Cooking grate and cooking apparatus

Abstract

A cooking grate and a grill assembly having one or more of the cooking grates therein. The cooking grate can be a one-piece structure but is preferably a two-piece structure wherein the upper piece comprises longitudinally extending food support ribs having hollow interiors. The ribs will be positioned over and cover open areas in the lower structure so that combustion gases flowing through the open areas of the lower structure will flow into the hollow interiors of the food support ribs.

1 . A cooking grate assembly comprising:
 a lower structure comprising a side-by-side series of parallel, longitudinally extending solid sections having substantially no openings therethrough;   a series of parallel, longitudinally extending open sections provided in said lower structure, said open sections being located between said solid sections, each of said open sections having an open area lateral width; and   an upper structure comprising a side-by-side series of parallel, spaced apart, longitudinally extending food support ribs, each having a hollow interior and a longitudinally extending bottom opening, said bottom opening having a lateral width that is not less than said open area lateral width of said open sections of said lower structure,   said upper structure being removably positionable over said lower structure such that said food support ribs will be positioned over said substantially parallel to said open sections of said lower structure so that, as viewed from above said cooking grate assembly, said food support ribs will substantially entirely cover said open sections of said lower structure; and   when said upper structure is positioned over said lower structure, said open sections of said lower structure will be located within, at, or below said bottom openings of said food support ribs in a manner such that combustion gases flowing upwardly through said open sections of said lower structure will flow into said hollow interiors of said food support ribs.   
     
     
         2 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 1  wherein said solid sections of said lower structure each have a downwardly extending cross-sectional shape such that said solid sections of said lower structure will form longitudinally extending valleys between said food support ribs. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 2  wherein said solid sections of said lower structure have a downwardly extending cross-sectional V-shape. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 1  wherein said solid sections of said lower structure have an upwardly extending cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 4  wherein said solid sections of said lower structure have an upwardly extending inverted V cross-sectional shape such that said solid sections will form longitudinally extending ridges between said food support ribs. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 1  wherein said food support ribs have an inverted U cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 1  wherein said food support ribs each have at least one longitudinal end which is open for flow of said combustion gases out of said hollow interiors of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 1  wherein said food support ribs each have two opposing side walls and apertures are provided through at least one of said side walls along an upper portion thereof for flow of said combustion gases out of said hollow interiors of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 1  wherein:
 said food support ribs each have two opposing rib side walls; 
 said two opposing rib side walls have longitudinally extending bottom edges; and 
 when said upper structure is positioned over said lower structure, said longitudinally extending bottom edges of said rib side walls are spaced above an upper surface of said lower structure to form gaps between said rib side walls and said upper surface of said lower structure for flow of said combustion gases out of said hollow interiors of said food support ribs. 
 
     
     
         10 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 1  wherein said open sections of said lower structure are each formed by a longitudinally extending slot or by a plurality of slots or other apertures. 
     
     
         11 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 1  wherein said solid sections of said lower structure have an upper surface with an emissivity of at least 0.25. 
     
     
         12 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 1  wherein:
 said food support ribs each have two opposing rib side walls; 
 said two opposing rib side walls have longitudinally extending bottom edges; and 
 when said upper structure is positioned over said lower structure, said bottom edges of said rib side walls contact an upper surface of said lower structure. 
 
     
     
         13 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 12  wherein:
 said solid sections of said lower structure have an upwardly extending cross-sectional shape and 
 said bottom edges of said rib side walls contact said upper surface of said lower structure in a non-sealed manner such that, during cooking, hot fat which falls between said food support ribs can drain beneath said bottom edges of said rib side walls and through said open sections of said lower structure. 
 
     
     
         14 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 1  wherein:
 said food support ribs have a vertical height of from about ¼ to about 1 inch; 
 said lateral width of said bottom openings of said food support ribs is at least ¼ inch; and 
 said food support ribs are spaced from about ¼ to about 1 inch apart. 
 
     
     
         15 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 14  wherein said open area lateral width of said open sections of said lower structure is less than said lateral width of said bottom openings of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         16 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 14  wherein said open area lateral width of said open sections of said lower structure is substantially the same as said lateral width of said bottom openings of said food support ribs such that said lower structure will operate without said upper structure thereon as a convection cooking grate. 
     
     
         17 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 14  wherein said open area lateral width of said open sections of said lower structure is in a range of from about 0.08 to about 0.5 times said lateral width of said bottom openings of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         18 . A cooking grate assembly comprising:
 a lower structure comprising a side-by-side series of parallel, longitudinally extending solid sections having substantially no openings there through;   a series of parallel, longitudinally extending open sections provided in said lower structure, said open sections being located between said solid sections, each of said open sections of said lower structure having an open area lateral width; and   an upper structure comprising a side-by-side series of parallel, spaced part, longitudinally extending food support ribs, each having a hollow interior and a longitudinally extending bottom opening having a lateral width which is greater than said open area lateral width of said open sections of said lower structure,   said upper structure being removably positionable over said lower structure such that said food support ribs will be positioned over and substantially parallel to said open sections of said lower structure so that, as viewed from above said cooking grate assembly, said food support ribs will substantially entirely cover said open sections of said lower structure;   said solid sections of said lower structure have a downwardly extending lateral cross-sectional shape such that said solid sections of said lower structure will form longitudinally extending valleys between said food support ribs; and   when said upper structure is positioned over said lower structure, said open sections of said lower structure will be received in said bottom openings of said food support ribs such that combustion gases flowing upwardly through said open sections of said lower structure will flow into said hollow interiors of said food support ribs.   
     
     
         19 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 18  wherein said lateral cross-sectional shape of said solid sections of said lower structure is a V-shape. 
     
     
         20 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 18  wherein said food support ribs have an inverted U cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         21 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 18  wherein said food support ribs each have at least one longitudinal end which is open for flow of said combustion gases out of said hollow interiors of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         22 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 18  wherein:
 said food support ribs each have two opposing rib side walls; 
 said two opposing rib side walls have longitudinally extending bottom edges; and 
 when said upper structure is positioned over said lower structure, said bottom edges of said rib side walls contact an upper surface of said lower structure. 
 
     
     
         23 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 18  wherein:
 said food support ribs have a vertical height of from about ¼ to about 1 inch; 
 said lateral width of said bottom openings of said food support ribs is at least ¼ inch; and 
 said food support ribs are spaced from about ¼ to about 1 inch apart. 
 
     
     
         24 . The cooking grate assembly of  claim 23  wherein said open area lateral width of said open sections of said lower structure is in a range of from about 0.08 to about 0.5 times said lateral width of said bottom openings of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         25 . A grill assembly comprising a housing having at least one cooking grate assembly therein wherein said cooking grate assembly comprises:
 a lower structure comprising a side-by-side series of parallel, longitudinally extending solid sections having substantially no openings therethrough;   a series of parallel, longitudinally extending open sections provided in said lower structure, said open sections being located between said solid sections, each of said open sections having an open area lateral width; and   an upper structure comprising a side-by-side series of parallel, spaced apart, longitudinally extending food support ribs, each having a hollow interior and a longitudinally extending bottom opening, said bottom opening having a lateral width that is not less than said open area lateral width of said open sections of said lower structure,   said upper structure being removably positionable over said lower structure such that said food support ribs will be positioned over and said substantially parallel to said open sections of said lower structure so that, as viewed from above said cooking grate assembly, said food support ribs will substantially entirely cover said open sections of said lower structure; and   when said upper structure is positioned over said lower structure, said open sections of said lower structure will be located within, at, or below said bottom openings of said food support ribs in a manner such that combustion gases flowing upwardly through said open sections of said lower structure will flow into said hollow interiors of said food support ribs.   
     
     
         26 . The grill assembly of  claim 25  wherein said solid sections of said lower structure have a downwardly extending cross-sectional V-shape. 
     
     
         27 . The grill assembly of  claim 25  wherein said food support ribs have an inverted U cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         28 . The grill assembly of  claim 25  wherein said food support ribs each have at least one longitudinal end which is open for flow of said combustion gases out of said hollow interiors of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         29 . The grill assembly of  claim 25  wherein:
 said food support ribs each have two opposing rib side walls; 
 said two opposing rib side walls have longitudinally extending bottom edges; and 
 when said upper structure is positioned over said lower structure, said bottom edges of said rib side walls contact an upper surface of said lower structure. 
 
     
     
         30 . The grill assembly of  claim 25  wherein said open area lateral width of said open sections of said lower structure is less than said lateral width of said bottom openings of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         31 . The grill assembly of  claim 30  wherein, when said upper structure is positioned over said lower structure, said open sections of said lower structure will be received in said bottom openings of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         32 . An infrared cooking grate comprising alternating side-by-side series of substantially parallel solid sections and food support ribs wherein:
 said food support ribs have hollow interiors;   said food support ribs have open bottoms for receiving combustion gases; and   said food support ribs have one or more discharge openings for flow of said combustion gases out of said hollow interiors of said food support ribs.   
     
     
         33 . The infrared cooking grate of  claim 32  wherein said one or more discharge openings comprise each of said food support ribs having at least one longitudinal end which is open for flow of said combustion gases out of said hollow interiors of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         34 . The infrared cooking grate of  claim 32  wherein said longitudinally extending food support ribs each have two opposing side walls and apertures are provided through at least one of said side walls for flow of said combustion gases out of said hollow interiors of said food support ribs. 
     
     
         35 . The infrared cooking grate of  claim 32  wherein said solid sections each have a downwardly extending cross-sectional shape such that said solid sections form longitudinally extending valleys between said food support ribs. 
     
     
         36 . The infrared cooking grate of  claim 35  wherein said solid sections have a downwardly extending cross-sectional V-shape. 
     
     
         37 . The infrared cooking grate of  claim 32  wherein said solid sections have an upwardly extending cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         38 . The infrared cooking grate of  claim 37  wherein said solid sections have an upwardly extending inverted V cross-sectional shape such that said solid sections form longitudinally extending ridges between said food support ribs. 
     
     
         39 . The infrared cooking grate of  claim 32  wherein said infrared cooking grate is formed from a plurality of separate pieces which are placed side-by-side such that longitudinally extending contacting edges of said separate pieces are located between said food support ribs. 
     
     
         40 . The infrared cooking grate of  claim 39  wherein said contacting edges are substantially unsealed between said food support ribs.