Cooking caddy
A kitchen cooking apparatus which allows the cook a convenient area to place his or her cooking pot or pan covers during the cooking process or when not cooking a place to store pot or pan covers. The device consists of a frame pivotally connected to at least one pot cover support which is connected to at least two pot cover support legs which are movable between a fully expanded position and a fully collapsed position. The apparatus has a removable drip tray for catching and holding cooking juices during the cooking process, which doubles as place to hold cooking utensils. Upon completion of the cooking the drip tray can be removed and the apparatus either left open for cover storage or snapped shut for drawer storage.
This invention relates to a cooking caddy and more particularly, to a useful kitchen small appliance that will receive and hold hot and messy pot covers in a convenient fashion. The caddy will easily store in a drawer or on a wall.
When cooking over a hot stove with pots and pans, the cook almost always utilizes pot covers with handles thereon to assist in the cooking process. Such covers aid in retaining moisture during the cooking process and permit food to be slowly simmered.
Problematically, when the cook wishes to inspect the food within the pot or pan, she or he is required to remove the pot cover for the inspection. A significant problem exists as to what to do with the extremely hot cover typically loaded with hot moisture droplets or remnants of hot food on the covers underside. To date cooks have simply laid the covers onto counters, on paper towels or placed the covers in sinks. Such efforts result in leaving moisture and food debris at the cover set down location. Sometimes this effort often result in the cook burning himself or herself during this operation.
There is a need for a cooking caddy that can be located portably adjacent to the hot stove for temporary holding or permanent storage of the cooking covers and temporary utensil storage during and after cooking.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn apparatus for supporting pot covers includes a frame movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position; at least one pot cover support connected to at least two pot cover support legs pivotally connected to the frame. The pot cover support has at least one pot cover knob support and/or a pot cover handle support.
A principal object and advantage of the invention is that it safely supports hot, messy pot covers during cooking operations allowing the hot dripping juices to drip into a removable drip tray without making a mess on the stove, sink or countertop and without fear of burning the cook.
Another object and advantage of the present invention is that it folds compactly when not in use or if one chooses, remains upright for extended cover storage.
The present invention is an apparatus 10 for supporting pot covers. Turning to
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On the underside of side rail 12 and 13 the front aperture hole 25 is covered by a snap-in plug made out of silicone which doubles as a non-slip foot while the underside of aperture 26 is left exposed or alternatively, for decorative purposed covered with the use of any material affixed with adhesive.
Pot cover supports 16 and 16A along with pot cover support legs 17 and 18 could also be made out of steel, other than stainless or aluminum of which both may be left uncoated or coated with plastic or another material which would enhance appearance and inhibit rusting or oxidizing.
Also, the pot cover support 16 and 16A as well as the pot cover support legs 17 and 18 could be made out of various forms of plastic which may not be as strong as stainless steel or some other types of metals, coated or uncoated.
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To cover the undersides of aperture 25 in the front end of side rail 12 and 13, a silicone snap-in foot 32 is inserted also functions as a non-slip protective foot. The snap-in foot 32 is made out of silicone rubber. However, it could also be made out of various forms of rubber. Other than the non-slip snap-in silicone foot, one could cover apertures 25 by affixing a piece of rubber, cork, felt or other material with an adhesive type material.
The back end of side rail 12 and 13 fit together with each end of back cross link 15. The back end of side rail 12 and 13 each have an aperture 35. The ends of back cross link 15 each have an aperture 28. When the back ends of side rail 12 and 13 are fitted together with each end of back cross link 15 the apertures 35 of side rail 12 and 13 and the apertures 28 of back cross link 15 align. Once together, the back end of side rail 12 and 13 and each end of back cross link 15 are held together by inserting from the underside of apertures 35 a connecting pin 56 that transversing through apertures 28 on each end of back cross link 15 and aperture 35 on each end of cross link 15 without penetrating through the top surface of either side rail 12 or 13. The connecting pins 56 are held in place and not allowed to fall out of the apertures on the back end of side rails 12 and 13 by inserting from the bottom a silicone snap-in foot 32 which also acts as a non-slip rubber foot. The snap-in foot 32 could also be made out of various forms of rubber or other materials that would still allow it to be snapped into the aperture. As with aperture 26, in place of snap-in foot 32, apertures 35 could be covered by the use of a piece of rubber, cork, felt or other material that if affixed by some form of adhesive.
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Claims
1. The Cooking Caddy apparatus is used for supporting pot covers which comprise a formed frame movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position, which receives a removable utensil tray and one or more wire pot cover supports pivotally connected to the frame wherein the one or more wire pot cover supports further comprise two wire pot cover support legs pivotally engaging the frame of which at least one pot cover support further holds in an extended fashion over the removable drip tray a pot cover knob or a pot cover handle.
2. As is claimed in claim 1 whereas a frame has two side rails which are pivotally attached to a front and back cross link which when attached are movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position.
3. As is claimed in claim 2 whereas incorporates into the back end of each one of two side rails and each end of the back cross link a connecting pin which penetrates an aperture in the back end of each one of the two side rails and each end the back cross link.
4. As is claimed in claim 3 whereas the connecting pin penetrating each one of two back side rails and are prevented from falling out of the bottom of each one of two back side rails by the use of a snap-in rubber assembly which fits into the bottom of the aperture on the bottom of each one of two side rails which additionally function as a non-slip protective foot.
5. As claimed in claim 1 whereas the two side rails and one front rail are connected together by two pot cover support legs of one pot cover support with one of two pot cover support legs penetrating an aperture in the front end of each one of two side rails and each end of the front cross link with the other pot cover support leg penetrating a aperture in the front of the other parallel running side rail and simularily penetrating the aperture of the front cross link securely connecting said cross rails and cross link and allowing said cross links and cross link to pivot between a fully expanded and fully collapsed position.
6. As claimed in claim 4 whereas the two pot cover support legs are prevented from penetrating completely through the front aperture of each of two parallel side rails\by incorporation of a lego style snap-in part which snaps into place on the inside of each of one of two parallel side rails and rest directly under and in line with each corresponding pot cover support leg.
7. As claimed in claim 5 whereas each of lego style snap-in part fitted within the inside of each parallel side rail has a recessed cupped area large enough to allow each of one of two pot cover support legs to be held in place with free pivot capacity.
8. As claimed in claim 1 whereas a second pot support incorporating two pot cover support legs is connected to the frame.
9. As claimed in claim 8 whereas each the pot cover support leg penetrates each one of two side rails through an aperture in each one of two side rails in a manner allowing the pot cover support to pivot between a fully collapsed and fully expanded position in a like manner identical with any other pot cover supports.
10. As is claimed in claim 9 wherein each of said pot cover support legs is kept from penetrating through the aperture incorporated in each one of two side rails with the incorporation of a lego type snap-in part housed within the inside of one of two side rails.
11. As is claimed in claim 10 wherein each one of two lego type snap-in parts has a recessed cupped area large enough to allow each of one of two pot cover support legs to rest within in and as such prevent each one of two pot cover supports legs from penetrating the bottom of each one of two side rails.
12. As is claimed in claim 1 wherein the removable utensil tray slides between the one of two side rails when the one of two side rails incorporated with the front and back cross links are in a fully expanded position.
13. As is claimed in claim 1 whereas the removable utensil tray is compartmentalized to hold all types of messy cooking utensils whether independently of the Cooking Caddy frame or by being slid into the inside side rail grooves of the fully expanded frame as a drip tray and holder of all messy utensils.
14. As is claimed in claim 1 the formed frame is made out of plastic.
15. As is claimed in claim 1 the formed frame is made out of steel coated or uncoated with plastic.
16. As is claimed in claim 1 there are two pot cover supports.
17. As is claimed in claim 1 the one or more pot cover supports and pot cover support legs are made out of stainless steel.
18. As is claimed in claim 1 the one or more pot cover supports and pot cover support legs are made out of steel coated or uncoated with plastic.
19. As claimed in claim 1 the one or more pot cover supports and pot cover support legs are made out of plastic.
20. As claimed in claim 1 the one or more pot cover support and pot cover support legs are made out of aluminum coated or uncoated with plastic.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 16, 2007
Publication Date: Oct 16, 2008
Inventors: Kenneth L. Kasden (Sturgeon Lake, MN), Brad L. Waldack (Brund, MN)
Application Number: 11/787,462