WO2012121684A1

WO2012121684A1 - Lid for a cooking vessel

Info

Publication number: WO2012121684A1
Application number: PCT/UA2012/000024
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vitaliy I. Gnatenko
Original assignee: Gnatenko Vitaliy I
Priority date: 2011-03-09
Filing date: 2012-03-07
Publication date: 2012-09-13

Abstract

A lid for a cooking vessel is intended to be positioned on the cooking vessel (5) and capable of displacement in the plane of the cooking vessel brim (4) from the closed position to a displaced position. The lid for a cooking vessel comprises a body portion (1) having a rim, a support surface (3) and downwardly extending projections (12), outside and underside surfaces (6, 7). The size and shape of the lid rim are matched to those of the brim (4) of the cooking vessel. The lid rim has a pair of opposite lugs (8), wherein each lug has an underside (9) configured to be supported by the cooking vessel brim (4) when the lid is in the displaced position. There are provided inner flat portions (10) adjacent to the support surface at each external lug (8). The lid has fewer support members as compared with the prior art to thereby provide for displacing the lid in two directions.

Description

LID FOR A COOKING VESSEL

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to lids for cooking vessels, particularly for pots, pans and other kinds of containers for preparing food.

BACKGROUND ART

While processing or keeping food in a cooking pot covered with a lid it is often desirable to provide a ventilation gap that would open the space under the lid to the atmosphere. The gap is often created by displacing the lid in the plane of the pot edge. What counts in doing this is the stability of the displaced lid on the pot and the ease of pouring the liquid from the pot through the ventilation gap between the inner portion of the pot edge and the edge of the lid as displaced.

A disadvantage of conventional versatile lids resides in their instability when they are displaced with a possible intrusion into the pot or a drop down from the pot while ventilating the pot or pouring the liquid off the pot.

Known in the art are rounded lids, for example, lids made from Pyrex^® and Simax^® glass and having a pair of external protrusions one opposite the other on the support surface of the lid edge, the external protrusions having lower surfaces lying substantially in the plane of the support surface of the lid edge. Actually, the external protrusions are used as handles. Such lids cannot be displaced on the pot edge to take up a stable position because the lid when displaced would be supported by the edge of the pot at two small sections of its edge and two small sections of the flange on the support surface of the lid edge at an angle to the plane of the pot edge. At this position, the lid can slip into or topple over the pot while the pot is being ventilated or the liquid poured off the pot.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,953,765 discloses a planar cover having outward bulges formed at opposite ends of the cover and adjoining the support surface of the cover. The lower surfaces of the outward bulges lie substantially in the plane of the support surface of the cover edge. The support surface of the cover is provided with ribs. Flat portions of the underside surface of the cover that adjoin outward bulges do not adjoin the support surface of the cover edge because those portions are separated from the support surface by the ribs. Such cover cannot be displaced in the plane of the receptacle brim to bring it into a stable position because the cover would be supported by the brim at two small portions of the cover edge and two small portions of the ribs at an angle to the plane of the receptacle brim with a consequent slipping of the cover into or toppling over and off the receptacle. The prior art also includes German Patent No. 528697 where disclosed is a lid having a pair of outward extensions formed at opposite ends of the lid, the extensions having lower surfaces lying substantially in the plane of the support surface of the lid edge. The lid has no ribs and inner flat portions on its underside surface that adjoin the support surface of the cover edge. The outward extensions are provided with slide guides accommodating the sliders provided on respective sides of the corresponding cooking pot. This structure ensures stability of the lid when it is in a displaced position to perform ventilation or pour the liquid off the pot. Such a lid, however, must mate with an application-dependent pot having sliders suitable for accommodation in the slide guides. This feature makes the application of the prior art lid rather limited. Another inconvenience of such a structure is that the lid cannot be lifted on the pot from the closed position and can only be separated from the pot by displacing the slide guides along the sliders until the slide guides disengage from the sliders. This can be undesirable and inconvenient for the majority of users. Also, this structure does not make it possible to provide a ventilation gap at any sector of the pot mouth thus causing still another inconvenience.

Known in the art is a displaceable lid for a cooking pot (German Patent No. 847 340), the lid having beaded edge configured so that its support surface rests upon the pot brim when the lid is in a displaced position while other portions of the lid do not touch the brim and thus the lid is stable in a displaced position. The lid has no outward extensions. A problem with such a lid is the inability of a user to conveniently and safely vary the ventilation gap over a wide range because stability of the lid can be achieved only in a certain displaced position with a relatively small ventilation gap.

A lid for cooking vessels bearing closely on the invention is disclosed in US Pat. No. 7,594,591 and having at least one pair of lugs on its rim, wherein each lug has an underside configured to be supported by the cooking vessel brim when the lid is in the displaced position, and wherein each lug of the pair has an axis of symmetry forming a central angle with respect to each other of less than about 180° wherein the underside of the lugs lies on the same plane as the support surface of the rim. There are projections extending downwards from the underside of the lid rim. The prior art lid generally offers ease and safety of its displacement on the cooking vessel in the way the user is used to with a simultaneous and stable positioning of the lid on the brim and provides for an adjustment of the ventilation gap over wide limits between the lid rim and the vessel brim. At the same time, where the lid is configured for a displacement in two directions, it has a considerable number of internal and external support members, namely, four external lugs and four internal lugs (eight support members altogether), which configuration may be considered as a shortcoming. A lid displaceable in two directions may be preferred by many users. Also, where there is a need to displace the lid so as to open a small gap to pour out the liquid in the event of preparing food of small components, for example, for pouring the water off the cooking vessel after cooking vermicelli, there is no possibility to widen the ventilation gap at its given minimal width compared with a conventional round lid as there is only a relatively small crescent-shaped ventilation gap is contemplated as with a conventional round lid. This patent does not provide for the prevention of water droplets condensed on the central portion of the underside of the lid from getting beyond the cooking vessel when the lid is displaced.

The invention has for its object to provide a lid for cooking vessels of any configuration offering user habitual adjustment of the ventilation gap over wide limits between the lid rim and the vessel brim at any portion of the vessel brim, while assuring a stable positioning of the lid on the brim in a displaced position and providing for its displacement in two directions by using a lesser number of internal and external support members compared with the prior art lid, a more effective compared with the prior art and conventional lid pouring out of the liquid in the event of small contents being assured and the water droplets condensed on the central portion of the underside of the lid being prevented from getting beyond the cooking vessel when the lid is displaced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This object is accomplished by the provision of a lid for a cooking vessel positionable on the cooking vessel and capable of displacement in the plane of the cooking vessel brim from the closed position to a displaced position, which lid comprising a body portion with a rim having a support surface and downwardly extending projections, Outside and underside surfaces, wherein the rim has a form and size that correspond to the form and size of the cooking vessel brim and the rim has a pair of exterior lugs at opposite sides thereof and each lug having a downwardly-directed surface substantially lying in the same plane with the support surface of the rim, the lid characterized in that the underside surface of the lid has inner flat portions on the support surface of the brim at the exterior lugs, wherein each inner flat portion has a downwardly-directed surface substantially lying in the same plane with the support surface of the rim with the exterior lugs and the inner flat portions being configured and the downwardly extending projections being located so that the lid in a displaced position can be moved within wide limits over the surface of the cooking vessel brim in any of two directions along the line extending at right angles to the line connecting the exterior lugs, while maintaining the top surface of the cooking vessel brim in contact with the support surface of the rim and the downwardly-directed surfaces of the exterior lugs and the inner flat portions of the lid.

To ensure ease and safety of handling the lid in a displaced position, the downwardly- directed surfaces of the inner flat portions can be provided with limiting bosses adapted to prevent the lid from displacing beyond a predetermined range of displacements.

The downwardly extending projections can be arranged opposite one another on the line extending at right angles to the line connecting the exterior lugs.

The downwardly extending projections can be identical.

The top surface of the exterior lugs can be covered with pads of a low heat conductivity material to protect the user from hot lid parts especially while pouring out the contents of the cooking vessel when the lid is displaced.

The underside surface of the lid can have at least one rib for preventing water droplets condensed on the central portion of the underside surface of the lid from getting beyond the cooking vessel when the lid is displaced.

The body portion of the lid can be substantially dome-shaped.

The body portion of the lid can be substantially flat with the underside surface substantially lying in the same plane with the support surface of the rim.

To accelerate pouring out the liquid in the event of preparing food of small components the outer radius of the rim can be no more than the inner radius of the brim.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described further with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a first form of the lid according to the invention together with the cooking vessel;

Fig. 2 is an underside view of the first form of the lid according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the exterior lugs of the first form of the lid according to the invention;

Fig. 4 is a second form of the lid according to the invention; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a third form of the lid according to the invention;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the first form of the lid in a displaced position on a cooking vessel with a resulting narrow ventilation gap;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the first form of the lid in a displaced position on a cooking vessel with a resulting wide ventilation gap.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a first form of the lid according to the invention comprises a substantially dome-shaped round body portion 1 with a handle 2. The rim of the body portion 1 has a support surface 3 with which the lid is adapted to be supported on the upwardly-directed surface of the brim 4 of the cooking vessel 5, the upwardly-directed surface having a form and size that correspond to the form and size of the support surface 3. The lid also has an outside surface 6 and an underside surface 7. Since the rim of the body portion 1 has a form and size that correspond to the form and size of the brim 4 of the cooking vessel used with the lid , the body portion 1 must not necessarily be round-shaped. It can have an elliptical, oval or similar form.

On the brim of the body portion 1 there is provided at least a pair of exterior lugs 8 arranged opposite one the other and having preferably flat downwardly-directed surfaces 9, which substantially lie in the same plane with the support surface 3 of the body portion 1. The exterior lugs 8 are so configured that the downwardly-directed surfaces 9 of each exterior lug 8, when the lid is displaced, will rest on the upwardly-directed surface of the brim 4 of the cooking vessel 5 within the range of the lid displacements.

The exterior lugs 8 may be of any shape. In the embodiments described, each exterior lug 8 has the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners. The lugs, however, may have the shape of geometrical figures, animals, plants, etc. Also, the lugs in a pair can be of different shapes.

The underside surface 7 of the lid (Fig. 2) has inner flat portions 10 adjoining the support surface 3 of the rim at the exterior lugs 8 and the flat portions 10 have a substantially flat downwardly-directed surface 11 substantially lying in the same plane with the support surface 3. The inner flat portions 10 are so shaped that the downwardly-directed surfaces 11 of each inner flat portion 10, when the lid is displaced, will rest on the upwardly- directed surface of the brim 4 of the cooking vessel 5 within the range of the lid displacements. Therefore, the lid of the invention comprises two external support members, such as the exterior lugs 8, and two inner support members, such as the inner flat portions 10, i.e., four support members.

The support surface 3 is provided with two substantially identical downwardly extending projections 12, which are arranged opposite one another on the line extending at right angles to the line connecting the exterior lugs 8. In the closed position of the lid, the downwardly extending projections 12 are received with a minor clearance into the cooking vessel 5 (Fig. 1) to limit displacement of the lid on the cooking vessel 1. When the lid is displaced, the one projection 12 is found beyond the area defined by the brim 4, while the other projection 12 is found within that area.

The inner flat portions 10 are provided with limiting bosses 13 to stop any sliding motion of the lid beyond the safety limits when the lid is in a displaced position. The limiting bosses 13 have curved outer surfaces, the curvature of which corresponds to that of the inner surface of the brim 4, and these surfaces rest on the inner surface when the lid is maximally displaced as will be further described.

The downwardly extending projections 12 and the limiting bosses 13 are found beyond the area of contact of the upwardly-directed surface of the brim 4 with the support surface 3, the downwardly-directed surfaces 9 of the exterior lugs 8 as well as with the downwardly-directed surfaces 1 1 of the inner flat portions 10 when the lid is being displaced within the range of the lid displacements as will be further described.

As can be seen from a sectional view through the exterior lugs 8 (Fig. 3), the body portion is provided with recesses 14 found above the inner flat portions 10. These recesses permit weight reduction of the lid with the preservation of the walls of the body portion 1 approximately invariant.

The upwardly-directed surfaces of the exterior lugs 8 are preferably protected by pads

15 of a low heat conductivity material, e.g., bakelite, to prevent burns when the user clasps the lid with his or her fingers while pouring the liquid off the cooking vessel with the lid in a displaced position.

Referring to Fig. 4, in a second form of the lid according to the present invention the body portion 1 is flat with the underside surface 7 being in the same plane with the support surface 3 of the lid rim, which is provided with the downwardly extending projections 12, the underside surface 7 positively serving as the inner flat portions, while the limiting bosses 13 being directly provided on the inner surface 7. The exterior lugs 8, in this case, are the same as in the first form of the lid.

Referring to Fig. 5, in a third form of the lid according to the present invention the body portion 1 is dome-shaped as in the first form, but the underside surface 7 is provided with arcuate ribs 16 for preventing water droplets condensed on the central portion of the underside surface 7 of the lid from getting beyond the cooking vessel when the lid is displaced. The ribs 16 are so configured that, along their extension, the projection of their lower portion on the plane of the brim do not go beyond the limits of this brim up to the maximum displacement of the lid as limited by the limit bosses 13.

When there is a need to rapidly pour the liquid off the cooking vessel in the event of preparing food of small components, for example, for pouring the water off the cooking vessel after cooking vermicelli, the external radius Rl (Fig. 6) of the lid rim between the exterior lugs 8 does not preferably exceeds the internal radius R2 of the brim 4 and in doing so the area of the ventilation gap 17 at given minimal width thereof. The ventilation gap 17 itself can be a narrow region approximately of the same width between the exterior lugs 8 when the lid is slightly displaced. For comparison, conventional lids provide for a ventilation gap of a crescent form and of considerably smaller area and therefore providing for a lower rate of pouring the liquid off the cooking vessel in the event of preparing food of small components than the lid of the present invention.

As regards the material of the body portion 1 according to the invention (Fig. 1), it can be wholly made from one material, e.g., glass or metal. It is significant that such a body portion may be cast into one mold. Practicable can be several alternatives where the dome of the body portion 1 is made from one material, e.g., glass, while the other parts, such as the lid rim, exterior lugs 8, downwardly extending projections 12, inner flat portions 10, are made from another material, e.g., silicone or metal. In this case, the process of manufacturing such lid may include connecting the parts made of different materials by various conventional methods.

The lid of the invention as described above is used as follows (though only its first form). By gripping the handle 2, the lid is slightly raised from the top surface of the brim 4 of the cooking vessel 5 until the projections 12 are found above the top surface of the brim 4. Next, the lid is moved aside in the plane parallel to the brim 4 along the line extending at right angles to the line connecting exterior lugs 8, that is, in the direction of any projection 12 (these are two preferred and equally convenient directions to displace the lid), then the lid is lowered onto the top surface of the brim 4 (Fig. 6) whereby the projection 12, in which direction the lid was moved, is found outside the cooking vessel 5. In the course of displacing the lid or thereafter, the downwardly-directed surfaces of the exterior lugs 8, the downwardly-directed surfaces of the inner flat portions 10, and the support surface of the lid rim rest upon the upwardly-directed surface of the brim 4, thus preventing the lid from being lowered into the cooking vessel or dropped from it. In this case, the projections 12 do not prevent the upwardly-directed surface of the brim 4 from contacting the rim as well as the downwardly-directed surfaces of the exterior lugs 8 and the inner flat portions 10. It is obvious that where the cooking vessel is placed on a horizontal surface such as a kitchen range, the lid in a displaced position is also disposed horizontally and cannot spontaneously slide in the plane in the plane of the brim as under gravity. At the same time, the displaced lid can readily slide over the brim within the permissible range under user's relatively small effort in the plane of the brim.

When the lid is in a displaced position there is a gap 17 formed between the lid rim and the brim 4, which gap is a ventilation opening to adjust the intensity of the cooking process. The ventilation degree from the minimal to the maximal is adjusted by way of changing the width of the gap 17 moving the lid within the permissible range, i.e., from the position of the inner surface of the projection 12 where it bears against the outside surface of the brim 4 (the minimal gap) to the position of the limiting bosses 13 (Fig. 7) where they bear against the inner surface of the brim 4 (the maximal gap).

The lid is held stable in a displaced position due to the fact that the lid center of gravity, being coincidental with the geometrical center 18, is found between and sufficiently away from lines 19, which connect the extreme bearing points of the downwardly-directed surfaces of the exterior lugs 8 and the downwardly-directed surfaces of the inner flat portions 10 upon the downwardly-directed surfaces of the brim 4.

A distinctive feature of the third form of the lid according to the invention consists in that water droplets condensed on the central portion of the underside surface 7 and moving by gravity over the underside surface 7 toward the rim come to ribs 16 and then fall down and inside the cooking vessel as the lid is moved within the range of possible displacements and in any one of the two preferable directions. To pour liquids from the cooking vessel 5 (Fig. 6) when any above-described forms of the lid according to the invention is used, the lid is displaced as described above until a desired gap 17 is formed. Then, by pressing the lid with a user's fingers to the upwardly- directed surface of the brim 4 of the vessel 5, preferably at the exterior lugs 8, and raising the vessel 5 while holding its handles 20, the user pours liquid out through the gap 17 thus formed. In this case, the exterior lugs 8 and the inner flat portions 10 prevent the lid from being lowered into the cooking vessel 5, while additional friction produced between the lugs 8, the inner flat portions 10 as well as the support surface of the rim and the brim 4 of the cooking vessel 5 prevents sliding of the lid from the vessel while pouring off the liquid.

Thus, the lid just described and having various forms according to the invention provides for the user's customary adjustment within a wide range of the ventilation gap over any portion of the cooking vessel and at the same time provides for the stability of the lid in a displaced position on the brim of the vessel and allows for displacing the lid in two directions while having a lesser number of internal and external members than the prior-art lids - not more than one pair of external support members and one pair of internal support members - and also provides for more effective pouring the liquid from the vessel as compared with the prior art. The lid of the invention also provides for preventing water droplets condensed on the central portion of the underside surface of the lid from getting beyond the cooking vessel when the lid is displaced.

This invention is not limited to the disclosed forms and may be variously otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lid for a cooking vessel positionable on the cooking vessel and capable of displacement in the plane of the cooking vessel brim from the closed position to a displaced position, which lid comprising a body portion with a rim having a support surface and downwardly extending projections, outside and underside surfaces, wherein the rim has a form and size that correspond to the form and size of the cooking vessel brim and the rim has a pair of exterior lugs at opposite sides thereof and each lug having a downwardly- directed surface substantially lying in the same plane with the support surface of the rim, characterized in that the underside surface of the lid has inner flat portions on the support surface of the brim at the exterior lugs, wherein each inner flat portion has a downwardly- directed surface substantially lying in the same plane with the support surface of the rim with the exterior lugs and the inner flat portions being configured and the downwardly extending projections being located so that the lid in a displaced position can be moved within wide limits over the surface of the cooking vessel brim in any of two directions along the line extending at right angles to the line connecting the exterior lugs, while maintaining the top surface of the cooking vessel brim in contact with the support surface of the rim and the downwardly-directed surfaces of the exterior lugs and the inner flat portions of the lid.

2. The lid according to Claim 1, characterized in that the downwardly-directed surfaces of the inner flat portions are provided with limiting bosses adapted to prevent the lid from displacing beyond a predetermined range of displacements.

3. The lid according to Claim 1, characterized in that the downwardly extending projections are arranged opposite one another on the line extending at right angles to the line connecting the exterior lugs.

4. The lid according to Claim 1, characterized in that the downwardly extending projections are identical.

5. The lid according to Claim 1, characterized in that the top surface of the exterior lugs is covered with pads of a low heat conductivity material.

6. The lid according to Claim 1, characterized in that the underside surface of the lid has at least one rib for preventing water droplets condensed on the central portion of the underside surface of the lid from getting beyond the cooking vessel when the lid is displaced.

7. The lid according to Claim 1, characterized in that the body portion of the lid is substantially dome-shaped.

8. The lid according to Claim 1, characterized in that the body portion of the lid is substantially flat with the underside surface substantially lying in the same plane with the support surface of the rim.

9. The lid according to Claim 1, characterized in that the outer radius of the rim is no more than the inner radius of the brim.