Foods and beverages: apparatus – Cooking – Diverse cooker types
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-22
2001-02-06
Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Cooking
Diverse cooker types
C099S422000, C099S448000, C426S523000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182557
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cooking. More particularly, this invention relates to a device for facilitating the preparation of cooked food items. This invention also relates to an associated method used in cooking.
Anyone who has made a serious attempt at quality cooking knows the inconvenience of preparing small quantities of multiple ingredients requiring different preparation times. Heating ingredients together in a mélange usually results in a less appealing final product than cooking the ingredients separately and combining individually prepared moieties just prior to final presentation, or at another optimum time. Separate preparation of ingredients, however, poses a problem of maintaining already prepared portions in a state of “hot standby” while waiting for further preparation steps, or else involves the nuisance of using separate pans or utensils for small quantities of ingredients. Accordingly, there is a need for a pan or utensil which will independently permit optimum preparation and standby storage of a variety of small ingredient portions.
It is known to provide a cooking surface with multiple cooking temperatures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,827 to Marquez discloses an apparatus for cooking foodstuffs, particularly tortillas, which has a first heating area for cooking a tortilla, and a second heating area for warming a tortilla during a subsequent filling operation. Distinct electric heating elements are provided with separate thermostatic controls under a common cooking surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,388 to Bohl and U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,777 to Hiller disclose a series of frying pans with a cooking surface and one or more “depositing” surfaces, for the warming of food. The depositing surfaces are elevated with respect to the cooking surface and designed not to be in direct contact with a burner element or heat source on an underside. The disclosed pans appear to solve the problem of providing a unified utensil for the cooking and holding of small portions of foodstuffs, but are of specialized construction, and require owners of existing cookware to acquire complete new pans for combining a cooking and warming function.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a device assisting in food preparation.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a device with a surface for holding cooked food at a warm temperature.
A more particular object of the present invention is to provide such a device having such a surface requiring no external power source beyond that which is used for heating existing cooking surfaces.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a device that is simple of manufacture.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide such a device that is convenient of use.
And yet a further object of the present invention is to provide such a device which allows improved use of existing cooking utensils.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the drawings and descriptions herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a device or article of manufacture providing an auxiliary food preparation surface. In particular, the present invention provides an auxiliary preparation surface for use with existing cooking appliances or utensils, for maintaining cooked or partially cooked foodstuffs in a warmed state prior to serving or further processing or preparation steps. This aim is achieved by providing a substantially flat body or article with appropriate surface and bulk properties, for overlay on an pre-existing cooking surface of a pan, griddle or grill.
Pursuant to one embodiment of the present invention, the body member of a food warmer includes: (i) a first or lower surface, suitable for contact with a pre-existing cooking surface of an appliance or utensil; (ii) a second or upper surface, suitable for contact with cooked foodstuffs; and (iii) a bulk thermal conductance suitable for maintaining the upper surface at a correct temperature differential with respect to the lower surface under intended conditions of use.
Preferably, the body member of the food warmer is provided with a device for maintaining the body member in a substantially fixed position with respect to a pre-existing cooking surface, i.e., the body member of the warmer is generally attached to an existing food preparation appliance or utensil so as to be restricted from moving around during use. Optionally, the device for maintaining the body member of the warmer in a substantially fixed position may elevate the body member above an existing cooking or food preparation surface so as to form a shelf In this option, the shelf may further be optionally provided with one or more legs for support and stability. In a further variation, the body member of the food warmer may take the form of a shelf which is suspended or cantilevered from a sidewall of a pan or other existing cooking utensil. The shelf may extend inwardly over the cooking surface of the pan or cooking utensil. Alternatively, the shelf may extend outwardly from the sidewall of the pan or cooking utensil. In this case, the shelf is warmed partially by conduction from the sidewall of the pan or utensil and partially by hot air and gas rising up along the pan or utensil sidewall from a burner or other heating source.
The body member of a food warmer in accordance with the present invention, particularly where the body member has a flat upper surface, may be provided with a lip or berm an edge of the upper surface to aid in confining cooked or partially cooked foodstuff to the upper surface.
The present invention optionally incorporates a handle for facilitating a lifting the body member of the warmer from a heated cooking surface and facilitating a transfer of cooked or partially cooked foodstuffs from the heated cooking surface to another location for further processing or preparation steps. A food warmer in accordance with the present invention additional optionally incorporates one or more hooks, clamps or brackets for attachment to a side-wall or lip of an existing cooking utensil or appliance. Many types of clips, thumbscrews, hanging brackets and other attachment mechanisms will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the mechanical arts.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2493222 (1950-01-01), Braucht
patent: 2897744 (1959-08-01), Crowley
patent: 4462388 (1984-07-01), Bohl et al.
patent: 4574777 (1986-03-01), Bohl et al.
patent: 4691690 (1987-09-01), Jensen
patent: 4987827 (1991-01-01), Marquez
patent: 5048688 (1991-09-01), Hicks, Jr.
patent: 5323693 (1994-06-01), Collard et al.
patent: 5678531 (1997-10-01), Byers et al.
patent: 5913966 (1999-06-01), Arnone et al.
Alexander Reginald L.
Coleman Henry D.
Sapone William J.
Sudol R. Neil
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