Cookware having a protective cover
A protective cover for providing a novel and effective means of protecting cookware from damage and that eliminates or reduces the likelihood that cookware will be damaged during storage. The cover comprises two opposite faces permanently joined together to form an inner cavity with an opening extending along part of the common edge to allow insertion and extraction of the cookware. The cavity having at least two compartments therein for allowing separate parts of the cookware to be stored.
The present invention relates to a cookware and, more particularly, to cookware having a protective cover for use in storing the cookware when not in use.
Conventional cookware is generally composed of a container having vertical sidewalls extending upwardly from a bottom surface, an elongated handle, and a lid. High-quality cookware in which heat is transferred uniformly throughout the conductive heat cooking surface, for example iron skillets, aluminum and copper cookware are also well known for cooking. Such cookware often include a non-slip coating on the top surface of the metal cooking surface to prevent the food being cooked or food residue from adhering to the surface. Most non-stick coatings used for cookware work by providing an extremely smooth surface, without surface pockets or indentations, effectively reducing the coefficient of friction of the cooking surface. An example of such a non-stick surface coating is marketed under the trademark TEFLON, which is formed from tetrafluroethylene (TFE) fluorocarbon polymers or fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) resins. One of the short comings of such coatings however is their lack of durability. Many non-stick coatings are relatively soft and can be easily scratched, scraped or otherwise marred.
Conventional cookware is also known to be difficult to stack and store without causing damage to the cooking surfaces. Further, it is often desirable to store cookware on the top of a stove or by hooks attached to racks and many times are used for ornamental purposes. Cookware however after repeated use often looses some of its attractiveness and displaying such cookware is not always desirable. Further, storing various pieces of cookware, many having several pieces, such as a pot and matching lid, in a cabinet, shelf or the like, often results in the pieces becoming separated. Such separation can make it difficult to match related pieces, such as a pan with its corresponding lid.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a cover that would effectively protect cookware from scratches and other damage, that would allow cookware to be easily stacked for storage, keeps related cookware pieces together, and provides an attractive appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to cookware and a protective cover for the cookware that is effective for protecting the cookware from scratches and other damage, that allows the cookware to be easily stacked, keeps related cookware pieces together, and provides an attractive appearance. The protective cookware cover comprises two opposite faces permanently joined along most of their common edge to form an inner cavity with an opening extending along part of the common edge to allow insertion and extraction of the cookware. The cavity having at least two compartments therein which are effective for separating and protecting the individual pieces comprising the cookware.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the protective cover further comprises closure means for closing said opening.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention the protective cover includes a closure means comprising a draw string.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the protective cover includes a closure means comprising a snap connector.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the protective cover includes a closure means comprising hook-and-loop fastener tape.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the faces forming the cover comprises a generally oval portion sized to enclose the base portion of the cookware and a more elongated narrow portion to enclose part or the entire handle of the cookware within the cover.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention the protective cover the compartments are formed from at least one inner panel, wherein said inner panel is flexible to permit the lid to rest within the base portion of the cookware.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention at least one face of the protective cover is padded.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention the protective cover includes a side panel adapted for expanding to accommodate various sizes of cookware.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying, drawings, and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSTo provide a more complete understanding of the present invention and further features and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention relates to cookware covers and more particularly, to a protective cookware cover for protecting cookware from scratches, marring and other damage during storage. The application however, is not intended to be limited by the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.
Referring to
It should be understood that the opening 112 has a diameter sufficient to allow the cookware 110 to be easily inserted into the inner cavity 108. For example, the opening 112 may be a split that extends long the common edge 106 between faces 102 and 104. Once the cookware 110 is inserted into the cavity 108 the opening 112 can be closed, such as shown in
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in
The cover 100, 200 can be made from any suitable material, for example fabric, vinyl, etc. The weight and thickness of the panels may vary depending upon the quality of the product specifically desired, but it should be understood that the thickness should be sufficient to provide structural integrity and wear ability. It should also be understood that the cover can be sized and made in various colors and materials and can be imprinted with predetermined logos and designs and formed in different configurations to accommodate various cookware.
As demonstrated in
Referring to
As shown in
Accordingly, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the cookware having the protective cookware cover is less prone to scratches and other damage, allows the cookware to be easily stacked, keeps related cookware parts together, and provides an attractive appearance.
Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understandings, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as exemplary of the principals of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A protective cover comprising:
- two opposite faces permanently joined along most of their common edge to form an inner cavity with an opening extending along part of said common edge to allow insertion and extraction of the cookware
- wherein said cavity includes at least two separate compartments therein.
2. The protective cover of claim 1 further comprising closure means for closing said opening.
3. The protective cover of claim 2 wherein said closure means comprises a draw string.
4. The protective cover of claim 2 wherein said closure means comprises a snap connector.
5. The protective cover of claim 2 wherein said closure means comprises hook-and-loop fastener tape.
6. The protective cover of claim 1 wherein the cookware includes a base portion and a handle and wherein said faces forming the cover include a generally oval portion sized to enclose the base portion of the cookware and a more elongated narrow portion to enclose part or the entire handle of the cookware within the cover.
7. The protective cover of claim 1 wherein said separate compartments are formed from an inner panel, wherein said inner panel is flexible to permit the lid to rest within the base portion of the cookware.
8. The protective cover of claim 1 wherein at least one of said faces is padded.
9. A protective cover for cookware comprising:
- two opposite faces and a side panel permanently joined together to the peripheries of the faces to form an inner cavity;
- wherein said inner cavity encloses cookware therein; and
- wherein said side panel is adapted for expanding to accommodate various sizes of said cookware; and
- wherein said cavity having at least two compartments, a first compartment for storing the base portion of said cookware and a second compartment for storing the lid of said cookware.
10. The protective cover of claim 9 further comprising closure means for closing said opening.
11. The protective cover of claim 10 wherein said closure means comprises a draw string.
12. The protective cover of claim 10 wherein said closure means comprises a snap connector.
13. The protective cover of claim 10 wherein said closure means comprises hook-and-loop fastener tape.
14. The protective cover of claim 9 wherein said cookware includes a base portion and a handle and wherein said faces forming the cover include a generally oval portion sized to enclose the base portion of said cookware and a more elongated narrow portion to enclose part or the entire handle of said cookware within the cover.
15. A protective cover comprising:
- two opposite faces permanently joined along most of their common edge to form an inner cavity with an opening extending along part of said common edge; and
- cookware positioned within said inner cavity.
16. The protective cover of claim 15 wherein said cavity having a first compartment and a second compartment therein.
17. The protective cover of claim 15 further comprising closure means for closing said opening.
18. The protective cover of claim 15 wherein said cookware includes a base portion and a handle and wherein said faces forming the cover include a generally oval portion sized to enclose the base portion of said cookware and a more elongated narrow portion to enclose part or the entire handle of said cookware within the cover.
19. The protective cover of claim 15 wherein said first compartment and said second compartment is formed from an inner panel, wherein said inner panel is flexible to permit the lid to rest within the base portion of said cookware.
20. The protective cover of claim 15 wherein at least one of said faces is padded.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 18, 2004
Publication Date: May 17, 2007
Inventor: Ted Ness (Belfair, WA)
Application Number: 10/992,562
International Classification: B65D 65/02 (20060101); B65D 85/00 (20060101);