Abstract:
An article of cookware has a lid that locks by rotation with respect to the rim, wherein the lid and the cookware article each have opposing handle that engage to form the lock mechanism. The gripping portion of the handle can be a short U shaped handle or an elongation handle or both, as for example in the case of a frittata pan. Alternative, the lid can be perforated for draining water from pasta or vegetables after cooking or blanching.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to cookware articles, and in particular to pots and pans which interlock or are deployed with interlocking lids. 
         [0003]    Cookware deploying locking lids are well known, and a frequently used in either pressure cookers or with a perforated lid so that water could be drained from the cookware, leaving behind solids, such as pasta, noodles and the like. 
         [0004]    However, in order for the cooking ware article to except locking lid, both lid and the cookware article must have additional features or appendages. The special features or appendages, typically being formed on a vertical portion of the lid rim and the vertical sidewalls of the cookware article, increase the cost or limit the versatility of the cookware. That is, a lid modified so that engages and interlocks with a particular article of cookware does not fit as well and hence is less usable with another article of cookware. 
         [0005]    For example, U.S. Pat. No. 282,252 to Asbury et al., which was issued Jul. 31, 1883, discloses a lid that can lock to the top of a cookware article. The lid has drain holes. The lid has side appendages or ears that are designed to pass under or through the bail ears of the pot. U.S. Pat. No. 931,209 issued to I.E. and R. Q. Lincoln on Aug. 17, 1909 discloses a wire frame that is inserted with a fry pan to aid in flipping food over to cook the second side. The device used a single over lapping handle at one end of the frame while the opposite ends of the wire frames are hinged together. U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,603 disclosures a design concept taught in older patents where L shaped depressions are formed in the periphery of the lid wall that receive a depression formed in the upper wall of the cooking vessel just below the rim. U.S. Pat. No. 1,259,182 issued to P. M. Wildy on Mar. 12, 1918 discloses another form of draining lid. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 1,328,558 which issued to S. A. Brooks on Jan. 20, 1920 discloses a cookware vessel adapted to engage a mating lid having a plurality of drain holes. The lid has a central post handle and curvilinear flange extending partway around the rim thereof that is intended to engage a mating portion of the cooking vessel rim when the former is rotated by the central knob handle. 
         [0007]    Other means of interlocking a perforated draining lid on a cookware vessel by rotation thereof include U.S. Pat. No. 1,997,509, issued to F. Betteridge et al. on Apr. 8, 1935. A bayonet style mount is used where the cooking vessel has a pair of outward laterally extending pins from the side wall just below the rim. The lid extends downward over the portion of the cooking vessel having the pins, which slide in the L shaped cutouts in this downward extending wall of the lid. Thus, the rim is initially pressed downward so that the pin enter the vertical portion of the L shaped brackets and is then rotated to that the pin enter the horizontal portion. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,855 issued to T. C. Edwards on Nov. 27, 1962 discloses a cooking vessel with a draining with a perforated draining lid that is slid forward to engage connectable elongated handle at one side of the lid and vessel and an overhanging protrusion at the opposite side of the vessel rim from the elongated handle. The elongated handles engage via a pin that extends upward from the lower handle into a slot in the upper handle. 
         [0009]    The use of a single pair of overlapping elongated handle which overlap when the rims engage by rotation is typical of many pressure cooker designs, such as that used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,041, issued to M. A. Elexpuru on Jan. 5, 1988. However, the lid and pressure cooker wall also have mating laterally extending portions to retain and press against the surface of an O-ring respectively. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,004 B1 which issued to Wooderson on Nov. 30, 2004 discloses a pair of sauté pans that interlock at the smaller or U shaped helper handle. The pans have elongated handles opposite their respective helper handles. One helper handle is smaller that the other so that is nests therein, with a portion of this smaller handle extending below the larger helper handle so they can be gripped simultaneously. However, it is less convenient to grip this combination than an ordinary helper handle, as the opening in the larger helper handle, through which the user&#39;s finger would reside, is now occluded by the smaller helper handle. Further, both helper handles and the elongated handles must be gripped tightly when inverting the pans to prevent their disengagement. However as the helper handles engage, and not the elongated handle, the construction is not suitable for draining fluid, as the force of a fluid on the lid is liable to disengage the upper vessel. Accordingly, this concept of locking lids held together by their handles is undesirable for draining fluids, as it requires a firm continuous gripping of the handle pairs which do not engage. 
         [0011]    Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide cookware and lids configured to interlock together, for the purposes of either draining fluid through the hole in a lid or flipping the pan, where the pans, vessel and lid do not requires, laterally extending pin, protrusion, cut outs and the like which preclude the use with or as ordinary cookware. 
         [0012]    It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide a system of cookware articles and lids that can mate in locking engagement but do not appear to be different than ordinary lids and cookware, and hence can also be used with ordinary cookware with sacrifice in form, function or appearance. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0013]    In the present invention, the first object is achieved by providing a an article of cookware comprising, a first fluid retaining vessel having a bottom and substantially upright side walls attached thereto terminating in a upright circular rim, a second closure for said first fluid containing vessel, having a second downward facing circular rim adapted to compliment the upright circular rim of said first fluid retaining vessel, at least a peripheral portion forming an exterior wall for the attachment of at least one handle. Each of the first fluid retaining vessel and second closure have a pair of handles disposed to face each other, each handle being attached to the exterior wall of the vessel/closure by a flange portion of each of said handle, with each of said handle further comprising a grip portion attached to said flange portion wherein at least a part of the grip or flange portion of one pair of handles attached to at least one of the first fluid retaining vessel and the second closure extends above the rim and another part of the grip or flange portion. The extension of the grip of one of the vessel and closure allows the grip to engage or locket with a portion of a corresponding grip on the other of the vessel and closure 
         [0014]    A still further aspect of the invention is characterized in that the wherein the handles of the first fluid retaining vessel and the closure can engage to resist separation from each other when attached at their complimentary rims when one is rotated with respect to the other. 
         [0015]    A further aspect of the invention is characterized in that the second closure of such an article of cookware is a lid having drain holes on at least a portion of the surface. 
         [0016]    Yet another aspect of the invention is characterized in that the second closure is a cooking vessel that is selected from the group consisting of a stock pot, a paella pan, a saucier pan, a crepe pan and a sauté pan. 
         [0017]    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 
         [0018]      FIG. 1A-D  are perspective views of the series of steps in attaching the lid to a cookware article in a first embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2A , D and C are isometric elevational views of the article of cookware and lid in  FIG. 1  whereas  FIGS. 2B and 2E  are expanded views of portions of  FIGS. 2A and 2D  respectively. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3A-C  are perspective views of the series of steps in attaching the two cookware articles in another embodiment of the invention, wherein either cookware vessel can serve as the lid for the other vessel so the pan can be flipped during cooking. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of an alternative shaped cookware handle for deployment in either the embodiments of  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 3 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a plan view illustrating an intermediate stage in the engagement of the lower vessel with the upper vessel or lid. 
           [0023]      FIGS. 6A  and B are cross-sectional elevations of  FIG. 5  taken at reference lines A-A and B-B respectively. 
           [0024]      FIG. 7A , D and C are isometric elevational views of an alternative embodiment for an article of cookware and lid whereas  FIGS. 7B  and E are expanded views of portions of  FIGS. 7A and 7D  respectively. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8A-E  are elevational views of alternative embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 8 , wherein like reference numerals refer to like components in the various views, there is illustrated therein a new and improved Interlocking Cookware Vessel and Lids, generally denominated  100  herein. 
         [0027]    In accordance with the present invention, a lower cooking vessel  110  has a bottom  107  and surrounding and connected side walls  108  that extend substantially upward to a terminate at rim  103  to define a fluid retaining vessel or container. Cooking vessel  110  also has a first set of handle portions  111  and  111 ′ on opposing sides connected with rivets or other attachment just below rim  103 . Further, there is a mating lid  120  having rim  133  to engage rim  103 . The mating lid  120  has a second set of handles  121  and  121 ′ on opposite sides, being attached to the lid  120  just above rim  133 , in the orientation shown in  FIG. 1B-D  (with the concave portion of the lid  120  and rim  103  facing downward.  FIG. 1A  show the lid  120  before insertion on vessel  110 , facing upward. In  FIG. 1B , the lid  120  is inverted and rotated slightly, such as by handles  121  and  121 ′, with respect to the handles  111  and  111 ′ of the lower vessel  110 . This allows the rim  133  of the lid  120  to then rest or engage the rim  103  of the vessel  110 , as shown in  FIG. 1C , defining one embodiment of the cookware article  100 . 
         [0028]    Thereafter, as shown in  FIG. 1D , the lid  120  is rotated with respect to the cooking vessel  110  of cookware article  100 , whereby the first and second sets of handle  111  and  121 , as well as  111 ′ and  121 ′ engage such that lid  120  cannot be removed without rotation in the opposite direction. Further, when the user holds the grip portion  114  of the handle pairs that overlap vertically, such rotation will be prevented. Further, it is preferable that lid  120  has a plurality of drain holes  127  on at least one side, but preferably two sides (the second being  127 ′) as shown, that can be used to drain water or other fluid from the cookware article  100  when the lid  120  is thus locked. The mated engagement of handle pairs  111 / 121  and  111 ′/ 121 ′ precludes the lid  120  from being urged forward by fluid draining through the lid  120  when the vessel  110  is tilted to drain through holes  127 . 
         [0029]    It should be appreciated with reference to  FIG. 4-5 , which apply to the embodiments of  FIG. 1-3 , that during the engagement of each of the two handle portions  111  and  121  for grasping the adjacent side of the vessel  110  and the lid  120  respectively, a first part of the lid handle  120  portion extends over a part of the vessel handle  110  portion while another or second part of the vessel handle  110  portion extends over the lid handle  120  portion to interlock the handles. Thus, each of such handles for interlocking upon rotation can be considered to have three components or portions joined in succession. With respect to handle  111 , a first or flange portion  112  is generally connected at the first side by rivets to the upright sidewall  108  of the cooking vessel  110 . The second side or opposing side of the flange portion  112  is connected to a middle portion  113 , with the opposite side of the middle portion forming the grip region  114 . It should be understood the grip region  114  is intended to encompass all manner of shapes that can be grasped by the hand of the user, although it is more typically either an elongated appendage or stick, as shown in  FIG. 3A-C  (ref. number  114 ), or a round to oval shape ( FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5 ). 
         [0030]    In another embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 3 , the lower cookware article  110  is a sauté pan having an elongated handle  111 ′ as well as a generally U-shaped helper handle  111  opposite the elongated handle  111 ′. The lid is now an inverted cookware article  120 , which also has an elongated handle  121 ′ and U-shaped helper handle  121 , and optionally serves as either a lid or a second sauté pan. This embodiment is particularly useful as a frittata pan, as once the eggs used for the omelet or frittata are sufficiently solidified in the lower pan  110  and the pan combination is flipped using the helper handle and the elongated handle so that the upper half of the eggs can be cooked using the upper pan  120 , which is now inverted to become the lower pan of cooking device  110 . Most preferably the vessel  110  and  120  are of comparable volume so each can be used separately as a fry pan or crepe pan. However, an alternative use in the upper vessel  120  shown in  FIG. 3  with the appropriately sized larger vessel in the form of a deep stock pot shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0031]    Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 4 , grip portion  114  of the handle  111  is an arc or U shape connected to the middle portion  113 . Each of the various handle embodiments generally have a middle portion  113  is a transition between the grip  114  and the flange  112  portion of the handle  111  (for the lower vessel  110 ) and thus can be considered to be constructed as part of the flange  112  or the grip  114  or be so styled to appear to be a separate entity. In any case, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the upward extension of the grip  114  from the flange  112  (as caused by the upward tilt of middle portion  113 ) is such that when the handles  111 / 121  and  111 ′/ 121 ′ on opposite side of vessel  110 / 120  (or vessel and lid) will mate upon rotation of one respect to the other. Thus, the grip portion  114  of the lower vessel  110  will be above the grip portion  124  of the upper vessel  120  even though the flange portion  122  of the lower handle  111  must be attached at least level with or below rim  103  of the lower vessel  110 . 
         [0032]    As shown in more detail in  FIG. 5 , the flange portion  112  must be connected to the cookware article  110  below the rim  103 , however the middle portion  113  while generally connected to the flange portion  112  below the rim  103  extends upward past the rim  103  before it terminates with the grip portion  114  of handle  111 . Further, it is also preferable that a region of the middle portion  112  that is above the rim  103  has a reduced width compared to at least one of the grip or flange portions, with the bay or gap  109  thus formed between the grip  114  and flange  112  to receive the middle portion of the  123  of the handle  121  on the opposing lid or another cooking vessel  120 . Thus, the user by gripping the upper  114  and lower  124  grip portions of both pairs of handles  111 / 121  and  111 ′/ 121 ′, the rotation of one vessel with respect to the other, is precluded. 
         [0033]    Generally, it is desired that the second short handles on opposing sides of lid having comparable shape to short handles. Thus, generally speaking the handles in each set have a complimentary notch with respect to the opposing handle to receive its un-notched portion. Further, it should be appreciated that the handles on the lid can be arranged so that the lid can be inverted when inserted on the vessel  110 , with the concave side facing up. 
         [0034]    More preferably, the handles on opposite sides of vessels  110  and  120  are the same, and also identical with handles of the mating vessel or lid. However, with reference to each of the handles, while they are generally asymmetric about the handle axis, that extends through the center of the vessel or lid, due to bay  109 , it is most preferable that the projected combination of the mating handle, is fully symmetrical about this axis. 
         [0035]    Thus, although locking draining lids are known in the art, the instant invention does not require appendages or cut outs or ridges on the internal surface of the lid or cooking vessel, thus making them easier to clean maintain, eliminating the need for special vessels where storage space is minimal. However, deployment of the invention by no means restricts the use of an additional locking means on inside of vessel. 
         [0036]    Further,  FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment of the invention, when the lower vessel  110  is optional either a paella pan or a saucier pan, having 2 short U shaped handle on opposite sides and having a relatively low profile, with the upper vessel either having a similar or shallower depth as shown. The upper vessel  120 , shown being inverted in use as a lid, can have the same or a different shape for a different cooking or serving function. 
         [0037]    Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 8 , it is possible to provide a set of cookware vessel in which each vessel can also serves as a lid, the set including a stock pot ( FIG. 8A ), a paella pan ( FIG. 8B ), a saucier pan ( FIG. 8C ), a crepe pan ( FIG. 8D ), a sauté pan ( FIG. 8E ) and more preferably at least one draining lid ( FIG. 8F ), each vessel having two interlocking handles as described with respect to  FIG. 1-3 . 
         [0038]    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.