Abstract:
The electrically-powered cooker has a base that pivotally supports a clam shell-type cooking unit having two independently pivotal cooking halves, each half being provided with its own hot plate. One or more dished recesses are provided in the bottom half of the unit, while a matching set of slightly raised bosses are provided on the top half. Each cooking half has its own separate electrically energized heating element to raise the temperature of the corresponding hot plate to the desired level. In use, the cooking unit is initially opened with the two halves laid open on opposite sides of the base and with the hot plates facing upwardly. After batter is poured into the dished receptacles of the bottom half and allowed to cook, the top half is closed upon it and latched, whereupon the closed unit is flipped over onto the opposite side of the base to flip the pancakes contained therein. The latch is released and the bottom unit is flipped back over to its open position to allow the other side of the pancakes to cook on the flat raised bosses of the inverted top half. When the pancakes are fully cooked, they are removed from the bosses using a spatula or the like, and the cycle is repeated.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to electrical cooking appliances and, more particularly, to an electrical appliance that is particularly adapted for quickly, easily, and neatly cooking pancakes, eggs and omelets. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Making pancakes by hand on a hot griddle requires the cook to slip a spatula under the cooking pancake at just the right time and flip the pancake over so that the opposite side is also browned. The same is true for eggs cooked on both sides, and omelets. Flipping the pancake or other item, however, is not as easy as it may seem, and can result in a mess or an unsightly finished product. 
     The prior art includes clam shell-type cooking devices designed to eliminate the need for flipping the pancake with a spatula. Instead, after batter is poured into the bottom half of the open device and allowed to cook on one side, the cover plate is closed and the entire device is then flipped over for cooking the other side of the pancake on the inverted cover. To remove the pancake, the cooker is held over a plate and opened, allowing the finished pancake to slip out by gravity. 
     One drawback of such prior art devices is that they require whichever part is doing the cooking to be placed in engagement with an external source of heat such as the heating element of a conventional range or a large hot plate to raise the temperature of the cooking half to a satisfactory level. Thus, in one relatively simple prior design, while the bottom half of the cooker sits on the heating element and cooks the bottom side of the pancake, the cold top half of the cooker remains completely out of contact with the heating element and must be heated up by the element after the device is flipped over, which significantly lengthens overall cooking time. Another design utilizes a large hot plate that straddles two heating elements of the range, or is itself electrically heated, so that the backs of both halves of the open cooker can engage the hotplate at the same time and be simultaneously heated. However, this second design is unwieldy and complicated. 
     Thus, an object of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art by providing an electrically powered clam shell-type cooker that requires no external heat source of any kind and can therefore be used on virtually any counter top or other surface where electrical power is available for quickly, conveniently, and easily preparing attractive, well-shaped pancakes and other food items such as eggs and omelets without an unsightly mess. 
     The electrically-powered cooker of the present invention uses a clam shell-type cooking unit having top and bottom pivotally interconnected cooking halves that are each provided with their own internal heating element. When the unit is closed, it may be maintained in a normal position or flipped over into an inverted position. When the unit is open, the two halves can be laid out beside one another with both of their hot plates facing upwardly. In a preferred embodiment, the two separate halves of the cooking unit are pivoted to a common base that sits on the counter or other supporting surface and supports the unit for hinging between its open, upright, and flipped-over positions. 
     When a pancake is to be cooked, for example, the cooking unit is laid open with the two cooking halves on opposite sides of the hinge axis and their hot plates facing upwardly. Batter is poured onto the hot plate of the bottom half, which is preferably formed into a dished recess to contain and shape the batter into a circle, and the batter is allowed to cook for a period of time. When the bottom side of the pancake is cooked, the top half of the unit with its flat hot plate is rotated about the base and closed on top of the pancake. Then the entire unit is flipped over to the opposite side of the base into an inverted position to correspondingly flip the pancake over, the uncooked side now resting on the hot plate of the inverted top half. The inverted bottom half is then swung back off the pancake to the other side of the base while the uncooked side of the pancake browns. When the pancake is finished, it is removed with a spatula, and the process is repeated. 
     In a preferred embodiment each cooking surface contains multiple regions for cooking more than one pancake at a time. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, a handle formed by two separate handle halves on the two cooking halves of the unit juts out from the cooker at an oblique angle that is most conducive to grasping by the user for flipping the unit and the cooking halves between their various positions. Preferably, the conductor that supplies electrical power to the heating elements of the two cooking halves is totally enclosed within the base and hinge structure of the cooker for safety and cleanliness. A power cord leads from the back of the cooker, while the flip handle projects from the front end of the cooker closest to the user. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top, front isometric view of a cooker constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with its cooking unit disposed in one of its closed positions; 
     FIG. 2 is a top, front isometric view of the cooker with the cooking unit flipped over to its inverted, closed position; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cooker; 
     FIG. 4 is a top, front isometric view of the cooker with the cooking unit partially opened; 
     FIG. 5 is a top, front isometric view of the cooker with the cooking unit fully opened; 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom isometric view of the hot plate of the bottom half of the cooking unit; 
     FIG. 7 is a bottom isometric view of the hot plate of the top half of the cooking unit; 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the cooker with the cooking unit in the inverted closed position of FIG.  2  and with the outer housing of the inverted bottom half of the unit removed to reveal internal details of construction; 
     FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the cooker with the cooking unit in the upright closed position of FIG.  1  and with the outer housing of the top half of the unit removed to reveal internal details of construction; 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cooker taken substantially along line  10 — 10  of FIG. 9; and 
     FIGS. 11,  12 ,  13 , and  14  are top front isometric views of the cooker illustrating sequential steps in the use of the cooker. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. While the drawings illustrate and the specification describes certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that such disclosure is by way of example only. There is no intent to limit the principles of the present invention to the particular disclosed embodiments. 
     Referring initially to FIGS. 1-5, the electrical cooker  10  in a preferred embodiment includes a base  12  of generally oval or elliptical configuration and a clam shell-type cooking unit  14  pivotally supported on base  12 . Unit  14  includes a pair of cooking halves  16  and  18  that are pivotal with respect to one another and are each individually pivotal with respect to base  12 . Cooking halves  16 , 18  are supplied electrical power by a power cord  20  leading from one end of base  12  and adapted for plugging into a suitable wall socket (not shown). 
     Cooking unit  14  has a generally elongated, elliptical configuration overall and is provided with a handle  22  at one end thereof which may be gripped by the user during cooking operations as hereinafter explained. Preferably, handle  22  is disposed at that end of unit  14  which is opposite from the cord  20 . Thus, in use, it will be appreciated that base  12  is adapted to rest upon a flat supporting surface such as a counter top with the cord  20  leading away from the user and plugged into a wall socket or the like while the handle  22  faces the user. As illustrated, handle  22  is preferably obliquely disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of unit  14  to facilitate gripping by the user and flipping of unit  14  between alternative positions on opposite sides of base  12 . 
     Base  12  is generally hollow (see also FIG. 10) and includes a generally concavo-convex main body  24  and a hollow, upstanding pedestal  26  rising upwardly from main body  24 . A removable bottom plate  28  (FIG. 3) is detachably secured to the underside of body  24  and has a pair of non-skid strips  30  and  32  of suitable rubber-like material disposed for engaging the counter top surface to resist movement of base  12  during use of the appliance. An indicator light  34  is provided in the upper extremity of pedestal  26  and is electrically connected to conductor  21  within base  12  so as to be illuminated whenever power cord  20  is plugged a into live source of electrical power. Indicator light  34  is disposed to be visible in all positions of cooking unit  14  and cooking halves  16 ,  18  thereof, as will be apparent from the figures. 
     A pair of axially aligned, rotatable pivot tubes  36  and  38  (FIGS. 8,  9  and  10 ) project laterally outwardly from opposite sides of pedestal  26  to define the axis of pivoting movement of cooking unit  14  and cooking halves  16 ,  18 . Pivot tubes  36 ,  38  are rotatably supported by pedestal  26  and by a pair of corresponding, upstanding struts  40  and  42  spaced outwardly from pedestal  26  and rising upwardly from the top surface of body  24 . A conductor  21  within base  12  connects to power cord  20  and comprises four leads  21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c  and  21   d . Leads  21   a  and  21   b  are threaded through tube  36  and leads  21   c  and  21   d  are threaded through pivot tube  38  for ultimate connection with heating elements within cooking halves  16 ,  18  as subsequently described. Preferably, base  12  is constructed from a suitable temperature-resistant phenolic resin and is injection molded. Pivot tubes  36  and  38  are formed from a suitable metallic material such as an aluminum alloy. Silicone fiber inserts  37  and  39  are disposed within tubes  36 ,  38  respectively to shield conductor leads  21   a-d  from tubes  36  and  38 . 
     The two cooking halves  16 ,  18  of cooking unit  14  are very similar to each other in most respects, but are also different in certain details. Therefore, each will be described separately. Dealing first with bottom half  16 , it will be noted that half  16  includes a hot plate  44  and a generally concavo-convex, generally elliptical and elongated exterior housing  46  that supports hot plate  44 . Hot plate  44  is preferably constructed from a die cast aluminum alloy, while housing  46  is constructed from a suitable temperature-resistant phenolic resin and is injection molded. A pair of circular, dish-shaped recesses  48  and  50  (FIGS. 4 and 5) are formed within the top surface of hot pate  44  with their line of centers extending parallel to the pivot axis defined by pivot tubes  36 ,  38  and parallel to the longitudinal axis of bottom half  16 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 8, the underside of hot plate  44  is formed to present a generally C-shaped channel  52  that extends across the bottom of each recess  48 ,  50  and complementally receives a heating element  54 . Element  54  at its opposite ends is electrically connected to conductor leads  21   c  and  21   d  which extend through an opening  38   a  in pivot tube  38  and through a hollow mounting lug  56  on cooking unit  16  formed by cooperating upper and lower portions of hot plate  44  and housing  46 . A second mounting lug  58  is similarly provided on the opposite side of pedestal  26 . Mounting lugs  56  and  58  house central portions of pivot tubes  36 ,  38  and are disposed on opposite sides of pedestal  26  in juxtaposed relationship therewith. Each pivot tube  36 ,  38  has a mounting leg  59  extending laterally therefrom that is attached to the bottom surface of hot plate  44  by a screw  61  to secure tubes  36 ,  38  to hot plate  44 . Tubes  36 ,  38  thus rotate within pedestal  26  and with bottom half  16  when half  16  pivots about base  12 . Heating element  54  is in heat transfer relationship with hot plate  44  so as to heat recesses  48  and  50  to a suitable cooking temperature for pancakes, eggs and the like when power cord  20  is plugged into a source of electrical power. A thermostat  63  connected in series with heating element  54  senses and controls the temperature of hot plate  44 . 
     A generally U-shaped handle half  60  juts out obliquely from one end of bottom half  16  and is integrally formed with the rest of housing  46 . Handle half  60  comprises one-half of handle  22  that is formed when bottom and top halves  16 ,  18  are superimposed upon one another to close cooking unit  14 . Handle half  60  is in the nature of an open loop that is sized to readily receive the fingers of a user&#39;s hand, there being a knuckle guard  62  provided within the open loop of handle half  60  to shield the user&#39;s fingers from proximal hot surfaces associated with hot plate  44 . Handle half  60  also has a reduced dimension central bar portion  64  that serves as part of a latch assembly for releasably retaining halves  16 ,  18  together, as will hereinafter be described in more detail. A pair of integrally molded feet  66  and  68  on housing  46  are disposed at opposite ends thereof and project generally transversely outwardly to engage the counter top or other supporting surface when bottom half  16  is in its open position so as to fully support half  16  in that position and preclude further pivotal movement thereof. A pair of non-skid strips  70  and  72  may be provided on the outermost extremity of feet  66  and  68  respectively. 
     Like bottom half  16 , top cooking half  18  is elongated and generally elliptical shaped with its longitudinal axis extending parallel to the pivot axis defined by pivot tubes  36  and  38 . Top half  18  has substantially the same dimensions as bottom half  16  and is designed to be in perfect registration with bottom half  16  when the two halves are face-to-face to present the closed cooking unit  14 . Top half  18  has a hot plate  74  of die cast aluminum alloy and a preferably injection molded, generally concavo-convex exterior housing  76  that supports hot plate  74 , the housing  76  being preferably constructed from high temperature-resistant phenolic resin. 
     Hot plate  74  has a pair of slightly raised, circular, flat circular cooking regions or bosses  78  and  80  that are disposed for registration with recesses  48  and  50  of bottom cooking half  16  when cooking unit  14  is closed. The diameter of bosses  78 ,  80  is slightly less than the diameter of corresponding recesses  48  and  50  so that bosses  78 ,  80  are slightly nested down into recesses  48 ,  50  when cooking unit  14  is closed. Thus, a continuous marginal edge  82  (FIGS. 4 and 5) on hot plate  74  of top half  18  and a similar continuous marginal edge  84  on hot plate  44  of bottom half  16  come into mutually abutting engagement when cooking unit  14  is closed to provide an effective seal around the interior cooking area of unit  14 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 9, the underside of hot plate  74  has a formed, generally C-shaped channel  86  that bridges the bosses  78 ,  80 . A heating element  88  is nested within channel  86  and is connected at its opposite ends to leads  21 a and  21 b of conductor  21 . Heating element  88  is thus disposed to elevate the hot plate  74  to a cooking temperature when power cord  20  is plugged into a source of electrical power. Leads  21   a  and  21   b  are threaded through a hollow mounting lug  92  of top half  18  and thence into the open end of pivot tube  36  so as to remain totally enclosed in all positions of pivoting movement of cooking half  18 . A similar hollow mounting lug  90  projects from top half  18  on the opposite side of pedestal  26 . Mounting lugs  90 ,  92  are pivotally supported on the outer ends of pivot tubes  36  and  38  outboard of corresponding lugs  56 ,  58  associated with bottom half  16 . 
     A generally U-shaped, loop-type handle half  94  juts out from one end of top half  18  at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of half  18  and the pivot axis defined by pivot tubes  36 ,  38 . Handle half  94  represents the other half of handle  22  defined in part by handle half  60  on bottom half  16 . Handle half  94  is disposed to be in registered alignment with handle half  60  when cooking unit  14  is closed so as to complete the handle  22 . A knuckle guard  96  within the loop defined by handle half  94  and slightly outboard of housing  76  shields the knuckles of the user from hot surfaces associated with hot plate  74 . 
     The central portion of handle half  94  has a reduced dimension bar portion  98  like the corresponding portion  64  on handle half  60  and carries a generally C-shaped, yieldably resilient latching clip  100 . Clip  100  is dimensioned to be retained on bar portion  98  of handle half  94  without additional fasteners and is disposed to releasably hook over and be snapped onto and around bar portion  64  of handle half  60  when cooking unit  14  is closed. Thus, clip  100  serves as a releasable device for holding cooking halves  16 ,  18  in face-to-face engagement to keep cooking unit  14  closed when needed. Of course, clip  100  may be quickly released by simply pulling outwardly on a tab  102  thereof to disconnect clip  100  from bar portion  64  of cooking half  16 . 
     Like bottom half  16 , the back surface of housing  76  of top half  18  is provided with a pair of feet  104  and  106  to support top half  18  when unit  14  is completely opened. Rounded exterior extremities of feet  104  and  106  are disposed to engage the surface of the counter top or other supporting surface and thus prevent opening of top unit  18  beyond a horizontal position when unit  14  is fully opened. A pair of non-skid strips  108  and  110  are adhered to feet  104  and  106  respectively to help stabilize the cooker when cooking unit  14  is fully opened with hot plates  44  and  74  facing upwardly. 
     Operation 
     The steps in using cooker  10  to make pancakes or the like are illustrated in FIGS. 11-14. When power cord  20  is plugged into a wall socket or the like, indicator light  34  is illuminated and both heating elements  54  and  88  are energized to raise the hot plates  44  and  74  to a cooking temperature. Preferably, cooker  10  is oriented with the handle  22  facing the user. 
     When hot plates  44  and  74  have reached the cooking temperature, cooker  10  is ready for use. Initially, unit  14  is opened so that cooking halves  16  and  18  are laid back in their opened positions as shown in FIG. 11 with hot plates  44  and  74  facing upwardly and the feet  66 ,  68  and  104 ,  106  resting upon the counter top or other supporting surface. As noted, the two cooking halves  16  and  18  are disposed on opposite sides of base  12  at this time. 
     Batter is then poured into the two recesses  48 ,  50  of bottom half  16  and allowed to cook until such time as bubbles start to appear on the top side of the pancakes. This is an indication that the bottom side of the pancakes has been fully cooked. Thereupon, top half  18  is gripped by its handle half  94  and pivoted around base  12  until superimposed on top of bottom half  16  as illustrated in FIG.  12 . Latching clip  100  is locked by the user at this time to maintain unit  14  securely closed. Gripping the entire handle  22 , the user then flips unit  14  onto the opposite side of base  12  into an inverted condition as illustrated in FIG. 13, which now places bottom half  16  on top of top half  18  so that the pancakes inside are likewise flipped over and continue cooking on hot bosses  78 ,  80 . 
     The user then releases the latch  100  and, grasping handle half  60  of bottom half  16 , flips half  16  back over and across base  12  to reopen unit  14  as shown in FIG.  14 . However, the flipped over pancakes remain cooking on the bosses  78 ,  80  of top hot plate  74  at this time, leaving recesses  48  and  50  empty. Once the other sides of the pancakes on bosses  78 ,  80  have fully cooked, the pancakes maybe easily removed with a spatula. In the meantime, while the pancakes are cooking on bosses  78 ,  80 , a new batch of batter may be poured into the recesses  48  and  50  so that new pancakes may be cooking at the same time the previous batch is being finished. This cycle is repeated until the complete order of pancakes is finished. 
     It will be appreciated that the principles of the present invention are not limited to a cooker having only two sets of recesses  48 ,  50  and flat bosses  78 ,  80 . A greater or smaller number of such components maybe provided without departing from the principles of the present invention. Furthermore, it is possible that many principles of the present invention may be carried out without the use of a base  12  common to both halves of the cooking unit  14 . It may be possible in this respect to simply make the two halves  16 ,  18  hinge directly to one another and for the power cord to enter one end of the hinge structure rather than the base  12 . However, use of a base  12  is preferred. 
     Although preferred forms of the invention have been described above, it is to be recognized that such disclosure is by way of illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 
     The inventor(s) hereby state(s) his/their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of his/their invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the following claims.