FIELD

The present invention relates to a barbecue.

The invention has been developed for use with a barbecue that has a spit functionality, and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Barbecue spits, or rotisseries, are known. They are used to cook whole or large portions of various meats. Known barbecue spits typically comprise a large rectangular container that holds charcoal or firewood, a pair of vertical supports fixed to either end of the body and a spit rod that is mounted across the vertical supports. The spit rod, which holds the meat, is rotated over the hot charcoals, thus allowing the meat to cook evenly. Rotation of the spit rod is typically driven by a motor.

A disadvantage of known barbecue spits is that they are typically bulky in size and have a number of components that require manual assembly prior to use. Also, keeping known barbecue spits assembled in a “ready to use” state is impractical and/or difficult due to their bulky size. Further, the disparate sizes and multitude of the various components makes the assembly of the barbecue spit difficult and time consuming. The process of dismantling and storing the barbecue spit, after it has been used, also requires a substantial amount of time and effort.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome one or more of the above disadvantages, or at least provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention provides a barbecue with spit functionality, the barbecue including:

a barbecue body having a first opening and a second opening;

a first spit support member mounted in the first opening and settable at a storage position, in which the first spit support member is substantially contained within the barbecue body, and one or more use positions, in which the first spit support member at least partially protrudes from the barbecue body;

a second spit support member mounted in the second opening and settable at a storage position, in which the second spit support member is substantially contained within the barbecue body, and one or more use positions, in which the second spit support member at least partially protrudes from the barbecue body; and

a drive means for driving or moving the first and second spit support members between their storage positions and their one or more use positions.

A spit rod is typically provided to be releasably engageable with the first and second spit support members when the first and second spit support members are in their respective use positions. The drive means is thus configured to move each of the first and second spit rod support members automatically between its respective storage position and its one or more use positions. The drive means preferably has or includes a controller with which a user or operator can control operation of the drive means. The controller will typically include at least one actuator, such as a switch, for activating and deactivating operation of the drive means. The controller is preferably configured for selectively activating and deactivating operation of the drive means thus to control movement of the first and second spit support members and thereby to select or adjust a plurality of the use positions. The use positions of the first and second spit support members are therefore preferably continuously adjustable or selectable within a range defined between a predetermined maximum height and a predetermined minimum height. It will be understood that the drive means is preferably configured to drive or move the first and second spit support members simultaneously or together between their storage positions and their one or more use positions.

In a preferred embodiment, the barbecue body includes a top surface, the first spit support member includes a top surface, and the second spit support member includes a top surface. The top surfaces of the first and second spit support members are preferably flush with the top surface of the barbecue body when the first and second spit support members are in their respective storage positions. Thus, the predetermined maximum height and predetermined minimum height between which the use positions of the first and second spit support members are adjustable or selectable are preferably determined or set with reference to the top surface of the barbecue body.

In a preferred embodiment, the drive means may comprise a rotary drive means. In this regard, for example, the drive means may comprise a motor, especially an electric motor, for moving, e.g. raising and lowering, each of the first and second spit support members between its respective storage position and its one or more use positions. Thus, the first and second spit support members are preferably motorised to facilitate movement of the first and second support members between their respective storage and one or more use positions.

In a preferred embodiment, and especially in the case of a rotary drive means, such as an electric motor, the drive means may include a transmission for transmitting or converting the rotary motion of the motor to a linear displacement or translation of each of the first and second spit support members. In this regard, for example, the drive means may include a worm gear or a screw drive as a transmission driven by the motor for raising and lowering the first and second spit support members between their storage positions and their one or more use positions. As an alternative, the drive means may include a rack and pinion transmission driven by the motor to raise and lower the first and second spit support members between the storage position and the one or more use positions. Other transmissions are also contemplated, as will be understood by persons skilled in the art.

In another preferred embodiment, the drive means comprises a linear drive means for linearly driven displacement of the first and second spit support members between their storage positions and their one or more use positions. Such a linear drive means could, for example, comprise a piston drive or a solenoid drive for linearly driven displacement of the first and second spit support members.

In a preferred embodiment, the drive means comprises an electric drive means. In this connection, as noted above, the drive means could be provided as an electric motor or as a solenoid actuator. In an alternative embodiment, however, the drive means could comprise a hydraulic drive means or a pneumatic drive means for raising and lowering the first and second spit support members between the storage position and the one or more use positions. In this regard, the drive means could be embodied in the form of a pneumatic piston or a hydraulic piston.

The first and second spit support members are preferably settable at one or more use positions, in which they partially protrude from the barbecue body by varying amounts.

The barbecue body preferably includes a storage compartment. The barbecue body preferably includes one or more storage doors to provide access to the storage compartment. The barbecue body preferably includes a grill area adapted to receive charcoal or firewood. The grill area preferably includes a grill interior and a grill rack. The barbecue body preferably includes a plurality of ventilation slots. The barbecue preferably further includes a plurality of legs to support the barbecue body.

