Briquet packing density

Abstract

Modified charcoal briquets having a pillow silhouette when viewed from at least one side and configured to have less volume than similar unmodified pillow shaped briquets having the same dimensions are described. A random packing density for the modified briquets is between about 0.70 times and 0.92 times a random packing density for the unmodified pillow shape briquets. The random packing density for the modified briquets is between about 35% and 46%.

1 . A modified charcoal briquet comprising: 
 a pillow shaped charcoal briquet modified by Boolean geometric operations to yield a random packing density between about 35% and 46%;    wherein the modified charcoal briquet comprises less volume than a pillow shaped charcoal briquet unmodified by Boolean geometric operations and having the same dimensions;    wherein the random packing density for the modified charcoal briquet comprises about 0.70 times and 0.92 times the random packing density for the unmodified charcoal briquet.    
   
   
       2 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 1  wherein the random packing density for the modified charcoal briquet is between about 0.80 times and 0.88 times the random packing density for the unmodified pillow briquet.  
   
   
       3 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 1  wherein the random packing density for the modified charcoal briquet is between about 40% and 44%.  
   
   
       4 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 1  wherein the modified charcoal briquet comprises a first silhouette when viewed from at least one side that is identical to a second silhouette when viewed from at least one side of the unmodified charcoal briquet.  
   
   
       5 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 1  further comprising at least one lenticular groove on at least one face of the modified charcoal briquet; 
 wherein the lenticular groove is approximately parallel to an edge of the modified briquet.    
   
   
       6 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 5  wherein the groove does not intersect with an edge of the modified briquet.  
   
   
       7 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 5  wherein the groove has a maximum depth and a maximum thickness, and the maximum depth is between about 0.15 and 0.25 times the maximum thickness.  
   
   
       8 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 7  wherein the maximum depth is between about 0.18 and 0.22 times the maximum thickness.  
   
   
       9 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 1  further comprising at least two lenticular grooves on at least one face of the modified briquet; 
 wherein the lenticular grooves are approximately parallel to an edge of the modified briquet.    
   
   
       10 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 9  wherein the grooves do not intersect with an edge of the modified briquet.  
   
   
       11 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 9  wherein the groove has a maximum depth and a maximum thickness, and the maximum depth is between about 0.15 and 0.25 times the maximum thickness.  
   
   
       12 . The modified charcoal briquet of  claim 11  wherein the maximum depth is between about 0.18 and 0.22 times the maximum thickness.