Abstract:
A cooking pot is provided which includes a base portion and a removable cover therefor. An annular lip of the pot is formed with at least one vent opening therein. Airflow between ambient and a cooking chamber defined within the pot is adjustable by rotating the cover relative to the base portion. The cooking pot is also multifunctional in that it is operable in any one of a plurality of cooking modes including but not limited to an open charcoal-grilling mode, a closed charcoal-grilling mode, an externally-heated charcoal-grilling mode, a grilling and smoking mode, a deep-frying mode, a boiling and simmering mode, a steaming mode, and oven modes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/103,991, filed Oct. 13, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a pot which can be used for grilling, smoking, frying, boiling, steaming, and baking or roasting, and more specifically, to a pot which can be used in all of such cooking functions and which incorporates an adjustable vent system to adjust the amount of ambient air drawn into the pot during cooking. 
     2. Related Art 
     Outdoor cooking requires a wide variety of cooking devices, fuels, vessels and accessories. Various cooking devices include charcoal grills, gas grills, gas cookers, and open uncontrolled fires. These cooking devices require different fuels, for example charcoal, a gas such as butane or propane, or wood or other naturally-occurring fuels. Various cooking vessels include pots, skillets, pans, racks, grills, steamers, smokers, fryers, and a variety of other conventional vessels, each of which is adapted to cook food in a particular manner. Additional accessories, such as cooking racks and steaming baskets, can also be incorporated in such cooking vessels as required by the particular manner in which the food is to be cooked. 
     These widely varying types of cooking devices and vessels require a great deal of storage space when the outdoor cooking is to be performed in a residential setting, such as at home. These difficulties in storage are exacerbated when the outdoor cooking is to be performed away from home, such as at a vacation cottage or campsite. It is prohibitively difficult to transport the above-cooking devices, vessels and accessories as well as to supply appropriate fuel therefor. These storage space and transportation limitations often restrict the flexibility with which users can cook food in a particular desired manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a cooking pot which includes a base portion and a removable cover therefor, the base portion and the cover defining a cooking chamber. The cover has a generally annular outer edge and is formed with at least one protrusion interrupting the annular configuration of the outer edge. The base portion comprises a vessel having an upstanding wall of circular transverse section, the upstanding wall being provided with an annular lip extending radially outwardly therefrom at an upper portion thereof to seat the outer edge of the cover and thereby removably support the cover on the base portion. 
     The annular lip is formed with at least one vent opening therein. Thus, airflow between the ambient and the cooking chamber is adjustable by rotating the cover relative to the base portion to align the protrusion with the vent opening to permit free airflow therethrough, to move the protrusion wholly out of alignment with the vent opening to prevent airflow therethrough, and to partially align the protrusion with the vent opening to selectively restrict airflow therethrough. 
     The invention also provides a multifunctional cooking pot including a base portion and a removable cover having an outer edge, the base portion and the cover defining a cooking chamber. The base portion comprises a liquid-retainable vessel having a an upstanding wall terminating in an upper edge thereof. The multifunctional cooking pot also includes a removable lower rack supported within the base portion, a removable upper rack comprising at least one rack member supported on the base portion above the lower rack, and a cover support provided on the base portion outwardly of the upper rack for receiving the outer edge of the cover in seating relationship. The cooking pot is thus operable in any one of a plurality of cooking modes including but not limited to an open charcoal-grilling mode, a closed charcoal-grilling mode, an externally-heated charcoal-grilling mode, a grilling and smoking mode, a deep-frying mode, a boiling and simmering mode, a steaming mode, and oven modes, all of which are described with particularity hereinafter. 
     Preferably, the upper rack comprises a pair of rack members complementary to and coplanar with each other to overlie the base portion, the rack members being individually removable. This construction permits the mutifunctional cooking pot to be operable in a further mode comprising a deep-frying and draining mode. In this mode, which will also be described with particularity hereinafter, one of the upper rack members is removed and food when deep-fried is placed on the other upper rack member to drain. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunctional cooking pot according to the invention, shown resting on a conventional gas cooker; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cooking pot of FIG. 1 with a broken-away portion showing the interior of the cooking pot provided with a pair of vertically-spaced cooking racks as well as a cooking thermometer adapted to be inserted within an aperture at an upper portion of a cover for the cooking pot; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cooking pot of FIG. 1 with the cover removed to expose a pair of half-circle cooking racks disposed adjacent to an upper portion of a base portion of the cooking pot; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the cooking pot of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the base portion of the cooking pot of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the base portion of FIG. 5 showing vent openings therein; 
     FIG. 6A is a fragmentary top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the vent openings of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the cover for the cooking pot of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the cover of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a side elevational schematic view of the cooking pot of FIG. 1 with arrows showing the circulation of air through vents defined between the cover and the base portion, throughout the interior of the cooking pot, and outward through an adjustable vent in the cover; 
     FIG. 10 is a top plan schematic view showing the interaction between the protrusions on the cover and vent openings on the base portion, whereby rotation of the cover relative to the base portion acts to adjust the size of the vent openings defined between the cover and the base portion to allow for lesser or greater volumes of air through the cooking pot as shown in FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the cooking pot of FIG. 1 with a broken-away portion showing meat provided on an upper rack and charcoal provided on a lower rack for grilling of food therein whereby the charcoal can be ignited in conventional fashion without the use of the gas cooker shown in the figure; 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the cooking pot of FIG. 1 with a broken-away portion showing food placed on a lower rack with the remaining portions of the cooking pot remaining empty to provide a baking function for food; 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing food placed on upper and lower racks of the cooking pot of FIG. 1 and a cooking liquid placed therebeneath to provide a steaming effect for the food in the cooking pot, whereby steam is allowed to escape through an aperture in the cover of the cooking pot; 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the cooking pot of FIG. 1 with the cover removed and an upper rack provided on only half of an upper portion of the base portion of the cooking pot with a cooking fluid provided therebeneath, whereby food is fried in the cooking fluid and allowed to drain on the upper half rack of the base portion; 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the cooking pot of FIG. 1 with the cover removed showing a liquid food provided therein, whereby placement of the base on a conventional gas cooker allows for boiling of the food therein; and 
     FIG. 16 shows the cooking pot of FIG. 1 provided with an upper rack with food thereon and a lower rack with charcoal thereon whereby the charcoal can be ignited in conventional fashion and the food can be grilled on the upper rack in a conventional fashion without the use of the gas cooker shown in the other figures. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a cooking pot  10  according to the invention seated upon a heat source in the form of a conventional gas cooker  12 . The gas cooker  12  typically comprises an upper cooking rack  14  located above a burner  16  having a conventional regulator  18  which is interconnected with a fuel source (not shown) by an appropriate conduit  20 . The gas cooker can have several legs  22  thereon for supporting the upper cooking rack  14  and burner  16  above a horizontal surface such as the ground. Of course, any known source of heat can be used without departing from the scope of this invention and the cooking pot  10  is not limited to use with the gas cooker  12 . 
     The cooking pot  10  according to the invention comprises a base portion  24  and a cover  26 . FIGS. 2-4 show the cooking pot  10  and gas cooker  12  of FIG. 1 in greater detail. The cooking pot  10  also includes an upper cooking rack  28  and a lower cooking rack  30 . The upper cooking rack  28  is preferably formed with an outer diameter slightly greater than the inner diameter of the base portion  24  of the cooking pot so that the upper cooking rack  28  can rest on an upper edge of the base portion  24  of the cooking pot  10 . 
     The upper cooking rack  28  is preferably formed as a pair of cooperating cooking rack members  32  complementary to each other and coplanar to overlie the base portion. Preferably each is semicircular, being formed with a semicircular perimeter  34  and several transversely-extending rack elements  36 . Other configurations of the upper cooking rack  28  are contemplated, such as a generally circular member; however, it has been found that the split version of the upper cooking rack  28  shown in the drawings is preferable to allow more convenient access to the interior of the base portion  24  of the cooking pot  10 . 
     The lower cooking rack  30  is formed as a generally circular member having a perimeter  38  and several transversely-extending rack elements  40 . The lower cooking rack  30  can also be provided with several legs  42  thereon adapted to space the perimeter  38  and rack members  40  of the lower cooking rack  30  from a floor of the base portion  24 . However, the upper and lower cooking racks can be supported on the base portion in any suitable manner, as by ledges or shoulders provided on the inner surface of the base portion. It will be understood that the outer diameter of the lower cooking rack  30  is preferably smaller than the inner diameter of the base portion  24  of the cooking pot  10  to allow the lower cooking rack  30  to be placed on the floor of the base portion  24 , and elevated a predetermined distance by the legs  42 . 
     The base portion  24 , shown in FIGS. 1-4 and in greater detail in FIGS. 5-6, comprises a liquid-retainable vessel having an upstanding wall  44  and a floor  46  defining a cooking chamber  48  in cooperation with the cover  26 . The upstanding wall is preferably of inverted frustoconical form, as shown, but may be cylindrical as well. 
     An upper portion of the wall  44  is provided with a radially-extending lip  50  thereon. The lip  50  has a pair of opposed vent openings  52  located in a spaced radial relationship along a common diameter of the lip  50 . Although semicircular vent openings  52  are shown in FIG. 6, a virtually limitless variety of other geometrical configurations, such as square, rectangular, oval, elliptical, and polygonal configurations are also contemplated without departing from the scope of this invention. Moreover, an alternative embodiment of the lip  50 ′ is shown in FIG. 6A comprising a gradient-like vent opening  52 ′ defined by an angular surface  52 ″ which terminates in a generally L-shaped wall  52 ′″. 
     The lip  50  further includes a circular ridge  54  concentric with the lip  50  and having a diameter preferably smaller than the inwardmost extent of the vent openings  52  of the lip  50 . The ridge  54  further has a stop member  56  defined on opposing sides of a common diameter of the ridge  54 . Together, the stop members  56  and ridge  54  define appropriately-shaped semicircular recesses  58  and  60  for each of the halves of an appropriately-shaped split upper cooking rack  28 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. 
     The cover  26 , shown in FIGS. 1,  2 , and  4  and in greater in FIGS. 7-8, comprises a dome-shaped wall, preferably a downwardly-facing generally parabolic wall  62  having a generally planar portion  64  at a central portion thereof. The wall  62  is preferably generally circular at its perimetrical edge notwithstanding a pair of radially-extending protrusions  66  which extend therefrom adjacent to an outer lower edge thereof. The protrusions  66  preferably provide a dual function—first, they are adapted to cover all or a portion of the vent openings  52  in the base portion  24  and, second, they can be employed by a user as handles to lift the cover  26  and transport it as needed. 
     The planar portion  64  of the cover  26  preferably includes a handle  68  mounted thereto in a conventional manner, as by fasteners  70  that extend through a bracket  72  on the handle  68  through the planar portion  64  of the cover  26 . The cover  26  also has a first aperture  74  and a second aperture  76  located in a spaced relationship with one another. The first aperture  74  is preferably appropriately sized to receive a conventional meat thermometer or grill thermometer  78  therein as shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  4 . The second aperture  76  is appropriately sized, as by comprising a pair of opposed similarly-shaped apertures, to receive a rotatable air vent  80  which can be rotated to cover or all a desired portion of the second aperture  76  to control airflow through the second aperture  76 . The air vent  80  is well known in the art and thus will not be described further. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate an important feature of this invention, namely the ability of a user to adjust airflow into and out of the cooking pot  10  as desired beyond that provided by the conventional air vent  80 . When the cover  26  is placed on the lip  50  of the base portion  24  so that the protrusions  66  completely cover the vent openings  52  and the lip  50 , an airflow passage is created through the vent openings  52  into the cooking chamber  48  defined by the interiors of the base portion  24  and cover  26 , and through the second aperture  76  as defined by the air vent  80  in cooperation with the planar portion  64  of the cover  26 . As shown in FIG. 9, a circulation effect is created through the vent openings  52  so that the air, as represented by the arrows in FIG. 8, circulates downwardly along the floor  46  of the base portion  24  before circulating upwardly toward the second aperture  76  and the air vent  80  through the cover  26  of the cooking pot  10 . Thus, the air is circulated effectively through the chamber  48  in the interior of the cooking pot  10  to ensure even distribution of heat throughout. It will be understood that the alternative embodiment  52 ′ of the vent openings  52  can be employed whereby the amount of airflow can be controlled gradiently by positioning the protrusions  66  along the angular surface  52 ″. A non-linear airflow control effect can be provided by altering the curvature of the surface  52 ″ as desired. 
     As shown in FIG.  9  and schematically in FIG. 10, the extent of the vent openings  52  which cooperate with the chamber  48  of the interior of the cooking pot  10  can be adjusted by rotating the cover  26  relative to the base  10  so that the protrusions  66  on the cover  26  cover all, none, or some intermediate portion of the vent openings  52 . Thus, the rate of flow of air entering through the vent openings  52  can be adjusted by such rotation of the cover  26  relative to the base portion  54 . 
     In much the same manner, the conventional air vent  80  located on the upper planar portion  64  of the cover  26  can be adjusted to regulate the airflow through the second aperture  76  as defined by the air vent  80 . Thus, the airflow entering the chamber  48  through the vent openings  52  can be defined by rotation of the cover  26  relative to the base portion  24  so that the protrusions  66  cover all, some or none of the vent openings  52  defined in the lip  50  of the base portion  24 . The air exiting the chamber  48  of the cooking pot  10  can be defined by adjusting the air vent  80  relative to the second aperture  76  in a known manner. It is also contemplated that the airflow can enter the air vent  80  at the planar portion  64  of the cover  26  and exit through the vent openings  52  in similar manner. 
     It is an important feature of this invention that the positioning of the air vent  80  as well as the rotational positioning of the cover  26  relative to the base portion  24  define appropriate entry and egress apertures for airflow through the cooking pot  10  and ensure uniform circulation therethrough. FIG. 10 shows an example of the position of the protrusions  66  on the cover  26  relative to the lip  50  and its associated vent openings  52  at a first position whereby the protrusions  66  completely cover the vent openings  52  and a second, intermediate position whereby the protrusions  66  cover a portion of the vent openings  52  to allow for less air to flow through the portion of the vent openings  52  covered by the protrusions  66  of the cover  26 . An appropriate thermometer  78  can be inserted into the first aperture  74  and the planar portion  64  of the cover  26  so that the rotational position of the protrusions  66  relative to the vent openings  52  and the position of the air vent  80  relative to the second aperture  76  can be set so that the air circulating through the chamber  48  is allowed to reach and be maintained at a desired temperature for cooking of the food within the chamber  48  of the cooking pot  10 . 
     FIGS. 11-16 show several configurations of the cooking pot  10  and the optional gas cooker  12  for grilling, smoking, baking, steaming, frying or boiling, and a second configuration for grilling various food products in the multifunctional cooking pot  10 . 
     FIG. 11 shows a configuration for the cooking pot  10  for grilling food products  82  using charcoal briquettes  84 . For grilling food products  82  on the cooker  12 , the lower rack  30  is placed on the floor  46  of the base portion  24 . The charcoal briquettes  84  are placed on the lower rack  30  in a conventional spread fashion. The upper rack  28  is placed, as previously described, within the recesses  58  and  60  defined by the ridge  64  and the lip  50 . The cooker  12  can be actuated so as to heat the charcoal briquettes  84  from the exterior of the pot  10  without the use of conventional lighter fluid or other fuels. The cover  26  can be placed on the lip  50  so that the protrusions  66  cover an appropriate portion of the vent openings  52 , and the air vent  80  on the planar portion  64  of the cover  26  can be also positioned so that air circulating through the vent openings  52  and the air vent  80  allows a desirable temperature within the chamber  48  for cooking the food products  82 . The thermometer  78  can be inserted within the first aperture  74  on the cover  26  to ensure that the interior of the pot  10  reaches the desired temperature. 
     This configuration can also be used for smoking food products by employing smoking implements as are commonly known in the art. Typically, a combination of wood chips and charcoal briquettes is used under temperatures minimally required to smolder the wood chips to create the smoke. 
     FIG. 12 shows a configuration for the cooking pot  10  appropriate for baking or roasting a food product  86 , such as bread, or other leavened goods. When used with a heating source external to the pot  10 , the pot  10  can function as a typical oven whereby the chamber  48  thereof can be heated to a desired temperature. When air circulation is employed through the vent openings  52  and air vent  80 , a convection-type oven effect is created. For this baking or roasting configuration, the lower rack  30  is placed on the floor portion  46  of the base portion  24  and the gas cooker  12  is actuated to apply heat to the exterior of the base portion  24 . The food product  86  is placed on the lower rack  30  and the cover  26  is placed upon the base portion  24  as previously described. Once again, the protrusions  66  and vent openings  52  are aligned and an appropriate setting imparted to the air vent  80  so that a desired temperature is achieved through appropriate circulation as read by the thermometer  78 . Of course, the upper rack  28  can also be employed to cook more than one food product  86  at different heights. Due to the homogeneous circulation of the air throughout the chamber  48  of the cooking pot  10 , beneficial cooking results can be achieved in this manner as well. 
     FIG. 13 shows an appropriate configuration of the cooking pot  10  for steaming food products  88 ,  90 , and  92  therein. In this configuration, the lower rack  30  is placed on the floor portion  46  of the base portion  24  to receive food products  90  and  92 . Moreover, the upper rack  28  is placed, as previously described, into the recesses  58  and  60  as defined by the ridge  54  and the lip  50  to receive food products  88  thereon. A cooking fluid  94 , preferably water for the purposes of steaming, is provided on the floor portion  46  to a desired level within the chamber  48  defined by the base portion  24  and cover  26  and is heated by actuation of the cooker  12 . The rotational position of the cover  26  relative to the base portion  24  can be positioned so that the protrusions  66  cover a desired portion of the vent openings  52  therein and the air vent  80  is positioned at an appropriate location as well. The thermometer  78  can be provided, as shown by the phantom outline in FIG. 13; however, it may also be desirable to remove the thermometer  78  and leave the first aperture  74  exposed to allow the exhaust of steam from the interior of the cooking pot  10 . 
     FIG. 14 shows an appropriate arrangement of the cooking pot  10  for frying food products  96 . In this configuration, the cover  26  has been removed leaving, an open upper end of the base portion  24  defined by the lip  50 . Here, a cooking fluid  98  is provided within the base portion  24  so that the food products  96  can be deep fried upon actuation of the gas cooker  12 . The upper cooking rack  28  is seated in the recesses  58  and/or  60  as defined by the ridge  54  and lip  50 . In the configuration shown in FIG. 14, one half of the upper cooking rack  28  has been provided to allow a portion of the previously-fried food products  96  to drain excess oil while the remainder of the food products  96  are fried within the cooking fluid  98  by application of heat by the cooker  12 . 
     FIG. 15 shows an additional configuration of the cooking pot  10  used for boiling liquids  100 , such as soup, chili, stew, water, etc. In this configuration, the cover  26  is optional to cook the food product  100  within the base portion  24 . Upon actuation of the gas cooker  12 , the food product  100  is heated to a desired temperature at a desired rate. 
     FIG. 16 shows yet an additional configuration of the cooking pot  10  according to the invention wherein the base portion  24  is used as a hibachi-type grill. In the configuration shown, the lower rack  30  has been provided with several charcoal briquettes  102  and the upper rack  28  has been provided with several food products  104 . Prior to placing the upper  28  and food products  104  thereon, the briquettes  102  can be ignited with conventional lighter fluids and allowed to rise to an appropriate temperature as is conventionally known. Once the briquettes  102  are so heated, the upper rack  28  and food products  104  can be positioned above the briquettes  102  and cooked in a conventional fashion. If the food  104  is to be cooked in a covered manner, the cover  26  can be placed upon the base portion  24  so that the protrusions  66  cover appropriate portions of the vent openings  52  and the air vent  80  is also positioned to a desired setting to ensure both appropriate circulation of air through the cooking pot  10  as well as exhaust of smoke emitting from the briquettes  102 . 
     It can be seen from the drawings and the above description that the cooking pot  10  according to the invention provides a single cooking vessel by which several different cooking modes or methods can be employed. Other modes of cooking employing the cooking pot of the invention may occur to the experienced or innovative cook. Further, the cooking pot  10  need merely be washed between courses of a particular meal if a succession of different cooking methods are to be employed with the cooking pot  10  to prepare different types of foods according to different cooking methods. 
     It will be understood that the cooking racks described with respect to this invention can comprise conventional wire rack members, solid conventional or non-stick griddle surfaces, or any known cooking surface without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     The cooking pot  10  is also convenient to transport in that it has few pieces and is relatively lightweight when compared to the multiplicity of components of prior art cooking implements needed to accomplish the plurality of cooking modes of the pot  10  of the instant invention. Thus, the cooking pot  10  provides great advances in reducing storage space and ease of transport. 
     While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.