Handle-integrated cooking surface lighting for lids of grills

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11333346-B1
Application number	US-202117472254-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 10, 2021
Priority date	Dec 2, 2020
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

Example handle-integrated lighting assemblies including one or more lighting module(s) located substantially within a handle of a lid of a grill are described. An example lighting assembly configured to be coupled to a lid of a grill includes a handle and a lighting module. The handle includes a crossbar and a stem coupled to and oriented at an angle relative to the crossbar. The lighting module includes a light source located within the handle. The light source is configured to project light through the stem in a direction away from the crossbar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting assembly configured to be coupled to a lid of a grill, the lighting assembly comprising:
a handle including a crossbar and a stem coupled to and oriented at an angle relative to the crossbar; and
a lighting module including a light source, a light pipe, and a lens, the light source located within the handle, the light source configured to project light through the stem in a direction away from the crossbar, the light pipe located within the stem between the light source and the lens, the light pipe to transfer the light from the light source to the lens.

2. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light source is located within the stem.

3. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light source is located within the crossbar.

4. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light source is a light-emitting diode (LED) lamp.

5. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a control board located within the crossbar, the light source operatively coupled to the control board.

6. The lighting assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a control board chassis located within the crossbar, the control board carried by the control board chassis.

7. The lighting assembly of claim 5 , wherein the control board is powered by a power source.

8. The lighting assembly of claim 7 , wherein the power source is located within the handle.

9. The lighting assembly of claim 8 , wherein the power source is a battery.

10. The lighting assembly of claim 8 , wherein the power source is carried by a power chassis located within the crossbar.

11. The lighting assembly of claim 10 , wherein the power chassis is slidably removable from within the crossbar.

12. The lighting assembly of claim 11 , wherein the power chassis is coupled to an end cap of the crossbar, and the end cap is threadedly coupled to the crossbar.

13. The lighting assembly of claim 7 , wherein the power source is located remotely from the handle.

14. The lighting assembly of claim 7 , wherein the power source is selectively operatively coupled to the control board by a switch, the switch having a button actuatable to transition the switch between an open state and a closed state, the light source to project the light when the switch is in the closed state.

15. The lighting assembly of claim 14 , wherein the switch is an on/off switch.

16. The lighting assembly of claim 14 , wherein the switch is a momentary switch.

17. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lens is a double concave lens.

18. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a bushing and a locknut, the stem having a shaft portion and a flange, the shaft portion configured to extend through an exterior surface and an interior surface of the lid, the flange configured to support the bushing, the bushing circumscribing the stem and having an engagement surface configured to contact the exterior surface of the lid, the locknut threadedly coupled to the shaft portion of the stem, the locknut having a locking surface configured to contact the interior surface of the lid.

19. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a fitting and a locknut, the fitting threadedly coupled to the stem, the fitting having a shaft portion and a flange portion, the shaft portion configured to extend through an exterior surface and an interior surface of the lid, the flange portion configured to contact the exterior surface of the lid, the locknut threadedly coupled to the shaft portion of the fitting, the locknut having a locking surface configured to contact the interior surface of the lid.

20. A lighting assembly configured to be coupled to a lid of a grill, the lighting assembly comprising:
a handle including a crossbar and a stem coupled to and oriented at an angle relative to the crossbar, the stem having a shaft portion and a flange, the shaft portion configured to extend through an exterior surface and an interior surface of the lid;
a bushing configured to be supported by the flange, the bushing circumscribing the stem and having an engagement surface configured to contact the exterior surface of the lid;
a locknut threadedly coupled to the shaft portion of the stem, the locknut having a locking surface configured to contact the interior surface of the lid; and
a lighting module including a light source located within the handle, the light source configured to project light through the stem in a direction away from the crossbar and toward the lid.

21. A lighting assembly configured to be coupled to a lid of a grill, the lighting assembly comprising:
a handle including a crossbar and a stem coupled to and oriented at an angle relative to the crossbar;
a fitting threadedly coupled to the stem, the fitting having a shaft portion and a flange portion, the shaft portion configured to extend through an exterior surface and an interior surface of the lid, the flange portion configured to contact the exterior surface of the lid;
a locknut threadedly coupled to the shaft portion of the fitting, the locknut having a locking surface configured to contact the interior surface of the lid; and
a lighting module including a light source located within the handle, the light source configured to project light through the stem in a direction away from the crossbar and toward the lid.

22. A lighting assembly configured to be coupled to a lid of a grill, the lighting assembly comprising:
a handle including a crossbar and a stem, the stem oriented at an angle relative to the crossbar, the stem including a first end and a second end located opposite the first end, the first end coupled to the crossbar, the second end configured to be coupled to the lid; and
a lighting module including a light source located within the handle, the light source configured to project light through the stem in a direction away from the crossbar and toward the lid such that the light is projected through a wall of the lid into a cooking chamber of the grill, the cooking chamber defined in part by the lid.

23. The lighting assembly of claim 22 , wherein the lighting module further includes a light pipe and a lens, the light pipe located within the stem between the light source and the lens, the light pipe to transfer the light from the light source to the lens.

Assignees

• Weber Stephen Products Llc

Inventors

• Masek Douglas W
• Nanos Jr Nicholas M
• Crowell Chris
• D'Ambrosio Mark
• Keclik James
• Schnell Jr Thomas J
• Berland Kerry S
• Graef Michael A
• Mellas Nathan

Classifications

• F21V33/008 Primary

  Leisure, hobby or sport articles, e.g. toys, games or first-aid kits; Hand tools; Toolboxes · CPC title

• F21V13/02

  Combinations of only two kinds of elements · CPC title

• F21V5/048

  the lens being a simple lens adapted to cooperate with a point-like source for emitting mainly in one direction and having an axis coincident with the main light transmission direction, e.g. convergent or divergent lenses, plano-concave or plano-convex lenses · CPC title

• G02B6/0005

  the light guides being of the fibre type (G02B6/0003 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F21V15/01

  Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts (F21V15/02 takes precedence {housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04}) · CPC title