Cooking apparatus

Abstract

A cooking apparatus that has a support stand having a grill coupling section and a grill assembly releasably coupled with the coupling section of the support stand, and the grill assembly having a stand alone leg assembly which is supported by the support stand when the grill assembly and support stand are coupled. The coupling assembly preferably includes a telescoping relationship as in a projection off the grill assembly received in a pedestal stem representing the support stand which is at a height suited for stand up cooking. The leg assembly is preferably provided with an interconnected linkage and slide assembly which allows for the legs to expand out and lock in place and to then be collapsed again for telescopic insertion into the pedestal stem as in a collapsed state which allows for a free dangling extension in the support stem while the projection is in sliding contact with the upper cavity surface of the stem. The coupled grill assembly and the support stand are also preferably secured in coupled position with a securement assembly as in hand manipulatable latch(es) and/or fastener(s). One embodiment features a gas grill with gas burner and rigid gas supply line attached to a grill base body or the projection or some other portion of the grill assembly so as to allow a gas supply source to be maintained fastened to the grill assembly during coupling or removal of the grill assembly relative to the support stand.

1 . A cooking apparatus, comprising: 
 a support stand having a grill coupling section;    a grill assembly releasably coupled with the coupling section of said support stand, and said grill assembly having a stand alone leg assembly which is supported by said support stand when said grill assembly and support stand are coupled.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said grill assembly and support stand are coupled in a telescoping relationship.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said leg assembly is telescopically received by said support stand.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said grill assembly includes a coupling projection which extends into a reception cavity formed in said support stand.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein said support stand comprises a pedestal stand with a base section and a stem, and said stem having an upper opening which opens into said reception cavity and said base having a periphery greater than a maximum cross-sectional periphery of said stem.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein said leg assembly has an upper portion that is radially inward of a peripheral portion of said projection.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein said leg assembly is collapsible and expandable between a collapsed state wherein all leg assembly components are radially internal of said peripheral portion of the projection to an expanded state wherein said leg assembly extends radially external to said peripheral portion of said projection.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said leg assembly is collapsible and expandable between a collapsed state for support stand reception to an expanded state wherein said leg assembly extends radially outward into a stand alone grill support position.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said grill assembly comprises a grill base housing and said leg assembly includes a plurality of legs having an upper end coupled to said grill base housing and leg free ends which rotate between the collapsed and expanded states.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said legs, when in the expanded state, slope downwardly and radially outward in an angle of 30 to 60 degrees from a horizontal plane.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said grill assembly includes a grill base housing and a slide post extending below said grill base housing and said leg assembly includes a plurality of legs, a plurality of link members and connection means supported by said slide post.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein said connection means includes axially extending sliding slots formed in said post with insertable engagement slide ends of said link members received in respective sliding slots and precluded form radial release when in leg retention mode.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein said connection means includes a sliding member slidable along said post.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said sliding member is a ring member extending about said post and slideable along an axis of extension of said post, and said link members extending radially out from a connection end with said ring member into connection with a respective one of said plurality of legs.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said link members have a first pivot connection at the ring member connection end and a second pivot connection at the leg connection end.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein said link members extend out from said ring member in spoke like fashion and said ring member is adjustable between an upper leg collapsed mode and a lower leg expanded mode.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein, when said ring member is in the leg expanded mode, said link members are arranged so as to extend with 10° of the horizontal or horizontal.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said link members have an outer end having a first side wall orientation and a radially inner end having a different side wall orientation.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein said link members comprise bars with twisted intermediate sections.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said legs have a U-shaped cross section and said link members are pivotably engaged with said legs and have a portion received within a leg cavity defined by side walls defining said U-shaped cross sectioned legs.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising coupling means for coupling the grill assembly and support stand.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein one of said grill assembly and said support stand includes a coupling projection and an opposite one of said grill assembly and support stand includes a projection reception cavity.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 22  further comprising securement means for securing the coupling relationship between said grill assembly and support stand, and wherein said securement means is a non-tool required, finger engagable securement device.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 23  wherein said securement means includes a latch assembly.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 23  wherein said securement means includes a finger manipulatable fastener.  
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a grill base body and a fuel supply line that is arranged such that the same fuel supply container can be used without detaching or adjusting the position of the fuel supply container both when said support stand and grill assembly are coupled and when said grill assembly is removed from said support stand.  
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a grill base body and a fuel supply line having an external section extending externally to said grill base body and an internal line section extending within a cavity defined by said grill base body, and said external section being rigid enough to suspend a fuel source container out away from an exterior surface of said grill base body.  
   
   
       28 . A cooking apparatus comprising: 
 a grill assembly;    a support stand which supports said grill assembly for stand up cooking;    coupling means for coupling said grill assembly and support stand, and    said grill assembly includes a stand alone support assembly that is received by said support stand when said grill assembly is coupled to said support stand and provides a stand alone support to said grill assembly upon separation of said grill assembly form said support stand.    
   
   
       29 . The cooking apparatus of  claim 28  wherein said stand alone grill support assembly places said grill assembly at a lower height than said support stand.  
   
   
       30 . The cooking apparatus of  claim 28  wherein said support stand includes a reception cavity and said stand alone support assembly is received within said support stand reception cavity when said grill assembly and said support stand are coupled.  
   
   
       31 . The cooking apparatus of  claim 28  wherein said stand alone support assembly has means for expansion and contraction.  
   
   
       32 . The cooking apparatus of  claim 31  wherein said stand alone support assembly includes a leg set and a linkage assembly that is collapsible and expandable.  
   
   
       33 . The cooking apparatus of  claim 32  wherein said grill assembly includes a base body and a post extending below said base body and said stand alone support assembly includes a leg set and a linkage assembly that is connected to a slide that is arranged for sliding along said post.  
   
   
       34 . A grill assembly for use alone and in combination with a stand up cooking support stand, comprising: 
 a grill base body;    a leg assembly;    a collapsing and expansion assembly which is connected to said leg assembly for expansion and contraction of said leg assembly;    and a coupling device for coupling with the grill base body the stand up cooking support.    
   
   
       35 . The grill assembly as recited in  claim 34  further comprising a securement component for use in securing said grill assembly to the stand up cooking support when the grill assembly is coupled to the stand up cooking support.  
   
   
       36 . The grill assembly of  claim 34  wherein said coupling device includes a projection for telescopic reception by the stand up cooking support.  
   
   
       37 . The grill assembly of  claim 36  further comprising a securement component for use in securing said grill assembly to the stand up cooking support when the grill assembly is coupled to the stand up cooking support and said securement component being provided on said projection.  
   
   
       38 . A grill assembly comprising: 
 a base pan having a lower floor region with a slope, and said lower floor region laving a drain aperture;    a grill base which has a cavity within which said base pari is posited, said grill base supporting a channeling surface positioned below said drain aperture and said grill base further comprising a drop through aperture positioned in cooking waste flow communication with the channeling surface; and    a receptor having a cavity for receiving waste material falling through the drop through aperture.    
   
   
       39 . The grill assembly as recited in  claim 38  further comprising a flame disk with an outer edge which is upward flange free or has a downward sloped peripheral flange and has a main floor with covers positioned to cover protected heat dissipation apertures in the flame disk.  
   
   
       40 . The grill assembly of  claim 39  wherein said covers have a concave cross-section.  
   
   
       41 . The grill assembly of  claim 38  wherein said receptor is a drip tray removably supported by the grill base.  
   
   
       42 . A method of removing cooking waste by channeling cooking waste though channeling means of the grill assembly of  claim 38 .  
   
   
       43 . Method of assembling a cooking apparatus, comprising: 
 providing a support stand;    providing a grill assembly having a collapsible leg assembly in a collapsed state;    inserting the collapsible leg assembly into the support stand and positioning said grill assembly so as to be supported by said support stand.