MXPA99010116A - Cover and handle assembly for cook for cookware - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a handle assembly for cooking utensils, comprising: a container having a bottom and at least one side wall extending upwards thereof to an edge of the container, a cover having an edge lid dimensioned and shaped to lie on the edge of the container in a sealed position, first and second side handles mounted to said side wall in diametrically placed locations, and each having an upper face, first and second finger protectors mounted to the lid in diametrically opposite locations, and each having a lower face, the first side handle and the first finger protector define a handle assembly and the second side handle and the second finger guard define a second handle assembly, each set having a unique coincident relationship between the upper face and the lower face, the coupling relationship allows the upper face and the lower face to be in close proximity The vertical protector when the finger protector overlaps the first side handle and the edge of the cover rests on the edge of the container, and where the cover can be rotated 180 degrees so that the first protector overlaps the second side handle and a lack of unique coupling relationship separates the edge of the cap from the container's rim

Description

COVER AND HANDLE ASSEMBLY FOR COOKWARE REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to the Serial No. (Attorney Case No. 130456-D200), Serial No. (Attorney Case No. 130457-D200), Serial No. (No. Attorney's Case 130458-D200), Serial No. (Attorney Case No. 130459-D200), Serial No. (Attorney Case No. 130460-D200), Serial No. "which are incorporated by reference here and form a part thereof, which include but are not limited to those portions that appear specifically hereunder. DECLARATION REGARDING THE PEDERALLY SPONSORED SEARCH Not applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to cooking ware, and more specifically to pots or casseroles with a lid. In particular, the present invention relates to improved aspects for audibly indicating the creation of a pressure seal, for discharging steam from cooking ware, and for supporting the lid of cooking ware when it is not in use. The crockery for cooking is usually divided into several groups in general, of which the pots and pans are two. The pots include relatively deep containers, while the pots are relatively shallow. Both can use caps that close the container. Both types of crockery for cooking have common problems, these problems being shared with others, types of crockery for similar cooking (such as oks) to a certain extent. In a known type of cooking ware, the container and its lid are designed to form a water seal between them as the food in the container reaches a cooking temperature. Once this seal is formed, the heat supplied to the container can be reduced, saving energy, although it still provides the proper cooking due to the increased internal pressure within the container. To alert the user when this seal has been formed, this cookware also includes a whistle insert inside the lid. When the seal has formed, the vapor that comes out of the container is prevented from leaving between the container and the lid (due to its own water seal). This steam was forced into place to flow through the whistle insert, and the increased flow that forms the seal produces a whistling sound due to the structure of the insert. The user can then rotate a part of the lid to cover and block the whistle insert, stopping the sound, and sealing the interior of the container. Although this arrangement was beneficial, the whistle insert had drawbacks. Specifically, it was quite expensive to produce. In addition it had to be assembled separately to the top.

Finally, it was difficult to clean, and required the removal of the lid to complete the cleaning. It has also been known to provide a crockery for cooking with various arrangements to allow steam to be discharged from the interior. In more sophisticated devices, the lid may include one or more steam discharge openings with movable closure members to seal or allow the discharge of vapor through the lid. If the lid does not include said openings, it is common for the user to place the lid on the container in an inclined or off-center manner to create vapor discharge openings. * Both fixes have drawbacks. The openings and closing members are difficult to clean, and if they break they can cause steam to be released at all times. Placing the lid on the decentered container greatly increases the risk of the lid falling, causing the spill and creating the danger of burning the user. Finally, during cooking it is often necessary to remove the lid for a period to allow access to the interior to add ingredients, etc. This requires either the user to hold the lid with one hand, or place the lid in a separate place. Holding the lid is somewhat tiring for the user. Placing the lid in a separate place requires enough space to receive the lid, which may not be available. Additionally, placing the lid in a separate place may possibly contaminate the lid, which then contaminates the food in the container when replacing the lid. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide cooking ware having a watermark and a whistle indicator, and which is cheap and easy to clean. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooking pot having the ability to hold the lid in either a closed position or in a vapor discharge position. A further object of the present invention is to provide a cooking pot that allows the user to tilt the lid to an access position where it is held. These and other objects are achieved by means of the lid and handle assembly for earthenware for cooking. The cap may include a whistle knob assembly that provides an audible indication upon reaching the cooking temperature. The whistle knob assembly includes a vapor diverter portion to reduce burn damage to the user, and has a simplified structure and assembly method. The container includes a pair of side handles, and the lid includes a pair of finger protectors that can cover the side handles. Each set of side handle and finger guard have a unique coupling relationship. As such, in the coupled position the edge of the lid rests on the edge of the container. The lid can be rotated 180 degrees to rest without engaging the finger guard and the side handles.

This lack of coupling relationship causes the lid to be separated upwards, allowing the discharge of steam or the draining of the interior. The finger protectors can also fit within a handle opening in the side handle. The user can tilt the lid to insert the finger guard into the handle opening, overlapping the finger guard inside the handle opening, and allowing the lid to rest in an access position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and features of the invention discussed above are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which similar reference numerals represent similar elements, and in which: Figure 1 is a view in FIG. diagrammatic perspective illustrating one embodiment of a cooking vessel and a lid according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view illustrating the appearance of the whistle; Figure 3 is a detailed top plan view of the cap knob and the whistle steam discharge assembly, with the lid removed for clarity; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line 4-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view illustrating the lid resting on the container in a lowered position; Figure 6 is an end view in cross section of the position of Figure 5; Figure 7 is an end view in cross section similar to Figure 6, but illustrating the lid in a raised position; Figure 8 is a cross-sectional side view similar to Figure 5, but illustrating the lid in a partially open position; and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional side view similar to Figure 5, but illustrating the lid in a fully open supported position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to Figure 1, the cooking pot according to the present invention is generally designated by the reference number 10. The cooking pot 10 includes a container 12 which will receive the feed that is going to be cooked, and a lid 14 which can be used to cover and close the container 12. The main portions of the cooking pot 10 can be in any manner known in the art, with the inventive features of the present invention capable of being used with a wide variety of shapes and sizes of the main parts.

For the container 12, the main parts comprise the main body 16, which generally includes a bottom 18 having an outer periphery. This outer periphery is preferably round, but may take other shapes such as square. One or more side walls 20 extend upwards from the periphery of the lower part of the container 28 to the edge 22 of the container. The lower part 18, the side walls 20 and the edge of the container 22 are preferably formed as a monolithic unit of a common material such as ceramic, metal or other material having sufficient heat resistance. Although preferred, this is not required, and the edge of the container 22 or other portions may be made of various materials. The bottom 18, the side walls 20 and the edge of the container 22 together define an interior 24 which will receive the food (not shown). The proportions of the bottom 18 and the side walls 20 can vary as is known among pots, pans, woks, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, the side walls 20 are sufficiently high that the cooking pot 10 has the shape of a pot or casserole, but the side walls 20 of less height can be used to form a casserole. The lid 14 takes the general form of a disc (or other form that engages the container 12), and includes a lid body 26 having an outer periphery which defines a lid edge 28. The lid edge 28 has a shape and size that fits the edge of the container 22. As is well known, the lid 14 can rest on the edge of the container 22 to close the interior 24. The lid body 26 and the edge of the lid 28 are preferably formed as a monolithic unit of a common material such as metal, but can be formed from various materials, such as the body of the lid 26 is formed of glass or ceramic while the edge of the lid 28 is formed of metal. In addition, the lid body 26 can be made of several components of various materials (or the like), such as a central portion of metal surrounded by an "annular glass portion" (not shown). With the general shape of the cooking pot 10 thus described, the details of the present invention will now be described. The first aspect of the invention which will be discussed is a whistle knob assembly 30. To begin with, the function of the whistle knob assembly 30 requires that the body of the cap 26 include a steam opening 32 extending through of the same which will allow the steam from the interior 24 to exit through the lid 14. In this regard, it is greatly preferred that the edge of the container 22 and the edge of the lid 28 have a coupling relationship that will form a seal of water during the early stages of steam generation, as is known in the art. This water seal (at least during the initial period before the rupture of the internal pressure of the water seal) will force the generated vapor to pass through the steam opening 32, instead of between the rim of the container 22 and of the body of the lid 26. The whistle knob assembly 30 controls the flow of steam through the steam opening 32. As illustrated, the whistle knob assembly 30 is preferably mounted in the center of the lid body 26 and includes a base plate 34 and a steam discharge plate 36. The base plate 34 includes a whistle opening 38 and the base plate 34 is mounted to place the whistle in the opening 38 in a substantially coaxial relationship with the opening for steam 32. The lower face of the base plate 34 adjacent the whistle opening 38 is formed as a generally concave surface to define a whistle cavity 40 between the whistle opening 38 and the body of the cover 26, as is illus brought. This whistle opening 38 can be elongated by forming a concavity in the body of the lid 26, also as illustrated. In addition, the outer face of the base plate 34 adjacent the whistle opening 38 is formed as a section of an ellipsoid (or as a sphere) intersecting the opening of the whistle 38 to a position so as to form the opening of the whistle 38. with a very small height. In other words, the opening edge of the whistle 38 is relatively narrow or sharp. With this configuration (the dimensions of which can be determined through simple experimentation) the opening of whistle 38 will produce an audible sound (probably due to the loss of the vortex of the sharp edge) upon reaching a predetermined pressure (dependent on the dimensions selected) within the interior 24. This arrangement is very simple compared to the whistle inserts of the prior art, forms the steam opening 32 (and any surrounding concavity can be formed during the stamping or forging of the body of the lid 26, and the whistle opening 38 can be formed simply by standard molding techniques which would typically be used to form the central knob for a lid.As such, no special materials, additional inserts or manufacturing techniques are required to produce an audible sound for reach the cooking temperature. To simplify this arrangement, the base plate 34 p It can preferably be secured to the lid body 26 by the corrugation of the lid body 26 around the periphery of the base plate 34, as illustrated. This will eliminate the need for any fastener or other special assembly item, also simplifying the arrangement. Although the user must be alerted when reaching a cooking temperature, so that the heat can be reduced, it is of course desirable that it be possible to stop the audible sound. For this purpose the steam discharge plate 36 is mounted to the lid body 26 so that it can be selectively movable to a position to block the flow of steam through the whistle opening 38. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the base plate 34 includes a central annular collar 42 extending upward therefrom, and the vapor discharge plate 36 has a central opening which closely receives the collar 43. With this arrangement, the steam discharge plate 36 it can rotate in this manner with respect to, and by, the base plate 34. By forming a portion (not shown) of the steam discharge plate 36 with a radial length sufficient to extend beyond the whistle opening 38, this portion it can be moved inside, and outside of, the ratio of covering the whistle opening 38. Although this is technically all that is required, it is observed that the audible sound is produced "by the vapor escaping through the lid 14. This vap or presents the danger of burning, and as such, it is preferred that the base plate 34 be additionally formed with a steam diverting portion 44 in the form of an included angle which is raised above, and separate from, the base plate 34. The remainder of the steam discharge plate 36 is in a closing sliding relationship to the base plate 34, and as such, the entire periphery of the steam discharge plate 36 can be processed to form that of the base plate 34. , as illustrated. The user can rotate the steam discharge plate 36 to an operative position in which the steam diverting portion 44 overlaps the whistle opening 38, allowing steam to escape and audible sound to be produced, or the discharge plate can be rotated. of steam 36 to an inoperative position in which the steam diverting portion 44 is not overlapping the whistle opening 38, and the remainder of the steam discharge plate 36 blocks steam flow and thus avoids the audible sound. To assist this, the steam discharge plate 36 can be provided with a vertical handle flange 46 which the user can manually hold to cause the rotation of the steam discharge plate 36. In addition, one of the base plate 34 or of the steam discharge plate 36 can be formed with an elongated slot 48, and the other of the base plate 34 or the steam discharge plate 36 can be formed with a bolt 50 (best illustrated in Figure 3) which fits inside this slot and slides therein during rotation of the steam discharge plate 36. As can be imagined, this will limit the rotation of the steam discharge plate 36 within the specified range. determined by the length of the slot 48. However, this rotation will be sufficient to move the steam diverting portion 44 towards and away from, the overlap relationship to the whistle opening 38. As such, the user can easily control the discharge of steam p to stop the audible sound and seal the interior 24. Once sealed in this manner, the user can reduce the heat applied to the cooking 10, and the increased pressure inside the interior 24 will maintain a constant cooking range even though Reduced heat input. To allow the lid 14 to be easily removed and replaced, it is well known that a knob is provided in the center of the lid which can be manually held. In the present invention, this can be formed by extending the collar 42 of the base plate 34 upwardly beyond the steam discharge plate 36 (this embodiment is not illustrated). However, it is preferred to provide a separate knob 52 mounted to the body of the lid 26 (or alternatively to the base plate 34). This can be achieved by securing a bolt 54 to the body of the lid 26 (such as by welding) coaxially inside the collar 42, so that the free end of the bolt 54 extends over the collar 42. The knob 52 may have a threaded depression that receives the bolt 54 to secure the knob 52. Additionally, if the outer periphery of the knob 52, at its end Lower adjacent the collar 42, extends outwardly beyond the collar 42 (as best illustrated in Figure 2), this will serve to secure the steam discharge plate 36 against upward movement. In this way the provision of the knob 52 can serve as a dual function and eliminate the need to separate the holding arrangement for the steam discharge plate 36. The above arrangement will provide the function of the prior art of a water seal between the lid 14 and the container 12, an audible indication of obtaining the cooking temperature, and the closing of the steam discharge allow the heat to be reduced for cooking using less energy. Additionally, these functions are performed using a few, and less expensive parts, and more easily assembled. In addition, the discharged vapor that provides the audible signal is diverted out of the knob for safety. Finally, the reduced number of parts provides easier cleaning without disassembling the various components. This arrangement is an aspect of the invention. An additional aspect is the provision of an arrangement to allow the user to easily alternate between a seated arrangement of the lid 14 to provide a seal, and an elevated arrangement for the lid 14 to provide the ventilated or drained cooking of liquid. Specifically, the container 12 is provided with first and second side handles 56 and 58, respectively, the side handles are mounted to the side walls 20 in diametrically opposite locations, as illustrated in Figure 1. The side handles can be assembled using any technique common in the art. In addition, they can take any desired shape. In the illustrated embodiment, they take the form of D-shaped members having a mounting section 60 that overlaps with the side walls 20 and a semicircular holding section 62 extending therefrom, and thereby define an opening of the same. handle 64 between them. Alternatively, the side handles 56 and 58 can be formed as simple blocks (not shown) that do not have handle opening 64. In addition, one of the side handles 56 and 58 can be an elongated bar (not shown) extending radially toward outside, as they are normally used in casseroles. Regardless of the shape, each side handle will include some type of mounting section adjacent to the side walls 20.

In addition, the lid 14 is provided with first and second finger guards 66 and 68, respectively. Each finger protector is mounted to the lid body 26 in a diametrically opposite location, so that each finger protector can be associated with a side handle (first to first and second to second). Each finger protector will include at least one flange portion 70 extending radially outwardly beyond the lid edge 28. In the illustrated embodiment, each finger guard also includes a rest portion 72 extending inwardly from the edge. of cover 28, which will be described in more detail below. As best illustrated in Figure 5, the vertical positioning of the side handles and the thickness of the finger guards is also important. Specifically, when the lid 14 is in a sealed position as illustrated herein (that is, with the edge of the lid 28 resting on the edge of the container 22), a lower face 74 of each finger protector 66 and 68 it can be in close proximity to an upper face 76 of each side handle 56 and 58. Finally, each associated side handle and finger protector assembly will have a unique engagement pattern embossed on the respective bottom face 74 and an upper face 76 This pattern can take several forms. In the illustrated embodiment, one of the first side handle 56 and the first finger guard 66 includes two raised projections 78 that extend vertically therefrom, and the other of the side handle and finger guard include two attachable projection supports 80 that extend vertically in it (see Figure 6). Similarly, one of the second side handle 58 and the second finger guard 68 include three raised projections 78 that extend vertically therefrom, and the other side handle and the finger guard includes three coincident projection breaks 80 that extend vertically in the same. As such, in the illustrated embodiment, the number of raised projections 78 and the projection finger 80 are unique for each pair of finger protectors of the side handle. The space between the raised projections 78 can also be unique between each pair. With this arrangement, when the lid 14 is placed on the container 12 with an angular orientation (eg taking time) such that the first finger protector 66 overlaps the first side handle 56 (and in this way the second protector of finger 68 overlaps the second side handle 58), the raised projections 78 will coincide with the rest of the projection 80, and the lid will be in the sealed position of Figures 5 and 6. However, if the user rotates the lid 14 180 degrees , such that the first finger protector 66 overlaps the second side handle 58 (and vice versa), the raised projections 78 will not engage the rest of the projection 80. This will result in raised projections 78 separating the finger guards, and in this way the entire lid 14, of the container 12. This is referred to as the vapor discharge position of the lid 14, and this is illustrated in Figure 7. As can be visualized, the edge of the lid 28 will be separated from the edge of container 22 in its vapor discharge position. In addition, the relative spacing between the raised projections 78 ensures that the lid 14 is relatively stable in this position, and not tilted. As can be seen, this arrangement allows the user to completely seal the interior 24 of the cooking pot 10, or to separate the lid 14 by a simple action. In this vapor discharge position, the steam can escape from the interior 24 since it is suitable for certain types of cooking, such as a reducer. In addition, the user can grasp the side handles while simultaneously pressing on the finger guards with the thumbs to firmly hold the lid 14 in its vapor discharge position. When it is preserved in this way, the user can tilt the cooking pot 10 to drain the liquid thereof, with the relatively small spacing between the edge of the container 22 and the edge of the lid 28 acting as a sieve. A further aspect of the present invention is the provision of an arrangement that allows the user to retain the lid 14 in an open position so that the interior 24 can be accessed more easily. This is best illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. Specifically, the opening of the handle 64 of each side handle is dimensioned to receive the finger guards therein. In addition, each finger guard has a sufficient length that, when the lid 14 rests on the grip section 62 of the side handle, the tab portion 70 of the finger protector can overlap against the mounting section 60 to support the lid. 14 between the clamping section 62 and the mounting section 60 in an access position. In this access position the longitudinal axis of the lid 14 is an obtuse angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container 12, and the lid 14 is supported in an almost vertical plane. This is illustrated in Figure 9. As generally stated above, the lid 14 will rest on the fastening section 62. This means that it encompasses several relationships. For example, Figure 9 illustrates a laterally central portion of the rest portion 72 of the finger protector that overlaps the fastening section 61 of the side handle. Although not illustrated, the side edges of the rest portion 72 may overlap with the fastening section 62, while the laterally central portion does not. In addition, although it is not shown either, the finger protector may have a relatively small height and width, so that only the edge of the body of the cover 26 overlaps with the fastening section 62. Either of these two arrangements, and others within The experience in the technique means that they are covered. With this arrangement it can be seen that the user can use the cooking pot 10 with the lid 14 either in the sealed or steam discharge positions. The user can then lift and tilt the lid through the position shown in Figure 8 to insert the finger protector into the opening of the handle 64, and then rest the lid 14 on the side handle in the access position of the Figure 9. Although in this access position, the user can inspect the contents of the cooking pot 10, add ingredients, etc. Furthermore, it is noted that this access position can be achieved in spite of whether the lid 14 is in the sealed or vapor discharge positions (ie the second finger protector 68 will fit inside and "will be supported by the first side handle 56). . This arrangement allows the user to avoid contamination of the lid 14, and does not require additional space to store the lid 14 while it is removed. It is further noted that it is preferred that the edge of the cap 28 tapered inward toward its free edge, as shown, has a sufficient amount so that any condensate on the inner face of the lid 14 will be retained within the edge of the lid. 28 as it is tilted to the access position. From the aforementioned it will be seen that this invention is well adapted to obtain all the ends and objects set forth above together with the other advantages that are obvious and which are inherent in the structure. It will be understood that certain characteristics and subcombinations are useful and can be used without reference to other characteristics and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. In particular, the whistle characteristic can be used in a cooking dish that does not have handles that allow the discharge of steam or rest in an access position. Similarly, the use of the finger guards to hold the lid in the vapor discharge position can be employed without the use of the whistle feature or the access position feature. Finally, the use of the finger protectors and the side handles to support the lid in the access position can be employed without the use of the whistle feature or the handles that allow the lid to be placed in the steam discharge position. Since many possible embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the scope thereof, it will be understood that the entire subject set forth herein or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, should be construed as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims (8)

1. A lid assembly for cooking vessel, comprising: a lid including an opening for steam extending therethrough; a base plate including a whistle opening extending therethrough, said base plate is mounted to the lid with the whistle opening substantially coaxial with the steam opening and spaced therefrom to define a cavity for whistle between the steam opening and the opening for a whistle, and; a steam discharge plate mounted to the lid for movement between an operative position where the whistle opening is free to allow steam to pass through it, and an inoperative position where the vapor discharge plate blocks the steam passage through the opening for whistle.

An assembly as in claim 1, wherein the steam discharge plate includes a steam diverting portion separated from the base plate, and the steam diverting portion is located above the whistle opening in the operative position, and it is separated from the whistle opening in the inoperative position.

3. An assembly as in claim 2, wherein the base plate includes a collar extending upward therefrom, and said vapor discharge plate encloses the collar to rotate around it with respect to the base plate, the rotation moves the steam diverting portion between the operative and inoperative positions.

4. An assembly as in claim 3, further including a knob secured to said collar and extending outwardly therefrom so as to restrict vertical movement of the steam discharge plate.

A handle assembly for cooking utensils, comprising: a container having a bottom and at least one side wall extending upward thereof for a container edge; a lid having a lid edge sized and shaped to rest on the rim of the container in a sealed position; first and second side handles mounted to said side wall in diametrically opposite locations, and each having a top face; first and second finger protectors mounted to the lid in diametrically opposite locations, and each having a lower face, the first handle and the first finger protector define a handle assembly and the second side handle and the second finger guard also define a handle assembly, each assembly having a unique coincident relationship between the upper face and the lower face, the engagement relationship allows the upper face and the lower face to be in intimate vertical proximity when the finger protector overlaps the first side handle and the edge of the lid rests on the edge of the container, and wherein the lid can be rotated 180 degrees so that the first finger protector overlaps the second side handle and the lack of separate relationship of unique engagement with the lid edge from the edge of the container.

6. An arrangement as in the. claim 5, wherein the single coupling relationship comprises at least one raised projection extending from one of the first finger guard and the first side handle, and a similar number of coupling projections lie extending towards each other of the first guard the finger and the first side handle, and at least two raised projections extending from a second finger guard and the second side handle, and a similar number of mating projections lie extending towards the other of the second finger guard and the second lateral handle, the number of raised projections are different between sets.

7. A handle arrangement for cooking utensils, comprising: a container having a bottom and at least one side wall extending upward thereof toward an edge of the container; a lid having a lid edge sized and shaped to rest on the rim of the container in a sealed position; first and second side handles mounted to the side wall in diametrically opposite locations, and each having a mounting section adjacent to the side wall, a fastening section extending from the mounting section, and a handle opening extending through it; first and second finger protectors mounted to the lid in diametrically opposed locations, and each having a flange portion extending radially outwardly from the lid edge, the flange portions being dimensioned to be received within the handle openings, with the lid in a stable position at an obtuse angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the container and the lid overlaps the fastening section and the flange portion overlaps the mounting portion. An arrangement as in claim 7, wherein the finger protector further includes an interior of the rest portion of the lid edge, and wherein the rest portion overlaps the fastening section.