Patent Application
20050279698
The present invention relates generally to devices used in the food preparation industry, and more particularly to a device integrated for use as both a cooker and a strainer.
The food preparation industry is rapidly expanding and developing to adapt to the modem needs of individuals and families. More people are working outside the home than ever before, thus, there is less time to prepare home cooked meals.
People that prepare home cooked meals face difficult problems during preparation, cleanup and storage. Preparation of even simple meals often requires a large number of utensils and cooking equipment. Moreover, each utensil and piece of equipment requires thorough cleaning after meal preparation. In addition, each utensil and piece of equipment requires storage capacity to stow such equipment while not in use. Modem food preparation products provide functional requirements while attempting to integrate more features and uses into a single product.
Foods requiring drainage of fluids, such as water, grease, etc., typically require at least two separate pieces of equipment. First, the cook prepares the food, by cooking, marinating, rinsing, etc, in one pot or bowl. Then the cook transfers the food to a separate strainer to remove the liquid. If the food was cooked or marinated, the cook moves the cooking pot from a stove, microwave, or refrigerator to a strainer, normally placed in a sink. Moving the cooking pot may result in droplets of grease, water, or other fluids, to fall onto the surface over which the cooking pot is moved. These droplets on a countertop, floor or other surface, create both a messy and a dangerous condition. The droplets, if not removed, may lead to food-borne and air-borne diseases, such as E.coli or salmonellosis, etc. In addition, if droplets or the like are on the floor, the cook, or others could slip and fall.
Adding to this messy and dangerous condition, the cook must now transfer the food from the cooking pot to the strainer. Ordinarily the strainer is placed in a sink and the cooking pot is moved over the strainer. The cook turns the cooking pot upside down over the strainer and the food falls from the cooking pot to the strainer. If the cook transfers the food and liquid too quickly, the liquid may splash onto the cook's face or body, or onto the surrounding countertop and floor. In addition, the food itself may not fall directly from the pot to strainer and may land in the sink, on the floor, or other undesired locations.
Some foods, such as spinach, require pressing the food in a sieve to remove as much liquid as possible. This necessitates an additional component which some cooks do not have readily available. Thus, the task of preparing these foods becomes burdensome and undesirable.
In order to fulfill the changing needs of cooks, food preparation products must be integrated to perform multiple functions, while reducing problems associated with preparing foods.
The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject invention relates to an integrated cooker-strainer system that provides for fully and independently functional cooker and strainer respectfully that also work in conjunction to provide for advantages over conventional cookers and strainers. More particularly, the handles and circumferential portions of the cooker and strainer in accordance with the subject invention mate so as to allow a user to cook items in the cooker and when the items are at a stage for straining to move the cooker coupled with the strainer to a drain area and rotate the integrated cooker and strainer so as to drain the items in the drain area and avoid issues of spillage that conventional strainers introduce. The handles and circumferential regions of the cooker and strainer mate so as to form an ergonomic integrated device/system that is easy to hold, mitigates leakage at undesired portions and facilitates an overall cooking process.
In accordance with one particular embodiment of the invention, an integrated cooker-strainer system includes a first handle and a second handle. The first handle is attached to a first container (e.g., cooker) and the second handle is attached to a second container (e.g., strainer). The second container has a plurality of openings allowing fluid to pass through. Around a perimeter of the first handle and first container is a first lip portion, having first and second sides. Around a perimeter of the second handle and second container is a second lip portion, having first and second sides. The second container has a first position and second position. In the first position, the first container substantially surrounds the second container and the first handle engages the second handle. In the first position, the first side of the first lip portion and the second side of the second lip portion are connected. When the second container is in the second position, the first side of the first lip portion and the first side of the second lip portion are connected. The present invention can optionally incorporate a hand-operated pressing mechanism to squeeze additional liquid or grease out of the food. The present invention can also incorporate a lid selectively engaging the second container to cover the food.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the invention are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed and the present invention is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The present invention is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It may be evident, however, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.
The present invention provides an integrated cooking system configured to operate as both a cooker and a strainer. The integrated system provides for convenient and efficient food preparation. The integrated cooker-strainer system can be used for a variety of food preparation tasks including, a meat strainer, colander, produce shaker and steamer.
With reference to
The bottom of the pot 120 may be flat allowing it to sit level on a surface, such as, for example, a countertop or stove. The flat bottom provides stability to the integrated cooker-strainer system 110, reducing the possibility of the integrated system 110 being knocked over accidentally and spilling the food contents onto a surface or a person and creating a hazardous condition.
The cooker assembly 114 has a handle 116 connected to the pot 120. The handle 116 and pot 120 may be integrated as a one-piece unit. Alternatively, the handle 116 and pot 120 may be separate pieces that are attachable, provided the attachment is durable. Even though a cooker assembly 114 with one handle 116 is shown, it is to be understood and appreciated that there may be more than one handle. For example, the cooker assembly 114 may have one handle on one side of the pot 120 and a second handle on the opposite side of the pot 120. This configuration would allow a cook to lift and carry larger or heavier integrated assemblies with both hands, each hand on either side of the pot.
Although an oblong handle 116 is shown, it is to be understood and appreciated that any handle configuration can be used in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. For example, a half-circular handle or a rectangular handle could be employed on an integrated system 110. Additionally, the width and length of the handle 116 could vary from those depicted in
The handle has a top portion 126 and a bottom portion 128. The top portion 126 may be wider than the bottom portion 128 and taper toward the bottom portion 128. The handle 116 may be concave with an edge, rim or lip portion 124 around the outside perimeter of the top portion 126. Thus forming, for example, a U-shaped handle, with the top portion 126 delineating the upper part of the “U” and the bottom portion 128 delineating the lower, semi-circular portion of the “U.” The underside of the handle may have ridges or grip portions for the cook's fingers, providing a secure, non-slip relationship between the cook's hand and the handle 116.
With continuing reference to
The uniform mating surface 124, 132 has a first side 180 and a second side 182. The first side 180 is the portion of the sealing surface 124, 132 around the upper rim or perimeter of the cooker assembly 114 and the second side 182 is the opposing side, or underside of the sealing surface 124, 132. By way of illustration,
Referring to
With reference now to the strainer assembly 112 and
Although an oblong handle 150 is shown, it is to be understood and appreciated that any handle configuration can be used in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. The handle design may be altered provided the strainer handle 150 is substantially the same shape and size as the pot handle 116. For example, a half-circular pot handle can be utilized with a half-circular strainer handle 150. Additionally, the width and length of the handle 150 could be different than the handles depicted in
The strainer handle 150 has a first side 127 and a second side 129. Such a configuration can allow handle 150 to be concave with a first side 127 being wider than the second side 129. The handle may form, for example, a U-shaped handle, with a rim or lip portion 154 around the outer perimeter of the first side 127 delineating the upper part of the “U.” The handle second side 129 delineates the semi-circular lower portion of the “U.” It should be noted that the lip portion 154 does not extend between the strainer container 142 and the strainer handle 150.
The strainer container 142 has a ridge or lip portion 156 slightly below the container's top or upper rim 146. This placement corresponds with the position of the strainer handle 150 to provide a continuous uniform lip surface 154, 156 around the outside perimeter of the strainer assembly 112. The uniform lip portion 154, 156 of the strainer assembly 112 has a first side 184 and a second side 186. The first side 184 is the upper portion of the uniform lip portion 154, 156 that corresponds with the upper rim of the strainer 146. The second side 186 is the underside, or opposite side of the uniform lip portion 154, 156.
The strainer container 142 may be the same depth as the cooker pot 120. In this way, the strainer assembly 112 and the cooker assembly 114 can hold the same amount of food, allowing the food to be transferred from the strainer to the pot and vice-versa. Since the strainer uniform lip portion 154, 156 is below the upper rim 146, when the strainer container 142 is placed inside the pot 120, the portion of the strainer container 142 above the uniform lip portion 154, 156 will remain outside the pot 120.
By way of further illustration,
As illustrated in
With both the strainer assembly 112 and cooker assembly 114 in this position, the first side of the pot lip portion 180 mates with the second side of the strainer lip portion 186. Mating of the two uniform lip portions provides a smooth secure mechanical interface between the assemblies 112, 114. Such an interface enables the cook to keep the strainer and pot together, thereby preventing liquids or food to escape from this contact point. Also, locking the handles 116, 150 together provides a single handle for moving the integrated system 110 from, for example a stove to a sink. The single handle keeps the strainer assembly in contact with the cooker assembly, thereby eliminating any problems associated with the strainer accidentally tilting inside the cooker assembly and spilling food over the rim of the strainer, which is a common problem cooks face when attempting to use a strainer not designed for the pot.
Referring to
By way of illustration, with reference to
The cook may then place food into the strainer container, and by virtue of this, into the cooker container. For food that requires cooking in liquid, such as, for example, spaghetti, the cook may fill the strainer and pot with water as well as food. The cook may then place the integrated assembly in a microwave or oven or on a stovetop. After the food is cooked, the cook would remove the strainer from the pot, by lifting the strainer handle 150 off the cooker handle 116, thus removing the strainer container 142 from the cooker pot 120 and allowing the liquid to drain out of the strainer, through the plurality of holes in the strainer and into the pot.
In the alternative, the cook may utilize the integrated system without cooking food. For example, food, such as lettuce, may be placed in the strainer container and rinsed, such as under a faucet. Then the strainer assembly may be placed in the first position in the cooker assembly. The cook may then allow the food to remain in the strainer, either covered or uncovered, for any amount of time desired and any liquid will drain off the food, through the plurality of holes in the strainer and settle into the pot. After the desired drainage time is over, the cook would remove the strainer from the pot and pour the liquid out of the pot.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
By way of illustration, if the cook desires to press the food to remove additional liquid, while the integrated assembly is in the first position 104, the cook would place the hand-operated pressing mechanism 170 into the strainer container 142, over the food. The cook holds onto the holding portion 172 and pushes down. This pushes the flat portion 170 into the food, pressing the food and liquid down into the strainer container 142. Thus, any liquid, grease, etc. would be pressed out of the food via the plurality of holes 162 and into the pot 120. The hand-operated pressing mechanism 170 is useful to squeeze as much liquid out of the food as possible, such as, for example, cooked spinach. The pressing mechanism 170 also speeds up the drainage of liquid.
Referring now to
With reference to
What has been described above includes exemplary implementations of the present invention. It is, or course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
