AU2006101105A4 - A lid attachment device - Google Patents

Abstract

A lid attachment device for a cooking vessel such as a pot or pan, the device including a body adapted to releasably engage a portion of the cooking vessel, an arm having a first end that extends from the body. The arm is adapted to 5 support the lid at or toward a second end thereof so that when the body of the device engages the cooking vessel, the lid is retained in a closed position with respect to the cooking vessel.

Description

56378 PAB:FKD P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: DOUGLAS NORMAN TRENHAM Actual Inventor(s): DOUGLAS NORMAN TRENHAM Address for Service: COLLISON & CO., 117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: A LID ATTACHMENT DEVICE Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): Australian Patent Application No. 2005902818 Dated 1 June 2005 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 1 TITLE A Lid Attachment Device TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a lid attachment device for a cooking vessel, 5 such as a pot or pan. BACKGROUND ART Cooking vessels such as pots and pans are frequently used for heating and boiling liquids, such as water. Cooking vessels of this type usually employ a lid that rests in an uppermost opening of the vessel during cooking. A problem with 10 lids of this type is that they can be easily dislodged by the fluid if they boil over, allowing messy spills; much worse still are the severe burns that can result if a cooking vessel of this type is knocked over, and the lid releases its boiling contents onto a person. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lid attachment 15 device that substantially ameliorates the aforementioned problems, or at the very least provides the public with a useful alternative to the cooking vessels and lids therefore, of the prior art. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying 20 drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

2 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In one form of this invention, there is proposed a lid attachment device for a cooking vessel such as a pot or pan, the device including a body adapted to releasably engage a portion of the cooking vessel, an arm having a first end that 5 extends from the body, the arm being adapted to support the lid at or toward a second end thereof so that when the body of the device engages the cooking vessel the lid is retained in a closed position with respect to the cooking vessel. Preferably, the cooking vessel has a handle, and the body of the attachment device is adapted to engage the handle. 10 Preferably, the handle has an aperture in or through it, and a portion of the body is adapted to be accepted by the aperture. Preferably, the aperture is a blind hole including means to retain the portion of the body inserted therein. Preferably, the portion of the body to be inserted into the aperture is metallic, 15 and the means to retain this portion is a magnet. Preferably, the remainder of the body is made from an insulating material. Preferably, the arm is adapted to retain the lid at or near the centre of the lid. Preferably, the arm is attached to the lid. Preferably, the lid is retained such that it is positioned substantially below a rim 20 of the cooking vessel. In a further form, the invention may be said to lie in a lid attachment device for a cooking vessel, such as a pot or pan, the device including a body, a portion of which is adapted to be inserted into an aperture in or through a portion of the cooking vessel, an arm having a first end that extends from the body, the arm supporting the lid for the cooking vessel at a second end, the aperture in the portion of the cooking vessel including means to retain the portion of the body inserted therein, and the lid thereby, so that when the body of the device 5 engages the cooking vessel the lid is retained in a closed position with respect to the cooking vessel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described with respect to the preferred embodiment which shall be described herein with the 10 assistance of drawings wherein; Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of a cooking vessel with a lid that is retained by the attachment device, Figure 1 showing the lid and lid attachment device fitted to the pot, and Figure 2 showing the lid and lid attachment device removed from the pot; and 15 Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through the cooking vessel in Figure 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to Figure 1, where there is a cooking vessel, which is in this case a pot 1, with an elongate handle 2 extending there from. 20 There is a lid attachment device 4 having a body 6 engaging the handle 2 of the pot 1, an arm 8 having a first end 8a that extends from the body 6, the arm supporting the lid 10 for the pot 1 at a second end 8b. The handle 2 of the pot 1 is made from plastic, and has a blind hole 12 formed into it. Moulded into the handle at the bottom of the hole is a magnet 14.

4 The arm 8 and the majority of the body 6 of the lid attachment device 4 are integrally moulded from plastic, because it is insulating. A portion of the body 16, this being a portion that is adapted to be inserted into the hole 12 in the handle, is metallic. These plastic portions of the lid attachment device are 5 moulded to this metallic portion 16. The body portion includes an integrally moulded handle 18 that defines an aperture into which a user can insert a finger or fingers of a hand, so that they can grasp the handle 2 of the pot 1 with one hand, and the handle 18 of the lid attachment device 4 with the other, giving them much needed control over both 10 whilst they remove and fit the lid. The handle 18 extends from the opposite side of the body 6 to the arm 8. An advantage of positioning the handle 18 in this fashion is that the hand and forearm of the user are kept away from steam vapours that may be released from the pot 1 when the lid 10 and lid attachment device 4 are removed. 15 In use, the pot 1 is filled with the liquid to be heated, and the lid 10 is then aligned with the opening to the pot, while the metallic portion 16 of the body is simultaneously aligned with the hole 12 in the handle. The metallic portion 16 is then inserted into the hole 12 until it is retained by the attraction of the magnet 14. In this inserted position, the lid is retained such that it sits below the rim of 20 the pot. The strength of the magnet 14 should be such that the lid 10 cannot be dislodged by pot contents that boil over, or by the pressure of fluid against the lid that is created if the pot is inadvertently tipped over. That is not to say that the magnet 14 is all that is retaining the lid attachment device 4 to the pot 1 in 25 the event that the pot is tipped, in fact the geometry of the arrangement is such that when the weight of the pots contents are brought to bear against the underside of the lid 10, this further causes the portion of the body inserted into the hole 12 in the handle 2 of the pot to attempt to dig itself into the side of the 5 hole. This is due to the fact that the hole 12 is located a distance from the lid 10, creating a moment or lever arm and a turning moment about the hole 12 that is countered by an equal and opposite moment where the end of the portion of the body inserted into the hole bears against the hole sidewall. 5 So while the magnet plays a part in retaining the lid attachment device, the strength of the magnet should not be so great that an adult cannot remove the lid attachment device when holding the pot and lid attachment device in the manner described above. The lid 10 of the pot 1 has a concentric recess 20 formed into it. A series of 10 slots or holes 22 pass through the lid 10 in the region of this recess 20. The purpose of these holes 22 is to release pressure build up in the pot caused by the creation of steam as water boils. These holes also permit the return of water to the pot should it boil and the pot be removed from the hotplate as a result. In this embodiment, the lid 10 has been adapted for permanent attachment to 15 the arm 8 of the lid attachment device 4 via means of a mechanical fastener. It would be understood by a person skilled in the art however that the arm could be adapted to be securely and releasably attached to a lid that is already equipped with a handle, via the handle of the lid for instance. In a further form, the means to retain the portion of the body inserted in the hole 20 in the handle might be a simple mechanical interlock operated by a button on the handle of the lid attachment device. An advantage of such an arrangement is that the lid attachment device could be removed from the pot by simply pressing the button in the handle, instead of having to rely upon a degree of physical strength. 25 This mechanical interlock may take the form of a spring-clip located within the hole in the handle, this spring-clip being adapted to releasably engage a slot formed in the body of the lid attachment device.

6 It is considered that the lid attachment device according to the present invention would be of particular use to those who have been inconvenienced by a pot boiling over, or to those with children, who may be concerned about the dangers associated with boiling water or other liquids in pots. 5 Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognised that departures can be made within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details described herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the appended claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and 10 apparatus.

Claims (13)

1. A lid attachment device for a cooking vessel such as a pot or pan, the device including a body adapted to releasably engage a portion of the cooking vessel, an arm having a first end that extends from the body, the arm being 5 adapted to support the lid at or toward a second end thereof so that when the body of the device engages the cooking vessel the lid is retained in a closed position with respect to the cooking vessel.

2. The lid attachment device as in the immediately preceding claim further characterised in that the cooking vessel has a handle, and the body of the 10 attachment device is adapted to engage the handle.

3. The lid attachment device as in either one of the preceding claims further characterised in that the arm is fixed to the lid.

4. The lid attachment device as in either one of claims 1 or 2 further characterised in that the arm is removably attached to the lid. 15

5. The lid attachment device as in any one of the preceding claims further characterised in that the handle of the cooking vessel has an aperture in or through it, and a portion of the body is adapted to be accepted by the aperture.

6. The lid attachment device as in any one of the preceding claims further characterised in that the aperture is a blind hole including means to retain the 20 portion of the body inserted therein.

7. The lid attachment device as in any one of the preceding claims further characterised in that the portion of the body to be inserted into the aperture is metallic, and the means to retain this portion is a magnet. 8

8. The lid attachment device as in any one of the preceding claims further characterised in that the remainder of the body is made from an insulating material.

9. The lid attachment device as in any one of the preceding claims further 5 characterised in that the body portion includes an integrally moulded handle.

10. The lid attachment device as in any one of the preceding claims further characterised in that the arm is adapted to retain the lid at or near the centre of the lid.

11. The lid attachment device as in any one of the preceding claims further 10 characterised in that the lid is retained such that it is positioned substantially below a rim of the cooking vessel.

12. A lid attachment device for a cooking vessel, such as a pot or pan, the device including a body, a portion of which is adapted to be inserted into an aperture in or through a portion of the cooking vessel, an arm having a first end 15 that extends from the body, the arm supporting the lid for the cooking vessel at a second end, the aperture in the portion of the cooking vessel including means to retain the portion of the body inserted therein, and the lid thereby so that when the body of the device engages the cooking vessel the lid is retained in a closed position with respect to the cooking vessel. 20

13. A lid attachment device for a cooking vessel substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying representations. Dated this 3 0 th day of May 2006 25 DOUGLAS NORMAN TRENHAM By his Patent Attorneys, COLLISON & CO