Modular outdoor kitchen systems

Abstract

An outdoor kitchen and a kit for producing an outdoor kitchen including a number of rails, each having the same cross sectional dimensions. The end of each rail includes a number of aligned rivet holes spaced in a pattern on at least two sides of the ends of each rail. Connectors join the rails to form modules. Each connector includes a clamp end that can be secured across the width of a rail and a clip end that can be secured over the end of a rail. The clamp and clip ends each have a number of counter sunk rivet holes arranged on diagonals. The clamp and clip connectors allow the connectors to be secured over the end of one rail and secured across the width of a second rail, thereby attaching together two rails. The counter sunk holes allow simple rivet assembly having a flush surfaces for face and top mounting.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to devices adaptable for use in construction of outdoor kitchens.

BACKGROUND

Outdoor cooking is a popular pastime of numerous enthusiasts. Portable outdoor gas or wood grills or smokers have been used for a number of years for backyard cooking. Such devices are adequate for cooking food but they have a number of drawbacks. They usually include minimal, if any, stable surfaces needed for food preparation. Without such surfaces, the cook will either prepare items indoors or attempt to use patio tables or similar structures as an ad hoc surface on which to prepare food. In addition, because a portable outdoor gas grill does not allow for refrigeration, items which must be kept cold are either refrigerated in doors, or kept in a cooler on ice near the grill.

One solution to this problem is to create an outdoor grill system that could include both a grill, work surfaces, storage compartment, a refrigerator if desired, and other features. A number of outdoor kitchens have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2004/0065313 discloses a modular outdoor kitchen comprised of a number of weather resistant modules. The modules are releasably connected together, allowing assembly and configuration. A number of the outer faces include panels to provide a weather resistant outer surface.

U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2005/0133018 discloses a method and system for constructing a grill island or support structure. This structure includes modular units, which may be configured to hold the grill, enclose a refrigerator, store a trash bin or storage drawers, or be adapted for other purposes. Each modular unit includes a frame made up of interconnecting elements defining an open interior and a covering extending over the frame, generally to create a face and a top. A number of these modular units are connected together to form a unitary structure, such as a grill island.

It is a feature of the invention to provide a frame for outdoor kitchens which is simple to assemble, can be assembled from a kit, requires minimal different types of parts and allows simplified creation of level surfaces for attaching faces and tops.

SUMMARY

The above desired results have been achieved through one or more modules for outdoor kitchens and a kit for producing these modules. Each module includes a number of rails. Each rail has an identical cross sectional dimension and a regular pattern of rivet holes at least the end of each rail section. The identical cross section allows a single type of connector to attach the rails together. The connectors are designed to secure together two or three different rails. Each of the connectors has a clamp end, which extends across the width of a rail, and a clip end which fits over the end of a rail. The connectors include a number of countersunk rivet holes, allowing the connectors to be secured to a number of rails and retain a flush surface across the rail. This allows a face or top to be mounted onto a module constructed from these rails. One module may be a corner sections module, which may use one or more types of corner braces for additional reinforcement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outdoor kitchen, showing a gas grill installed in one module and 2 number of the modules having a front and top installed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one module cube of an outdoor kitchen.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one module cube including a bar counter.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one corner module having a bar counter.

FIG. 5 is a perspective bottom view of a connector.

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of a first embodiment of a corner brace.

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of a second embodiment of a corner brace.

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of a third embodiment of a corner brace.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1, an L-shaped outdoor kitchen having a partial bar counter is shown. A first module cube is a section is comprised of rails 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, and 28. These rails are secured by connectors to form a cube. For example, connector 30 secures together rails 14, 18, and 24. In a similar manner, connector 32 secures rails 12, 14, and 15 and connector 34 secures together rails 16, 18, and 20. Rail 14 forms the lower front cross bar. In some instances, this cross bar can be excluded from the design to accommodate insertion of appliances like trash receptacles or refrigerators which require ground level clearance.

Once this corner cube module is assembled it may be attached to adjacent module 40. Such modules may be of a standardized height and width to allow standard size appliances to fit into the outdoor kitchen counter or island built from these modules. Module 40 is joined to an adjacent module which holds gas grill 42. This module is shown having an attached face 50 and counter top 52. This face and counter top may be selected from commercially available materials, such as granite, slate, butcher block wood, or other commercially available materials. The countertops may be attached in the conventional manner, the same way as indoor kitchen countertops.

The illustrated outdoor kitchen includes corner module 44, and bar counter modules 47, 48 including bar counter 46. All of the modules may be assembled using rails having a single cross sectional diameter. In addition, only the corner module requires braces while all the other modules require only a uniform connector. This simplicity makes the device simpler and cheaper to manufacture and assemble.

With reference to FIG. 2, a module is illustrated. This is a simple construction, and can be sold either as a kit for self assembly, as a completed module, or even as a prefab outdoor kitchen. The module consists of rails 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, and 82. These rails are made of galvanized steel or other suitable materials. These are joined together by connectors 90a-90h. For example, connector 90g secures together rails 60, 80 and 82. Diagonally spaced rivet holes 94 match to holes at the end of rail 80, diagonally spaced holes 92 match to holes at the end of rail 82 and diagonally spaced holes 96 and 98 match to holes at the end of rail 60. Each of the rails has an identical cross sectional diameter and a regular (to track claim language?) pattern of holes at the end of each member section. Holes 60a allow a connector to be secured using counter sunk rivets at one end of the rail and holes 60b allow a connector to be secured at a second end.

Each rail is U-shaped in cross section. This cross section is the same for each rail, simplifying manufacturing and assembly. The rails have a width w and a depth d. As seen with rails 74, 78, 80, and 82, the rails are oriented such that the internal space within the module is greatest. The illustrated cube is assembled using rails of three different lengths. Four rails of each length are required.

With reference to FIG. 3, a module 100 is shown having a bar counter. The module 100 is similar to the module of FIG. 2. The bar counter is made of rails that have the same cross-sectional dimensions as the rails of FIG. 2. In addition, all of the connectors are the same connectors used in FIG. 2. One difference between the module of FIG. 2 and the module of FIG. 3 is that rear rails 118a and 118b are longer than the height of the front rails, instead extending to the top of the bar counter. Connector 111 attaches across the width of rail 118a, allowing coupling to rail 115. Connector 114a couples rail 102a to crossbar rail 115. Similarly, on the other side connector 114b is coupled to rail 102b. These upright rails are then coupled to rail 120 by connectors 104 and 106, which respectively also allow attachment to rails 110 and 122. At the rear of the bar counter, rail 108 is secured by connectors 116 and 122. As in the other modules, a face may be secured to the front and sides of the module if desired, and a top secured to the top of the module, as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the bar counter could also have a mounted a top and a bar counter face. A modified version of this module could be used for the grill.

With reference to FIG. 4, a corner module 130 with a bar counter is shown. For most modules created using the rails, only a single type of connector (the connector shown in FIG. 5) is required. For the illustrated module, three types of corner braces are used. For example, the orientation of the rails illustrated by rails 5, 7, and 9 allow the three rails to be held by the single connector 3. Rail 7 is held by the clip end of connector 3 and rails 5 and 9 are held by the clamp section of connector 3. However this is not possible unless the width of the two rails joined by the connector clamp end are oriented such that their widths extend across the connector clamp width, as is the case with rails 5 and 9. However, if the rails are in the orientation of the adjoining of rails 5, 137 and 133 at the top front corner of the module, only two rails may be joined by connector 135, namely rails 5 and 137. Corner brace 157 is used to join rails 5 and 137. As shown in FIG. 6, this corner brace includes two clamps oriented at right angles to allow securing to the ends of two rails. Corner braces 146, 165, and 167 are similar braces.

Referring again to FIG. 4, two additional types of corner braces are used. Corner brace 144 allows two perpendicular rails 134 and 132 to be joined to each other at the abutting ends of the rails. Similarly, corner brace 145 allows rails 151 and 136 to be joined to each other. These corner braces are shown in FIGS. 8 and 7 respectively.

The rest of the rails 131a, 131b, 137, 133, 138, 153, 132, 134, 136, 160, 169, and 151 are attached together using connectors 143, 154, 135, 161, 163, 148 150, 152, 159, 162, and 142 as illustrated. This creates a module for an outdoor kitchen as shown in FIG. 3, but one in which the bar counter top fits into a corner. Again, for the majority of the modules, only a single type of connector is required.

With respect to FIG. 5, a connector of the type used in FIGS. 1-4 is illustrated. This connector includes a clamp section 170 and a clip section 172. This clamp section 170 can be defined as having two open ends and being sufficiently long (as shown by the bracket) that it snugly fits across the width of the rail (width w in FIG. 2). The clip section 172 fits over the end of a rail, meaning that the measurement of bracketed length 175 is the width of a rail (width w in FIG. 2). The rivet holes 176, 174 and 178 are arranged on diagonals and are counter sunk. Thus, when the connector is secured to a rail using rivets, the rivets are still flush with the surface of the connector.

FIG. 6 shows a corner brace including two clamps allowing attachment of the brace across the width of two rails. The two clamps have a perpendicular arrangement. Tabs 180 and 182 are opposite each other and have diagonal rivet holes 180a and 182a. In a similar manner, face 186 and tab 184 have rivet holes 186a and 184 respectively.

Two additional types of corner braces are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In FIG. 7, two perpendicular, outward facing sets of tabs, 194 and 196, and 190 and 192, are the attachment points for this corner brace. Counter sunk rivet holes 190a, 192a, 194a, and 196a allow attachment of the brace to rails. The corner brace 8 shown in FIG. 8 has two sets of perpendicular, inward facings tabs to allow the brace to act as a corner brace. These tabs set 200, 204 attaches to one rail and tab set 202, 206 attaches to a second rail. Counter sunk rivet holes 200a, 202a, 204a, and 206a allow the brace to be secured to the rails.

The illustrated modules for making an outdoor kitchen allows simple assembly of steel frames, which provide a durable structure for constructing outdoor kitchens. These kitchen counters may be constructed as a counter, an island, or other configuration. It may be in a L shape, a U-shape or as a line counter. The kitchen may be constructed to hold a gas grill, an under-the-counter refrigerator, a trash receptacle, drawers or cabinets for storage or other selected kitchen components. The steel or other material used for the frame is strong and durable. A variety of different counter tops and faces could be placed on the top and front of the cabinets.

The present frames could be used in a number of ways. The various modules could be assembled off site and sold as completed units. The units could be sold either with face and tops attached or without, and either as pre-fabricated modules to be joined together or as a singular, ready to use unit. Alternatively, the modules could be assembled on-site. The fact that relatively few different parts are used would allow for simple and rapid on-site assembly.

Claims

1. A frame kit for outdoor unit comprising:

a plurality of rails, each rail having equal cross sectional dimensions and each having a rail rivet hole positioned in a regular pattern, at least some of which are proximate to each end of each frame member; and

a plurality of connectors that each secure together two or more rails, wherein each connector includes a clamp end and a clip end, and wherein at least two sides of said clamp end and two sides of said clip end include counter sunk, diagonally offset holes that mate with frame member rivet holes.

2. The kit of claim 1, wherein said kit further includes corner braces.

3. The kit of claim 1, wherein said kit includes multiple types of corner braces.

4. The kit of claim 2, wherein said corner braces include holes on directly opposite tabs of said corner braces.

5. The kit of claim 2, wherein said plurality of rails include bar counter rails.

6. An outdoor unit comprising:

a plurality of rails, each rail have equal cross sectional dimensions and each having a rail rivet hole positioned in a regular pattern, proximate to each end of each rail;

a plurality of identical connectors that each secure together two rails, wherein each connector includes a clamp end and a clip end, and wherein at least two sides of said clamp end and two sides of said clip end include counter sunk, diagonally offset holes that mate with rail rivet holes wherein said clamp end of each connector is clamped across the width of a rail and said clip end is secured over one end of a rail; and

a plurality of rivets each secured through one connector counter sunk rivet hole and one rail rivet hole, wherein said rivets are secured through said counter sunk connector rivet hole such that said rivet is flush with a connector face surface.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein a configuration of said unit includes a corner module.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein a configuration of said unit includes a bar counter.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein said unit also includes a plurality of corner braces affixed to a plurality of rails by rivets.