KITCHEN UTENSIL WITH ONE OR SEVERAL LEGS FIELD PE INVENTION The present invention relates to kitchen utensils and more specifically to kitchen utensils and trays used for baking. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to kitchen utensils with low thermal capacity leg supports associated with them, such that the utensil can be removed from a hot oven and placed directly on a counter, table or other cooling surface without the need to use a thermal insulating cushion or similar device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Ovens intended for domestic use can reach temperatures approaching 289 ° C (550 ° F) during roasting operations and at 233 ° C (450 ° F) during baking. When baking food items, they are usually placed in a kitchen utensil such as a cookie sheet or a tray-like structure that includes side walls. A problem that is constantly encountered by the consumer is the tendency to remove the kitchen utensil from a hot oven before placing the hot utensil directly on a counter or other surface. Most counters can not withstand hot metal products at temperatures near 233 ° C (450 ° F). Therefore, if a hot utensil is removed from a hot oven and placed directly on the counter, the counter will burn and can not be repaired normally. In addition, other surfaces such as countertops or cabinets can also be damaged by hot baking utensils. Not only is a consumer often forgetting to place a thermal insulating cushion or cutting board under a utensil just removed from an oven, the consumer will also be forced to place a hot utensil on the counter or other surface if an appliance is not readily available. Thermal insulation cushion or cutting board. Often, cutting boards are used for other purposes and the heating pads may have been misplaced, dirty or otherwise unavailable. Then, the consumer may be forced to place a hot tray on the counter as it will cause damage to the countertop or kitchen sink, which can dirty or contain other items that may be damaged if contacted with the hot utensil. Consumers often place hot items on the top of a stove, when another site is not available for safe cooling. However, the stove tops are not uniform and therefore are unsatisfactory for this purpose.
Therefore there is great need for kitchen utensils, cooking trays and cookie sheets that can be removed from a hot oven at temperatures that reach 233 ° C (450 ° F) and placed directly on counters or other surfaces without the need for a cutting board, a thermal insulating cushion or similar device placed between the counter or surface and the hot kitchen utensil. This improvement to kitchen utensils will save consumers costly counter repairs and the anguish associated with causing an unpleasant and irreparable burning to the counter. A kitchen utensil that does not require a thermal cushion will also allow a cook to maximize the use of space available in a kitchen because any flat surface will be usable for cooking freshly baked products. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention satisfies the need noted above for providing cookware having a top surface for accommodating an article of food to be cooked and a hot exposed bottom surface. The utensil includes a means for supporting the underside of the utensil on a counter, so that the kitchen utensil can be removed from a hot oven and placed immediately on a counter without fear of burning or damaging the counter. The means for supporting the underside of the kitchen utensil on the counter can be provided in a variety of ways. A general form is one or more support legs disposed on the underside of the cookware. The support leg is preferably made from a dense polymer material. Silicone rubber is a convenient material due to its low thermal capacity and high heat resistance. In this way, a metal-based cooking utensil can be heated to temperatures of up to 232 to 288 ° C (450 to 550 ° F) in an oven and when removing the utensil from the oven, most of any heat contained in the silicone leg will It dissipates quickly and there is an insufficient amount of heat contained in the silicone part, to cause any damage to the conventional counter. A leg may be placed near each corner of a rectangular kitchen utensil or as few as three small legs may be used. The legs are preferably arranged at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the edges of the utensil, so as to effectively bridge the wire members of the oven grate. It will be readily apparent to those with skill in the art that as few as one leg (i.e., one circular leg) or as many as four or more legs could be used to hold the underside of the kitchen utensil on the counter. The preferred leg is of a shape that can be connected to the kitchen utensil without the need for fasteners or adhesives. Specifically, the preferred apparatus of the present invention includes a lower portion that is disposed below the bottom surface of the kitchen utensil and an upper portion or "heel" that connects to or houses within an opening disposed on the interior surface of the utensil. of kitchen. The upper portion of the dough preferably includes a "bent-down" portion that fits snugly within an opening disposed in the lower surface of the kitchen utensil. During manufacture, the lower portion of the leg is pushed down through the opening in the kitchen utensil. The side walls of the lower portion of the leg frictionally engage the edges of the opening and therefore a downward force is required to force the lower portion of the leg through the opening. As the lower leg portion is forced down through the opening, the downwardly angled portion approaches the edges defining the opening. As the downwardly curved portion of the leg reaches the edges of the opening, the downwardly angled portion engages by rapid actuation in place and fits firmly within the opening disposed in the bottom surface of the utensil. Then, the leg is placed with the upper portion or heel disposed over the opening and the lower portion disposed below the opening, while the downwardly sloping portion is arranged or accommodated in the opening. The upper portion or heel is of sufficient thickness and width so that it can not be pulled down through the opening. To facilitate the manufacture of the utensil, the legs may be provided with one or more vertical holes disposed in the upper portion or lid of the leg. The holes can accommodate one or more probes that are used to push the leg down through an opening in the bottom surface of the utensil. After the leg is pushed down in place, the probes can be removed quickly and easily. In the preferred embodiment, the kitchen utensil includes two layers. The opening accommodating the leg is disposed in the lowermost layer and the upper portion or heel of the leg is accommodated between the two layers after the leg is pushed through the opening disposed in the lowermost layer of the utensil. In this manner, the top layer of the two-layer utensil does not include openings and is available to provide a smooth surface for cooking food. The present invention can also be used with single-sheet utensils. For example, the legs may adhere to the underside of a single-sheet utensil with a suitable adhesive or glue. 0, the legs can be connected with projections or fasteners that are joined by welding or otherwise mounted on the underside of the utensil. Yet another embodiment of the present invention involves a leg in the form of one or more strips mounted on an outer edge of a kitchen utensil. For exampleSome cookie sheets have flat outer edges and may even use outer edges that bend downward. For those types of utensils, a strip can be mounted on the outer edge and the strip can be of sufficient thickness to hold the outer surface of the kitchen utensil on the counter, thus avoiding any contact of hot metal with the counter after that the utensil is removed from the hot oven. In addition to silicone rubber, other materials for the manufacture of the legs can be used. Of course, an important criterion is low heat transfer capacity, high melting point and sufficient hardness. A Shore A hardness of 50 is preferred. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved cookware, which can be transported directly from a hot oven to a conventional counter or other surface, without the need for a cushion thermal or cutting board underlying the utensil and without causing any burn or damage to the counter. Another object of the present invention is to provide improved baking articles, which can be placed directly on the counter or table without need for a thermal insulating pad. Another object of the present invention is to provide improved baking articles that can be used on any flat surface, without need for a thermal insulating pad or similar device thus allowing a cook to maximize the use of the available counter space. in a kitchen. Another object of the present invention is to provide improved cakes for pies or cakes, which will allow freshly baked cakes to be cooled on the counter without special cooling grates.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for connecting rigid silicone rubber material in the metal material. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description and appended claims, and with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a kitchen utensil made in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the kitchen utensil of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2; Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 2;Figure 7 is a side view of a support leg made in accordance with the present invention; Figure 8 is a top view of the support leg illustrated in Figure 7; Figure 8A is a top view of a round support leg; Figure 9 is an end view of the support leg illustrated in Figure 7; Figure 10 is a top plan view of a second cooking utensil made in accordance with the present invention; Figure 11 is a bottom plan view of the kitchen utensil illustrated in Figure 10; Figure 12 is an end view of the kitchen utensil illustrated in Figure 10; Figure 13 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 13-13 of Figure 11; Figure 14 is an enlarged top view of a corner of the kitchen utensil illustrated in Figure 10; Figure 15 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 15-15 of Figure 11; Figure 16 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 16-16 of Figure 10;Figure 17 is a side plan view illustrating a rubber leg connected to a lower surface of a kitchen utensil by an adhesive; Figure 18 is an end view of a leg illustrated in Figure 17; Figure 19 is a vertical sectional view of a leg connected to a lower surface of a kitchen utensil by protruding fasteners; Figure 20 is a sectional view taken on line 22-22 of Figure 19; Figure 21 is a partial side sectional view of a third cookware made in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 22 is a partial side sectional view of a fourth kitchen utensil made in accordance with the present invention. It will be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and that the modalities at times are illustrated by graphic symbols, dotted lines, diagramatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain cases, details that are not necessary to understand the present invention or that make other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It will be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein. DESCRIPTION nTTATrTr * "ft P * T.OS nTHl Tns Similar reference numbers will be used to refer to like or similar parts of Figure in Figure in the following description of the drawings Figures 1 to 6 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a tray for cake made in accordance with the present invention Specifically, first with reference to Figure 1, the cake tray or utensil 10 includes two layers, a bottom layer 11 and an upper layer 12. With reference to Figure 3, the layer 11 is separated from the upper layer 12 to provide an insulating layer of hot air disposed between the layers 11, 12. The insulating layer of air disposed between the bottom layer 11 and the top layer 12 will prevent the food from being burned on the lower side wall indicated at 13, and the baking surface directed upwards indicated at 14. As seen in FIG. Figure 4, the bottom surface 15 of the bottom layer 11 includes an indentation 16 which holds the top layer 12 in a spaced relationship on the outer layer 11 such that an insulating air layer remains disposed between the layers 11 and 12. In addition to the indentation 16 as illustrated in Figure 4, a variety of support means may be employed to provide the spaced relationship between the layers 11 and 12. For example, a rib or strip may be arranged between the layers 11 and 12 to hold the layer 12 on the layer 11 in a spaced relationship. In addition, a number of other structural support mounts to hold the layer 12 on the layer 11 will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The connection of the flange 17 of the upper layer 12 to the flange 18 of the bottom layer 11 on the outer edge 21 maintains the side wall 13 of the upper layer 12 in spaced relationship from the outer side wall 22 of the bottom layer 11. In addition, the corners 23, 24 of the upper layer 12 and the corners 25, 26 of the bottom layer 11 provide structural stability to the side walls 13 and 22, to further ensure that the spaced relationship between the side walls 13 and 22 be maintained. Turning to Figure 2, the bottom surface 15 of the bottom layer 11 characterizes four legs 31, 32, 33, 34 that hold the bottom surface 15 of the bottom layer 11 on a countertop or kitchen surface after the utensil 11 is removed from a hot oven. The connection of the legs, such as 34 to the utensil 10 is illustrated in Figures 5 to 9.
Specifically, during construction, an opening (not shown) is cut in the lower layer 11. The leg 34 is then pushed down through the opening. As seen in Figures 7 to 9, each leg includes a lower portion 35, an upper portion or cap 36 (also known as a "heel") and a downward or slotted angled portion 37 disposed therebetween. With reference again to Figure 5, the lower portionof the leg 34 is pushed down through the opening disposed in the bottom layer 11 until the downwardly angled portion 37 (see Figures 7 to 9) fits snugly into the opening. The upper portion36 is then disposed between the bottom layer 11 and the top layer 12. Therefore, no adhesives or faers are required to connect the legs 31, 32, 33, 34 to the utensil 10, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 9 In addition, the leg 34 as illustrated in Figures 5 to 9 includes vertical holes all indicated at 38 that are used to accommodate probes (not shown) that push the legs 31, 32, 33, 34 down through the layer bottom 11. The use of vertical holes 38 and probes makes it easier and fa to connect legs 31, 32, 33, 34 to utensil 10, resulting in a more economical product for the consumer. Figure 8A illustrates the use of a round leg 34a that will be useful in muffin trays. Still a further feature of the utensil 10 illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 is the use of an indentation illustrated at 41 which accommodates the upper portion 46 of the leg 31. The indentation 41 is provided in those cases where there is an insufficient amount of spacing between the two layers 11, 12 of the utensil 10 to accommodate the upper portion or heel 36 of the legs 34. Turning to Figure 10, an implement 50 in the shape of a cookie sheet or sheet is again illustrated as seen in Figures 13, 15 and 16, a two-layer construction is employed. Specifically, an upper layer 51 is connected to the bottom layer 52 at the outer edge illustrated at 53. A plurality of indentations illustrated generally at 54 (Figure 13) and 59 (Figure 16) maintains and the upper layer 51 and the outer layer 52 background in a spaced relationship. As noted with the indentation 16 illustrated in Figure 4, a variety of structural support mounts will be apparent to those skilled in the art for sowing the top layer 51 on the bottom layer 5 $ in a spaced relationship.
Turning to Figure 11, utensil 50 is provided with four legs 55, 56, 57, 58. Mounts for connecting each leg to utensil 50 are illustrated in Figure 15. Specifically, bottom layer 52 is provided with four openings for accommodating the legs, and as in the case of Figure 15, the leg 58. The bottom portion 61 of the leg is pushed downward through the bottom layer 52 until the angled or slotted portion 62 is accommodated in the opening and the upper portion 63 is disposed on the bottom layer 52. After the upper layer 51 is connected to the bottom layer 52 the upper portion 63 of the leg is disposed between the upper layer 51 and the upper layer 51. bottom layer 52 and bottom portion 61 of leg 58 supports bottom layer 52 on the kitchen counter or other surface. Figures 17 to 22 illustrate additional alternate modalities. Specifically, Figures 17 and 18 illustrate a leg 70 that is connected to a surface 71 by an adhesive (not shown). The use of an adhesive can be used for single-sheet utensils as opposed to the two-layer utensils 10 and $ 0 discussed above. Suitable adhesives include industrial grade silicone adhesives and sealants with low volatility and high temperatures. A specific adhesive that is suitable for this purpose is sold under the name SUPERFLEX ™ 596 by Loctite Corporation. Another convenient adhesive is sold under the name MASIL 711 by Mabond, Inc. Figures 19 and 20 illustrate the connection of a leg 76 by two fasteners with projections 77, 78. The fasteners with projections 77, 78 are connected to the bottom surface 79 of the bottom layer 80 by welding or other convenient means . Spiked fasteners can also be used with a single-layer tool. The use of a rivet can also be used to connect the legs to single-layer utensils and dual layers. Turning to Figures 21 and 22, alternate leg shapes are also available. Specifically, the leg 81 illustrated in Figure 21 is connected to the outer edge 82 of a single-layer baking utensil 83. The leg 81 may extend around the entire periphery of the utensil 83 or a plurality of legs may be spaced around the utensil periphery 83. In Figure 24, a leg 84 is connected to a downwardly folded edge 85 of a single-layer kitchen utensil 86. Again, a single leg 84 may extend around the edge 85 or a plurality of legs can be spaced around the edge. The legs may be provided in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, the oblong shape of the leg 34 or the round shape of the leg 34a. In addition, a leg in the form of a simple ring can also be connected to the bottom surface of an implement. The legs must be manufactured from a material that is strong and has a low thermal capacity and / or high heat resistance. A preferred material is silicone rubber having a Shore A hardness greater than 50. The specific material selected must be capable of withstanding temperatures greater than 260 ° C (500 ° F). From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the objects of the invention have been achieved. While only certain modalities have been established, alternative modalities and various modifications will be apparent to those with skill in the art. These and other alternate embodiments are considered equivalent and within the spirit and scope of the present invention.