Cooking device

Abstract

A smoker having a smoke generating material loader which preferably is insertable and retractable through a housing aperture and is adjustable between a no dump state and a dump state once inserted, preferably relative to a receiver tray that is closer to a heat source, as in an electric heat resistance bar, to cause smoke generation of smoke generating material received from the loader when placed in a dump state. The loader preferably has one or more seal off end caps or sections relative to the receiving housing aperture to provide a heat retention function. A preferred embodiment features a nested arrangement between the inserted loader and receiver tray and preferably the receiver tray is in a sliding supported relationship with the loader as in a semi-cylindrical loader main body in contact with one or more concave supporting surfaces of the receiver tray. The receiver tray also preferably has opposing shielding walls extending up from opposite sides of an apertured base receiving tray. The opposing shields also preferably having an upper constricted opening in close proximity to a rotating loader main body and at a common height with the constricting opening brought about by the nesting arrangement.

1 . A method of assembling a smoker, comprising:
 providing a housing having a heat-up region and a smoke generating material receiving area;   inserting a smoke generating material loader into said housing such that said loader is positionable between a non-release of supported smoker generating material first position state and a release of smoker generating material for reception in the smoker generating material receiving area of said housing second position state.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said housing includes an aperture which receives said loader upon said loader being insertable into the aperture. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said loader is configured for rotational adjustment between said position states. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said aperture is defined by a circular side wall edge in said housing and said loader has a circular sliding surface received by the sidewall edge. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said loader has a first end cap sized substantially similar to the aperture as to provide a rotatable plug relationship between said first end cap and the side wall edge. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said loader has a main body with an upward facing, exposed opening and closed bottom section when in said first state. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said main body has a semi-cylindrical configuration. 
   
   
       8 . The method  claim 6  wherein said loader comprises first and second end caps at opposite ends of said main body with one of said end caps having a substantially similar diameter to a housing aperture configured for insertion and retraction of said loader to at least partially plug the aperture. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said housing includes a loader insertion aperture and further comprises an access door and door covered access opening for providing an alternate housing access location. 
   
   
       10 . The method  claim 1  further comprising a heat source positioned within the heat-up region of said housing. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said heat source is an electrical heart source that comprises a heat resistance bar. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the smoke generating material receiving area comprises a receiver tray having an apertured base and a confining side wall to retain smoke generating material received from said loader 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said receiver tray is in direct contact with said heat resistance bar. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the smoke generating material receiving area comprises a receiver tray having an apertured base and a confining wall which retains smoke generating material received from the loader, and wherein said loader and said receiver tray assume a nested arrangement when said loader is inserted into said housing. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said loader has a main body with a smoker material reception recess that releases smoke generating material to said receiver tray when said loader is in said second position state and is adjustable to substantially seal off a smoker material reception opening in said receiver tray. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said confining wall comprises shields that include constricting upper panel sections which define the reception opening and between which is positioned said loader which essentially seals off the reception opening. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14  further comprises a heat resistance bar having an inlet section featuring two generally parallel prong sections and a loop section defining an overall “L-shaped” heat resistance bar configuration and the receiving area of said housing comprises a receiver tray with an apertured base and an outer peripheral configuration with which said resistance bar generally conforms in dimension or extends within that outer peripheral configuration. 
   
   
       18 . A smoker, comprising:
 a housing;   a smoke generating material reception tray in said housing; and   a smoke generating material loader removably supported by said housing and configured to supply smoke generating material to said reception tray upon rotation from a no-dump state to a dump state.   
   
   
       19 . The smoker of  claim 18  wherein said loader comprises a main body which is insertable and removable relative to an aperture formed in said housing and includes a loader main body having an upper opened smoker generating material reception recess and a smoke generating material support surface with the upper opened reception recess dumping smoke generating material via gravity upon rotation of said loader form a no-dump state to a dump state. 
   
   
       20 . The smoker of  claim 19  wherein said loader has an end cap for essentially sealing off the side wall aperture in said housing upon loader insertion into said housing, and said reception tray includes an apertured receiver tray base and side walls that extend into a nested arrangement with the inserted loader. 
   
   
       21 . A method of using a smoker, comprising:
 inserting a loader into an aperture provided in a smoker housing;   rotating the loader so as to release material which provides a source of smoke to a receiving region within the smoker housing; and   heating said material while in said receiving region to carry out a smoke generation by the material in a smoking of a food item.   
   
   
       22 . The method of loading of  claim 21  further comprising inserting said loader until a section of said loader eventually seals off the aperture, and the receiving region of said smoker includes a receiver tray which is closer to a heat source in said housing than said loader and which receiver tray receives the smoke generating material from the loader upon rotation of the loader between an inserted no dump state to a dump state.