Smoker Cabinet Side Access for Sliding Water and Wood Chip Pans
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smokers lack an efficient and accessible configuration for managing water and wood chips, which are crucial for smoke generation, often requiring cumbersome access and inefficient smoke distribution.
Innovation Solution
A vertically extended smoker cabinet with a gaseous fuel burner, a water pan, and a wood chips pan, where the pans are supported by a slide bracket and accessible through a smaller side door, allowing for easy lateral removal and optimized smoke generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional smoker configuration is used with water pans and wood chip pans, then smoke generation is achieved, but access to these components is cumbersome and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cabinet is divided into two separate access points: a main front door for general access and a smaller side door specifically positioned to provide direct access to the water pan and wood chips pan. This segmentation allows users to access smoking components without opening the entire cabinet, improving ease of operation while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
A slide bracket mechanism is introduced as an intermediary component between the pans and the cabinet interior. This slide bracket allows the water pan and wood chips pan to be easily slid in and out through the side door, serving as a mediator that simplifies the interaction between the user and the smoking components.
2Ease of operation
If water pan and wood chips pan are positioned for easy access, then operation is simplified, but smoke distribution may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The side door is positioned at a specific location on the cabinet that provides direct access to the smoking components while maintaining optimal smoke distribution pathways. The localized access point is strategically placed to not interfere with the vertical smoke flow from the wood chips pan through the cabinet interior to the food on shelves.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing access through the front of the cabinet, a side door is introduced, adding a lateral access dimension. This allows users to reach the smoking components from the side without disrupting the front-to-back smoke flow path, thereby maintaining smoke distribution reliability while improving accessibility.
3Ease of operation
If a smaller side door is added for pan access, then component accessibility is improved, but cabinet complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is segmented into a main front door for general cabinet access and a smaller side door specifically for smoking component access. This segmentation allows each door to be optimized for its specific function, with the side door being simpler in design since it only needs to accommodate pan removal rather than full cabinet access.
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 configuration enables efficient smoke distribution and easy access to smoking components, improving the smoking process by allowing controlled heat and smoke management, enhancing food smoking quality.
Implementation Method 1
A gaseous fuel supplied burner element is positioned next to the lower end portion of the cabinet, the burner element being removably connectable to a source of gaseous fuel
Implementation Method 2
A pair of containers is mounted within the cabinet below the shelves and above the burner element. One of the containers is preferably a water container for containing water. The other of the containers being a wood chips container for containing wood chips
Data Source
AI summary
A smoker apparatus is disclosed that provides a smoker cabinet having upper and lower end portions. The cabinet has a top, a bottom and a side wall or walls and an interior. The cabinet includes a plurality of vertically spaced apart shelves mounted within the cabinet interior. A cabinet door that enables access to the shelves. A gaseous fuel supplied burner element is positioned next to the lower end portion of the cabinet, the burner element being removably connectable to a source of gaseous fuel. A pair of containers is mounted within the cabinet below the shelves and above the burner element. One of the containers is preferably a water container for containing water. The other of the containers being a wood chips container for containing wood chips, wherein the wood chips container is positioned in between the water container and the burner element. A slide bracket supports the containers, the slide bracket positioned generally in between the burner element and the shelves. An access door is provided that is much smaller than the cabinet door, the access door extending vertically a distance at least spanning the vertical dimension of the containers. Either container can be removed laterally from the cabinet at least a partial distance by sliding it laterally upon the slide bracket and at least partially through the access door.