Abstract:
A poultry steamer having a base with a floor and an upstanding perimeter wall; an upwardly projecting removable support member on the floor for receiving and supporting poultry; a contourable ante base above the floor; a non-porous contourable protective shield above the ante base; and a removable cover, with a removable handle mechanism, fitting over the support member and contourably onto the ante base thereby defining a sealed chamber inside the cover for housing the poultry and defining an open space between the cover and the upstanding perimeter wall.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This present invention relates to an improvement in cookers, and more particularly to poultry cookers which cook poultry by self-generated steam. 
     Currently numerous patents exist for cooking poultry, for basting poultry, for smoking poultry, for roasting poultry, and for otherwise enhancing the flavor of poultry [and other cookable meat products]. These generally involve some form of pan or pan-like object and many include a support member either for the poultry or for some other object, such as a fluid-releasing basting plate and the like. Some include a support member which, not only supports the poultry to be cooked, but ingeniously provides for an aid in cooking by being hollowed and having apertures to, not only aid in cooking, but to add flavor to the product. Some are just support stands. All which generally aid in cooking are complex. Those which are merely support stands could, but generally don&#39;t aid in cooking. None, as configured, function as the cooker. A recent trend envisions cooking turkeys by deep frying with a claim of better taste and faster cooking times. The taste of deep-frying fat is left the subjective palates of the beholder; faster cooking, however, is a result of deep-frying. With deep-frying also comes the negative nutritional values associated with cooking with fatty oils. 
     The present invention embodies a simple process of cooking coupled with a rather unique yet simple structure which steams the poultry using the steam generated from the juices of the poultry as it heats and cooks. The self-generated juice-flavored steam is contained within the device, does not evaporate during the cooking process, and recirculates. The result is that large poultry, such as a 25-pound turkey for example, cooking by its own self-generated juice-flavored steam, is completely cooked in about two hours. Because of how it was cooked, it is succulent and healthy. 
     Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are to: 
     a. provide a simple, low-cost, and portable poultry cooking device which can be easily disassembled, re-assembled, and used virtually anywhere and at anytime; 
     b. foster more healthy cooking means; 
     c. provide a poultry cooking device which is easy to manufacture and easy to use; 
     d. permit one to cook large poultry without constant attention or vigilance while cooking; and 
     e. conserve resources by decreasing cooking times for large poultry. 
     The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above-noted problems, among others, are overcome by the present invention. Briefly stated, the present invention contemplates a poultry steamer having a base with a floor and an upstanding perimeter wall; an upwardly projecting removable support member on the floor for receiving and supporting poultry; a contourable ante base above the floor; a non-porous contourable protective shield above the ante base; and a removable cover, with a removable handle mechanism, fitting over the support member and contourably onto the ante base thereby defining a sealed chamber inside the cover for housing the poultry and defining an open space between the cover and the upstanding perimeter wall. 
     The foregoing has outlined the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so the present contributions to the art may be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the present invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the disclosed specific embodiment may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures and methods for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It also should be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions and methods do not depart from the spirit and scope of the inventions as set forth in the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the cooker. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the cooker. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIG. 1, reference character  10  generally designates a poultry cooker/steamer constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It primarily consists of a base or platform  12  with an upstanding outer perimeter  14  which defines a wall around the base  12 . The floor of the base  12  consists of a removable contourable ante-base  20 ; i.e., a secondary or upper base above the base  12 . Contourability and pliability of the ante-base  20  is an important feature of the present invention as will be explained below. It must be understood that the ante-base  20  should generally have a higher flash point than the amount of heat to be generated by an external heating element which will be applied to the cooker  10  after it has been readied for cooking. Approximately centered in the base  12  is a support member  16 . Support member  16  may be permanently fixed into the base  20  or, as illustrated, it may be removable. Removability is preferred. The support member  16  may be friction-fit into the base  12  or, as illustrated, it may have a threaded end which screws directly into cooperating threading in the base  12  floor, it or may be held thereat by use of a cooperating nut. 
     The ante-base  20  must be contourable such that, when the cover  30  is placed thereon, the ante-base yields to the contact of the lower rim of the cover  30  creating a mating fit between the cover  30  and the ante-base  20 . To this end, the ante-base should be composed of a granular-like material, such as, but not limited to sand, silicon-like compositions, fine pebbles, and the like. Sand, due to its abundance and relative inexpense provides an excellent ante-base  20 . The support member  16  functions to vertically support, in a neck-to-rear relationship, the poultry  40  to be cooked by the present invention and the keep the poultry  40  from falling on its side. 
     Poultry  40  is placed onto the support member  16  via a cavity (neck or rear) of the poultry  40  to be cooked and, if the respective cavities are not in communication with one another (for example, if the poultry is not completely thawed therein), comes to rest on the top of the support member  16  where the cavity region is frozen shut. In this regard, the support member  16  should, but need not be, sufficiently tall such that, when poultry  40 , like a large, slightly frozen, turkey for example, is placed and supported thereon, the neck-region or the legs (depending on how the turkey  40  is placed on the support member  16 ) do not touch the ante-base  20 . In this situation, the turkey  40  ‘hangs’ on the support member  16  and is not in touching communication with the ante-base  20 . The reason for this non-communication obviously is to keep any particles of the ante-base  20  from adhering to, and/or ‘contaminating’ the turkey  40 . Once the cooking process begins, the inner frozen portion of the turkey thaws and the cavity regions (neck and rear) communicate with one another, the turkey  40  will generally slide down the support member  16  and come into contact with the ante-base  20 . To further ensure against contamination of the turkey  40  by particles of the ante-base  20 , a protective shield  22  inserts over the support member  16  and onto the ante-base  20  before the turkey  40  is placed on the support member  16 . Generally, if a fresh turkey  40 , or a fully thawed turkey  40 , is being placed onto the support member  16 , the support member  16  will generally slide through the turkey  40  from one cavity to the other. 
     The surface area of the protective shield  22  should be large enough to fully accommodate the cover  30  when the cover  30  is placed thereon such that the cover  30  does not, will not breach the surface area of the protective shield  22 . The protective shield  22  is a barrier between the turkey  40  and the ante-base  20  and aids in preventing steam loss during the cooking process. Generally the protective shield  22  should also be of a contourable, and basically non-porous material such as, but not limited to, metal foil-like wrap (aluminum foil for example). Non-porous qualities prevent juices from the turkey  40  from being absorbed by the shield  22  as the turkey  40  cooks and, as a result, prevents steam loss and enhances flavor and decreases cooking time. Contourability is essential so that the fit between the cover  30  and the ante-base  20  is maintained which also, thereby prevents steam loss, enhances flavor, and decreases cooking time. After the turkey  40  is placed over the support member  16  and resting thereon (if frozen) or being supported thereat (if generally thawed), the cover  30  (with an open bottom and a closed top  31 ) is placed over the turkey  40 , and is firmly/matingly pressed down onto the protective shield  22  and ante-base  20 . The top  31  can be dome-shaped as shown in FIG. 1 or may be flat-like as shown in FIG.  2 . To better ensure a good ‘mating’, turning the cover  30  slightly to the left and then slightly to the right (or vice versa) facilitates the mating and produces the desired result. A firm downward ‘push’ of the cover  30  into the ante-base  20  generally produces a similar result. 
     The cover  30  and the base  12  and its upstanding wall  14  should be configured such that, after the cover  30  is placed onto the protective shield  22 , there should then exist an open space between the outer perimeter of the cover  30  and the wall  14 . This open space should be at least two inches or more. The open space should be sufficient to accommodate an external heat source as will be explained below. Once so covered, an external heat source is applied to the cover  30 . It should be noted here that it is preferred that the cover  30  be comprised of a heat-conductive material; preferably a suitable metal composition. The interior of the cover  30  should be sufficiently wide and tall to encompass all of the poultry to be housed and cooked therein; yet not too wide that its perimeter extends beyond the protective shield  22  or that it not establish an open space as described above. It is also important that the interior chamber of the cover  30  where the turkey  40  rests also fits within the protective shield  22  and does not extend over and onto the ante-base  20 . Though it could so extend, this would significantly defeat the function of the present invention, cause a loss of turkey juices as the turkey  40  cooks, cause a loss of steam thereby, and increase the cooking time. A handle mechanism  32 ,  34 , preferably removable, is adjacent to the top of the cover  30 . The handle mechanism  32 ,  34  is suited for removing the cover  30 , which will be very hot, shortly after the turkey  40  has been cooked. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the configuration of the present invention during the cooking process and also demonstrates another embodiment of the handle mechanism  132  which is seated directly on the top  31  of the cover  30 . With the poultry  40  on the support member  16  and inside the cover  30 , a suitable external heating element is placed into contact with the exterior surface of the cover  30 . Any type of heating element will suffice provided it can generate sufficient heat to cook the poultry  40  which is inside the cover  30 . For mobility and versatility, however, it is preferred that charcoal  52 , or similar material be used. FIG. 2 illustrates the use of charcoal  52 . 
     Typically, a first layer of charcoal  52  is placed in a row in the open space and directly around the outer perimeter of the cover  30  and directly on the protective shield  22 . This first layer should come into contact with and touch the exterior surface of the cover  30 . A second row of charcoal  52  is placed next to the first row of charcoal  52  around the outer perimeter formed by the first row of charcoal  52 . The first layer of charcoal, therefore, consists of at least two rows of charcoal. A second layer of charcoal  52  is placed on top of the first layer, first row of charcoal  30 . This second layer of charcoal also generally should touch the exterior surface of the cover  30 . In cases where the cooker  10  is configured generally for charcoal  52  use, the open space as defined above should be about three to four or more inches. The charcoal  52  is ignited and, approximately two hours thereafter, the poultry  40  within the cooker  10 , regardless of its size, is completed cooked. 
     The cooking process is as follows. After the heating element (charcoal  52  by way of the above example) generates heat, it causes the inner chamber of the cover  30  (where the poultry  40  rests) to become very hot. The dry heat begins to cook the poultry  40 . As the poultry  40  cooks it begins to shed its juices. The juices fall to the protective shield  22 . The heat within the inner chamber converts the liquid juices to steam. The steam rises and fills the inner chamber but has no viable outlet. It is the juice-generated steam which cooks the turkey  40 . Because it is juice-generated, it also ‘bastes’ the turkey with its natural juices in the process. This process continues completely cooking the turkey  40  within about two hours. The mating seal between the cover  30  and the protective shield  22  (and ante-base  20 ) is not a completely air-tight seal. Steam will escape over time. But the seal is sufficiently ‘tight’ to retain a majority of the steam to cook the turkey within. Cooking poultry, particularly large poultry, in this manner greatly decreases the time in which it takes to cook such conventionally and, it is done ‘naturally’; i.e., cooked, and basted, by its own juices. The final result is a healthy product done in a greatly reduced time. 
     When the product is cooked, the cover  30  is lifted, and the poultry  40  within is removed. FIG. 1 illustrates a removable handle mechanism  32 ,  34 . It consists of a bail-like handle  32  having loops at each of its ends. The loops attach to rods  34  which project outward from the cover  30  at or near its top. After the handle  32  is attached to the cover  30 , the cover may be easily removed. Once the cover  30  is removed from the cooker  10 , the bail-like handle  32  may be disengaged from the rods  34 . Another embodiment (not shown) has the loops turned slightly inward while the rods  34  have ends which are turned slightly downward. FIG. 2 illustrates a different embodiment of the handle mechanism  132 . Here the handle  132  is placed directly on the top  31  of the cover  30  for ease of removal of the cover  30  from the cooker  10 . 
     The cooker  10  is illustrated to have a plurality of legs  18  supporting it--at least three legs  18  are preferred. The legs  18  should, but need not be, removable. Removability fosters storage and mobility of the cooker  10 . Where removable, the legs  18  may be friction-fit into the base  12 , or may be screwed in using conventional screws or nut-and-bolt combinations. 
     The present disclosure includes that contained in the present claims as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms has been made only by way of example and numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiment[s] illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.