Abstract:
An apparatus for steaming shrimp, comprised of a plurality of air permeable shallow containers stacked on a central stand. The central stand has a number of legs which operate to support the apparatus and keep the containers from being immersed in water. By allowing for air permeable containers to stack around a central stand the user can efficiently steam a large number of shrimp or food items at once.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    This invention relates to the field of devices made for steaming food. More specifically, the invention comprises a series of stackable air permeable containers that allow shrimp to be cooked quickly and efficiently. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    Steaming apparatuses are common devices which allow different types of food to cook by way of steam as opposed to immersion in boiling water. A common way to cook shrimp is to steam or boil it. A shrimp pot is a tall and skinny boiling pot. When shrimp is steamed it is typically put in one large air permeable container that sits above the water line in the shrimp pot. However, when shrimp is placed in one large container the shrimp are bunched closely together, limiting the steam&#39;s access to the full surface area of each individual shrimp. The limited steam access extends the cooking time and may cause uneven cooking. 
         [0008]    Therefore what is needed is a container that allows each surface of each shrimp to be fully exposed to the steam while still allowing a large number of shrimp to be cooked at once. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention comprises an apparatus for steaming food, preferably shrimp, that allows a large amount of surface area of the food to be exposed to the steam. In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of air permeable, shallow containers are stacked around a central stand. The central stand has a number of legs which operate to keep the containers from being immersed in the boiling water and also support the apparatus. Additionally, the apparatus contains a lift hook that can be used to move the apparatus into and out of the pot. 
         [0010]    By allowing for air permeable containers to stack around a central stand the user can efficiently steam a large number of shrimp or food items at once. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view, showing a prior art shrimp boiling pot. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view, showing the stand of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view, showing an alternative embodiment of the stand of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view, showing the air permeable container of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view, showing the lift hook of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view, showing the present invention being assembled. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view, showing shrimp in the air permeable container of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a detail view, showing the air permeable container assembled with the stand of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a detail view, showing the air permeable container assembled on the stand of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view, showing the present invention being assembled. 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a cross section view, showing the stacking of the air permeable container in the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 12  is a cross section view, showing an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 13  is a detail view, showing the hook of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view, showing the present invention being placed into a shrimp boiling pot. 
           [0025]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view, showing the present invention inside of a shrimp boiling pot. 
           [0026]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view, showing the present invention being taken out of a shrimp boiling pot. 
       
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS 
       [0027]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 10 
                 shrimp pot 
                 12 
                 lid 
               
               
                 14 
                 hole 
                 16 
                 supporting element 
               
               
                 18 
                 stand 
                 20 
                 air permeable container 
               
               
                 22 
                 base 
                 24 
                 sidewall 
               
               
                 26 
                 cylindrical pipe 
                 28 
                 legs 
               
               
                 30 
                 lift hook 
                 32 
                 handle 
               
               
                 34 
                 hook 
                 36 
                 water 
               
               
                 38 
                 steam 
                 40 
                 shrimp 
               
               
                 42 
                 pole 
                 44 
                 ledge 
               
               
                 46 
                 air permeable container 
                 48 
                 cylindrical pipe 
               
               
                 50 
                 base 
                 52 
                 sidewall 
               
               
                 54 
                 heating element 
                 56 
                 escape port 
               
               
                 58 
                 bore 
                 60 
                 contact surface 
               
               
                 62 
                 upper extreme 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]      FIG. 1  shows a prior art shrimp pot  10  with lid  12 . Lid  12  can be placed over shrimp pot  10  to contain steam created by boiling water. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is designed to fit into shrimp pot  10  however the reader should appreciate that the dimensions of the present invention can be modified to fit into any sized boiling pot. 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  through  FIG. 5  show the component parts of the present invention.  FIG. 2  illustrates stand  18 . Stand  18  is made up of a cylindrical pole  42  and supporting element  16 . In the preferred embodiment hole  14  is located at the upper extreme of cylindrical pole  42 . Likewise, in the preferred embodiment supporting element  16  is made up of ledge  44  and four legs  28 . However, any number of legs  28  could support stand  18  and serve the same function. For example,  FIG. 3  shows that supporting element  16  can be one integrated ledge  44  and leg  28 . In this embodiment large escape ports  56  must be provided for the steam formed on the base of stand  18  to escape. 
         [0030]    Returning to  FIG. 2 , ledge  44  extends away from cylindrical pole  42  in an approximately perpendicular manner then drops downward to legs  28 . Legs  28  support stand  18 . Air permeable container  20  is shown in  FIG. 4 . In the preferred embodiment air permeable container  20  has a circular base  22  with a center and a perimeter that is air permeable. Sidewall  24  surrounds the perimeter of base  22  and is also air permeable. Sidewall  24  has upper extreme  62  located on the upward facing edge of sidewall  24 . Base  22  and sidewall  24  can be made of any material that is both air permeable and can withstand heat. An expanded metal such as expanded steel metal or expanded aluminum metal is preferable. A hollow cylindrical pipe  26  with a central bore  58  and an upper contact surface  60  is located in the center of base  22 .  FIG. 5  shows lift hook  30 , another component part of the present apparatus. Lift hook  30  is comprised of handle  32  and hook  34  and is designed to fit into hole  14  of stand  18 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention in the first stage of assembly. Stand  18  is placed in an upright position supported by legs  28  of supporting element  16 . Shrimp  40  is placed in air permeable container  20 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . A shallow air permeable container  20  allows shrimp  40  to be arranged so as to maximize the exposure of the surface area of each shrimp  40 . Returning to  FIG. 6 , stand  18  accepts air permeable container  20  by sliding cylindrical pipe  26  over pole  42 . The diameter of pole  42  should be slightly smaller than the internal diameter of cylindrical pipe  26 , or bore  58  (not shown), in order to provide a loose sliding fit. This ensures that pole  42  fits through cylindrical pipe  26  effectively attaching air permeable container  20  to stand  18 .  FIG. 8  shows a detail view of pole  42  accepting air permeable container  20  at bore  58 . Pole  42  fits through cylindrical pipe  26  at bore  58  such that air permeable container  20  is able to slide down pole  42 . Air permeable container  20  slides down pole  42  until it reaches supporting element  16 , as shown in an exploded view in  FIG. 9 , where base  22  of air permeable container  20  comes to rest upon ledge  44 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11  illustrate the stackable nature of air permeable container  20 . The illustration in  FIG. 10  portrays the present invention in a second stage of assembly. Base  22  of a first air permeable container  20  rests upon ledge  44 . Similar to the first air permeable container  10 , a second air permeable container  46  is accepted by stand  18  at cylindrical pipe  48  and slides down pole  42 . However, unlike first air permeable container  20 , base  50  of second air permeable container  46  rests upon the upper contact surface  60  of cylindrical pipe  26  of first air permeable container  20 . A cross sectional view of a first air permeable container  20  and a second air permeable container  46  is shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         [0033]    When second air permeable container  46  slides down pole  42 , base  50  of second air permeable container  46  rests upon contact surface  60  of cylindrical pipe  26  of first air permeable container  20  preventing second air permeable container  46  from progressing further down pole  42 . This result could also be obtained when base of upper cylindrical pipe  48  contacts the contact surface  60  of cylindrical pipe  26  of first air permeable container  46 . In the preferred embodiment cylindrical pipe  26  of first air permeable container  20  is slightly taller than the height of sidewall  24  thereby allowing second air permeable container  46  to sit slightly above sidewall  26  of first air permeable container  20 . In this embodiment a lower sidewall  24  can allow better steam circulation around each shrimp, thereby cooking the shrimp faster. 
         [0034]    However, as shown in  FIG. 12 , it would also be effective for cylindrical pipe  26  to be substantially the same height as or lower than sidewall  24 , allowing sidewall  52  and base  50  of second air permeable container  46  to contact upper extreme  62  of sidewall  24  of first air permeable container  20 . In this alternative embodiment an enclosed pocket would be created between first air permeable container  20  and base  50  of second air permeable container  46 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 13  illustrates a detail view of lift hook  30  showing hook  34  passing through hole  14 . The user can grasp handle  32  in order to move the entire apparatus. The operation of lift hook  30  can be seen in  FIG. 14  when the present invention is placed into shrimp pot  10  after being fully assembled. A volume of water  36  is added to shrimp pot  10  preferably prior to the present invention being placed into shrimp pot  10 . The present invention can then be lowered into shrimp pot  10 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 15  illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention fully assembled and placed inside shrimp pot  10 . The reader will observe that supporting element  16  operates to prevent air permeable container  20  from being submerged in water  36 . A plurality of air permeable containers  20  are stacked on top of one another around a central stand  18 . Each successive air permeable container  20  is supported by contact surface  60  of cylindrical pipe  26  of the air permeable container  20  beneath it. Shrimp pot  10  is exposed to heating element  54 . The heat from heating element  54  brings water  36  to a boil, producing steam  38 . Steam  38  is trapped within shrimp pot  10  by lid  12  and cooks shrimp  40  (not shown). As illustrated in  FIG. 16  lift hook  30  can be used to lift the entire apparatus from shrimp pot  10  after a sufficient period of time. Lift hook  30  operates to allow the user to easily move the entire apparatus to and from the shrimp pot  10  becoming especially helpful when the apparatus is hot after steaming, such as illustrated in  FIG. 16 . 
         [0037]    The preceding description contains significant detail regarding the novel aspects of the present invention. It should not be construed, however, as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as providing illustrations of the preferred embodiments of the invention. As an example, sidewall  24  of air permeable container  20  could be a different height in each successive air permeable container. Additionally, air permeable container  20  could be made in different shapes to correspond with different types of boiling pots. Thus, the scope of the invention should be fixed by the following claims, rather than by the examples given.