Abstract:
A cooking rack including a series of support members moveably coupled together for supporting a food product, the support members capable of moving relative to each other during cooking to accommodate shrinkage of the food product.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/171,744, filed on Dec. 22, 1999, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Trays for cooking bacon in a microwave oven typically consist of a plastic tray having a slightly angled surface onto which strips of bacon are placed. The angled surface includes a series of grooves allowing the grease to flow from the bacon during cooking and collect in a reservoir adjacent to and below the angled surface. A draw back with this design is that the strips of bacon have a tendency to stick to the angled surface while cooking. As a result, the strips of bacon are unable to shrink in length while cooking and become very thin and brittle. Consequently, the long thin brittle strips of bacon are difficult to remove from the tray without breaking. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides a cooking rack including a series of support members moveably coupled together for supporting a food product, the support members capable of moving relative to each other during cooking to accommodate shrinkage of the food product. 
     In preferred embodiments, the support members are moveably secured to each other by a flexible connecting member, and in some cases, a pair of flexible connecting members. In one embodiment, the support members are secured to flexible sheet material having two weakened lines which allow a central region of the sheet material to be removed. In another embodiment, the support members are separated from each other by sheet material having a series of holes therethrough. In still another embodiment, the support members are movably contained by a containing member. The containing member includes opposed side members where the support members are movably contained by elongate slots formed within the side members. The containing member may be a tray with the side members forming opposed walls of the tray. The support members may be coated with microwave susceptor material. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a cooking rack positioned on a plate. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cooking rack of FIG. 1 with strips of bacon positioned thereon. 
     FIG. 3 is a side schematic view of bacon supported by the support members of the cooking rack of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a side schematic view depicting the support members of the cooking rack of FIG. 1 moving inwardly as the bacon shrinks during cooking. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of another cooking rack. 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of an embodiment of yet another cooking rack. 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of a portion of the cooking rack of FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 8 is a plan view of an embodiment of still another cooking rack. 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the cooking rack of FIG. 8 supporting bacon. 
     FIG. 10 is a plan view of the cooking rack of FIG. 8 with the center of the bottom sheet removed. 
     FIG. 11 is a side view of two cooking racks of FIG. 8 supporting bacon and stacked upon each other. 
     FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of another support member. 
     FIG. 13 is a side view of an embodiment of another cooking rack supporting food 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of still another cooking rack. 
     FIG. 15 is a plan view of an embodiment of yet another cooking rack. 
     FIG. 16 is a plan view of the cooking rack of FIG. 15 positioned on a plate and supporting strips of bacon. 
     FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a carton containing a stack of the cooking racks of FIG. 15 supporting bacon. 
     FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an embodiment of another cooking rack. 
     FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an embodiment of still another cooking rack. 
     FIG. 20 is a side view of a portion of a variation of the cooking rack of FIG.  15 . 
     FIG. 21 is a side view of a portion of another variation of the cooking rack of FIG.  15 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A description of preferred embodiments of the invention follows. Referring to FIG. 1, cooking rack  10  includes two side members  14  which are coupled together by two connecting rods  16 . A series of support members  18  extend between and are slidably coupled to the side members  14 . Each side member  14  has an elongate slot  14   a  and two holes  16   a  located at opposite ends of slot  14   a . The ends of the connecting rods  16  are secured within the holes  16   a  of side members  14  and rigidly space the side members  14  apart from each other in parallel fashion. The support members  18  include enlarged knobs  18   a  at the ends of the support members  18  which slidably secure the support members  18  within the slots  14   a  and trap the side members  14  between the knobs  18   a . As a result, the support members  18  are able to slide laterally in the direction of arrows  20 . Preferably, cooking rack  10  is sized to sit atop a standard sized plate  12  for cooking within a microwave oven. Cooking rack  10  is preferably made of wood, but alternatively, may be made of plastic or paperboard. In addition, cooking rack  10  may be made of metal for cooking within a standard oven or grill. 
     In use, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a series of strips of bacon  22  are placed upon and supported by the support members  18  of cooking rack  10  in side by side fashion. The support members  18  are positioned to be evenly spaced apart from each other. The cooking rack  10  is placed in a microwave oven while sitting atop the plate  12 . As the strips of bacon  22  cook, the bacon  22  begins to shrink in length and at the same time, tends to stick to the support members  18 . As a result, while the bacon  22  shrinks, the support members  18  gradually move to the center of cooking rack  10  as indicated by arrows A in FIG.  4 . This allows the bacon  22  to shrink while cooking so that the bacon does not become thin and stretched out as with prior art cooking racks. In addition, the bacon  22  cooks in a relatively flat manner and has the appearance of pan fried bacon. Furthermore, since the cooking rack  10  is placed on a plate  12  with the bacon  22  raised above the surface of the plate  12  by the support members  18 , the grease from the bacon  22  drips down from the bacon  22  between the support members  18  and collects on the plate  12  below. Consequently, the strips of bacon  22  do not sit in bacon grease while cooking. Once the strips of bacon  22  are cooked, the bacon  22  may stick slightly to the support members  18  along thin lines of contact but may be easily pulled from the support members  18  without breaking the cooked bacon  22 . 
     FIG. 5 depicts another cooking rack  30  which differs from cooking rack  10  in that instead of having side members  14  and connecting rods  16 , cooking rack  30  includes a tray  24  having two opposed side walls  26 , two opposed end walls  28  and a bottom wall  34 . The side walls  26  each have an elongated slot  14   a  for slidably coupling the support members  18  to tray  24 . Cooking rack  30  does not require a plate  12  for collecting grease but instead collects grease within the interior  32  of tray  24 . 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 depict another cooking rack  40  which includes a series of support members  38  which are movably coupled togther by flexible strap members  36 . Each support member  38  includes pointed ends  38   a  which are adjacent to necks  38   b  having narrowed diameters. The support members  38  are secured to the flexible strap members  36  by pushing the pointed ends  38   a  through a series of holes  36   a  within the flexible strap members  36 . The holes  36   a  are preferably sized to have a diameter that is about the same diameter or less than that of the necks  38   b . The holes  36   a  expand to allow the pointed ends  38   a  to pass through before being captured within the necks  38   b  of the support members  38 . The flexible strap members  36  are preferably ribbon shaped and formed of flexible material such as a polymer, leather, textile, and are flexible enough to allow the support members  38  to move together but are rigid enough not to tangle with each other or with the support members  38 . The support members  38  are preferably formed of wood, plastic or paperboard. 
     In use, cooking rack  40  is placed on a plate  12 . Next, strips of bacon  22  are placed upon the support members  38  in a manner similar to that depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. When cooking in a microwave oven, as the strips of bacon  22  shrink, the support members  38  move towards each other and towards the center in a manner similar to that depicted in FIG.  4 . When cleaning cooking rack  40 , the support members  38  can be detached from the flexible strap members  36 . 
     Referring to FIG. 8, cooking rack  50  includes a sheet of flexible ovenable material  42  which is secured to a series of spaced support members  44 . The sheet of ovenable material  42  has two perforated lines  46  which defines a central region  48   a  and two outer strips  48   b . The support members  44  are secured to the sheet of ovenable material  42  at the outer strips  48   b . The sheet of ovenable material  42  is preferably ovenable paper or parchment which has a nonstick surface, but, alternatively, can be flexible plastic or nonwoven textile. The support members  44  are preferably wood, but alternatively, may be plastic or paperboard. Depending upon the materials employed for sheet  42  and support members  44 , support members  44  may be secured to sheet  42  by gluing, heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, or stitching, etc. 
     Referring to FIG. 9, strips of bacon  22  are placed upon cooking rack  50  in preparation for cooking. Before cooking, the user grasps the central region  48   a  of the sheet of ovenable material  42  and pulls in a downwardly and backwardly direction. This separates the central region  48   a  from the outer strips  48   b  along perforated lines  46 . Once the central region  48   a  is removed as depicted in FIG. 10, only the support members  44  and the outer strips  48   b  remain. The strips of bacon  22  are omitted in FIG. 10 to more clearly show the removal of the central region  48   a . The cooking rack  50  supporting the bacon  22  is then placed on a plate and placed within a microwave oven. The outer strips  48   b  behave in a manner similar to the flexible strap members  36  of cooking rack  40  and allow the support members  44  to move towards each other when the strips of bacon  22  shrink during cooking. The configuration depicted in FIG. 10 may also be formed in one integral piece from plastic or paper products. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, cooking rack  50  may be used for packaging strips of bacon  22 . Multiple cooking racks  50  supporting strips of bacon  22  are stacked on top of each other for storage within a carton. The cooking racks  50  are then removed as needed for use. Alternatively, cooking rack  50  may be used in rolls. 
     Referring to FIG. 12, support members  52  are other support members which are formed of hollow paperboard tubes and coated with microwave susceptor material  54  for browning food along lines of contact. Support members  52  may be used when it is desireable for the food being cooked to have grill-like marks on the food. Support members  52  can also be solid and may be wood or plastic. 
     Referring to FIG. 13, cooking rack  60  is similar to cooking rack  50  but differs in that cooking rack  60  includes support members  52  and wraps around the bottom and top surfaces of a food item  56 , for example, a steak, hamburger, pork chop, etc. The central region  48   a  may be removed as shown or left in place to prevent the food item  56  from drying out. The microwave susceptor material  54  of the support members  52  absorb microwave energy and heat up thereby browning the food item  56  along lines of contact that resemble grill marks. Since the support members  52  contact both the top and bottom surfaces of the food item  56 , the top and bottom surfaces acquire the browned lines of contact simultaneously. This allows the food product  56  to be cooked within a microwave oven while having the appearance of being cooked conventionally. Typically, cooking rack  60  and the food item  56  are placed upon a plate in the microwave oven. 
     Referring to FIG. 14, cooking rack  64  is another cooking rack for storing and cooking strips of bacon  22 . Cooking rack  64  includes a series of support members  44  which are secured to flexible strips  66 . The flexible strips  66  are removably attached to a sheet of flexible food wrapping material  58 . As a result, strips of bacon  22  can be stored on cooking rack  64  in a manner similar to that depicted in FIG.  11 . In use, sheet  58  is separated from flexible strips  66  before placement onto a plate  12  for cooking in a microwave oven. As the strips of bacon  22  shrink while cooking, the flexible strips  66  allow the support members  44  to move together in a manner similar to that depicted in FIG.  4 . 
     Referring to FIG. 15, cooking rack is another cooking rack for storing and cooking strips of bacon  22 . Cooking rack  70  includes a sheet of flexible ovenable material  68  having a pattern  74  of holes  72  therethrough. A series of evenly spaced support members  44  are secured to the sheet of ovenable material  68  preferably at the outer edges. The sheet of ovenable material  68  extends between support members  44  and is preferably ovenable paper or parchment, but alternatively, may be plastic. Although a sheet of ovenable material  68  having a pattern  74  of holes  72  is preferred, alternatively, a sheet of mesh type or absorbent material may be used. In addition, although cooking rack  70  typically has a series of support members  44  which are secured to sheet  68 , such as by gluing, heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, or stitching, etc., alternatively, cooking rack  70  may be formed in a manner where the support members  44  are integral with sheet  68 . Such an integral structure may have solid, hollow or corrugated rib support members  44  and be formed of plastic or paper products, or a composite thereof, which includes laminations. 
     Referring to FIG. 16, in use, strips of bacon  22  are supported on cooking rack  70  and placed upon a standard sized plate  12 . When cooking within a microwave oven, the grease from the bacon  22  drips through the holes  72  in the ovenable material  68  and collects on the plate  12  below. As a result, the bacon  22  is able to cook without being submerged within grease. In addition, as the strips of bacon  22  shrink, the flexible nature of the ovenable paper  68  allows the support members  44  to move inwardly towards each other in a manner similar to that depicted in FIG.  4 . This allows the bacon to shrink like conventionally cooked bacon. 
     FIG. 17 depicts the manner in which cooking rack  70  may be used for packaging and storing strips of bacon  22 . A series of cooking racks  70  supporting strips of bacon  22  are stacked upon one another in a manner similar to that depicted in FIG.  11 . The stack is then stored within a carton  76 . The cooking racks  70  are removed from the carton  76  for placement within a microwave oven as needed. Although cooking rack  70  has been described for use with bacon, cooking rack  70  may be used with any suitable food item. 
     Referring to FIG. 18, cooking rack  80  includes a rigid outer frame  78  which is secured to a region of flexible ovenable material  82  having a pattern  74  of holes  72  therethrough. Food for cooking is supported by the region of material  82 . During cooking within a microwave oven, cooking rack  80  is supported on a plate  12 . Although the flexible ovenable material  82  is typically paper, parchment, or plastic, alternatively, the region can be made of or supported by rigid material with holes  72  therethrough. In such a case, outer frame  78  may be omitted. Support members may be included to provide stiffness. 
     Referring to FIG. 19, cooking rack  90  differs from cooking rack  30  (FIG. 5) in that end walls  28  include wings  28   a  extending outwardly therefrom in opposing directions. Wings  28   a  are located at the same horizontal level as support members  18  and may serve as temporary supports for the ends of the strips of bacon  22  before shrinking occurs during cooking. Additionally, wings  28   a  may serve as handles for lifting cooking rack  90 . 
     Referring to FIG. 20, a variation in the construction of cooking rack  70  (FIG. 15) is depicted where the support members  44  are integrally formed with sheet  68  and consist of raised lateral ridges or bumps extending from the top surface of sheet  68 . Although the strips of bacon  22  are typically placed over the support members  44 , alternatively, the cooking rack may be inverted so that the strips of bacon  22  are placed on the opposite side. In addition, the support members may have raised ridges extending from the top and bottom surfaces of sheet  68  as shown in phantom. Sheet  68  is formed from the materials previously described for FIG.  15 . 
     Referring to FIG. 21, another variation in the construction of cooking rack  70 (FIG. 15) is depicted where the support members  44  are integrally formed with sheet  68  and are corrugated. 
     While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims. 
     For example, although the present invention has been primarily described for use with particular foods, it is understood that the present invention may be used with a wide variety of foods. In addition, the present invention may be also used with conventional ovens or grills. Furthermore, various components from the different cooking racks described may be combined. Also, nonsticking materials such as polyfluroethylene may be applied to the present invention as needed. Finally, the dimensions of the present invention may vary depending upon the application at hand.