Egg poacher

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10278412-B2
Application number	US-201615332065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2016
Priority date	Oct 24, 2016
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A cooking device suitable for cooking an associated food item includes a body including an upper portion, a lower portion, and an aperture between the upper and lower portions. Each of the upper and lower portions is configured to receive the associated food item and the aperture adapted to allow the associated food item to travel from the upper portion to the lower portion. The lower portion has at least one opening arranged to allow an associated cooking fluid to flow into the lower portion allowing the lower portion in use to become at least partially submerged in the associated cooking fluid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooking device suitable for cooking an associated food item comprising:
a body including an upper portion, a lower portion, and an aperture between the upper and lower portions, each of the upper and lower portions configured to receive the associated food item and the aperture adapted to allow the associated food item to travel from the upper portion to the lower portion, and the lower portion having at least one opening arranged to allow an associated cooking fluid to flow into the lower portion allowing the lower portion in use to become at least partially submerged in the associated cooking fluid,
wherein the body is a unitary, one-piece part formed of a flexible material,
wherein the upper portion is configured to at least partially fold over the lower portion, thereby allowing for compact storage of the cooking device.

2. The cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion includes a first side wall having a first base at one end of the first side wall and a first opening at an opposite end of the first side wall, and
the lower portion includes a second side wall having a second base at one end of the second side wall and the at least one opening is a second opening at an opposite end of the second side wall, the aperture extending through the first base and second base.

3. The cooking device of claim 2 , wherein the first side wall and first base defines a first volume, and the second side wall and the second base defines a second volume which is substantially equal to the first volume.

4. The cooking device of claim 2 , wherein the first side wall includes an engagement tab configured to allow a user to grasp the cooking device in use.

5. The cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening of the lower portion is a plurality of perforations arranged to allow the associated cooking fluid to flow into the lower portion.

6. The cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the lower portion is configured to support the cooking device on a bottom of an associated cooking vessel in use.

7. The cooking device of claim 6 , wherein the opposite end of the lower portion includes a support member provided at least partially about its periphery.

8. The cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion is cup or funnel shaped.

9. The cooking device of claim 8 , wherein the lower portion is cup or funnel shaped and has an inverted orientation relative to the upper portion.

10. The cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion defines a first longitudinal axis, and the lower portion defines a second longitudinal axis aligned with the first longitudinal axis.

11. The cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the lower portion is substantially a mirror image of the upper portion with respect to a plane separating the upper and lower portions and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body.

12. The cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the cooking device is an egg poacher and the associated food item is an egg, wherein the aperture is sized such that raw yolk of the egg is generally wrapped in raw egg white as the raw egg falls through the aperture toward the lower portion.

13. An egg poacher comprising:
a unitary, one-piece body including a cup or funnel shaped upper portion, a lower portion having an open bottom, and an aperture between the upper and lower portions, wherein the aperture is sized such that raw yolk of the egg is generally wrapped in raw egg white as the raw egg falls through the aperture toward the lower portion,
wherein the lower portion is substantially a mirror image of the upper portion with respect to a plane separating the upper and lower portions and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body.

14. The egg poacher of claim 13 , wherein the lower portion is cup or funnel shaped.

15. The egg poacher of claim 13 , wherein the upper portion is configured to at least partially fold over the lower portion, thereby allowing for compact storage of the egg poacher.

16. The egg poacher of claim 13 , wherein a side wall of the lower portion is provided with a plurality of perforations spaced from a lower edge of the lower portion.

17. A cooking device suitable for cooking an associated food item comprising:
a body including an upper portion, a lower portion, and an aperture between the upper and lower portions, each of the upper and lower portions configured to receive the associated food item and the aperture adapted to allow the associated food item to travel from the upper portion to the lower portion, and the lower portion having at least one opening arranged to allow an associated cooking fluid to flow into the lower portion allowing the lower portion in use to become at least partially submerged in the associated cooking fluid,
wherein the body is a unitary, one-piece part formed of a flexible material, each of the upper and lower portions including a sidewall having an inner surface and an outer surface,
wherein one of the upper portion and lower portion is configured to at least partially fold over the other of the upper portion and lower portion to an inverted orientation with the outer surface of the sidewall of the inverted one of the upper portion and lower portion facing the outer surface of the sidewall of the other of the upper portion and lower portion, thereby allowing for compact storage of the cooking device.

Assignees

• Helen Of Troy Ltd

Inventors

• de Martrin-Donos Francois
• Paradise Charlie
• Sink Laura
• Daigler Meegan
• Drayer Mark Steven
• Zay Patrick
• Del Monte Rebecca

Classifications

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A47J29/02 Primary

  for eggs or poached eggs; Time-controlled cookers · CPC title

• A23L15/00 Primary

  Egg products; Preparation or treatment thereof · CPC title