Reverse flow combination cooking apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor cooking apparatuses, such as smokers and grills, occupy significant space and are costly to maintain, as homeowners need to purchase and store separate units for different cooking methods, which is inefficient and space-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A combination cooking apparatus that integrates a reverse flow indirect-heat smoker with a pellet grill, featuring a cooking chamber with a removable baffle and drip tray defining a smoke tunnel, allowing for the selection between pellet fuel and wood split heat sources, and a movable chamber flap for controlling airflow and heat source usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate smokers and grills are used for different cooking methods, then cooking versatility is improved, but space occupation and maintenance cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a smoker and grill into a single cooking apparatus with a unified cooking chamber. The apparatus includes both a wood firebox for smoking and a pellet firebox for grilling, allowing users to perform both cooking methods in one device, thereby reducing the need for multiple separate appliances and the space they occupy.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooking chamber is designed to serve multiple functions by accommodating different heat sources and cooking configurations. The chamber can be configured for indirect smoking using the wood firebox or direct grilling using the pellet firebox, making the apparatus universal for both cooking styles without requiring separate dedicated spaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate smokers and grills are purchased for different cooking methods, then cooking versatility is improved, but acquisition and maintenance cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the smoker and grill into a single apparatus with shared components such as the cooking chamber, lid, and control systems, the patent reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured, purchased, and maintained. This consolidation lowers both acquisition costs and ongoing maintenance expenses compared to owning separate units.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus achieves multi-functionality through a single unified design that accommodates both smoking and grilling operations. This eliminates the need to purchase and maintain two separate specialized devices, thereby reducing overall costs while maintaining full cooking versatility.
3Area of stationary object
If a single cooking apparatus combines multiple heat sources, then space efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus segments the firebox functions into separate compartments: a wood firebox for smoking and a pellet firebox for grilling. This segmentation allows each heat source to be independently controlled and managed within the unified cooking chamber, reducing operational complexity despite the multiple functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus includes movable components such as a sliding baffle and adjustable racks that allow users to dynamically reconfigure the cooking chamber based on the desired cooking method. These dynamic elements enable flexible adaptation between smoking and grilling modes without requiring complex fixed structures.
4Ease of operation
If a smoke tunnel is defined by a removable baffle and drip tray, then smoke flow control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The smoke tunnel is formed by a removable baffle and drip tray that can be positioned and adjusted by the user to control smoke flow paths. This dynamic, user-adjustable configuration allows flexible smoke management for different cooking styles without requiring complex automated systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The drip tray serves as an intermediary component that both catches drippings and helps define the smoke tunnel geometry. This dual-function element simplifies the overall structure by combining drainage and smoke flow control functions in a single removable part, reducing the need for additional complex components.
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
This solution allows for efficient space-saving and cost-effective wood-fired cooking by combining the benefits of pellet grilling and reverse flow smoking in a single unit, enabling various cooking styles while reducing the need for multiple appliances and dependency on fossil fuels.
Implementation Method 1
the first heat source includes an internal chimney directing to a first heat above the grill
Implementation Method 2
indirect heat smoking of the food product... placing a wood split heat source on a second side of a cooking chamber
Implementation Method 3
a smoke tunnel extending between the first and second sides... a second heat and associated smoke selectively flows through the smoke tunnel
Data Source
AI summary
A combination cooking apparatus that combines a reverse flow indirect-heat smoker with a pellet fuel heat grill in a single cooking chamber having a smoke tunnel, for smoke developed by the indirect smoker heat source on a first side of the cooking chamber to pass laterally to an opposing second side of the cooking chamber adjacent the pellet fuel heat source. A smokestack disposed on the second side communicates with the external environment, enabling reverse flow functionality of the smoke of the indirect smoker heat source as it is redirected back toward the smokestack. A movable chamber flap operatively associated with the smoke tunnel to be movable between an open condition and a closed condition so that a user can select an indirect heat associated with pellet fuel or an indirect heat associated with the indirect smoker heat source, respectively, within the cooking chamber.