Abstract:
Apparatus for cooking foods such as pasta rice including a container which receives a liquid to be heated and a cooking strainer-basket partially submerged in the liquid for cooking within the container, the container and the basket configured to have cooperating selectively engaging support members for alternatively positioning of the basket in the liquid for cooking of the food and repositioning of the basket above the liquid to provide for straining of the food.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts. 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to apparatus for cooking foods such as pasta and more particularly to a container having liquid to be heated and a cooking strainer-basket, the container and strainer-basket configured with cooperating support members for alternative positioning of the strainer-basket within the container to provide for cooking of the food or for straining of the food. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Apparatus for cooking and/or straining of pasta and the like have become commonplace and a variety of such apparatus are known in the art, however, the prior art devices are either too complex or relatively inefficient or uneconomical. A device of interest is shown in U.S. Pat. Des. 353,303 issued to Davis on 13 Dec. 1994 which relates to a combined cooking utensil with lid and strainer. It is a feature of the present invention to provide new and improved cooking apparatus for cooking and for straining of food that is more easy to use, more efficient, safer, and more economical than prior art devices. It is another feature of the invention to provide cooking and straining apparatus that does not require removal of the cooking basket from the container for straining of the food. Other objects of the invention will become apparent with a reading of the specification taken with the drawings wherein there is shown and described the apparatus of the invention. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides apparatus for cooking foods such as pasta and includes a container which receives a liquid, such as water, to be heated and a cooking strainer-basket within the container which is partially submerged in the liquid for cooking, the container and basket configured to have cooperating selectively engaging support members for alternatively positioning of the basket in the water, oil, or other liquid, for cooking of the food and repositioning of the basket above the water, oil, or other liquid to provide for straining of the food. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the cooking apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates in cross-sectional view the cooking strainer-basket of  FIG. 1  submerged in water for cooking of food; 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates one configuration of the engagement of the container support members with the support members of the strainer-basket; 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates another configuration of the engagement of the container support members with the support members of the strainer-basket; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the strainer-basket of  FIG. 1  positioned above the cooking water with the strainer-basket support members and container support members engaged for straining of the food within the strainer-basket; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view showing the positioning of the support members of the strainer-basket above the support members of the container allowing for the strainer-basket to be raised and supported at the food straining position within the container; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates the apparatus of the invention with the support members of the strainer-basket and support members of the container in the open position wherein the strainer-basket is fully inserted into the container and ready for storage or cooking; and 
         FIG. 7  is a top view showing the disengagement, or open, positioning of the support members of the strainer-basket and the support members of the container allowing for the strainer to be lowered into the container. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in general, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown in exploded view, the cooking apparatus of the invention, generally designated  10 . The cooking apparatus  10  includes a circular water container  11 , a circular cooking strainer-basket, generally designated  12 , having a lower portion  12   a  with a diameter less than the inside diameter of container  11  for fitting within container  11 , and an upper circumferential portion  12   b  with a diameter greater than the outside diameter of container  11  and configured with a shoulder-like projection extending outwardly from the top of container  11  to restrain insertion of strainer-basket  12  into container  11 , and a lid  13  for fitting over the upper portion  12   b  of strainer-basket  12 . Container  11  includes two side handles  11   a  (one shown), a continuous outwardly extending top lip  11   b , and interior selectively positioned container support members  11   c . Container support members  11   c  are selectively spaced intermittently around the interior of the container  11 , and extend generally perpendicularly inwardly from the interior wall of container  11 . Vertical members  12   g  provide anti-rotational features for strainer-basket  12 . As indicated in dotted lines the bottom  12   h  of strainer-basket  12  may be recessed upwardly within strainer-basket  12 . In this case the bottom  12   h  is shown recessed above the strainer support members  12   d.    
     Lower portion  12   a  of strainer-basket  12  includes multiple strainer apertures  12   c , and configured with selectively positioned strainer support members  12   d  (two shown). Strainer support members  12   d  extend along the exterior lower section of strainer-basket  12 . Upper portion  12   b  includes a circumferentially configured outwardly extending upper portion  12   e . Upper portion  12   b  includes two handles  12   f  (one shown). Lid  13  includes top handle  13   a . Strainer-basket  12  may be rotated such that the strainer support members  12   d  do not overlay the container support members  11   c  but disengage to form an opening for strainer-basket  12  to pass into the cooking liquid. Conversely, strainer-basket  12  may be rotated such that strainer support members  12   d  sufficiently overlay container support members  11   c  to restrict the opening to prevent passage of strainer-basket  12  and thus provide support for draining of strainer-basket  12 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates in cross-sectional view the cooking strainer-basket  12  of  FIG. 1  submerged in liquid such as water (indicated by wavy lines) for cooking of food. The container support members  11   c  of container  11  and the strainer support members  12   d  of strainer-basket  12  have been disengaged permitting the lower portion  12   a  of strainer-basket  12  to be inserted into container  11  until the upper portion  12   b  is sitting within lip  11   b  of container  11 . In this position the food in strainer-basket  12  is submerged for cooking. In this figure it is more clearly seen, in dotted lines, how the bottom  12   h  may be recessed upwardly within strainer-basket  12 . It is to be understood that the position of the strainer-basket  12 , the shape and configuration of the strainer-basket  12 , the liquid level within the container  11 , depth of the strainer-basket  12 , and location of the container  11  and strainer-basket  12  support members  12   d  and container  11  configuration and shape of the support members  11   c , may be varied within the scope of the invention. 
       FIG. 3A and 3B  illustrate different configurations of the support members for engagement of container  11  with strainer-basket  12 . In the  FIG. 3A  configuration the support members  11   c  and  12   d  are both shown to extend perpendicularly from the container  11  and strainer-basket  12 , respectively.  FIG. 3B  illustrates another configuration of the engagement of the container  11  with strainer-basket  12  wherein the support members  11   c ′ and  12   d ′ are shown to have interlocking ends for positioning engagement of the container  11  and strainer-basket  12 . 
       FIG. 4  shows strainer-basket  12  positioned in the food straining position above the liquid in container  11 . As indicated by the arrows  5 , strainer-basket  12  has been positioned to engage strainer support members  12   d  of strainer-basket  12  and container support members  11   c  of container  11 . That is, strainer support members  12   d  are rotated into a position wherein the strainer support members overlay the container support members  11   c  so as to restrict the opening to thereby prevent passage of strainer-basket  12 , and thus provide support for draining of strainer-basket  12 . 
       FIG. 5  is a top view showing the positioning of the support members  12   d  of strainer-basket  12  above the support members  11   c  of the container  11  allowing for the strainer-basket  12  to be raised to and supported at the food straining position within the container  11 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the apparatus of the invention with the strainer support members  12   d  of strainer-basket  12  and container support members  11   c  of container  11  in the open position and disengaged wherein strainer-basket  12  is fully inserted into container  11  until the upper portion  12   b  is sitting on lip  11   b  of container  11 . In this manner the apparatus of the invention is closed for cooking, storage or transport. 
       FIG. 7  is a top view of the apparatus  10  of the invention with the lid  13  removed to show the open, or disengaged, positioning of the strainer support members  12   d  of strainer-basket  12  and the container support members  11   c  of container  11 , thus allowing strainer-basket  12  to be inserted fully into container  11 . In this position the upper portion  12   b  is sitting within lip  11   b  of container  11 . 
     While the principles of the invention have been described and illustrated in a single embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, materials, and shape of components used in the practice of the invention can be particularly modified and adapted for specific operating requirements without departing from these principles.