ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 23 -- United States Patent no. 12,502,031, issued on Dec. 23, was assigned to Melissa & Doug LLC (Wilton, Conn.).
"Outdoor grill toy" was invented by Rachel Belter (Montclair, Va.), Brett Almstead (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Matt Burtonwood (West Yorkshire, Great Britain).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A simulated outdoor gas-fired grill includes a simulated thermometer. A grill assembly includes a grate and a flame plate positioned below the grate. The flame plate includes simulated flame segments positioned to extend through slots in the grate. The grate is movable toward and away from the grate. A cam connected with a knob contacts the underside of the flame plate and move...