US20070277805A1

US20070277805A1 - Portable Barbecue Box

Info

Publication number: US20070277805A1
Application number: US11/422,062
Authority: US
Inventors: Wei-Teh Ho
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: University of Michigan; University of Southern California USC
Priority date: 2006-06-02
Filing date: 2006-06-02
Publication date: 2007-12-06

Abstract

A portable barbecue box is disclosed. The portable barbecue box of the present invention comprises a cooking chamber, a heating tube, food supporting element(s), a control compartment and a motor. The food supporting element(s) may be a plurality of sticks. The heating tube is disposed inside the cooking chamber. A plurality of slots are provided on one side of the chamber so as to hold the sticks in place The motor may be turned on so that the sticks with food on may be rotated around. The output axle of the motor is connected with a set of cogwheels. The cogwheels may mesh with each other or a transmission wheel may be provided between each pair of the cogwheels. Hence, the motor may be turned on to rotate the food supporting element(s).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a portable barbecue box. More particularly, the invention relates to a portable barbecue box that may be used to barbecue or cook steaks, beef, hotdogs, burgers and other kinds of food and that is easy to clean and use and is environmentally friendly and economical.
2. Description of the prior art
In the contemporary society, with the fast development of urbanization, work and daily life become ever more stressful. People start to put more emphasis on their leisure activities and hope to use leisure activities to balance their life.
Among leisure activities, barbecue activity is a popular one. The process of barbecue activity allows people to relax and enjoy delicious food and each other's company.
In traditional barbecue activity, we have to prepare food, metal frame, charcoal, etc. If something goes wrong, such barbecue activity may be greatly affected and quarrels may occur between friends.
In addition, the use of improper barbecue devices may create a lot of garbage, grease and ash, which pollute our environment, and may even cause fires.
In this invention, a portable barbecue box is disclosed. The portable barbecue box of the present invention is relatively compact, easy to use, easy to carry around and environmentally friendly. It may be used in the outdoor and in our home. After the inventor put in a lot of effort in the subject and did some experiments, the inventor has successfully come up with the portable barbecue box of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a portable barbecue box that is easy to use so that food may be barbecued easily and the pleasure of a barbecue activity may be enhanced.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a portable barbecue box that is compact and easy to carry around so that it may be carried in an automobile and may be used in our home.
A third objective of the present invention is to provide a portable barbecue box that is environmentally friendly and allows grease and ash to be gathered and discarded.
The portable barbecue box of the present invention comprises a cooking chamber, a heating tube, food supporting element(s), a control compartment and a motor. The food supporting element(s) may be a plurality of sticks. The heating tube is disposed inside the cooking chamber. A plurality of slots are provided on one side of the chamber so as to hold the sticks in place. The motor, disposed in the compartment, may be turned on so that the sticks with food on may be rotated around. The output axle of the motor is connected with a set of cogwheels, which includes a plurality of cogwheels. The cogwheels may mesh with each other or a transmission wheel may be provided between each pair of the cogwheels. A positioning piece is provided on each cogwheel, and a positioning hole is centrally provided on each positioning piece. Whence, the proximal end and distal end of each stick may be positioned in a slot and a positioning hole, respectively. Hence, the motor may be turned on to rotate the sticks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings disclose an illustrative embodiment of the present invention which serves to exemplify the various advantages and objects hereof, and are as follows:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the portable barbecue box of the present invention with all the accessories.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable barbecue box of the present invention with the cover closed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the portable barbecue box of the present invention, illustrating how the sticks are used.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a stick with a food fixing piece fitted on it.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the portable barbecue box of the present invention, illustrating how the net is used.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the portable barbecue box of the present invention, illustrating how the cylindrical rollers are used.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view illustrating the sticks and the components of the control compartment.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view illustrating the cylindrical rollers and the components of the control compartment.


List of reference numerals

	1 Portable barbecue box	11 Cooking chamber
	12 Heating tube	13 Cover
	14 Slots	15 Control compartment
	16 Net	17 Food fixing pieces
	18 Indicator light	19 Grease collecting pan
	2 Sticks	21 Retaining rings
	3 Motor	311 Cogwheels
	31 A set of cogwheels	312 Transmission wheels
	313 Positioning pieces	314 Positioning holes
	32 Enclosure piece	33 Enclosure piece
	4 Cylindrical rollers

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention may become more understandable if the following description is read with reference to the drawings.
Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. The portable barbecue box 1 of the present invention comprises a cooking chamber 11, a heating tube 12, food supporting element(s), a control compartment 15, a motor 3, a cover 13, an indicator light and a grease collecting pan 19. The cover 13 is disposed on top of the cooking chamber 11. The cover may be closed when the box 1 is not in use so as to keep the cooking chamber 11 in a clean condition. The heating tube 12 is disposed in the cooking chamber 11. The food supporting elements may be placed in an upper portion of the cooking chamber 11. In use, food is placed on the food supporting elements; then, food may be cooked by the heating tube 12, whose electricity is supplied by a built-in power supply unit or a power source (not shown in the drawings) from outside of the box 1. The grease collecting pan 19 is disposed on the bottom of the cooking chamber 11 so as to collect grease and ash.
The food supporting elements may be a plurality of sticks 2 (food may be attached on these sticks 2 so as to be barbecued) or a plurality of cylindrical rollers 4 (food may be placed on these cylindrical rollers 4 so as to be barbecued and moved around) or a net 16 (food may be placed on the net 16 so as to be barbecued). A handle may be provided on the net 16 or a stick 2 may be used with the net 16 so that the net 16 may be fixedly rest in the upper portion of the portable barbecue box 1.
Please refer to FIG. 3, which illustrates how the sticks 2 are used. A plurality of slots 14 are provided on one side of the cooking chamber 11 and may hold the sticks 2 in place. A control compartment 15 is provided on the other side of the cooking chamber 11. The distal end of each stick 2 may be inserted into one of several holes provided in control compartment 15. Now, each stick 2 and food attached to it may be rotated by a motor disposed in the control compartment 15. A retaining ring 21 may be provided on each stick 2 and may press against a wall of the cooking chamber 11 so as to keep the stick 2 from getting off the corresponding slot while being rotated. Also, a food fixing piece 17 may be fitted on each stick 2; each food fixing piece 17 may be inserted into food so that food may be fixedly held on the corresponding stick 2.
Please refer to FIG. 4, which illustrates how the net 16 is used. The net 16 may be held in place by placing the handle or the stick 2 into the slot 14 and the hole. Now, food may be placed on the net 16 so as to be barbecued.
Please refer to FIG. 5, which illustrates how the cylindrical rollers 4 are used. First, a stick 2 is placed inside each cylindrical roller 4. Then, food may be placed on these cylindrical rollers 4 so as to be barbecued and moved around.
Please refer to FIGS. 6 and 7, which illustrate the structure of the control compartment 15. A motor 3 is disposed in the control compartment 15. The output axle of the motor 3 is connected with a set of cogwheels 31. Two enclosure pieces 32 and 33 are provided so that the set of cogwheels 31 may be properly positioned. The set of cogwheels 31 includes a plurality of cogwheels 311; the cogwheels 311 may mesh with each other or a transmission wheel 312 may be provided between each pair of the cogwheels 311. A positioning piece 313 is provided on each cogwheel 311 and extends beyond a corresponding hole in the enclosure piece 32. A positioning hole 314 is centrally provided on each positioning piece 313. In use, the proximal portion and distal end of each stick 2 may be positioned in a slot 14 and a positioning hole 314, respectively; now, the motor 3 may be turned on to rotate the sticks 2. To ensure a tight fit, the distal end of each stick 2 and each positioning hole 314 has a polygonal shape so that the distal end of each stick 2 may be fixedly held inside the corresponding positioning hole 314. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the distal end of each roller 4 may engage with the outer perimeter of a positioning piece 313 so that the motor 3 may be turned on to rotate the rollers 4.
Many changes and modifications in the above described embodiment of the invention can, of course, be carried out without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A portable barbecue box, comprising:

a cooking chamber, with a heating tube disposed in the cooking chamber;

a control compartment, provided on one side of the cooking chamber, characterized in that electricity is supplied by a built-in power supply unit in the control compartment or a power source outside of the portable barbecue box; and

a plurality of sticks, which may be placed in an upper portion of the cooking chamber so that food may be put on these sticks so as to be barbecued.

2. The portable barbecue box as in claim 1, wherein a cover is provided so that the portable barbecue box may be closed.

3. The portable barbecue box as in claim 1, wherein a grease collecting pan is disposed on the bottom of the cooking chamber so as to collect grease and ash.

4. The portable barbecue box as in claim 1, wherein a food fixing piece may be provided and fitted on each stick and may be inserted into food so that food may be fixedly held and barbecued on the corresponding stick.

5. The portable barbecue box as in claim 1, wherein the food supporting elements may be a net, and a handle may be provided on the net or a stick may be used with the net so that the net may be fixedly rest in the upper portion of the portable barbecue box and so that food may be placed on the net and be barbecued.

6. The portable barbecue box as in claim 1, wherein a plurality of slots are provided on one side of the cooking chamber and may hold the sticks in place, and wherein a retaining ring may be provided on each stick and may press against a wall of the cooking chamber so as to keep each stick from getting off the corresponding slot while being rotated.

7. The portable barbecue box as in claim 1, wherein a motor is disposed in the control compartment and the output axle of the motor is connected with a set of cogwheels, and wherein the set of cogwheels includes a plurality of cogwheels, a positioning piece is provided on each cogwheel and a positioning hole is provided on each positioning piece so that the distal end of each stick may be held by a corresponding positioning piece and so that each stick may be rotated around.

8. The portable barbecue box as in claim 7, wherein the cogwheels may mesh with each other or a transmission wheel may be provided between each pair of the cogwheels.

9. The portable barbecue box as in claim 7, wherein a plurality of cylindrical rollers may be provided, and wherein each stick may be placed inside a cylindrical roller and the distal end of each roller may engage with the outer perimeter of a positioning piece.