Container lid supporter
The present invention provides a container lid supporter that is independently mounted on and removed from containers or pots and absolves the cook or user from manually holding the lid. The supporter comprises an arm segment, a concave support segment located between the ends of the upper edges of the arm segment and a leg segment located at the lower ends of the lower edges of the arm segment. The container lid supporter may further comprise connection means, or fastening means or both that connect and fasten the leg segment of the supporter, and bumpers located on the arm or leg segments and above the connection or fastening means.
The present invention relates to supporters for container lids, and in particular to supporters for pot lids that are opened during cooking, service or any other process or use.
BACKGROUNDThe current experience in cooking practice, in particular in home cooking requires frequent removal of pot lids from their fixed place over the pot top opening in order to check on the dish cooked, mix it, taste its flavor or add further ingredients to it. One major problem encountered in this practice, that current cookware has not yet fully overcome, is that such pot or container lids are not user-friendly designed. This is expressed in the inconvenience in either occupying one hand in holding the lid that is removed during cooking, or partially uncovering the pot by removing the lid and placing it over only part of the pot opening in an unsafe, unstable position. The current different cookware that is offered in order to absolve the user from such inconvenience and allow her freer and more controllable handling of the cooking, concentrates on fixed or single-unit solutions. Such solutions may be either a fixed connection of the lid to the pot using hinges that enable the lid a full opening. The lid may then further be supported by a rod if a partial opening is required. Another solution is a single-unit vessel wherein the supporter forms a single piece with the handle of the lid and has a tail that slides inside the pot handle, thereby fixing the lid in an opened position.
Such cookware provides only partial solutions to the problems that are encountered daily during cooking. Further to that, their employment is limited only to a single container or pot or to same such containers. This in turn puts heavier burden on household expenses, should the purchase of more than one pot is required.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide container lid supporter that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide container lid supporter that is independently mounted on and removed from containers or pots.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide container lid supporter that absolves the cook or user from manually holding the lid.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container lid supporter that enables safe and stable opening of the lid.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container lid supporter that is not permanently fixed or attached either to the container or lid.
This and other objects of the present invention shall become apparent as the description proceeds.
The present invention provides a container lid supporter comprising: (a) an arm segment; (b) a concave support segment located between the ends of the upper edges of the arm segment; and (c) a leg segment located at the lower ends of the lower edges of the arm segment.
In one aspect of the present invention is provided a container lid supporter, further comprising (d) connection means, or fastening means or both, that connect and fasten the leg segment of the supporter; and (e) bumpers located on the arm or leg segments and above the connection or fastening means.
In one particular embodiment the present invention provides a container lid supporter where the leg segment comprises elastic legs, and the connection means is a spring that connects the legs one to the other.
In another particular embodiment of the present invention is provided a container lid supporter, where the leg segment comprises two elastic legs, the fastening means is a fastener attached to the legs, the fastener comprises a clip attached to one leg and a knob attached to the other leg, and fastens the legs one to the other by locking the clip around the knob.
In still another embodiment the present invention provides a container lid supporter where the leg segment comprises two elastic legs, the connection means is a spring that connects the legs one to the other and a fastener, the fastener comprises a clip attached to one leg and a knob attached to the other leg of the supporter, and fastens the legs one to the other by locking the clip around said knob.
In one aspect the present invention the container lid supporter of the present invention comprises arm segment that comprises inclined or straight arms or arms extended outward of the center of the container lid supporter.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the container lid supporter comprises leg segment that comprises legs that are bent one towards the other and are located one relative to the other at different latitudes, where the free edges of the legs are parallel one to the other forming a gap between them. The gap is equal to or smaller than the thickness of a rod-like shape container handle. Preferably the legs are formed of elastic material and the gap is adjusted to the thickness of the rod-like shape container handle.
In one aspect of the present invention, at least the arm segment of the container lid supported comprises at least arms that are telescopic comprising at least one hollow cylinder, where the first cylinder has diameter smaller than the other cylinder, and the first cylinder is allowed to slide inside the other cylinder along the length of the other cylinder. The other cylinder is hollow and has diameter greater than the diameter of the first cylinder.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the telescopic arms of the container lid supporter further comprise one or more wings that are located along the length of the outer surface of the first cylinder, and are in compressed state between the outer surface of the first cylinder and the inner surface of the other cylinder. The wings are released when the other cylinder is pulled, and support the other cylinder.
In still another embodiment of tile present invention, the wings are connected with springs to the outer surface of the first cylinder.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the inner first cylinder of the telescopic arm is pulled out of the other outer cylinder.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the legs of the container lid supporter are telescopic and comprise at least two cylinders, where at least the outer cylinder is hollow and the inner cylinder is pulled out of the outer cylinder or the outer cylinder is pulled exposing the inner cylinder.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the outer surface of the first cylinder of the telescopic arms or legs of a container lid supporter rubs against the inner surface of the other cylinder, where the first cylinder is allowed to slide along the length of the other cylinder and remain in extended state by the friction between its outer surface and the inner surface of the other cylinder.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the container lid supporter comprises telescopic arms or legs or both, where the inner cylinder is pulled and the outer cylinder remains in its original position.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the arms of the arm segment of the container lid supporter are two inclined arms, and the legs of the leg segment are two elastic legs and cross each other when slid through a closed area formed by an ear-shaped handle and the outer surface of a container.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the arms of the arms segment of the container lid supporter are two straight arms, and the legs of the legs segment are two straight legs, and where the container lid supporter further comprises extensions perpendicular to the arms and legs and located between the arms and legs.
In still another embodiment, the container lid supporter of the present invention, further comprises extensions that are extended out of to the legs of the leg segment, and each extension is U-shaped with a width equal to or larger than the thickness of an ear-shape handle attached to the outer surface of a container. Preferably the extensions are clips that lock on the container handle or are made of elastic material that is stretched over the container handle.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the container lid supporter comprises a leg segment that is a single unit U-shaped, and comprises an upper part and a lower part, where the upper part is bent 90 degrees relative to the lower part. The arm segment contains two arms that are curved and extended outward of the center of the container lid supporter.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the container lid supporter further comprises a knob or knobs located at the lower end of the edges of the leg segment.
In one aspect of the present invention, tie each segment of the container lid supporter is independently made of elastic or inelastic material.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the material of which each segment of the container lid supporter is independently selected from single metal, an alloy of metals, a synthetic material, or a combination of metal and synthetic material.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the container lid supporter is made of a material selected from iron, copper, aluminum, brass, ceramic materials, silicon, silicon polymers, thermoplastic polymers, thermoset polymers or combination thereof. Preferably the thermoplastic polymers are selected from, fluoroethylene polymers, nylon polymers preferably nylon 6,6 polymer, rubber polymers, methyl vinyl acetate polymer, olefin polymers, preferably polyethylene and polypropylene, polyurethane and any combination or mixture thereof.
In still another embodiment of the present invention the ceramic materials are selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon carbide, toughened zirconia, zirconia-toughened alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon-carbide-whisker-reinforced alumina, carbon-fiber-reinforced glass ceramic, silicon-carbide-fiber-reinforced and silicon carbide.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, each segment of the container lid supporter may be independently made of a material that possesses magnetic properties.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, each segment may be independently made of a combination of ceramic and polymeric materials.
In one preferred embodiment the container lid supporter is made of ceramic material enclosed within a polymeric material.
In one aspect of the present invention, the container lid supporter is formed as a single mold or piece of material.
In one particular embodiment of the present invention, the container lid supporter is obtained by injection molding.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the container lid supporter may be hollow or solid.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the container lid supporter is employed in providing support to pot lids, in particular during cooking or serving.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSSuch supporter may be formed as a single mould or as a fusion or attachment of its different segments one to the other.
In
The supporter may be partly or completely elastic, namely each of its segments may possess a certain degree of elasticity depending on the material of which they are made and other physical and geometrical characteristics as thickness and curvature.
A different means for locking the supporter legs in a fixed position is illustrated in
As illustrated above in the particular case of the leg segment, the relative angle between the parts of each segment of the supporter may vary.
Current cookware offers various types of containers or pots, differing one from the other, inter alia, in the shape of the handle of the container. In general a container handle may be ear- or ring-shaped, or alternatively rod-shaped, and
It should be noted in this regard, that materials having some degree of elasticity are in particular suited for a support as illustrated in
A further means that secures the supporter from sliding completely through the closed area is illustrated in bumpers (76). Such means physically lean on the top surface of the container handle, thus preventing it from sliding beyond their position on the arm (75). In particular, the bumpers (76) may further have clips for attaching them to the arms (75) and be relocated accordingly. Alternatively, the bumpers (76) may be adhered to the arms (76), or molded as a single unit with the arms (75).
Another technical problem that the present invention overcomes is the adjustment of the container lid supporter to the dimensions of the container and lid.
As indicated above,
Various variations may be carried out with the telescopic supporter. One variation is that the legs and not arms are telescopic, or that both are telescopic. Another variation is that the telescopic arms or legs contain more than two cylinders. Still another variation is that the outer and inner cylinders are held one against each other by the force of friction allowing the elongation of the supporter to be determined only by the distance of pulling. Alternatively, the telescopic arms may be provided with intermediate wings along the outer surface of the inner cylinders. The wings are pressed between the outer and inner cylinders and are liberated during elongation of the arms. Securing the elongated states of the arms or legs is then enabled while the outer cylinders are fixed in place by leaning on the wings. The number of wings may also vary. In still another variation, the concave support is attached to the inner cylinders on both ends and is pulled with them with the elongation of the arms or legs of the supporter.
Any of the connection or fastening means illustrated in the figures and described above or any additional component that is added to the basic inclined or straight arms supporter may be employed in each of the different kinds of supporters. Accordingly, the knobs attached to the legs of inclined arms supporter, may also be employed to a supporter having straight arms. Also, any of the connection or fastening means for connecting the supporter legs to each other or the supporter legs to the container handle may be applied in any of the types of the container lid supporter described above.
In addition, the arm segments in any of the types of supporters illustrated in the figures and described above may be telescopic, namely comprised of hollow cylinders in which one cylinder having certain diameter is allowed to slide inside another cylinder along its length, where the other cylinder has a larger diameter. Such telescopic system may contain two or more cylinders, and further may contain intermediate wings along the length of the cylinder system, thereby allowing the length of the arms to vary by locking the cylinder at fixed points. Accordingly, the supporter may be adjusted to different dimensions of containers and lids.
The shapes of the different segments of the supporter of the present invention also encompass arm segments that extend outward from the supporter center, and a single unit leg segment.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. Container lid supporter comprising: (a) an arm segment; (b) a concave support segment located between the ends of the upper edges of said arm segment; and (c) a leg segment located at the lower ends of the lower edges of said arm segment.
2. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, further comprising (d) connection means, or fastening means or both, that connect and fasten the leg segment of the supporter; and (e) bumpers located on said arm or leg segments and above said connection or fastening means.
3. Container lid supporter according to claim 2, wherein said leg segment comprises elastic legs, said connection means is a spring that connects said legs one to the other.
4. Container lid supporter according to claim 2, wherein said leg segment comprises two elastic legs, said fastening means is a fastener attached to said legs, said fastener comprises a clip attached to one leg and a knob attached to the other leg, and fastens said legs one to the other by locking said clip around said knob.
5. Container lid supporter according to claim 2, wherein said leg segment comprises two elastic legs, said connection means is a spring that connects said legs one to the other and a fastener, said fastener comprises a clip attached to one leg and a knob attached to the other leg of the supporter, and fastens said legs one to the other by locking said clip around said knob.
6. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein said arm segment comprises inclined or straight arms or arms extended outward of the center of the container lid supporter.
7. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein said leg segment comprises legs that are bent one towards the other and are located one relative to the other at different latitudes, wherein the free edges of said legs are parallel one to the other forming a gap between them, said gap is equal to or smaller than the thickness of a rod-like shaped container handle, preferably said legs are formed of elastic material and said gap is adjusted to the thickness of said rod-like shaped container handle.
8. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein at least the arm segment comprises arms that are telescopic, said arms comprising at least one hollow cylinder, wherein the first cylinder has diameter smaller than the other cylinder, and the first cylinder is allowed to slide inside the other cylinder along the length of the other cylinder, said other cylinder is hollow and has diameter greater than the diameter of said first cylinder.
9. Container lid supporter according to claim 8, wherein the telescopic arms further comprise one or more wings, said wings are located along the length of the outer surface of the first cylinder, and are in compressed state between the outer surface of said first cylinder and the inner surface of the second cylinder, said wings are released when said second cylinder is pulled, and support said second cylinder.
10. Container lid supporter according to claim 9, wherein said wings are connected with springs to the outer surface of the first cylinder.
11. Container lid supporter according to claim 8, wherein the outer surface of the first cylinder rubs against the inner surface of the other cylinder, wherein the first cylinder allows sliding along the length of the other cylinder and remain in extended state by the friction between its outer surface and the inner surface of the other cylinder.
12. Container lid supporter according to claim 8, wherein the first cylinder is pulled and the other cylinder remains in its original position.
13. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein the arms of said arm segment are two inclined arms, and the legs of said leg segment are two elastic legs and cross each other when slid through a closed area formed by an ear-shaped handle and the outer surface of a container.
14. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein the arms of said arms segment are two straight arms, and the legs of said legs segment are two straight legs, and wherein said container lid supporter further comprising extensions perpendicular to said arms and legs and located between said arms and legs.
15. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, further comprising extensions extended out of the legs of the leg segment, each extension is U-shaped with a width equal to or larger than the thickness of an ear-shaped handle attached to the outer surface of a container, preferably said extensions are clips that lock on the container handle or are made of elastic material that is stretched over the container handle.
16. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein the leg segment is a single unit U-shaped comprising an upper part and a lower part, said upper part is bent 90 degrees relative to the lower part, and wherein the arm segment contains two arms that are curved and extended outward of the center of the container lid supporter.
17. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, further comprising a knob or knobs located at the lower end of the edges of the leg segment.
18. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein each segment of said supporter is independently made of elastic or inelastic material.
19. Container lid supporter according to claim 18, wherein said material is selected from single metal, an alloy of metals, a synthetic material, or a combination of metal and synthetic material.
20. Container lid supporter according to claim 19, wherein said supporter is made of a material selected from iron, copper, aluminum, brass, ceramic materials, silicon, silicon polymers, thermoplastic polymers, thermoset polymers or combination thereof, preferably said thermoplastic polymers are selected from, fluoroethylene polymers, nylon polymers preferably nylon 6,6 polymer, rubber polymers, methyl vinyl acetate polymer, olefin polymers, preferably polyethylene and polypropylene, polyurethane and any combination or mixture thereof.
21. Container lid supporter according to claim 20, wherein said ceramic materials are selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon carbide, toughened zirconia, zirconia-toughened alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon-carbide-whisker-reinforced alumina, carbon-fiber-reinforced glass ceramic, silicon-carbide-fiber-reinforced and silicon carbide.
22. Container lid supporter according to claim 20, wherein each segment of the supporter is independently made of a combination of ceramic and polymeric materials.
23. Container lid supporter according to claim 21 wherein the container lid supporter is made of ceramic material enclosed within a polymeric material.
24. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein each segment of the container lid supporter is independently made of a material that possesses magnetic properties.
25. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein said supporter is formed as a single mold or piece of material.
26. Container lid supporter according to claim 25, wherein said supporter is obtained by injection molding.
27. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein said supporter may be hollow or solid.
28. Container lid supporter according to claim 1, wherein said supporter is employed in providing support to pot lids, in particular during cooking or serving.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 21, 2009
Publication Date: Oct 21, 2010
Inventor: Udi Menashe (Pardess Channa)
Application Number: 12/386,534
International Classification: A47B 96/06 (20060101); A47F 5/00 (20060101);