GRID FOR COOKING FOOD

Abstract

A grid for cooking food, in particular for equipping a barbecue; the grid comprising a plate which has an upper face, configured for being set in contact with the food, and a lower face, configured for facing a heat source; the upper face comprising a plurality of channels parallel to one another and configured for conveying liquids; each channel being separated from the adjacent channel by a partition; the plate comprising a plurality of through openings for enabling the hot air and the combustion fumes produced by the heat source to lap the food; wherein the openings are provided at the portions of connection of two adjacent channels with the corresponding partition so as to provide paths for the hot air and combustion fumes that have an inlet on the lower face and two lateral outlets towards two adjacent channels.

Claims

1. A grid for cooking food, in particular for equipping a barbecue, the grid comprising a plate, which has an upper face, configured for being set in contact with the food, and a lower face, configured for facing a heat source; the upper face comprising a plurality of channels parallel to one another and configured for conveying liquids; each channel being separated from the adjacent channel by a partition; the plate comprising a plurality of through openings for enabling the hot air and the combustion smoke produced by the heat source to lap the food; wherein the openings are provided at portions of connection of two adjacent channels with the corresponding partition so as to provide paths for the hot air and combustion smoke that have an inlet on the lower face and two lateral outlets towards two adjacent channels.

2. The grid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the openings are provided in the form of slits parallel to the channels, the partitions providing bridges that are parallel to the channels and overlie the slits.

3. The grid as claimed in claim 2, wherein the partitions are substantially vertical, and lateral outlets of the slits are provided in the first bottom vertical stretch of the partitions.

4. The grid as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lateral outlets of the slits extend also for a first lateral stretch of the channels.

5. The grid as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lateral outlets have a vertical dimension equal to approximately one third of the height of the plate.

6. The grid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top edge of the partitions is substantially plane and horizontal.

7. The grid as claimed in claim 1, wherein each slit has a length smaller than the length of the plate.

8. The grid as claimed in claim 1, wherein extending along each partition are four slits aligned with one another and spaced apart from one another.

9. The grid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channels are distributed in a direction transverse to the direction of extension of the channels themselves with a constant distribution pitch.

10. The grid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate is made of a single piece of cast iron.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge clearly from the following description of a non-limiting example of embodiment thereof, with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view, with parts in cross section and parts removed for clarity, of a grid for cooking food provided according to the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 2 is a schematic top plan view of the grid of FIG. 1;

[0024] FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of FIG. 1 along lines of section B-B and A-A, respectively; and

[0025] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a detail of FIG. 4, which shows two examples of embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In FIG. 1 designated by the reference number 1 is a grid for cooking food realised according to the present invention. Preferably, said grid 1 is realised as a single piece made of cast iron.

[0027] In its main use, the grid 1 is associated to a barbecue, not shown, comprising a box-like body on top of which the grid 1 is rested and within which a heat source is housed, typically embers or one or more gas burners.

[0028] The grid 1 is supported by the box-like body of the barbecue so as to be slightly inclined with respect to a horizontal plane defined by the ground in order to direct the liquid produced during cooking towards a draining collector.

[0029] The plate 2 then has an upper face 3 configured for supporting the food thereon, and an under face 4 configured for facing a heat source, as mentioned above.

[0030] With reference to FIG. 1, the upper face 3 of the plate 2 has a plurality of channels 5 parallel to one another in a direction D1, which are configured for conveying liquids, in the present case fat melted by the heat, towards the aforementioned draining collector of the corresponding barbecue.

[0031] In the attached figures, the channels 5 have a cross section curved to form a U, but other shapes, such as for example V-shaped sections or equivalent shapes that facilitate conveyance of the liquids towards the centre of the channel, could also be envisaged.

[0032] In the illustrated case, each channel 5 is separated from the adjacent channel 5 by a partition 6. Preferably, the partitions 6 are substantially vertical.

[0033] The top edges 14 of the partitions 6 are preferably plane and horizontal in such a way as to provide an optimal surface for supporting the food on the upper face 3 of the plate 2. As may be seen in FIG. 4, the partitions 6 are joined at the bottom to the corresponding side channels 5 by means of a connection portion 10.

[0034] The plate 2 has a plurality of through openings 7 for enabling the hot air generated by the heat source facing the under face 4 of the plate 2 to reach and lap the food, represented schematically and designated by the reference 13 in FIG. 5, that rests on the upper face 3.

[0035] As may be seen in FIG. 4 and in the enlarged details of FIG. 5, the openings 7 are provided precisely at the portions of connection 10 of two adjacent channels 5 with the corresponding partition 6 so as to provide paths for the hot air and combustion smoke that have an inlet 11 on the under face 4, which is substantially horizontal, and two lateral outlets 12 towards the aforesaid two adjacent channels 5.

[0036] As may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the openings 7 are provided in the form of slits parallel to the channels 5 and, consequently, the partitions 6 provide bridge structures that are parallel to the channels 5 and overlie the corresponding slits 7.

[0037] As may be seen in the right-hand portion in FIG. 5, the lateral outlets 12 of the slits 7 may even be provided only in the first bottom vertical stretch of the partitions 6 in order to generate a substantially horizontal flow at outlet from the slits.

[0038] Alternatively, as may be seen in the left-hand portion in FIG. 5, the lateral outlets 12 of the slits 7 may also extend for a first stretch of the channels 5 in order to generate a flow at outlet from the slits that has also a vertical component (direction D3), which can reach the food without any hindrance.

[0039] The size of the inlet 11 of the slits on the under face 4 in the direction D2 transverse to the channels 5 may be substantially equal to or greater than the projection of the partition 6, and the ratio between the size of the outlets 12 and the inlet 11 may even be less than one to exploit the Venturi effect and impart a greater speed on the flow of hot air at the outlets 12.

[0040] Preferably, extending along each partition 6 are four slits 7 aligned with one another and spaced apart from one another to bestow structural solidity on the grid. The channels 5 are distributed in the direction D2 with a constant distribution pitch.

[0041] Preferably, the lateral outlets 12 have a size in the vertical direction D3 that is approximately one third of the height of the plate 2 so as not to create any turbulence in the adjacent channels 5.

[0042] Finally, it is evident that modifications and variations may be made to the grid described herein, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the annexed claims.