Search

CN-114041028-B - Granule hopper lining piece

CN114041028BCN 114041028 BCN114041028 BCN 114041028BCN-114041028-B

Abstract

A particle hopper for a particle grill includes a first floor, a second floor, and a third floor. Each bottom plate has an inner edge that partially defines a particle discharge opening. The first bottom plate, the second bottom plate, and the third bottom plate form a first non-zero angle, a second non-zero angle, and a third non-zero angle, respectively, with respect to a horizontal plane. In this way, each bottom plate is inclined downward toward the particle discharge opening.

Inventors

  • Michael Coston
  • Daniel. Slade
  • Fang .huang

Assignees

  • 特雷格佩列特烤架有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20190906
Priority Date
20190514

Claims (16)

  1. 1. A particle hopper for a particle grill, the particle hopper comprising: A first base plate having a first inner edge; a second base plate having a second inner edge and connected to the first base plate at a first interface, and A third floor having a third inner edge and connected to the second floor at a second interface, an A secondary overflow drain opening extending through said first floor, said second floor or said third floor, Wherein: The first, second and third inner edges of each floor at least partially define a particle discharge opening, and The first bottom plate, the second bottom plate and the third bottom plate form a first non-zero angle, a second non-zero angle and a third non-zero angle, respectively, with respect to a horizontal plane, such that each bottom plate is inclined downwards towards the particle discharge opening, The first non-zero angle, the second non-zero angle and the third non-zero angle are all different, Wherein the particulate hopper further comprises: one or more horizontal features extending from one or more of the first, second, and third inner edges to at least partially block the particle discharge opening, and A particle ejection insert covering the one or more horizontal features, the particle ejection insert comprising: a first insert plate and a second insert plate, the first insert plate being connected to the second insert plate at a first interface, and A third insert plate connected to the second insert plate at a second interface, Wherein: the first, second, and third insert plates have first, second, and third inner edges at least partially defining a particle discharge insertion opening; The first, second and third insert plates being angled at first, second and third non-zero angles, respectively, relative to the horizontal plane such that the first, second and third insert plates of the particle discharge insert are angled downwardly toward the particle discharge insert opening, and Each of the first, second and third insert plates includes an outer edge that contacts a top surface of each of the first, second and third plates, respectively, of the hopper bottom.
  2. 2. The particulate hopper of claim 1, further comprising first, second and third vertical walls connected to the first, second and third bottom plates, respectively, the first, second and third vertical walls extending vertically downward from an innermost edge defining the particulate discharge opening.
  3. 3. The particulate hopper of claim 1, further comprising a fourth floor having a fourth inner edge and connected to the third floor.
  4. 4. A granule hopper according to claim 3, wherein the fourth inner edge at least partially defines the granule discharge opening.
  5. 5. The particulate hopper of claim 1, further comprising: and a shelf disposed below the first, second, and third bottom plates and connected to the first, second, and third bottom plates, the shelf forming a horizontal surface disposed below the first, second, and third bottom plates.
  6. 6. The particle hopper of claim 5, wherein the horizontal surface formed by the shelf is disposed outwardly from the particle discharge opening so as not to block the particle discharge opening.
  7. 7. The particulate hopper of claim 1, wherein the first non-zero angle is between 40 degrees and 60 degrees.
  8. 8. The particulate hopper of claim 1, wherein the second non-zero angle is between 15 degrees and 35 degrees.
  9. 9. The particulate hopper of claim 1, wherein the third non-zero angle is between 15 degrees and 35 degrees.
  10. 10. A particle hopper assembly comprising: hopper bottom, comprising: a first plate, a second plate, and a third plate, the first plate connected to the second plate at a first interface, and the second plate connected to the third plate at a second interface, wherein a first inner edge of the first plate, a second inner edge of the second plate, and a third inner edge of the third plate collectively define a particle discharge opening, and wherein: The first plate forms a first non-zero angle with respect to a horizontal plane such that the first plate is inclined downwardly towards the particle discharge opening; The second plate forming a second non-zero angle with respect to the horizontal plane such that the second plate is inclined downwardly towards the particle discharge opening, and The third plate forms a third non-zero angle with respect to the horizontal plane, such that the third plate is inclined downwards towards the particle discharge opening, The first non-zero angle, the second non-zero angle, and the third non-zero angle are all different, and A wall panel connected to the first and third panels at third and fourth interfaces, respectively, the wall panel comprising: major surface, and A bottom inclined surface connected to the main surface, the bottom inclined surface comprising a fourth inner edge at least partially defining the particle discharge opening, the bottom inclined surface forming a fourth non-zero angle with respect to the horizontal plane such that the bottom inclined surface is inclined downward toward the particle discharge opening; One or more horizontal features extending from one or more of the first inner edge, the second inner edge, the third inner edge, and the fourth inner edge to at least partially block the particle discharge opening, and A particle ejection insert covering the one or more horizontal features, the particle ejection insert comprising: a first insert plate and a second insert plate, the first insert plate being connected to the second insert plate at a first interface, and A third insert plate connected to the second insert plate at a second interface, Wherein: the first, second, and third insert plates have first, second, and third inner edges at least partially defining a particle discharge insertion opening; The first, second and third insert plates being angled at first, second and third non-zero angles, respectively, relative to the horizontal plane such that the first, second and third insert plates of the particle discharge insert are angled downwardly toward the particle discharge insert opening, and Each of the first, second and third insert plates includes an outer edge that contacts a top surface of each of the first, second and third plates, respectively, of the hopper bottom.
  11. 11. The particulate hopper assembly of claim 10, further comprising a shelf disposed below and connected to at least one of the first, second, and third plates, the shelf forming a horizontal surface disposed below the first, second, third, and fourth plates.
  12. 12. The particle hopper assembly of claim 11, wherein a horizontal surface of the shelf is coplanar with the particle discharge opening.
  13. 13. The particulate hopper assembly of claim 10, wherein the major surface of the fourth plate is vertical.
  14. 14. The particle hopper assembly of claim 10, wherein the particle discharge insert further comprises a fourth insert plate having a fourth inner edge at least partially defining the particle discharge insert opening, the fourth insert plate being at a non-zero angle relative to the horizontal plane such that the fourth insert plate of the particle discharge insert is sloped downward toward the particle discharge insert opening.
  15. 15. The particulate hopper assembly of claim 14, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth insert plates are planar trapezoids so as to form a rectangular particulate discharge insert opening.
  16. 16. The particulate hopper assembly of claim 10, the particulate discharge insert further comprising: a first vertical wall, a second vertical wall and a third vertical wall, the first vertical wall, the second vertical wall and the third vertical wall are respectively formed from the first inner edge the second inner edge and the third inner edge extend downward.

Description

Granule hopper lining piece Cross Reference to Related Applications The present application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/412,191, entitled "particle hopper liner," filed on 5/14 in 2019. Technical Field The present invention relates generally to systems, methods and devices for grilling and heating food items. In particular, the present disclosure relates to systems and devices for feeding fuel into a grilling device. Background Consumers use a variety of grilling devices to cook, bake and heat food items. Some grilling devices, including smolders and particle grills, burn solid fuel. Such solid fuel may be in the form of wood chip particles or other particulate solid fuel material. Particle grills and smolders burn solid fuel to produce heat and smoke that enter a cooking chamber to cook food therein. Such grilling devices typically include an externally accessible cavity that receives solid fuel particles and supplies the solid fuel particles to the grilling device for combustion. Such externally accessible cavities are commonly referred to by those skilled in the art as hoppers. The hopper is typically connected to an auger system that slowly removes fuel particles from the hopper and supplies the fuel particles to the combustion chamber. In conventional grilling devices, one end of the auger system is connected to the hopper bottom and the other end is connected to the combustion chamber. In this configuration, the auger system moves the pellets from the hopper to a combustion chamber located within the grilling device. When the fuel particles reach the combustion chamber, the heating element ignites the fuel particles, thus providing heat for cooking and/or heating the food product. Along these lines, the auger system may supply fuel particles to the combustion chamber at different speeds according to the needs of the user. For example, increasing the rate of fuel particles entering the combustion chamber results in higher cooking and smoking temperatures. Conversely, decreasing the rate of fuel particles entering the combustion chamber decreases the cooking and smoking temperatures. Thus, in order to effectively cook using a pellet grill as described above, the auger system of the grilling device must be able to maintain the necessary flow rate of fuel pellets from the hopper into the combustion chamber. However, in typical pellet grill and auger systems, many obstructions can cause clogging or seizing of the fuel pellets, thereby causing fuel pellets to flow back in the system and impeding fuel flow. When fuel pellets are caught in the hopper of a typical pellet grill or auger system, the user is often required to dredge the fuel pellets themselves. Such purging may require the user to remove the fuel particles, turn on the auger system, confirm the location of the fuel particles stuck and manually purge the system. Manually opening the particle grill in this manner is time consuming and is unpleasant and inconvenient for the user. Finally, when the hopper and auger system is unable to supply fuel particles to the combustion chamber at an adequate rate, the particle grill is unable to generate the necessary heat and smoke. Thus, there are a number of drawbacks that can be addressed in the grilling devices and systems. Disclosure of Invention Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices for grilling and heating food items. In particular, the present disclosure relates to systems and devices for feeding fuel into a grilling device. For example, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a particle hopper includes a first floor, a second floor, and a third floor. Each of the bottom plates includes an inner edge at least partially defining a particle discharge opening. Further, the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate form a first angle, a second angle, and a third angle, respectively. The first, second and third angles are non-zero angles with respect to the horizontal plane such that each plate is inclined downwards towards the particle discharge opening. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a pellet hopper assembly includes a hopper bottom and a wall plate. The hopper bottom includes a first plate, a second plate, and a third plate, the first plate being connected to the second plate at a first interface, the third plate being connected to the second plate at a second interface. Each plate includes an inner edge at least partially defining a particle discharge opening. Moreover, the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate form a first non-zero angle, a second non-zero angle, and a third non-zero angle with respect to a horizontal plane. In this way, each plate is inclined downward towards the particle discharge opening. In this embodiment, the wall panels are connected to the second and third panels at third and fourth interfaces, respectively. The wall plate includes a main surface and a bottom inclined