Patent Publication Number: US-2022233022-A1

Title: Apparatus for spill prevention

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This application relates to a multi-purpose cooking or serving vessel including an apparatus for reducing spillage of food while cooking or serving in the vessel. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Various types of vessels, including cooking and serving vessels are used throughout the kitchen. Generally cooking vessels are used to cook food contents over a heat source. Examples of such vessels can be frying pans, stir fry pans, woks, roasting pans, etc. The cooking vessel sits atop a heat source, e.g., a stove, with a bottom surface near or touching the heat source. The heat is then distributed to other portions of the vessel. Inside the vessel, the heat is the highest at the surface of the vessel most adjacent to the heat source. Thus, food contents that are in contact with the surface are cooked but food content not in contact with the surface may remain largely uncooked. Generally, to remedy this issue, the cook manually moves the uncooked portions of the food contents to be in contact with the vessel surface most adjacent to the heat source. This is commonly referred to as “flipping” the food content. One familiar example of this is flipping an omelet. When cooking an omelet, the bottom portion of the omelet which is in contact with the surface of the cooking vessel is cooked while the top portion of the omelet remains uncooked. To properly prepare the omelet, the cook then must “flip” the omelet so that the top of the omelet comes into contact with the surface of the vessel. 
     The process of flipping is required for a variety of dishes such as omelets, pancakes, scrambled eggs, fries, hamburgers, fish or any food item that requires mixing, stirring, flipping, or stir-frying. Further, flipping is not limited to flipping the entire food item; at times the cook may want to flip a portion of the item only. For example, in the omelet example, the cook may only want to flip half of the omelet over. 
     The process of flipping is cumbersome. It is common to have food content spill out of the cooking vessel while flipping. The spilled food may come in contact with the heat source resulting in burning of the food content or more serious hazards such as a potential for fire or skin burns. An experienced cook may be able to reduce the amount of spillage of food content but cannot completely prevent it. Beginner cooks tend to struggle with the flipping process. 
     The anti-spill aid described herein provides a more efficient way to flip food content without any spillage outside the cooking vessel. For beginners, this anti-spill aid is highly beneficial because it would allow the beginner cook to focus on other aspects of cooking and not worry by spillage or fire risks. For experienced cooks, in addition to eliminating spillage, the anti-spill aid helps in a more efficient and faster flip. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various objectives, features, and advantages of the disclosed subject matter can be more fully appreciated with reference to the following detailed description of the disclosed subject matter when considered in connection with the following drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a prior art pan. 
         FIGS. 2 and 2   a  depict one embodiment of a pan and the anti-spill aid, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  depicts one embodiment of the anti-spill aid, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 4 a -4 b    illustrate the anti-spill aid of  FIG. 3  attached to a pan, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 4 c -4 f    illustrate select connection mechanisms of the anti-spill aid, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  depicts another embodiment of the anti-spill aid, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  depicts another embodiment of the anti-spill aid, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 7 a -7 c    depict selected attachments for use with the embodiment of  FIG. 6 , according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 8 a -8 b    depict the embodiment of  FIG. 6  with one type of attachment, according to embodiments of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a sufficient understanding of the subject matter present herein. But it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. Moreover, the particular embodiments described herein are provided by way of example and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments. 
     Described here are embodiments of the anti-spill aid that allows users to prepare or serve food items with minimal or no spillage outside the vessel. One skilled in the art would understand that the anti-spill aid is not limited to use only in the kitchen setting, it may be employed in numerous settings when there is a need to reduce spillage from a vessel. 
       FIG. 1  shows a typical vessel  100 . The vessel  100  in  FIG. 1  may be a cooking vessel, such as a pan, but it is understood that an anti-spill feature described below, may be part of or attached to any type of vessel that may contain food items. The vessel  100  has a cooking surface area  101 . Vessel  100  also has sidewalls  102  which encircle the cooking surface area  101 . Sidewalls  102  help contain the food item within the vessel  100 . In certain vessels, sidewalls  102  are approximately perpendicular to the cooking surface area  101 . In certain other vessels, such as woks, the sidewalls  102  are an extension of the cooking surface area  101 . As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the sidewalls  102  have a height of h. The height h is uniform in all portions of the sidewalls  102 . 
       FIG. 2  depicts a cooking vessel  200  with one embodiment of the anti-spill aid  202   a  and  FIG. 2 a    is a side view of the cooking vessel  200  with the anti-spill aid  202   a . As with the typical cooking vessel  100  of  FIG. 1 , cooking vessel  200  has a cooking surface area  201  and sidewalls  202  which help contain the food item within the cooking surface area  201 . However, unlike the typical cooking vessel  100  of  FIG. 1 , the sidewalls  202  of cooking vessel  200  includes two sidewall portions  202   a  and  202   b  of different heights. Portion  202   a  has height y and portion  202   b  has height h similar to the known vessel in  FIG. 1 . The difference between height y and height h can be a wide range. In certain embodiments, height y is greater than height h. Portion  202   a  with height y serves as the anti-spill aid portion  202   c  in this embodiment. In this embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 2   a , the anti-spill aid portion  202   c  may be integrated into the vessel and form part of the vessel  200  or the anti-spill aid portion  202   c  may be removable. Additionally, in this embodiment as shown in  FIG. 2 a   , a top part  204  of anti-spill aid portion  202   c  has a concave shape curving inwards towards the cooking area  201  to further contain the food item within the interior cooking area  201 . The top part  204  of the anti-spill aid portion  202   c  may start to curve inwards at the bottom of the anti-spill aid portion  202   c  or at any point of the height y of the anti-spill aid portion  202   c . Additionally, in certain embodiments, the top part  204  may be collapsible into the cooking area  201  for easy storage of the vessel  200  when not in use. 
     The cooking vessel  200  may be made from a metal material such as stainless steel, copper, iron, titanium, aluminum, Teflon and the like. The anti-spill portion  202   c  of cooking vessel  200  may be formed of the same material as the cooking vessel  200  or of a different suitable metal material. 
     In some embodiments, the anti-spill portion  202   c  may be on a side of the vessel  200  that is not aligned with a handle of the vessel  200  as shown in  FIG. 2 a   . However, the anti-spill aid portion  202   c  may also be located on the other side of the vessel or on both sides of the vessel that are not directly across from the handle. Furthermore, the anti-spill aid portion  202   c  may be on a side opposite of the handle or even on the sidewall adjacent to the handle. 
     With the cooking vessel  200  and the anti-spill aid portion  202   c , a user can cause the food item in the cooking area  201  to move towards the anti-spill aid portion  202   c  by, for example, tilting the vessel or by using a cooking utensil. The anti-spill aid portion  202   c  would allow the food item to travel up height y some distance and due to its concave shape, anti-spill aid portion  202   c  would cause the food item to fall back into the vessel  200  resulting in no spillage outside cooking vessel  200 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts another embodiment of an anti-spill aid  300 . In this embodiment, the anti-spill portion  300  may be removably attached to a vessel with different orientations and may be removed for cleaning. Anti-spill aid  300  has lower portion  310  and an upper portion  320 . The upper portion  320  and the lower portion  310  may be manufactured as a single piece or as separate parts. 
     Typically, when the anti-spill aid  300  is attached to a vessel, only the lower portion  310  may be in contact with the vessel. Thus, when attached to a cooking vessel, the lower portion  310  would be subjected to high temperatures. Therefore, the lower portion  310  is made of materials suitable for high temperatures such as stainless steel, iron, titanium, or other metallic materials. However, in certain embodiments, the lower portion  310  is formed of a flexible material. 
     In embodiments where the upper portion  320  and the lower portion  310  are not a single piece, the upper portion  320  may be formed of a flexible heat-resistant material (e.g., silicone, conformable molding materials, etc.) that allow a user to safely touch anti-spill aid  300  for adjustment or removal. 
     The lower portion  310  comprises an opening into which the sidewall or rim of a vessel can be inserted (shown in  FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b   ). The opening can be of various dimensions to accommodate different sized vessels. If the lower portion  310  is made from a flexible material, then the lower portion  310  may conform to the shape of the vessel. The upper portion  320  has a concave shape facing inwards towards the vessel. The degree of concavity can be vary depending on preference. In certain embodiments, the anti-spill aid  300  is thicker adjacent to the vessel and thins out farther away from the vessel (e.g., the lower portion  310  may be thicker than the upper portion  320 ). 
     As depicted in  FIG. 4 a   , lower portion  310  comprises connection mechanisms to connect the anti-spill aid  300  to a vessel. The anti-spill aid  300  can be attached by inserting the cooking vessel or serving vessel into a small fitting opening along the lower portion  310  of the anti-spill aid  300 . This small opening could be multiple dimensions created to accommodate the thickness of a variety of cookware and kitchenware items. For example, the lower portion  310  may have a valley region into which a top edge of the cooking vessel slides. 
     In other embodiments, the anti-spill aid  300  can be connected to the vessel with attachable latches  315  as shown in  FIG. 4 b   . The latches  315  would allow the anti-spill aid  300  to be inserted into corresponding latches of the vessel. Alternatively, the latches  315  of the anti-spill aid  300  may be clamps that grip the sidewalls of the vessel and do not require the vessel to have corresponding latches. The latches may be cam-action clamps, hinged clamps, snaps, buttons, adhesives, and other similar connection mechanisms. In certain embodiments, as depicted in  FIG. 4 c   , latches  315  are stand-alone pieces separate from the lower portion  310  and the vessel. The number of latches can vary depending on vessel size or user preference. In this configuration, the lower portion  310  of the anti-spill aid  300  comprises protrusion and notches corresponding to protrusion and notches of the latches  315 . To secure a connection, a protrusion of the lower portion  310  connects with corresponding notches on the latches  315  as depicted in  FIG. 4 d   . The latches  315  are ideally manufactured from Teflon, metal, stainless steel, iron, titanium, aluminum, and any combination of metal and non-metal materials. 
     In other embodiments, the anti-spill aid  300  can be connected to the vessel with a hinge-type mechanism  316  as shown in  FIGS. 4 e  and 4 f   .  FIG. 4 f    depicts the hinge in an open or unlocked position. In the open or unlocked position, the user can easily remove or adjust the anti-spill aid. Once the desired adjustment is made, the user can close or lock the hinge (e.g., by snapping into place) as depicted in  FIG. 4 e   . The hinge-type mechanism  316  may be manufactured from Teflon, flexible metal, stainless steel, iron, titanium, aluminum, and any combination of metal and non-metal materials. 
     The anti-spill aid  300 , as depicted in  FIG. 3 , can also serve as a splatter guard when cooking. The user can position the anti-spill aid  300  to be directly in-between the user and the vessel during cooking, thereby limiting any food spatter on the user. 
       FIG. 5  depicts another embodiment of an anti-spill aid  500 . In this embodiment (or in any of the embodiments described herein), the anti-spill aid  500  includes a plurality of holes  530  in a top portion  520  of the anti-spill aid  500 . The plurality of holes  530  can serve as a straining mechanism to strain liquids or small food particles. The plurality of holes  530  can be formed of different shapes (e.g., circular, oval, rectangular, star-shaped, etc.). With the anti-spill aid  500 , during the flip process, excess cooking oils and greases can be easily expelled from the cooking surface. In other embodiments, the top portion  520  can be formed to additionally serve as a food shredder, grinder, slicer, dice, steamer, utensil holder, or an area to cool food or it may allow for an attachment of such common kitchen tools. Furthermore, the exterior side (i.e., side facing the user) of top portion  520  of anti-spill aid  500  (or in any of the embodiments described above), may be formed with unique shapes for personalization (e.g., engravings, embossing, stenciling, etc. of names or images). 
       FIG. 6  depicts another embodiment of an anti-spill aid  600 . The anti-spill aid  600  is similar to the anti-spill aid  200  of  FIG. 2 . Cooking vessel  600  has a cooking surface area  601  and sidewalls  602  which help contain the food item within the cooking surface area  601 . The sidewalls  602  of cooking vessel  600  includes two sidewall portions  602   a  and  602   b  of different heights. Portion  602   a  has height y and portion  602   b  has height h similar to the known vessel in  FIG. 1 . The difference between height y and height h can be a wide range. In certain embodiments, height y is greater than height h. Portion  602   a  with height y serves as the anti-spill aid portion  602   c  in this embodiment. A top part  604  of anti-spill aid portion  602   c  has a concave shape curving inwards towards the cooking area  601  to further contain the food item within the interior cooking area  601 . The top part  604  of the anti-spill aid portion  602   c  may start to curve inwards at the bottom of the anti-spill aid portion  602   c  or at any point of the height y of the anti-spill aid portion  602   c . Additionally, the anti-spill aid  600  has an attachment slot  650 . The attachment slot  650  is generally located at the top part  604  of the anti-spill aid portion  602   c . The attachment slot is depicted as a rectangular shape in  FIG. 6 , but it can be a variety of shapes (e.g., circular, triangular, etc.). The attachment slot  650  can be used to attach various inserts that further aid in the cooking process. For example, a shredder insert can be attached to the attachment slot  650 . With such a configuration, the user can shred food items directly into the vessel.  FIGS. 7 a -7 c    depict examples of types of inserts (shredder, slicer, mincer, respectively) that can be used in the attachment slot. The removable inserts could be any type of device that allows for cutting food (e.g., shred, dice, mince, julienne, slice, cube, brunoise, chiffonade, zest, etc.).  FIGS. 8 a -8 b    depict a shredder insert in the attachment slot  650 . 
     It is to be understood that the disclosed subject matter is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangements set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed subject matter is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other designs, structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the disclosed subject matter. Therefore, the claims should be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosed subject matter. 
     As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes” and/or “including”, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     As used herein, the terms “and/or” and “at least one of” include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Although the disclosed subject matter has been described and illustrated in the foregoing exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of implementation of the disclosed subject matter may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed subject matter.