Abstract:
Apparatus for cooking foods such as stock or pasta, rice including a container which receives a liquid to be heated and a cooking strainer-basket partially submerged in the liquid for cooking within the container, the container and the strainer-basket configured with cooperating selectively engaging support members for alternatively positioning of the strainer-basket in the liquid for cooking of the food and repositioning of the strainer-basket above the liquid to provide for straining of the food.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates in general to apparatus for cooking foods such as stock or pasta and more particularly to a circular container having liquid to be heated therein, and a fitted generally circular cooking strainer-basket, the container and strainer-basket configured with cooperating support members for positioning of the strainer-basket within the liquid in the container for cooking of the food and repositioning of the strainer-basket above the liquid within the container for straining of the food. 
     PRIOR ART 
     Apparatus for cooking and/or straining of pasta and the like have become commonplace and a variety of such apparatus are known in the art, however, prior art devices are inefficient, difficult to work with, and unsafe. It is a feature of the present invention to provide a new and improved cooking apparatus for cooking and for straining of food that is more easy to use, more efficient, safer, and more economical than prior art devices. It is another feature of the invention to provide cooking and straining apparatus that does not require removal of the cooking basket from the container for straining of the food. Other objects of the invention will become apparent with reading of the specification taken with the drawings wherein there is shown and described the apparatus of the invention. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides apparatus for cooking stock and or foods such as pasta and includes a container which receives a liquid, such as water, to be heated and a cooking strainer-basket within the container which is submerged in the liquid for cooking. The container includes inwardly extending support members selectively placed along its interior surface, and the fitted cooking basket includes inwardly extending, or recessed, generally circular sections for positioning of the basket in the water, oil, or other liquid, for cooking of the food, and repositioning of the basket above the water, oil, or other liquid, to provide for straining of the food. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the cooking apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates in cross-sectional view the cooking strainer basket of  FIG. 1  submerged in the liquid for cooking of food; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates in cross-sectional view one configuration of the container support members and the handle of the container; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the strainer-basket of  FIG. 1  positioned above the cooking liquid for straining of food. As positioned, the inwardly extending container support members and the inwardly extending, or recessed, semi-circular sections of the strainer-basket are positioned out of alignment with strainer-basket recessed sections so that the strainer-basket is free to be positioned above the liquid for straining of the food; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view showing the positioning of the recessed sections of the strainer-basket rotated and misaligned with the container support members (shown dotted below) allowing for the strainer-basket to be raised and supported at the food straining position within the container; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates the apparatus of the invention with the container support members, and the inwardly extending (recessed) semi-circular section of the strainer-basket rotated and aligned with the container support members allowing for the strainer-basket to clear the container support members and to be fully inserted into the container and ready for storage or cooking; and transport; and 
         FIG. 7  is a top view showing the positioning of the inwardly extending semi-circular section of the strainer-basket rotated to clear the container support members allowing for insertion of the strainer-basket into the container for cooking of food. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in general, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown in exploded view, the stock pot cooking apparatus of the invention, generally designated  10 . The cooking apparatus  10  includes a circular container  11 , a circular cooking strainer-basket generally designated  12 , having a lower portion  12   a  with a diameter less than the inside diameter of container  11  for fitting within container  11 , an upper circumferential portion  12   b  with a diameter greater than the outside diameter of container  11  and configured with a shoulder-like projection extending outwardly from the top of container  11  to restrain insertion of strainer-basket  12  into container  11 , and lid  13  for fitting over the upper portion  12   b  of strainer-basket  12 . Container  11  includes two side handles  11   a  (for smaller stock pots only one handle may be needed), a continuous outwardly extending top lip  11   b , and interior support members  11   c . Support members  11   c  are selectively spaced intermittently around the interior of the container and extend generally perpendicularly inwardly from the interior wall of container  11 . Strainer-basket  12  includes selectively positioned supporting sections  12   d  and inwardly extending (recessed) semi-circular sections  12   g  such that when the strainer-basket  12  is rotated from alignment with container support members  11   c  restrict the container opening to prevent lowering of the strainer-basket within the container  11 , and to support strainer-basket  12  above the cooking liquid for straining of food. As shown, the inwardly extending (recessed) semi-circular sections  12   g  have substantially vertical edges  12   k  against which support members  11   c  abut, thereby limiting rotation of the strainer-basket  12  when the strainer-basket  12  is in the submersed position shown in the figures, including  FIG. 7 . The strainer-basket may then be lifted to a height where support members  11   c  are below the strainer-basket  12 , partially rotated to a position where support members  11   c  are below the supporting sections  12   d  and then lowered to a draining position, shown in the figures, including  FIGS. 4 and 5 , wherein the strainer-basket bottom  12   h  in the area of support sections  12   d  rests on the support members  11   c , thereby holding the strainer-basket  12  in a draining position above to cooking liquid. As indicated in dotted lines on  FIG. 2  the bottom  12   h  of strainer-basket  12  may be concave upward into strainer-basket  12  to help eliminate water surface tension. 
     Lower portion  12   a  of strainer-basket  12  is shown to include selectively placed apertures  12   c , semi-circular sections  12   d , and inwardly extending, or recessed, semi-circular sections  12   g . The term “selectively placed apertures  12   c ” may include an absence of apertures  12   c . Recessed sections  12   g  are generally semi-circular and extend inwardly from the exterior wall  12   d  of strainer-basket lower section  12   a . Upper portion  12   b  includes a circumferentially configured outwardly extending upper portion  12   e . Upper portion  12   b  includes two handles  12   f  (one handle for smaller version). Lid  13  includes top handle  13   a . Strainer-basket  12  is positionable within container  11  such that non-supporting inwardly extending semi-circular sections  12   g  do not overlay container support members  11   c  but disengage to clear and form an opening for strainer-basket  12  to pass into the cooking liquid. Conversely, strainer-basket  12  may be positioned within container  11  such that sections  12   d  sufficiently overlay container support members  11   c  to restrict the opening to prevent passage of strainer-basket  12  and thus provide support for draining of strainer-basket  12 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates in cross-sectional view the cooking-strainer basket  12  of  FIG. 1  submerged in liquid such as water (indicated by wavy lines) for cooking of food. The support members  11   c  of container  11  and non-supporting sections  12   g  of strainer-basket  12  have been disengaged to form an opening permitting the lower portion  12   a  of strainer-basket  12  to be inserted into container  11  until upper portion  12   b  is sitting within lip  11   b  of container  11 . In this position the food strainer-basket  12  is submerged for cooking. In this figure it is more clearly seen, in dotted lines, how the bottom  12   h  may be concave upward within strainer-basket  12  to help in eliminating water surface tension. It is to be understood that the position of the strainer-basket bottom  12   h , liquid level within the container  11 , depth of the strainer-basket  12 , location of the container  11  and strainer-basket  12  support members, and semi-circular sections  12   d  and  12   g , may be varied within the scope of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectional view of one configuration of the container support members of container  11  that support the circumferentially supporting sections  12   d  of strainer-basket  12 . In this Figure it is also shown how the handle  11   a  may be constructed so that the container support members  11   c  may also support the handle  11   a.    
       FIG. 4  shows strainer-basket  12  positioned in the food straining position above the liquid in container  11 . As indicated by the arrows  5 , strainer-basket  12  has been rotated into position so that the circumferentially supporting sections  12   d  overlay the container support members  11   c  on container  11 . That is, supporting sections  12   d  are rotated into a position to overlay container support members  11   c , so as to restrict the opening to thereby prevent passage of strainer-basket  12 , and thus provide support for draining of strainer-basket  12 . 
       FIG. 5  is a top view showing the positioning of the supporting sections  12   d  of strainer-basket  12  above and overlaying the container support members  11   c  of container  11  allowing for the strainer-basket to be raised and supported at the food straining position within the container  11 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the apparatus of the invention with the container support members  11   c  of container  11 , and the inwardly extending sections  12   g  in the open position (disengaged) to clear an opening wherein strainer-basket  12  is fully inserted into container  11  until the upper portion  12   b  is sitting on lip  11   b  of container  11 .  FIG. 6  further illustrates that full insertion of the strainer-basket may leave an open area between the bottoms of the strainer basket and the bottom of the container. In this manner the apparatus of the invention is closed for cooking, storage, and or transport. 
       FIG. 7  is a top view of the apparatus  10  of the invention with the lid  13  removed to show the open, or disengaged, positioning of the inwardly extending non-supporting sections  12   g  of strainer-basket  12  and support members  11   c  of container  11 , thus forming of an opening for strainer-basket  12  to be inserted fully into container  11 . In this positioning the upper portion  12   b  is sitting within lip  11   b  of container  11 . 
     While the principles of the invention have been described and illustrated in a single embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, materials, and components used in the practice of the invention can be particularly adapted for specific environments and operating requirements without departing from these principles.