Cooking appliance with interconnecting racks

• US 6,796,222 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3844374 Canada Inc.
• Original Assignee: 3844374 Canada Inc.
• Inventors: Cornfield, Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexaner, Reginald L.
• Application Number:
  US10/150,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20030213375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 994/48, 993/39, 993/40, 994/50, 994/49, 994/26, 994/16, 220/912
• US Class Current: 99/448
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/22 Wire inserts for deep fat fryers A47J37/12

Abstract

A cooking appliance has a vessel, a top and first and second racks each having a food item support surface. The first rack has a rack support suitable to support the second rack on top of the first rack in nested relation with the food item support surface of the second rack spaced a predetermined distance above the food item support surface of the first rack. The first rack includes a plurality of attachment clips to interconnect the two racks. The racks are interconnected by stacking the racks in a vertical stack and rotating the racks relative to one another for handling the racks as one unit. When interconnected, relative rotation of the racks is prevented. One rack includes a rectangular utensil receiving opening in a bottom surface sized and shaped to receive the tines of a standard kitchen for transporting the rack independently.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance comprising:

a vessel;

a first and second racks each having a food item support surface;

said first rack having a rack support, suitable to support said second rack on top of said first rack with said food item support surface of said second rack spaced a predetermined distance above said food item support surface of said first rack; and

suspension means to releasably suspend said first rack from said second rack such that the two racks can be handled as one unit, said suspension means extending directly from said first rack.

2. A cooking appliance as in claim 1, wherein said means to suspend said first rack from said second rack is in a disengaged state when said first and second racks are in a first angular orientation and is in an engaged state when said first and second racks are in a second angular orientation whereby said releasable suspension means is actuated by rotating said first and second racks relative to one another when said racks are arranged in a vertical stack.

3. A cooking appliance as in claim 2, wherein said releasable suspension means comprises means to prevent relative rotation of said first and second racks when said first rack is suspended from said second rack.

4. A cooking appliance as in claim 3, wherein said releasable suspension means comprises means to permit relative rotation of said first and second racks when said second rack is supported by said first rack.

5. A cooking appliance as in claim 1, wherein

said first rack includes a plurality of attachment clips;

said second rack includes a plurality of openings, each opening being sized and shaped to receive one of said attachment clips; and

when said first and second racks are in a connected state, said food item support surface of said second rack is disposed between said attachment clips and said food support surface of said first rack.

6. A cooking appliance as in claim 5, wherein:

said openings are disposed on said food item support surface of said second rack;

said second rack includes a peripheral side wall having a plurality of slots, each slot being in communication with one of said openings;

said clips extending through said slots when said second rack is supported by said first rack; and

said slots being sized to permit relative rotation of said first and second racks when said second rack is supported by said first rack.

7. A cooking appliance as in claim 6 further comprising means to prevent relative rotation of said first and second racks when said first rack is suspended from said second rack.

8. A cooking appliance as in claim 7, wherein, when said first rack is suspended from said second rack, a portion of said second rack is disposed between each of said attachment clips and said openings to prevent relative rotation of said first and second racks.

9. A cooking appliance as in claim 5, wherein:

each said attachment clip is affixed to said food item supporting surface of said first rack, and includes a rack engaging portion;

when in a connected state, said engaging portion of said attachment clip contacts a top surface of said food item support surface of said second rack; and

said attachment clip being operable to prevent relative rotation of said first and second racks when ins a connected state.

10. A cooking appliance as in claim 9, wherein:

a guide extends upwardly from said rack engaging portion; and

said top surface of said food item support surface of said second rack includes an attachment clip engaging portion; and

during interconnection of said first and second racks via relative rotation of said first and second racks, said guide being operable to direct said rack engaging portion of said attachment clip over said attachment clip engaging portion of said second rack.

11. A cooking appliance as in claim 10, wherein said guide extends above said food item support surface of said second rack a sufficient distance to permit articulation of said attachment clip by a user for disengagement of said attachment clip and disconnection of said first and second rack.

12. A cooking appliance as in claim 1, wherein:

said first rack includes a plurality of attachment clips disposed on a periphery of said first rack;

in a connected state, each said attachment clip engaging a periphery of said second rack.

13. A cooking appliance as in claim 12, wherein:

each of said attachment clips resiliently depends from said periphery of said first rack and includes a rack engaging portion and a guide depending from said rack engaging portion;

said second rack includes a plurality of attachment clip engaging portions; and

said guide being operable to direct said rack engaging portion of said attachment clip over an associated attachment clip engaging portion of said second rack during interconnection of said first and second racks.

14. A cooking appliance as in claim 13, wherein said guide extends outwardly from said periphery of said second rack a sufficient distance to permit articulation of said attachment clip by a user for disengagement of said attachment clip and disconnection of said first and second rack.

15. A cooking appliance as in claim 12, wherein:

each of said attachment clips is pivotally connected to said periphery of said first rack; and

said periphery of said second rack in includes a plurality of recesses sized and shaped to receive one of said attachment clips.

16. A cooking appliance comprising:

a vessel;

first and second racks each having a food item support surface;

said first rack having a rack support suitable to support said second rack on top of said first rack with said food item support surface of said second rack spaced a predetermined distance above said food item support surface of said first rack;

means to releasably interconnect said first and second racks such that the two racks can be handled as one unit;

said first rack includes a plurality of attachment clips;

said second rack includes a plurality of openings, each opening being sized and shaped to receive one of said attachment clips; and

when said first and second racks are in a connected state, said food item support surface of said second rack is disposed between said attachment clips and said food support surface of said first rack.

17. A cooking appliance as in claim 16, wherein;

said openings are disposed on said food item support surface of said second rack;

said second rack includes a peripheral side wall having a plurality of slots, each slot being in communication with one of said openings;

said clips extending through said slots when said second rack is supported by said first rack; and

said slots being sized to permit relative rotation of said first and second racks when said second rack is supported by said first rack.

18. A cooking appliance as in claim 17 further comprising means to prevent relative rotation of said first and second racks when said first rack is suspended from said second rack.

19. A cooking appliance as in claim 18, wherein, when said first rack is suspended form said second rack, a portion of said second rack is disposed between each of said attachment clips and said openings to prevent relative rotation of said first and second racks.

20. A cooking appliance as in claim 16, wherein:

each said attachment clip is affixed to said food item supporting surface of said first rack, and includes a rack engaging portion;

when in a connected state, said engaging portion of said attachment clip contacts a top surface of said food item support surface of said second rack; and

said attachment clip being operable to prevent relative rotation of said first and second racks when in a connected state.

21. A cooking appliance as in claim 20, wherein:

a guide extends upwardly from said rack engaging portion; and

said top surface of said food item support surface of said second rack includes an attachment clip engaging portion; and

during interconnection of said first and second racks via relative rotation of said first and second racks, said guide being operable to direct said rack engaging protion of said attachment clip over said attachment clip engaging portion of said second rack.

22. A cooking appliance as in claim 21, wherein said guide extends above said food item support surface of said second rack a sufficient distance to permit articulation of said attachment clip by a user for disengagement of said attachment clip and disconnection of said first and second rack.

23. A cooking appliance comprising:

a vessel;

first and second racks each having a food item support surface;

said first rack having a rack support suitable to support said second rack on top of said first rack with said food item support surface of said second rack spaced a predetermined distance above said food item support surface of said first rack;

means to releasably interconnect said first and second racks such that the two racks can be handled as one unit;

said first rack includes a plurality of attachment clips disposed on a periphery of said first rack;

in a connected state, each said attachment clip engaging a periphery of said second rack.

24. A cooking appliance as in claim 23, wherein:

each of said attachment clips resiliently depends from said periphery of said first rack and includes a rack engaging portion and a guide depending from said rack engaging portion;

said second rack includes a plurality of attachment clip engaging portions; and

said guide being operable to direct said rack engaging portion of said attachment clip over an associated attachment clip engaging portion of said second rack during interconnection of said first and second racks.

25. A cooking appliance as in claim 24, wherein said guide extends outwardly from said periphery of said second rack a sufficient distance to permit articulation of said attachment clip by a user for disengagement of said attachment clip and disconnection of said first and second rack.

26. A cooking appliance as in claim 23, wherein:

each of said attachment clips is pivotally connected to said periphery of said first rack; and

said periphery of said second rack in includes a plurality of recesses sized and shaped to receive on of said attachment clips.

27. A method of lifting a cooking rack, comprising:

providing a cooking rack with a bottom surface;

providing a side wall disposed around and extending upwardly from said bottom surface and terminating at a peripheral rim;

providing a utensil receiving opening in said bottom surface, said opening being located adjacent a portion of said side wall;

said opening being substantially rectangular in shape and having a longitudinal axis aligned substantially parallel to said portion of said side wall adjacent thereto

inserting a first end of a utensil into said utensil receiving opening, said utensil opening closely receiving said first end of said utensil, and said utensil contacting a bottom of said cooking rack;

said side wall contacting said peripheral rim of said side wall;

applying upward force on a second end of said utensil, said second end being located radially outwardly from said peripheral rim.