Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6431389
-
Patent Number
6,431,389
-
Date Filed
Thursday, July 27, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, August 13, 200222 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Yu; Mickey
- Arnold, III; Troy G
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 220 6222
- 220 6213
- 220 626
- 220 574
- 220 5743
- 220 656
- 220 657
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A composite bowl has a seamless, one-piece, stainless steel inner body with a covering or outer body formed of a flexible and resilient frictional material. The outer body has an enlarged bead around the rim of the bowl and the stainless inner body is rolled around the bead.
Description
BACKGROUND
The present application relates to a cookware receptacle and, in particular, to mixing bowls.
Mixing bowls have been formed of a variety of different materials, including glass, ceramic, metal and the like. Such bowls are commonly used in different positions. In one position, such as for use with an electric mixer or the like, the bowl is disposed in an upright position resting on a generally flat base with the central axis of the bowl disposed substantially vertically. When used with hand mixers or beaters, whisks or the like, the bowl is typically tilted to facilitate entry of the stirring or mixing implement into the open mouth of the bowl and manipulation thereof. For this purpose, the user will typically grasp the edge of the bowl with one hand to tilt it while operating the mixing implement with the other hand.
A typical mixing bowl has a generally semi-spherical shape with a smooth outer surface which has a tendency to slip or slide along underlying support surfaces in use. Furthermore, such bowls may be difficult to grasp firmly, particularly if the user's hands are wet.
In order to alleviate these difficulties, it is known to provide bowls formed of plastic materials with flexible anti-skid rings or bottom portions to inhibit skidding along support surfaces. Bowls have also been provided with enlarged rim flanges or handles to facilitate grasping. U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,023 to Heiberg et al., discloses a composite bowl with an inner rigid plastic shell and an outer elastic shell formed by co-molding. However, the plastic material of the bowl is not suitable for all applications.
SUMMARY
The present application discloses an improved composite mixing bowl which avoids advantages of prior bowls while affording additional structure or operating advantages.
A feature is a provision of a bowl of the type set forth which is of simple and economical construction, yet is sturdy and ergonomically designed.
Another feature is the provision of a bowl of the type set forth which has a unique metal/elastomeric composite construction.
In particular, there is provided a composite receptacle comprising: a rigid imperforate inner body having an outer surface and forming an open-top vessel having an upstanding peripheral side wall, the side wall having a laterally outwardly projecting flange forming an upper lip extending around the periphery of the inner body, the lip extending downwardly and back inwardly toward the side wall to form a channel, and an outer body of flexible and resilient material covering and fixed to the outer surface of the inner body, the outer body having a peripheral bead filling the channel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected, there are illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.
FIG. 1
is a side elevational view of a composite bowl;
FIG. 2
is a top plan view of the bowl of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a sectional view taken generally along the line
3
—
3
in
FIG. 1
; and
FIG. 4
is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of a portion of FIG.
3
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a composite bowl, generally designated by the numeral
10
, which includes a seamless, one-piece inner body
11
, formed of a suitable metal, such as stainless steel. The inner body
11
is generally part-spherical in shape and has an inner surface
12
and an outer surface
13
, the body
11
defining a curvilinear bottom
14
and curvilinear upstanding side wall
15
. The side wall
15
has an upper end portion or flange
16
extending around the periphery thereof and defining the wide, open mouth at top of the bowl. The flange
16
is curved laterally outwardly and then downwardly to define a generally tubular lip
17
which terminates at a distal edge
18
spaced a slight distance from the outer surface of the side wall
15
to define a channel
19
, which is a part-circular in transverse cross section.
Bowl
10
also includes an outer body
20
formed of a flexible and resilient frictional material, such as an elastic material of a type sold under the trade name Santoprene, which is adhered to and covers the outer surface
13
of the inner body
11
. The outer body
20
has an outer surface
23
and defines a bottom portion
24
, which covers the inner body bottom
14
, and a side portion
25
which covers the inner body side wall
15
. The side portion
25
terminates at its upper end in a peripheral bead
26
which fills the channel
19
and is substantially circular in transverse cross section, so that the edge
18
of the flange
16
is disposed of the juncture between the bead
26
and the remainder of the outer body side portion
25
. The outer surface of the
23
of the outer body
20
has a substantially flat bottom surface portion
27
. The thickness of the outer body
20
varies, having a thickened region
28
around the periphery of the inner body bottom
14
. The outer body
20
is fixedly secured to the inner body
11
by suitable means, as by being bonded thereto or molded thereon. The resulting composite bowl
11
defines a receptacle
29
for receiving food stuffs or the like.
The composite bowl
10
is particularly useful as a mixing bowl, the stainless steel inner body
11
providing desirable qualities of rigidity, durability, stain resistance, ease of clean-up and the like, characteristic of stainless steel utensils. The outer body
20
forms a resilient frictional surface which resists sliding or skidding of the bowl along an underlying support surface, facilitates griping by a user's hand, cushions the bowl in use, and provides a stable, non-slip engagement with an underlying support surface to facilitate tipping of the bowl during use. The bowl
10
can readily be formed by injection molding of the outer body
20
over the pre-formed inner body
11
.
The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. While a particular embodiment has been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects of applicants' contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.
Claims
- 1. A composite receptacle comprising:a rigid imperforate inner body having an outer surface and forming an open-top vessel having an upstanding peripheral side wall, the side wall having a laterally outwardly projecting flange forming an upper lip extending around the periphery of the inner body, the lip extending downwardly and back inwardly toward the side wall to form a channel, and an outer body of flexible and resilient material completely covering and fixed to the outer surface of the inner body, the outer body having a peripheral increased-thickness, single-layer bead filling the channel.
- 2. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the inner body is formed of metal.
- 3. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the side wall is curvilinear.
- 4. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the inner body has a curvilinear bottom.
- 5. The receptacle of claim 4, wherein the outer body has an outer surface with a substantially flat bottom portion.
- 6. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the outer body has a variable thickness.
- 7. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the outer body is formed of a frictional material.
- 8. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the channel is part-circular in transverse cross section.
- 9. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the side wall is circular in horizontal cross section.
- 10. A composite receptacle comprising:a rigid imperforate inner body having an outer surface and forming an open-top vessel having an upstanding peripheral side wall, the side wall having an upper end portion, and an outer body of flexible and resilient material completely covering and fixed to the outer surface of the inner body, the outer body having a thickened laterally outwardly projecting, single-layer bead at an upper end thereof and extending along the entire periphery thereof, the upper end portion of the inner body being wrapped around the bead and fixed thereto for substantially covering the bead.
- 11. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein the bead is substantially circular in transverse cross section.
- 12. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein the outer body is formed of a frictional material.
- 13. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein the outer body has a variable thickness.
- 14. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein the outer body has an outer surface with a substantially flat bottom portion.
- 15. The receptacle of claim 14, wherein the inner body has a curvilinear bottom.
- 16. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein the inner body is formed of metal.
- 17. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein the upper end portion of the inner body terminates at a junction between the bead and the remainder of the outer body.
- 18. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the inner body is of one-piece unitary construction and has an inner surface disposed for contact with contents of the receptacle.
- 19. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein the inner body is of one-piece unitary construction and has an inner surface disposed for contact with contents of the receptacle.
US Referenced Citations (18)