Adjustable Grill Boom Assembly for Stable Open-Fire Cooking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor cooking assemblies over open flames are unstable, limited in height adjustment, and unsuitable for cooking substantial food items, often requiring ideal soil and weather conditions, and pose safety hazards due to proximity to the fire source.
Innovation Solution
A permanent and plumb support system with a collapsible boom and heat-resistant rope adjustment assembly, allowing for 360° rotation and infinite height adjustment, supported by a removable and rotatable upright stanchion, providing stability across various soil conditions and enabling safe cooking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If portable upright stanchions are used to support the cooking surface, then the assembly is easy to move and set up, but the assembly becomes unstable and requires ideal soil conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is divided into a permanent foundation component and a removable stanchion component. The foundation provides stable anchoring in the ground while the stanchion can be removed for portability, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of setup and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
A permanent foundation acts as an intermediary between the ground and the removable stanchion. This foundation provides the stable base needed for cooking while allowing the stanchion to remain removable for easy setup and portability.
2Device complexity
If the stanchion is positioned close to the fire source for compact design, then the assembly is space-efficient, but the entire apparatus heats up and becomes dangerous to adjust
Solution Approach 1:
The boom arm extends the cooking surface horizontally away from the heat source, creating spatial separation in the horizontal dimension. This allows the support structure to remain relatively compact while the cooking surface is positioned at a safe distance from the fire, resolving the contradiction between compact design and heat exposure.
3Device complexity
If fixed height support structures are used, then the assembly is simple and stable, but the cooking surface cannot be adjusted for optimal cooking conditions or to cook substantial food items
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure incorporates a winch mechanism that allows the cooking surface height to be dynamically adjusted. The winch system provides controlled movement while maintaining stability at any selected height, thus resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and height adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual height adjustment mechanism is replaced with a winch system that uses mechanical advantage to provide smooth, controlled height adjustment. This substitution maintains relative simplicity while enabling precise height control for various cooking needs.
4Ease of operation
If the cooking assembly is designed for portability with removable components, then the assembly is easy to store and relocate, but it lacks the stability and support for substantial food items
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a permanent foundation that remains installed for stability and strength, and removable stanchion components that provide portability. This segmentation allows the assembly to have both the support capacity for substantial food items and the ease of storage and relocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure transitions from a fully permanent design to a hybrid design where the foundation is permanent but the stanchions are removable. This dynamic configuration allows the system to provide maximum support when needed while maintaining portability when the stanchions are removed.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a permanent foundation which supports an open flame cooking assembly which includes a collapsible boom support arm which supports a cooking surface or grill which is height adjustable via a winch and heat resistant rope adjustment assembly, wherein the boom is supported by an upright stanchion of varying length which is removably and rotatably coupled to the permanent foundation support assembly.