Where did ceramic cookers come from?
Ceramic cookers as we know them today are descendants of a number of ancient cookers including the Indian tandoor and the Japanese mushikamado. There is a common misconception, however, that today’s ceramic charcoal cookers were invented by Richard Johnson, owner of the Kamado company. People often point to a patent he obtained, Des. 201,937 (or D201937), which was issued in 1965. Richard Johnson even claims to be the original inventor and patent owner in his own advertising, so it is not hard to understand why many think he is indeed the original inventor. In fact, however, the patent that everyone refers to is actually nothing more than a design patent, not the utility patent which most people think of when they think of a patent. Note the “Des.” or “D” that precedes the patent number indicating that it is a design patent. (You can view a copy of Richard Johnson’s design patent by clicking here). So what exactly is a design patent? A design patent merely protects the appearance of an
