Combined kitchen utensil holder

Abstract

Provided is a combined pot and pan lid holder in the form of an open-top cylindrical body with a vertical slot for insertion of the user's hand and an internal kitchen utensil holder insertable into the cylindrical body. When necessary, the hot pot or pan lid is placed during cooking onto the open top side of the cylindrical body with the internal (pot or pan covering) side of the lid facing up. Since the internal side of the lid faces up, dripping from the lid to the support surface is completely prevented. The internal holder, which is intended for elongated kitchen utensils, such as ladle spoons, taste spoons, etc., can be used independently or held inside the cylindrical body.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to kitchen appliances, in particular to a combined kitchen utensil holder that can be used as a holder for a pan and pot lids, as well as a holder for spoons, knives, forks, chopsticks, and other thin and elongated items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When cooking with a pot or pan, the user must periodically remove the lid to stir the items therein or to add additional ingredients thereto. The lid is typically very hot and often has splattered food and condensation on its inner side. A hot lid can cause permanent damage to a countertop, a table, or similar support surface if placed thereon. Even if the lid is not extremely hot, condensation and food residue may drip onto the counter top, which is messy and inconvenient.

Accordingly, there is a need for a device that allows a user to temporarily secure a hot or dirty lid to eliminate the undesirable practice of placing the lid on a countertop or a stove.

Many pan and pot lid holders have been developed to hold a lid during storage or temporarily during cooking when the lid is raised from the pot or pan.

For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application (Kokai) H7-255598 published on Oct. 9, 1995 (Inventor Narita) describes a pan lid holder that is integrally attached at an angle to the edge of the pan so that it extends outwardly in a radial manner. The holder has a longitudinal slot for insertion of the narrowed portion of the knob attached to the top of the pan lid. A disadvantage of this device is that when the lid is placed onto the holder during cooking, the lid limits the user's freedom of movement. A holder of this type can be used only with a lid having a knob type of handle and is not applicable for other purposes.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,616 issued to Jack Carney on Jul. 7, 1992 describes a pot lid and utensil holder for holding pot lids and/or cooking utensils. The device includes a first generally planar component with separate notches, apertures, ledges, or the like, for supporting lids or cooking utensils. A second generally planar component is mounted to the first planar component for support and for selectively receiving cooking utensils supported by the first planar component, as well as for retaining drippings from the utensils. Although the applicant of the aforementioned patent states that the device of his invention retains drippings, it can be seen from FIG. 5 of the aforementioned patent that the position of the pan or pot lid on the holder of U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,616 does not prevent dripping to the cooking top or countertop. Furthermore, the device is unstable, especially when supporting heavy lids, is not sufficiently universal, and can support only pot or pan lids and some kitchen utensils such as spoons or knives.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,673 issued in November of 1999 to P. Dooley describes a magnetic cooking utensil holder that allows a user to temporarily secure hot pan lids while cooking, therefore eliminating the undesirable practice of placing the hot and sometimes soiled lids on a countertop. The device includes a horizontal tubular magnet having a plurality of support legs pivotally attached thereto, which expand to form a tripod type of support structure. A removable drip tray for collecting condensate or food residue adhering to the lid is attached to a pair of opposing support legs. A pair of opposing side arms each extending from an end of the magnet have a plurality of vertically aligned magnetic strips thereon for receiving additional cooking utensils such as knives, forks, and spoons. Accordingly, whenever a user removes a lid to add ingredients or to stir the food within a pot or pan, the edge of the pan is placed within a drip tray with the opposing portion magnetically secured to the magnetic bar. The tripod type of support structure allows the lid to be obliquely suspended with respect to the countertop so that condensation or food residue adhering to the lid will easily drain into the drip tray.

One main disadvantage of the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,673 is that its use is limited to holding only ferromagnetic items. Support of nonferromagnetic items is either impossible or does not provide stability of the supported items. The second disadvantage is that the residue drips from the lids to the tray, which has to be constantly cleaned. The third disadvantage is that the device is capable of supporting lids of only one diameter. There is no support for lids of a small diameter and no stability for lids of a large diameter. Nothing prevents dripping from the items supported vertically onto the side of the device to the countertop.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,200 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,550, both entitled as “Universal Pot and Pan Lid Holder” and issued to German Borodulin, et al. on Jul. 1, 2003 and Jan. 6, 2004, respectively, disclose a universal pot and pan lid holder composed of two cylindrical segments having through aligned circular slots and radial outward projections. The projection of one of the segments passes through the circular slot of the other segment and vise verse. The side edges of the cylindrical segments, which face each other, define an opening between them for access to the interior of the holder. In an assembled state of the segments they form a substantially cylindrical body with open ends and an access opening in the side of the body, so that the holder can rest on a support surface with its lower edge and provide the upper edge for temporary supporting pot or pan covers or lids during cooking. The diameter of the cylindrical body should be smaller than the diameter of the lids to be supported. The segments have recesses in the aforementioned projections for insertion of protruding portions formed on additional support member, so that this member can be inserted and stored together with the holder in a storage position, in which both segments are shifted with respect to each in a circular direction to a position of maximum overlapping and minimum space occupied by the device.

A common disadvantage of all known holders for kitchen utensils is that none of them is capable of combining the function of a pot and pan lid holder intended for holding the lid in a convenient position with the function of holding a plurality of items such as knives, spoons, forks, etc., without occupying an extra area.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combined pot and pan lid holder that is universal in its use and simple in construction, ensures stable support of pan and pot lids, prevents dripping from the lid to the cook table or countertop, and incorporates an additional holder for elongated kitchen utensils, such as knives, chopsticks, spoon ladles, turners, spatulas, etc., that during storage can be inserted into the lid holder to save useful kitchen space or can be placed outside the lid holder and used independently when the lid holder is in use during cooking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Provided is a universal pot and pan lid holder in the form of an open-top cylindrical body having at least one portion of its cylindrical side wall removed for access to the interior of the body from its side. The diameter of the cylindrical body should be smaller than the diameter of the lids to be supported, and the width of the slot formed in the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical body should be sufficient for insertion of the palm of the human hand. When necessary, the hot pot or pan lid is placed during cooking onto the open top side of the cylindrical body with the internal (pot or pan covering) side of the lid facing up. Since the internal side of the lid faces up, dripping from the lid to the support surface are completely prevented.

Inserted into the center of the cylindrical body is a removable internal holder for elongated kitchen utensils, such as ladle spoons, taste spoons, turners, spatulas, etc., which during storage are held inside the cylindrical body and can be removed therefrom during use of the cylindrical body at the time of cooking. The internal holder consists of a central rod that supports an annular body at the top and a bottomed cup-shaped body at the lower end. The upper annular body is maintained maximally open for insertion of elongated kitchen utensils, and the lower ring-shaped body has a cup-shaped form with raised edges and a closed bottom to serve as a support for the lower ends of the utensils inserted through the upper annular body. In order to provide the inserted items with stability, the bottom of the lower annular body may have recesses or openings into which the lower ends of the items enter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a general three-dimensional view of the combined kitchen utensil holder of the invention during storage.

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view of the lid holder unit of the combined kitchen utensil holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of the removable inner part of the combined kitchen utensil holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional view of the lid holder and the removable inner part during use.

FIG. 5 is a general three-dimensional view of the combined kitchen utensil holder with the adjustable cylindrical part of the holder.

FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional view separately showing two semicircular parts of the adjustable, cylindrical part of the holder shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line VII-VII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a three-dimensional view of the semicircular parts shown in FIG. 6 assembled into the adjustable, cylindrical part of the holder.

FIG. 9 is a view of the combined kitchen utensil holder of the invention while being carried.

FIG. 10 is a three-dimensional view of a modified internal holder that has an extendable central rod and allows raising of the upper annular body to a higher level.

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal and partially sectional view of the rod and annular body of the device of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view along line XII-XII of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a three-dimensional view of a modified semicylindrical body with means for engagement with the internal holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a general three-dimensional view of the combined kitchen utensil holder of the invention in a kitchen-utensil-storage condition. As shown in this drawing, the combined kitchen utensil holder, which as a whole is designated by reference numeral 20, consists of two main units, i.e., the external hollow cylindrical body 22, which is open from the top and from the bottom, and a removable internal holder unit 24 for insertion into the external hollow cylindrical body 22. As shown in FIG. 1, in the storage position of the combined kitchen utensil holder 20, the internal holder unit 24, which holds elongated kitchen utensils such as a wooden fork 26, a taste spoon 28, a spatula 29, etc., is inserted into the external hollow cylindrical body 22 and thus does not occupy an extra area on a kitchen table or a countertop (not shown).

The external hollow cylindrical body 22 is shown in FIG. 2, which is a three-dimensional view of the body 22. As shown in this drawing, the cylindrical body 22 has at least one portion of its cylindrical side wall removed to form a slot 34 for access to the interior 36 of the cylindrical body 22. The slot must be sufficiently wide to allow insertion of the palm of the human hand, as shown below in FIG. 4. The upper and lower ends of the cylindrical body 22 shown in FIG. 2 are open, though the lower end of the cylindrical body may be closed. For convenience of transfer from one place to another, the external hollow cylindrical body 22 may have on its external surface a handle 38. Reference numerals 39a, 39b, and 39c designate lugs that project radially inward from the lower edge of the cylindrical body 22.

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of the internal part or kitchen utensil holder 40, which, as shown in FIG. 1, is intended for holding elongated kitchen utensils. During storage of kitchen utensils, the holder 40 is held inside the cylindrical body 22 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and can be removed therefrom during use of the cylindrical body 22 during cooking. When the utensil holder 40 is inside the cylindrical body, it is supported by radial lugs 39a, 39b, and 39c (FIG. 2).

The internal holder 40 consists of a central rod 42 that supports an annular body 44 at the upper end and a bottomed cup-shaped body 46 at the lower end. The open part 48 of the upper annular body 44 is maintained maximally open for insertion of elongated kitchen utensils and is connected to the central rod 42 with a narrow diametrical rib 45.

The cup-shaped body 46 has a cylindrical wall 50, a closed bottom 52, and may have an internal cup-shaped body 54 formed concentrically with the external cylindrical wall 50. The internal cup-shaped body 54 is an arbitrary item and is intended for providing an additional stopper for the lower ends of the elongated kitchen utensils inserted into the internal holder 40. Provision of this stopper and its use will ensure more uniform distribution of the elongated kitchen utensils in the internal holder. Recesses 56a, 56b, . . . 56n formed in the bottom 52 of the lower cup-shaped body 46 are also provided for uniform distribution of utensils.

The upper end of the central rod 42 may have a knob 58 for use as a handle needed for insertion and removal of the internal holder 40 into and from the external cylindrical body 22. The outer diameters of the upper annular body 44 and especially of the lower cup-shaped body 46 should be smaller than the inner diameter of the external cylindrical body 22. The radial projections 39a, 29b, and 39c that extend radially inward from the lower end face of the cylindrical body 22 (FIG. 2) support the inner holder 40 when the entire unit 20 (FIG. 1) is raised or removed. The entire inner holder 40 can be conveniently manufactured as a monolithic body by means of injection molding, or the like.

FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional view of a lid holder and the removable inner part while in use. When it is necessary to place a pan or a pot lid 60 away from a pan or pot, the user inserts his/her hand H into the slot 34 and places the lid onto the upper end face of the cylindrical body 22 by holding the lid 60 with the inner surface 60a facing up. Since in this position (shown in FIG. 4) the lid 60 rests on the cylindrical body 22 with its inner surface facing up, liquids will not drip onto the surface that supports the cylindrical body 22 if the inner surface of the lid is wet or contaminated with grease or oil. At the same time, the inner holder 40 with kitchen utensil items can stand alone in a convenient place, as shown in FIG. 4.

According to another aspect of the invention, the cylindrical body 40 may be assembled from two parts. This is shown in FIG. 5, which is a three-dimensional view of the cylindrical body assembly 62. Reference numeral 40 designates the same inner kitchen utensil holder that is shown in FIG. 3 of the previous modification of the combined kitchen utensil holder 20. The cylindrical body assembly 62 has the same shape and may have the same overall dimensions as the cylindrical body 22 shown in FIG. 2 and differs from it by consisting of two semicylindrical parts 64a and 64b, as shown in FIG. 6. The semicylindrical parts 64a and 64b are almost identical and differ in that one of the parts, i.e., the part 64b, has a flange 66 on one of its end faces. In the assembled state shown in FIG. 5, the flange 66 serves as a support for the inner kitchen utensil holder 40. Furthermore, as explained below, in the assembled state shown in FIG. 5, the semicylindrical parts 64a and 64b can be moved relative to each other in circumferential directions (shown by arrows K1 and K2) so that a slot 63 formed between the confronting edges 64a1 and 64b1 (FIG. 5) can be adjusted from a narrow size (which restricts the lateral movements of the inner kitchen utensil holder 40 and thus protects it from falling out from the cylindrical body) to a wide size (which reduces the overall dimension of the cylindrical body and makes it convenient for storage).

As shown in FIG. 6, the semicylindrical part 64a has a pair of mutually intersecting and mutually perpendicular slots 67a and 69a. The linear slot 67a is cut in the direction of the generatrix of the cylindrical surface of the part 64a from the edge 61a and approximately to the middle of the height of the semicylindrical part 64a, and the circumferential slot 69a is cut in the wall of the semicylindrical part 64a in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical surface from the point of intersection 65a with the liner slot approximately to the middle of the circumference of the part 64a. The entrance 71a to linear slot 67a from the edge of the semicylindrical body 64a is tapered with increase in size toward the edge.

Near the end of the circumferential slot 69a that is opposite to the point of intersection 65a, the wall of the semicylindrical part 64a is provided with a slider 70a. The slider 70a is rigidly connected to the inner surface 72a of the semicylindrical body 64a. Connected to the outer surface 74a (FIG. 5) of the semicylindrical body 64a is a handle 76a, which is located, preferably, just opposite the slider 70a. The wall of the semicircular body 64a has a thickness t₂.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along line VII-VII of FIG. 6. It can be seen that the slider 70a has a narrow neck 70a′ near the inner surface 72a of the semicylindrical part 64a.The thickness of this neck is smaller than the size of the remaining part of the slider 70a, and the width t1 of the neck is greater than the thickness t2 of the wall of the semicylindrical part 64a. The slider 70b (FIG. 6) is identical with slider 70a, except that the slider 70a is formed on the inner surface of the semicylindrical body 64a, while the slider 70b is formed on the outer surface of the semicylindrical body 64b.

As mentioned above, the semicircular part 64b is identical with the part 64a, except for provision of the flange 66. Therefore, there is no need to describe the semicircular part 64b in detail, and the components thereof that correspond to similar components of the semicircular part 64a are designated by the same reference numerals but with the addition of letter “b”. For example, the inner wall of the semicircular part 64b is designated by reference numeral 72b, the linear slot is designated by reference numeral 67b, etc.

Shown in FIG. 8 is the procedure for assembling the semicircular parts 64a and 64b into the condition shown in FIG. 5. For assembly, the slider 70b of the semicircular body 64b is inserted with its narrow neck through the tapered portion 71a into the linear slot 67a of the semicircular part 64a. At the same time, the slider 70a of the semicircular body 64a is inserted with its narrow neck 70a′ through the tapered portion 71b into the linear slot 67b of the semicircular part 64b. Refer to FIG. 8 for assembly of these parts.

Following this, the semicircular parts 64a and 64b are moved in mutually opposite directions toward each other in the directions of arrows M1 and M2 in FIG. 8 until the positions of their narrow necks are aligned with respective circumferential slots 69b and 69a, respectively. (Note that although only one neck 70a′ is shown in FIG. 7, it is understood that the slider 70b has a similar neck but on the outer side of the respective semicircular body 64b.) When the necks are aligned with the circumferential slots, the slides can be circumferentially guided along the respective slots; thus, the respective semicircular parts 64a and 64b can be moved relative to each other, and the width of the gap 63 (FIG. 5) can be adjusted.

Use of the internal kitchen utensil holder 40 is the same as described with reference to the first modification. This is shown in FIG. 9 wherein the internal kitchen utensil holder 40 with elongated kitchen utensils 80a, 80b, 80c, and 80d is inserted into the cylindrical, body assembly 62. Although in FIG. 9 the internal kitchen utensil holder 40 is shown with elongated kitchen utensils 80a, 80b, 80c, and 80d, it is understood that it can be inserted into the cylindrical body assembly 62 without the kitchen utensils, or it can be used without the internal kitchen utensil holder 40, e.g., for supporting a pan or pot lid 60, as shown in FIG. 4.

When the handles 76a and 76b are moved close to each other (FIG. 5), they can be used as a single handle convenient for holding or carrying the cylindrical body assembly with or without the internal holder 40. In this case, the slot 63 has a width that is narrower than the diameter of the cup-shaped body 46 (FIG. 3) so that the internal kitchen utensil holder 40 is prevented from movement in the radial direction relative to the cylindrical body assembly.

FIGS. 10, 11, and 12 illustrate a modified version of the device of the internal holder, which is designated by reference numeral 82. The internal holder of this modification makes it possible to use a knob 83 formed on the upper end of the internal holder as a handle for raising or carrying the entire combined assembly, including the cylindrical body, without the use of handles on the outer surface of the semicylindrical bodies.

FIG. 10 is a three-dimensional view of the modified internal holder 82, FIG. 11 is a longitudinal and partially sectional view of the rod and annular body, and FIG. 12 is a sectional view along line XII-XII of FIG. 11.

According to several aspects of the invention, the holder 82 has a central rod 84 that supports an annular body 86 and may be adjustable in length so that the position of the annular body 86 can be raised above the cylindrical body assembly if necessary (as shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 10) or lowered below the upper edge of the cylindrical body assembly (not shown in FIGS. 10, 11, and 12). This is achieved by cutting a longitudinal groove 90 in the surface of a rod 88, which comprises a part of the central rod 84, and providing the annular body 86 with a sleeve 92 that is slidingly installed on the rod 88. A pin 94 is inserted into the side wall of the sleeve 92 so that the end of this pin protrudes into the longitudinal groove in a manner such that the sleeve 92 together with the annular body 86 can be guided along the groove 90 of the rod 88.

Near the end of the rod 88 opposite to the annular body 86, the longitudinal groove 90 transfers into [changes to ?] a short circumferential groove 96. When the annular body is raised to a position in which the pin 94 aligns with the circumferential groove 96, the annular body 86 may turn [?] for insertion of the pin 94 into the groove 96. As a result, the annular body 86 can be fixed in the raised position above the open end of the cylindrical body that may be needed for holding long kitchen utensils, such as ladle spoons, taste spoons, turners, spatulas, etc.

FIG. 13 is a three-dimensional view of a modified semicylindrical body with means for engagement with the internal holder. In this modification, a semicylindrical body 98 has a circumferential slot 102 formed between respective guides 106a, 106b that projects radially inward from the inner surface of the semicircular body 98. These guides are located on the lower side of the semi-circular body and close to the vertical edges of the semi-circular body. Similar projections (not shown) are formed on the inner surface of the second semicircular body, which is not shown in the drawings because it is similar to the semicircular body 98. When both semicylindrical bodies are assembled into the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the flange 66 is inserted into the circumferential slot, such as the slot 102, whereby the semicylindrical bodies appear to be engaged with the internal holder 40 (FIG. 3) so that the entire combined kitchen utensil holder can be raised or carried to another location.

FIG. 14 shows another modification of the combined kitchen utensil holder 108 in which the annular body 110 of the internal kitchen utensil holder 112 has a diameter greater than the diameter of the cylindrical body 114 so that the internal kitchen utensil holder 112 can be supported by the upper edge 116 of the cylindrical body 114. In this case, however, the assembly of the external and internal holders can be raised and carried only with the use of handles (not shown).

It is understood that in all modifications of the device of the invention the diameter of the cylindrical body assembly should be smaller than the diameter of the lids to be supported, and the width of the slot formed in the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical body should be sufficient for insertion of the human hand. When necessary during cooking, the hot pan lid can be placed onto the open top side of the cylindrical body with the internal (pot or pan covering) side of the lid facing up. Since the internal side of the lid faces up, dripping from the lid to the support surface is completely prevented.

It is also understood that the combination of the cylindrical body assembly with the internal kitchen utensil holder provides a synergistic effect. Although the cylindrical body assembly and the internal kitchen utensil holder can be used separately, their combined use with insertion of the internal holder into the cylindrical body saves useful surface area on the countertop. Therefore, from the viewpoint of unity of the invention, these components are indivisible.

Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to specific embodiments, it is understood that these embodiments should not be construed as limiting the areas of application of the invention and that any changes and modifications are possible provided that these changes and modifications do not depart from the scope of the attached patent claims. For example, the cylindrical bodies and the internal holder can be made from plastic or metal. The handles may have shapes different from those shown in the drawings. The moveable annular body of the internal holder can be fixed on the rod by means other than the bayonet slot, e.g., by a clamping screw. The internal kitchen utensil holder may have a configuration different from that shown in the drawings. For example, the holder can be molded as an integral unit from plastic, can be assembled from separate parts, can be made from a metal wire, etc.

Claims

1. A combined kitchen utensil holder comprising a cylindrical body having an outer cylindrical surface, an inner cylindrical surface, a longitudinal axis, at least one open end, and a slot in the cylindrical surface that is parallel to the longitudinal axis and has a width sufficient for insertion of the palm of the human hand into the cylindrical body; an internal kitchen utensil holder insertable into the cylindrical body through said at least one open end; and supporting means on the cylindrical body for supporting the internal kitchen utensil holder in the cylindrical body.

2. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 1, wherein the internal kitchen utensil holder comprises a central rod that has an upper end and a lower end and is arranged along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body; and at least one annular body that is rigidly connected to the central rod perpendicular to the central rod and near the upper end of the central rod, the annular body having openings for insertion of elongated kitchen utensils.

3. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 2, wherein the cylindrical body is open at both ends and has an upper end face and a lower end face, wherein the supporting means on the cylindrical body for supporting the internal kitchen utensil holder comprises at least one projection at the lower end face that projects radially inward from the inner surface of the cylindrical body, and wherein the central rod has a flange at said lower end that is supported by said at least one projection when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body.

4. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 3, wherein the flange is provided with a cup-shaped body that has an open side facing up when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body, said cup-shaped body serving to support and limit movements of the lower ends of the kitchen utensils inserted into the opening of the annular body.

5. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body is assembled from a first semicylindrical body and second semicylindrical body, which are assembled so that they can slide relative to each other in the circumferential direction but are restricted against relative movement in the radial direction.

6. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 5, wherein the internal kitchen utensil holder comprises a central rod that has an upper end and a lower end, and is arranged along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body; and at least one annular body that is rigidly connected to the central rod perpendicular to the central rod and near the upper end of the central rod, the annular body having openings for insertion of elongated kitchen utensils.

7. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 6, wherein the cylindrical body is open at both ends and has an upper end face and a lower end face, wherein the supporting means on the cylindrical body for supporting the internal kitchen utensil holder comprises projections at the lower end faces that project radially inward from the inner surface of the cylindrical body, and wherein the central rod has a flange at said lower end that is supported by said projections when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body.

8. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 7, wherein the flange is provided with a cup-shaped body that has an open side facing up when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body, said cup-shaped body serving to support and limit movements of the lower ends of the kitchen utensils inserted into the opening of the annular body.

9. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 7, wherein the first semicylindrical body and the second semicylindrical body have means for assembling to form said cylindrical body, each said semicylindrical body having a height, side edges, an upper end face, a lower end face, an outer surface, an inner surface, and a radial inward projection on its inner semicylindrical surface for forming said projections of the cylindrical body and for supporting the flange of the central rod when said first semicylindrical body and second semicylindrical body being assembled into said cylindrical body, and the internal kitchen utensil holder being inserted into the cylindrical body.

10. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 9, wherein said semicylindrical bodies have their respective radial inward projections on opposite end faces so that if the first semicylindrical body has the radial inward projection on the upper end face, the second semicylindrical body has the radial inward projection on the lower end face; said means for assembling the semicylindrical bodies into a cylindrical body and each semicylindrical body comprising a linear slot located near one of the edges and extending from one of its end faces essentially to the middle of the height of the semicylindrical body; a circumferential slot that starts near the other of said edges and intersects with the point of termination of the linear slot; and a slider that is rigidly connected to the respective semicylindrical body, projects from the surface of the semicylindrical body, and is guided in the circumferential slot of the other of said semicylindrical bodies when they are assembled into a cylindrical body, said slider having means that allow sliding of the semicylindrical bodies relative to each other in the circumferential direction but that restrict movements of the semicylindrical bodies relative to each other in the radial direction.

11. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 3, comprising at least one handle attached to the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical body.

12. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 10, further comprising a first handle that is located on the outer side of first semicylindrical body and is rigidly connected to the slider of the first semicylindrical body, and a second handle that is located on the outer side of the second semicylindrical body and is rigidly connected to the slider of the second semicylindrical body.

13. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 2, wherein the central rod has a longitudinal groove, the upper annular body is slidingly installed on the central rod and has a pin that protrudes into the longitudinal groove for guiding the upper annular body along the longitudinal groove to a position raised above said at least one open end, and wherein the inner kitchen utensil holder has means for securing the upper annular body in said raised position.

14. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 11, wherein the central rod has a longitudinal groove, the upper annular body is slidingly installed on the central rod and has a pin that protrudes into the longitudinal groove for guiding the upper annular body along the longitudinal groove to a position raised above said at least one open end, and wherein the inner kitchen utensil holder has means for securing the upper annular body in said raised position.

15. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 6, wherein the central rod has a longitudinal groove, the upper annular body is slidingly installed on the central rod and has a pin that protrudes into the longitudinal groove for guiding the upper annular body along the longitudinal groove to a position raised above said at least one open end, and wherein the inner kitchen utensil holder has means for securing the upper annular body in said raised position.

16. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 9, wherein the central rod has a longitudinal groove, the upper annular body is slidingly installed on the central rod and has a pin that protrudes into the longitudinal groove for guiding the upper annular body along the longitudinal groove to a position raised above said at least one open end, and wherein the inner kitchen utensil holder has means for securing the upper annular body in said raised position.

17. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 12, wherein the central rod has a longitudinal groove, the upper annular body is slidingly installed on the central rod and has a pin that protrudes into the longitudinal groove for guiding the upper annular body along the longitudinal groove to a position raised above said at least one open end, and wherein the inner kitchen utensil holder has means for securing the upper annular body in said raised position.

18. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 1, wherein the upper annular body has a diameter greater than the diameter of the cylindrical body.

19. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 7, wherein the upper annular body has a diameter greater than the diameter of the cylindrical body.

20. The combined kitchen utensil holder according to claim 17, wherein the upper annular body has a diameter greater than the diameter of the cylindrical body.