GB2322793A

GB2322793A - Drip-catching support for a cooking vessel on a stove

Info

Publication number: GB2322793A
Application number: GB9704448A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cheng-Sen Wang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-03-04
Filing date: 1997-03-04
Publication date: 1998-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 2017-03-04
Also published as: DE29704699U1; GB2322793B; GB9704448D0

Abstract

A support 3 for holding a pot 2 or pan over a stove burner 11 comprises an annular body forming a trough 33 for collecting spillage from the pot. A raised inner portion of the annular body has projections 34 to support the underside of the pot 2. The support 3 is supported on top of a stove 1 by an annular wall 35 which has air holes 36. The raised inner portion may be square or circular in horizontal cross-section.

Description

Title: STOVE BURNER RACK FOR HOLDING POTS AND PANS This invention relates to stove burner racks for holding pots and pans.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the conventional burner rack of a gas stove is generally defective in design in that the flame of the burner of the gas stove is rather vulnerable to being put out accidentally or unintentionally by the flow of drips spilling from a pot located over the flame. Such an incident as described above may be fatal, especially if a room in which the cooking takes place is not properly ventilated.

The present invention aims to provide a gas stove with a burner rack which is intended for use in holding a pot or pan for cooking food and is free from the shortcomings of the prior art gas stove burner rack described above.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a rack for holding a cooking utensil over the burner of a stove or the like, said rack comprising: a main body having a bottom and a side wall extending upwards from said bottom to form an open top defined by a rim, said bottom being provided at its central region with an aperture which is surrounded by a raised portion extending in a direction towards said open top, said raised portion having a hollow interior surrounded by a plurality of interconnected upright side walls extending from said bottom such that said hollow interior of said raised portion is in communication with said aperture in the bottom, said upright side walls and said side wall of said main body forming therebetween a furrow for collecting drips spilling from a cooking utensil placed on the rack over the burner, said upright side walls of said raised portion being provided respectively on the top thereof with a projection for supporting the underside of the bottom of a cooking utensil such that a gap is formed between the tops of said upright side walls and the underside of the bottom of the cooking utensil; and a base having a hollow interior surrounded by a continuous side wall which has a plurality of air holes in communication with said hollow interior of said base, said base being intended for making contact with the top of the stove or the like and being so arranged that said hollow interior of said base is in communication with the aperture in said bottom of said main body and said hollow interior of said raised portion.

Preferably, the main body of the rack according to the present invention has a bowl-shaped construction.

The raised portion of the main body may have a polygonal, preferably square, cross-section. Alternatively, said raised portion may have a circular cross-section.

The main body and the base are desirably integrally formed.

Any drips spilling from a pot or pan on the burner are collected in the furrow of the burner rack. In addition, the burner flames are protected from the wind or sudden gusts of air by the rack.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a rack according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a part-sectional side elevation of the rack shown in Fig. 1 mounted on a stove and with a cooking utensil placed on the rack; Fig. 3 is a part sectional side elevation, similar to Fig. 2, but showing a different cooling utensil placed on the rack; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a rack of the prior art at work.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a pot-holding rack 3 embodied in the present invention is placed on the top of a gas stove 1 such that a pot 2 for cooking food is seated on the rack 3 and the bottom 21 of the pot 2 is located over a burner 11 of the gas stove 1.

The rack 3 of the present invention is of a bowl-shaped construction and is composed of a main body and a base 35 which is made integrally with the main body. The bowl-shaped main body is provided in the central region of its bottom with a raised portion 31 of a hollow construction and having a square crosssection. The main body has a continuous side wall extending upwards from the bottom thereof to form an open top which is defined by a rim 32. The bottom of the main body has an aperture which is in communication with the hollow interior of the raised portion 31 and which is surrounded by four interconnected upright side walls which are in turn provided respectively at the top thereof with a projection 34. The main body further has a furrow 33 formed between the raised portion 31 and the side wall of the main body. The base 35 has a hollow interior and a continuous side wall which is provided with a plurality of air holes 36 in communication with the hollow interior of the base 35. The hollow interiors of the base 35 and the raised portion 31 are in communication with each other.

The pot 2 is seated on the rack 3 of the present invention such that the bottom 21 of the pot 2 is supported by the projections 34 of the upright side walls of the hollow raised portion 31, and that the bottom 21 of the pot 2 and the upright side walls of the raised portion 31 form a plurality of gaps 341. The gaps 341 are in fact formed between the adjacent projections 34. The bottom 21 of the pot 2 is heated by a gas flame via the hollow interiors of the raised portion 31 and the base 35 which is located over the burner 11 of the gas stove 1.

As cooking is under way, any drips spilling from the pot 2 are collected in the furrow 33 of the rack 3 of the present invention. As a result, the flames of the burner 11 of the gas stove 1 are prevented from being extinguished by the drips.

In addition, the flame of the burner 11 of the gas stove 1 is protected from the wind or sudden gusts of air by the wall of the base 35 and the upright side walls of the raised portion 31.

The embodiment of the present invention described above is to be regarded in all respects as being illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without deviating from the scope thereof. For example, the present invention is not limited to gas stoves but can also be used with electric stoves to protect the hob from spillage.

Claims

1. A rack for holding a cooking utensil over the burner of a stove or the like, said rack comprising: a main body having a bottom and a side wall extending upwards from said bottom to form an open top defined by a rim, said bottom being provided at its central region with an aperture which is surrounded by a raised portion extending in a direction towards said open top, said raised portion having a hollow interior surrounded by a plurality of interconnected upright side walls extending from said bottom such that said hollow interior of said raised portion is in communication with said aperture in the bottom, said upright side walls and said side wall of said main body forming therebetween a furrow for collecting drips spilling from a cooking utensil placed on the rack over the burner, said upright side walls of said raised portion being provided respectively on the top thereof with a projection for supporting the underside of the bottom of a cooking utensil such that a gap is formed between the tops of said upright side walls and the underside of the bottom of the cooking utensil; and a base having a hollow interior surrounded by a continuous side wall which has a plurality of air holes in communication with said hollow interior of said base, said base being intended for mating contact with the top of the stove or the like and being so arranged that said hollow interior of said base is in communication with the aperture in said bottom of said main body and said hollow interior of said raised portion.

2. A rack according to claim 1, wherein said main body has a bowl-shaped construction.

3. A rack according to claim 1, wherein said raised portion of said main body has a polygonal cross-section.

4. A rack according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said raised portion has a substantially square cross-section.

5. A rack according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the raised portion has a substantially circular cross-section.

6. A support for a cooking vessel substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1-3 of the drawings.

6. A rack according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said main body and said base are made integrally.

7. A rack substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as folows

1. A support for a cooking vessel comprising a generally annular body which forms a trough to catch spillage between an outer side wall defining the outermost periphery of the body and an inner raised portion having projections to support the underside of a cooking vessel, the support also including an annular wall which is co-axial with the body, said annular wall having air holes and a bottom rim which is adapted to be supported on top of a stove or the like.

2. A support according to claim 1, wherein said inner raised portion of the generally annular body has a polygonal cross-section with respect to the axis of the support.

3. A support according to claim 2, wherein said inner raised portion has a substantially square cross-section.

4. A support according to claim 1, wherein the inner raised portion of the generally annular body has a substantially circular cross-section with respect to the axis of the support.

5. A support according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the generally annular body and the annular wall are made integrally.