Abstract:
A foldable handle for a cook-pot including a bracket attached to the cook-pot, a handle member, a lock member and a bracing link member. The handle member has an upper end portion pivotally connected to the bracket, and opposed first and second sidewalls, each with an upper opening located in the upper end portion of the handle member and a lower opening located in a lower end portion of the handle member. The handle member has a guide channel with a lock member slidably disposed therein for movement between the upper and lower end portions of the handle member. First and second resiliently flexible members each having a projection for removably fitting within corresponding upper and lower openings of the first and second sidewalls. The link member has a first end rotatable retained by the bracket, and a second end rotatably attached to the lock member.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention is directed generally to a foldable handle for a cook-pot, or other style pot or container, particularly a cook-pot for use by backpackers or other users needing to prepare food or heated beverages with minimal supplies. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Unfortunately, conventional approaches involve either cook-pots with fixed handles, which are bulky and awkward to pack, particularly when space is limited such as in a backpacking situation, or cook-pots with removable handles, which are more easily packed, but the separate handle can easily be lost or damaged, making continued safe use of the cook-pot impossible. 
         [0005]    Thus, what is needed is a handle for a cook-pot that is permanently affixed thereto, but is movable between an opened position, where the handle can be used to safely manipulate the cook-pot, for example when the cook-pot is heated from cooking, and a closed position, where the cross-sectional area of the cook-pot and handle are minimized for easy packing and storage. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of a combination backpacking food/drink device including a cook-pot having a foldable handle embodying certain aspects of the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the cook-pot of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of the combination backpacking food/drink device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the cook-pot of  FIG. 1  with the foldable handle in a closed position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of the cook-pot of  FIG. 1  with the foldable handle in the closed position. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the cook-pot of  FIG. 1  with the foldable handle in an opened position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of the cook-pot of  FIG. 1  with the foldable handle in the opened position. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the cook-pot of  FIG. 1  with the foldable handle in the opened position and with the foldable handle shown in broken line in the closed position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the cook-pot of  FIG. 1  with the foldable handle in the closed position and with the foldable handle shown in broken line in the opened position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    This detailed description discusses an illustrative embodiment of an inventive concept, specifically a foldable handle for a cook-pot and other style pots and containers, with reference to the accompanying drawings. This detailed description is provided to give persons having ordinary skill in the relevant art a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the inventive concept, and to enable such a person to appreciate and understand how to make and use, not only the described illustrative embodiments of the conceptual foldable handle for a cook-pot explicitly described below, but also all of the various other embodiments that fall within the scope of the inventive concept, despite those embodiments not being explicitly described below. 
         [0016]    Among the several advantages of the present foldable handle for a cook-pot, as will be discussed in greater detail herein, is that, when the cook-pot is not in use, the handle can be selectively locked in a closed, or folded, position, wherein the length of the handle substantially rests against or in close proximity to the sidewall of the cook-pot, thereby minimizing the cross-sectional area of the cook-pot. When a user desires to use the cook-pot, the handle can be selectively unlocked and moved to an opened, or unfolded, position, wherein the handle is rotated relative to the cook-pot, a such that the length of the handle extends transversely away from the body of the cook-pot, thereby allowing the cook-pot and any contents, to be heated while providing a safe and convenient way for a user to handle the cook-pot. 
         [0017]    Turning now to the specific described embodiment,  FIG. 1  illustrates a non-limiting, exemplary foldable handle for a combination backpacking food/drink device  100  having a cook-pot  102 . As is described in more detail below, the cook-pot  102  includes a foldable handle  104  rotatably affixed to a body  106  of the cook-pot, preferably near an open upper end  108  of the body. The foldable handle  104  is configured to be selectively movable by limited rotation around a central axis of a pivot pin  110 , between a closed position, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5  and  9 , and an opened position, as illustrated in  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8 . 
         [0018]    The combination backpacking food/drink device  100 , when fully assembled, includes the cook-pot  102  at the bottom of the assembly with a coffee/tea press basket  112  removably positioned within the body  106  of the cook-pot and extending upwardly out of the upper end  108  of the cook-pot, and a vacuum bottle  114  removably positioned within the press  112  and extending upwardly out of the press. The vacuum bottle  114  includes at its upper end a removable inner cup  116  and a removable outer cup  118 . 
         [0019]    The body  106  of the cook-pot  102  includes a generally cylindrical exterior sidewall  120  with a cylindrical central axis  121  (see  FIG. 2 ), a thermally conductive base  122  and an upper opening  124 . The upper opening  124  is defined by a lip  126  and a pouring spout  128  for facilitating emptying the cook-pot, e.g., by pouring its contents into another container, such as the vacuum bottle  114 , the inner cup  116 , and/or the outer cup  118 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  illustrates a non-limiting, exemplary embodiment of the foldable handle  104  of the cook-pot  102 . In this embodiment, the foldable handle  104  includes a handle member  130  rotatably affixed to the body  106  of the cook-pot  102  via a bracket  132 , which is conventionally affixed to the exterior sidewall  120  of the cook-pot, for example via spot welding or adhesive. The bracket  132  includes a base plate  134  with opposing, outwardly projecting tabs  136   a  and  136   b,  with each of the tabs  136   a  and  136   b  having a hole  138   a  and  138   b,  respectively. Arching outward away from the base plate  134  is an arcuate member  140 . The handle member  130  at an upper end  141  of an upper end portion  142  thereof has opposing, inwardly projecting tabs  144   a  and  144   b,  with each of the tabs  144   a  and  144   b  having a hole  146   a  and  146   b,  respectively. The tabs  144   a  and  144   b  are spaced apart so as to be positioned with the tab  144   a  adjacent the tab  136   a  of the bracket  132  with the holes  138   a  and  146   a  in alignment, and with the tab  144   b  adjacent to the tab  136   b  of the bracket  132  with the holes  138   b  and  146   b  in alignment. With the tabs so positioned the pivot pin  110  projects through the holes of the tabs  136   a,    136   b,    144   a  and  144   b  and pivotally attaches the handle member  130  to the bracket  132 , which as noted is affixed to the exterior sidewall  120  of the cook-pot  102 . The handle member  130  is pivotally attached to the body  106  of the cook-pot  102  for rotation through a rotational plane which contains the cylindrical central axis  121  of the exterior sidewall  120  of the body  106  of the cook-pot  102 , and when in the closed position the handle member is positioned for storage along the cylindrical exterior sidewall, tangential to the cylindrical exterior sidewall while remaining in the rotational plane containing the central axis of the exterior sidewall. When rotated between the opened and closed positions the handle member  130  remains in the rotational plane. 
         [0021]    A bracing link member  150  has a pivot bar  152  at an upper end portion thereof positioned within the interior of the arcuate member  140  of the bracket  132 , between the arcuate member and the exterior sidewall  120  of the cook-pot  102  (as best shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 ). The bracing link member  150  has a pair of bracing arms  154   a  and  154   b  at a lower end portion thereof for rotatable engagement with a sliding lock member  156 , as is described below. 
         [0022]    The handle member  130  has an outward wall  158  and opposing left and right sidewalls  160   a  and  160   b,  respectively, projecting perpendicularly inward from the left and right side edges, respectively, of the outward wall. The left sidewall  160   a  has an upper locking aperture  162   a  and a lower locking aperture  164   a  therein, and the right sidewall  160   b  has an upper locking aperture  162   b  and a lower locking aperture  164   b  therein. The upper locking apertures  162   a  and  162   b  and the lower locking apertures  164   a  and  164   b  extend partially across the face of the outward wall  158  of the handle member  130 . Each of the left and right sidewalls  160   a  and  160   b  has a guide rail  166   a  and  166   b,  respectively, projecting laterally inward from the inward edge of the respective left and right sidewall toward the opposing guide rail. The guide rails  166   a  and  166   b  are arrange generally parallel to the outward wall  158 , and define a guide channel  168  within the handle member  130 , on the inward side of the outward wall, which slidably receives the sliding lock member  156 . 
         [0023]    The sliding lock member  156  is slidably disposed within the guide channel  168  and is dimensioned to be slidably movable along substantially the length of the guide channel. The sliding lock member  156  is formed with an upper body portion  170  having at a lower end a central cavity  172  defined by left and right interior walls, with left and right side recesses  174   a  and  174   b,  respectively, therein. The left side recess  174   a  rotatably receives and retains the bracing arm  154   a  therein, and the right side recess  174   b  rotatably receives and retains the bracing arm  154   b  therein. The width of upper body portion  170  is preferably substantially equal to or slightly less than the width of the guide channel  168 . 
         [0024]    The sliding lock member  156  further includes left and right side arms  176   a  and  176   b  projecting downward from the upper body portion  170 , and are joined at their lower ends. The includes left and right side arms  176   a  and  176   b  having laterally outward projecting tabs  178   a  and  178   b,  respectively, and are resiliently flexible in the laterally inward and outward directions relative to a longitudinal axis of upper body portion  170 . 
         [0025]    The left and right side arms  176   a  and  176   b  and their tabs  178   a  and  178   b  are sized so that the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  will flex laterally outward and be removably positioned within the upper locking apertures  162   a  and  162   b,  respectively, when the sliding lock member  156  is slid within the guide channel  168  to the upper end portion  142  of the handle member  130  to position the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  at the location of the upper locking apertures  162   a  and  162   b.  The bracing link member  150  has a length such that when the sliding lock member  156  is so positioned, with the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  positioned within the upper locking apertures  162   a  and  162   b,  and with the sliding lock member releasably locked in that position against further sliding along the guide channel  168 , the foldable handle  104  is in the opened position shown in  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8 , with the handle member  130  essentially projecting transversely away from the sidewall  120  of the body  106  of the cook-pot  102 . In the illustrated embodiment the angle is somewhat greater than 90 degrees relative to the cylindrical central axis  121  of the exterior sidewall  120  of the body  106 , as best seen in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0026]    The sliding lock member  156  is releasable from this position by a user simultaneously manually pressing the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  laterally inward (as shown by arrows “A” in  FIG. 8 ) sufficiently so that a downward rotational force applied to the handle member  130  will allow the sliding lock member  156  to slide within the guide channel  168  to a lower end portion  180  of the handle member. As such movement occurs, the handle member  130  is rotated downward about the pivot pin  110  toward the sidewall  120  of the body  106 , as shown by arrow “B” in  FIG. 8 . The lower end portion  180  of the handle member  130  includes a free end  181  disconnected from the body  106  of the cook-pot  102 . 
         [0027]    Similarly, the left and right side arms  176   a  and  176   b  and their tabs  178   a  and  178   b  are sized so that the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  will flex laterally outward and be removably positioned within the lower locking apertures  164   a  and  164   b,  respectively, when the sliding lock member  156  is slid within the guide channel  168  to the lower end portion  180  of the handle member  130  to position the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  at the location of the lower locking apertures  164   a  and  164   b.  The length of the bracing link member  150  is such that when the sliding lock member  156  is so positioned, with the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  within the lower locking apertures  164   a  and  164   b,  and with the sliding lock member releasably locked in that position against further sliding along the guide channel  168 , the foldable handle  104  is in the closed position shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5  and  9 , with the handle member  130  essentially immediately adjacent to the sidewall  120  of the body  106  of the cook-pot  102 , which in the illustrated embodiment is at approximately 0 degrees relative to the body, as best seen in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0028]    The sliding lock member  156  is releasable from this position by a user simultaneously manually pressing the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  laterally inward (as shown by arrows “C” in  FIG. 9 ) sufficiently so that an upward rotational force applied to the handle member  130  will allow the sliding lock member  156  to slide within the guide channel  168  to the upper end portion  142  of the handle member. As such movement occurs, the handle member  130  is rotated upward about the pivot pin  110  away from the sidewall  120  of the body  106 , as shown by arrow “D” in  FIG. 9 . 
         [0029]    The tabs  178   a  and  178   b  have gradually sloped camming surfaces at their upper end portions  182   a  and  182   b,  respectively, which engage the upper end walls of the lower locking apertures  164   a  and  164   b  to reduces the upward rotational force necessary to rotate the handle member  130  about the pivot pin  110  should the user not press laterally inward sufficiently to cause the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  to be fully extracted from within the lower locking apertures  164   a  and  164   b.  The tabs  178   a  and  178   b  have more steeply sloped camming surfaces at their lower end portions  184   a  and  184   b,  respectively, which engage the lower end walls of the upper locking apertures  162   a  and  162   b  to reduces the downward rotational force necessary to rotate the handle member  130  about the pivot pin  110  should the user not press laterally inward sufficiently to cause the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  to be fully extracted from within the upper locking apertures  162   a  and  162   b.    
         [0030]    The upper locking apertures  162   a  and  162   b  and the lower locking apertures  164   a  and  164   b  extend partially across the face of the outward wall  158  of the handle member  130  to permit the user to simultaneously manually pressing the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  farther laterally inward than otherwise would be possible if the apertures were only in the left and right sidewalls  160   a  and  160   b  and did not extend at least partially across the face of the outward wall  158  of the handle. 
         [0031]    It is noted that when the sliding lock member  156  is positioned with the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  within the upper locking apertures  162   a  and  162   b,  significant further upward rotation of the handle member  130  is not possible since the upper end of the upper end portion of the handle member is in engagement with the sidewall  120  of the body  106  of the cook-pot  102 , which serves as a stop limit. 
         [0032]    The foldable handle  104 , as described above, can be easily and quickly transitioned between the opened and closed position, and when in the closed position does not add significantly to the cross-sectional area of the cook-pot  102 . Further, the sliding lock member  156  slidably disposed within the guide channel  168  and using the tabs  178   a  and  178   b  releasably positionable within the upper locking apertures  162   a  and  162   b  or the lower locking apertures  164   a  and  164   b  to releasable lock the foldable handle in opened or closed position as desired, provides a useful and safe handle construction for use with cook-pots and other styles of pots and containers. 
         [0033]    While this detailed description describes various examples, aspects, and embodiments of the conceptual foldable handle for a cook-pot and other style pots and containers, it does not act to define or otherwise limit the scope of the concept itself. It is the exclusive function of the claims which follow this description to particularly point out the metes and bounds of the present concept. Accordingly, this description is not intended, and should not be read by a person having ordinary skill in the art, to limit the scope of the conceptual foldable handle as defined by the claims, nor imply any preference of the described embodiments over any other embodiment, unless such a limitation or preference is explicitly identified herein. 
         [0034]    Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.