MEAT AND OTHER FOOD SMOKER

Abstract

A smoker for meats and other foods, belonging to the technical sector of barbecues and similar, of horizontal type, with displaced furnace and direct flow or vertical type smokers, is formed: by a smoking chamber and a furnace. The smoking chamber is formed by: a dividing plate; a lower chamber arranged in communication with the furnace; a smoking chamber itself; passages provided in the dividing plate through which the heated gases are fed into the smoking chamber itself; a set of grates disposed in different levels; and a chimney; the lower chamber is constituted by a plenum box, which maintains the static pressure of the heated gases homogeneous in its interior; the passages include alignments of deflector openings provided on the opposite sides of the dividing plate, selected to increase the speed with the formation of vortices and direct the heated gas fed into the smoking chamber itself.

Claims

1. A smoker for meat and other foods, of horizontal type, with a displaced furnace and direct flow, formed by: a horizontal smoking chamber (1); a furnace (20) displaced laterally and below the horizontal smoking chamber (1) and communicating with this smoking chamber through a passage (21), through which heated gases circulate; wherein said horizontal smoking chamber (1) is constituted by: a dividing plate (2); a lower chamber (3) arranged under the dividing plate (2), in which the passage (21) to feed the heated gases is opened; a smoking chamber itself (4) arranged above the dividing plate (2); passages (5), provided in the dividing plate (2) and through which the heated gases are fed from the lower chamber (3) to the smoking chamber itself (4); sets of grids (6) assembled in different levels in the smoking chamber itself (4), over which the meat and food are laid down; and a chimney (7) derived from the smoking chamber itself (4); wherein the lower chamber (3) constitutes a plenum box (3), with shapes and dimensions (geometry) selected to maintain the static pressure of the heated gases in its interior uniform and constant; wherein passages (5) between the plenum box (3) and the smoking chamber itself (4), comprise sets of deflector openings (5)-(8), aligned on the opposite sides of the dividing plate (2)′ wherein each deflector opening (5)-(8) is formed by an opening (5) made in the dividing plate (2), with a selected dimension in order to provide an increased speed of feeding the heated gas in the smoking chamber itself (4); and wherein a deflector (8) directs the flow of heated gas in an inclined angle (oblique) direction in relation to the horizontal plane of the dividing plate (2), so that the streams of heated gas are fed obliquely and with high speed into the smoking chamber itself and collide with each other and/or with surfaces of the smoking chamber itself, generating and intensifying a vortex effect that increases the mixture of hot gas streams, resulting in the homogenization of the temperature of the hot gases and the increase of the heat transfer efficiency of said heated gases for the food being smoked.

2. A smoker for meat and other foods, of vertical type, with a displaced furnace and direct flow, formed by: a vertical smoking chamber (1); a furnace (20) displaced laterally and below the vertical smoking chamber (1) and communicating with this smoking chamber through a passage (21), through which heated gases circulate; wherein said vertical smoking chamber (1) is constituted by: a dividing plate (2); a lower chamber (3) arranged under the dividing plate (2), in which the passage (21) to feed the heated gases is opened; a smoking chamber itself (4) arranged above the dividing plate (2); passages (5), provided in the dividing plate (2) and through which the heated gases are fed from the lower chamber (3) to the smoking chamber itself (4); sets of grids (6) assembled in different levels in the smoking chamber itself (4), over which the meat and food are laid down; and a chimney (7) derived from the smoking chamber itself (4); wherein the lower chamber (3) constitutes a plenum box (3), with shapes and dimensions (geometry) selected to maintain the static pressure of the heated gases in its interior uniform and constant; wherein passages (5) between the plenum box (3) and the smoking chamber itself (4), comprise sets of deflector openings (5)-(8), aligned on the opposite sides of the dividing plate (2)′ wherein each deflector opening (5)-(8) is formed by an opening (5) made in the dividing plate (2), with a selected dimension in order to provide an increased speed of feeding the heated gas in the smoking chamber itself (4); wherein a deflector (8) directs the flow of heated gas in an inclined angle (oblique) direction in relation to the horizontal plane of the dividing plate (2), so that the streams of heated gas are fed obliquely and with high speed into the smoking chamber itself and collide with each other and/or with surfaces of the smoking chamber itself, generating and intensifying a vortex effect that increases the mixture of hot gas streams, resulting in the homogenization of the temperature of the hot gases and the increase of the heat transfer efficiency of said heated gases for the food being smoked; and wherein the smoker comprises from bottom to top the plenum box that contains the furnace; the dividing plate (2); the deflector openings (5)-(8) provided in the dividing plate (2), the smoking chamber itself (4); grates (6); and an upper chimney (7).

3. The smoker according to claim 1, wherein each deflector opening (5)-(8) is formed by a rectangular opening (5) made in the plane of the dividing plate (2) and which defines the entrance of the deflector opening (5)-(8); and by a pyramidal deflector (8), formed by an oblique upper section (8′) extended from one side of the rectangular opening (5) parallel to the adjacent edge of the dividing plate (2) and whose opposite free edge, of said section oblique (8)′, is vertically aligned to the opposite edge of the rectangular opening (5); wherein said pyramidal deflector (8) is also formed by sections of lateral triangular closures (8)“, thus defining in said pyramidal deflector (8), a vertical rectangular outlet of the deflector opening (5)-(8), which is orthogonal to the plane of the dividing plate (2).

4. The smoker according to claim 2, wherein each deflector opening (5)-(8) is formed by a rectangular opening (5) made in the plane of the dividing plate (2) and which defines the entrance of the deflector opening (5)-(8); and by a pyramidal deflector (8), formed by an oblique upper section (8′) extended from one side of the rectangular opening (5) parallel to the adjacent edge of the dividing plate (2) and whose opposite free edge, of said section oblique (8)′, is vertically aligned to the opposite edge of the rectangular opening (5); wherein said pyramidal deflector (8) is also formed by sections of lateral triangular closures (8)”, thus defining in said pyramidal deflector (8), a vertical rectangular outlet of the deflector opening (5)-(8), which is orthogonal to the plane of the dividing plate (2).

5. The smoker according to claim 3, comprising two opposing alignments of set of deflector openings (5)-(8), each set alignment disposed adjacently to the respective side of the dividing plate (2), in order that each deflecting opening (5)-(8) of one of the alignments is arranged in line with the corresponding deflector opening (5)-(8) of the opposite side alignment.

6. The smoker according to claim 4, comprising two opposing alignments of set of deflector openings (5)-(8), each set alignment disposed adjacently to the respective side of the dividing plate (2), in order that each deflecting opening (5)-(8) of one of the alignments is arranged in line with the corresponding deflector opening (5)-(8) of the opposite side alignment.

7. The smoker according to claim 5, wherein the deflector openings (5)-(8) are arranged with the outlets facing the central region of the dividing plate (2) or with the outlets facing the edges of the dividing plate (2) adjacent to said deflector openings (5)-(8).

8. The smoker according to claim 6, wherein the deflector openings (5)-(8) are arranged with the outlets facing the central region of the dividing plate (2) or with the outlets facing the edges of the dividing plate (2) adjacent to said deflector openings (5)-(8).

9. The smoker according to claim 3, wherein the deflector openings (5)-(8) have the deflector (8) projected from the upper face of the dividing plate (2) facing the smoking chamber itself (4) or projecting from the underside of the dividing plate (2) facing the plenum box (3).

10. The smoker according to claim 4, wherein the deflector openings (5)-(8) have the deflector (8) projected from the upper face of the dividing plate (2) facing the smoking chamber itself (4) or projecting from the underside of the dividing plate (2) facing the plenum box (3).

11. The smoker according to claim 2, comprising sets (9) of deflector openings (5)-(8) regularly distributed over the area of the dividing plate (2), each set (9) formed by several deflector openings (5)-(8) arranged radially and regularly spaced, giving the set (9) a circular contour.

12. The smoker according to claim 3, comprising a set of projections stamped on the dividing plate (2) with a configuration of a conical trunks (10) or cylindrical trunks (11) construction, whose side walls are provided with deflector openings (5)-(8), arranged radially and evenly spaced.

13. The smoker according to claim 4, comprising a set of projections stamped on the dividing plate (2) with a configuration of a conical trunks (10) or cylindrical trunks (11) construction, whose side walls are provided with deflector openings (5)-(8), arranged radially and evenly spaced.

14. The smoker according to claim 1, wherein the dividing plate (2) is integral or modulated formed by sections of adjacent plates (2)′, each one equipped with two deflector openings (5)-(8) opposites.

15. The smoker according to claim 2, wherein the dividing plate (2) is integral or modulated formed by sections of adjacent plates (2)′, each one equipped with two deflector openings (5)-(8) opposites.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

[0036] In the drawings,

[0037] FIGS. 1 and 2 show schematics of the smoker according to the invention, in a horizontal version, with a direct-flow offset furnace (Off Set) and a vertical version, respectively;

[0038] FIGS. 3 to 6 show various possibilities of accomplishing a main shape of the dividing plate 2, which divides the plenum box 3 from the smoking chamber itself 4, according to the present invention, emphasizing the deflector openings 5-8 provided in such partition plate 2;

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a schematic of the horizontal smoker, with displaced furnace, of the type direct flow, according to the present invention and the indication of operation;

[0040] FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9, and 10 show other possibilities for implementing the dividing plate 2; and

[0041] FIGS. 11 to 13 show three possibilities for the realization of conventional smokers: of the horizontal type with a displaced furnace (Off Set) of direct flow; of the horizontal type with offset furnace (Off Set) of reverse flow; and the vertical type, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] As illustrated in the figures above and provided for in the invention, the smoker (FIGS. 1 to 10), object of the present invention, is intended to smoke meat and other foods and can be of a horizontal type, with offset furnace (Off Set), of the types direct flow and reverse flow (FIG. 1, 7) or vertical type (FIG. 2).

[0043] The horizontal smoker, with displaced furnace (Off Set), of the direct flow type (FIGS. 1, 7), is formed by usual components, essentially comprising: a horizontal smoking chamber 1; and by a furnace 20 displaced laterally and below the horizontal smoking chamber 1, and they communicate each other through a passage 21, through which the heated gases “G” circulate, such hot gases are fed from the furnace 20 into the smoking chamber 1. The smoking chamber 1 is constituted by: a dividing plate 2; the lower chamber 3 formed under the dividing plate 2, in which the passage 21 for feeding the heated gases “G” are arranged; the smoking chamber itself 4 formed above the dividing plate 2; the passages 5, provided in the dividing plate 2 and through which the heated gases “G” are fed from the lower chamber 3 to the smoking chamber itself 4; two sets of grids 6 are assembled in two levels, inside the smoking chamber itself 4, over which the meet and food are lay down; and a chimney 7 derived from the smoking chamber itself 4; said smoking chamber itself 4 is also provided with doors for the operator to access its interior, and optionally ventilation adjustment devices (dampers) and others openings are arranged, which are not illustrated.

[0044] In the present invention the main object to be protected in the present patent, is constituted of three constructive details, that when incorporated in the smokers, provide an homogenization of the temperature inside the smoking chamber itself 4 and a better heat transfer from the heated gases “G” to the food being smoked. The first constructive detail consists in the fact that instead of the lower chamber 3 being constructed to have the function only of a duct or duct and gas diffuser through which the heated gases “G” circulate, as usually occurs in smokers, said lower chamber 3, in the present invention, is a plenum box 3, with shapes and dimensions (geometry) selected, to have the capacity to supply heated gases “G” from the furnace 20 to the smoking chamber 4, through the uniquely designed passages 5 of heated gases “G”, while it maintains the static pressure of the heated gases “G” uniform and constant, inside said plenum box 3.

[0045] The second constructive detail consists in the fact that the passages 5, between the plenum box 3 and the smoking chamber itself 4, are comprised of sets of deflector openings 5-8 (FIGS. 3 to 6), aligned on the opposite sides of the dividing plate 2. Each deflector opening 5-8 is formed by an opening 5 made in the dividing plate 2, provided with a dimension substantially smaller than the corresponding passages provided in the usual horizontal smoker, with displaced furnace or in the usual direct flow horizontal smoker, in order to provide an increase in the velocity of the heated gases “G” flow in the circulation between the plenum box 3 and the smoking chamber itself 4; such a openings 5 of the deflector openings 5-8 have a dimension and geometry selected by considering the thermodynamic conditions of the heated gas flow “G”, which increase the flow speed of the gas into the smoking chamber itself 4, and promote a formation of vortices on the end edge of these defectors.

[0046] The third constructive detail consists in the fact that each deflector opening 5-8 is equipped with a deflector 8 that directs the flow of heated gas “G” in an inclined angle relative to the horizontal plane of the partition plate 2, so that the streams of heated gas “G” provided by said deflector openings 5-8 are fed obliquely into the smoke chamber itself 4, causing such streams of heated gas “G” to collide each other and/or with surfaces of the actual smoking chamber 4, forming and intensifying the so called in this report, as the “Vortex Effect” of heated gas “G” inside the actual smoking chamber 4 and between the grates 6. Such a gas with higher velocity and vortices increases the mixture of streams of hot gases and the circulation time of the heated gases “G” inside the smoking chamber itself 4 and between the grates 6; the final resulting effects are the increasing homogenization of the temperature of the heated gases “G” inside the smoking chamber itself 4 and between the grates 6, and also the increasing in the heat transfer efficiency of said heated gases “G” to the food that are being smoked.

[0047] Specifying in details, a possible embodiment (FIG. 3) of each deflector opening 5-8, is formed by a rectangular opening 5 practiced in the plane of the dividing plate 2, which defines the gas entrance into the deflector opening 5-8; said deflector opening 5-8 is also comprised of a pyramidal deflector 8, formed (FIG. 3—detail A): by an oblique upper section 8′ extended from the one side of the rectangular opening 5, parallel to the adjacent edge of the dividing plate 2, and whose opposite free edge, of said oblique portion 8′, is vertically aligned with the opposite edge of the rectangular opening 5; said pyramidal deflector 8 formed by sections of lateral triangular closures 8″, thus defining, said pyramidal deflector 8, a vertical rectangular outlet of the deflector opening 5-8, which is orthogonal to the plate plane divider 2. In one embodiment (FIG. 3), the divider plate 2 has two opposing alignments of sets of deflector openings 5-8, each set alignment disposed adjacent to the respective side of divider plate 2; each deflector aperture 5-8 of one of the set of deflector alignment and the corresponding deflector opening 5-8 of the set of deflector alignment of the opposite side of the divider plate, can be arranged in order that both the deflecting openings 5-8 are with the outlets facing the central region of the dividing plate 2. In another possibility of realization (FIG. 4), the deflector openings 5-8 have the outlets facing to the edges of the dividing plate 2 adjacent to respective set of deflector alignment. The deflector openings 5-8 described above have the deflector 8 projecting from the upper face of the dividing plate 2 to the direction of the smoking chamber itself 4 (downstream position of the deflector 8). In another embodiment, however, the deflector 8 of said deflector openings 5-8 can project from the underside of the dividing plate 2 (FIGS. 5A, 5B) in the direction of the plenum box 3 (upstream position of the deflector 8), in which case the opening defined by the deflector 8, orthogonal to the dividing plate 2, is the gas inlet and the opening 5 provided in the plane of the dividing plate 2, is the outlet of the heated gases “G”. The dividing plate 2 can be a single piece, according to FIGS. 3 to 5 or alternatively, it can be formed in modules by sections of adjacent plates 2′, each one equipped with two opposing lines of sets of deflectors pr single deflector openings 5-8 (FIG. 6).

[0048] Thus, in the smoker in operation (FIG. 7), the furnace 20 is fed with fuel (coal, wood), burns it and generates the heated gases “G”, which flows through the opening 21, are fed into the plenum box 3. The dimensioning of the plenum box 3 is realized taking into consideration that the capacity of the furnace 20 to generate heated gas “G”, and the capacity of the set of deflector openings 5-8 to supply the necessary heated gases “G” in the smoking chamber itself 4, will provide a maintenance of the plenum box with constant and uniform static pressure. The smaller dimension of the deflector openings 5-8 proposed, in comparison to the corresponding openings of the horizontal smokers, of the type displaced furnace, of flow direct type, provides a greater velocity of the heated gases “G” that are fed from the plenum box 3 to the smoking chamber itself 4. In addition, the deflectors 8 of the deflector openings 5-8 direct the heated gases “G” from different modes, according to the orientation of said deflector openings 5-8, but they are all suitable ways to generate the eddies and vortices of heated gases “G” inside the smoking chamber itself 4 and between the grids 6 that support the food 200, thus increasing the homogenization of the gas temperature, and the circulation time of the heated gases “G” and an increased heat transfer efficiency from these to the food 200. The deflector openings 5-8 oriented towards the center of the dividing plate 2 (FIG. 3) cause the flows of heated gases “G” from the deflector openings 5-8 of one of the alignments of set of opening to collide with the flows from opposite side alignment of set of opening 5-8, thus causing the “Vortex Effect” of mixing of heated gas “G”. The deflector openings 5-8 oriented towards the periphery of the dividing plate 2 (FIG. 4) cause the flows of heated gases “G” to collide with the walls of the smoking chamber itself 4, thus causing the “Vortex Effect” of mixing of heated gas “G”.

[0049] For the purposes of this report, the so-called “Vortex Effect” of heated gas “G”, which produces temperature uniformity in the smoking chamber itself 4 and greater efficiency in the heat exchange between the heated gas “G” and foods 200, consists of an “erratic” circulation of the heated gas “G” with higher gas velocities, in the smoking chamber itself 4 and between the grills 6, without the aid of any mechanical ventilation, but only increasing its local velocities and directing it properly through the deflector openings 5-8, which connects the smoking chamber itself 4 and the plenum box 3, just due to a higher and homogeneous static pressure generate inside the plenum box.

[0050] Within the basic construction details, for the usual smokers, described above, object of the present patent, can present modifications related to materials, dimensions, constructive details and/or functional and/or esthetics configuration, without departing from the scope of the requested protection.

[0051] Within the usual smokers, the present invention, can be applied for the vertical smoker configuration, in which the heat source is in line with the food to be smoked (FIG. 2). In this case, said smoker is understood as a vertical chamber, which consists of; described from the bottom to the top by: a plenum box 3 that contains the furnace; a dividing plate 2; a deflector openings 5-8 provided in the dividing plate 2; a smoking chamber itself 4; a grids to support the food 6; and by an upper chimney 7 provided for the smoking chamber itself 4.

[0052] The dividing plate 2 can be rectangular, integral or modulated, formed by sections of plate, (FIG. 8A) or circular (FIG. 8B) and sets 9 of the deflector openings 5-8, which can be arranged evenly distributed by the area of the dividing plate 2, each set 9 formed of a number of deflector openings 5-8 arranged radially and regularly spaced, giving the set 9 a circular contour.

[0053] In another embodiment, the dividing plate 2 can have a set of stamping, conical trunks 10 (FIG. 9) or cylindrical 11 (FIG. 10), whose side walls are provided with deflector openings 5-8, arranged radially and evenly spaced.

[0054] In order to meet the intended effects for the present smoker, that is, uniformity of the internal temperature and greater efficiency of heat exchange between the heated gas “G” and the foods 200 to be smoked in the smoking chamber itself 4. The dimensions and geometry of the plenum box 3, the sizing of the opening 5 in the deflector openings 5-8, the geometry and inclination of deflector 8 of the deflector opening 5-8, are essentially determined as a function of the thermodynamic conditions of the heated gas “G”, provided by the burning capacity of the furnace 20 and the speed of the gas flow through the opening to the plenum box, and by the configuration and load capacity of food 200 desired to cook in the smoking chamber itself 4.

[0055] Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.