Portable barbecue system

Claim 2

A portable barbecue comprising: a frame with an open center having front, rear and side walls and an inwardly extending annular bottom flange; first and second leg members hingedly engaging said frame to assume a first, folded position juxtaposed to the bottom of said frame and a second, supporting position extending away from the bottom of said frame; first and second grill rack members hingedly engaging said frame to assume a first, closed position juxtaposed to the top of said frame and a second, upright position extending upwardly from the top of said frame; a disposable heat reflecting drip pan having an outwardly extending annular lip adapted to engage said annular bottom flange on said frame such that said drip pan assumes a working position occupying the open center of said frame when said leg members are in said second, supporting position; a removable fire basket engaging said frame and overlying said disposable drip pan in said working position; and a removable cooking grill adapted to slidably mount across said first and second grill rack members.

Claim 3

A portable barbecue system comprising a frame with an open center having front, rear and side walls and an inwardly extending annular bottom flange; first and second leg members hingedly engaging said frame to assume a first, folded position juxtaposed to the bottom of said frame and a second, supporting position extending away from the bottom of said frame; first and second grill rack members hingedly engaging said frame to assume a first, closed position juxtaposed to the top of said frame and a second, upright position extending upwardly from the top of said frame; a disposable heat reflecting drip pan having an outwardly extending annular lip adapted to engage said annular bottom flange on said frame such that said drip pan assumes a working position occupying the open center of said frame when said leg members are in said second, supporting position; a removable fire basket engaging said frame and overlying said drip pan in said working position; a removable cooking grill adapted to slidably mount across said first and second grill rack members in a variety of cooking positions; and protection means for containing said portable barbecue to effectively prevent exposure of all surfaces of said portable barbecue, thereby effectively preventing contact with and migration of unpleasant odors from cooking residue which may remain on said portable barbecue grill surfaces after use.

Claim 4

A portable barbecue system comprising a frame with an open center having front, rear and side walls and an inwardly extending annular bottom flange; first and second leg members hingedly engaging said frame to assume a first, folded position juxtaposed to the bottom of said frame and a second, supporting position extending away from the bottom of said frame; first and second grill rack members hingedly engaging said frame to assume a first, closed position juxtaposed to the top of said frame and a second, upright position extending upwardly from the top of said frame; a disposable heat reflecting drip pan having an outwardly extending annular lip adapted to engage said annular bottom flange on said frame such that said drip pan assumes a working position occupying the open center of said frame when said leg members are in said second, supporting position; a removable fire basket engaging said frame and overlying said drip pan in said working position; a removable cooking grill adapted to slidably mount across said first and second grill rack members in a variety of cooking positions; and protection means for containing said portable barbecue to effectively prevent exposure of all surfaces of said portable barbecue, thereby effectively preventing contact with and migration of unpleasant odors from cooking residue which may remain on said portable barbecue grill surfaces after use.

Claim 5

The portable barbecue system according to claim 2 further comprising leg locking means for securing said first and second leg members in said second supporting position, and grill rack locking means for securing said first and second grill rack members in said second, upright position.

Claim 6

The portable barbecue system according to claim 3 wherein said leg locking means and said grill rack locking means further comprise frictional ball members attached to said frame.

Claim 7

The portable barbecue system according to claim 4 wherein said frictional ball members comprise metal beads attached to said frame.

Claim 8

The portable barbecue system according to claim 2 wherein said leg members are substantially U-shaped with the open ends thereof hingedly engaging said frame.

Claim 9

The portable barbecue system according to claim 6 wherein said hinged engagement of said leg members with said frame further comprises gudgeons on the bottom of said frame receiving the ends of said U-shaped leg members.

Claim 10

The portable barbecue system according to claim 2 wherein said grill rack members further comprise front and back upright members with cooking grill support members extending therebetween to slidingly receive said removable cooking grill.

Claim 11

The portable barbecue system according to claim 8 wherein the hinged engagement of said grill rack members with said frame further comprises grill rack pintles extending from the lower ends of said grill rack upright members to engage sockets in said front and rear frame walls.

Claim 12

The portable barbecue system according to claim 2 wherein said removable fire basket is provided with a rear support extending from the rear of said fire basket to supportingly engage said rear wall of said frame and a front handle extending from the front of said fire basket to supportingly engage said front wall of said frame.

Claim 13

The portable barbecue system according to claim 10 wherein said rear support engages said rear wall of said frame to prevent forward sliding movement of said fire basket relative to said frame.

Claim 14

The portable barbecue system according to claim 2 wherein said disposable heat reflecting drip pan comprises a lightweight aluminum pan provided with a drip pan lip configured to engage said annular bottom flange of said frame.

Claim 15

The portable barbecue system according to claim 2 further comprising wind shield means for protecting said fire basket and said cooking grill from wind.

Claim 16

The portable barbecue system according to claim 13 wherein said wind shield means further comprises a first side wind screen engaging said first grill rack member, a second side wind screen engaging said second grill rack member, and a rear wind screen engaging a rear upright member of each of said first and second grill rack members, said first, second and rear screens effectively protecting said cooking grill and said fire basket on three sides from wind.

Claim 17

The portable barbecue system according to claim 2 further comprising a food retainer upwardly disposed from and extending across the back of said cooking grill.

Claim 18

The portable barbecue system according to claim 2 further comprising slide stop means for preventing said cooking grill from sliding backward beyond full engagement with said cooking grill support members.

Claim 19

The portable barbecue system according to claim 2 wherein all parts of said portable barbecue other than said protection means are configured, dimensioned and constructed to conveniently fit within a household dishwasher and to withstand the hot water and detergents associated therewith.

Claim 20

The portable barbecue system according to claim 17 wherein said protection means comprises a lightweight carrying case.

Claim 21

The portable barbecue system according to claim 18 wherein said lightweight carrying case further comprises: a durable exterior material suitable to withstand the rigors of transportation and outdoor exposure; a durable interior material substantially impermeable to cooking residue secured to one side of said durable exterior material; and closure means for securely closing said lightweight carrying case.

Claim 22

The portable barbecue system according to claim 19 wherein said closure means is a zipper disposed along three sides of said lightweight carrying case in the closed position, which zipper allows said carrying case to be opened into a substantially flat position to facilitate inserting and removing the folded barbecue parts and allow convenient cleaning of said durable interior surface material.