Abstract:
A baking sheet having a substantially flat silicone cooking surface, two rods extending along and coupled to opposite sides of the cooking surface, and two thermo-resistant handles coupled to and extending between the two rods. The thermo-resistant handles may be connected to the rods using thermo-resistant connectors. The connectors can disconnect from the rods and possibly be rotated to rotate the handles in positions adjacent to the rods to enable the baking sheet to be rolled into storage. The thermo-resistant characteristic of the handles enables users to lift the heated baking sheet without the use of oven mitts or other protective device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a baking sheet and, more particularly, to a silicone baking sheet with removable thermo-resistant handles for easy handling and convenient storage.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Baking sheets have long been widely and commonly used for supporting food products such as pre-baked food during the baking process. Patented designs include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,771; and those in foreign Patents GB 2,154,860; EP 278055; DE 3832524.  
         [0003]     Traditional baking sheets, however, pose handling problems after being exposed to high temperatures since they do not permit direct contact. In addition, with traditional baking sheets it is very difficult to place the sheet in an oven when it has cookie dough on it. In such case, the user generally must use a griddle or a metal tray. Many of the above references disclose enhanced baking sheets, for instance baking sheets adaptable to different widths, having an air pocket between the food product and the baking sheet, or eliminating the need for greasing the surface prior to baking. Nevertheless, there still is a need for a baking sheet enhanced to allow easy handling immediately following exposure to high temperatures as well as proper storage. There also is the need for a baking sheet that can be easily partially or completely removed from an oven for various purposes, such as to monitor baking status.  
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a baking sheet enhanced for easy handling before, during and after exposure to high temperatures.  
         [0005]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a self-supported baking sheet allowing for quick disassembly and easy storage.  
         [0006]     In accordance with the present invention, a baking sheet includes a cooking surface, first and second rods coupled to the cooking surface, and first and second thermo-resistant handles coupled to the first and second rods.  
         [0007]     As a feature of the invention, the first and second rods are coupled to opposite ends of the cooking surface, and each of the first and second thermo-resistant handles is coupled to respective ends of the first and second rods.  
         [0008]     As another feature of the invention, the cooking surface is substantially flat and made of silicone. The cooking surface may also be a sheet of metal.  
         [0009]     As a further feature of the invention, each rod is encircled by the silicone cooking surface at respective opposite ends of the silicone cooking surface.  
         [0010]     As yet a further feature, the ends of the two rods are exposed and the handles are coupled to the exposed ends of the rods.  
         [0011]     As yet another feature, the two rods are made of thermo-resistant material.  
         [0012]     As yet an additional feature, connectors attach the handles to the rods. The connectors may be rotatable to allow the handles to be moved adjacent to the rods to allow easy storage. The connectors may be thermo-resistant. The connectors may also be detachable to allow complete disassembly of the components.  
         [0013]     Various other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     The following detailed description, given by way of example and not intended to limit the present invention solely thereto, will best be appreciated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and parts, in which:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of the baking sheet of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  show different views of the baking sheet&#39;s cooking surface with attached rods;  
         [0017]      FIGS. 3   a,    3   b  and  3   c  are schematic illustrations of the connector used to connect the handles to the baking sheet in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4   a  shows part of the baking sheet of the present invention and  FIG. 4   b  is an enlarged view showing one connector used to connect a handle in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a schematic illustration of a portion of another baking sheet in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0020]      FIGS. 6   a,    6   b  and  6   c  are schematic illustrations of yet a further baking sheet in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]     The present invention pertains to a novel baking sheet. As would be appreciated, the inventive baking sheet is intended for use by a layperson or a professional chef for the purpose of assisting in the baking of food products. Of course, the baking sheet may be utilized by other individuals for similar or different purposes.  
         [0022]     Referring now to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, the baking sheet  10  of the present invention includes a cooking surface  12  and a pair of handles  14   a  and  14   b.  Cooking surface  12  preferably is flat and made of silicone. However, cooking surface  12  may be made of other material, such as from a suitable metal sheet, coated or uncoated, appropriate for cooking functions. Handles  14   a  and  14   b  may be made of metal, but preferably are made of thermo-resistant material, so as to allow direct handling immediately after exposure to extreme temperatures, for example, after baking. Handles  14   a  and  14   b  may be completely straight or be slightly curved to provide tensile strength to the silicone sheet. Handles  14   a  and  14   b  are attached to the shorter sides of cooking surface  12  utilizing four sets of connectors  16   a,    16   b,    16   c  and  16   d  (an individual connector is sometimes referred to herein, for convenience, as connector  16 ).  
         [0023]     Cooking surface  12  includes a pair of rods  18   a  and  18   b,  disposed along the longer sides, as shown in the respective top and side view drawings of  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b.  Rods  18   a  and  18   b  may be made of stainless steel or other appropriate material, but preferably are made of thermo-resistant material. In the preferred embodiment, cooking surface  12  is made of silicone and rods  18   a  and  18   b  are encircled within the silicone (see  FIG. 2   b  ) along the two longer surfaces of cooking surface  12 . Rods  18   a  and  18   b  extend slightly beyond the encircled silicone and, as discussed further below, each connector  16  attaches a handle to an exposed end of a rod.  
         [0024]     The structure of each connector  16  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 3   a,    3   b  and  3   c  of the drawings. As shown in  FIG. 3   a,  each connector ( 16   a,    16   b,    16   c  and  16   d  shown in  FIG. 1 ) is identified herein, for convenience, as a coupled element  20  (also called connector  20 ). Coupled element  20  is comprised of two components coupled to one another: connector component  22  and connector component  24  (or simply components  22  and  24 ).  FIG. 3   a  shows components  22  and  24  coupled together. Components  22  and  24  may be disassembled from one another as further discussed below.  
         [0025]      FIG. 3   b  shows component  22  alone and  FIG. 3   c  shows component  24  alone. As shown in  FIG. 3   b,  component  22  includes connection end  22   a  and connection end  22   b.  Connection end  22   a  (also called rod/handle connection end  22   a ) includes a round elongated inner core  22   a ′ for receiving an end of one of the rods or an end of one of the handles. Connection end  22   b  (also called socket end  22   b ) includes a keyed, mostly round elongated inner core  22   b ′ (with notch  23 ) and is designed to receive the counterpart connection end of the other connector component  24 , discussed below. As shown, the apertures  22   a ′ and  22   b ′ within rod/handle connection end  22   a  and socket end  22   b  extend along longitudinal axes that are offset  90  degrees from one another.  
         [0026]     Connector component  24  shown alone in  FIG. 3   c  includes connection ends  24   a  and  24   b.  Connection end  24   a  (also called rod/handle connection end  24   a ) is similar to rod/handle connection end  22   a  and includes a round elongated inner core  24   a ′ for receiving an end of one of the rods or an end of one of the handles. Connection end  24   b  (also called plug end  24   b ) is in the form of a keyed plug (with projection  25 ) that is designed to be insertable into socket end  22   b.  Plug end  24   b  extends outwardly from rod connection end  24   a  along an axis perpendicular the longitudinal axis of inner core  24   a′.    
         [0027]     Connector components  22  and  24  are coupled together by inserting plug end  24   b  of component  24  into socket end  22   b  of component  22 . Since socket end  22   b  and plug end  24   b  are “keyed” by means of notch  23  and projection  25 , as shown, the components cannot be coupled together in an incorrect manner. That is, the components can only be coupled together to produce the coupled connector configuration shown in  FIG. 3   a.    
         [0028]     Baking sheet  10  of the present invention utilizes four of the connectors  20  shown in  FIG. 3   a.  As shown in  FIG. 1 , two connectors ( 16   b  and  16   c ) attach handle  14   a  to rods  18   a  and  18   b,  and two connectors ( 16   a  and  16   d ) attach handle  14   b  to the other ends of rods  18   a  and  18   b.  Referring to  FIG. 4   a,  connector  16   b  (shown as connector components  22  and  24  in  FIG. 4   b ) connects handle  14   a  to one end of rod  18   a.  As described above, connector  16   b  contains two rod/handle connection ends ( 22   a  and  24   a ) and, in the preferred embodiment, rod/handle connection ends  22   a  and  24   a  are reversible, that is, each end can be coupled to an end of a handle and each end can be coupled to a disposed end of a rod. In this preferred embodiment, the dimensions of the ends of both handles  14   a  and  14   b  and the ends of both rods  18   a  and  18   b  are the same to provide for the versatility of allowing either end of each connector to be coupled to either a handle or a rod. Of course, in a non-preferred embodiment, it is contemplated that the ends of the handles and the rods are of different thicknesses (or other dimensions, as appropriate) and thus connection ends  22   a  and  24   a  are designed accordingly and thus may not be interchangeable.  
         [0029]     The other three connectors  20  couple respective ends of handles to rods in a like manner as that described above. As would be appreciated, connectors generally are first connected to the handles with the orientations of the longitudinal axes of the exposed inner cores aligned in the same direction before coupling the connectors to the rods. In a preferred embodiment, the dimensions of the handles, rods and inners cores are appropriately sized to enable a user to be able to connect and disconnect the various connections with only a small amount of force. However, the connections should be relatively secure so as to prevent unintended disconnection. For example, gravity alone (i.e., holding the baking sheet in a slanted or vertical orientation) should not cause disconnection of the handles from the rods.  
         [0030]     In the preferred embodiment, as further discussed below, a user of the baking sheet  10  of the present invention is able to disassemble the various components for further benefit discussed below. In a non-preferred embodiment, the baking sheet of the present invention is manufactured to produce connections between the handles, connectors and rods that cannot be disassembled by users of the baking sheet.  
         [0031]     In accordance with the present invention, the handles can be partially disconnected or fully disconnected from the rods by users of the inventive baking sheet for various beneficial purposes. In particular, after use of the baking sheet  10 , one end of each handle  14   a,    14   b  may be disconnected from the respective rods to which they are attached and then the handles may be rotated 90 degrees to place them alongside the longer sides of cooking surface  12  (partial disconnection) (i.e., the axes along which the handles extend are parallel to the axes along which the rods extend). To facilitate such rotation, core  22   b ′ of socket end  22   b  of each connector (see  FIG. 3   b ) is internally keyed to allow such 90 degree rotation. Since the particular internal design of the connector components to facilitate rotation is well within the capability of one of ordinary skill in the art, further description thereof is not provided. Thereafter, baking sheet  10  may be easily rolled or pushed into storage, as needed. It is appreciated that either end of the two handles may be removed and rotated by users.  
         [0032]     To fully disconnect the handles from the cooking surface  12 , all of the connectors  16   a,    16   b,    16   c  and  16   d  are removed from the rods to which they are connected. The connectors may then be removed from the attached handles. The connectors themselves may further be dissembled (see  FIGS. 3   a,    3   b,    3   c ). After disassembly, all of the components may be properly cleaned and stored for later use. Moreover, based upon the intended usage, benefits and preferences of users, multiple variations are possible. For example, various interconnections between the handles and the connectors, or the connectors themselves, may be made permanent during manufacture. That is, the baking sheet of the present invention may be manufactured to allow users to not be able to fully disassemble all of the components, as discussed above. For example, the connectors may be made to prevent their disassembly. For example, the rods and/or handles can be permanently secured to the connectors, e.g., via welding, permanent adhesive or other known technique. In yet another variation, connectors are not utilized, wherein the handles and rods are permanently secured together in any known manner.  
         [0033]     As shown in the side view drawing of cooking surface  12  shown in  FIG. 2   b,  rods  18   a  and  18   b  are positioned and embedded within the silicone forming cooking surface  12  to provide a cooking surface that has a completely flat lower surface to maximize the area of contact between the cooking surface and an oven grid or plate. In a non-preferred variation, the rods may be maintained below the cooking surface so that only the silicone surrounding the rods contact a flat surface such as a table top after cooking. Moreover, the rods may be coupled to the cooking surface in other manners, such as by co-injection, adhesively secured, welded or other appropriate method. In yet another variation, the baking sheet may be made solely of silicone with a silicone frame provided around the sheet.  
         [0034]      FIG. 5  of the drawings shows a variation of the baking sheet in accordance with the present invention. Like the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the baking sheet in  FIG. 5  includes a cooking surface  30 , a pair of handles  32  (only one handle shown in  FIG. 1 ), four connectors  34  (only two shown in  FIG. 5 ) and a pair of rods  36 . Each of these components has the same characteristics and features of the various components previously discussed, and may vary also as previously discussed. The embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  differs, however, from the previously described embodiment in that each connector  34  is a single, unitary component with ends  34   a  and  34   b  for engagement with a respective end of a rod and a respective end of a handle. Each connector  34  provides for a fixed, that is, non-rotatable, engagement between a handle and rod. Each handle (with or without connectors  34 ) is removable from the cooking surface during use or storage of the baking sheet. Each handle  32  is curved as shown in  FIG. 5  to maximize functionality and aesthetics. However, the curvature or shape of the handle may be different than that shown.  
         [0035]      FIGS. 6   a,    6   b  and  6   c  of the drawings show another variation of the baking sheet of the present invention. The baking sheet shown is similar to the previously discussed variations. However, in this exemplary version, rods  42  disposed within cooking surface  40  include a bent at end  42   a  (bent at about a 90 degree angle; other angles are possible) utilized for connection with handles  44 . Each handle  44  includes an end  44   a  made of rubber, plastic or other suitable material that receives bent end  42   a.  As shown, bent ends  42   a  are directed slightly upwards to enable easy connection to a handle. The handle and rods can be permanently secured to one another, for example, by welding. They also can be detachable. In the version shown, a stable handle construction is provided. In a variation, each handle can include a bent portion for connection to a non-bent end of a rod.  
         [0036]     While the present invention has been particularly shown and described in conjunction with preferred embodiments thereof, it will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the handles may be attached along the longer surfaces of the baking sheet&#39;s cooking surface. As another example, the rods may be positioned along the sheet in a different manner, such as crossed, and additional rods can be utilized, for example, to provide further enhanced support to the baking sheet.  
         [0037]     The various dimensions shown may be modified. For example, the baking sheet may have a square cooking surface or other shape. The baking sheet may also have a non-flat structure, and may include waves or other structural design, and/or other textures, on one side or both sides of the baking sheet. In particular, with a non-flat design, different patterns of air circulation are provided. Still further, connectors used to attach the handles to the rods may have designs quite distinct from that shown and described. Moreover, the shapes/cross-sections of the various components may be modified. For example, the handles may have square, rectangular, oval or other appropriate cross-section, with connectors adapted to receive such shaped handles/rods. The rods can be flat, rectangular, square, round, oval, triangular, hexagonal or other appropriate shape. In a further variation, the inventiveness of the baking sheet as discussed is applicable to a serving tray. In such case, the serving tray is similar in appearance to the cooking surface shown in the figures.  
         [0038]     As mentioned above, the handles preferably are manufactured from thermo-resistant material. Each of the connectors may be made from any appropriately strong material suitable for cooking applications. The connectors likewise preferably are made from thermo-resistant material. Each of the rods may be made from stainless steel or appropriately strong thermo-resistant material. The handles and rods can be made from the same material, thus providing tension strength to both the frame and sheet. Given the particular design of the baking sheet of the present invention with the preferred thermo-resistant components mentioned, the baking sheet advantageously allows users to make contact with the baking sheet&#39;s handles shortly, if not immediately, after exposure of the baking sheet to various cooking temperatures. This advantageous feature in turn allows the removal from an oven or other heat source of the baking sheet using the handles and without the need for the use of oven mitts or other protective device.  
         [0039]     The baking sheet of the present invention further provides for a design that enables a user to partially or fully remove the handles. Partially removing the handles, as discussed above, allows the baking sheet to be conveniently slid, moved or rolled into storage when needed. The handles and connectors may also be fully removed to allow for easy cleaning of the various components as well as easy storage. In particular, the baking tray can be stored in close proximity to other baking trays (even those not embodying the present invention) without wasting space needed for the handles. The handles can also be removed prior to baking and then be re-attached to the sheet while it is still in the oven to allow easy “cold-handle” removal of the sheet. The baking sheet therefore may be utilized without the handles and, if desired, handles can be attached to provide easy handling.  
         [0040]     In addition, the flexibility of having removable connectors and handles allows for the easy replacement of such components as needed. Handles of various shapes, styles and sizes can be utilized based upon cooking styles, personal preferences and other desires of users. Multiple pairs of handles can be utilized with a single baking sheet, with the user selecting the particular pair of handles to be used based upon whatever factors the user considers. It is further possible to provide different sets of connection ends for the connectors for use with different shaped/sized handles.  
         [0041]     Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims be interpreted as including the embodiments described herein, the alternatives mentioned above, and all equivalents thereto.