Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a division of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/373,639 filed Nov. 22, 2011 and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 8,707,859 on Apr. 29, 2014. Additionally, this application is a continuation in part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/932,357 filed Feb. 25, 2011. Also, this application is a continuation in part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/200,275 filed Sep. 22, 2011 and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 8,707,860 on Apr. 29, 2014. The entire disclosure of each of these related applications is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts. 
         [0003]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0004]    The present invention relates in general apparatus for cooking foods such as stock or pasta and more particularly to a container having liquid to be heated and having selectively placed generally cylindrical support pins, and a fitted cooking strainer-basket specifically shaped with alternating outwardly and inwardly extending circular planar sections for positioning of the strainer-basket within the container for cooking of the food and alternatively repositioning of said basket above container for straining of food. 
         [0005]    2. Prior Art 
         [0006]    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 
       [0007]    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 having selectively placed outwardly extending generally cylindrical support pins along the interior face of said container, and a fitted cooking basket specifically shaped with alternating outwardly and inwardly extending circular planar sections for alternatively 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 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the cooking apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  illustrates in cross-sectional view the cooking strainer-basket of  FIG. 1  submerged in the liquid for cooking of food. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  illustrates in cross-sectional view one configuration of the support pins and the handle of the container 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  illustrates the strainer-basket of  FIG. 1  positioned above the cooking liquid with the container pins and the alternating outwardly and inwardly extending circular planar sections of the strainer-basket rotated so that the outward section is aligned over the support pins to engage and support said basket above liquid for straining of the food. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a top view showing the positioning of the outwardly extending circular planar section of the strainer-basket rotated and aligned over the support pins (shown dotted below) to engage the container support pins, allowing for the strainer-basket to be raised and supported at the food straining position within the container; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  illustrates the apparatus of the invention with the container support pins, and the inwardly extending circular planar section of the strainer basket rotated and aligned with container support pins allowing for the strainer-basket to clear the support pins and to be fully inserted into the container and ready for storage or cooking; and transport. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a top view showing the positioning of the inwardly extending circular planar section of the strainer-basket rotated to clear the container support pins allowing for insertion of basket into container for cooking of food. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    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 water container  11 , a circular cooking strainer-basket generally designated  12 , having a lower portion  12   a  with a general diameter less than the inside diameter of container  11  for fitting within container  11 , and 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  (one shown), for smaller stock pots only one handle may be needed, a continuous outwardly extending top lip  11   b,  and interior selectively positioned support pins  11   c . Generally cylindrical pins  11   c  are selectively spaced intermittently around the interior of the container  11 , are generally pin like and extend generally perpendicularly inwardly from the interior wall of container  11 . Strainer-basket  12  includes circumferentially alternating undulating outwardly  12   d  and inwardly extending  12   g  circular planar sections that when rotated outward sections engage with pins  11   c  to support strainer-basket  12  above cooking liquid for staining of food. 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. 
         [0016]    Lower portion  12   a  of strainer-basket  12  includes selectively placed apertures  12   c,  and circumferentially alternating undulating outwardly  12   d  and inwardly  12   g  extending circular planar sections. Outwardly extending sections  12   d  are generally circular planar and extend generally perpendicularly outwardly from the exterior wall of strainer-basket lower section  12   a.  Outward planar sections  12   d  are selectively spaced intermittently around the exterior lower section of strainer-basket  12   a.  Inwardly extending sections  12   g  are generally circular planar and extend generally perpendicularly inward for the exterior wall of strainer-basket lower section  12   a.  Upper portion  12   b  includes a circumferentially configured outwardly extending upper portion  12   e.  Upper portion includes two handles  12   f  (one handle for smaller version). Lid  13  includes top handle  13   a . Strainer-basket  12  may be rotated within container  11  such that inwardly extending circular planar sections  12   g  do not overlay pins  11   c  but disengage to form an opening for strainer-basket  12  to pass into the cooking liquid. Conversely, strainer-basket  12  may be rotated within container  11  such that outwardly extending circular planar sections  12   d  sufficiently overlay pins  11   c  to restrict the opening to prevent passage of strainer-basket  12  and thus provide support for draining of strainer-basket  12 . 
         [0017]      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 generally cylindrical support pins  11   c  of container  11  and inward circular section  12   g  of strainer-basket  12  have been disengaged 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 , and the location of the container  11  and strainer-basket  12  support pins  11   c  and alternating planar sections  12   d  and  12   g,  respectively may be varied within the scope of the invention. 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates a cross sectional view of one configuration of the generally cylindrical support pins of container  11  that support the outwardly extending planar sections  12   g  of strainer-basket  12 . In this Figure it is also shown how the handle  11   a  may be made so that the support pin  11   c  may also support the handle  11   a.    
         [0019]      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 outwardly extending circular planar section  12   d  overlay the support pins  11   c  on container  11 . That is, outwardly extending circular planar sections  12   d  are rotated into a position to overlay pins  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 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a top view showing the positioning of the outwardly extending circular planar support section  12   g  of strainer-basket  12  above the pins  11   c  of container  11  allowing for the strainer-basket to be raised and supported at the food straining position within the container  11 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 6  illustrates the apparatus of the invention with the support pins  11   c  of container  11 , and the inwardly extending circular planar sections  12   g  in the open position 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 . In this manner the apparatus of the invention is closed for cooking, storage, and or transport. 
         [0022]      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 circular planar sections  12   g  of strainer-basket  12  and support pins  11   c  of container  11 , thus allowing 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 . 
         [0023]    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.

Technology Category: 1