Patent ID: 6890428

Claim:
A fryer, comprising: a fryer vat; an oil drain path leading from the fryer vat; a pan for receiving oil drained from the fryer vat along the oil drain path, the pan including an upright front wall, an upright back wall, upright first and second sidewalls, and a bottom wall, a first curved corner where the upright front wall meets the upright first sidewall, a second curved corner where the upright back wall meets the upright first sidewall, a third curved corner where the upright back wall meets the upright second sidewall, a fourth curved corner where the upright second sidewall meets the upright front wall, a fifth curved corner where the upright front wall meets the bottom wall, a sixth curved corner where the upright first sidewall meets the bottom wall, a seventh curved corner where the upright back wall meets the bottom wall and an eighth curved corner where the upright second sidewall meets the bottom wall; wherein a lip extends about an entire periphery of the pan at its upper edge, the lip is unitary with the upright front wall, upright back wall and upright first and second sidewalls; wherein the upright front wall, upright back wall, upright first and second sidewalls, and bottom wall are unitary with each other; wherein the pan is movable between an open position and a closed position relative to a fryer frame, the pan includes a filter system with associated oil return piping, the oil return piping extends above an upper edge of the pan at a location near the upright front wall of the pan and then extends rearward, terminating in a return coupler that slidingly mates with a corresponding coupler located on the fryer frame.