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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stand assembly for a barbecue device, and more particularly a stand assembly that makes the barbecue device stable on an uneven ground, especially on a pebble or gravelstone ground.
2. Description of Related Art
Barbecue devices have been used for many years in backyard settings, picnics, cookouts, family gatherings, and a host of other social gatherings, mostly in an outdoor environment. It is to be noted that most barbecue devices have feature legs for support such as a vertical central post, tripod design, or other supporting frames and in accordance with good manufacturing standards, those legs are of equal length and have identical tips. However those feature legs pose inconvenience to their users because an abutting face contacting the ground on each leg is even but when the barbecue devices are set on an uneven ground such as a gravelstone ground or a pebble ground on riversides, the barbecue devices are then unstable and easy to topple if someone inadvertently touches the barbecue devices. This is clearly a significant safety risk that must be addressed to avoid tragedy.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide stand assembly for a barbecue device to mitigate and obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the invention is to provide a stand assembly for a barbecue device that has an angle-adjustable abutting head with multiple teeth to pitch into the uneven ground to keep the barbecue device stable.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a stand assembly for a barbecue device in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional side view of the stand assembly in accordance with FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of three stand assemblies attached under a charcoal barbecue device; and
FIG. 4 is an operational side view of the charcoal barbecue device in accordance with FIG. 3, wherein the three stand assemblies are pitched into the gravelstone ground.
The stand assembly for a barbecue device in accordance with the present invention comprises: an extension rod with a distal end, an abutting head mounted on the distal end of the extension rod and an adjustable joint secured between the extension rod and the abutting head. Particularly, the abutting head has multiple teeth to adapt to uneven ground and the adjustable joint keeps the barbecue device always balanced on the uneven ground, especially on some uneven ground with gravelstones or pebbles. Thereby, the barbecue device can stand stably on any uneven ground.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the stand assembly for a barbecue device in accordance with the present invention comprises: an extension rod (10), an abutting head (20) and an adjustable joint (30) secured between the extension rod (10) and the abutting head (20).
The extension rod (10) is a cylindrical tube (12) with a top end and a distal end (14). The top end (12) of the extension rod (10) has a top flat face (122) with a threaded hole (124). Thereby, the extension rod (10) can be removably attached to a charcoal container (not numbered) by engaging a screw secured under the charcoal container with the threaded hole (124). The distal end (14) of the extension rod (10) has a dome-shaped head (142) with a central hole (144) defined in the dome-shaped head (142). The central hole (144) is preferably threaded.
The abutting head (20) is detachably secured at the distal end of the extension rod (10), is a shallow dish and has a zenith, an edge periphery, a through hole (22) and multiple teeth (24). The through hole (22) is defined at the zenith of the abutting head (20) and the multiple teeth (24) are evenly formed at the edge periphery. Preferably, the through hole (22) has an inward curved edge to allow the dome-shaped head (142) to smoothly slide on the abutting head (20) when the abutting head (20) contacts the dome-shaped head (142). In addition, eight teeth (24) are formed and each has a smooth curved edge. Each two adjacent teeth (24) have a straight section defined therebetween so as to create a corrugated periphery on the abutting head (20). When the abutting head (20) contacts uneven ground, the multiple teeth (24) serve as spike to pitch into the uneven ground to keep the stand assembly in position.
The adjustable joint is secured between the extension rod (10) and the abutting head (20) and comprises a conical spring (32) and an adjusting bolt (34) with a head. The conical spring (32) surrounds the adjusting bolt to abut the zenith of the abutting head (20) and has an enlarged end and a tapered end. The enlarged end of the conical spring (32) spreads out over the zenith of the abutting head and the tapered end rests on the head of the abutting head (20). The adjusting bolt (34) has threaded distal end. After setting the conical spring (32), the adjusting bolt (34) penetrates the conical spring (32) and the through hole (22) to engage the threaded distal end to the central hole (144). Thereby, the stand assembly for a barbecue device in the present invention is achieved.
With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, when the stand assemblies are applied on a barbecue device, the quantity of the stand assemblies is decided by the size and shapes of the barbecue device. Take FIGS. 3 and 4 as an example, a round dish-like charcoal container needs at least three stand assemblies. However, in other examples, four or more stand assemblies are also applicable. When the barbecue device is assembled on a gravelstone ground, the teeth (24) on the abutting head (20) pitch into spaces between the gravelstone because of weight of the barbecue device. Therefore, the stand assembly can keep the barbecue device stable. Moreover, with particular reference to FIG. 2, the adjustable head (30) makes the abutting head (20) rotate to correspond with an inclination on the gravelstone so that the barbecue device can keep its balance on the uneven ground. More particularly, coils of the conical spring (32) temporarily jam with each other when the abutting head (20) bias to make the conical spring (32) twisted. Thereby, the orientations of the stand assemblies can be temporarily kept steady.
Therefore, it is to be understood the stand assembly for a barbecue device is practical and useful.
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.