GB2153204A

GB2153204A - Improvements relating to hobs and cooking utensils

Info

Publication number: GB2153204A
Application number: GB08402579A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Pryce Williams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-02-01
Filing date: 1984-02-01
Publication date: 1985-08-21
Also published as: GB2153204B; GB8402579D0

Abstract

The present specification relates to pans and hobs for use in cooking. As will be appreciated it is very easy to knock or accidentally tip a hot pan off a hob, possibly causing injury or damage. A pan (1) has an arcuate securing member (3) attached to its side wall (5), said arcuate securing member (3) having an elongate upstanding ridge (15) which can be engaged in an inverted channel (23) in a raised portion (21) of an arcuate retaining member (9) which is secured to a support surface adjacent to a hob (11). Thus by rotating the pan (1) on the hob (11), the ridge (15) can be engaged or disengaged from the inverted channel (23). When engaged, the pan (1) cannot be tipped. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to hobs and cooking utensils The present invention provides a means for securing a pan on a hob to prevent unintentional tipping of the pan.

Conventionally pans of all types are merely rested on a hob, gravity and friction between the pan and hob, holding the pan in position whilst heat is applied by the hob through the pan base to the contents of the pan. When required the pan is merely lifted off the hob.

However, this is a potentially dangerous situation, as a pan can easily be knocked or tipped over causing the hot contents to spill and possibly scald someone. Many accidents of this type occur when children tip a pan onto themselves.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a simple means for use in attaching a pan to a hob or other surface.

According to the present invention there is provided a pan for use in cooking, said pan comprising an open topped container with a flat base, securing means being provided adjacent to or on the edge of said flat base, said securing means, in use, engaging complimentary retaining means fixedly mounted on a surface engaged by said flat base.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the open-topped container is circular and a handle is provided on the side wall of the container, the said securing means being located diametrically opposite to the handle.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided retaining means fixedly mounted on a support surface, said retaining means being adapted to grip complimentary securing means provided adjacent to the bottom of a pan for use in cooking.

Thus, with said retaining means fixedly mounted on a vertical service, a pan constructed according to the present invention may be easily secured on the surface whilst not in use. More importantly, with said retaining means fixedly mounted adjacent to the perimeter of a circular heating region of a hob, a pan constructed according to the present invention can be placed on the heating region of the hob and the complimentary retaining and securing means interengaged to thus prevent the pan from inadvertently being tipped.

Preferably the retaining means is an arcuate member which when mounted on said surface, presents an inverted curved channel in a portion of said arcuate retaining member, which portion is raised above said surface.

Thus, the complimentary securing means provided on a pan constructed according to the present invention, can be passed under said raised portion of the retaining means, said securing means engaging in said arcuate inverted channel and preventing the pan from being tipped relative to said surface. Preferably, said securing means on the pan is formed by an arcuate member which is integrally moulded with, welded to, or otherwise attached to the pan adjacent to the flat base of the pan. The arcuate securing member has an elongate upstanding ridge which is curved so that by placing the pan on, for example, a hob with the side wall of the pan against the arcuate retaining member, rotation of the pan on the hob will cause the elongate upstanding ridge of the securing member to slide into the inverted channel of the retaining member.By using a curved channel and a mating curved ridge, the possibility of the pan sliding out of the retaining member, is reduced. This is especially of use if the present invention is to be used on board ship, where movement of the boat will incline the hob to the horizontal causing the pans to also tilt and possibly slide off the hob.

The present invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a pan and hob constructed according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of part of the hob of Fig. 1, showing retaining means according to the present invention; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of part of the pan of Fig. 1 showing the securing means and the said retaining means of Fig. 2.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. This embodiment comprises a generally circular pan 1 with securing means generally designated 3 formed on the side wall 5 of the pan 1, adjacent to the flat base 7 of the pan, the securing means 3 being interengageable with retaining means generally designated 9, and fixedly mounted adjacent to a heating region of a hob 11.

The securing means 3 is in the form of an arcuate securing member 1 3 which has an elongate, upstanding, curved ridge 1 5. This arcuate securing member 1 3 is welded to the pan wall 5, though it may be alternatively attached e.g. bolted or integrally moulded to the wall.

The retaining means 9 is in the form of an arcuate retaining member 1 7 which is stepped in transverse cross-section; the lower portion 1 9 being fixedly mounted on the hob 11 adjacent to a heating region of the hob 11. The upper portion 21 of the stepped cross-section forms an inverted curved channel 23 which is raised above the surface of the hob 11.

In use, the pan 1 is rested on the hob 11 with its side wall 5 engaged against the face 25 of the upper portion 21 of the retaining member 1 7. By rotating the pan 1 on the hob 11 with the side wall 5 against the face 25, upstanding ridge 1 5 is engaged in channel 23. Thus, the pan cannot be tipped until the pan is further rotated to separate the retaining and securing members from each other.

By virtue of ridge 1 5 and channel 23 being curved, the pan 1 cannot slide sideways to be released; it must be rotated. This is especially useful in a galley on a ship, where the knob can itself be inclined to movement of the ship.

Further, by mounting the retaining member 1 7 on a vertical surface, the pan 1 can be easily stored when not in use.

The present invention thus provides a simple means for securing a pan on a hob or other surface, the invention being especially suitable for reducing the large number of day to day accidents which occur due to pans of hot food being inadvertently tipped.

Claims

1. A pan for use in cooking, said pan comprising an open topped container with a flat base, securing means being provided adjacent to or on the edge of said flat base, said securing means, in use, engaging retaining means fixedly mounted on a surface engaged by said flat base.

2. A pan as claimed in claim 1, in which the open topped container is circular and a handle is provided on the side wall of the container, said securing means being located diametrically opposite to the handle.

3. A pan as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which said securing means is formed by an arcuate member which is attached to the container adjacent to the flat base, said arcuate member having an elongate upstanding ridge.

4. A hob for cooking comprising a heating region adjacent to which retaining means are fixedly mounted on a support surface, said retaining means being adapted to grip securing means provided adjacent to the bottom of a pan for use in cooking.

5. A hob as claimed in claim 4, in which the retaining means is an arcuate member which presents an inverted curved channel in a portion thereof which is raised above the support surface.

6. A pan as claimed in claim 3, when mounted on a hob as claimed in claim 5, the side wall of said pan being engaged against the arcuate retaining member and the pan being rotated so that the elongate upstanding ridge of the arcuate securing member engages in the inverted curved channel of said arcuate retaining member.

7. A pan as claimed in claim 6, in which said upstanding ridge and said inverted channel are complimentary.

8. A pan for use in cooking, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A hob for cooking, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 2. of the accompanying drawings.