Retractable device to hold a knife block on a barbecue grill

Abstract

A retracting device to hold a knife block on a barbecue grill has a telescopic rail, a bracket and a cylinder. The barbecue grill has a base, a grill and two wing shelves. The telescopic rail is mounted on the base. The cylinder is secured to the base, and a retractable rod extends from the cylinder. The bracket is attached to the telescopic rail and the bracket and corresponds to a through hole defined in one of the wing shelves. Accordingly, a knife block on the bracket can be lifted to a position where the knives are exposed from the through hole in the wing shelf. The knife block can also be retracted to a position where the knife block with the knives is located below the wing shelf to keep anyone from touching the knives when the knives are not in use.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a retractable device, and more particularly to a retractable device to hold a knife block on a barbecue grill, which can lift the knife block to a position to select or store knives.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] A barbecue grill is used to cook or barbecue food with a heat source. The conventional barbecue grill substantially comprises a base and a grill. The base has a top, a front, a rear and two sides. The grill is mounted on the top of the base so the grill is at a convenient position for use. In addition, two wing shelves are usually respectively mounted on opposite sides of the base to support food or tools for barbecuing such as knives, forks, dishes, etc. In practice, knives are usually stored in a knife block to easily transport or store the knives. Furthermore, the knife block and the knives are usually put on the wing shelves of the barbecue grill when cooking. However, the knife block and the knives must be stored separately when the barbecue grill is not being used. Having to retrieve and store the knife block when the barbecue grill is to be used is inconvenient. Furthermore, using the knives without a knife block can be hazardous, especially to children.

[0005] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a retractable device to hold a knife block to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The main objective of the invention is .to provide a retracting device for a barbecue grill that can lift a knife block to a position for use. The barbecue grill has a base, a grill and two wing shelves respectively mounted on sides of the base. The retracting device has a telescopic rail, a bracket and a cylinder. The telescopic rail is mounted on the base of the barbecue grill. The bracket is mounted on the telescopic rail and corresponds to a through hole defined in one of the wing shelves of the barbecue grill. The cylinder is attached to the base and has a retractable rod connected to the bracket. With such a retracting device, a knife block with multiple knives can be put on the bracket. The knife block can be lifted to a position where the knives are exposed from the through hole in the wing shelf for use. The knife block can also be moved to a position where the knife block with the knives is below the wing shelf to keep anyone from touching the knives when the knives are not in use.

[0007] Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a barbecue grill with a retractable device to hold a knife block in accordance with the present invention;

[0009] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the wing shelf of the barbecue grill and the retractable device to hold a knife block in FIG. 1; and

[0010] FIG. 3 is an operational side plan view in partial section of the retractable device to hold a knife block in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0011] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a retractable device (20) in accordance with the present invention to hold a knife block (30) for a barbecue grill comprises a telescopic rail (22), a bracket (24) and a cylinder (26). The barbecue grill comprises a base (10), a grill (12) and two wing shelves (14). The base (10) has a top, a front, a rear and two sides. The grill (12) is mounted on the top of the base (10) to cook or barbecue food. The wing shelves (14) are respectively mounted on opposite sides of the base (10) to support food or tools for barbecuing . A through hole (16) is defined in one of the wing shelves (14). A cover (17) is pivotally attached to the wing shelf (14) with a hinge to close the through hole (16).

[0012] The telescopic rail (22) is securely attached to the base (10) of the barbecue grill. The telescopic rail (22) has a stationary track (222) securely attached to the base (10) and a sliding element (224) slidably mounted in the stationary track (222). The bracket (24) is securely attached to the sliding element (224) and aligns with the through hole (16) in the wing shelf (14). The cylinder (26) is securely attached to the base (10) and has a retractable rod (262) connected to the bottom of the bracket (24).

[0013] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a knife block (30) with multiple knives (32) is put on and supported on the bracket (24). In a stored position, the knife block (30) with the knives (32) is located below the wing shelf (14). When the user wants to use a knife (32), the cylinder (26) is actuated and extends the retractable rod (262) thereby moving the bracket (24) with the knife block (30) upward relative to the base (10). The sliding element (224) of the telescopic rail (22) moves with the bracket (24) relative to the stationary track (222). The telescopic rail (22) ensures that the movement of the bracket (24) is smooth and the bracket (24) is aligned with the through hole (16) in the wing shelf (14). The cover (17) will pivot relative to the wing shelf (14) when the knife block (30) or one of the knives (32) contacts the cover (17) so the through hole (16) is opened. The knife block (30) will be pushed through the through hole (16) thereby providing access to the knives (32) so the user can take a knife (32) out from the block (30) and use the knives (32). When the user has finished using the knives (32), the knife block (30) with the knives (32) can be retracted to a position below the wing shelf (14) by withdrawing the retractable rod (262) into the cylinder (26). The cover (17) will automatically close the through hole (16) when the knife block (30) and the knives (32) move to a position where the knives (32) are below the wing shelf (14). Consequently, this can keep anybody from contacting the knives (32) when the knives (32) are not in use, such that the safety of using the knives (32) is improved. In addition, the knife block (30) with the knives (32) does not need to be stored separately from the barbecue grill, such that the use of the knives (32) with the barbecue grill is convenient.

[0014] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A retractable device to hold a knife block on a barbecue grill that has a base and two wing shelves respectively mounted on opposite sides of the base, wherein a through hole is defined in one wing plates, the retracting device comprising:

a telescopic rail adapted to be mounted on the base of the barbecue grill;

a bracket mounted on the telescopic rail and adapted to correspond to the through hole in the wing shelf of the barbecue grill; and

a cylinder with an retractable rod connected to the bracket and adapted to be attached to the base.

2. The retractable device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telescopic rail has a stationary track adapted to be securely attached to the base and a sliding element slidably mounted in the stationary track and connected to the bracket.