U.S. patent application number 14/722614 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-03 for cooking pan system having foldable handle.
The applicant listed for this patent is Dong Woo LEE, Min Gyu PARK. Invention is credited to Dong Woo LEE, Min Gyu PARK.
Application Number | 20150342386 14/722614 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53033820 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150342386 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LEE; Dong Woo ; et
al. |
December 3, 2015 |
COOKING PAN SYSTEM HAVING FOLDABLE HANDLE
Abstract
A cooking system comprises: a pan; a support having a neck and a
ball attached through the neck to the pan, the ball having a
protrusion and an elongate opening to receive a pin rod having
inflated ends; a cover unit rotatably covering the ball and having
a first and second cover, the first cover having an arc opening to
receive and rotatably guide the protrusion in the arc opening; an
elastic media provided between the first and second covers to
elastically contain the rod in the elongate opening of the ball;
and a handle extending from a selected one of the first and second
covers, the rod ends being manually pulled out of the ball against
elastic pushing of the elastic media.
Inventors: |
LEE; Dong Woo; (Busan,
KR) ; PARK; Min Gyu; (Busan, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LEE; Dong Woo
PARK; Min Gyu |
Busan
Busan |
|
KR
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
53033820 |
Appl. No.: |
14/722614 |
Filed: |
May 27, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/573.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2525/283 20130101;
A47J 27/002 20130101; A47J 36/34 20130101; B65D 25/28 20130101;
A47J 36/06 20130101; B65D 2525/286 20130101; A47J 45/061
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47J 27/00 20060101
A47J027/00; A47J 36/34 20060101 A47J036/34; B65D 25/28 20060101
B65D025/28; A47J 36/06 20060101 A47J036/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 29, 2014 |
KR |
10-2014-0065133 |
Claims
1. A cooking system, comprising: a pan for cooking food; a support
having a neck and a ball, wherein the ball is attached through the
neck to the pan, wherein the ball has a protrusion and an elongate
opening to receive a pin rod having inflated ends; a cover unit
rotatably covering the ball and having a first and second cover,
wherein the first cover has an arc opening to receive and rotatably
guide the protrusion in the arc opening; an elastic media provided
between the first and second covers to elastically contain the rod
in the elongate opening of the ball so as to maintain the cooking
system in a cooking mode; and a handle extending from a selected
one of the first and second covers, wherein the rod ends are
manually pulled out of the ball against elastic pushing of the
elastic media and the handle is subsequently rotated to a
predetermined degree and folded toward a side of the pan so as to
switch the cooking system to a storage mode.
2. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the support has a base
plate fixed to the pan.
3. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the pan is substantially
circular.
4. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the neck and the ball are
formed of a metallic material.
5. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the inflated rod ends are
each formed in an oval shape to stay out of the cover unit in the
cooking mode.
6. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the second cover has a
bottom substantially waved to facilitate folding of the cover unit
toward the side of the pan.
7. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the handle is formed to
look straight when viewed atop and waved when viewed aside to
substantially match a peripheral curve of the pan side.
8. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the elastic media is a
pair of parallel springs elastically pushing the rod toward the pan
so as to keep the rod in the arc opening during the cooking
mode.
9. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the rotation of the
handle effects that of the cover unit.
10. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the handle is formed to
extend from the first cover.
11. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the arc opening is
formed such that the handle is rotatable by 90 degrees clockwise or
counterclockwise with the protrusion kept in the arc opening.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE
[0001] This application claims foreign priority under Paris
Convention to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0065133 filed
29 May 2014, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, which is
incorporated herein with its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This invention relates to a cooking pan having a handle,
more particularly, to a cooking pan system having a foldable
handle, facilitating storage of the pan system by conveniently
folding the handle to a side of the pan system and enabling a
vertical stacking on top of another in a limited storage space.
[0003] Most cooking pans on the market are introduced with handles
fixedly attached to the pans, which in turn occupy large space in
the kitchen cabinet and make it inconvenient or difficult to stack
one on another. Further, when this type of handle-fixed cookware is
placed on a dining table serving as a plate, it tends to prevent
convenient use of utensils with blockage of the cookware handles.
This disadvantage has stimulated developments of techniques related
to cooking pans with foldable handles.
[0004] Korean Publication No. 20-045455 introduces a folding style
handle structure in cookware, comprising a grip, a bracket
protruding from the outer wall of cookware, an arm between the
bracket and the grip, a hinge shaft connecting with one part of arm
and the bracket, another hinge shaft connecting the other part of
arm and the grip, and foldable handle with supportive member to
sustain the grip.
[0005] Conventional fordable handles to cooking pans are formed
folded up or down, and/or towards over the pan space of cookware,
which causes inconvenience when stacked in kitchen cabinet for
storage. A necessity to overcome the conventional inconvenience
comes from this existing problem so as to develop a technique to
satisfy the needs of users including a convenient storage and
esthetic satisfaction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Accordingly, the present invention is contrived to solve the
disadvantages of the prior art.
[0007] An objective of the present invention is to provide a
cooking pan system facilitating storage of the pan system by
conveniently folding the handle to a side of the pan system.
[0008] Another objective is to provide a cooking pan system
enabling a vertical stacking on top of another in a limited storage
space.
[0009] A further objective is to provide a cooking pan system
accommodating user needs to control pan handles thus improving
product satisfaction.
[0010] In order to satisfy these and other objectives, a cooking
system according to the present invention comprises: a pan for
cooking food; a support having a neck and a ball, wherein the ball
is attached through the neck to the pan, wherein the ball has a
protrusion and an elongate opening to receive a pin rod having
inflated ends; a cover unit rotatably covering the ball and having
a first and second cover, wherein the first cover has an arc
opening to receive and rotatably guide the protrusion in the arc
opening; an elastic media provided between the first and second
covers to elastically contain the rod in the elongate opening of
the ball so as to maintain the cooking system in a cooking mode; a
handle extending from a selected one of the first and second
covers, wherein the rod ends are manually pulled out of the ball
against elastic pushing of the elastic media and the handle is
subsequently rotated to a predetermined degree and folded toward a
side of the pan so as to switch the cooking system to a storage
mode.
[0011] The support has a base plate fixed to the pan. The pan is
substantially circular. The neck and the ball are formed of a
metallic material. The inflated rod ends are each formed in an oval
shape to stay out of the cover unit in the cooking mode. The second
cover has a bottom substantially waved to facilitate folding of the
cover unit toward the side of the pan. The handle is formed to look
straight when viewed atop and waved when viewed aside to
substantially match a peripheral curve of the pan side. The elastic
media is a pair of parallel springs elastically pushing the rod
toward the pan so as to keep the rod in the arc opening during the
cooking mode. The rotation of the handle effects that of the cover
unit. The handle is formed to extend from the first cover. The arc
opening is formed such that the handle is rotatable by 90 degrees
clockwise or counterclockwise with the protrusion kept in the arc
opening.
[0012] The advantages of the present invention are: (1) the pan
handle is foldable to either side of the cooking system to minimize
a storage space; (2) the cooking pan system is easily stackable on
another maximizing usability of a limited kitchen cabinet space;
and (3) the user can manually control pan handles to the user's
need.
[0013] Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the
fuller understanding of the invention can be obtained by the
following drawings, detailed description and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with reference to
the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a cooking pan
system according to the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a handle of the cooking
pan system according to the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing mechanism of the
handle folding according to the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a view showing steps of folding the handle of the
cooking pan system according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the cooking pan system
with the handle unfolded according to the present invention;
and
[0020] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the cooking pan system
with the handle folded according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] FIGS. 1-6 each illustrate a cooking pan system 10 according
to embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] The cooking pan system 10 comprises a pan 12 for
accommodating and cooking food. The cooking pan system 10 includes
a support 14 having a neck 16 and a ball 18. The ball 18 is
attached through the neck 16 to the pan 12. The ball 18 has a
protrusion 20 and an elongate opening 22 to receive a pin rod 24
having inflated ends 26. The pan 12 could be shaped circular,
rectangular, oval or other form.
[0023] A cover unit 28 is provided to rotatably cover the ball 18.
The cover unit 28 has a first 30 and second 32 cover. The first
cover 30 has an arc opening 34 to receive and rotatably guide the
protrusion 20 in the arc opening 34. The arc opening 34 is
preferably formed in a 180 degree arc hollowed above a horizontal
line allowing the protrusion 20 to rotate therein when needed. The
cover unit 28 may be formed either of a plastic material or of a
metallic material. In a preferred mode, the cover unit 28 is formed
of a heat-resistant polyamide.
[0024] For a better performance, an elastic media 36 is provided
between the first 30 and second 32 covers to elastically contain
the rod 24 in the elongate opening 22 of the ball 18 so as to
maintain the cooking system 10 in a cooking mode.
[0025] To improve usability of the cooking pan system 10, a handle
38 is provided extending from a selected one of the first 30 and
second 32 covers. Here, the rod ends 26 are manually pulled out of
the ball 18 with a user's thumb and index finger against elastic
pushing of the elastic media 36 and the handle 38 is subsequently
rotated to a predetermined degree and folded toward a side 13 of
the pan 12 so as to switch the cooking system 10 to a storage
mode.
[0026] The support 14 may include a base plate 40 fixed to the pan
12 to improve product reliability. In this construction, the neck
16 is fixed to the base plate 40 which is then formed between the
pan 12 and the neck 16. In a preferred version, the base plate 40,
the neck 16 and ball 18 are formed in a single metallic material in
a single molding format.
[0027] In an improved embodiment, the pan 12 may be substantially
circular. The neck 16 and the ball 18 are formed of a metallic
material. The inflated rod ends 26 are each formed in an oval shape
to stay out of the cover unit 28 in the cooking mode.
[0028] The second cover 30 has a bottom 44 substantially waved to
facilitate folding of the cover unit 28 toward the side 13 of the
pan 12 in the storage mode.
[0029] The handle 38 is formed to look straight when viewed atop
and waved when viewed aside to substantially match a peripheral
curve of the pan side 13.
[0030] The elastic media 36 is formed of a pair of parallel springs
42 elastically pushing the rod 24 toward the pan 12 so as to keep
the rod 24 in the arc opening 34 during the cooking mode.
[0031] The rotation of the handle 38 effects that of the cover unit
28. The handle 38 is preferably formed to extend from the first
cover 28.
[0032] The arc opening 34 is formed such that the handle 38 is
rotatable by 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise with the
protrusion 20 kept in the arc opening 34.
[0033] For the present invention shown and described with reference
to different embodiments thereof, variations in form, detail,
compositions and operation may be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the
accompanying claims.
* * * * *