Grill Smoker Box Layout for Smoke Flow Beneath the Cooking Grate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas grills lack an effective method to position smoker boxes below the cooking grate due to limited space between the cooking grate and heat deflector bars, resulting in inefficient smoke circulation and flavoring of food.
Innovation Solution
A smoker box designed to fit between heat deflector bars on gas grills, allowing for the placement of soaked wood chips or particulates below the cooking grate, with a shape and structure that supports it between the bars and allows for smoke emission from beneath the grate, enhancing flavor infusion into food.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a smoker box is placed on top of the cooking grate, then the smoker box can be positioned above the burners, but the smoke is not circulated around the food and flavoring is ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the smoker box on top of the cooking grate as conventionally done, the invention inverts the approach by positioning the smoker box below the cooking grate, between the burners and the grate. This inversion allows smoke to rise directly through and around the food, making the smoke circulation effective for flavoring.
2Reliability
If the smoker box is placed below the cooking grate, then smoke circulation around food is improved, but there is no space available due to heat deflector bars
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the space between the burners and cooking grate by utilizing the gaps between adjacent heat deflector bars. Rather than requiring a continuous space, the smoker box is designed to fit into the segmented spaces created by the bar arrangement, allowing it to be positioned below the grate despite the presence of deflector bars.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from considering only vertical space to utilizing horizontal spacing between heat deflector bars. By designing the smoker box to fit between adjacent bars horizontally, the invention finds a viable position below the cooking grate that would otherwise be unavailable when considering only vertical dimensions.
3Productivity
If heat deflector bars are positioned close to the cooking grate to maximize heat, then cooking efficiency is improved, but no space remains for a smoker box
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by designing the smoker box with specific dimensional characteristics that allow it to fit into the localized spaces between heat deflector bars. The smoker box is shaped and sized to utilize the specific gaps created by the bar arrangement, allowing it to coexist with the closely-spaced deflector bars without compromising cooking efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The smoker box effectively circulates smoke around food, providing enhanced flavoring by positioning the smoke source directly below the cooking area, overcoming the space constraints of modern gas grills and improving the smoking experience.
Implementation Method 1
the taste of barbecued food can be enhanced by exposing the food to smoke produced by heating wood chips or particulates
Implementation Method 2
The smoke produced by the smoldering chips or particulates rises up through the grate and around the food supported thereby to efficiently smoke the food
Data Source
AI summary
A smoker box for a cooking grill is formed to fit between and be supported by adjacent parallel heat deflector bars of the cooking grill. The open top of the smoker box is preferably covered with a perforated lid that can be removably placed onto or hingedly connected to the top of the smoker box.