Charcoal briquet having a grooved surface

Abstract

A generally pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having a convex upper surface and a convex lower surface, wherein at least one of these surfaces contain an enhanced surface feature comprising one or more grooves. When two or more grooves are located on one or both convex surfaces, the grooves are generally parallel to each other and to two opposing sides of the briquet, and generally perpendicular to two opposing sides of the briquet. The briquets have improved ignition characteristics and enhanced burn phase properties.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 29 / 208,910 filed Jul. 7, 2004 which is incorporated herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to the field of charcoal briquets and other solid fuel compositions. More particularly, the present invention relates to pillow-shaped charcoal briquets having improved surface features that aid in improved random stacking, lighting and burn phase characteristics. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] There is great consumer interest in using charcoal for outdoor cooking in which meals can be prepared and served quickly for individual or large group consumption. Consumers desire cooking and grilling with charcoal briquets that are easily stackable to form the traditional starter pile, easily ignitable, maintain a uniform and efficient combustion that ignites the individual briquets in the starter pile, and have a sufficiently long burn period. Similar...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] In accordance with the present invention, an improved charcoal briquet having a generally pillow-shaped configuration having an upper surface, a lower surface, a periphery, and enhanced surface features preferably comprising one or more grooves, channels, trenches or the like, on one or both surfaces. The improved charcoal briquets of the present invention have improved random stacking ability, and enhanced ignition and burn phase properties, thereby overcoming previously known difficulties.

[0011] More specifically, and in accordance with the present invention, an improved pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having a generally convex upper surface, a generally convex lower surface, and a periphery wherein at least one of the upper or lower surfaces has located thereon enhanced surface textured features in the form of at least one groove, channel, trench or the like. When two or more grooves are present on one or both surfaces, the grooves are preferably parallel to each other, parallel to two opposing sides of the briquet, and perpendicular to two other opposing sides of the briquet. The presence of one or more grooves on or both surfaces increases the surface area to volume ratio thereby enabling more of the briquet to be exposed to oxygen.

[0012] These and other objects and advantages are achieved by the present invention which comprises a generally pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having an improved surface configuration. Pillow-shaped charcoal briquets having this unique surface configuration have enhanced ignition properties and burn phase characteristics.

Problems solved by technology

Similarly, consumers desire to handle dirty charcoal as little as possible when forming traditional starter piles and the like.

However, previously known ornamental and geometrically configured charcoal briquets fail to address enhancing the surface of pillow-shaped briquets to improve the random, non-mating stacking ability properties, as well as to improve ignition and burn phase characteristics.

However, very rapid delivery of intense heat does not provide an acceptable combustion response for cooking or grilling purposes.

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