Smoker with variable configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12016490-B2
Application number	US-201715660219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 26, 2016
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A system includes a smoker having a cooking chamber and a firebox in fluid communication with the cooking chamber. The system includes a cooking grate within the cooking chamber, a first exhaust opening in the cooking chamber proximate the firebox, and a plurality of generally horizontal baffles below the cooking grate. At least one of these is situated near the firebox to direct smoke away from the firebox before it rises above a level of the cooking grate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a smoker having a cooking chamber and a firebox in fluid communication with the cooking chamber;
a cooking grate within the cooking chamber;
a first exhaust opening in the cooking chamber proximate the firebox, above the cooking grate;
a second exhaust opening in the cooking chamber distal from the firebox, above the cooking grate; and
a plurality of generally horizontal baffles below the cooking grate, at least one of which is situated near the firebox to direct smoke from the firebox away from the firebox before it rises above a level of the cooking grate;
wherein the at least one generally horizontal baffle is affixed to at least another of the plurality of generally horizontal baffles such that smoke is prevented from passing therebetween;
wherein the plurality of generally horizontal baffles comprises baffles that are individually selectively removable from the cooking chamber to alter a distance of travel of the smoke away from the firebox toward the second exhaust opening below the cooking grate before the smoke is allowed to rise above the cooking grate;
wherein the plurality of generally horizontal baffles affix to the cooking grate from below the cooking grate; and
wherein the first and second exhaust openings may be selectively enabled to direct exhaust smoke through the cooking chamber in combination with the plurality of generally horizontal baffles.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of generally horizontal baffles defines a drainage opening.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of generally horizontal baffles defines a plurality of louvres.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one of the plurality generally horizontal baffles defining the plurality of louvres defines the plurality of louvres angled toward a side of the baffle to draw flowing smoke therethrough.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of baffles is square in outline from above.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the plurality of baffle is dished with a sloped floor leading downward to a drainage opening oriented to a side of the baffle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of baffles comprises a frontward portion, a rearward portion, a rightward portion, and a leftward portion.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the baffles further comprises a planar surface suspended below the cooking grate by at least one wall suspended from any of the frontward portion, rearward portion, rightward portion, and leftward portion.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of generally horizontal baffles is affixed to the cooking grate adjacent thereto so as to prevent smoke from passing from below the at least one of the plurality of generally horizontal baffles upward through the cooking grate.

10. A system comprising:
a cylindrical cooking chamber having a cooking grate therein;
a firebox in fluid communication with the cooking chamber on a first end thereof;
a first exhaust opening defined proximate the first end of the cooking chamber proximate and higher than at least part of the firebox;
a second exhaust opening in the cooking chamber on a second end thereof, distal from and higher than at least part of the firebox;
a first exhaust control on the first exhaust opening and a second exhaust control on the second exhaust opening that individually and separately open and close the first and second exhaust openings, respectively; and
a plurality of selectively installable baffles;
wherein the plurality of selectively installable baffles have a first configuration wherein each of the plurality of selectively installable baffles are fixed inside the cooking chamber below the cooking grate to extend a path of smoke from the firebox, around the fixed plurality of selectively installable baffles, and back toward the first exhaust opening with the second exhaust opening closed;
wherein, when the plurality of baffles are fixed inside the cooking chamber below the cooking grate in the first configuration, each of the plurality of baffles is immediately adjacent to at least one other of the plurality of baffles such that smoke is blocked from flowing between adjacent baffles;
wherein the plurality of selectively installable baffles have a second configuration wherein a first subset of the plurality of selectively installable baffles are removed from inside the cooking chamber below the cooking grate and a second subset of the plurality of selectively installable baffles are fixed inside the cooking chamber below the cooking grate;
wherein, when the first subset of the selectively installable baffles are removed from inside the cooking chamber below the cooking grate in the second configuration none of the selectively installable baffles of the second subset blocks smoke flow in the cooking chamber; and
wherein the second exhaust opening may be opened to allow smoke to escape from the cooking chamber after passing the plurality of selectively installable baffles in the first configuration.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of baffles comprises a dish shape where a portion of the baffle is spaced apart from the cooking grate.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of baffles slopes toward a drainage opening oriented distally from the firebox.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of baffles provides a plurality of louvres oriented to draw smoke from the firebox toward the cooking grate.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein when the plurality of selectively installable baffles is in the first configuration, at least one of the plurality of selectively installable baffles in fixed adjacent the cooking grate to block smoke from flowing from below the at least one of the plurality of selectively installable baffles through the cooking grate.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein when the plurality of selectively installable baffles is in the second configuration, at least one of the plurality of selectively installable baffles in fixed adjacent the cooking grate to block smoke from flowing from below the at least one of the plurality of selectively installable baffles through the cooking grate.

Assignees

• Bradley W C Co

Inventors

• Barnett Brian
• Hamilton Anthony
• Rahmani Ramin Khosravi

Classifications

• A47J37/0786

  Accessories · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

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

• A23L5/17

  in a gaseous atmosphere with forced air or gas circulation, in vacuum or under pressure · CPC title

• A23B4/0526

  Smoke generators or smoking apparatus using liquid smoke in gaseous or liquid form · CPC title

• A23B4/052

  Smoke generators {; Smoking apparatus} · CPC title