Self-cleaning grilling devices
AssigneeTraeger Pellet Grills, LLC
InventorsMichael V. Colston, Daniel A. C. Altenritter, Daniel W. Sluder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A firepot for a grilling device comprises one or more walls at least partially forming an outer boundary of the firepot. The firepot is structurally configured to hold at least partially ignited solid fuel. The firepot also comprises a floor defining, at least in part, a lower end of the firepot. The floor comprises one or more holes extending through the floor. Additionally, a portion of the one or more walls form a solid fuel delivery opening that comprises a solid fuel portal through which solid fuel is deliverable to an interior of the firepot. A heating element mount is positioned to hold a heating element within the interior of the firepot.
Claims16
A grilling device, comprising:
- a grilling cavity comprising a firepot comprising a bottom surface;
- an evacuation cavity located below the firepot;
- a cavity separator located between the grilling cavity and the evacuation cavity, the bottom surface of the firepot in vertical alignment with and spaced apart from the cavity separator;
- one or more tunnels extending through the cavity separator, the evacuation cavity in direct communication with the grilling cavity through the one or more tunnels, openings in the bottom surface of the firepot vertically aligned with the one or more tunnels, wherein the one or more tunnels are individually shaped and configured to cause combustion byproducts generated within the firepot to exit the grilling cavity in a cyclonic path;
- wherein at least some of the one or more tunnels are positioned and configured to convey the combustion byproducts from the firepot to the evacuation cavity;
- and
- a screen physically contacting the cavity separator, the screen positioned laterally adjacent to and over the firepot and configured to direct ash and debris generated as the combustion byproducts within the firepot toward the evacuation cavity.
A self-cleaning grilling device, comprising:
- an evacuation cavity positioned below a grilling cavity;
- one or more conical-shaped tunnels disposed in a cavity separator between the evacuation cavity and the grilling cavity, the one or more conical-shaped tunnels providing openings through which ash and debris are drawn from the grilling cavity into the evacuation cavity;
- a firepot positioned within the grilling cavity, the firepot comprising openings extending through a floor defining a lower boundary of the firepot, the firepot overlying and remote from the cavity separator, and wherein the openings in the floor of the firepot are at least partially vertically aligned with the one or more conical-shaped tunnels;
- and
- a screen physically contacting the cavity separator, the screen positioned laterally adjacent to and over the firepot and configured to direct the ash and debris generated as a combustion byproduct within the firepot toward the evacuation cavity,
- wherein the floor of the firepot comprises one or more of a hinged portion, movable shutters, and a mesh screen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.