Abstract:
A pie crust crust retainer for precooking a pie crust comprising a plurality of joined spokes. Each spoke is unitary and has a spoke base, a spoke arc, and a spoke sidewall section oriented in substantially a planar relationship. The spoke bases radially extend from a base region to the spoke arc section. The spoke arcs extends upwardly and outwardly from the base region and are joined to the spoke sidewalls. The device has an optional lifting surface.

Description:
PRIORITY 
       [0001]    The present invention claims priority to provisional application 61/213,170, which has a filing date of May 12, 2009. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to cooking apparatus, more specifically to a device for use when precooking a pie crust. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    During the preparation of a pie, it is often necessary to precook the crust to a desired shape and rigidity. The crust is typically placed in a pie pan and precooked until the desired shape and rigidity are reached. The preparer usually desires the shape to conform to the pie pan. The desired rigidity after precooking varies with the specific pie being prepared, with relevant factors including the type and amount of pie filling that will be used. Typically, the person preparing the crust seeks to maintain the integrity and control the dimensions of the crust during this stage. Events such as uncontrolled shrinking, bubbling, cracking, curling, or rising up of the crust are undesirable. Because the precook time varies with the specific pie being prepared, the specific crust, the precooking temperature, and other factors, the desired crust condition is best achieved by visual monitoring the crust during precooking. Once the desired crust condition is reached, the crust should remain in that desired condition in order for the remaining foodstuff to added. If the integrity of the crust is disturbed, undesirable pies may result. For example, if the crust surface has cracks, it may become soggy. If the crust cracks, the pie filling may not remain contained within the crust throughout the cooking process. 
         [0006]    The related art has not yet solved many of the problems in the precooking process for crusts. One attempted solution involves using pie weights, where the pie weights are placed atop a lining covering the pie crust. The pie weights can be rice, beans, other foodstuff, ceramic balls, steel beads, or other materials that are loosely arranged across the surface of the crust during the precooking. If foodstuff is used as the pie weight, undesirable waste is produced upon removal of the pie weight, as the foodstuff life span as pie weight is limited. Moreover, pie weights are deficient in that a large volume of material is necessary, consistently controlled weight distribution of the pie weights across the pie crust surface is difficult, crust integrity may be compromised in removing the pie weights, and handling of hot pie weights presents some difficulty. Additionally, a substantially portion of the pie crust is covered during the precooking process, limiting visual monitoring of the pie crust. 
         [0007]    Other related art attempts to address the problems during the precooking process. U.S. Pat. No. 2,167,038 to Damon, comprising upper and lower corresponding pan forms, presents visual monitoring of the pie crust during precooking. U.S. Pat. No. 2,595,684 to Lyons and U.S. Pat. No. 3,453,948 to Murphy disclose wire structures that are complex and present sidewall edges which are orthogonal to the direction of travel of the devices when removed from the pie crust. Those edges increase the contact of the sidewall with the pie crust, thus risking the integrity of the pie crust upon their removal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,731 to Butler discloses a spoke structure with substantially “A” shaped flaps fastened to a circumferential band. Again, the structure is complex and presents sidewall edges which are orthogonal to the direction of travel of the device when removed from the crust, thus risking the integrity of the crust upon their removal. While the related art may achieve their respective purposes, the problems in the precooking process for pie crusts still remain. Thus it would be desirable for an apparatus which addresses the problems in the pie crust precooking process. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The present invention is directed to a pie crust retainer comprising a plurality of joined spokes, with the spokes being comprised of a spoke base, a spoke arc, and a spoke sidewall section configured in a substantially coplanar relationship. The spoke bases extend along the spokes&#39; respective radial axes from a base region and are substantially oriented in a radial plane. The spoke arcs extend angularly upwardly from the base region and outwardly substantially along the radial axes toward the spoke sidewalls. The radial plane&#39;s angular orientation with the plane defined by the spoke base, the spoke arc, and the spoke sidewall are configured to minimize pie crust contact on disengagement of the device from the pie crust. 
         [0009]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a top perspective view of an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of a spoke according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of a spoke according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of tan alternative embodiment of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  illustrates a top perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6 ; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  illustrates a side perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a pie crust retainer  08  for retaining a pie crust  04  during the precooking process is illustrated. Although the term pie crust is used, the invention may be used in precooking any type of crust, such as tart crusts, pizza crusts, or pastry crusts. The pie crust retainer  08  includes a base region  10  and a sidewall region  20 . As shown, the base region  10  is generally centrally located within the pie crust retainer  08  and presents a substantially planar surface where the bottom of a pie crust may be received. 
         [0020]    The pie crust retainer  08  of the current embodiment includes a plurality of spokes  12 , base support  18 , and a sidewall ring  25 . As depicted in  FIG. 4 , the spoke  12  is a unitary member having a spoke base  13 , spoke arc  14 , and spoke sidewall  16  sections. The spoke  12  is preferably composed of steel, but may be composed of any rigid food-safe material capable of withstanding cooking temperatures, such as metals, plastics, ceramics, or glass. The spoke  12  has a spoke base  13  on one end which is secured to an arcuate portion  14  which in turn is secured to the spoke sidewall  16 . The spoke  12  is dimensioned according to the corresponding pie pan  06 , thus the spoke base  12  length, the degree of curvature of the spoke arc  14 , and the spoke sidewall  16  dimensions may vary with the pie pan  06  and may span the base region  10  and the sidewall region  20 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a plurality of similarly dimensioned spokes  12  radially emanate from within the base region  10  where the spoke bases  13  form a substantially planar surface which presents a bottom surface for receipt of a pie crust  04 . A perimeter of the base region is defined by the distal ends of the spoke bases  13 , where the perimeter encompasses a portion of the radial plane. A base ring  19 , which is depicted as a wire ring, may be located at or proximate the perimeter. 
         [0022]    Extending from the distal end of each spoke bases  13  is a spoke arc  14 . The spoke arc  14  is an arcuate section of the spoke  12  extending distally and upwardly from the center of the base region  10 . On its other end, the spoke arc  14  is joined with a spoke sidewall  16 . The spoke base  13 , spoke arc  14 , and spoke sidewall  16  sections of a given spoke  12  are generally coplanar. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  shows an alternative embodiment for the pie crust retainer  08 . In the alternative embodiment, a base ring  19  is located proximate the perimeter of the base region  10 . Rigid material is coupled to base ring  19  inside its periphery. In this embodiment, a plurality of spoke bases  13  are secured to the outer periphery of the base ring  19  and the spoke bases  13  then radially emanate from the base ring  19 . Extending from the other ends of the spoke bases  13  are spoke arcs  14 , extending distally and upwardly from the center of the base region  10 . On its other end, the spoke arc  14  is joined with a spoke sidewall  16 . The spoke base  13 , spoke arc  14 , and spoke sidewall  16  sections of a given spoke  12  are generally coplanar. 
         [0024]    Each of the spokes  12  within the plurality may be mechanically fixed in relation to each other to maintain the overall structure of the pie crust retainer  08 . The spokes  12  may be fixed by a base support  18  or a base ring  19 . Additionally, the spokes  12  may be joined to other adjacent spokes  12  at their respective spoke base  13  ends via a hemispherical member  17  or other structures. 
         [0025]    The plurality of spoke sidewalls  16  define the sidewall region  20 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , each spoke  12 , with its spoke base  13 , spoke arc  14 , and spoke sidewall  16  sections defines a plane  15 . The angle of the intersection of that plane with the radial plane defined by the plurality of spoke bases  13  should be configured to minimize spoke sidewall  16  contact with the pie crust  04  when the pie crust retainer  08  is disengaged from the pie crust  04 . A minimal section of the spoke sidewall  16  should contact the pie crust  04  during disengagement. Preferably the spoke&#39;s  12  plane is substantially orthogonal with the radial plane, however, the angle may range from about 45° to about 90°. 
         [0026]    The pie crust retainer  08  may optionally include a lifting surface  22 . The lifting surface  22  enables the pie crust retainer  08  to be disengaged from the pie crust  04 . The lifting surface  22  may include an extension (not pictured) to the spoke sidewall  16  protruding inwardly toward the base region  10 . Alternatively, the lifting surface may be a ring  122  secured to the perimeter of the sidewall region. Yet another lifting surface may be presented by a tab  222  formed by bridging proximate spoke sidewalls  16 . 
         [0027]    In order to use the pie crust retainer  08 , a pie crust  04  is placed in the void presented by a pie pan  06 . The pie crust retainer  08  is placed atop the pie crust  04 . The pie crust  04  is precooked until it reaches the desired crust condition, visually monitoring the pie crust  04 , as necessary. The pie crust retainer  08  is then disengaged from the pie crust  04  and the remaining foodstuff may be added. 
         [0028]    Insofar as the description above and the accompanying drawing disclose any additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the single claim below, the inventions are not dedicated to the public and the right to file one or more applications to claim such additional inventions is reserved.