Patent Application
20110192037
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to cooking spoons. More particularly, the invention relates to spoons usable to scrape cooking surfaces, stir and scoop dense ingredients, and measure quantities of ingredients.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Different utensils are used in cooking to perform different functions. For example, a measuring spoon is often used to measure quantities of ingredients in a mixing bowl. Thereafter, a mixing spoon is often used to mix the ingredients, or to transfer the mixed ingredients to a baking pan or other container. Upon transfer of the mixed ingredients, a spatula is often used to scrape the walls and rim of the mixing bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients are removed therefrom.
The use of multiple utensils to perform different tasks while cooking adds complexity to the cooking task. For example, the cleanup and storage of many utensils is inconvenient and time-consuming. In addition, while cooking it is often desirable to perform different tasks, such as combining and then mixing ingredients, in rapid succession. The necessity of changing utensils between tasks (e.g., from a measuring spoon to a spatula) is inefficient and may slow the execution of steps in a cooking operation.
Some prior art kitchen spoons have attempted to address these problems. For example, one embodiment of the spoon of U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,513 has a straight front edge that serves as a scraper for scraping cooking surfaces. While this spoon attempts to provide improvements over existing designs, problems still remain. In particular, the front of the spoon only provides a scraper for flat surfaces, but fails to provide a surface for scraping curved or squared edges such as the inside surfaces of a mixing bowl or the corner of a cake pan.
Similarly, the spoon of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/516,903 discloses a spoon having two sides that terminate at a thin, sharp front edge. This front edge is described as a spatula blade. This design is problematic, however, because the spatula blade is concave, not flat. Thus, the blade is not designed for efficient scraping of flat surfaces.
3. Identification of Objects of the Invention
A primary object of the invention is to provide a cooking spoon that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cooking spoon having one curved surface between the bottom end and one side for scraping curved corners, and one squared surface between the bottom end and another side for scraping squared corners.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cooking spoon having a flat front edge surface for scraping cooking surfaces, both when the spoon is pushed forward or pulled backward along the cooking surface.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cooking spoon having markers in the spoon bowl providing volume measurement marks for ingredients when placed in the bowl.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cooking spoon having mating surfaces smooth creating a transition from the head to the handle.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a cooking spoon made of a material that will absorb impact, forces when the spoon comes into contact with enameled or glass cookware to protect the cookware.
The objects identified above along with other features and advantages of the invention are incorporated in a cooking spoon having a head with one curved front corner and one squared front corner at a flat front edge. The shape of the curved front corner conforms in shape to the curved surfaces of some cookware, such as, for example, mixing bowls. The shape of the squared front corner conforms in shape to the square corners of some cookware, such as, for example, casserole dishes or cake pans. The bowl of the cooking spoon may have measuring markers positioned to indicate the quantity of an ingredient held within the bowl. Another aspect of the cooking spoon includes a head having a flat front edge useful for scraping flat cooking surfaces such as sauté pans or other cooking utensils used for stovetop cooking.
In addition, the head of the cooking spoon is made of silicone. Silicone is advantageous for the head construction, because it is soft enough to absorb impact forces when the cooking spoon head strikes an edge of enameled or glass cookware. Thus, the banging of the spoon against an enameled cookware edge, such as to remove material from the head of the spoon, will not likely damage the enamel of the cookware.
Yet another aspect of the invention concerns a continuous smooth transition between the handle and the head of the spoon. The shape of the handle corresponds to the shape of the spoon head at the interface therebetween, such that the profile of the combined components is continuous. The silicone spatula head includes a length of silicone material which extends into a cylindrical end of the handle. The end of the handle with silicone inserted therein is somewhat compliant so that a blow to the handle end against an enameled bowl rim or the like is less damaging to the bowl.
The invention will be better understood by reading the detailed description of embodiments which follow and by examining the accompanying drawings, in which:
The aspects, features, and advantages of the invention mentioned above are described in more detail by reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like elements.
As shown in
Also shown in
The handle-receiving portion 16 of the head 4 is manufactured of an impact resistant material, such as silicone. The portion 16 provides a strike zone. Thus, when a user strikes the spoon 2 against a piece of cookware, such as, for example, to remove food from the head 4 of the spoon 2, the impact of the strike will be absorbed by the handle-receiving portion 16, thereby protecting the cookware and the cooking spoon 2 from damage. The handle-receiving portion 16 generally extends upwardly beyond the top end 8 of the head 4 in order to provide a larger strike zone. The silicone spatula head 4 includes a length of silicone material which extends into a cylindrical opening at the end of the handle 6. The end of the handle with silicone inserted in its end is somewhat compliant so that a blow to the handle end against a bowl rim or the like is less damaging to the bowl.
In addition, the thickness of the head is sufficient to provide substantial rigidity to the cooking spoon 2. The cooking spoon 2 is sturdy enough, for example, to stir and scoop dense ingredients. Similarly, the flat front edge 14 of the cooking spoon 2 is strong enough to crumble hamburger in a sauté pan. The depth of the bowl 22 is also deep enough to permit the scooping of relatively large portions of food. Furthermore, as can be seen in all of the Figures, the shape of the handle-receiving portion 16 of the head 4 matches the shape of the handle 6 at the interface 26 where they intersect, such that the transition between the handle-receiving portion 16 and the handle 6 is smooth and continuous.
