Systems and method for providing automatic ignition of a fuel source within a grill

A system for automatically igniting fuel within a fuel source hopper of a grill, the system comprising:

• a fuel source hopper comprising:
• a basket configured to hold a stack of fuel;
• a fire starter tray positioned beneath the stack of fuel within the fuel source hopper and configured to hold a starter block, wherein when the starter block is ignited, the positioning of the starter block within the fire starter tray is configured to ignite the stack of fuel in the basket;
• a heating element configured to ignite the starter block within the fire starter tray when the heating element is activated;
• and
• a fan configured to provide an airflow to an area beneath the stack of fuel where the starter block in the fire starter tray ignites the stack of fuel in the basket;
• a display and user controls configured to receive information from a user;
• and
• a controller in communication with the display and user controls and in communication with the heating element and the fan of the fuel source hopper, wherein the controller is configured to operate the heating element and the fan to automatically ignite the stack of fuel within the fuel source hopper based on information received from the user via the display and user controls.

A system for automatically igniting charcoal within a charcoal hopper of a grill, the system comprising:

• a charcoal hopper comprising:
• a basket configured to hold a stack of charcoal;
• a fire starter tray positioned beneath the stack of charcoal within the charcoal hopper and configured to hold a starter block, wherein when the starter block is ignited, the positioning of the starter block within the fire starter tray is configured to ignite the stack of charcoal in the basket;
• a hot surface igniter configured to ignite the starter block within the fire starter tray when the hot surface igniter is activated;
• and
• a fan configured to provide an airflow to an area beneath the stack of charcoal where the starter block in the fire starter tray ignites the stack of fuel in the basket;
• a display and user controls configured to receive information from a user;
• and
• a controller in communication with the display and user controls and in communication with the heating element and the fan of the fuel source hopper, wherein the controller is configured to:
• receive, via the display and user controls, an indication from the user to initiate an ignition sequence and a desired temperature;
• control the heating element of the charcoal hopper to be active for a defined period of time based on the indication from the user;
• and
• control the fan of the charcoal hopper, based on the indication from the user, to provide the airflow to the area beneath the stack of charcoal where the starter block in the fire starter tray ignites the stack of charcoal in the basket.