Cooking grill

Abstract

A cooking grill includes a housing defining a cooking chamber and has a door hinged at a bottom thereof. The cooking grill further includes a heating element disposed in the cooking chamber, and a cooking surface slidably disposed to slide in and out of the housing through the door.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking grill, comprising:
 (a) a housing defining a cooking chamber and having a substantially vertically-oriented opening therein;   (b) a heating element disposed in the cooking chamber;   (c) a grilling assembly disposed above the heating element that is configured to slide in and out of the housing in a substantially horizontal manner through the substantially vertically-oriented opening; and   (d) a door hingedly coupled to the cooking chamber that is configured to transition between a closed position in which the door covers the substantially vertically-oriented opening and an open position in which the grilling assembly may pass through the opening;   (e) wherein the grill is configured to support the door in the open position, and, when the door is supported in the open position, the door is disposed below the substantially vertically-oriented opening such that, when the grilling assembly is slid out of the housing through the substantially vertically-oriented opening, the door functions to catch drippings from the grilling assembly, the door being sized and dimensioned to function to catch drippings from the grilling assembly; and   (f) wherein the grilling assembly comprises,
 (i) a first sheet having a plurality of first openings, 
 (ii) a second sheet disposed below, and substantially parallel to, the first sheet, the second sheet having a plurality of second openings, 
 (iii) wherein the first sheet is movable relative to the second sheet along a substantially horizontal axis substantially parallel to the first and second sheets between,
 (A) a first position in which the first and second openings are substantially vertically aligned, and 
 (B) a second position in which the first and second openings are not substantially vertically aligned. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The cooking grill of  claim 1 , wherein the grill is configured such that, when the door is in the open position, drippings that fall onto the door will tend to slide down the door. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking grill of  claim 1 , wherein the door is coupled to the housing by a hinge 
     
     
         4 . The cooking grill of  claim 3 , wherein the hinge is within the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking grill of  claim 1 , wherein the cooking grill further includes a baffle positioned inside the housing above the opening. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking grill of  claim 5 , wherein the baffle is configured to direct heated air circulating within the housing away from the opening. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking grill of  claim 1 , wherein the grilling assembly comprises one or more stops for limiting the movement of the first sheet relative to the second sheet. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking grill of  claim 1 , wherein the grilling assembly is configured such that translational movement of the first sheet relative to the second sheet is limited. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking grill of  claim 1 , wherein the first sheet includes a handle disposed adjacent an end of the first sheet. 
     
     
         10 . A cooking grill, comprising:
 (a) a housing defining a cooking chamber and having a substantially vertically-oriented opening therein, the housing including channels;   (b) a heating element disposed in the cooking chamber;   (c) a grilling assembly slidably received within channels of the grill housing and disposed above the heating element, the grilling assembly and channels being configured for substantially horizontal sliding of the grilling assembly out of the grill housing through the substantially vertically-oriented opening; and   (d) a door hingedly coupled to the cooking chamber that is configured to transition between a closed position in which the door covers the substantially vertically-oriented opening and an open position in which the grilling assembly may pass through the opening;   (e) wherein the grill is configured to support the door in the open position, and, when the door is supported in the open position, the door is disposed below the substantially vertically-oriented opening such that, when the grilling assembly is slid out of the housing through the substantially vertically-oriented opening, the door functions to catch drippings from the grilling assembly, the door being sized and dimensioned to function to catch drippings from the grilling assembly; and   (f) wherein the channels of the grill housing are positioned and configured such that, when the grilling assembly is fully received within the grill housing against a back of the channels, a gap is defined between the grilling assembly and a back of the grill housing that is sized and dimensioned to allow heat to rise above the grilling surface through the gap, follow the curvature of an inner surface of the housing, and travel in a generally downward direction near the front of the housing.   
     
     
         11 . The cooking grill of  claim 10 , wherein the grill is configured such that, when the door is in the open position, drippings that fall onto the door will tend to slide down the door. 
     
     
         12 . The cooking grill of  claim 10 , wherein the door is coupled to the housing by a hinge 
     
     
         13 . The cooking grill of  claim 12 , wherein the hinge is within the housing. 
     
     
         14 . The cooking grill of  claim 10 , wherein the cooking grill further includes a baffle positioned inside the housing above the opening. 
     
     
         15 . The cooking grill of  claim 14 , wherein the baffle is configured to direct heated air circulating within the housing away from the opening. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the grilling assembly comprises,
 (i) a first sheet having a plurality of first openings, and   (ii) a second sheet disposed below, and substantially parallel to, the first sheet, the second sheet having a plurality of second openings,   (iii) wherein the first sheet is movable relative to the second sheet along a substantially horizontal axis substantially parallel to the first and second sheets between,
 (A) a first position in which the first and second openings are substantially vertically aligned, and 
 (B) a second position in which the first and second openings are not substantially vertically aligned. 
   
     
     
         17 . The cooking grill of  claim 16 , wherein the grilling assembly comprises one or more stops for limiting the movement of the first sheet relative to the second sheet. 
     
     
         18 . The cooking grill of  claim 16 , wherein the grilling assembly is configured such that translational movement of the first sheet relative to the second sheet is limited. 
     
     
         19 . The cooking grill of  claim 16 , wherein the first sheet includes a handle disposed adjacent an end of the first sheet. 
     
     
         20 . A cooking grill, comprising:
 (a) a housing defining a cooking chamber and having a substantially vertically-oriented opening therein;   (b) a heating element disposed in the cooking chamber;   (c) a grilling assembly disposed above the heating element that is configured to slide in and out of the housing in a substantially horizontal manner through the substantially vertically-oriented opening; and   (d) a door hingedly coupled to the cooking chamber that is configured to transition between a closed position in which the door covers the substantially vertically-oriented opening and an open position in which the grilling assembly may pass through the opening;   (e) wherein the grill is configured to support the door in the open position, and, when the door is supported in the open position, the door is disposed below the substantially vertically-oriented opening such that, when the grilling assembly is slid out of the housing through the substantially vertically-oriented opening, the door functions to catch drippings from the grilling assembly, the door being sized and dimensioned to function to catch drippings from the grilling assembly.