JPH0419847B2 - - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to perforated cover assemblies used as lids for containers, particularly but not exclusively as lids for cooking utensils such as pots, frying pans, roasting pans, and the like. The use of such a lid prevents liquids and solids from splashing out of the container, while allowing gas to freely escape from the container.

The present invention is primarily applicable to cooking utensils, where the perforated cover assembly is used to prevent grease and/or water from escaping from sizzling cooking utensils, while also preventing solids and liquids from escaping from containers. It can be extended and applied to other cases where it is desirable to prevent the escape of An example of such an application is acid dilution.

In cooking, especially when frying or grilling, it is important that water vapor is able to escape from the cooking utensils, and many people would , prefers to let water vapor escape.

PRIOR ART A number of cooking accessories have been proposed in the past with the aim of achieving these desired results. One such device consists of a fine mesh sieve encased in a peripheral support frame with handles. It is believed that the sieve prevents liquid from escaping while allowing gases such as water vapor to escape. However, in reality, the above matters are
Often only partial and ineffective.

In another available cover form, 2
A plurality of substantially flat laminas are spaced apart and sealed to each other around the periphery of the lamellas, each lamina having a number of through holes offset from one another between the plates. The cover is intended to be used over pots and pans of various sizes. If placed on a small pot or pan, condensation will form on the outer area of the cover and
Drips drip onto the stove surrounding the pots and pots. Furthermore, the inner surface of the thin plate is often not well cleaned.

In addition to this, at least most of the time, the cover remains in the working position over the pot or pan.
It is not easy to add liquid such as water to add sauce after frying. Many other structures are also expensive or labor intensive to manufacture, and the structures do not lend themselves to simple mass production techniques.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved perforated cover assembly that obviates at least some of the disadvantages of prior art covers.

<Configuration and Effects of the Invention> The present invention provides a perforated cover assembly as described below. A cover assembly comprising two perforated shell members removably joined at their peripheries to define a space therebetween, one shell member at the top and the other at the bottom. used as. the upper or lower shell member having at least one through hole, the lower or lower shell member being recessed to form an effective central minimum area;
The lowest region has at least one drainage through-hole or drainage hole. The lower shell member has a number of outlet through holes or perforations distributed over at least a major portion of the surface excluding the drainage holes. Each of the through holes communicates with the interior of the cover assembly at a portion that is higher than the inner surface of the lower shell member around the through hole. The through holes in both shell members are arranged in relation to each other to prevent liquids and solids from passing straight through the cover assembly.

Furthermore, the present invention has the following features. The through hole in the lower shell member is defined by the inner end of a short tubular portion formed in the shell member, which has an axis perpendicular to the plane of the shell member and is conveniently generally frustoconical in shape. The central lowest region has short tubular sections facing in opposite directions forming the drainage holes. Both shell members have outer peripheries that are removably connected to each other and have an outer shape that is concave on opposite sides. The upper shell member includes a chimney by which liquid can be directed through the cover assembly and into the container via a drainage hole in the central lowest region.

Most preferably, the chimney is formed to align with a recessed portion through the center of the upper shell member and toward the interior of the opposite center of the lower shell member. The outer circular area surrounding the inward depression is
The recess defines a central lowest area and has a series of through holes.

The holes are preferably sized to be comparable to many conventional cover assemblies, more preferably having a hole diameter of 2 mm to 10 mm;
Most preferably it is 3 mm to 8 mm. One preferred pore size is about 5 mm. Such a pore size is
The cover assembly provides substantially unrestricted escape of gas and vapor from the cooking utensil on which it rests.

The upper shell member need not have multiple holes, but rather has a single central hole that is large enough to accommodate all gas flow through the cover assembly. The single hole is given the shape of a chimney and is defined by the chimney stem.

On the other hand, if desired, especially in the absence of a chimney, a number of staggered holes can be provided in the upper shell.

In order to prevent condensed liquid and other liquids adhering to the inner surface of the upper shell member from flowing into the outer peripheral joint with the lower shell member, a ridge shape is formed near the outer periphery of the upper shell member and extends downward to the lower shell member. is preferably given. In this way, condensate or liquid flows down the ridge and into the lower shell member. Alternatively, the upper shell member can be recessed in the same direction as the lower shell member to a lesser extent than the lower shell member.

The shell members may be made from any suitable material, but in particular by pressing aluminum or stainless steel sheets and punching through holes therein. However, it is within the scope of the present invention to mold the shell members from a suitable heat resistant plastic material or alternatively a heat resistant glass material such as that sold under the trade name "Pyrex". Glass is more preferred when chemicals are involved in the cover assembly.

The outer circumferential shape of the cover assembly is made complementary to the outer circumferential shape of a container, such as a cooking utensil, with which it is used. The cover assembly may thus be circular, oval, oval or rectangular as desired.

Generally, circular shapes are preferred. This is made clearer by the fact that a single cover assembly can be used for a wide range of pots and pans of different sizes, and no condensate drips onto the outside of the covered pot or pan.

The shell members may be hinged to each other at one point and removably joined at one or several different angular positions, but more preferably, they may be attached to each other for ease of cleaning and handling. It can be completely removable. Various mechanical arrangements can be used for this purpose, some of which are discussed below.

Embodiment In this embodiment of the invention, two very shallow hollow shell members 1 and 2 are provided with an annular flat portion 3 on the outer periphery.
and 4 are removably connected. Both shell parts are circular and the annular planes 3 and 4 are connected by a headed pin, for example a flat head pin 5, which is fastened to the annular flat part 4 of the lower shell part 2. The flat head pin extends into the annular portion of the upper shell member 1 through a hookhole slot 6. The wide part 7 of the hook-shaped groove is clearly intended to allow the head 8 of the flat head pin 5 to pass through, by which the adjacent groove 9 is held in place. To help align the flathead pin and the hookhole groove,
A regular pin 105 that is slightly higher than the other pins and a regular slot 106 on the outer periphery cooperate with each other. This pin cooperates with a removable rotating catch 107 to prevent the upper and lower shell members from collapsing and rotating relative to each other and separating.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the shell member is made by pressing a thin stainless steel plate, and in order to impart steel properties to the outer annular surfaces 3 and 4, the free ends of the outer circumference are bent outward and inward, as indicated by the numeral 10. It is being This also prevents the danger caused by exposed sharp edges of the sheets.

The lower shell member has an inwardly recessed area 11 in the center, and a number of through holes 12 are scattered on the remaining surface. The outlet of each through hole is at the inner and upper end of the tubular truncated cone, and the through hole leads inward to the space 13 between the upper and lower shell members.

The inwardly recessed area 11 and the recessed shape of the lower shell reach a circular valley 14 surrounding the recessed area,
This central valley is the lowest point compared to the others. The drainage holes 15 are arranged in a circle in this valley,
Similar to the above-mentioned through-hole, however, it is formed with the tubular truncated cone facing downward and outward from the space 13 between both shell members. This generally removes moisture, including condensation.
This drains water into a pot or pan located below the center of the lower shell member. On the other hand, an inwardly directed tubular truncated cone formed as a through hole can sometimes absorb moisture when the shell member is placed on a pot or pan with the through hole 12 located outside its outer periphery. This prevents water from spilling out of the through hole 12. The depressions in the lower shell direct such moisture into the valleys and drainage holes 15.

In this embodiment of the invention, the upper shell member includes:
It has the shape of a funnel-shaped chimney 17 and has one large central hole 16 that connects to the space 13 between the two shell members.

As shown in Fig. 3, the two shell members 1 and 2 can be easily attached by bending the inner end of the funnel-shaped chimney onto the shell as indicated by numeral 18. It has a sufficiently shallow concave shape to ensure that In such a case, as shown by the arrow 19 in FIG. 3, any solid or liquid material, whether solid or liquid, can pass through the drainage hole 15 of the lower shell member and exit the chimney without colliding with the side wall of the funnel-shaped chimney. I can't escape.
The chimney also serves as a handle for raising the cover assembly.

A downwardly directed groove is provided to allow oil or liquid passing through the lower shell member and impinging on the inner surface of the upper shell member to properly flow down into the lower shell member and finally out of the drainage hole 15 surrounding the recess 11. A structure 20 is provided near the outer periphery of the upper shell. This groove-like structure extends into the lower shell member as indicated by the numeral 21. In this way, liquid flowing down the inner surface of the upper shell member falls down the groove-like structure 20 and cannot flow up to the contact surface of the annular parts 3 and 4.

In use, the cover assembly can rest on any diameter pot or pan that is less than its largest diameter and greater than the diameter of the drainage hole array circle.
When the cover assembly is placed on the cooking utensil in this way, liquids and solids cannot escape out of the lid. In any case, the liquid is led via the chimney 17 and the drain hole into the interior of the cooking utensil on which the lid rests. Drainage holes also return condensed liquid back into the cooking utensil. This lid can be used for water or other cooking liquids. Water vapor and other vapors and gases can nevertheless freely pass through the through holes. Cleaning of the cover assembly involves rotating the two shell members to separate them from each other so that the head of the flat head pin fits into the wide part of the keyhole groove;
This can be easily done by washing them.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention without exceeding the scope of the invention.
In particular, the method of joining the two shell members can vary widely.

In a more preferred variant shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the U-shaped clips 22, which are attached to arms 23 supported via an axis of rotation, are spaced around the outer circumference of the shell member. The arm rests on the upper shell by means of a rivet 24, which acts as a rotational axis, and prevents the clip from moving away from the end of the shell member (Fig. 6).
(as shown in FIG. 7), the bent ends 10 of both shell members can be moved into substantially radial engagement (as shown in FIG. 7) to press them together. The outwardly curved edge 25 of the free arm end of the U-shaped clip serves as a fingerhold for removing the clip when necessary.

Furthermore, examples of changes are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this case both diametrically opposite parts 2 of one shell member
6 is bent (eg, seam-folded) to form two straight and parallel annular structures. The corresponding straight end of the other shell member is inserted into the groove by sliding both shell members diametrically relative to each other. On the outer periphery of the shell member with the seams, between the two seams, the raised part 27 is continuous on the one hand, and the flat part 28 is continuous on the other hand.

The upper shell member has a tip 29 with a raised portion 2.
7 into the lower shell member. In this position, both shell members maintain a cooperative relationship.

In this variation, there is a chimney with a tubular stem 30 extending into the space 31 between the shell members. The chimney made it possible to use a lid with a more pronounced concave profile that would prevent liquids and solids from splashing out of the large central hole in the upper shell member.

A series of holes 32 similar to, but offset from, the through holes in the lower shell are also shown through the upper shell. The arrangement of holes is such that liquids or solids cannot pass straight through the cover assembly.

It is believed that the present invention provides a significantly simpler but effective perforated cover assembly made of a variety of materials as needed.

The cover assembly can be properly cleaned and is therefore completely hygienic. Additionally, gas flows substantially unrestricted through the cover assembly of the present invention. The above-mentioned cover assembly can be appreciated from the above-mentioned point of view and is used to prevent chemicals from splashing on human clothing, especially in chemical laboratories.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a perforated cover assembly according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional (front) view of the same cover assembly, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a detailed isometric view of the cover assembly, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 and 7 are similar views of other coupling mechanisms, FIG. 8 is a plan view of a variant embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Upper shell member, 2... Lower shell member, 3, 4... Outer periphery annular flat part, 5... Headed pin, 6... Keyhole groove,
11...Central depression area, 12...Through hole, 13...Space between both shell members, 14...Central lowest area, 15...Drainage hole,
16...Central hole, 17...Funnel-shaped chimney, 20...Groove-like ridge, 22...U-shaped clip, 26...Outer circumference bent portion, 27...Outer circumference raised portion, 32...Upper shell member through hole, 107... rotating clasp.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. In a perforated cover assembly consisting of two perforated shell members, the two shell members being removably joined at their periphery to define a space between them, one of the perforated The shell member is adapted to be located at the uppermost position when in use, and the other shell member is adapted to be located at the lowermost position during use, and the upper shell member has at least one through hole. , the lower shell member is recessed to form an operative lower central region, and
at least one drainage through-hole and a plurality of outlet through-holes distributed over at least a majority of the remaining surface area, each outlet through-hole having a A portion of the lower shell member that is higher than the inner surface thereof communicates with the interior of the cover assembly, and the through holes in both shell members are configured to prevent liquids and solids from passing straight through the cover assembly. , perforated cover assemblies arranged in relation to each other. 2. The perforated cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the outlet through hole in the lower shell member is defined by the inner end of a short tubular portion formed in the lower shell member. 3. The perforated cover assembly of claim 2, wherein the tubular portion is generally frustoconical. 4. The perforated cover assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drainage through hole is formed by an end of an outwardly directed short tubular portion formed in the shell member. Lee. 5. A perforated cover assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the central lower region of the lower shell member forms a circular valley surrounding a central inwardly directed recess. . 6. A perforated cover assembly according to claim 5, wherein the drainage through holes are arranged in a circular manner in the valley. 7. A perforated cover assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the upper shell member has a central through hole extending therethrough. 8. The perforated cover assembly of claim 7, wherein said central through-hole is sufficiently large to accommodate gas flow through all through-holes in said lower shell member. . 9. A chimney according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the upper shell member is provided with a chimney for directing liquid through the cover assembly through the drainage hole. Perforated cover assembly. 10 the upper shell member is recessed in the opposite direction;
and further comprising a ridge extending downwardly to the lower shell member in the outer peripheral area of the upper shell member to allow liquid to flow down to the lower shell member. Perforated cover assembly as described in Crab. 11. A perforated cover according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the upper shell member has a plurality of through holes similar to, but offset from, the through holes in the lower shell member. assembly. 12. The perforated cover assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the two shell members are removably connected at a flat annular portion on the outer periphery. 13 Both shell members have a plurality of headed pins supported on the annular part of one of the shell members and arranged with a gap therebetween, and a plurality of keyhole-shaped pins extending in the circumferential direction in the annular part of the other shell member. The shell members are connected to each other by cooperation with slots, the shell members having a position where the head of the pin can pass through the wide part of the hook-shaped groove and a position where the head of the pin can pass through the narrow part of the groove. 13. The perforated cover assembly of claim 12, wherein the perforated cover assembly is rotatable between positions for cooperating with portions to retain said shell members together. 14 A plurality of spaced apart U-shaped clips for removably pinching together the outer peripheries of the shell members, the clips being movable between the operative positions of the clips; 13. The perforated cover assembly of claim 12 supported on a pivotably mounted arm.