Infrared emitting apparatus

An apparatus for cooking food with infrared radiation, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one infrared energy emitter for emitting at least the infrared radiation, said emitter having an emissivity of at least about 0.5;
• at least one grid mounted for having a first side of said grid support the food at a position so that at least some of the infrared radiation will cook the food, wherein
• said grid has a second side that is opposite from said first side and is positioned between said first side and said emitter's emitting side, and
• at a central area of said grid, said second side of said grid is in substantially close proximity to said emitting side of said emitter for substantially restricting any airflow in any space between said second side of said grid and said emitting side of said emitter;
• and
• a source of energy, wherein
• said emitter has a receiving side that is opposite from said emitting side, said receiving side is for receiving the energy from said source of energy, and said emitting side is for emitting the infrared radiation in response to said receiving side receiving the energy from said source of energy,
• said grid comprises a plurality of partitions for supporting the food, and
• at a central area of said plurality of partitions, said plurality of partitions are in a predetermined configuration and adjacent to said emitting side of said emitter so that at least
• (a) said emitting side of said emitter is operatively segregated into a plurality of segments,
• (b) partitions of said plurality of partitions and segments of said plurality of segments respectively cooperatively define a plurality of cavities,
• (c) each cavity of said plurality of cavities includes
• (1) an inner portion that is at least partially defined by a respective segment of said plurality of segments, and
• (2) an outer opening that is farther from said emitting side of said emitter than said inner portion of said cavity and is defined by one or more partitions of said plurality of partitions, and
• (d) for each cavity of said plurality of cavities, substantially all energy emitted from said segment that at least partially defines said inner portion of said cavity exits said outer opening of said cavity as radiant energy.

An apparatus for cooking food with infrared radiation, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one infrared energy emitter for emitting at least the infrared radiation, said emitter having an emissivity of at least about 0.5;
• and
• at least one grid mounted for having a first side of said grid support the food at a position so that at least some of the infrared radiation will cook the food, wherein
• said grid has a second side that is opposite from said first side and is positioned between said first side and said emitter's emitting side,
• at a central area of said grid, said second side of said grid is in substantially close proximity to said emitting side of said emitter for substantially restricting any airflow in any space between said second side of said grid and said emitting side of said emitter,
• said grid comprises a plurality of longitudinal members for supporting the food,
• said plurality of longitudinal members and said emitting side of said emitter cooperatively define a plurality of upwardly open chambers, and
• at a central area of said plurality of longitudinal members, said plurality of longitudinal members are arranged in a predetermined configuration and are adjacent to said emitting side of said emitter so that at least
• (a) said emitting side of said emitter is operatively segregated into a plurality of segments,
• (b) each open chamber of said plurality of open chambers includes
• (1) an inner portion that is at least partially defined by a respective segment of said plurality of segments, and
• (2) an outer opening that is farther from said emitting side of said emitter than said inner portion, and
• (c) for each open chamber of said plurality of open chambers, substantially all energy emitted from said segment that at least partially defines said inner portion of said open chamber exits said outer opening of said open chamber as radiant energy.

An apparatus for cooking food with infrared radiation, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one infrared energy emitter for emitting at least the infrared radiation, said emitter having an emissivity of at least about 0.5;
• and
• at least one grid mounted for having a first side of said grid support the food at a position so that at least some of the infrared radiation will cook the food, wherein
• said grid has a second side that is opposite from said first side and is positioned between said first side and said emitter's emitting side,
• at a central area of said grid, said second side of said grid is in substantially close proximity to said emitting side of said emitter for substantially restricting any airflow in any space between said second side of said grid and said emitting side of said emitter,
• said grid includes first and second longitudinal members,
• said first and second longitudinal members are adjacent to one another and in opposing face-to-face relation with one another so that a cavity is defined between said first and second longitudinal members,
• said cavity is upwardly open,
• said cavity has a bottom, and
• at a central area of said grid, said bottom of said cavity is partially obstructed by said emitter, comprising
• said grid being in substantially close proximity to said emitter, and
• a portion of said bottom of said cavity being downwardly open.

An apparatus for cooking food with infrared radiation, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one infrared energy emitter for emitting at least the infrared radiation, said emitter having an emissivity of at least about 0.5;
• and
• at least one grid mounted for having a first side of said grid support the food at a position so that at least some of the infrared radiation will cook the food, wherein
• said grid has a second side that is opposite from said first side and is positioned between said first side and said emitter's emitting side,
• at a central area of said grid, said second side of said grid is in substantially close proximity to said emitting side of said emitter for substantially restricting any airflow in any space between said second side of said grid and said emitting side of said emitter,
• said grid includes first and second longitudinal members,
• said first and second longitudinal members are adjacent to one another and in opposing face-to-face relation with one another so that a cavity is defined between said first and second longitudinal members,
• said cavity is upwardly open and has a bottom, and
• at a central area of said grid, said emitter obstructs said bottom of said cavity, comprising said grid being in substantially close proximity to said emitter.

An apparatus for cooking food with infrared radiation, the apparatus comprising:

• a gas-fired burner for emitting energy;
• a plurality of emitting segments having an emissivity of at least about 0.5, and positioned above said gas-fired burner
• for absorbing at least some of the energy emitted from said burner, and
• for emitting at least the infrared radiation in response to absorbing at least some of the energy emitted from said burner;
• a plurality of grid members, wherein at least at a central area of said plurality of grid members, said plurality of grid members are respectively contiguous with and extend upwardly from said plurality of emitting segments for supporting the food at a position that is above said plurality of emitting segments;
• and
• said plurality of grid members being configured so that
• a plurality of cavities are respectively positioned between adjacent grid members of said plurality of grid members, and
• for each cavity of said plurality of cavities, said cavity is configured for allowing infrared radiation emitted from a respective emitting segment of said plurality of emitting segments to pass upwardly, through and out of said cavity for cooking the food, comprising
• a lower end of said cavity being at least partially defined by said respective emitting segment,
• said cavity extending upwardly away from said respective emitting segment, and
• said cavity being upwardly open.