The present invention relates to cooking devices which are particularly useful for cooking pasta, such as spaghetti, macaroni, and the like. The invention also relates to a hot receptacle holder especially useful with such cooking devices.
German Utility Model DE20314004.4 discloses a cooking device particularly useful for cooking pasta, such as spaghetti and macaroni, comprising: an elongated receptacle for receiving the pasta to be cooked and water to be heated for cooking the pasta, the receptacle being closed at one end and open at its opposite end; a sieve attached to the open end of the receptacle for removing the water after the pasta has been cooked therein; and a cover attached over the sieve for covering the sieve during the cooking of the pasta, and removable therefrom to permit removing the water from the receptacle after the pasta as been cooked therein. Such a device has been found to be effective in cooking the pasta by merely pouring hot water, preferably boiling water, into the receptacle containing the pasta, retaining the hot water therein for about 6-7 minutes, and then pouring-out the hot water via the sieve.
However, we have noted a number of drawbacks in such cooking devices. One drawback involves the manner of attaching and detaching the cover from the sieve in order to permit removing the water from the receptacle after the pasta has been cooked. Thus, in the existing device, the cover is merely applied over a recessed central section formed in the sieve over the sieve openings. However, such a cover is difficult to remove when it is desired to pour-out the hot water from the receptacle because the condensation of vapor within the receptacle, or the otherwise cooling of the hot water therein, creates a negative pressure within the receptacle which resists the pull-out of the cover. In addition, if the cover is applied over the sieve while the water is still boiling, a positive pressure within the receptacle tends to unseat the cover from the sieve. Also, if the water is retained in the receptacle until relatively cool in order to reduce the negative-pressure therein, there is a danger that the cover will accidentally become unseated, e.g. by the tipping of the receptacle.
Other difficulties are in manipulating the receptacle when hot, e.g., in order to remove hot water or the cooked product therefrom.
An object of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance having improvements in one or more of the above respects. Another object of the present invention is to provide a hot receptacle holder particularly useful with such cooking devices.
The present invention provides a cooking device particularly useful for cooking pasta, comprising: an elongated receptacle for receiving the pasta to be cooked, and hot water for cooking the pasta, the receptacle being closed at one end and open at its opposite end; a sieve attached to the open end of the receptacle for removing the water after the pasta has been cooked in the receptacle; and a cover overlying the sieve during the cooking of the pasta, and removable therefrom to permit removing the water from the receptacle via the sieve after the pasta has been cooked.
According to one feature of the present invention, the cover is attachable over the sieve by rotating the cover in one direction with respect to the receptacle, and is detachable from the sieve by rotating the cover in the opposite direction.
More particularly, in the described preferred embodiments the sieve and the cover include inter-engaging cam surfaces effective, upon the initial rotation of the cover, to move the cover axially outwardly with respect to the sieve in order to release to the atmosphere any negative pressure generated within the receptacle by the cooling of the hot water therein, and thereby to facilitate the detachment of the cover.
In one described preferred embodiment, a surface of the sieve is formed with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced ramps, and a surface of the cover is formed with a corresponding plurality of circumferentially-spaced recesses for accommodating the ramps in the secured position of the cover. The sieve and the cover further include inter-engaging locking elements effective, upon the rotation of the cover to its securing position, to prevent axial movement of the cover with respect to the sieve and to permit only a rotary movement of the cover with respect to the sieve. In addition, a surface of the sieve is formed with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced hooks, and a surface of the cover is formed with a corresponding plurality of circumferentially-spaced slots to receive the hooks in the secured position of the cover.
As will be described more particularly below, such a construction greatly facilitates the removal of the cover even when the receptacle is hot, and moreover better prevents the accidental detachment of the cover after the boiling water has been introduced into the receptacle, as well as after water has cooled within the receptacle.
In another described preferred embodiment, the cover is rotatably attachable to and detachable from the sieve by inter-engaging threads in the sieve and the cover. This construction also provides advantages over the existing device in the above respects, although in most applications the first-mentioned construction would be preferred.
According to another feature of the present invention, the cooking device further includes an outer sleeve of heat-insulating material enclosing at least a part of the receptacle to facilitate manipulating the receptacle when hot. In one described preferred embodiment, the outer sleeve of heat-insulating material includes a flexible insulating sheet having hook and loop fasteners along its opposite edges, rolled into a cylindrical configuration to enclose the receptacle and retained in such cylindrical configuration by the fasteners. The outer sleeve may be integrally formed with finger and thumb sockets for receiving the fingers and thumb of a user.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooking device particularly useful for cooking pasta, comprising: an elongated receptacle for receiving the pasta to be cooked, and hot water for cooking the pasta, the receptacle being closed at one and open at its opposite end; a sieve attached to the open end of the receptacle for removing the water after the pasta has been cooked in the receptacle; a cover overlying the sieve during the cooking of the pasta, and removable therefrom to permit removing the water from the receptacle via the sieve after the pasta has been cooked; an outer sleeve of heat-insulating material enclosing a part of the receptacle to facilitate manipulating the receptacle when hot; and a handle connected across another part of the receptacle also to facilitate manipulating the receptacle when hot.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hot receptacle holder comprising a flexible sheet of heat-insulating material having hook and loop fasteners along its opposite edges to permit the sheet to be rolled into a cylindrical configuration to enclose the hot receptacle and to be retained in such cylindrical configuration; the sheet being integrally formed with finger and thumb sockets for receiving the fingers and thumb of a user to facilitate manipulating the receptacle enclosed by the holder when the receptacle is hot.
As will be described more particularly below, such features of the present invention are particularly advantageous in cooking devices of this type not only for facilitating the detachment of the cover in order to remove the hot water and the cooked pasta from the receptacle, but also for handling the receptacle particularly when hot.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.
The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
a, 2b and 2c are perspective, sectional and plan views, respectively, of the sieve in the cooking device of
a, 3b and 3c are perspective, side and plan views, repectively, of the cover in the cooking device of
It is to be understood that the foregoing drawings, and the description below, are provided primarily for purposes of facilitating understanding the conceptual aspects of the invention and possible embodiments thereof, including what is presently considered to be a preferred embodiment. In the interest of clarity and brevity, no attempt is made to provide more details than necessary to enable one skilled in the art, using routine skill and design, to understand and practice the described invention. It is to be further understood that the embodiments described are for purposes of example only, and that the invention is capable of being embodied in other forms and applications than described herein.
The cooking device illustrated in
When the illustrated device is used for cooking pasta, such as spaghetti or macaroni, the pasta is introduced into the open end of receptacle 11; the receptacle is filled with hot, preferably boiling, water; sieve 13 is applied over the open end of the receptacle; and cover 14 is applied over the sieve. The pasta is cooked by the hot water in the receptacle for a period of about 6-7 minutes. After the pasta has been cooked, cover 14 is removed, and the receptacle is tipped in order to pour-out the hot water therein through sieve 13 while the sieve retains the pasta within the receptacle. Sieve 13 is then detached from receptacle 11 to enable removing the cooked pasta within the receptacle.
As indicated earlier, in the known cooking device described in the above-cited German Utility Model, the cover 14 is applied merely to rest over the top of the sieve 13 since the cooling of the water within the receptacle, particularly the condensation of the water vapor, creates a negative pressure within the receptacle to hold the cover in place. However, it has been found that the negative pressure produced within the receptacle is such as to securely hold the cover in place against a pull-out force, thereby making it difficult and awkward, and sometimes even painful, to pull out cover 14 while the receptacle is still hot. Another drawback in the existing construction is that when the cover is initially applied, the boiling water within the receptacle may produce such a positive pressure within the receptacle as to unseat the cover when first applied. A further drawback in the existing device is that if the receptacle is accidentally tipped after the cover has been applied, the negative pressure within the receptacle may not be sufficient to prevent the accidental unseating of the cover from the sieve. A still further drawback is that since the receptacle itself is usually very hot at the time the water is introduced or removed, handling of the hot receptacle can also be difficult or painful.
The novel cooking device illustrated in
One improvement in the illustrated cooking device is that it includes a handle 15 (
Another particularly-important improvement in the illustrated cooking device is in the construction of the sieve 13 and cover 14 in order to more securely hold the cover in place during the cooking interval, even if the receptacle is accidentally tipped, and in order to enable detachment of the cover in a more convenient and comfortable manner than in the prior devices even when the cover is hot.
The construction of the sieve 13 and cover 14 is more particularly illustrated in
Thus, as shown in
As further seen in
a-3c illustrate the outer surface of cover 14 cooperable with the ramps 13d and hooks 13e formed in the outer surface of sieve 13. Thus, as shown in
The arrangement is such that when cover 14 is initially placed within the central recessed section 13a of sieve 13, cover 14 may be manually rotated in one direction to seat the two ramps 13d in the sieve within slots 14a of the cover, and with the hooks 13e of the sieve received within slots 14b of the cover. This is the securing position of the cover, wherein the hooks 13e of the sieve received within slots 14b of the cover securely hold the cover against any outward axial movement, but permit rotary movement of the cover with respect to the sieve. The initial rotary movement of the cover unseats hooks 13e of sieve 13 from slots 14b of the cover, thereby permitting outward axial displacement of the cover. Continued rotary movement of the cover causes the outer surface of the cover to cam against the inclined ramps 13d, to axially displace the cover from the sieve, to thereby release any negative pressure within the receptacle caused by condensation of water vapor and/or cooling of the water therein.
It will thus be seen that hooks 13e in sieve 13, and notches 14b in cover 14, serve as inter-engaging locking elements effective to positively hold the cover in place on the sieve against outward displacement therefrom, e.g. by a positive pressure within the receptacle or accidental tipping of the receptacle, but permit manual rotation of the cover when desired to remove it from the sieve. It will also be seen that ramps 13d on the sieve cooperate with the outer surface of the cover to define inter-engaging cam surfaces effective, upon the initial rotation of the cover, to move the cover axially outwardly with respect to the sieve in order to release to the atmosphere any negative pressure generated within the receptacle, and thereby to permit the manual removal of the cover in a convenient and easy manner even when the cover is hot.
To facilitate manual rotation of cover 14, it is provided with a diametrically-extending finger piece 14c on its outer face. Finger piece 14c may be grasped by the user to rotate the cover in one direction to attach it to the sieve, and in the opposite direction to detach it from the sieve.
In
Sieve 13 may be attached to receptacle 11 in a similar manner as illustrated in
Preferably, however, the manner of attaching the sieve to the receptacle and detaching it from the receptacle is as illustrated in
Thus, as shown in
The manner of using the cooking devices illustrated in
Where the ramp-and-hook construction illustrated in
The hot water is retained within the receptacle for a sufficient time (e.g., 6-7 minutes) to cook the pasta therein. After the pasta has been cooked, cover 14 is detached from the sieve 13 (or 23) by grasping handle 15 with one hand and cover finger piece 14c with the other hand, and rotating the cover with respect to the sieve 13 to the open position, as shown by markings 14e and 13g on the cover and sieve. Even though the receptacle 11 and the cover 14 are hot, this can be conveniently and comfortably done because of the insulated handle for grasping the receptacle, and the relatively small force required for rotating cover 14 with respect to the sieve 13.
After the cover 14 has thus been removed, handle 15 may be also be used for tipping the receptacle in order to remove the water via the sieve 13, while the cooked pasta is retained within the receptacle.
Receptacle 11 in the above-described cooking device is shown as being of a cylindrical configuration. It will be appreciated that it could be of other configurations.
However, cover 34 enclosing the sieve is of a circular configuration as shown to permit its attachment and detachment by relatively small rotational movements, as described above with respect to
The cooking device illustrated in
In all other respects, the cooking devices illustrated in
In the cooking device illustrated in
As shown particularly in
While the invention has been described with respect to several preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that these are set forth merely for purposes of example, and that many other variations, modifications and applications may be made.