Many prior arrangements of floor mounted ovens are previously known within the art, fuelled by a variety of fuels such as gas, electricity, charcoal, coal, etc. Their main use has previously been to provide a means of cooking food, and all of the prior arrangements are characterised in that they tend to be of heavy one-piece construction so that transportation of the oven from place to place is made difficult. Also, many of the prior arrangements are suitable for only one of indoor or outdoor use and may not be used in both regimes.

The present invention provides an improved floor standing oven which provides a number of advantages over conventional ovens in the prior art, which is designed for either internal or external use. More particularly, the present invention is particularly characterised by its ability to provide a number of different cooking regimes such as baking, grilling, barbecuing etc. , some of which may be performed concurrently.

According to the present invention, there is provided a floor standing oven comprising : a fuel burning compartment in which fuel is burnt to provide a heat source ; venting means for removing exhaust gases from the interior of the oven ; and access means for accessing the interior of the oven from the exterior ; said floor standing oven being characterised by further comprising : a lid comprising one or more lid portions arranged to enclose the interior of the oven in a first mode of operation, at least one portion of said lid being arranged to open and/or be removable in a second mode of operation ; and

one or more food carrier means for accommodating food to be cooked by the oven ; wherein in said first mode of operation a closed cooking volume is created within said oven defined by the food carrier means, the oven side walls and the lid, and in said second mode of operation an open cooking surface is created defined solely by said food carrier means, the closed cooking volume and the open cooking surface each being arranged to be heated by the heat source.

The lid preferably comprises a plurality of lid portions, each of which is arranged to be opened separably from the other lid portions. In a preferred embodiment, each lid portion is arranged to be hinged to the oven at one side of each lid, such that the lid portions may be rotated up and away from the oven to rest by the oven side. Furthermore, in the particularly preferred embodiment lid support means in the form of collapsable stands are provided to support each lid portion in a horizontal orientation adjacent to the open cooking surface in order to provide one or more horizontal surfaces which may be used for the preparation of food, storage of prepared food items prior to cooking, storage of utensils etc.

The food carrier means preferably comprise a tray, rack, basket or the like, and are mounted on food carrier support means inside the oven. The support means are preferably adjustable to allow the food carrier means to be placed at different heights within the oven, the different heights being discrete or continuous. The food carrier means are preferably arranged such that when the oven lid is in an open position in the second mode of operation, it is possible for the food carrier means to support food at the same level as the top of the oven.

At least one portion of the lid may be further arranged to be heated by the heat source when the oven is in the first mode of operation and the lid is closed to provide a second open cooking surface defined solely by the lid. This mode of operation allows the lid to act as a hotplate for cooking food in a direct contact manner, and because the lid remains closed then the closed cooking

volume within the oven is also concurrently provided allowing food items to be baked therein at the same time as other food items being fried on the hotplate.

Access to the closed cooking volume in the oven is obtained by virtue of the access means.

The oven may be fuelled by solid fuel such as charcoal, barbecue briquettes, or wood, or may instead be gas fuelled by bottled gas or mains gas.

Additionally electricity could be used to heat storage elements which in turn could be used to cook the food.

Depending upon the availability of appropriate fuel, the oven may be used either internally or externally. The oven may also be permanently fixed in place on the floor or may instead be movable. In the case of the latter, the oven may be moved between indoors and outdoors as required.

Doors may be provided on the front of the oven compartment in order to provide access to the interior of the oven for the purposes of cleaning and/or priming with fuel. Alternatively, mock doors may be provided for ornamental purposes, whereby alternative access means to the interior of the oven are provided if required.

Heat storage elements such as bricks may be included in the interior of the oven whereby the oven may double as a storage heater.

As will be appreciated, it is an advantage of the present invention that a number of different cooking modes are available to the user, some of which are available concurrently, and in any case more than have heretofore been the case with the conventional ovens of the prior art.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a specific preferred embodiment thereof, presented by way of example only, and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein : Figure 1 shows a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the first mode of operation ;

Figure 2 shows a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the first mode of operation ; Figure 3 illustrates a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the first mode of operation ; Figure 4 illustrates a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in a second mode of operation ; Figure 5 shows a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the second mode of operation ; Figure 6 illustrates a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the second mode of operation ; Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a modification which can be made to the preferred embodiment in the second mode of operation ; and Figure 8 shows a perspective view of an internal modification which can be made to the preferred embodiment.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8, wherein like reference numerals therebetween refer to like parts.

A floor standing oven 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises floor mounting means 6 for allowing the oven to stand upon the floor, a fuel burning compartment 4 contained within the body of the oven in which fuel is burnt to provide a heat source for the oven, and access means 5 being in this case hinged doors to allow access to the interior of the oven. A food carrier 3 in the form of a grid is provided within the oven upon which food can be placed and set at a range of heights within the interior of the oven to be cooked. A removable and/or openable lid 1 is further provided in order to enclose the interior of the cooking compartment of the oven in a first mode of operation, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, and in a second mode of operation can be removed or opened as shown in Figures 4 to 6 in order to provide access to the interior of the oven from the top surface of the oven. Finally, venting means 2 in the form of a

stack are located affixed to the rear wall of the oven, the rear wall having an opening therein to vent fumes and exhaust gases generated within the oven through the venting means and up through the stack.

Within the preferred embodiment, the lid 1 is preferably split into two sections la and lb which are shown as being of unequal size, although this of course need not be the case and any ratio of sizes is permissible. In the first mode of operation the lid portions la and lb are arranged to enclose the top surface of the oven to seal the oven compartment to provide a closed cooking volume in which food items may be baked. In the second mode of operation, as shown in Figures 4 to 6, the lid portions la and lb are rotated, slid, or otherwise moved to the positions shown in Figures 4 and 5 such that they no longer enclose the upper surface of the oven but are instead adjacent to the upper surface in a horizontal orientation supported by lid support means 12 provided on each side wall of the oven body. In the second mode of operation the food carrier means 3 becomes accessible from above, and acts to provide an open cooking surface for barbecuing or grilling food items. It will be appreciated that the height of the food carrier means 3 within the oven can be adjusted so as to raise or lower the height of the carrier means with respect to the upper surface of the oven. When in the open position in the second mode of operation, the lid portions la and lb can act as food preparation surfaces, or other storage and general utility surfaces.

The lid portions la and lb are each supported by lid support means 12 provided on each of the oven side walls as mentioned previously. The lid support means 12 are preferably arranged so as to be collapsable such that in the first mode of operation the support means rest flat against the oven side walls in a vertical orientation, as shown in Figure 2, and in the oven second mode of operation extend outwards from the respective oven side walls to support the lid portions as shown in Figure 5.

Within the preferred embodiment the fuel burning compartment located within the oven is provided towards the bottom of the oven and manually

operable vents 14 are provided extending through the front wall of the oven into the compartment which may be used to regulate the bum rate and heat output of the heat source formed by the burning fuel by controlling the amount of oxygen in the fuel burning chamber.

It will be appreciated that the main thrust of the present invention is to provide a flexible floor standing oven which is capable of operating in a number of different modes to provide different types of cooking. In particular, in the above-described first mode of operation wherein lid portions la and lb enclose the oven then a closed cooking volume as mentioned previously is created within the oven in which food items may be baked. Depending on the food item requiring to be cooked it is essential that the appropriate cooking technique is applied for good cooking results to be achieved. For example, in the case of baking bread then a closed oven environment is required in order for the dough to prove and rise. In the second mode of operation with the lid portions la and lb removed from the upper surface of the oven to allow access to the food carrier 3 from above, then the oven may be used as a barbecue or grill which again produces different cooking results dependent upon the food item.

A number of modifications which may be applied to the particularly preferred embodiment described above to produce further embodiments of the present invention will now be described. The modifications described below may be used separately or in any combination as required, and it will be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art where two or more modifications are mutually exclusive.

The lid 1 may be either completely removable or may pivot on hinges provided on the oven so as to allow the lid to be lifted back. Where the lid is completely removable, a support mechanism may be provided to aid the user in the removal of the lid. The support mechanism may be in the form of collapsible legs provided either on the under surface of the lid, or around the top of the oven, and which may be erected to support the lid at a suitable height above the oven top

to allow access to the interior cooking compartment. The support mechanism may be erectable manually, or may be spring-loaded so as to self-erect as the lid is lifted from the top of the oven. In the event of a spring -loaded support mechanism, the springs may aid the user in lifting the lid upwards in the same manner as is conventionally used in the opening mechanisms of some garage doors.

The lid may further be of one-piece or multiple piece construction, as already described in the preferred embodiment. Where the lid is of multiple piece construction, the pieces may be separably removable.

The lid may also be used as a cooking surface when left on the top of the oven, in which case the lid may be heated so as to act as a hotplate. This allows concurrent use of the hotplate as a second open cooking surface as well as the oven interior as the closed cooking volume during the first mode of operation of the oven.

The venting means 2 may be disposed on the rear wall of the oven as shown in Figures 1 to 6, or may instead vent the oven from any other convenient side of the oven. The means may further be in the form of an extendible chimney with provision to increase the height of the chimney to a height of, for example, 2. 5m. A radiant emitter may also be disposed located at the top of the stack. The height may be increased by means of a telescopic arrangement, or by any other convenient means apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Where the oven is located indoors, the venting means may be connectable into an already existing vent built into the building. This may be especially preferable where the oven is to be used in a domestic situation.

Furthermore, a fan may also be provided within the venting means located for example within the stack to improve the ventilation. Finally, filtering means may also be provided within the venting means for removing particularly noxious exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide and/or sulphur dioxide.

The food carrier 3 may be any suitable container such as the grid shown in Figure 4, or alternatively one or more griddle trays, baskets, or solid oven trays. Whichever carrier is used should preferably be provided with suitable handles or means for allowing the user to remove the tray or basket from within the oven compartment without risk of being burnt, although these are not essential.

In addition, as mentioned in the description of the preferred embodiment, means for adjusting the height of the food container with respect to the burning fuel are also provided on the interior of the oven, to allow for flexibility in cooking. These adjustment means may be in the form of set supports located at different heights on the interior of the oven, or may instead be a fully height adjustable mechanism such as a rack and pinion.

The fuel-burning compartment 4 is preferably located towards the bottom of the oven, and will be positioned beneath the food cooking volumes and areas. By referring to separate compartments it is not meant that a partition is necessarily provided between the food and the burning fuel, and it may be possible that the interior of the oven is simply one large interior compartment, although a partition 22 may be provided if required, as shown in Figure 8.

Where a partition is provided, an advantageous effect is obtained in that the partition can act as a heat baffle to reduce the intensity of the direct heat radiated from the heat source and hence prevent food being cooked in the oven from being burnt on the outside whilst remaining undercooked on the inside. In addition, the partition 22 may be so suitably shaped, or contain angled vents or holes therein, so as to encourage convection circulation of heated air around the oven to improve the cooking effects obtained. It is well known that such circulation around an oven can reduce cooking times.

In addition to the fuel burning compartment 4 provided at the bottom of the oven it is also possible that a second fuel burning compartment in the form of a fire tray 28 may be provided suspended from the top uprights of the oven slightly below the upper surface of the oven, as shown in Figure 7. In this position

the fire tray 28 would be covered by the lid portions la and lb when the oven is in the first mode of operation, and uncovered when the oven is in the second mode of operation. The fire tray 28 is preferably arranged to receive solid fuel such as charcoal, wood, or briquettes, which may be burnt within the fire tray to provide a second heat source for use in barbecuing or grilling food. In this case, a food carrier means which may be the food carrier means 3 or another food carrier means is arranged to hold food over the burning fuel in the fire tray 28 for cooking. Fuel may be burnt in the fire tray 28 concurrently with fuel in the fuel burning compartment 4, whereby two separate heat sources are provided, allowing different types of cooking to be performed concurrently in an effective manner.

Additionally, as also shown in Figure 7, a windshield 24 can be provided arranged to stand upright on three sides of the fire tray 28. The windshield is particularly arranged to fit on to the oven, and the oven is further provided with means such as slots or the like to receive the windshield and allow the windshield to be releasably fixed in place.

Where a windshield is provided, it is preferably provided with a plurality of shelf supports 26 which can be used to support the food carrier means at different heights above the fire tray 28.

The fuel used in the main fuel compartment 4 may be either solid fuel or gas fuel. The oven temperature may be regulated by manually controlled vents and in some cases a temperature gauge may be fitted. Furthermore, it may be possible for the oven temperature to be automatically controlled by virtue of a built in thermostat which is used to automatically open the ventilating vents. In this case the specific means for automatically opening the vents may be as conventionally used in a known storage heater.

The bum rate and heat output may be varied by the provision of an adjustable air inlet to the base of the fire. As well as providing an inlet to regulate the oven temperature, bellows may also be provided to enable the user to increase

the amount of oxygen in the fuel burning chamber and thereby increase the oven temperature. The bellows may be manually operated or may be in the form of an electric fan arranged to blow air into the oven compartment. Alternatively, where a fan is provided in the venting means, this may also be controlled to regulate oxygen throughput.

The smoke throughput from the oven may be controlled by means of manually operable vents. These may control and direct the smoke through the venting means as appropriate.

In addition to providing a means of cooking food, the oven may also double as a storage heater by virtue of the provision of heat storage means being provided in the interior of the oven casing. These storage means may be in the form of bricks or other such refractive materials arranged to heat up while the fuel is being burnt, and to slowly release the stored heat energy over time when the oven is not burning fuel. Again, manually or automatically operated vents may be provided to control the release of heat as in a conventional storage heater.

Where the oven uses gas fuel, an automatic lighting mechanism may be further included to automatically light the gas stream. In addition, the gas stream may be arranged to heat an arrangement of lava bricks positioned within the fuel burning compartment, which will then act as the heat source for the oven.

The heated lava bricks can act to absorb any fat or other substances released from the food during cooking, and also provide a"coal effect"which is advantageous when the oven is being used in the second mode of operation for barbecuing or grilling food on the open cooking surface. The lava bricks are preferably removable and interchangeable by the user.

The floor mounting means 6 may simply be legs or any other fixed stand as shown in Figure 1, or may instead be casters or other wheel supports to allow the oven to be moved easily. In the case of wheels a locking mechanism may also be provided to lock the wheels once the oven is in position.

Finally, the oven is supplied to the user in a flat-pack form arranged for easy assembly or disassembly by either a user or an installer. This allows the oven to be easily transportable when disassembled, and also improves the ability of the oven to be stored en masse.