Grilling device with warming cabinet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10105007-B2
Application number	US-201514906526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A grilling device includes an oven section and a warming cabinet in thermal communication with the oven section. The oven section is directly heated by a heating mechanism, but the warming cabinet is heated indirectly by heat transferred from the oven section. The warming cabinet is disposed below the oven section such that heat from the oven section is transferred passively via conduction and radiation into the warming cabinet and is transferred actively via forced air convection as an air moving element forces air past an optional heat sink and/or other heating component(s) and into the warming cabinet. The air moving element also provides air to ignite and maintain a burning fuel source of the heating mechanism. The grill can include a utility shelf disposed below the warming cabinet, the space between the utility shelf and the bottom of the warming cabinet defining a utility space.

First claim

I claim:

1. A grilling device, comprising:
an oven section comprising a first product rack and a first lid;
a warming section in thermal communication with the oven section, such that heat from the oven section is transferred to the warming section by conduction and radiation, wherein the warming section is positioned directly beneath a heating mechanism of the oven section, the warming section further comprising a second food product rack, and a second lid for accessing the second food product rack; and
at least one air moving element located above the warming section and beneath the oven section;
wherein at least one air moving element forces heated air both (i) within the heating mechanism, and (ii) directly below the oven section into the warming section.

2. The grilling device of claim 1 , further comprising a heating mechanism connected below the oven section and above the warming section, the heating mechanism configured to raise an internal temperature of both the oven section and the warming section.

3. The grilling device of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the heating mechanism is disposed within the oven section, the warming section being devoid of the heating mechanism.

4. The grilling device of claim 1 , wherein:
the oven section comprises an internal oven compartment at least partially bound by an outer oven wall; and
the warming section comprising an internal warming compartment, the outer oven wall at least partially separating the internal oven compartment from the internal warming compartment.

5. The grilling device of claim 4 , wherein:
the outer oven wall is disposed between the internal oven compartment and the internal warming compartment; and
heat from the internal oven compartment is transferred through the outer oven wall to the internal warming compartment of the warming section.

6. The grilling device of claim 5 , wherein a bottom portion of the outer oven wall forms an upper portion of the warming section.

7. The grilling device of claim 5 , wherein:
the internal oven compartment and the internal warming compartment are positioned adjacent one to another without an intervening heat shield; and
heat from the internal oven compartment is transferred through the outer oven wall to the internal warming compartment of the warming section via radiant heating.

8. The grilling device of claim 4 , further comprising a heat sink connected to the outer oven wall, the heat sink configured to transfer heat from the internal oven compartment to the internal warming compartment.

9. The grilling device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a cupping member having one or more holes or openings disposed therein;
wherein the cupping member:
holds the heat sink beneath the heating mechanism; and
provides heated air from the air moving element to the warming compartment via the one or more holes or openings.

10. The grilling device of claim 1 , wherein the warming section further comprises one or more venting elements.

11. The grilling device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more venting elements comprises at least one permanent vent and at least one selectable vent.

12. The grilling device of claim 11 , wherein the selectable vent comprises a louver selectively adjustable between a closed position and a plurality of open positions.

13. The grilling device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a utility shelf disposed below the warming cabinet; and
a space between the utility shelf and the bottom of the warming cabinet defining a utility space.

14. A grilling device for providing multiple temperature zones simultaneously, comprising:
an oven section comprising an internal oven compartment at least partially bound by an outer oven wall, at least a portion of the outer oven wall being formed of a heat conductive material;
a warming section disposed underneath the oven section and in thermal communication with the oven section, the warming section comprising an internal warming compartment and one or more venting elements, the outer oven wall at least partially separating the internal oven compartment from the internal warming compartment;
wherein heat from the oven section is transferred via conduction and radiation through the outer oven wall and into the internal warming compartment;
a heating mechanism configured to raise an internal temperature in the internal oven compartment, at least a portion of the heating mechanism being disposed within the oven section; and
an air moving element located beneath a food product rack of the oven section and above a food product rack of the warming section, wherein the air moving element is configured to both (i) distribute heated air to the heating mechanism and (ii) force the heated air from the oven section beneath the heating mechanism into the warming section;
wherein the oven section represents a first temperature zone for heating food at a first temperature, and the warming cabinet represents a second temperature zone for warming food on the corresponding food product rack at a second, lower temperature.

15. The grilling device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more venting elements comprise a permanent venting element disposed in a lower portion of the internal warming compartment and a selectable venting element disposed in an upper portion of the internal warming compartment, the selectable venting element being selectively adjustable between a closed position and one or a plurality of open positions such that:
in the closed position, operation of the heating mechanism and the air moving element introduces warmer air into the upper portion of the internal warming compartment and forces cooler air in the bottom portion of the internal warming compartment out through the permanent venting element; and
in the one or plurality of open positions, operation of the heating mechanism and the air moving element forces warmer air in the upper portion of the internal warming compartment out through the selectable venting element as cooler air is introduced into the lower portion of the internal warming compartment through the permanent venting element, wherein the amount of warmer air forced out of the internal warming compartment is directly proportional to the degree to which the selectable venting element is opened.

16. The grilling device of claim 15 , further comprising:
a heat sink connected to the outer oven wall, the heat sink configured to transfer heat from the internal oven compartment to the internal warming compartment;
wherein the air moving element forces air past the heat sink and into the internal warming compartment, the internal warming compartment being devoid of the heating mechanism.

17. The grilling device of claim 16 , further comprising:
a cupping member having one or more holes or openings disposed therein;
wherein the cupping member:
holds the heat sink beneath the heating mechanism; and
provides heated air from the air moving element to the warming compartment via the one or more holes or openings.

18. The grilling device of claim 14 , further comprising:
an air path that couples the air moving element directly to a lateral side of the heating mechanism and downwardly to the warming cabinet.

19. The grilling device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a conveying mechanism positioned below the oven section and positioned above the warming section;
wherein the conveying mechanism is coupled laterally to the heating mechanism.

Assignees

• Traeger Pellet Grills Llc

Inventors

• Colston Michael
• Altenritter Daniel
• Czach Matthew

Classifications

• A47J37/0786

  Accessories · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A47J37/0704 Primary

  with horizontal fire box · CPC title

• A23L5/10

  General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying · CPC title

• Y02A40/928

  Cooking stoves using biomass · CPC title