Saucepan

A saucepan of the double boiler type. The saucepan includes a lower water receptacle, an upper food receptacle and an attached handle. The handle defines an enclosed fill chamber which communicates with the lower water receptacle via a hole. A cap is connected to the handle by an over center hinge and covers a fill hole through which water may be introduced into the chamber and thence to the water receptacle. The cap may have a hole therein to provide an aural indicator of water boiling in the water receptacle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to cookware, and will have special application to 
saucepans, and particularly to double boilers. 
Double boiler saucepans are typically used to cook food in a controlled low 
temperature manner. A common double boiler employs a lower pan which is 
filled with water and rests on the stove burner, and an upper pan which is 
carried inside the lower pan and holds the food to be cooked above the 
water. Since the water can only be raised to a temperature of 100.degree. 
C. before it boils, the food is cooked at or below this temperature to 
prevent burning. Previous double boilers included separate upper and lower 
pans and provided no visual or aural indicator of the water temperature. 
The double boiler saucepan of this invention includes an integral upper 
pan/lower pan construction. A housing is connected to the pan and defines 
a substantially enclosed chamber to which water may be added through a 
fill hole. The housing is in flow communication with the lower pan through 
a second hole. 
The fill hole is covered by a normally closed cap which is connected to the 
housing by a pivot member which allows the cap to be pivotally shifted 
between its normally closed position and an open position to expose the 
fill hole. A biasing member serves to return the cap to its closed 
position when the cap is released. The cap may also have a tapered hole to 
allow escaping steam from the lower pan provide an aural indication of 
high temperatures in the lower pan. 
The invention may be incorporated into any size of double boiler currently 
available and may be modified for use with saucepans having a single 
elongated handle or with opposite U-shaped handles. 
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide for a novel and 
improved saucepan for cooking foods. 
Another object is to provide for a double boiler saucepan which is easier 
to use and store than conventional double boilers. 
Another object is to provide an integral single-piece double boiler. 
Another object is to provide a double boiler saucepan which provides an 
aural indication of high water temperature in the lower pan. 
Other objects will become apparent upon a reading of the following 
description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The preferred embodiments herein described are not intended to be 
exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. They 
are chosen and described to illustrate the principles of the invention, 
and its application and practical use to enable others skilled in the art 
to utilize its teachings. 
FIGS. 1-6 illustrate a first embodiment of the double boiler 10 of this 
invention. Double boiler 10 includes generally a lower pan 12, upper pan 
14 and elongated handle 16. Lower pan 12 is designed to accommodate water 
or other cooking fluid and is defined by bottom wall 18 and continuous 
outer side wall 20. Bottom wall 18 may include a lower coating or metal 
layer 23 of copper, while the bottom wall 18 and side wall 20 are 
preferably formed of stainless steel or the like. Side wall 20 is 
preferably rounded outwardly as shown so as to accommodate upper pan 14 
and to define a chamber 22 to allow the water to contact the upper pan. 
Upper pan 14 is defined by bottom wall 24 and continuous side wall 26, and 
is preferably formed of stainless steel or the like. As shown in FIG. 4, 
side walls 20 and 26 come together in overlap fashion and are rolled 
together to define continuous upper lip 28. 
Handle 16 is an elongated member and includes a fill housing 30 which is 
attached to lower pan side wall 20 by conventional means. Fill housing 
defines chamber 32 and includes bottom wall 34, top wall 36, opposed side 
walls 38 and end block 40. Fill hole 42 is defined in top wall 36. A hole 
44 is defined in lower pan side wall 20 and allows flow communication 
between chamber 32 and chamber 22. Handle 16 also includes terminal end 
part 46 preferably formed of a hardened phenolic plastic or the like. End 
part 46 is connected to fill housing end block 40 as by fastener 48. 
Double boiler 10 also includes a fill cap 50 which normally covers fill 
hole 42. Cap 50 is preferably formed of a single piece hardened phenolic 
plastic and includes plug part 52, upper cap 54, actuator wedge 56 and 
hinge part 58. Plug part 52 closely approximates the dimensions of fill 
hole 42 to seal the fill hole when the cap 50 is in the normally closed 
position of FIG. 4. A tapered hole 60 is defined through plug 52 and upper 
cap 54 and communicates with chamber 32. 
Hinge 58 is pivotally connected to end block 40 as by pivot fastener 62. 
Biasing spring 64 has a lower part 66 which rests on bottom wall 34 and 
angled upper part 68 as shown. Hinge 58 includes lower protrusion 70 which 
contacts spring upper part 68 in an over center relationship as shown in 
FIG. 6. 
Double boiler 10 is used for temperature control cooking as follows. Cap 50 
is raised to expose fill hole 42 (FIG. 5) by pushing actuator wedge 56 
towards handle end part 46. Water is poured into chamber 32 and flows into 
chamber 22 through hole 44. When the desired amount of water has been 
added, wedge 56 is released. Spring upper part 68 acts on protrusion 70 to 
urge cap 50 back into the normally closed position shown in FIG. 4. Boiler 
10 is placed on a hot stove burner (not shown) and food added to upper pan 
14. Should the water in chamber 22 begin to boil (indicating a possible 
overheating situation) steam escaping through tapered hole 60 generates a 
whistling sound to provide an aural indication of the condition. 
FIG. 7 shows a modified double boiler 72 which has opposite handles 74, 76. 
In this embodiment, fill housing 30 is connected directly to the lower pan 
side wall 26 as shown with all other reference characters designating like 
parts for purposes of convenience and clarity. 
It is understood that the above description does not limit the invention to 
the above details, but may be modified within the scope of the following 
claims.