GB2218346A - Toy cooker and associated cooking water container - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy cooker (not shown) and associated cooking water container include means for supplying air under pressure to water 18 in the container so that air bubbles through the water to give the impression that the water is boiling. The cooker includes a bellows for supplying air to an upstanding spigot, over which inlet 20 is locatable. <IMAGE>

Description

Toy cooker and associated cooking water container This invention relates to a toy cooker and to a cooking water container for use therewith.

Viewed from one aspect the invention provides a toy cooker and a cooking water container for use therewith, including means for supplying air under pressure to water in the container in use, in such manner that the air bubbles through the water to give the impression that the water is boiling.

Such an arrangement provides, in use, a realistic imitation of water boiling in a container on a cooker, without the undesirable involvement, particularly so far as young children are concerned, of any means for heating the water.

Any known means of supplying air under pressure may be used. For example the toy cooker may be provided with a cylinder of compressed air, however such would require refilling or replacing during the lifetime of the toy and may well be considered unsafe for use with children. Some form of air pump may be more suited to this application.

A cooking water container may be permanently fixed to the toy cooker or the two components may be entirely separate. Preferably the said cooker includes an air pump and an outlet for pressurised air, and the said container has an inlet for pressurised air, said outlet and said inlet being arranged to be interconnected when the container is placed on the cooker.

In such an arrangement a cooking water container may be placed on the cooker or removed from it as desired.

In one embodiment the said air pump comprises a bellows operated by a battery-powered miniature electric motor through suitable reduction gearing.

Such an air pump may be lightweight, simple and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Because the source of power is a battery there is no risk of electrocution to a child playing with the toy.

It is envisaged that the apparatus may take the form of any type of cooker such as an oven, a microwave oven, or a hob, and an air pump may be mounted within or outside the cooker. In one embodiment the said cooker comprises a hollow housing with an imitation hob on top, the said air pump being mounted inside the said housing.

In this embodiment the mounting of the air pump inside a hollow housing enables the apparatus to be more compact and its appearance is enhanced.

Also, risk of damage to the air pump which might result from rough handling is reduced.

In a preferred embodiment two of said imitation hobs are provided on the housing, each with its own air outlet fed by a respective bellows of said air pump. In this case both of the said bellows may be operated by a single motor. In such an arrangement each hob will be provided with an associated cooking water container for example in the form of a pot or a frying pan.

A cooking water container for use with such a toy cooker may be constructed in a variety of ways. The arrangement may be such that bubbles are introduced from the walls of the container at the sides or the bottom, or at one or more points spaced within the container. An air inlet may be located at any point on the container but will preferably be at its base so that an interconnection with an air outlet on the cooker may more easily be achieved.

In a preferred embodiment the said cooking water container includes an air passage leading from the said air inlet to at least one air orifice in the bottom of the container, said air passage having an elevated portion which is above the intended maximum water level in the container.

In the case of such a toy cooker having a hob, a realistic effect is achieved by introducing bubbles from at least one orifice in the bottom of the container, since this is where the heated surface is supposed to be. The elevated portion of the air passage provides a simple means for preventing water draining away from the container through the air inlet. This could alternatively be achieved for example by means of a one way valve.

The effect achieved tends to be more realistic if more than one air orifice is provided in the bottom of such a container. In one preferred embodiment the said container has a false bottom comprising upper and lower horizontal walls defining between themselves an air distribution chamber of the said air passage, an array of said air orifices being formed in the upper wall.

In the case that the cooking water container is provided with a handle, preferably the said air inlet is located below the inner end of a handle of the said container, and the air passage extends upwardly from the said inlet to the said elevated portion thereof and then downwardly to the said air distribution chamber. In this way any loss of symmetry which would detract from the appearance of the cooking water container is avoided.

Viewed from a second aspect the invention provides a cooking water container for use in such apparatus comprising an inlet for pressurised air and an air passage leading from said air inlet to at least one air orifice in the bottom of the container, said air passage having an elevated portion which is above the intended maximum water level in the container, the arrangement being such that the inlet for pressurised air may be interconnected with an outlet for pressurised air from a toy cooker including means for supplying air under pressure, in such manner that in use air bubbles through the water to give the impression that the water is boiling.

Thus there is provided a cooking water container for use with a toy cooker, having a particularly simple and convenient construction. Preferred embodiments of such a container suitable for use with this apparatus are in accordance with the above.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the cooker according to this embodiment; Fig. 2 shows a cooking water container according to this embodiment; Fig. 3 is a section through-the plane AA of the cooking water container of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows a second form of cooking water container according to this embodiment; Fig. 5 is a section through the plane BB of the cooking water container of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the inside of the cooker of Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 1 the cooker 1 according to this embodiment is formed of a moulded plastic body having an upper portion 2 and a lower portion 3.

The cooker has two hobs 5,6 and also a grill 7 on which three sausages and a steak appear to be grilling.

Two cooking water containers in the form of a pot 11 and a frying pan 12 shown in Figs. 2 to 5 are mountable on the hobs 5,6. Each container 11, 21 has an air distribution chamber 12,22 in its false bottom 15,25 and an array of air orifices 13,23 in the upper wall 14,24 of its false bottom 15,25.

The pot 11 of Fig. 2 is provided with four orifices 13 in the upper wall 14 of its false bottom 15 arranged at the corners of a square. The chamber 12 in the base of this pot 11 is in the shape of a cross.

The frying pan 21 of Fig. 4 is provided with seventeen orifices 23 above a circular shaped chamber 22.

Each of the cooking water containers of Figs. 2 to 4 is provided with an air passage 16,26 adjacent to its handle 19,20. This air passage connects the air distribution chamber 12,22 to an air inlet 20, 30 at the bottom of the container 11,21 and includes an elevated portion 17,27. The height of the elevated portion 17,27 is greater than the intended maximum level of any liquid 18,28 contained in the cooking water container 11,21.

In use, air is supplied through air outlets 9,10 shown in Fig. 1 which protrude through the cooker body in the region of the hobs.

Cooking water containers 11,21 may be placed on hobs 5,6 such that air outlets 9,10 interconnect with air inlets 20,30 in the bottom 15,25 of each respective container. Air supplied through outlets 9, 10 follows a path indicated by arrows on Figs. 3 and 5, through air passages 16,26 over each elevated portion 17,27, into the air distribution chamber 12,22 in the bottom of each container, and upwards through the orifices 13,23 provided in the upper wall of each false bottom into any liquid contained in either container. As the air passes through the orifices 13,23 into the interior of each container, bubbles will form in any liquid contained in the containers at the bottom and will rise through the liquid due to their buoyancy. Any liquid in pot 11 will appear to be hot or even boiling, and any food such as a potato contained therein will appear to be cooking.Likewise, any food placed in the frying pan 21 will appear to be frying in hot fat. Liquid contained in the containers 11,21 cannot drain away through orifices 20,30 in the bottom of each container due to the presence in each air passage 16,26 of an elevated portion 17,27.

Fig. 6 shows the cooker with the upper portion 2 removed to display the means whereby air under pressure is supplied through outlets 9,10 to each cooking water container. Air is taken into bellows 31, 32 through respective one-way valves 33,34 having access to the atmosphere through the base of the cooker, and is subsequently fed through air outlets 9 and 10. The two bellows 31,32 are in-line and are connected by a link rod 35, the arrangement being such that each bellows supplies air in turn as it is compressed by the movement of link rod 35.

A slot 36 is provided in link rod 35 and an arm 37 located on one wheel of reduction gearing 38 extends through the slot 36. As said gear wheel rotates, the rotation of arm 37 within slot 36 is translated into linear motion of link rod 35 to operate the bellows. Reduction gearing 38 is driven by a small dc motor 39 powered by a battery located in battery compartment 40.

Upper portion 2 and lower portion 3 of the cooker 1 are releasably fixed together by means of four screws located in housings 41 at the corners of the cooker. A sliding switch 8 located on the outside of the cooker 1 is operable to make a connection between two contacts 42 in order to complete the circuit between the battery located in battery compartment 40 and the motor 39. Thus a child playing with the cooker is able to switch the cooker on and off as desired.

Whilst the above invention has been described particularly with reference to a cooker having a hob and cooking water containers in the form of a pot and a pan, it will be apparent that the invention can be applied to other forms of cookers and cooking water containers, such as an oven and associated casserole dish.

It is to be clearly understood that there are no particular features of the foregoing specification, or of any claims appended hereto, which are at present regarded as being essential to the performance of the present invention, and that any one or more of such features or combinations thereof may therefore be included in, added to, omitted from or deleted from any of such claims if and when amended during the prosecution of this application or in the filing or prosecution of any divisional application based thereon. Furthermore the manner in which any of such features of the specification or claims are described or defined may be amended, broadened or otherwise modified in any manner which falls within the knowledge of a person skilled in the relevant art, for example so as to encompass, either implicitly or explicitly, equivalents or generalisations thereof.

Claims (14)

Claims:

1. A toy cooker and a cooking water container for use therewith, including means for supplying air under pressure to water in the container in use, in such manner that the air bubbles through the water to give the impression that the water is boiling.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said cooker includes an air pump and an outlet for pressurised air, and the said container has an inlet for pressurised air, said outlet and said inlet being arranged to be interconnected when the container is placed on the cooker.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said air pump comprises a bellows operated by a battery-powered miniature electric motor through suitable reduction gearing.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the said cooker comprises a hollow housing with an imitation hob on top, the said air pump being mounted inside the said housing.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claims 3 and 4, wherein two of said imitation hobs are provided on the housing, each with its own air outlet fed by a respective bellows of said air pump.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein both of the said bellows are operated by a single motor.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the said cooking water container includes an air passage leading from the said air inlet to at least one air orifice in the bottom of the container, said air passage having an elevated portion which is above the intended maximum water level in the container.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the said container has a false bottom comprising upper and lower horizontal walls defining between themselves an air distribution chamber of the said air passage, an array of said air orifices being formed in the upper wall.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the said air inlet is located below the inner end of a handle of the said container, and the air passage extends upwardly from the said inlet to the said elevated portion thereof and then downwardly to the said air distribution chamber.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A cooking water container for use in apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising an inlet for pressurised air and an air passage leading from said air inlet to at least one air orifice in the bottom of the container, said air passage having an elevated portion which is above the intended maximum water level in the container, the arrangement being such that the inlet for pressurised air may be interconnected with an outlet for pressurised air from a toy cooker including means for supplying air under pressure, in such manner that in use air bubbles through the water to give the impression that the water is boiling.

12. A cooking water container as claimed in claim 11 further including a false bottom comprising upper and lower horizontal walls defining between themselves an air-distribution chamber of the said air passage, an array of said air orifices being formed in the upper wall.

13. A cooking water container as claimed in claim 12 provided with a handle wherein said air inlet is located below the inner end of said handle, and the air passage extends upwardly from the said inlet to the said elevated portion thereof and then downwardly to the said air distribution chamber.

14. A cooking water container as claimed in claim 11, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.