Abstract:
A gripper for a removable lid of a kitchen utensil is provided, which can be fixed to a top of a lid through the action of a magnet on a magnetic component. The gripper comprises a base plate and an operating member that can move relative to the base plate between a magnetizing position in which the force exerted by the magnet on the magnetic component allows the gripper to be secured to the top, and an isolating position in which this force is not strong enough to secure the gripper to the top.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    (1) Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention concerns a gripping member for a magnetised lid for a kitchen utensil, for example for a saucepan. 
         [0003]    (2) Prior Art 
         [0004]    A lid is known of the type comprising a cover adapted to cover the culinary article and a removable gripping member fixed to the cover by the action of a magnet on a magnetisable piece. 
         [0005]    However, determining the power of the magnet is problematic: if it is too weak, the cover may not be properly secured to the gripping member and, if it is too great, it may be difficult for the user to remove the cover from the gripping member. To this drawback is added the fact that, whatever the power of the magnet, in order to be able to remove the gripping member, the user must exert a traction force on the gripping member and a pressing force on the cover, which limits this manipulation when the lid is hot. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention aims to mitigate the aforementioned drawbacks. 
         [0007]    According to the invention, the gripping member of the lid of the aforementioned type comprises a base and a manoeuvring member able to move with respect to the base between a magnetisation position in which the force exerted by the magnet on the magnetisable piece makes it possible to secure the gripping member to the cover, and an isolation position in which this force is insufficient to allow the securing of the gripping member to the cover. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Other particularities and advantages will emerge in the description of the four embodiments given by way of non-limitative examples and illustrated by the drawings, in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a gripping member according to a first embodiment, 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a gripping member according to a second embodiment, 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cutaway perspective of the gripping member according to the second embodiment, 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a gripping member according to a third embodiment, 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the gripping member according to the third embodiment, 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the gripping member according to the second embodiment along the line VI-VI in  FIG. 4 , 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view of a gripping member according to a fourth embodiment, and 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of the gripping member according to the fourth embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    A lid for a culinary utensil typically comprises firstly a cover that is adapted to cover the culinary utensil and secondly a gripping member  1  that is adapted to facilitate the gripping of the lid by a user. In addition, in the four embodiments, the lid comprises firstly a magnet  2  that is carried by the gripping member  1  and secondly a magnetisable piece that is carried by the cover, thus enabling the gripping member  1  to be removably fixed to the cover by the action of the magnet  2  on the magnetisable piece. 
         [0018]    In addition, the gripping member  1  comprises a base  3  and a manoeuvring member  4 . The base  3  forms the body of the gripping member  1  and enables the user to grip the latter (as well as the cover when it is secured to it). The manoeuvring member  4  is movable with respect to the base  3  and enables the user to remove the gripping member  1  from the cover. The manoeuvring member  4  is able to move between a magnetisation position in which the force exerted by the magnet  2  on the magnetisable piece enables the gripping member  1  to be secured to the cover, and an isolation position in which this force is insufficient to allow the securing of the gripping member  1  to the cover (and therefore permits the separation of these two parts). 
         [0019]    In addition, in the first three embodiments, the gripping member  1  comprises a return member  5  (in this case a spring  5 ) urging the manoeuvring member  4  into its magnetisation position. Because of this, in the four embodiments, the user must drive the manoeuvring member  4  from its magnetisation position to its release position and, in the fourth embodiment, he must also drive the manoeuvring member  4  from its release position to its magnetisation position. 
         [0020]    As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , in the first embodiment, the magnet  2  is carried by the base  3 . 
         [0021]    The base  3  comprises a bottom wall  6  that faces the cover when the gripping member  1  is fixed thereto and to which the magnet  2  is fixed by a screw  7 . The base  3  also comprises a central column  8  that projects substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall  6  and in which the orifice receiving the screw  7  is produced. The base  3  also comprises a peripheral wall  9  substantially cylindrical in shape and which projects substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall  6 . 
         [0022]    The bottom wall  6 , the central column  8  and the peripheral wall  9  define a housing  10  for firstly the manoeuvring member  4 , which is formed by a push button  4 , the top wall  11  of which carries the manual control surface, and secondly the spring  5 , which extends between the bottom wall  6  of the base  3  and the top wall  11  of the manoeuvring member  4 . The manoeuvring member  4  is mounted so as to slide in the housing in the direction defined by the central column  8 . 
         [0023]    In addition, the manoeuvring member  4  comprises a stop member  12  (in this case a lug  12 ) that extends along the peripheral wall  9  of the base  3  from the top wall  11  and passes through the bottom wall  6  of the base  3  at an opening  13 . The stop member  12  is sufficiently long so that its free end  14  comes into abutment against a support surface carried by the cover when the manoeuvring member  4  passes from its magnetisation position to its release position, and moves the base  3  away from the cover (and therefore the magnet  2  from the magnetisable piece) when the manoeuvring member  4  is in its release position. 
         [0024]    Thus, in the first embodiment, the movement of the manoeuvring member  4  from one of its positions to another causes a modification of the distance separating the magnet  2  from the magnetisable piece (and therefore a modification of the intensity of the magnetic force exerted on the magnetisable piece). 
         [0025]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 2 to 6 , in the second and third embodiments, the magnet  2  is carried by a stud  15  that is mounted so as to be able to move with respect to the base  3  and that is driven by the manoeuvring member  4  between a magnetisation position in which the manoeuvring member  4  is in its magnetisation position and a release position in which the force exerted by the magnet  2  on the magnetisable piece is insufficient to enable the gripping member  1  to be secured to the cover. 
         [0026]    As in the first embodiment, the base  3  comprises a peripheral wall  9 , substantially cylindrical in shape, and an internal annular shoulder  16  that extends substantially perpendicular to the revolution axis of the peripheral wall  9 . In addition, the internal annular shoulder  16  comprises an opening  17 . 
         [0027]    The peripheral wall  9  and the internal annular shoulder  16  define a housing  18  for firstly the stud  15 , which extends in the base  3  and passes through the internal annular shoulder  16  at the opening  17 , and secondly the spring  5 . 
         [0028]    The stud  15  comprises a central column  19  that passes through the opening  17  and defines its translation direction in the base  3 . The central column  19  comprises a bottom end  20  to which the magnet  2  is fixed by a screw  21  screwed into a housing carried by the central column  19 . The stud  15  also comprises an external shoulder  22  that is adapted to come into abutment against the internal annular shoulder  16  when the manoeuvring member  4  is in its magnetisation position and thus to define the magnetisation position of the stud  15 . 
         [0029]    The internal annular shoulder  16  and the peripheral wall  9  of the base  3  define a first housing  23  that is situated on a first side of the internal annular shoulder  16  and in which the bottom end  20  and the magnet  2  are housed. The internal annular shoulder  16  and the peripheral wall  9  of the base  3  define a second housing  24  that is disposed on the other side of the internal annular shoulder  16  and in which the external shoulder  22  of the stud  15  is housed. In the second embodiment the spring  5  is housed in the first housing  23 , extends between the magnet  2  and the internal annular shoulder  16  of the base  3  and urges the stud  15  into its magnetisation position. In the third embodiment the spring  5  is housed in the second housing  24 , extends between a cover  25 , which is secured to the base  3  by means of screws  26 , and the top end  27  of the stud  15 , and urges the stud  15  into its magnetisation position. 
         [0030]    The stud  15  also comprises a cam surface  28  that, in the second and third embodiments, is disposed in the second housing  24  and that is adapted to cooperate with the manoeuvring member  4  connected to the base  3  so that, when the manoeuvring member  4  passes from its magnetisation position to its release position it drives the stud  15  from its magnetisation position to its release position. 
         [0031]    In the present embodiment the manoeuvring member  4  is formed by two elements  4  that are mounted pivotally with respect to the base  3  on an axis substantially parallel to the revolution axis of the peripheral wall  9  of the base  3 . Each element  4  is connected to the base  3  by a shaft  29  that defines the pivot axis and is conformed so as to come to bear against the cam surface  28 . Because of this, in the aforementioned two embodiments, bringing the two elements  4  closer to each other by pivoting about their pivot axis causes the translation of the stud  15 . In addition, the base  3  comprises, in its peripheral wall  9 , a guide opening  30  that imposes their movements on the two elements  4  and that thereby limits the torsion forces at the shafts  29  and therefore makes it possible to effectively transmit the movement to the stud  15 . 
         [0032]    Thus, in the second and third embodiments, the movement of the manoeuvring member  4  from one of its positions to the other causes a modification of the distance separating the magnet  2  from the magnetisable piece (and therefore a modification of the intensity of the magnetic force exerted on the magnetisable piece). 
         [0033]    In the second embodiment, each element  4  is formed by a rod  4 , the shaft  29  that is associated with it being disposed in an anchoring cavity  31  produced in the peripheral wall  9  and disposed substantially opposite to the guide opening  30  with respect to the revolution axis of the base  3 . 
         [0034]    In the third embodiment, each element  4  is formed by an aileron  32  that is carried by an arc  33 . The arc  33 , off-centre with respect to the pivot axis of the element  4 , is adapted to come into abutment against the cam surface  28  of the stud  15 . In this embodiment, the shafts  29  are carried by the internal annular shoulder  16 . 
         [0035]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , in the fourth embodiment the magnet  2  is carried by the manoeuvring member  4 . 
         [0036]    The base  3  comprises a bottom wall  6  that faces the cover when the gripping member  1  is fixed to it, and a peripheral wall  9  substantially cylindrical in shape, projecting substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall  6 . 
         [0037]    The base  3  also comprises two transmission members  34  that are made from a magnetisable material, such as soft steel. Each transmission member  34  extends along the peripheral wall  9  and passes through the bottom wall  6  at an opening  35  so as to be in contact with or in the immediate vicinity of the magnetisable piece carried by the cover. The inside of the base  3  defines a housing  36  for firstly the manoeuvring member  4 , which is mounted so as to rotate therein on the revolution axis of the peripheral wall  9 , and secondly the magnet  2  that is fixed to the manoeuvring member  4 . The housing  36  is delimited axially by the bottom wall  6  that magnetically isolates the magnet  2  from the magnetisable piece carried by the cover. The housing  36  is delimited radially on the one hand by the two transmission members  34  and on the other hand by the two portions of the peripheral wall  9  that separate the two transmission members  34  from each other. 
         [0038]    The magnet  2  with a cylindrical shape complementary to the shape of the housing  36  is biased so that, when the manoeuvring member  4  is in its magnetisation position, each pole  37 ,  38  of the magnet  2  is in contact with a single transmission member  34  so that these transmit to the magnetisable element the magnetic flux generated by the magnet  2  and, when the manoeuvring member  4  is in its release position, each pole  37 ,  38  of the magnet  2  is in contact with the two transmission members  34  so as to short-circuit the magnetic circuit. In the present embodiment, the manoeuvring member  4  passes from a magnetisation position to a release position and from a release position to a magnetisation position by a rotation of a quarter of a turn. 
         [0039]    Thus, in the fourth embodiment, the movement of the manoeuvring member  4  from one of its positions to the other causes a modification to the circulation of the magnetic flux. 
         [0040]    As can be seen in the various figures, in all the embodiments the gripping member  1  has only one magnet  2 . 
         [0041]    Many modifications can be made to the embodiments described. 
         [0042]    Thus the magnet  2  could be carried by the cover and the magnetisable piece by the gripping member  1 . 
         [0043]    In addition, in the second embodiment, the cam surface  25 , instead of being carried by the stud  15 , could be carried by the base  3 , the manoeuvring member  4  then being connected to the stud  15 . 
         [0044]    In the fourth embodiment, the two transmission members  31 ,  32 , instead of each extending angularly over almost half of the cylinder, could extend over a much smaller angular sector so that, when the manoeuvring member  4  goes to its release position, each pole of the magnet  2  would be in contact with neither of the two transmission members  31 ,  32 , which would also short-circuit the magnetic circuit. 
         [0045]    It would also be possible for the gripping member to comprise several magnets, which would then all be completely integral with one another in terms of movement.