Patent Application
20090025567
The present invention relates to cooking appliances. In particular, the present disclosure is directed to a cooking appliance such as a skillet, griddle and the like, having a removable lid and feet which extend there-under to support the appliance on and above a support surface.
A large number of household electric kitchen appliances are available and in use in modern household kitchens. The number of electrical appliances has increased to the point that available kitchen counter and storage space is at a premium. While attractive as specialty cooking appliances griddles and skillets are generally large and require more counter space than is practicable to keep them on the kitchen counter when not in use. As a result, cooking appliances suited for storage in a minimal footprint are attractive to buyers. In particular, it is highly desirable for such an appliance to be capable of vertical storage with its lid so as to reduce overall storage space required.
The statements of this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
The present disclosure is directed to a cooking appliance, such as, but not limited to, a skillet or griddle, having a folding leg system. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to a cooking appliance having a removable lid and having legs which are foldable into at least two positions, a first operable position in which the legs depend from and support the appliance on and above a support surface, and a second storage position in which the legs fold into a more compact configuration and simultaneously retain the removable lid in a fixed relationship with the appliance.
The organization and manner of the structure and function of the present invention, together with further aspects and advantages thereof, may be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements, corresponding part and/or features and in which:
While the present invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, embodiments with the understanding that the present description is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein. Instead, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications and equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Referring now to
Lid 110 is adapted to fit over and cover cooking body 102. As best seen in
As seen in
Leg pair 124A, seen in more detail in
Likewise, leg pair 124B, seen in more detail in
Release mechanisms 132 are disposed within the pivotable connections of hinges 130A and 130B to handles 120A and 120B, respectively. The release mechanisms 132 are adapted to allow free relative pivotal movement between the handles 120A and 120B and leg pairs 124A and 124B about the hinges 130A and 130B. The disposition of release mechanisms 132 at the end of hinges 130 is optimal for allowing a user to activate the release mechanisms 132 while simultaneously pivoting the leg pairs 124 from one position to another.
When leg pairs 124 are pivoted downward into their operable position, feet 126 and 128 lie on a common plane that is parallel to and spaced apart from the underside of bottom cooking surface 106. When the leg pairs 124A and 124B are rotated to the operable position, the release mechanisms 132 rigidly lock the legs into this supportive configuration. The release mechanisms 132 generate an audible “popping” or “clicking” noise which serve to notify a user that the leg pairs 124 are firmly locked into their operable position. While in this operable position, feet 126 and 128 are rested on a support surface 140 and are thereby adapted to support the cooking body 106 above and apart from the support surface 140 to avoid excessive heat transfer to the support surface 140. Rubber pads 142 are included on the underside of the feet 126 and 128 to prevent inadvertent slippage of the skillet 100 during use. It should be noted that any material sufficient to prevent such slippage may be interchangeably used in the place of the rubber feet.
When not in use, skillet 100 may be configured into a compact storage configuration as shown in
Release mechanisms 132 are operated to free leg pairs 124A and 124B so they may be pivoted upward into their storage positions. The upper side of feet 126 and 128, now inverted, capture lid 110 along a portion of its periphery and hold it in position, partially within cooking body 106. As with the rotation of the leg pairs 124 into their operable position, when the leg pairs 124 are rotated into their storage position release mechanisms 132 generate an audible “popping” or “clicking” noise which serve to notify a user that the leg pairs 124 are firmly locked into their storage position.
The feet 126 and 128 now press against lid 110 and serve as a shock absorber to retain the lid 110 firmly and quietly in its stored position. Additionally, the feet 126 and 128 prevent rattling and damage to the lid 110 during transport or storage of the skillet 100. In this storage configuration, the skillet 100 may be stored in a vertical position thus occupying less space.
Finally, a bar 150 is disposed between leg pair 124B and rotatable on hinge 130B. As best seen in
Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, the specification and the following claims.
