Lip seals for cooking apparatus and cooking apparatus having lip seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9775460-B2
Application number	US-201314420319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2013
Priority date	Aug 8, 2012
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A cooking apparatus comprises a cooking chamber configured to hold a cooking medium therein, a lid configured to cover the cooking chamber, and a sealing member disposed between the lid and the cooking chamber to create a seal between the cooking chamber and the lid. The lid comprises a lid liner and a retaining member disposed on an inner surface of the lid, the retaining member configured to retain the sealing member adjacent to an edge of the lid. The sealing member comprises a lip portion comprising an upper leg and a lower leg, each disposed at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the sealing member to substantially form a V shape at one longitudinal end of the sealing member, and a ridge portion comprising an upper ridge and a lower ridge, each disposed at an opposite longitudinal end of the sealing member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooking apparatus comprising:
a cooking chamber configured to hold a cooking medium therein;
a lid configured to cover the cooking chamber, the lid comprising:
a lid liner disposed on an inner surface of the lid, and
a retaining member disposed on the inner surface of the lid adjacent to an edge of the lid; and

a sealing member disposed between the lid and the cooking chamber, the sealing member comprising:
a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end opposite to the first longitudinal end,
a lip portion comprising an upper leg and a lower leg, each disposed at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the sealing member to substantially form a V shape at the first longitudinal end of the sealing member, and
a ridge portion comprising an upper ridge and a lower ridge, each disposed at the second longitudinal end, wherein the upper ridge is disposed adjacent to a fastener, and wherein the lid liner is secured to the lid with the fastener;

wherein the retaining member is configured to retain the sealing member, and the sealing member is configured to create a seal between the cooking chamber and the lid, and wherein the sealing member has a substantially uniform cross section along an elongate length of the sealing member and taken transverse to the elongate length in an undeformed state of the sealing member.

2. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cooking chamber further comprises:
a cooking chamber band disposed at an upper portion of the cooking chamber,
wherein the sealing member is configured to contact the cooking chamber band to create the seal between the cooking chamber and the lid.

3. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is configured to contact the lid liner to create the seal between the cooking chamber and the lid.

4. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member further comprises:
an upper cutout portion disposed adjacent to the upper ridge and a lower cutout portion disposed adjacent to the lower ridge.

5. The cooking apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the upper cutout portion is configured to accommodate a portion of the fastener.

6. The cooking apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the lower cutout portion is configured to accommodate a portion of the retaining member.

7. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the upper leg and the lower leg of the sealing member is configured to flex in response to an applied force generated by the lid covering the cooking chamber without pressure therein.

8. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member has a substantially rectangular profile when viewed from above.

9. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member has a substantially rectangular profile with rounded corners when viewed from above.

10. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an angle formed between the upper leg and the lower leg of the lip portion is about 95 degrees.

11. A sealing member comprising:
a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end opposite to the first longitudinal end,
a lip portion comprising an upper leg and a lower leg, each disposed at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the sealing member to substantially form a V shape at the first longitudinal end of the sealing member,
a first ridge portion comprising a first upper ridge and a first lower ridge, each disposed at the second longitudinal end,
a second ridge portion comprising at least one of a second upper ridge or a second lower ridge disposed between the first and second longitudinal ends, and
an upper cutout portion disposed adjacent to the first upper ridge and a lower cutout portion disposed adjacent to the first lower ridge, wherein the upper cutout portion is configured to accommodate a portion of a fastener that secures a lid liner to the lid;
wherein the lip portion is configured to be disposed between a lid and a cooking chamber of a cooking apparatus, and the lip portion is configured to create a seal between the cooking chamber and the lid.

12. The sealing member of claim 11 , wherein the lower leg is configured to contact a cooking chamber band disposed at an upper portion of the cooking chamber to create the seal between the cooking chamber and the lid.

13. The sealing member of claim 11 , wherein the upper leg is configured to contact the lid liner to create the seal between the cooking chamber and the lid.

14. The sealing member of claim 11 , wherein the lower cutout portion is configured to accommodate a portion of a retaining member configured to retain the sealing member.

15. The sealing member of claim 11 , wherein each of the upper leg and the lower leg of the sealing member is configured to flex in response to an applied force generated by the lid covering the cooking chamber without pressure therein.

16. The sealing member of claim 11 , wherein the sealing member has a substantially rectangular profile when viewed from above.

17. The sealing member of claim 11 , wherein the sealing member has a substantially rectangular profile with rounded corners when viewed from above.

18. The sealing member of claim 11 , wherein an angle formed between the upper leg and the lower leg of the lip portion is approximately 95 degrees.

19. A cooking apparatus comprising:
a cooking chamber configured to hold a cooking medium therein;
a lid configured to cover the cooking chamber, the lid comprising:
a lid liner disposed on an inner surface of the lid, and
a retaining member disposed on the inner surface of the lid adjacent to an edge of the lid; and

a sealing member disposed between the lid and the cooking chamber, the sealing member comprising:
a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end opposite to the first longitudinal end,
a lip portion comprising an upper leg and a lower leg, each disposed at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the sealing member to substantially form a V shape at the first longitudinal end of the sealing member, and
a ridge portion comprising an upper ridge and a lower ridge, each disposed at the second longitudinal end;

wherein the retaining member is configured to retain the sealing member, and the sealing member is configured to create a seal between the cooking chamber and the lid, and wherein the sealing member has a substantially uniform cross section along an elongate length of the sealing member and taken transverse to the elongate length in an undeformed state of the sealing member.

Assignees

• Henny Penny Corp

Inventors

• Summons Gary F

Classifications

• A47J27/08

  Pressure-cookers; Lids or locking devices specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• A47J27/0817 Primary

  Large-capacity pressure cookers; Pressure fryers · CPC title

• A47J36/06

  Lids or covers for cooking-vessels (specially adapted for pressure-cookers A47J27/08) · CPC title