parallel to the top for removably supporting the receptacle in horizontal condition; a generally hollow cover having an open bottom conforming to and mateable with the open top of the receptacle to form a hollow substantially closed housing and movable therefrom to expose the open top of the receptacle; a gas burner means mounted in a lower portion of said receptacle; a flat cooking grid spanning the open top of the receptacle above the burner means; a plurality of noncombustible, heat absorbing and radiating elements; and means for fixedly supporting said elements in a predetermined pattern in the receptacle between the burner means and the cooking grid.

Claim 16

A portable, gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a receptacle having an open top and flat bottom surface generally parallel to the top for removably supporting the receptacle in horizontal condition; a generally hollow cover having an open bottom conforming to and mateable with the open top of the receptacle to form a hollow substantially closed housing and movable therefrom to expose the open top of the receptacle; a gas burner means mounted in a lower portion of said receptacle; a portable gas supply removably connectable to the burner means for supplying gas thereto; a flat cooking grid spanning the open top of the receptacle above the burner means; a plurality of noncombustible, heat absorbing and radiating elements; and means for fixedly supporting said elements in the receptacle in a predetermined pattern between the burner means and the cooking grid.

Claim 17

A portable, gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a receptacle having an open top and flat bottom surface generally parallel to the top for removably supporting the receptacle in horizontal condition; a generally hollow cover having an open bottom conforming to and mateable with the open top of the receptacle to form a hollow substantially closed housing and movable therefrom to expose the open top of the receptacle; a gas burner means mounted in a lower portion of said receptacle; a portable gas supply removably connectable to the burner means for supplying gas thereto; a flat cooking grid spanning the open top of the receptacle above the burner means; a plurality of noncombustible, heat absorbing and radiating elements; and means for fixedly supporting said elements in the receptacle in a predetermined pattern between the burner means and the cooking grid.

Claim 18

The invention defined in claim 13 and including hinge means swingably connecting the cover to the receptacle for swinging of the cover between a closed position wherein the open cover bottom mates with the open receptacle top and an open position wherein the cover is supported adjacent to the receptacle with the open cover bottom facing upwardly substantially in the same plane as the receptacle top.

Claim 19

A portable, gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a receptacle having an open top, sidewalls and a flat bottom surface generally parallel to the top for supporting the receptacle with the top in a horizontal condition; a cover having a top, sidewalls and an open bottom conforming to the receptaCle top, the cover being movable into a closed position wherein the cover bottom mates with the receptacle top to form a hollow substantially closed housing; a first pair of flanges projecting outwardly from one of the sidewalls of the receptacles and a second pair of flanges projecting outwardly from one of the sidewalls of the cover and being respectively disposed adjacent to the first pair of flanges when the cover is in its closed position, the first and second flanges having edges forming a plane normal to the bottom surface of the receptacle when the cover is in its closed position so that the housing is supportable in a vertical condition on said edges; hinge means operatively connecting the first and second flanges so that the cover is swingable relative to the receptacle between said closed position and an open position; handle means mounted on a sidewall opposite the hinge means to permit manual transport of the housing in said vertical condition; locking means for releasably locking the cover to the receptacle in the closed position; a gas burner means mounted in a lower portion of the receptacle; a cooking grid spanning the open top of the receptacle above the burner means; and a plurality of noncombustible, heat absorbing and radiating elements supported in the receptacle between the cooking grid and the burner means.

Claim 20

A portable, gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a receptacle having an open top, sidewalls and a flat bottom surface generally parallel to the top for supporting the receptacle with the top in a horizontal condition; a cover having a top, sidewalls and an open bottom conforming to the receptaCle top, the cover being movable into a closed position wherein the cover bottom mates with the receptacle top to form a hollow substantially closed housing; a first pair of flanges projecting outwardly from one of the sidewalls of the receptacles and a second pair of flanges projecting outwardly from one of the sidewalls of the cover and being respectively disposed adjacent to the first pair of flanges when the cover is in its closed position, the first and second flanges having edges forming a plane normal to the bottom surface of the receptacle when the cover is in its closed position so that the housing is supportable in a vertical condition on said edges; hinge means operatively connecting the first and second flanges so that the cover is swingable relative to the receptacle between said closed position and an open position; handle means mounted on a sidewall opposite the hinge means to permit manual transport of the housing in said vertical condition; locking means for releasably locking the cover to the receptacle in the closed position; a gas burner means mounted in a lower portion of the receptacle; a cooking grid spanning the open top of the receptacle above the burner means; and a plurality of noncombustible, heat absorbing and radiating elements supported in the receptacle between the cooking grid and the burner means.

Claim 21

A portable, gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a portable housing including a hollow bottom member having an open top, a bottom and sidewalls, one of said walls having at least one hole, and a cover member removably mounted over the open top of the bottom member to form a substantially closed housing; handle means attached to at least one of said members; a cooking grid spanning the open top of the bottom member; a gas burner means disposed within said bottom member below the cooking grid; a portable flammable gas supply; a valve means operatively associated with the gas supply to control the exhaust of gas therefrom; a connecting means extending through the hole in the sidewall and operative to removably connect the valve means to the burner means to deliver gas thereto; a plurality of noncombustible, heat absorbing and radiating elements; and means fixedly supporting the elements in a predetermined pattern between the burner means and the cooking grid and adapted to absorb heat from the burner means and radiate heat to the cooking grid.

Claim 22

A portable, gas-fired cooking grill comprising: a portable housing including a hollow bottom member having an open top, a bottom and sidewalls, one of said walls having at least one hole, and a cover member removably mounted over the open top of the bottom member to form a substantially closed housing; handle means attached to at least one of said members; a cooking grid spanning the open top of the bottom member; a gas burner means disposed within said bottom member below the cooking grid; a portable flammable gas supply; a valve means operatively associated with the gas supply to control the exhaust of gas therefrom; a connecting means extending through the hole in the sidewall and operative to removably connect the valve means to the burner means to deliver gas thereto; a plurality of noncombustible, heat absorbing and radiating elements; and means fixedly supporting the elements in a predetermined pattern between the burner means and the cooking grid and adapted to absorb heat from the burner means and radiate heat to the cooking grid.

Claim 23

The invention defined in claim 16 wherein the cover member is hollow and forms a recess above the cooking grid when the cover member is mounted over the top of the bottom member, and the potable gas supply comprises a propane tank storable in said recess.