US 11,700,971 B2
Outdoor cooking station with multiple independent cooking modes and method thereof
Roger Dahle, Providence, UT (US); Steve L. Puertas, Wellsville, UT (US); and Jeffrey D. Clark, Logan, UT (US)
Assigned to North Atlantic Imports, LLC, Logan, UT (US)
Filed by North Atlantic Imports, LLC, Logan, UT (US)
Filed on Aug. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/407,704.
Application 17/407,704 is a continuation of application No. 16/428,605, filed on May 31, 2019, granted, now 11,116,360.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/678,436, filed on May 31, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0039596 A1, Feb. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A47J 37/07 (2006.01); A23L 5/10 (2016.01); A47J 37/06 (2006.01); A23B 4/052 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 37/0713 (2013.01) [A23B 4/052 (2013.01); A23L 5/15 (2016.08); A47J 37/0682 (2013.01); A47J 37/0709 (2013.01); A23V 2002/00 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An outdoor cooking station configured to independently cook food with different cooking modes, one of the cooking modes configured to burn pellet elements to produce heated smoke, the outdoor cooking station comprising:
a main body extending to define a first cooking portion and a second cooking portion for cooking in the different cooking modes, the first cooking portion and the second cooking portion being separate so as to be configured to be dedicated to cooking food simultaneously and independent of each other with the different cooking modes, the first cooking portion including a gas burner heating element positioned below an upper edge of the main body, the gas burner heating element positioned to heat a flat cooking surface associated with the first cooking portion of the main body, the second cooking portion of the main body extending to define a chamber, the chamber being accessible with an access member pivotably coupled to the main body, the chamber including an upper region and a lower region separated by an inner panel, the upper region including a grill cooking surface suspended within the upper region such that the access member is positioned to access the grill cooking surface within the chamber, the flat cooking surface being external to the chamber, the lower region including an electrical heating element sized and configured to electrically burn the pellet elements to supply the heated smoke to the upper region of the second cooking portion within the chamber; and
a pellet feeder system coupled to the main body, the pellet feeder system including a hopper and a feeder, the hopper defining an opening adjacent a lower end of the hopper and the hopper configured to hold the pellet elements, the feeder positioned adjacent the opening defined in the hopper such that the feeder is configured to rotate so as to deliver the pellet elements from the opening defined in the hopper to the lower region of the chamber and adjacent the electrical heating element of the second cooking portion.