Roasting rack and pan/cover assembly

• US 6,065,629 A
• Filed: 08/19/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Handi-Foil Corporation
• Original Assignee: Handi-Foil Corporation
• Inventors: Sarnoff, Norton, Fletcher, Kraig
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELOSHWAY, NIKI MARINA
• Application Number:
  US09/136,216
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 220/315, 220/573.4, 220/573.5, 220/573.1, 220/491, 220/485, 220/23.91, 220/4.24, 220/647, 220/646, 220/756, 220/759, 220/318, 220/912, 220/743, 99/426, D 7/552.1, D 7/554.3, D 7/354
• US Class Current: 220/315
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/34 Trays or like shallow containers B65D81/3813 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 45/02 for applying axial pressure to engage closure with sealing surface

Abstract

An assembly of a formed wire roasting rack, a roasting pan and a foil cover, each of which is removable from the rack. Each of the pan and cover has a base, an upstanding sidewall, a rim and a peripheral bead formation surrounding the rim. The rack has a first pair of parallel elongated wire form sections terminating in upwardly extending portions providing outwardly extending wire handles, and a second elongated wire form section extending transverse to the first wire section and terminating in an upwardly extending portion at each end. At each end thereof, a bead gripping formation and an actuator for retracting the bead gripping formation is provided. The bead gripping formations are sized and proportioned to grippingly retain the pair of pan and cover bead formations in a nested array, and to grippingly retain the pair of pan and cover bead formations when one of the pan and covers is inverted to overlie and cover the other.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising a formed wire roasting rack and a pair of formed foil roasting pan/cover members removably secured thereto,

each said roasting pan/cover member having a base, an upstanding sidewall, a rim and a peripheral bead formation surrounding the rim,

said roasting rack comprising a first pair of parallel elongated wire form sections terminating in upwardly extending portions providing outwardly extending wire handles, and a second elongated wire form section extending transverse to said first wire section and terminating in an upwardly extending portion at each end, each said upwardly extending portion of said second section providing a bead gripping formation at the free end thereof, and an actuator for retracting said bead gripping formation,

said wire form sections being adapted to support a said base in use, said upwardly extending portions being adapted to support and nestingly receive said sidewall, and said bead gripping formations being sized and proportioned to grippingly retain said pair of roasting pan/cover member bead formations, all in a nested array, to grippingly retain said pair of roasting pan/cover bead formations when one of the pan/covers is inverted to overlie and cover the other, and to release said pan/cover member bead formations for removal from the rack when a said actuator is retracted, and each said bead gripping formation comprises a pair of laterally spaced inwardly opening loops.

2. An assembly in accordance with claim 1 and wherein said actuator is connected to each of said pair of inwardly opening loops.

3. An assembly in accordance with claim 1 and wherein each said bead gripping formation define vertically stacked receivers shaped to provide a pair of vertically spaced recesses complementary to the pan/cover bead formations.

4. An assembly comprising a formed wire roasting rack and a pair of formed foil roasting pan/cover members removably secured thereto,

each said roasting pan/cover member having a base, an upstanding sidewall, a rim and a peripheral bead formation surrounding the rim, said roasting rack comprising a first pair of parallel elongated wire form sections terminating in upwardly extending portions providing outwardly extending wire handles, and a second elongated wire form section extending transverse to said first wire section and terminating in an upwardly extending portion at each end, each said upwardly extending portion of said second section providing a bead gripping formation at the free end thereof, and an actuator for retracting said bead gripping formation,

said wire form sections being adapted to support said base in use, said upwardly extending portions being adapted to support and nestingly receive said sidewall, and said bead gripping formations being sized and proportioned to grippingly retain said pair of roasting pan/cover member bead formations, all in a nested array, to grippingly retain said pair of roasting pan/cover bead formations when one of the pan/covers is inverted to overlie and cover the other, and to release said pan/cover member bead formations for removal from the rack when a said actuator is retracted, and each said bead gripping formation comprises a pair of laterally spaced inwardly opening loops,

said second wire form section comprises a pair of elongated parallel wire form sections, each terminating in said upwardly extending portion to provide said bead gripping formation, said bead gripping formation comprising an inwardly opening gripper means.

5. An assembly in accordance with claim 4, and wherein said upstanding sidewall define outwardly projecting handles formed at each side of said pan/cover members.

6. An assembly in accordance with claim 5, and wherein said handles are positioned between said parallel second wire form sections to prevent lateral movement of a said pan/cover member relative to said wire roasting rack.

7. An assembly comprising a wire roasting rack, a formed foil roasting pan and a formed foil roasting pan cover removably secured to the rack,

said roasting pan having a pan base, an upstanding pan sidewall, a pan rim and a peripheral bead formation surrounding the pan rim,

said cover having a cover dome, a cover sidewall, a cover rim and a peripheral bead surrounding the cover rim,

said roasting rack comprising a first pair of elongated parallel wire form sections terminating in upwardly extending portions providing outwardly extending wire handles, and a second elongated wire form section extending transverse to said first wire section and terminating in an upwardly extending portion at each end, each upwardly extending portion of said second section providing a bead gripping formation at the free end thereof, and an actuator for retracting said bead gripping formation,

said wire form sections being adapted to support a said roasting pan base in use, said upwardly extending portions being adapted to support and nestingly receive said pan sidewall, and said bead gripping formations being sized and proportioned to grippingly retain said pair of roasting pan and cover bead formations, when said cover is inverted to overlay and cover the pan, and to release said cover for removal from the rack and from said base when a said actuator is retracted, and each said bead gripping formation comprises a pair of laterally spaced inwardly opening loops.

8. An assembly in accordance with claim 7 and wherein said actuator is connected to each of said pair of inwardly opening loops.

9. An assembly comprising a wire roasting rack, a formed foil roasting pan and a formed foil roasting pan cover removably secured to the rack,

said roasting pan having a pan base, an upstanding pan sidewall, a pan rim and a peripheral bead formation surrounding the pan rim,

said cover having a cover dome, a cover sidewall, a cover rim and a peripheral bead surrounding the cover rim, said roasting rack comprising a first pair of elongated parallel wire form sections terminating in upwardly extending portions providing outwardly extending wire handles, and a second elongated wire form section extending transverse to said first wire section and terminating in an upwardly extending portion at each end, each upwardly extending portion of said second section providing a bead gripping formation at the free end thereof, and an actuator for retracting said bead gripping formation, said wire form sections being adapted to support a said roasting pan base in use, said upwardly extending portions being adapted to support and nestingly receive said pan sidewall, and said bead gripping formations being sized and proportioned to grippingly retain said pair of roasting pan and cover bead formations, when said cover is inverted to overlay and cover the pan, and to release said cover for removal from the rack and from said base when a said actuator is retracted, and wherein said second wire form section comprises a pair of elongated parallel wire form sections, each terminating in upwardly extending portions, each providing a bead gripping formation comprising an inwardly opening loop at each end.

10. An assembly comprising a wire roasting rack, a formed foil roasting pan and a formed foil roasting pan cover removably secured to the rack,

said roasting pan having a pan base, an upstanding pan sidewall, a pan rim and a peripheral bead formation surrounding the pan rim,

said cover having a cover dome, a cover sidewall, a cover rim and a peripheral bead surrounding the cover rim, said roasting rack comprising a first pair of elongated parallel wire form sections terminating in upwardly extending portions providing outwardly extending wire handles, and a second elongated wire form section extending transverse to said first wire section and terminating in an upwardly extending portion at each end, each upwardly extending portion of said second section providing a bead gripping formation at the free end thereof, and an actuator for retracting said bead gripping formation, said wire form sections being adapted to support a said roasting pan base in use, said upwardly extending portions being adapted to support and nestingly receive said pan sidewall, and said bead gripping formations being sized and proportioned to grippingly retain said pair of roasting pan and cover bead formations, when said cover is inverted to overlay and cover the pan, and to release said cover for removal from the rack and from said base when a said actuator is retracted, each said bead gripping formation comprises an inwardly opening gripper means, and wherein said gripper means define receivers shaped to provide a pair of vertically spaced recesses complementary to the pan/cover bead formations.

11. A wire roasting rack for removably securing thereto a pair of formed foil roasting pan/cover members each having a base, an upstanding sidewall, a rim and a peripheral bead formation surrounding the rim,

said roasting rack comprising a first pair of elongated parallel wire form sections terminating in upwardly extending portions providing outwardly extending wire handles, and a second elongated wire form section extending transverse to said first wire section and terminating in an upwardly extending portion at each end, each said upwardly extending portion of said second section providing a bead gripping formation at the free end thereof, and an actuator for retracting said bead gripping formation,

said wire form sections being adapted to support a said base in use, said upwardly extending portions being adapted to support and nestingly receive a said upstanding sidewall, and said bead gripping formations being sized and proportioned to grippingly retain a pair of roasting pan/cover beads, both when a said cover and pan are in a nested array and when a said cover is positioned to overlay and cover the pan, and to release said bead formations for removal from the rack when a said actuator is retracted, each said bead gripping formation comprises a pair of laterally spaced inwardly opening loops.

12. An assembly in accordance with claim 11 and wherein said actuator is connected to each of said pair of inwardly opening loops.

13. A wire roasting rack for removably securing thereto a pair of formed foil roasting pan/cover members each having a base, an upstanding sidewall, a rim and a peripheral bead formation surrounding the rim,

said roasting rack comprising a first pair of elongated parallel wire form sections terminating in upwardly extending portions providing outwardly extending wire handles, and a second elongated wire form section extending transverse to said first wire section and terminating in an upwardly extending portion at each end, each said upwardly extending portion of said second section providing a bead gripping formation at the free end thereof, and an actuator for retracting said bead gripping formation,

said wire form sections being adapted to support a said base in use, said upwardly extending portions being adapted to support and nestingly receive a said upstanding sidewall, and said bead gripping formations being sized and proportioned to grippingly retain a pair of roasting pan/cover beads, both when a said cover and pan are in a nested array and when a said cover is positioned to overlay and cover the pan, and to release said bead formations for removal from the rack when a said actuator is retracted, and wherein said second wire form section comprises a pair of elongated parallel wire form sections, each terminating in said upwardly extending portion to provide said bead gripping formation comprising an inwardly opening loop.

14. A wire roasting rack for removably securing thereto a pair of formed foil roasting pan/cover members each having a base, an upstanding sidewall, a rim and a peripheral bead formation surrounding the rim,

said roasting rack comprising a first pair of elongated parallel wire form sections terminating in upwardly extending portions providing outwardly extending wire handles, and a second elongated wire form section extending transverse to said first wire section and terminating in an upwardly extending portion at each end, each said upwardly extending portion of said second section providing a bead gripping formation at the free end thereof, and an actuator for retracting said bead gripping formation,

said wire form sections being adapted to support a said base in use, said upwardly extending portions being adapted to support and nestingly receive a said upstanding sidewall, and said bead gripping formations being sized and proportioned to grippingly retain a pair of roasting pan/cover beads, both when a said cover and pan are in a nested array and when a said cover is positioned to overlay and cover the pan, and to release said bead formations for removal from the rack when a said actuator is retracted, each said bead gripping formation comprises an inwardly opening gripper means, and wherein said gripper means define vertically stacked receivers shaped to provide a pair of vertically spaced recesses complementary to the pan/cover bead formations.