GB2105575A

GB2105575A - Cooking vessel

Info

Publication number: GB2105575A
Application number: GB08125838A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harold John Murray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-08-25
Filing date: 1981-08-25
Publication date: 1983-03-30
Also published as: GB2105575B

Abstract

A cooking vessel (1) comprising a single thickness thermally conductive base (2), a peripheral wall (3,4) of thermally insulating double skin construction extending upwardly from the base (2), and a removable lid (12) of thermally insulating double skin construction closing the top of said vessel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cooking vessel This invention relates to cooking vessels.

Domestic cooking vessels such as saucepans, casseroles and the like are, by their very construction, very wasteful of energy.

The present invention has as its object to provide a cooking vessel, primarily for domestic use, which will enable energy to be conserved as compared with conventional domestic cooking vessels and which is also safer in use in that it is less likely to result in accidental burns.

The present invention provides a cooking vessel comprising a single thickness conductive base and a peripheral wall of thermally insulating double skin construction extending upwardly from said base, and a removable lid of thermally insulating double skin construction closing the top of said vessel.

Said vessel preferably comprises an opentopped container consisting of said thermally conductive base and an upstanding peripheral wall formed integrally with said base, the upstanding peripheral wall being surrounded by a jacket which is spaced therefrom and which with said upstanding integral peripheral wall provides said double skin construction. Said jacket is preferably connected to said container by way of thermally insulating material which prevents or substantially reduces heat conduction between said container and said jacket. Preferably said thermally insulating material also serves to seal the space between said container and said jacket from atmosphere.The sealed space between the container and the jacket may simply provide an air gap, may be at least partially evacuated so as to provide at least a partial vacuum therein or may be filled with a suitable thermally insulating material.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention said jacket extends below the said base of said container and the lower margin thereof is turned inwardly and then upwardly and is connected to the underside of said base adjacent the periphery thereof with the interposition of thermally insulating material. In this way the thermally insulating peripheral wall of the cooking vessel is caused to depend below the lower surface of said base to provide a thermally insulating depending skirt around said base for containing heat applied to said base.

Advantageously a specially adapted heating means is provided for use with the cooking vessel, said heating means comprising an electric heating element adapted to engage the underside of said base so that the cooking vessel will be supported thereon and a support for said heating element which is electrically and thermally insulated therefrom, said support being of larger diameter than the heating element so as to extend outwards beneath said depending skirt of the cooking vessel when the cooking vessel is supported on the heating element, whereby the cooking vessel and heating means interfit with only a minimum spacing therebetween to prevent the loss of heat around the sides of the cooking vessel and heating means.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing which shows in crosssection a cooking vessel according to the present invention in combination with heating means.

Referring to the drawing it will be seen that the cooking vessel comprises an open-topped container 1 having a base 2 and a peripheral wall 3 upstanding from the base 2 and formed integrally therewith. Surrounding the peripheral wall 3 in spaced relation thereto is a jacket 4 which extends below the base 2 and which is turned inwardly as shown at 5 and then upwardly as shown at 6 and is connected to the underside of the base 2 with the interposition of thermally insulating material 7, thus providing a thermally insulating depending skirt 8 around the base 2.

The upper end of the jacket 4 is connected to the upper end of the peripheral wall 3 of container 1 by way of a ring 9 of thermally insulating material.

Preferably the arrangement is such that the space 10 between the container 1 and the jacket 4 is sealed from atmosphere. Said space 10 may be at least partially evacuated so as to provide at least a partial vacuum therein, may simply be an air space or may be filled with a suitable thermally insulating material. A handle 11, e.g., of a suitable plastics material, is provided for facilitating carrying of the cooking vessel, the handle 11 being secured to the outer surface of the jacket 4.

The top of the cooking vessel is closed by a lid 12 comprising a lower dish shaped portion 13 adapted to extend down into the open top of the container 1 and a peripheral flange 14 adapted to engage the top surface of the peripheral wall of the cooking vessel and an upper disc-shaped portion 1 5 connected to the flange 14 of the lower portion 13 by way of a ring 1 6 of thermally insulating material. A knob 1 7 is provided on the part 15 for facilitating the lifting of the lid 12. The ring 1 6 of thermally insulating material is preferably such as to seal the hollow interior 1 8 of the lid 1 2 from atmosphere.As with the space 10, the hollow interior 1 8 of the lid 12 may be at least partially evacuated to provide at least a partial vacuum therein, may be simply an air space or may be filled with a suitable thermally insulating material.

The cooking utensil of the present invention is preferably used in combination with special heating means 1 9 comprising an electric heating element 20 adapted to engage the underside of the base 2 to support the cooking vessel and a support 21 for the heating element 20, the support 21 extending outwardly beneath the skirt 8 and being connected to the heating element 20 by way of a ring 22 of electrically and thermally insulating material. The heating element 20 is adapted for connection to a suitable source of electricity e.g., to the mains, by way of an electric plug 23 and insulated electric lead 24. The base 21 may be provided with feet 25, e.g., of rubber or plastics material.As will be seen from the drawing the cooking vessel of the present invention and the heating means interfit to provide a minimum clearance around the periphery of the heating element 20 and so as to limit to a substantial extent the loss of heat from around the periphery of the heating element.

It will be understood that because the cooking vessel of the present invention is thermally insulated it is energy efficient and is not wasteful of heat as are normal domestic saucepans and the like. Moreover because the jacket 4 and the upper part 1 5 of the lid 12 are thermally insulated from the container 1, these parts will remain much cooler than does the outer surface of a normal domestic saucepan and lid so that there will be little or no likelihood of accidental burns by a persons skin accidentally coming into contact with either the jacket 4 or the part 1 5 of the lid 12 when the cooking vessel is in use.

Claims

1. A cooking vessel comprising a single thickness thermally conductive base, a peripheral wall of thermally insulating double skin construction extending upwardly from said base, and a removable lid of thermally insulating double skin construction closing the top of said vessel.

2. A cooking vessel according to claim 1, comprising an open-topped container consisting of said thermally conductive base and an upstanding peripheral wall formed integrally with said base, the integral upstanding peripheral wall being surrounded by a jacket which is spaced therefrom and which with said integral upstanding peripheral wall provides said double skin construction.

3. A cooking vessel according to claim 2, wherein said jacket is connected to said container by way of thermally insulating material.

4. A cooking vessel according to claim 3, wherein said thermally insulating material also serves to seal the space between said container and said jacket from atmosphere.

5. A cooking vessel according to claim 4, wherein said sealed space between the container and the jacket provides an air gap, is at least partially evacuated so as to provide at least a partial vacuum therein or is filled with a thermally insulating material.

6. A cooking vessel according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein said jacket extends below the said base if said container and the lower margin thereof is turned inwardly and then upwardly and is connected to the underside of the base adjacent the periphery thereof with the interposition of thermally insulating material, whereby to provide a thermally insulating depending skit around said base.

7. A cooking vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, having a handle attached to the outer skin of said peripheral wall.

8. A cooking vessel according to claim 6, in combination with heating means comprising an electric heating element adapted to engage the underside of said base so that the cooking vessel will be supported thereon and a support for said heating element which is electrically and thermally insulated therefrom, said support being of larger diameter than the heating element so as to extend outwards beneath said depending skirt of the cooking vessel when the cooking vessel is supported on the heating element, whereby the cooking vessel and heating means interfit with only a minimum of spacing therebetween.

9. A cooking vessel substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

10. A cooking vessel and heating means combination substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.