Interchangeable disposable foil pan/lid

Abstract

This invention relates to an interchangeable one-piece disposable foil pan/lid having a continuous side wall and a rim surrounding the pan/lid. The side wall is preferably inclined and preferably has a scalloped profile of equally sized scallops. The base wall preferably has circular scalloped raised and recessed portions. The rim has a pair of handles with a rolled-over bead on the periphery of the rim and if desired on the periphery of the handles. The handles extend on opposite ends of the pan/lid and one handle has a relatively long female detent and the other handle has a corresponding relatively long male detent. This preferred configuration provides my interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid with the desired ease of attaching the interchangeable lid to the interchangeable pan and gives the joined pair stability.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a disposable foil pan/lid which can be used for holding and cooking various items. More particularly the present invention relates to a one-piece interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid having an inclined side and an orientation and closing mechanism for a pair of joined interchangeable disposable pan/lids.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Aluminum foil pan/lids are used for cooking, baking and roasting since they are efficient in quickly distributing heat and are also relatively inexpensive thus, making them disposable. A wide variety of shapes and sizes of aluminum foil pan/lids have been built and developed. Generally the pan/lids for casseroles, carry outs and reheating are round in shape and those for casseroles and roasting are rectangle or oval. Also various types of formations, such as ribs, are typically provided in the side wall and the base panel or wall usually has platforms and/or recesses. Therefore it would be desirable to have a interchangeable disposable pan/lid which has an easy orientation and closing mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In accordance with the present invention I provide an interchangeable disposable foil pan/lid having a side wall, a rim surrounding the pan/lid opening, and a pair of opposing handles. The rim extends laterally away from the pan/lid opening and the side wall and is substantially parallel to the base wall. Formed in each handle is an orientation and closing mechanism for the pan/lid which are such that the pan portion of the pan/lid is identical to and interchangeable with the lid portion of the pan/lid. The side wall preferably has a scalloped profile of equally sized scallops. The base wall preferably has circular scalloped raised and recessed portions.

[0004] Another feature of the present invention is to provide the above one-piece interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid i.e. pan/lid having inclined side wall inclined at 60° to 90° and a laterally extending rim surrounding the pan/lid with a rolled-over bead on the periphery of the rim and if desired on the periphery of the handles. The handles extend on opposite ends of the pan/lid and one handle has a relatively long female detent and the other handle has a corresponding relatively long male detent. This preferred configuration provides my interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid with the desired ease of attaching the interchangeable lid to the interchangeable pan and gives the joined pair stability.

[0005] Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of the pan portion of an interchangeable disposable foil pan/lid according to my invention.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a right side plan view of the interchangeable disposable foil pan/lid of FIG. 1 with the left side plan view being a mirror image thereof;

[0008] FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the interchangeable disposable foil pan/lid of FIG. 1 with the bottom plan view being a mirror image thereof;

[0009] FIG. 4 is a front plan view of the interchangeable disposable foil pan/lid of FIG. 3 with the rear plan view being a mirror image thereof.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a joined pair of the interchangeable disposable foil pan/lids of FIG. 1.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the joined pair of the interchangeable disposable foil pan/lids of FIG. 5.

[0012] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a stacked pair of the interchangeable pair of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1-4 there are illustrated interchangeable disposable foil pan/lids 10. The pan/lids 10 are preferably stamped from a single sheet of an inexpensive thin gauge metal such as aluminum foil. In FIG. 1, the pan/lid 10 is oriented so as to be used as a pan and a food product (not shown) may be placed therein.

[0014] The disposable foil pan/lid 10 has a base wall 12, and a continuous and outwardly extending side wall 14 about its respective perimeter. Although pan/lid 10 and its base panels 12 are shown to be generally round in FIGS. 1-4, it is to be understood that other shapes, such as an oval or rectangle (which includes a square), may alternatively be used.

[0015] A rim 16 surrounds the pan/lid 10. The rim 16 extends outwardly from the outer edge 17 of the side wall 14, and extends substantially parallel to the base panel 12. The rim 16 has at least two diametrically disposed handles 18 and 19 extending outwardly therefrom. It is preferred that the handles are identical to each other. Each handle preferably has a male detent 21 and a corresponding female detent 22 that are sized to fit into one another with the male detent of the first handle being diametrically opposite to the female detent of the second handle and the female detent of the first to handle being opposite to the male detent of the second handle. Thus the detents on handle 19 are a mirror image of the detents on handle 18. That is, when referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, when the lid is placed on the pan, the handle 19 of the lid engages handle 18 of the pan and the detent 21 of the handle 18 is in the female detent 22 of the lid handle 19. Likewise, the handle 18 of the lid engages handle 19 of the pan.

[0016] The handles 18 and 19 have a length 23 which is 2-5 inches and a width 24 that is 1-3.5 inches. The detents on each handle are relatively large so the joined pair of pan/lids is relatively stable. The length of the detents are 1.0-3.5 inches and preferably 1.75 to 3.0 inches, their width 0.25 to 0.5 inches, and their depth 0.20 to 0.30 inches.

[0017] A less desirable alternative because it would require more precise manufacturing, would be to have a plurality of female detents on the first handle and a corresponding plurality of male detents on the second handle. Of course any combination of female and male detents on the first handle and corresponding male and female detents on the second handle may be used as long as they are mirror images of each other and permit interchangeability of the pan/lids.

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 2-4, around the perimeter of the rim and handles there is a rolled-over bead 26 that gives the pan/lid a smooth edge. The side wall 14 has the preferred scalloped profile wherein substantially all of the scallops 25 are equal in size. The pan/lid has 14 to 22 scallops. The scalloped side wall 14 of the pan/lid 10 inclines at an angle 31 equal to 45 to 90° and preferably 60 to 80°. The width 29 of the side wall 14 is preferably 1.0 to 5 inches for my pan/lids and more preferably 1.5 to 3.5 inches.

[0019] Referring to the schematic cross-section of FIGS. 5 and 6, a pair of pan/lids 10 are in their joined carrying or cooking position. In FIG. 7, a pair of interchangeable pan/lids are shown in their stacked position.

[0020] The width 27 of the rims 16 is {fraction (3/16)} to ½ inch and preferably between {fraction (3/16)} to ⅜ inches. The outside diameter 28 of pan/lid base wall 12 is generally 5 to 9 inches and when an oval or rectangular, the base wall has an outside central longitudinal dimension or length of 6 to 20 inches and a transverse dimension or width of 4 to 18 inches. My pan/lid may have the rectangular configuration and/or the flutes and/or contours in the base wall as shown in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,293,458 and 5,878,656.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the base wall 12 has raised portions 32 and recessed portions 33. Thus, my pan/lid has as its base, five scalloped circular raised portions and four scalloped circular recessed portions with the area of the raised portions being at least 60 to 75% greater than the area of the recessed portions.

[0022] It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made in the foregoing without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An interchangeable disposable pan/lid having a base wall, an side wall extending from said base wall, a rim surrounding said pan/lid and extending from an outer edge of said side wall, comprising:

a first handle extending from said rim,

a second handle extending from said rim opposite said first handle,

a first orientation and closing mechanism on said first handle,

a second cooperating orientation and closing mechanism on said second handle,

wherein when a pair of pan/lids are joined, the first orientation and closing mechanism on the first handle of one of the pair of pan/lids is engaged with the second orientation and closing mechanism on the second handle of the other pan/lid of the pair of pan/lids.

2. The interchangeable disposable pan/lid of claim 1 wherein said first orientation and closing mechanism on said first handle is male detent,

second first cooperating orientation and closing mechanism on said second handle is a female detent, and

said second male and female detents are sized so that the male detent can fit within the female detent.

3. The interchangeable disposable pan/lid of claim 2 wherein the pan/lid is a pan/lid made from a one-piece aluminum foil.

4. The one-piece interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid of claim 3 wherein, the side wall has a scalloped profile with 14 to 22 scallops of equal size, said sidewall is inclined at an angle of 60 to 80° and the width of said side wall is about 1 to 5 inches.

5. The one-piece interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid of claim 4 wherein, the length of the handles are 2-5 inches and the width of the handles is 1-3.5 inches. The length of the male and female detents is 1.0 to 3.5 inches and the depth of the female detent is 0.20 to 0.30 inches.

6. The one-piece interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid of claim 5 wherein, said base wall has 5 circular scalloped raised portions and 4 circular scalloped recessed portion and wherein the area of the raised circular scalloped portions is at least 60 to 75% greater than the area of the recessed portions.