Spoon & lid rest

Abstract

A spoon and lid rest includes a first bowl and a second bowl, either of which is capable of serving as a rest for a spoon or other utensil. An upright member such as an open wire rectangle holds lids in a substantially vertical position, with an edge of the lid retained within either the first or second bowl and a portion of the lid resting against the upright member.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] This application claims the benefit of prior provisional application No. 60/378,442, filed May 6, 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates generally to devices for holding cooking utensils and container lids to avoid contact with countertops.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Spoon rests are widely used to keep stovetop and countertop surfaces clean by holding cooking utensils when not in use. Likewise, spoon rests prevent cooking utensils from becoming contaminated by germs or other agents that may be present on a countertop but not on the spoon rest. Most current spoon rests are generally flat with a small concave region to retain liquids, and are made from various materials such as ceramic, stainless steel, plastic, or glass.

[0004] Some spoon rests include wire frames in order to hold utensils in an upright position. An example of such a spoon rest is depicted in U.S. Patent No. D 394,370 to Hollinger. Such spoon rests typically have a small generally concave surface for holding working portion of a utensil, and an upright portion that retains the utensil handle.

[0005] One problem with most available spoon rests is that they are not able to hold pot lids. Placing pot lids on a countertop or stovetop surface usually leaves drips of moisture, condensation rings, or food splatters. Existing spoon rests are not large enough to hold a pot lid, either horizontally or vertically. Likewise, existing spoon rests are not configured to hold both a cooking utensil and a pot lid at the same time.

[0006] Accordingly, there is a need for an improved spoon rest that overcomes some of the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention comprises a combination spoon and lid rest that, in a preferred embodiment, is configured to hold a cooking utensil and a pot lid at the same time.

[0008] In accordance with further preferred aspects of the invention, the lid and spoon rest includes a first bowl for receiving a cooking utensil, and a second adjacent bowl for receiving a pot lid.

[0009] In accordance with other preferred aspects of the invention, a substantially vertical lid rest is attached to the rest between the first and second bowls. The lid rest extends upward from the base of the spoon rest so that one side of a lid can be placed in the first or second bowl while a generally opposing side of the lid rests against the lid rest. In this fashion, the bowl collects any liquids that would otherwise be dripped onto the countertop.

[0010] In accordance with still further preferred aspects of the invention, the first and second bowls are preferably sized and shaped somewhat differently from one another to accommodate utensils and lids of varying sizes and shapes.

[0011] In accordance with yet other preferred aspects of the invention, a silicone base is attached to the bottom of the rest to provide a non-slip surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a preferred spoon and lid rest;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a front side view of a preferred spoon and lid rest;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a preferred spoon and lid rest;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a preferred spoon and lid rest;

[0017] FIG. 5 is a right side view of a preferred spoon and lid rest;

[0018] FIG. 6 is a left side view of a preferred spoon and lid rest;

[0019] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an alternate spoon and lid rest; and

[0020] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a preferred spoon and lid rest holding a lid and a spoon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0021] The preferred spoon and lid rest 10 is illustrated in each of the figures, and best seen in FIG. 1. The rest 10 comprises a generally horizontal base 40 having a first bowl 20 and a second bowl 30 attached to one another via a substantially flat shoulder 42. A vertical lid rest 50 is attached to the shoulder 42 and extends upward.

[0022] In the preferred embodiment, the first bowl 20 and second bowl 30 are sized and shaped differently to accommodate a wide variety of utensils and lids. The first bowl is oval-shaped, having a length l and a width w, where l is greater than w, as shown in FIG. 4. The bowl also includes sidewalls 24 that taper downward to a substantially flat base 22. A horizontal flange 28 is attached to the top of the first bowl 20 at the side opposite the shoulder 42 and extends over most of the length l. The flange does not surround the perimeter of the oval, however, leaving a flangeless region at opposing ends 26, 27 joining the shoulder 42 to the flange 28. The flangeless ends 26, 27 are further recessed somewhat to better accommodate a utensil handle or large diameter lid or splatter screen.

[0023] The second bowl 30 is sized and shaped differently from the first bowl 20, although both bowls could be identically sized and shaped, consistent with this invention. The second howl 30 is generally rectangular in shape, having rounded corners. The sides 36, 38 running along the length of the rectangle are bowed outward slightly, as best seen in FIG. 3. The sidewalls 34 of the second bowl 30 are tapered, but are somewhat steeper than the sidewalls 24 of the second bowl 20. A flange 33 fully surrounds the second bowl 30 and adjoins the shoulder 42. Because the rest 10 includes two bowls of different sizes and shapes, the rest 10 is able to accommodate a wider variety of utensils and lids.

[0024] The base 40, including the first bowl 20 and second bowl 30, is preferably constructed of heavy gauge stainless steel. Alternatively, it may be made from a wide array of other materials, including metals, glass, ceramic, plastic, or wood. A non-stick coating 29, 39 (best seen in FIG. 2) is applied to the bottom of the first and second bowls so that the rest 10 will not slide on a countertop or other surface. Preferably, the non-stick surface is made from silicone and fully coats the lowermost portion of the first and second bowls.

[0025] The vertical lid rest 50 preferably is integrally constructed from a single stainless steel wire such that it forms a rectangle open at one end with two vertical sides 51, 52 joined together by a horizontal cross-member 53. The vertical lid rest 50 is attached to the base 40 at the shoulder 42. Each of the vertical sides 51, 52 at the open end of the rectangle includes external threads and extends through openings in the shoulder. A nut or other internally-threaded fastener 54 engages the externally-threaded ends of the vertical sides 51, 52 to hold the vertical lid rest 50 firmly in place against the shoulder.

[0026] Although the vertical lid rest is preferably held in place via threaded fasteners, it may be connected by using glue, solder, integral construction, or other means depending on the selection of materials. In one such alternate embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 7, the outside diameter of the lid rest and the inside diameter of the openings in the shoulder are configured such that the lid rest is frictionally retained within the base. Although it is snugly received when inserted, the lid rest 50 in this embodiment may also be easily detached for storage and shipping.

[0027] In yet other embodiments, the vertical lid rest may also be made from materials other than wire, or be configured in shapes other than the preferred open rectangle. The spoon and lid rest 10 also need not include a shoulder 42 separating the first and second bowls; rather the first and second bowls may be constructed so that they are more directly attached to one another. Still further, the vertical lid rest may be configured to better hold utensils in an upright position. For example, the vertical lid rest may include horizontal projections (not shown) or the cross-member may be bowed so that utensils will not fall if rested against the lid rest vertically.

[0028] The spoon and lid rest allows a wide variety of cooking utensils and lids to be placed in either the first or second bowl, keeping countertops clean and utensils free from contaminants. It also holds lids 60 as well as utensils 62, as best seen in FIG. 8, by placing one end of the lid within the first or second bowl and resting a generally opposite end of the lid against the vertical lid rest. Because the invention has two bowls, it can hold any combination of two lids or utensils at the same time.

[0029] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A spoon and lid rest, comprising:

a utensil platform comprising a first bowl and a second bowl attached to the first bowl; and

a lid support attached to and extending upward from the utensil platform, wherein the lid support is capable of supporting a lid when a first end of the lid is resting in either the first or second bowl and at least a portion of the lid is leaning against the lid support.

2. The spoon and lid rest of claim 1, further comprising a shoulder attaching the first bowl to the second bowl, and wherein the lid support is attached to the shoulder.

3. The spoon and lid rest of claim 2, wherein the first bowl and the second bowl are shaped differently from one another.

4. The spoon and lid rest of claim 3, wherein the first bowl is generally rectangular in shape and the second bowl is generally oval in shape.

5. The spoon and lid rest of claim 2, wherein the lid support comprises a first vertical member, a second vertical member, and a cross-member joining the first vertical member to the second vertical member, each of the first vertical member and the second vertical member being attached to the shoulder.

6. The spoon and lid rest of claim 5, wherein the first vertical member, second vertical member, and cross-member are integrally formed.

7. The spoon and lid rest of claim 6, wherein the first vertical member, second vertical member, and cross-member are integrally formed from a single stainless steel wire.

8. The spoon and lid rest of claim 6, wherein the first vertical member, second vertical member, and cross-member are integrally formed from plastic, and wherein the lid rest is frictionally attached to the shoulder.

9. The spoon and lid rest of claim 2, wherein the first bowl comprises a bottom surface and the second bowl comprises a bottom surface, and further comprising a non-stick material attached to the bottom surface of each of the first bowl bottom surface and the second bowl bottom surface.

10. The spoon and lid rest of claim 9, wherein the first bowl is larger than the second bowl.

11. A spoon and lid rest, comprising:

a utensil platform comprising a first means for supporting a utensil and a second means for supporting a utensil; and

a means for supporting a lid when a first end of the lid is resting on the utensil platform and at least a portion of the lid is leaning against the means for supporting a lid.

12. The spoon and lid rest of claim 11, wherein the first means for supporting a utensil comprises a first bowl and the second means for supporting a utensil comprises a second bowl.

13. The spoon and lid rest of claim 12, wherein means for supporting a lid comprises lid support having a first vertical member, a second vertical member, and a cross-member joining the first vertical member to the second vertical member.

14. The spoon and lid rest of claim 13, further comprising a shoulder attaching the first bowl to the second bowl, and wherein the lid support is attached to the shoulder.

15. The spoon and lid rest of claim 14, wherein the first bowl and the second bowl are shaped differently from one another.

16. The spoon and lid rest of claim 15, wherein the first bowl is generally rectangular in shape and the second bowl is generally oval in shape.

17. The spoon and lid rest of claim 16, wherein the second bowl further comprises:

a first elongate side, a second elongate side, a first end, and a second end;

an interior base; and

a top perimeter having a height above the interior base, wherein the height of the top perimeter above the interior base is lower at one of the first end or second end than the height of the top perimeter above the interior base at one of the first elongate side or second elongate side.