Pellet fueled cooking appliance with an improved hopper configuration
AssigneeNorth Atlantic Imports, LLC
InventorJared Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pellet fueled cooking appliance is provided. The pellet fueled cooking appliance includes a cooking body, which defines a cooking chamber, and a burner positioned to heat the cooking chamber when pellets are burned in the burner. The pellet fueled cooking appliance also includes a pellet hopper having a hopper inlet and a hopper outlet. The hopper outlet is configured to feed pellets from the hopper into the burner. A hopper shaker is mounted to the pellet hopper. The hopper shaker is configured to impart a vibration to the pellet hopper to facilitate the flow of pellets through the pellet hopper and into the burner.
Claims20
A pellet fueled cooking appliance comprising:
- a cooking body defining a cooking chamber;
- a burner positioned to heat the cooking chamber when pellets are burned therein;
- a pellet hopper having a hopper inlet and a hopper outlet, the pellet hopper configured to feed pellets from the hopper outlet into the burner;
- and
- a hopper shaker mounted to the pellet hopper, wherein the hopper shaker is configured to impart a vibration to the pellet hopper to facilitate flow of pellets through the pellet hopper and into the burner.
A method of fueling a cooking appliance comprising:
- feeding pellets disposed within a pellet hopper from the pellet hopper into a burner;
- igniting pellets received in the burner;
- and
- energizing a hopper shaker mounted to the pellet hopper to facilitate flow of pellets disposed within the pellet hopper from the pellet hopper to the burner.
A pellet grill comprising:
- a cooking body defining a cooking chamber;
- a pellet hopper coupled to the cooking body and having a hopper outlet;
- a fire pot disposed within and configured to heat the cooking chamber;
- an auger housing extending between the hopper outlet and the fire pot;
- an auger positioned within the auger housing and extending between the hopper outlet and the fire pot;
- an auger motor coupled to the auger, the auger motor configured to rotate the auger within the auger housing to feed pellets from the hopper outlet to the fire pot;
- and
- a hopper shaker mounted to the pellet hopper, wherein the hopper shaker is configured to impart a vibration to the pellet hopper to facilitate flow of pellets through the pellet hopper and into the fire pot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.