Collapsible grill

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11399659-B2
Application number	US-202016831299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2020
Priority date	Mar 26, 2020
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

An embodiment of a support assembly for a grill may include a leg subassembly comprising a first leg and a second leg, a leg subassembly comprising a first leg and a second leg, the first leg defining a retaining aperture, and a rotatable pin collar assembly configured to couple the first leg to the second leg in a slidable and lockable connection, the rotatable pin collar assembly including a spring pin configured to be retained in the retaining aperture at a first longitudinal position on the first leg when the grill is in a standing locked configuration and configured to be positioned at a second longitudinal position on the first leg when the grill is in a collapsed configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A support assembly for a grill, comprising:
a leg subassembly comprising a first leg and a second leg, the first leg defining a retaining aperture; and
a rotatable pin collar assembly configured to couple the first leg to the second leg in a slidable and lockable connection, the rotatable pin collar assembly comprising:
a spring pin configured to be retained in the retaining aperture at a first longitudinal position on the first leg when the grill is in a standing locked configuration and configured to be positioned at a second longitudinal position on the first leg when the grill is in a collapsed configuration.

2. The support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable pin collar assembly further comprises:
a housing defining a longitudinal aperture through which the first leg extends and a transverse aperture through which the spring pin extends; and
a handle, coupled to the spring pin whereby actuation of the handle causes retraction and extension of the spring pin.

3. The support assembly of claim 2 , wherein the housing is configured to permit the first leg to move longitudinally through the longitudinal aperture.

4. The support assembly of claim 2 , wherein the housing is rotatably coupled to the second leg.

5. The support assembly of claim 4 , wherein the housing is configured to rotate with respect to the second leg about a pin collar rotation axis, the pin collar rotation axis generally parallel with the transverse aperture.

6. The support assembly of claim 4 , wherein the housing has the same longitudinal position with respect to the length of the second leg in the standing locked position and in the collapsed locked position.

7. The support assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second legs cross each other in the standing configuration; and
the first and second legs are substantially parallel to each other in the collapsed configuration.

8. The support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first leg comprises:
an outer portion; and
an inner portion disposed within the outer portion;
wherein the inner portion and the outer portion are configured to translate longitudinally with respect to one another.

9. The support assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
a snap button coupled to one of the inner portion or the outer portion;
wherein the other of the inner portion or the outer portion defines a snap button aperture configured to receive the snap pin to secure the longitudinal position of the inner portion with respect to the outer portion.

10. The support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the leg subassembly is a first leg subassembly and the rotatable pin collar is a first rotatable pin collar, the support assembly further comprising:
a second leg subassembly comprising a third leg and a fourth leg; and
a second rotatable pin collar assembly configured to attach the third leg to the fourth leg in a slidable connection.

11. The support assembly of claim 10 , wherein the second rotatable pin collar assembly comprises a housing defining a longitudinal aperture through which the third leg extends, wherein the housing is configured to permit the third leg to move longitudinally through the longitudinal aperture.

12. The support assembly of claim 10 , wherein the housing is rotatably coupled to the fourth leg.

13. The support assembly of claim 10 , wherein the housing has the same longitudinal position with respect to the length of the fourth leg in the standing locked position and in the collapsed locked position.

14. The support assembly of claim 10 , wherein:
the third and fourth legs cross each other in the standing position; and
the third and fourth legs are substantially parallel to each other in the collapsed position.

15. The support assembly of claim 10 , wherein the third leg comprises:
an outer portion; and
an inner portion disposed within the outer portion;
wherein the inner portion and the outer portion are configured to translate longitudinally with respect to one another.

16. A grill comprising:
a body defining a grill chamber; and
a support assembly coupled to the body, the support assembly comprising:
a leg subassembly comprising a first leg and a second leg, the first leg defining a retaining aperture; and
a rotatable pin collar assembly configured to attach the first leg to the second leg in a slidable and lockable connection, the rotatable pin collar comprising:
a spring pin configured to be retained in the retaining aperture at a first longitudinal position on the first leg when the grill is in a standing locked configuration and configured to be positioned at a second longitudinal position on the first leg when the grill is in a collapsed configuration.

17. The grill of claim 16 , wherein:
a first longitudinal end of the first leg is rotatably coupled to the body;
a first longitudinal end of the second leg is rotatably coupled to the body;
wherein the rotatable pin collar assembly further comprises:
a housing defining a longitudinal aperture through which the first leg extends and a transverse aperture through which the spring pin extends; and
a handle, coupled to the spring pin whereby actuation of the handle causes retraction and extension of the spring pin.

18. The grill of claim 17 , wherein the housing is configured to permit the first leg to move longitudinally through the longitudinal aperture.

19. The grill of claim 17 , wherein the housing is rotatably coupled to the second leg.

20. The grill of claim 19 , wherein:
the housing is configured to rotate with respect to the second leg about a pin collar rotation axis, the pin-collar rotation axis generally parallel with the transverse aperture; and
the first leg and second leg are configured to rotate with respect to the body about respective body rotation axes that are generally parallel with the pin collar rotation axis.

Assignees

• Home Depot Product Authority Llc

Inventors

• Williams Dan
• Wong Riley
• Carley Jason
• Oshgan Steve

Classifications

• A47J37/0704 Primary

  with horizontal fire box · CPC title

• F24C15/086

  Adjustable legs or pillars · CPC title

• A47J2037/0777

  with foldable construction for storage or transport purposes · CPC title

• A47J37/0786 Primary

  Accessories · CPC title

• F24C1/16

  with special adaptation for travelling, e.g. collapsible · CPC title