# US 2014/0154381 A1 · Airflow-regulated smokers and methods of using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154381 A1 - Document ID: US20140154381A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/170,605 - Filed: 2014-02-01 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-14 - Inventors: Masoud Mafi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154381A1 ## CPC - A23L 5/17: {in a gaseous atmosphere with forced air or gas circulation, in vacuum or under pressure} - A23B 4/052: Smoke generators {; Smoking apparatus} - A47J 37/0786: {Accessories} - A23L 5/19: {using chemicals before or during cooking, e.g. liquid cooking media other than water or oil; Cooking using inert particles, e.g. fluidised bed cooking (using additives to cooking oil A23L5/11)} - Y02A 40/90: in food processing or handling, e.g. food conservation - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - A23B: PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract Smokers can enclose smoking subjects for production of trapped smoke with limited airflow. Optimal airflow rates and resulting smoking effects can be achieved through smokers. If a smoker has approximately 60 cubic inches volume, four 2-millimeter holes at an air inlet point achieves desired airflow and oxygen consumption in typical fills and cooking temperatures. Smokers may include a lid or other seal or access point to permit placement and enclosure of smoking materials. Smokers are useable with conventional grills and may be shaped to sit on grill racks without blocking desired airflow by grill components or smoking materials. Smokers may include a detachable handle for safer handling and heating. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of smoking food, the method comprising: enclosing smoking material in a body having a bottom air inlet and a top exhaust, wherein the smoking material is between the air inlet and the exhaust; placing the body and food in a low-exhaust cooking space; applying a heat of over 200 degrees Fahrenheit to the food and smoking material so as to cook the food and produce smoke from the smoking material in the cooking space; and flowing a limited oxygen flow into an inlet of the body so as to exhaust smoke from an outlet of the body opposite the inlet and into the low-exhaust cooking space. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the flowing flows only atmospheric air through the body, of which the limited oxygen flow is a component. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the smoking material are wood chips or pellets having a packing density of up to about 70%. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the enclosing includes sealing the smoking material in the body by latching a lid to the body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the body is an elliptic cylinder extending longest in a height direction having an internal volume of approximately 60 cubic inches, and wherein the air inlet is four apertures each of approximately 0.08 inch diameter spaced in the height direction at a minor axis of the elliptic cylinder at the bottom of the body, and wherein the limited oxygen flow is approximately 9.0E-4 to approximately 2.1E-3 grams of oxygen per second. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the exhaust is a plurality of slits in at a minor axis of the elliptic cylinder at the top of the body opposite the bottom. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the low-exhaust cooking space is a gas, electric, or charcoal grill, and wherein applying the heat of over 200 degrees Fahrenheit includes placing the body on the gas, electric, or charcoal grill such that the curved bottom directly contacts the grill but does not block the apertures. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the flowing includes at least one of a natural convection airflow created by the applying the heat and a forced airflow created by a fan. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: attaching a removable handle to the body and removing the body from a heat source with the handle. ### Claim 10 A method of smoking, the method comprising: enclosing smoking material to no more than about 70% packing density in a body having an air inlet and exhaust; applying a heat of over 200 degrees Fahrenheit to the body so as to produce smoke from the smoking material that exits the body through the exhaust; and limiting oxygen flowing into the body to between about 1.5E-5 to 3.5E-5 grams per second per cubic inch of a volume of the body. ### Claim 11 The method of 10, wherein the smoking material is pieces of wood leaving about 30% or more open volume in the body. ### Claim 12 The method of 10, further comprising: placing the body and food in a substantially enclosed space when the smoke is being produced so as to smoke the food. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the limiting oxygen flow is created by natural convection with the heat on a bottom of the body. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the body has a volume of approximately 60 cubic inches such that the oxygen flow rate is about 0.0009 to 0.0021 grams per second, and wherein the air inlet is 4 apertures of approximately 0.08 inches each spaced on a bottom of the smoker opposite the exhaust so as to cause the natural convection. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the limiting oxygen flow is created by forced convection by at least one of activating a fan and opening a pressurized air flow source. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein, the body is a smoker in the shape of an elliptic cylinder having a longest dimension in a height direction and having a major and minor axes perpendicular to the height direction, the air inlet is positioned on a bottom of the smoker on the minor axis and the exhaust is positioned on a top of the smoker on the minor axis, and the enclosing includes placing the smoking material between the air inlet and the exhaust in the smoker without blocking the air inlet or the exhaust, and wherein the applying the heat includes placing the smoker on a grill rack touching the bottom such that the elliptic cylinder shape prevents the grill rack from blocking the air inlet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: attaching a removable handle to the body while the body is in direct contact with a heat source providing the heat over 200 degrees Fahrenheit by holding the handle at a position remote from the heat source; and moving the body with the attached handle.