Patent Publication Number: US-6987247-B2

Title: Portable slow cooker

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a cooking appliance, and more specifically to a sealing mechanism to secure a lid onto the body of a slow cooker to prevent liquids from spilling while carrying the appliance. The present invention also relates to a method and system for sealing the lid onto the body of the slow cooker. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional cooking appliances (e.g., pots and slow cookers) typically include side handles to carry the appliance from one location to another. Because the lid is not sealed onto the body of the appliance, however, the contents are easily spilled if the appliance is not held in an upright position. One solution has been to secure the lid onto the body of the appliance using a rubber band. However, this solution is awkward and not very secure. Thus, there is a need for a simple and reliable apparatus for sealing the lid onto the body of the appliance to carry the appliance without fear of spilling the contents. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a cooking appliance is provided comprising a pot, a handle, a lid, a gasket, and a latch hingedly attached to the pot. The handle is hingedly attached to the pot, and has a lowered position and a raised position. The lid is configured to fit on the pot to cover the opening of the pot. The gasket is positioned between the pot and the lid when the lid is placed on the pot. The latch has a locked position and an unlocked position. When the handle is in the lowered position, the latch is in the unlocked position and the lid is removable from the pot. When the handle is in the raised position, the latch is in the locked position and the lid is sealed onto the pot. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a sealing apparatus is provided for a slow cooker having a heating vessel and a lid configured to fit on the heating vessel to cover the opening of the heating vessel. The sealing apparatus comprises a handle, a gasket and a latch hingedly attached to the heating vessel. The handle is hingedly attached to the heating vessel, and has a lowered position and a raised position. The gasket is positioned between the heating vessel and the lid when the lid is placed on the heating vessel. The latch has a locked position and an unlocked position. When the handle is in the lowered position, the latch is in the unlocked position and the lid is removable from the heating vessel. When the handle is in the raised position, the latch is in the locked position and the lid is sealed onto the heating vessel. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for sealing a lid onto a slow cooker is provided. The method comprises the steps of raising a handle hingedly attached to the slow cooker, and engaging a latch attached to the slow cooker, wherein the latch seals the lid onto the slow cooker. 
     Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an implementation of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings, 
         FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of one embodiment of the cooking appliance with the handles in the lowered position, in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  depicts a back view of the cooking appliance shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  depicts a top view of the cooking appliance shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  depicts a front view of the cooking appliance shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  depicts a top view of the cooking appliance shown in  FIG. 1  with the handles in the raised position; 
         FIG. 6  depicts a front view of the cooking appliance shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  depicts a cross-section of the handle shown in lowered position, in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  depicts a cross-section of the handle shown in raised position, in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  depicts a cross-section of the latching mechanism shown in unlocked position, in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 10  depicts a cross-section of the latching mechanism shown in locked position, in accordance with the present invention; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to implementations consistent with the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or like parts. 
     Although described for use in a slow cooker, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be used in any type of cooking appliance, such as a pot, a rice cooker, etc. 
       FIGS. 1–6  depict one embodiment of a slow cooker  100 . The slow cooker  100  has a heating vessel  102  and a lid  104 . The lid  104  is configured to fit on the heating vessel  102  to cover the opening of the heating vessel  102 . A gasket  106  is positioned between the heating vessel  102  and the lid  104  when the lid  104  is placed on the heating vessel  102 . The gasket  106  may be attached to the lid  104  or to the heating vessel  102 . The lid  104  has a knob  108  to remove the lid  104  from the heating vessel  102 . Consistent with standard slow cookers, the heating vessel  102  has two side handles  110 , a control panel  112 , and an electric cord  114 . The electric cord  114  can be stored in a cavity  116  in the heating vessel  102 . Alternatively, the electric cord  114  can be removable from the heating vessel  102 . 
     The heating vessel  102  has two main handles  118 . Each of the handles  118  has two ends  120  that are hingedly attached to the heating vessel  102  near the opening of the heating vessel  102  and a gripping portion  122  at the center of the handle  118 . The ends  120  of the handles  118  are hingedly connected to the heating vessel  102  using support  130  and screw  132 , as depicted in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     The handles  118  have a lowered position (see  FIGS. 1–4 ,  7  and  9 ) and a raised position (see  FIGS. 5–6 ,  8  and  10 ). The heating vessel  102  includes a ledge  124  in which the handles  118  rest when the handles  118  are in the lowered position. 
     Latches  126  are hingedly connected to the heating vessel  102  to seal the lid  104  onto the heating vessel  102 . The latches  126  have a locked position (see  FIGS. 5 ,  6 ,  8 , and  10 ) and an unlocked position (see  FIGS. 1–4 ,  7 , and  9 ). When the handles  118  are in the lowered position, the latches  126  are in the unlocked position, and the lid  104  is removable from the heating vessel  102 . When the handles  118  are in the raised position, the latches  126  are in the locked position and the lid  104  is sealed onto the heating vessel  102 . In particular, as the handles  118  are raised, they engage the latches  126 , causing the latches  126  to rotate to the locked position. 
     As depicted in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the latch  126  is connected to a torsion bar  134 , and a screw  138  connects a spring  136  to the torsion bar  134 . Rotating the latches  126  to the locked position rotates torsion bar  134  and screw  138 , causing spring  136  to extend, as depicted in  FIG. 10 . Thus, as the handles  118  are lowered, spring  136  causes the latches  126  to return to the unlocked position. 
     The slow cooker  100  includes an inner pot  128  to hold the items to be cooked. Inner pot  128  is easily removable from the slow cooker  100  for cleaning. 
     While various embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.