Abstract:
The lid for an article of cookware is comprised of two separable components, the first being an outer annulus that rests on the rim of the cookware article, the second being a solid lid with a handle that rests on the inner circumference of the annulus. Preferably, the outer annulus is curved upwards to act as a splash and spatter guard when the solid lid removed for stirring the contents of the cooking vessel.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   None 
   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an article of cookware, and in particular to a cookware vessel with a multiple component lid. 
   The lid of a cookware vessel is conventionally a solid member with a diameter and edge size to fit into the upper rim of the underlying cooking vessel. A transparent lid is favored by some to observe the progress of cooking without removing the lid. Also known are lids with a plurality of hole to be used as a sieve or screen for draining water from pasta, for example. 
   A lid serves to retain the heat of cooking, as well as prevent the spatter of oil, boiling sauce and the like outside of the cooking vessel. While the progress of cooking can be observed through a transparent lid, the lid must be removed to stir the content of the cooking vessel. Removing the lid during stirring thus increases the likelihood of some of the contents spattering onto the cook or the kitchen area. Further, a transparent lid can easily become “fogged” by miniscule drops of vapor that condense on it, if it has not anti-fog coating (or if it is accidentally removed from aggressive cleaning). While glass lids can easily be cleaned of these condensed vapor drops, the contents of the pan must again be opened, inviting the possibility of spattered oil or sauce. 
   It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide a cookware lid system and device that minimizes the potential for the contents of the cooking vessel to spatter when they are being stirred. 
   It is also an object of the invention to provide a glass cooking lid that is easy to clean. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   In the present invention, the first object is achieved by providing a two component cookware lid for a cooking vessel. The cookware article comprises a substantially circular fluid containing cooking vessel having a substantially planar portion of the interior bottom cooking surface with substantially upright surrounding walls that terminate in a first rim. The lid for covering the cooking vessel has a first lower surrounding or annular component adapted for sealing engagement with the first rim of said fluid containing vessel and terminates at a second or upper rim. A cover is adapted for sealed engagement with the second rim of the lower annular component. The lower annular component has an inner concavity second or upper rim has a smaller circumference than the substantially planar portion of the interior bottom cooking surface. The cover or upper lid is preferably glass to observe the foodstuffs cooking in the vessel. When the cover or upper lid is removed to stir the contents the remaining lower annular components acts as a splash or spatter shield. More preferably, the cover or upper lid has a flat bottom surface so that it can be used as a food press when fitted against the interior bottom cooking surface. 
   The above and other objects, effects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of the article of cookware with both the lower annular portion and the upper or cover portion of the lid attached. 
       FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the article of cookware with the upper or cover portion of the lid removed. 
       FIG. 1C  is a perspective view of the article of cookware with the lower annular portion of the lid removed and the upper or cover portion of the lid disposed on the bottom cooking surface to serve as a food press. 
       FIG. 2  is an external elevational of view of the article of cookware  FIG. 1A . 
       FIG. 3A  is a partial cutaway view of the elevation in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 3B  is a detail of the encircled portion of  FIG. 3A . 
       FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional elevation of the cover portion in another embodiment of the invention, whereas  FIG. 4B  is a lower plan view of the a portion of the cover shown in  FIG. 4A , showing the section line A-A and C-C, the latter corresponding to the cross-sectional elevation shown in  FIG. 4C  that is orthogonal to that of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 5A  is a cross-sectional elevation of the cover portion in another embodiment of the invention, whereas  FIG. 5B  is a lower plan view of the a portion of the cover shown in  FIG. 5A , showing the section line A-A and C-C, the latter corresponding to the cross-sectional elevation shown in  FIG. 5C  that is orthogonal to that of  FIG. 5A . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , wherein like reference numerals refer to like components in the various views, there is illustrated therein a new and improved multiple component lid for an article of cookware, generally denominated  100  herein. 
   In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the article of cookware  10  includes a food retaining cooking vessel  11  that comprises a substantially circular or elliptically shaped bottom cooking surface  12  surrounded by substantially upright walls  13 , which extend upward to terminate in rim  14  to define a fluid containing vessel. The article of cookware  10  also includes a lid  100  that rests in substantially sealed engagement on rim  14 . The lid  100  comprises a lower surrounding and preferably annular portion  110  that terminates in an upper rim  114  and an upper cover  120  that rests in substantially sealed engagement on or within the upper rim  114 . In this embodiment the cover  120  is shown as being comprised of a horizontal member  125  that is a substantially flat transparent glass plate with a centrally disposed inverted U-shaped handle  133 . The circumference of the upper rim  114  of the lower annular portion of the lid is at least somewhat smaller than the rim  14  of the cookware article  10  itself so that the walls  113  of the lid turn inward, preferably with concave curvature, as they extend upward from the rim  14  of the cooking vessel  11 . 
   The configuration of the article of cookware  10  with lid  100  has the numerous benefits. First, only the uppermost covering portion  120  of the lid  100  need be removed for stirring the contents of the pot. Thus, with the remaining lower surrounding or annular portion  110  left in place on rim  14 , the contents can be observed or stirred. In this arrangement, shown in  FIG. 1B , the lower surrounding or annular portion  110  of lid  100  is available to intercept splashes or spatter or liquids or cooking oil out of the pan, thus acting as a spatter guard or shield for the cook. 
   In  FIG. 3A , the cover  120  is shown in two alternative positions. First, as cover  120  resting on the rim  114  of the lower annular portion  110 , also corresponding to the configuration shown in perspective in  FIG. 1A . In the alternative mode of use, which is also shown in  FIG. 1C , the lower annular portion  110  of lid  100  is removed and the cover  120 ′ is deployed as a food press resting on the inner cooking surface of bottom  12 . 
   Food presses are frequently used to cook bacon and similar thinly sliced meats having a relatively high fat content, which would otherwise curl and distort in shape when cooked on a griddle or frying pan. This is undesirable from an aesthetic, as well as practical viewpoint, as for example should the chefs wish to assemble sandwiches that stay closed. The pressure exerted by the mass of the cover  120  prevents curling of such meats that occurs due to uneven shrinkage, as fat is rendered during cooking or browning. Once the first side of the meat or bacon is sufficiently cooked, the now flat bacon pieces can turned over so that the opposite side may be cooked without the cover  120 . However, the omission of the plate on cooking the second side depends on the thickness of the meat or foodstuff and the quantity of fat rendered there from. The lid  120  can also be used a food press to grill sandwiches and the like. Food presses also help render fat from thicker pieces of meat and cook irregular foodstuffs faster by increasing the contacting surface area with the heated interior bottom cooking surface. 
   Thus, the lower surface of horizontal member  125  opposite handle  133  is generally flat for use as a grill or food. Preferably, the horizontal member  125  of cover  120  is glass so that the progress of the cooking process and contents can be observed without the cover  120  being removed. The horizontal member  125  of cover  120  is more preferably tempered glass. It is further preferred, as shown in  FIG. 3B , that the rim  114  of lower annular portion  110  has an interior descending portion  114   b  with a horizontal inward extending flange portion  114   a  at periphery thereof. As the inner horizontally extending flange  114   a  is intended to support the circumference of the horizontal member  125 , it is preferable that the height of portion  114   b  is about the same as the thickness of the edge of the horizontal member  125 . Further, it has become appreciated that in the case of the horizontal portion  125  of cover  120  being glass, the repeated contact between a hard or metal lower surrounding portion could wear, chip or abrade the glass. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 3B , it is more preferable that the glass plate of horizontal member  125  has a circumferential protecting edge band  126 , and most preferable that the edge band be metal. The edge band  126  thus covers the periphery of the glass portion of horizontal member  125 . Thus, repeated metal to glass contact is avoided as the rim  114  is configured with portions  114   a  and  114   b  to engage and support the metal edge band  126 , precluding direct contact with the glass in horizontal member  125 . 
   It should be further appreciated that combination of a transparent glass horizontal member  125  to engage and rest with the lower annular portion  110  provides an alternative way of providing a generally a dome shaped lid while avoiding the need for specially formed or slumped glass to create the dome shape. 
   The article of cookware  10  has at least one side handle, such as long handle  130  on the cooking vessel portion  11 . It is also further preferable that the cooking vessel itself has a short or helper side handle  131  directly opposite longer side handle  130 . It is also preferable that both portions of the lid  100  have separate handles. Thus, the lower annular portion  110  has a handle  132  and cover  120  has a handle  133 . Handle  133  is generally an inverted U-shape with an L-shaped flange  134  at each end. The horizontal portion of the “L” is used to attached to the horizontal member of cover  120  with a rivets  140 . 
   It should be understood that in the preferred embodiments the lower annular portion  110  is metal or the same material used to construct the cooking vessel portion  11  of cookware article  10 . 
   It should be understood that in other embodiments of the invention the cookware article is optionally a pot or a pan having an overall shape that is circular, elliptical, oblong, rectangular or square. The cover  120  while preferably being glass, can also be metallic, enamel covered metal or glass-ceramic material. Likewise, while the lower annular portion  110  is preferably metal it is also optionally glass, glass-ceramic, or enamel covered metal. Further, the cover portion  120  need not be entirely flat depending on the intended use as a food press, it may be slightly curved or textured (as shown in  FIG. 5A-C ) on one or more surface, as well as be corrugated with a series of ridges, (as shown in  FIG. 4A-C ) for example to produce grill marks on the food and/or intermesh with an interior bottom cooking surface having a complimentary ridge or grid pattern. 
   It should also be appreciated that the lid portion can be configured to have a lower central portion that acts as the food press, with a surrounding region being available for engaging and resting on rim  114 . 
   While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.