Abstract:
A rack of a cooking implement includes a surface for supporting food, opposed sides and opposed ends separated by the food supporting surface. The rack also includes opposing looped handles. A pan of a cooking implement has opposed end walls that are spaced apart at length further than the length of the rack and opposed side walls that are spaced apart at a width wider than the width of the rack. The pan also includes opposing upstanding handles. The handles include at least one horizontal resting surface for supporting the looped handle of the rack and at least one vertical retaining surface for abutting the looped handle of the rack. As a result, the looped handles of the rack are received and supported by the handles of the pan thereby permitting the rack to hang within the interior of the pan.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/231,763, filed Aug. 28, 2002, currently pending. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to roasting pans, and more particularly to, a roasting pan with a hanging and interlocking rack.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Roasting pans with wire racks are commonly used for roasting or baking a large food item, such as a roast or turkey, in the oven. Typically, the wire racks are removable from the roasting pan. The wire racks are designed to support the food item in the pan. Often, the wire racks include spacers or feet positioned at the bottom of the rack to balance the rack and allow it to stand on a flat surface. The spacers raise the rack to position the roast so that it is off of the bottom surface of the pan. Thus, the wire rack prevents the roasts from being submerged in the cooking juices. However, it can be undesirable for the rack or spacers to rest on the interior of the pan when the pan has a non-stick coating because the wire rack can damage the non-stick surface of the pan.  
           [0004]    Typically, wire racks are positioned in roasting pans such that the wire rack extends the length of the roasting pan and the width of the roasting pan. Also, the wire rack may include handles. The handles are positioned such that one handle is at each end of the rack. Thus, depending on the size and placement of the wire rack in the roasting pan, the wire rack handles that extend from the wire rack are positioned opposite each other at the ends of the roasting pan or at the middle of the roasting pan. If the roasting pan also has handles, the wire rack handles can be aligned with and adjacent to the roasting pan handles.  
           [0005]    Often when the roasting pan with the wire rack is removed from the oven, the rack and the food item thereon shift.  
           [0006]    Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a roasting pan with a wire rack that does not shift when moved or removed from the oven.  
           [0007]    It is another object of the invention to provide a wire rack having handles that interlock with the handles of the roasting pan.  
           [0008]    It is another object of the invention to provide a wire rack that hangs in the roasting pan and prevents the food item from sitting in the cooking juice.  
           [0009]    It is another object of the invention to provide a suspended wire rack that raises the food item thereon from the bottom of the pan thereby providing improved heat distribution.  
           [0010]    It is another object of the invention to provide a wire rack that does not damage the interior surface of the roasting pan.  
           [0011]    These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements herein after described and claimed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    The present invention is directed to a cooking implement such as a roaster that includes a rack and a pan. The rack has opposed sides that are separated by a surface used to support food. The rack also includes a looped handle that may be formed at each end or side of the rack. The pan has opposed side walls and opposed end walls connecting the side walls. Each end wall or side wall of the pan includes an upstanding handle. The handles include at least one horizontal resting surface for supporting the looped handle of the rack. The handle also includes at least one outwardly facing vertical retaining surface for abutting the looped handle of the rack. The looped handles of the rack are received and supported by the handles of the pan. As a result, the rack is interlocked with the pan such that the rack does not shift when the pan is moved.  
           [0013]    The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and accompanying drawings, provide a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a roasting pan with a hanging and interlocking rack of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1A illustrates a frame of reference used in describing the invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the roasting pan of FIG. 1.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the rack of FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the rack of FIG. 3 taken substantially along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5A is an isometric view of one of the handles of the roasting pan of FIG. 1.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5B is an isometric view of one of the handles of the rack interlocked with one of the handles of the roasting pan of FIG. 1.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5C is a side view of one of the handles of the rack interlocked with one of the handles of the roasting pan taken substantially along line  5 C- 5 C of FIG. 5B.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the rack and the roasting pan of FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the roasting pan with the hanging and interlocking rack of FIG. 1.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 is an alternative isometric view of the roasting pan with the hanging and interlocking rack of the present invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 9 is an isometric view of an alternative roasting pan with a hanging and interlocking rack of the present invention  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the alternative roasting pan with the hanging and interlocking rack of FIG. 9. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0027]    The roasting pan with the removable interlocking rack of the present invention is indicated in general at  10  in FIG. 1. The roasting pan, indicated in general at  20 , is preferably rectangular but could be formed from other shapes, such as a square or an ellipse. The roasting pan  20  is designed to accommodate a rack, indicated in general at  40 , inside the roasting pan  20 . The rack  40  can be sized so that it does not extend beyond the edges of the roasting pan  20 .  
         [0028]    As defined in conjunction with the frame of reference shown in FIG. 1A, the pan  20  has a length in a first direction  12 , a width in a second direction  14  that is orthogonal to first direction  12 , and a height in a third direction  16  that is orthogonal to both first and second directions  12  and  14 . While in the illustrated embodiment the length of pan  20  is greater than its width and both are greater than the height, these proportions may be varied without departing from the invention.  
         [0029]    As illustrated in FIG. 2, the roasting pan  20  includes a bottom  22 , opposing side walls  24  and opposing end walls  26 . The roasting pan is formed from a metal, such as aluminum, steel or stainless steel. The interior surface of the roasting pan, including the bottom  22 , the opposing side walls  24  and the opposing end walls  26 , is preferably covered with a non-stick coating. The non-stick coating facilitates the clean up of the pan. However, a roasting pan without a non-stick coating may be used without departing from the invention. Additionally, a roasting pan having the interior surface covered with a porcelain coating may also be used.  
         [0030]    Each of the opposing ends  26  of the roasting pan  20  includes a handle  30  attached thereto. In the illustrated embodiment each handle  30  includes a plate  38  that is disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the end wall  26  to which it is affixed. The plate  38  of each handle  30  is fastened to the outer surface of the end walls  26  by a fastener, such as a rivet  27 . The handle  30  may also be welded to the outer surface of the end walls  26 . The plate  38  forms the bottom of the handle  30 . A vertically disposed upwardly extending leg  32  is positioned at each end of the plate  38 . The vertically disposed upwardly extending legs  32  are joined at the top by horizontal member  34 . The design of the handle  30  is illustrated and will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. 5A. Alternatively, each handle may be integrally formed with the pan such that the handles extend from the opposite ends of the pan. Also, the handle may be fastened, welded or integrally formed to the opposite side walls of the pan.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3 illustrates a top perspective view of the rack  40 . FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the rack  40 . As with the inside surface of the roasting pan  20 , the rack  40  can be covered with a non-stick coating. Alternatively, the rack may be chrome plated or stainless steel. In the illustrated embodiment, the rack  40  features an arc-shaped convex surface  42  with lateral sides  43  situated higher than the center  45  for supporting a food item and for preventing the food item from falling off the rack when the pan and rack are moved. Other shapes for surface  42  could be used, such as U-shaped, V-shaped or a flat surface. A generally rectangular wire base  44  is attached to the bottom of the arc-support surface  42 . The arc-support surface  42  and base  44  of the rack  40  are sized to fit inside of the roasting pan  20  as shown in FIG. 1. Thus, as discussed with reference to FIG. 1A, the rack also has a length in a first direction  12 , a width in a second direction  14  that is orthogonal to the first direction and a height in a third direction  16  that is orthogonal to the first and second directions. In addition, as with the shape of the roasting pan, the support surface  42  and the base  44  may also be formed from other shapes, such as a square or an ellipse, as long as the shape of the rack  40  corresponds to the shape of the roasting pan  20  to enable the rack  40  to fit inside of the roasting pan  20 .  
         [0032]    The wire base  44  includes opposing sides  43  and opposing end portions  46  which are bent downwards to form feet  48  upon which the rack  40  rests when placed on a flat surface independent of the roasting pan  20 . The rack  40  also includes a looped handle  50  positioned at each end portion  46  of the base  44 . Alternatively, the handle may be positioned on the sides  43  of the rack  40 . Each looped handle  50  extends from the base  44  to above the support surface  42 . Each handle includes two upwardly extending vertical legs  52  and a terminal loop portion  51  that is disposed above the support surface  42 . The terminal loop portion  51  is defined by the two upwardly extending vertical legs  52  that are bent to form a pair of outwardly extending arms  53  which are joined by a slightly curved horizontal member  54 .  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 5A illustrates one of the handles  30  of the roasting pan  20 . The handle  30  is preferably cast metal but can also be formed from a forged or stamped metal. The handle  30  consists of a pair of spaced apart vertical legs  32  and a horizontal member  34  joining the legs  32 . The horizontal member  34  includes two resting or support surfaces  35   a  and  35   b  that lead to respective substantially vertical retaining surfaces  36   a  and  36   b  formed at each end of the horizontal member  34 . As illustrated, the resting surfaces  35   a  and  35   b  can be a relatively small horizontal surface or the resting surfaces can be the tangency of a radiused surface. Resting surfaces  35   a  and  35   b  are respectively formed at the top of each leg  32 . Retaining surfaces  36   a  and  36   b  face in opposite directions parallel to the width direction  14  of the pan  20  and rack  40 . In an illustrated embodiment, laterally outward facing retaining surfaces  36   a  and  36   b  are completely vertical, but in the preferred embodiment they slope downwardly and away from the longitudinal axis of the pan  20  and rack  40 . The vertical retaining surfaces  36   a  and  36   b  are joined by cross member  37 . The cross member  37  forms a longitudinally outward facing retaining surface  39 , as best seen in FIG. 5C. The configuration of the resting surfaces  35   a  and  35   b  and the retaining surfaces  36   a ,  36   b  and  39  provide a locking arrangement that secures the rack handle  50  to the roasting pan handle  30  as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5B illustrates the handle  50  of the rack handle  50  interlocked with the handle  30  of the roasting pan  20 . FIG. 5C is a side view of the rack handle  50  interlocked with the handle  30  of the roasting pan  20 . The rack handle  50  is oriented such that the horizontal member  54  is positioned behind (that is outward from an outward direction) the horizontal member  34  of the roasting pan handle  30 . Thus, the terminal loop portion  51  protrudes laterally and exteriorly of the resting surface  35   a  and  35   b  and the retaining surfaces  36   a ,  36   b  and  39  of the pan handles  30 . The arms  53  of the rack handle  50  rest on the resting surfaces  35   a  and  35   b  and abut the retaining surfaces  36   a ,  36   b  and  39  of the roasting pan handle  30  thereby interlocking the rack handle  50  to the roasting pan handle  30 .  
         [0035]    Laterally outwardly facing retaining surfaces  36   a  and  36   b  lock the rack handle  50  in the width direction relative to the pan handle  30 . Similarly, the longitudinally outward facing retaining surface  39 , in conjunction with its opposed retaining surface  39  on the other pan handle  30 , locks the entire rack  40  in the length direction relative to the pan  20  in which it sits. Therefore, once the rack  40  is dropped into place on handles  30 , there will be minimal movement of the rack  40  relative to the pan  20 .  
         [0036]    The interlocked handles allow the user to simultaneously move the pan and rack by gripping the interlocked handles. Alternatively, the resting surfaces  35   a  and  35   b  may project inwardly in a horizontal plane such that the cross member  37  is positioned over the inside surface of the pan. This configuration would accommodate a rack that has a substantially shorter length than the length of the pan.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 6 illustrates the rack  40  before it is inserted into the roasting pan  20 . The rack  40  is aligned with the roasting pan  20  and then placed into the pan  20 . The rack handles  50  are positioned such that the arms  53  rest on the resting surfaces  35   a  and  35   b  and abut the retaining surfaces  36   a ,  36   b  and  39  and the horizontal member  54  is behind (longitudinally exterior of) the cross member  37  of the roasting pan handle  30 .  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 7 illustrates the handles  50  of the rack  40  interlocked to the handles  30  of the roasting pan  20 . The interlocked pan handle  30  and rack handle  50  secure the rack  40  to the roasting pan  20  so that the rack  40  does not slide or adjust when food is placed on the rack  40  or when the pan  20  and rack  40  are moved. The roasting pan handles  30  support the rack  40  such that the rack  40  hangs from the roasting pan handles  30  and does not touch the bottom surface of the roasting pan  20 . This prevents unwanted damage to the non-stick coating of the bottom surface, such as scratching the non-stick surface off of the bottom surface. Additionally, the suspended rack  40  allows air to circulate underneath the rack  40  and the food item thereon providing an improved cooking environment.  
         [0039]    As shown in FIG. 8, the handles of the rack and the handles of the pan may be positioned on opposite sides of the rack and pan, respectively, to form the hanging and interlocking rack of the present invention.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 illustrate an alternative and improved embodiment for the roaster with the hanging and interlocking rack of the present invention. In this embodiment, the pan handle  130  includes a plate  138  that is affixed to the pan  120 . A vertically disposed upwardly extending leg  132  of handle  130 , is positioned at each end of the plate  138 . The vertical legs  132  are joined by a horizontal member  134 . The horizontal member  134  includes a concavely curved resting surface  135  formed at the top of each vertical leg  132 . The curved resting surfaces  135  lead to vertical outwardly facing retaining surfaces  136 . The horizontal member  134  is relatively flat with a varying width that increases from its minimum at the vertical retaining surfaces to a maximum at the center of the horizontal member  134 , as is best seen in FIG. 10.  
         [0041]    The rack handle  150  includes two legs  152  that extend upwardly from the base of the rack  140 . The legs  152  are joined by a terminal loop  151 . The terminal loop  151  includes two outwardly extending arms  153  that are joined by a slightly curved horizontal cross member  154 .  
         [0042]    When the rack  140  is positioned in the pan  120 , the arms  153  of the rack handle rest on the curved resting surfaces  135  and are adjacent to the vertical retaining surfaces  136 . The tangency of the radiused surface supports the rack. The terminal loop extends outwardly from the pan leaving an opening  180  between the cross member  134  of the pan handle and the cross member  154  of the rack handle so that the rack handle  150  may be more easily grasped.  
         [0043]    While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims.