Griddle cooking station and method thereof
Embodiments of an outdoor cooking station having a main body and a griddle with a hood pivotably coupled to the griddle are provided. For safety purposes, the griddle is removably secured to an upper portion of the main body with the legs of the griddle positioned within apertures defined in an upward facing surface of the upper portion of the main body.
1. An outdoor cooking station, comprising:
a main body extending to define a front side, a rear side, a left side and a right side each extending between a lower end and an upper portion, the main body including multiple heating elements controlled along the front side and coupled to the main body, the upper portion of the main body including a locking structure positioned therealong;
a griddle configured to be supported by the upper portion of the main body, the griddle extending to define an upper side and a underside, the upper side including a splash guard and the underside including legs extending with a length so as to extend downward from the underside of the griddle, at least one of the legs defining a neck and an abutment structure along the length of the legs, the abutment structure configured to cooperate with the locking structure so as to minimize movement of the griddle relative to the main body; and
a hood pivotably coupled to the splash guard of the griddle, the hood configured to be moveable between a closed position and an open position.
2. The outdoor cooking station of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion of the main body extends with an upward facing surface, the upward facing surface including multiple elongated apertures defined therein such that at least one of the elongated apertures defines a keyed structure sized and configured to engage the abutment structure of the at least one of the legs of the griddle to prevent upward movement of the at least one of the legs from the keyed structure.
3. The outdoor cooking station of claim 1 , wherein the locking structure comprises a bracket, the bracket configured to be secured to the main body with a portion of the bracket at least partially surrounding one of the legs of the griddle so as to prevent horizontal movement of the griddle relative to the main body.
4. The outdoor cooking station of claim 1 , wherein the locking structure comprises elongated apertures defined in an upward facing surface of the main body, the elongated apertures defining a keyed structure configured to cooperate with the abutment structure of the at least one of the legs of the griddle so as to prevent upward movement of the at least one of the legs from the keyed structure.
5. The outdoor cooking station of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion of the main body extends with an upward facing surface, the upward facing surface including multiple apertures, each of the apertures sized and configured to receive one of the legs of the griddle for removably locking the griddle to the main body.
6. The outdoor cooking statin of claim 1 , wherein the main body extends with an upward facing surface along the upper portion of the main body, the upward facing surface defining apertures therein, each of the apertures sized and configured to receive one of the legs of the griddle, at least two of the apertures extending with an elongated profile.
7. An outdoor cooking station, comprising:
a main body extending to define a front side, a rear side, a left side and a right side each extending between a lower end and an upper portion, the main body including multiple heating elements controlled along the front side and coupled to the main body, the upper portion of the main body extending to define an upward facing surface, the upward facing surface defining elongated apertures therein, the elongated apertures defining a keyed structure; and
a griddle configured to be supported by the upper portion of the main body, the griddle extending to define an upper side and a underside, the upper side including a splash guard and the underside including legs each extending with a length so as to extend downward from the underside of the griddle, at least two of the legs defining a neck and an abutment structure along the length of the at least two of the legs, the neck and the abutment structure of the at least two of the legs sized and configured to cooperate with the keyed structure of the elongated apertures so as to prevent upward movement of the at least two of the legs from the keyed structure.
8. The cooking station of claim 7 , further comprising a hood pivotably coupled to the splash guard of the griddle, the hood configured to be moveable between a closed position and an open position.
9. The cooking station of claim 8 , wherein the hood extends with opposite first and second sides, the first and second sides of the hood pivotably coupled to the splash guard with a first dual linkage and a second dual linkage, respectively.
10. The cooking station of claim 7 , further comprising a bracket,
the bracket sized and configured to be secured to the main body with a portion of the bracket at least partially surrounding one of the legs of the griddle to prevent horizontal movement of the at least two of the legs of the griddle within the elongated apertures.
11. The cooking station of claim 7 , wherein the elongated apertures comprise rearward elongated apertures and forward elongated apertures, the forward elongated apertures defining the keyed structure.
12. The cooking station of claim 7 , wherein the upward facing surface defines rearward apertures and forward apertures, the forward apertures being the elongated apertures sized with the keyed structure, the rearward apertures and the forward apertures each sized and configured to receive one of the legs of the griddle.
13. A method for assembling an outdoor cooking station for minimizing dangerous cooking conditions while cooking, the method comprising:
positioning legs of a griddle into elongated apertures defined in an upward facing surface of a cooking station such that the griddle is suspended above heat elements controlled along a front side of the cooking station and such that at least two legs of the legs include a neck and an abutment structure each defined along a length of the at least two legs;
moving the griddle so that the at least two legs move from a first end of the elongated apertures to a second end of the elongated apertures, the first end being opposite the second end of the elongated apertures; and
maintaining the griddle to the cooking station such that the at least two legs maintain contact with the cooking station and are prevented from moving upward from the elongated apertures with the abutment structure cooperating with structure defining the elongated apertures.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the maintaining the griddle comprises securing a bracket to the cooking station with a portion of the bracket at least partially surrounding one of the legs to maintain the legs of the griddle adjacent the second end of the elongated apertures.
15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the maintaining the griddle comprises positioning rearward legs of the legs of the griddle within rearward apertures defined in the upward facing surface of the cooking station.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the moving the griddle comprises moving forward legs of the legs of the griddle to the second end of the elongated apertures so that the rearward legs of the griddle drop into the rearward apertures to move the griddle in a locked position with abutment structure of the forward legs to prevent upward movement of the forward legs from the forward apertures and the rearward legs in the rearward apertures sized and configured to prevent horizontal movement of the griddle relative to the cooking station.
17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the positioning comprises positioning forward legs and rearward legs of the griddle within the elongated apertures such that forward apertures of the elongated apertures define a keyed structure configured to cooperate with the forward legs of the griddle to prevent upward movement of the forward legs from the keyed structure upon the forward legs being positioned adjacent a second end of the elongated apertures.
18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the positioning comprises positioning the griddle with a hood pivotably coupled to a splash guard of the griddle.