Patent Application
20110017078
The present invention relates generally to energy saving cooking equipment and, more specifically, to cooking pans having a dividers for simultaneous preparation of diverse foods.
Various cooking utensils have been devised for use with ovens and stoves. As energy conservation awareness increases, there is a need to find new cooking tools that save energy without loss of cooking efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,909,983, VEGETABLE COOKER, to Powell discloses a receptacle with perforated side walls and perforated bottom that allows simultaneous cooking of multiple foods in the same vessel. The metal receptacle has supporting legs and a vertically extending standard with a handle, and may be placed in a cooking pot or pan for steaming foods such as vegetables. A removable, three-winged partition drops past the standard, into the receptacle, and divides the receptacle into three compartments for cooking up to three separated vegetables simultaneously.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,198, FOOD STEAMING APPARATUS, to Henderson discloses a food steaming apparatus with circumferentially directed apertures to create a spiraling or swirling action in steam passing through the apertures. A removable, deflector zone accompanied, perforated three-walled divider separates food on the food supports. The apparatus allows simultaneous cooking of different foods.
UK Patent Application Publication No. GB 2340823 A, FOOD CONTAINERS, to Gade discloses a food container for a microwave oven. The food container has a horizontal separator with perforations dividing a receptacle into an upper and a lower compartment. Water or other liquid may be placed in the lower compartment. The container may be circular or rectangular. The separator rests on a supporting shelf in the receptacle and snaps into place beneath lugs. There are no partitions for separating food in compartments.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0095169 A1, ADAPTER FOR A SLOW COOKER, to York discloses an adapter for a slow cooker, having a tray fitting an upper rim of the cooker. A partition divides the tray into two regions for cooking separated food items side by side. The partition is molded as part of the tray and is not removable. The adapter may be made of glass, thermosetting plastic or ceramic.
Steam cooking usually employs an apparatus with apertures allowing passage of steam. Separation of foods during cooking may employ separate cooking vessels, a cooking vessel with a fixed divider or a removable three-winged or three-walled divider.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooking apparatus for use in diverse cooking methods and environments that saves energy by simultaneous cooking of different foods.
A versatile cooking set has been invented featuring partitions that change the shape and dimensions of a cooking region to allow simultaneous cooking of different foods. A cooking pan, having a flat major surface, with a plate elevated above a heated surface and surrounded by a perimeter side wall, may be used directly for cooking without any partition. However, the use of partitions fitting into the plate will separate foods to be cooked so that different foods can be cooked simultaneously.
The plate nests into the pan. Standoffs on a bottom face of the plate support the plate parallel to and spaced from the major surface of the pan. The plate has receiving areas for partitions. In an embodiment, the receiving areas of the plate include insertion slots for supporting food partitions and may have alignment protrusions. In an embodiment, the alignment protrusions include two blocks flanking each slot and projecting downwards from the bottom face of the plate to help provide support for partitions.
A first partition has projections fitting into respective receiving areas on the plate. In an embodiment, the projections include tabs. In a further embodiment, a second partition, with different dimensions from the first partition, has projections fitting into other respective receiving areas on the plate so that different partitions can define different cooking configurations. The first partition may have three tabs fitting into three lengthwise slots on the plate. The second partition may be shorter than the first partition and have two tabs fitting into two widthwise slots on the plate.
Each partition removably affixes perpendicularly to and spanning the plate, with the projections from the partition fitting into the respective receiving areas on the plate or with the tabs from the partition inserted into the respective slots on the plate. A selected partition divides the plate into separated cooking regions for cooking separated foods. The partition selectably divides the plate into different food cooking regions in cooperation with the perimeter side wall of the pan.
In an embodiment, the plate has fluid circulation apertures so that steam or juices can flow through the plate. In a further embodiment, circulation apertures are radially disposed on the plate. The apertures provide for circulation of air, liquid or vapor.
A handle may be part of the pan or be removably clippable or otherwise attachable to the pan. Pieces of the cooking set may be molded high temperature plastic, suitable for use in a conventional oven or a microwave oven. The plastic may be translucent or partially transparent, for viewing foods during cooking.
By using the pan without partitions, the pan with the nested plate or the pan with the nested plate and a selected partition affixed to the plate, the cooking set provides cooking regions of various shapes and dimensions.
With reference to
With reference to
With further reference to
Alignment protrusions 206 and 210 (in phantom lines) are located next to receiving areas 204 and 208. In a preferred embodiment, alignment protrusions 206 and 210 include two blocks flanking each slot and projecting downwards from the bottom face of the plate 104. In further embodiments, alignment protrusions may be on either or both of the top face 214 or the opposing bottom face of the plate 104. Various shapes, placements and quantities of alignment protrusions may be devised by a person skilled in the art.
Standoffs 212 (in phantom lines) on the bottom face of the plate 104 support and space the plate 104 from the major surface 202 of the pan 102, as shown in
Returning to
With reference to
In order to arrange different food cooking regions, one of the partitions may be selected and fitted onto the plate. The selected partition divides the plate into different food cooking regions in cooperation with the perimeter side wall 216 of the pan 102, as shown in
Partitions may have various shapes. In a preferred embodiment as shown in
With reference to
With reference to
In an embodiment shown in
Various materials may be used in manufacturing the pieces of the cooking set. In a preferred embodiment, the pan, the plate, the partitions and the handle are molded high temperature plastic suitable for use in a conventional oven or a microwave oven. In a further embodiment, the high temperature plastic is translucent or partially transparent so that food in the cooking set is visible through the glass in the door of a conventional oven or microwave oven.
With reference to
The objects of the invention are achieved by providing a cooking set which can be used with the pan alone, the pan and the plate, or the pan, the plate and a selected partition assembled. Exchanging partitions or removing a partition changes the dimensions and shape of the cooking regions, for different sizes and shapes of foods to be cooked. Manufacturing the pieces of the cooking set with a high temperature plastic suitable for use in a conventional oven or a microwave oven allows the flexibility of use in different cooking techniques and environments. Apertures in the plate allowing circulation give versatility to the cooking set, which can be used for dry cooking while draining liquids, steam cooking, parboiling, commingling liquids from adjacent foods and other cooking methods.
