GB2511481A

GB2511481A - Cookware insulation

Info

Publication number: GB2511481A
Application number: GB1223470.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Benjamin Barton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-12-28
Filing date: 2012-12-28
Publication date: 2014-09-10
Also published as: GB201223470D0

Abstract

Removable thermal insulation is provided for a cooking pot 20 having a thermally conductive base and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the base so as to define a food containment region. The insulation may comprise a sleeve 2 of non-flammable thermally insulating fabric material arranged to cover at least a portion of a side wall and may comprise a further portion of thermally insulating material 12 arranged to cover at least a portion of a lid 24 of the cooking pot. The insulating sleeve inhibits heat from escaping from the saucepan via conduction through the side. The saucepan once so insulated is suitable for use on a hob. The insulating sleeve 2 comprises attachment means such as hook and loop material for attaching the insulating fabric material to the side wall.

Description

tM:;: INTELLECTUAL

PROPERTY OFFICE

Application No. 0B1223470.4 RTM Date:31 May2013 The following terms are registered trademarks and should be read as such wherever they occur in this document: Velcro No me x DuPont Intellectual Properly Office is an operaling name of Ihe Patent Office www.ipo.gov.uk Cookware insulation

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns thermal insulation for cookware. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention concerns insulation for a cooking pot having a thermally conductive base and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the base so as to define a food containment region. The invention also concerns an insulated cooking pot for heating a foodstuff on a gas burner.

Background of the Invention

Known cooking pots for use on hobs, such as saucepans, casserole dishes and the like, comprise a metal body attached to one or more handles. A lid may also be provided.

These prior art cooking pots have poor thermal efficiency because the base area which absorbs heat from the hob element is usually much smaller than the area of the sides and lid, through which heat is lost. For example, a typical saucepan has a circular base 20cm in diameter and sides 15cm high. It therefore has a base area of about 315cm2 as compared to an area of about 1,250cm2 for the sides and lid.

Conseguently, the area through which heat is lost from the pan is nearly four times larger than the area through which heat is input into the pan.

This problem has been somewhat addressed in cooking pots designed for use on induction hobs by US3777094 (Peters) which describes a saucepan having an inner body made of a metal susceptible to induction heating with high frequency magnetic induction fields, covered with a layer of thermally insulating material over the whole surface of the inner body. The cookware described in US3777094 is only suitable for use on induction cookers, since it covers the whole outer surface of the pan, including the base. Such cookers are not particularly common, even in brand new kitchens.

If used on a traditional hob burner (i.e. a gas or electric ring) the base insulation would prevent heat from reaching the contents of the pan, and would also be likely to suffer from heat damage from being in direct contact with the burner. Furthermore, since the insulation is integral with the saucepan it requires the user to purchase an entire new set of insulated cookware if they are to get the benefit of the invention every time they cook.

US2O11/0068094 discloses a cooking system which consists of a special type of electric burner which protrudes from the surface of the cooker, a cooking pot with a recess adapted to receive the protruding burner, and a thermal insulation sleeve for fitting around the sides of the cooking pot. rJhil5t the sleeve does not cover the bottom of the pot, it is only suitable for use with the special pan and burner set described in US2011/0068094 and cannot be used with conventional cooking pots and cookers.

EP 2163825 discloses an energy-saving apparatus for a cooking pot, the apparatus comprising a set of thermally insulating solid slats, which are mounted and held on a hoop that fixes around the circumference of the cooking pot.

The apparatus is cumbersome and appears difficult to adapt for use with pots of varying circumferences.

ON 210624519 discloses an energy saving kettle for boiling water including an insulating layer, formed of woven glass fibres, on the outer surface of the kettle body. Such an insulating layer appears, however, not to be readily removable or reusable with other cooking utensils The present invention seeks to mitigate one or more of the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved insulating sleeve for a cooking pot.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, insulation for a cooking pot having a thermally conductive base and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the base so as to define a food containment region. The insulation is advantageously in the form of insulating material, preferably an insulating sleeve, arranged for removable attachment to a cooking pot. The insulation preferably comprises a portion of a non-flammable thermally insulating material arranged to cover a portion of the at least one side wall. The insulation preferably comprises attachment means for attaching the portion of insulating material to the at least one side wall. The insulation is advantageously arranged such that it is suitable for use on a cooking pot whilst the pot is heated with a gas burner.

Advantageously, the thermally insulating material significantly reduces the heat lost, particularly during the cooking process, from the sides of a cooking pot which has insulation according to the invention. This means that less energy is required to cook food, enabling the user to save money and/or reduce the cooking time.

The insulation may additionally be suitable for use on a cooking pot whilst the pot is heated by a heat source other than a gas burner, such as a conventional electric cooker element, a halogen cooker element, a range cooker hot plate, or a solid fuel stove.

The insulation may be arranged to leave the base of the cooking pot uncovered to receive heat from a heat source.

The insulating material may be arranged to cover at least two thirds of the at least one side wall. The insulating material may be arranged to cover at least three quarters of the at least one side wall. Preferably the insulating material is arranged to cover substantially all of the at least one side wall. (It will be appreciated that when referring to covering the side wall with insulating material, only the outer surface of the side wall is meant) Clearly, the more of the side wall that is covered with insulating material, the greater the reduction of heat loss from the cooking pot will be.

The cooking pot may be in the form of a saucepan. The cooking pot may have one or more handles.

The insulating material may include a recessed region, for example in the form of at least one hole, arranged to accommodate a handle of the cooking pot. The recessed region may be in the form of at least one notch arranged to accommodate a handle of the cooking pot. The recessed region may be in the form of at least one slot arranged to accommodate a handle of the cooking pot. Providing such a recessed region allows the insulating material to form a close connection with the side wall of the remainder of the cooking pot, thus aiding the insulating effect. The recessed region may be formed only when the insulating material is fitted around a cooking pot. The recessed region may facilitate attachment of the insulating material to the cooking pot, by means of the insulating material engaging with a handle of the cooking pot, for example allowing the insulating material to hang from the handle.

If the pot has two handles, then there may be two recessed regions, which preferably facilitate attachment of the insulating material to the cooking pot. In certain embodiments of the invention, the one or more recessed regions may define, or form part of, the attachment means for attaching the insulating fabric material to the side wall of the pot.

The portion of insulating material may comprise an insulating sleeve arranged for removable attachment to a cooking pot. The insulating sleeve may be arranged for wrapping around the cooking pot. The insulating sleeve may be arranged for wrapping around the cooking pot so that the insulating material overlaps. The insulating sleeve may be arranged for wrapping around the cooking pot so that one end of the insulating material meets another end (but nnt necessarily being in contact therewith -i.e. possibly being spaced apart) . The insulating sleeve may be arranged for wrapping around the cooking pot so that the material extends around at least 315 degrees of the circumference. The insulating sleeve may be arranged for being secured in place, once so wrapped around, by means of the above-mentioned attachment means. Advantageously, embodiments of the invention having this feature enable a user to gain the benefit of the invention with their existing cooking pots.

Furthermore this feature allows the insulating sleeve to be washed separately from the cooking pot it has been used with, which will prolong the lifetime of the sleeve if it does not need washing as frequently as the pot. The insulating sleeve may comprise a length of insulating material wrapped onto itself. For example, the insulating sleeve may when not secured to the pot be in the form of a generally rectangular piece of material. Alternatively the insulating sleeve may comprise a tube of insulating material (for example, in the form of a tube whether or not secured to the pot) . If the insulating sleeve comprises a tube, the tube may include one or more elasticated portions.

The interior volume defined by the insulating sleeve when in use may be adjustable so as to enable the insulating sleeve to be attached to cooking pots of different sizes (for example having a different diameter or circumference) Advantageously, this feature allows a user to have just one or two differently sized sleeves to insulate most, if not all, of their cooking pots. The circumference of the insulating sleeve may be adjustable. The height of the insulating sleeve may not be adjustable. It will be appreciated that even if the height of the insulating sleeve is not adjustable, it may still be used on pans with different height side walls, however the portion of the side wall covered by the sleeve will be greater for a pan with short side walls than for a pan with relatively tall side walls.

The insulating sleeve may comprise non-flammable fabric, preferably in the form of a strip of non-flammable fabric. The non-flammable fabric may comprise woven fibre material, the fibre material being non-flammable and a good insulator of heat. A good insulator may be defined as a material which has a bulk thermal conductivity (the amount of heat transmitted, under steady state conditions, through a unit thickness in a direction normal to a surface of unit area, due to a unit temperature gradient) of less than 10 WmK, and more preferably less than 1.0 WmK. The non-flammable fabric may comprise woven glass-fibre material.

Advantageously, this material is flexible, inexpensive and readily available. Other silica-based or ceramic fibre materials could be used. The non-flammable fabric may comprise synthetic fibre material. The non-flammable fabric may comprise aramid fibre material. The non-flammable fabric may, for example, comprise meta-aramid fibres and/or para-aramid fibres. The woven material preferably has a relatively coarse weave (for example, the centres of adjacent fibres in the weave being no closer on average than about 0.5mm and possibly no closer on average than about 1mm) . At least one edge of the woven material may be capped with a non-flammable fabric material having a relatively fine (compared to the fineness of the weave of the main section of woven material) weave (for example, the centres of adjacent fibres in the weave being closer on average than about 0.5mm and possibly closer on average than about o. 1mm).

The attachment means may comprise at least one fastener arranged to secure a first end of the insulating material (for example a fabric strip or sleeve) to another part of the insulating material, for example a second end of the insulating material. The insulating material may be in the form of a fabric strip such that in use (when secured to a pot) the fabric strip defines a tube which fits and secures to the at least one side wall, for example by means of a friction fit. This feature of insulating sleeves according to this aspect of the invention advantageously means that such sleeves do not require the aide wall of a cooking pot to have any special features in order for them to be attached thereon, and hence the sleeves can be used with conventional cooking pots.

The attachment means and insulating material may be so arranged that once the insulating material is secured to the pot, the insulating material is held in tension.

The attachment means may comprise one or more hooks.

At least some of the one or more hooks may arranged to engage with a part of the insulating sleeve. At least some of the one or more hooks may be arranged to engage with the upper edge of the side wall (e.g. the rim) of the pot. If hooks are provided to engage with the upper edge of the side wall of the pot, such hooks are preferably sewn in the fabric material, preferably being disposed within the fabric material or on the side of the fabric material which in use is configured to face the side wall of the pot.

The insulating sleeve of the invention may be formed by means of a strip of material having a first end and a second end, the strip being arranged to be wrapped around the cooking pot to form the sleeve. The at least one fastener may comprise a male portion provided on the first end of the fabric strip arranged to releasably engage with a portion on another part of the sleeve. For example the male portion may engage with a female portion provided on the second end.

The male portion may comprise a region of hook material.

The female portion may comprise a region of loop material.

The male portion may comprise a strap. The female portion may comprise a buckie. The maie portion may comprise a button. The female portion may comprise a buttonhole. The male portion may protrude beyond the first end of the fabric strip. The female portion may protrude beyond the second end of the fabric strip. Alternatively, the male and/or the female portion may not extend beyond the area of the fabric strip. The female portion need not be a separate feature from the fabric strip. For example, the female portion may comprise the second end of the fabric strip. The male portion may comprise a formation adapted to engage with the second end of the fabric strip. The male portion may comprise one or more hooks for hooking onto the fabric of the strip.

The insulation may be arranged such that the portion of insulating material comprises a layer of glass fibre (or aramid fibre) material and the attachment means comprises a layer of heat-resistant adhesive. Embodiments of the invention having this feature bear the advantage that the insulation is permanently attached to a cooking pot so the user does not need to remember to apply it to the pot each time they cook. The portion of insulating material may be arranged to form part of the structure of the side wall.

There may be a waterproof outer layer. Such a waterproof outer layer may for example protect the portion of insulating material from getting dirty and/or worn.

The insulation may be suitable for a cooking pot additionally having a lid, in which case the insulation may comprise a further portion of a thermally insulating material arranged to cover at least half of the lid. The invention thus provides according to a further aspect a kit of parts comprising portions of insulation attached to, or -10 -removably attachable to, respectively a cooking pot and its lid. The further portion of insulating material (for the lid) may be arranged to cover at least two-thirds of the lid. The further portion of insulating material may be arranged to cover at least three-quarters of the lid.

Preferably the further portion of insulating material is arranged to cover substantially all of the lid. (It will be appreciated that when referring to covering the lid with insulating material, only the top surface of the lid is meant) . Clearly, the more of the lid that is covered with insulating material, the greater the reduction of heat loss from the cooking pot will be.

The further portion of thermally insulating material may be non-flammable. The further portion of insulating material may include a hole, or other formation, arranged to accommodate a handle of the lid. The further portion of insulating material may include a slit arranged to accommodate a handle of the lid. Advantageously, further portions of insulating material having this feature will be secured in place on a lid by the protrusion of the handle through the hole or slit. Such a hole or slit also allows access to the handle for easy handling of the lid by a user.

The further portion of insulating material may comprise a sheet of non-flammable fabric arranged for removable attachment to the lid. Advantageously, embodiments of the invention having this feature enable a user to gain the benefit of the invention with their existing cooking pots.

Furthermore this feature allows the further portion of insulating material to be washed separately from the lid it has been used with, which will prolong the lifetime of the -11 -further portion of insulating material if it does not need washing as frequently as the lid.

The further portion of insulating material may be arranged to form part of the structure of the lid. The further portion of insulating material may comprises a layer of glass-fibre material (or aramid fibre material) arranged to be glued to the lid. Embodiments of the invention having this feature bear the advantage that the insulation is permanently attached to a lid so the user does not need to remember to apply it to the lid each time they cook. There may be a waterproof outer layer on top of the further portion of insulating material on the lid. Such a waterproof outer layer may for example protect the further portion of insulating material from getting dirty and/or worn.

The invention also provides, according to a second aspect, an insulated cooking pot for heating a foodstuff on a gas burner. The cooking pot comprises a container having a thermally conductive base and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the base so as to define a food containment region. The cooking pot advantageously further comprises side wall insulation as described above. The at least one side wall may comprise an inner food contacting layer and an outer skin layer, wherein the insulation is disposed between the inner and outer layers. Advantageously, embodiments of the invention having this feature may be made to appear like conventional cooking pots, and can be used and washed in exactly the same manner, thus not requiring the user to adjust their habits. The inner layer may comprise metal. The inner layer may be formed as a single piece with the base of the cooking pot. The outer layer may -12 -define a waterproof protective layer, which protects the insulating layer. The outer layer may comprise plastic. The outer layer may be brightly coloured and/or bear a design.

There may be no outer layer on the side wall covering the insulating material. The insulating material may itself define the outer layer on the side wall. The insulating material is preferably removably secured to the pot, but may in certain embodiments be permanently fixed to the pot side wall.

The cooking pot may additionally comprise a lid arranged to cooperate with the at least one side wall so as to enclose the food containment region, and lid insulation as described above. The lid may comprise an inner food facing layer and an outer skin layer, wherein the insulation is disposed between the inner and outer layers.

The invention also provides, according to a third aspect, a method of heating the contents of a cooking pot.

The cooking pot is preferably a pot insulated in accordance with any aspect of the invention as described or claimed herein. The method will typically also include the steps of placing contents to be cooked in the cooking pot, and applying heat to the base of the pot by means of a heat source.

The step of applying heat may be performed by means of using a gas burner. The method may include a step of removing the insulating material from a side wall of the pot. The method may include a step of cleaning the pot.

The method may include a step of subseguently re-attaching the same insulating material as previously used with a pot, to the side wall of the same pot. The method may include a step of attaching the same insulating material as previously -13 -used with a pot, to the side wall of a different pot, possibly a differently sized pot. The different pot may for example have a diameter that is different from the diameter of the pot to which the insulating sleeve was previously attached.

As mentioned above, the insulation may, in certain embodiments of the invention be permanently secured to the pot. There may in such cases be benefit in the pot being specially adapted to receive such insulating material. Thus according to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooking pot having a thermally conductive base and at least one thermally conductive side wall extending upwardly from the base so as to define a food containment region, the base extending radially outwardly beyond the extent of the thermally conductive side wall, thereby defining a flange. The pot advantageously further comprises an insulating layer of non-flammable thermally insulating fabric material extending around the pot on the outside of said at least one thermally conductive side wall.

The thermally insulating fabric material preferably extends up to said flange. The thermally insulating fabric material may comprise a layer of woven glass-fibre material (or woven aramid-fibre material) . The underside of said base is preferably left exposed thereby allowing the base of the cooking pot to be heated with a gas burner. The insulating material may be arranged to form a part of the structure of the side wall of the pot. There may be an integral waterproof outer layer on top of the thermally insulating fabric material. The pot may comprise a lid. The lid may comprise insulating material, for example comprising a layer of glass-fibre (or aramid-fibre) material, permanently -14 -secured to said lid. The insulating material may for example be glued to the lid. The insulating material of the lid may be arranged to form part of the structure of the lid. There may be an integral waterproof outer layer on top of the insulating material of the lid.

It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention.

Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which: Figure la shows a side view of an insulating sleeve according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure lb shows a plan view of an insulating cap according to the first embodiment; Figure 2 shows a cross section of an insulating sleeve and cap according to the first embodiment in use; and Figure 3 shows a cross section of a saucepan and lid according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

-15 -Figure la shows an example insulating sleeve 2 according to a first aspect of the invention. The sleeve 2 is made up of a rectangular strip of woven glass-fibre fabric 4 which is 65cm long, 10cm wide, and 3mm thick. The woven glass-fibre fabric 4 has a relatively coarse weave (similar to the weave that one would find in a typical glass fibre plumber's brazing mat). The edges of the strip of the glass-fibre fabric 4 are capped with a glass-fibre woven fabric (not shown separately) of a much finer weave (and therefore thinner material) to protect the edges from wear and also to protect the user from the sharp fibres that might otherwise be exposed at the edges. The fine weave fabric extends inwardly from the edge by about 2cm on both faces of the fabric 4.

Two strips of Velcro hook material 6 are sewn to the left hand end of the fabric strip 4 such that a significant portion of the Velcro strips 6 protrudes beyond the end of the fabric strip 4. At the other end of the fabric strip 4 there is sewn a patch of Velcro ioop material 8. Between the Velcro strips 6 and the loop material 8 there is a rectangular hole 10 in the fabric strip.

Figure lb shows an example insulating cap 12, which can optionally be used in conjunction with the insulating sleeve 2. The insulating cap 12 is made up of a circular sheet of woven glass-fibre fabric 14 having a diameter of 20cm. In the centre of the fabric sheet 14 there is a rectangular slot 16 which is 10cm long and 1cm wide.

In use the insulating sleeve 2 is wrapped around the sides of a cooking pot with the Velcro strips 6 and the patch of 1oop material 8 to the outside. The strips 6 are fastened to the loop material 8 tightly enough to hold the -16 -sleeve 2 in place without slipping. If used with a saucepan 20, as shown in Figure 2, the saucepan handle 22 is poked through the hole 10. The insulating material of the sleeve and lid is shown by the hatched regions in figure 2. The sleeve may also be used with casserole dishes, which typically have two D-shaped handles disposed on opposite sides of the dish rim. In this case the sleeve 2 is wrapped around the dish underneath the handles and the hole 10 is not used.

It will be appreciated that embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention in which the sleeve 4 does not have a hole 10, such embodiments only being suitable for use with items of cookware such as casserole dishes which do not have handles protruding from their side faces.

The size of the patch of loop material 8 and the length of the Velcro strips 6 mean that the sleeve 2 can be used with pots having a range of diameters between approximately 15cm and 21cm. A longer fabric strip 4 would, of course, result in a sleeve suitable for use with larger pots.

The sleeve 2 is applied to the saucepan 20 before heating begins. The food 28 to be heated may be added to the saucepan 20 before or after the sleeve 2 is applied, depending on which is most convenient in a given situation.

If it is desired to use a lid 24 during heating of the good 28, then an insulating cap 12 is placed on top of the lid 24. slot 16 accommodates the lid handle 26, and the projection of the handle 26 through the cap 12 keeps the cap 12 in place. Handle 26 is D-shaped, however it will be appreciated that the flexibility of the fabric sheet 14 means that the slot 16 can equally well accommodate a knob-style handle.

-17 -Insulating cap 12 will clearly work best with a lid of the same or smaller diameter; however it can also be used to beneficial effect with a larger diameter lid, provided that the handle is not too large to be inserted into the slot 16.

Once the sleeve 2, and, if desired, lid 24 and cap 12 have been fitted to the filled saucepan 20 it is ready to be placed on a burner. Figure 2 shows saucepan 20 on a gas cooker element which consists of a cast iron pan support 30 and a gas burner 32. The sleeve 2 and/or the cap 12 can be left in place during the entire cooking process, as well as afterwards to keep the food 28 warm once the heat source is turned off.

The food can be removed from the saucepan 20 with the sleeve 2 in place. Alternatively, the sleeve 2 can be removed before the food is poured or spooned out in order to avoid dirtying the sleeve 2. Sleeve 2 and cap 14 can be washed, either by hand or in a dishwasher, to remove any food residue that does splash onto them.

The sleeve 2 and cap 14 can be reused with the same saucepan and/or with different saucepans, which may have different diameters.

Figure 3 shows a cross-section through an insulated saucepan and lid set according to a second example embodiment of the invention. The saucepan 300 superficially appears similar to a conventional saucepan, in that it has a circular base 310 being 20 cm in diameter, an upwardly extending side wall 10 cm high at the periphery of the base, and a handle 380 extending roughly orthogonally outwards from the side wall. The lid 400 is of similarly conventional outward appearance.

-18 -The base 310 is a circular disc of solid metal 5 mm thick. The metal may be any suitable inert metal, for instance copper, stainless steel or cast iron. The handle 380 is of conventional construction and is fixed to the side wall using rivets. The side wall is composed of three different materials in a layered arrangement. The inner layer 360 is made of 0.5 mm thick metal so as to conduct heat up the sides of the saucepan. This layer provides the structural support for the side wall and is preferably integrally cast with the base. The junction between the inner layer 360 and the base 310 is spaced apart inwardly from the perimeter of the base, such that the base extends radially outwardly beyond the junction to define a flange 315. A middle layer 340 (indicated by the hatched region in figure 3) is bonded to the outside of the inner layer 360 with a heat resistant adhesive. The middle layer 340 is 1.5 mm thick and formed of insulating glass-fibre material. It will be appreciated that other heat resistant insulating materials, such as glass or ceramic, could equally well be used. The middle insulating layer inhibits heat from escaping from the saucepan via conduction through the side wall. An outer layer 320, in the form of a thin skin of tough heat resistant plastics material, is bonded to the middle layer 340. The outer layer 320 is water-proof, stain resistant and can be provided with an attractive colour and/or pattern using techniques known in the art. Both of the middle layer 340 and the outer layer 320 extend upwardly from the flange 315 and the exterior of the outer layer 320 meets the outer edge of the flange 315 to form a flush fit.

The lid 400, which has a handle 480 in the centre, has a similar multi-layer construction. Thus, the lower layer -19 - 460 is a 0.5 mm thick metal layer which forms the base structure of the lid, the middle layer 440 is a 1.5 mm thick layer of insulating glass fibre material bonded to the metal layer, and the top layer 420 is a plastic (waterproof) skin bonded to the middle layer.

The saucepan 300 and lid 400 may be used on any conventional electric or gas cooker, in the same manner as a conventional saucepan and lid. The saucepan and lid are also able to be cleaned in the same way as conventional cookware, either by hand or in a dishwasher.

Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described.

The insulating sleeve of the first embodiment need not have Velcro fasteners. Instead the ends of the sleeve may be joined by, for example, buckles, poppers or buttons. The dimensions of the sleeve may be different from those provided above. The sleeve may include a slit or a notch instead of a hole for accommodating a pot handle. The insulating cap may include a slit or a hole instead of a slot for accommodating a lid handle. Alternatively the insulating cap may include a pocket for accommodating a lid handle. The dimensions of the cap may differ from those stated above.

The saucepan and lid of the second embodiment may have dimensions other than those stated above. The saucepan need not have a handle, or it may have more than one handle. The handle may be of a D-shaped style rather than the stick -20 -style shown in figure 3. The metal layer of the side wall could be formed separately from the base and joined to it later, for example by welding, instead of being cast integrally with the base. The outer skin of the saucepan and/or lid need not be plastic. Enamel, for example, would be equally suitable. The outer skin need not be present at all as a separate layer, instead the layer of insulating material could form the outer surface of the side wall and lid.

Instead of glass-fibre material, a different woven heat-resistant and insulating fabric could be used. For example, a woven fabric made from a meta-aramid material such as that sold under the brand-name "NOMEX" (originally developed by DuPont) could be used.

Where in the foregoing description, integers or

elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims

-21 -Claims 1. An insulating sleeve arranged for removable attachment to a cooking pot, the pot having a thermally conductive base and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the base so as to define a food containment region, wherein the insulating sleeve is arranged for use on a cooking pot whilst the base of the pot is heated with a gas burner; the insulating sleeve comprises a non-flammable thermally insulating fabric material arranged to cover at least a portion of the at least one side wall; and the insulating sleeve comprises attachment means for attaching the insulating fabric material to the at least one side wall.
2. An insulating sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the insulation is arranged to leave the base of the cooking pot uncovered to receive heat from a gas flame.
3. An insulating sleeve according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the insulating sleeve includes a recessed region arranged to accommodate a handle of the cooking pot.
4. An insulating sleeve according to any preceding claim, wherein the interior volume defined by the insulating sleeve is adjustable so as to enable the insulating sleeve to be attached to cooking pots of different sizes.
5. An insulating sleeve according to any preceding claim, wherein the non-flammable thermally insulating fabric material comprises woven glass-fibre material.

-22 -
6. An insulating sleeve according to claim 5, wherein the woven glass-fibre material has a relatively coarse weave and defines a least one edge which is capped with non-flammable fabric material having a relatively fine weave.
7. An insulating sleeve according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the non-flammable thermally insulating fabric material comprises woven aramid-fibre material.
8. An insulating sleeve according to any preceding claim, wherein the insulating sleeve is arranged for wrapping around the cooking pot and being secured in place, once so wrapped around, by means of the attachment means.
9. An insulating sleeve according to any preceding claim, wherein the insulating sleeve is in the form of a strip having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and the attachment means comprises at least one fastener arranged to secure the first end to another part of the sleeve thereby securing the insulating sleeve to the cooking pot.
10. An insulating sleeve according to claim 9, wherein the at least one fastener comprises a male portion provided on the first end of the strip arranged to releasably engage with a portion on another part of the sleeve.
11. An insulating sleeve according to claim 10, wherein the male portion comprises a region of hook material and said -23 -portion on another part of the sleeve comprises a region of loop material.
12. A kit of parts for insulating a cooking pot having a lid, wherein the kit of parts includes an insulating sleeve according to any preceding claim and a further portion of thermally insulating material arranged to cover at least a portion of the lid.
13. A kit of parts according to claim 12, wherein the further portion of insulating material includes a formation arranged to accommodate a handle of the lid.
14. A kit of parts according to claim 12 or claim 13, whereIn the further portion of insulating material comprises a sheet of non-flaimriable fabric arranged for removable attachment to the lid.
15. An insulated cooking pot for heating a foodstuff on a gas burner, the cooking pot comprising: a container having a thermally conductive base and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the base so as to define a food containment region; and an insulating sleeve according to any of claims 1 to 11.
16. An insulated cooking pot for heating a foodstuff on a gas burner, the cooking pot comprising: a container having a thermally conductive base and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the base so as to define a food containment region; -24 -a lid arranged to cooperate with the at least one side wall so as to enclose the food containment region, and a kit of parts according to any of claims 12 to 14.
17. A method of heating the contents of a cooking pot, wherein the method includes the following steps: providing an insulated cooking pot according to claim or claim 16, placing contents to be cooked in the cooking pot, applying heat to the base of the pan by means of a heat source.
18. A method of heating according to claim 17, wherein the step of applying heat is performed by means of using a gas burner.
19. A method of heating according to claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the method further includes the following steps: removing the insulating sleeve from a side wall of the pot, cleaning the pot, and subsequently re-attaching the same insulating sleeve to the side wall of the pot.
20. A method of heating according to claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the method further includes the following steps: removing the insulating sleeve from a side wall of the pot, subsequently attaching the same insulating sleeve to the side wall of a different pot.

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21. A method of heating according to claim 20, wherein the different pot has a diameter that is different from the diameter of the pot to which the insulating sleeve was previously attached.
22. An insulating sleeve substantially as herein described with reference to any of Figs. la, lb and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
23. A cooking pot substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.