Roasting/Serving Device with Raised Portion

Abstract

A roasting/serving device has a base rack and a removably attachable raised rack. The assembled base and raised racks are held within a single pan or between a lower pan and an oppositely-oriented upper pan. The pan or pans containing the assembled base and raised racks is/are placed within a wire chafing stand with rotatable handles. The handles are rotatable to clamp together rims of the upper pan and lower pan.

Claims

1. A roasting/serving device comprising: a raised portion including: a pair of end wire segments; and a plurality of longitudinal wire segments extending between said end wire segments, each of said longitudinal wire segments being substantially perpendicular to each of said pair of lateral wire segments; a base portion including: an upper rectangular wire frame including a pair of longitudinal segments and a pair of transverse segments; a planar wire base including a pair of longitudinal wires and a plurality of transverse wires, each end of each of said pair of longitudinal wires extending upwardly to engage one of said transverse segments of said upper rectangular frame; a plurality of wire supports having a first segment extending from one of said pair of longitudinal segments of said upper frame, to and beyond one of said pair of longitudinal wires of said planar wire base, a second segment extending from an end of said first segment, substantially parallel to said transverse wires of said planar wire base, and disposed beneath said planar wire base, and a third segment extending from an end of said second segment to another of said pair of longitudinal segments of said upper frame, via another of said pair of longitudinal wires of said planar wire base; and a pair of longitudinal supports, each extending between said longitudinal wires of said planar wire base adjacent to, and substantially perpendicular to, said transverse segments of said upper rectangular wire frame; wherein a gauge of wires in said raised portion is equal to a gauge of wires in said base portion.

2. The roasting/serving device of claim 1, wherein said longitudinal wire segments of said raised portion are substantially linear, such that said raised portion is substantially planar.

3. The roasting/serving device of claim 1, wherein: each of said longitudinal wire segments of said raised portion includes a plurality of obtuse angles, such that a central section thereof is raised relative to end sections thereof, and a plane including said central sections of said longitudinal wire segments is raised relative to a plane of said end wire segments of said raised portion.

4. The roasting/serving device of claim 1, wherein said bottom portion and said top portion are sized and configured to fit within a pan.

5. The roasting/serving device of claim 1, wherein said base portion further includes four locking protrusions formed on each end of each of said longitudinal wires of said planar wire base, each locking protrusion formed on one said end of said longitudinal wires of said planar wire base between one of said transverse segments of said upper rectangular wire frame and one of said transverse supports, wherein a distance between each said locking protrusion and a said transverse support adjacent thereto is substantially equal to a width of said end wire segments of said raised portion.

6. A kit, comprising: a roasting/serving device according to claim 1; and at least one pan, suitably sized to receive said raised portion and said base portion of said roasting/serving device.

7. The kit of claim 6, wherein said at least one pan comprises a lower pan and an upper pan, said lower pan sized to receive said base portion of said roasting/serving device, and said upper pan above said lower pan and to enclose said raised portion of said roasting/serving device therein.

8. The kit of claim 7, further comprising a carrying base disposed beneath said pan, said carrying base including an upper frame wire and a pair of handles, each of said handles including: a single wire having a line of symmetry; either side of a first linear portion of said single wire terminating in a right angle bend forming a transverse portion of said single wire on said either side of said first linear portion; each of said transverse portions terminating in two oppositely-oriented coplanar bends; an exterior bend of said two oppositely-oriented coplanar bends being disposed further from said first linear portion and being smaller than an interior bend of said two oppositely-oriented coplanar bends, wherein said exterior bend is rotatable about said upper frame wire and said interior bend clamps rims of said upper pan and said lower pan together, when said upper and lower pans are situated above said wire while said handle is rotated upwards with respect to a resting position thereof.

9. A kit comprising: a wire chafing stand comprising: a rectangular top wire with two substantially parallel transverse portions and two substantially parallel longitudinal portions, each of said portions connected by a curved portion; and a plurality of lower supports; a base rack comprising: an upper rectangular wire, similar to said upper rectangular wire of said wire chafing stand; and a lowered substantially planar section comprising a plurality of substantially parallel transverse wires; a raised rack comprising: a pair of substantially parallel and substantially planar transverse wires; and a plurality of substantially parallel longitudinal wires extending between said transverse wires of said raised rack; and at least two rotatable handles, each handle comprising: a single wire having a line of symmetry; either side of a first linear portion of said single wire terminating in a right angle bend forming a longitudinal portion of said single wire on said either side of said first linear portion; each of said longitudinal portions terminating in two oppositely-oriented coplanar bends.

10. The kit of claim 9, wherein said longitudinal wires of said raised portion are substantially linear in a horizontal and a vertical orientation, such that said raised portion is substantially planar.

11. The kit of claim 9, wherein: each of said longitudinal wires of said raised portion includes a plurality of angles, such that a section thereof is raised relative to said transverse wires of said raised portion, and a plane including said raised sections of said longitudinal wire segments is raised relative to a plane of said transverse wires of said raised portion.

12. The kit of claim 11, wherein said each angle of said plurality of angles of said raised portion is obtuse.

13. The kit of claim 11, wherein said raised portion is deformable in a longitudinal direction.

14. The kit of claim 9, wherein an exterior bend of said two oppositely-oriented coplanar bends of said handles is disposed further from said first linear portion and being smaller than an interior bend of said two oppositely-oriented coplanar bends.

15. The kit of claim 9, wherein said base portion further comprises a pair of lower transverse wires on which said transverse wires of said raised portion are removably placed.

16. The kit of claim 15, wherein each said transverse wire of said pair of lower transverse wires of said base portion further comprises a retaining mechanism such that said raised portion is held substantially in place relative to the base portion when said transverse wires of said raised portion are removably placed on said lower transverse wires.

17. The kit of claim 9, further comprising: a lower pan; and an upper pan; wherein said lower pan fits inside said wire chafing stand; and wherein said base rack and said raised upper portion fit inside a cavity created between said lower pan and said upper pan when rims of said lower pan and said upper pan are pressed together and said upper pan is in an opposite orientation relative to said lower pan.

18. The kit of claim 17, wherein said exterior bend of said handle is sized to rotate about said rectangular top wire of said wire chafing stand and said interior bend is sized to clamp said rims of said upper and lower pans together which are situated above said rectangular top wire of said wire chafing stand while said handle is rotated upwards with respect to a resting position thereof.

19. The kit of claim 9, wherein said plurality of supports of said wire chafing stand further comprises: a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal supports extending below said rectangular top wire, at least a portion thereof being substantially planar and substantially parallel to each of said two substantially parallel longitudinal portions; and a pair of substantially parallel transverse supports extending below said rectangular top wire and said longitudinal supports, at least a portion thereof being substantially planar and substantially parallel to each of said two substantially parallel transverse portions.

20. The kit of claim 9, said base rack further comprising: a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal supports extending below said rectangular top wire, at least a portion thereof being substantially planar and substantially parallel to each of said two substantially parallel longitudinal portions; and a plurality of substantially parallel transverse supports extending below said rectangular top wire and said longitudinal supports, at least a portion thereof being substantially planar and substantially parallel to each of said two substantially parallel transverse portions; wherein said plurality of substantially parallel transverse wire segments extend between said substantially planar and substantially parallel portions of said longitudinal supports.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a partially-exploded perspective view of a roasting/serving device kit including an upper pan, a lower pan, a wire chafing stand with handles, a base rack, and a raised rack.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a fully-exploded perspective view of the roasting/serving device kit of FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the base rack and the raised rack of FIG. 1, and of an alternative raised rack.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a left side view of the assembled base rack and raised rack of FIG. 1, the reverse side being a mirror image thereof.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled base rack and raised rack of FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the base rack and raised rack of FIG. 1.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the assembled base portion of FIG. 1 and the alternative raised rack of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNOLOGY

[0037] A roasting/serving device has a base rack and a removably attachable raised rack. The assembled base and raised racks are held within a single pan or between a lower pan and an oppositely-oriented upper pan. The pan or pans containing the assembled base and raised racks is/are placed within a wire chafing stand with rotatable handles. The handles are rotatable to clamp together rims of the upper pan and lower pan.

[0038] Embodiments of the disclosed technology will become more clear in view of the following discussion of the figures.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a partially-exploded perspective view of a roasting/serving device kit including an upper pan, a lower pan, a wire chafing stand with handles, a base rack, and a raised rack. The lower pan 200 fits within the wire chafing stand 500. The base rack 400 and raised rack 300 fit inside the lower pan 200, with raised rack side end segments 310 lying on base rack protruding segments 410.

[0040] The upper pan 100 is of a height such that when it is placed, in the orientation shown, such that the pan rims 110, 210 are substantially in contact with each other, the whole of base rack 400 and raised rack 300 fit within a cavity between the pans 100 and 200. The raised rack 300 is also somewhat flexible and more so than flat rack used in embodiments of the disclosed technology. That is, opposite corners are bendable and non-permanently deformable such that they are closer together above or below a horizontal plane of the raised rack. In this manner, one can place the raised 300 in a pan and/or on a base rack 400 by way of slightly deforming the raised rack and then allowing the deforming to be undone so that the raised rack in snugly (friction all corners and/or all sides) fit above the base rack or within the pan rims 110 and/or 210.

[0041] The wire chafing stand 500 has two handles 600 removably, rotatably connected thereto. Each handle has an exterior bend 620 and an oppositely-oriented interior bend 610, each of the bends being coplanar. The exterior bend 620 is sized to fit and rotate around an upper wire 510 of the wire chafing stand 500.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a fully-exploded perspective view of the roasting/serving device kit of FIG. 1. As shown in this figure, the wire chafing stand 500 has a top wire 510 which, in some embodiments, be made of a single wire. The top wire 510 is in a shape of a rectangle with rounded corners, having two relatively longer longitudinal substantially straight portions and two relatively shorter transverse substantially straight portions.

[0043] The wire chafing stand 500, in the embodiment shown, has two longitudinal supports 520 and two transverse supports 530. Each longitudinal support 520 has a longer portion 522 and two shorter portions 524. Each of the shorter portions 524 is connected at a first end to the top wire 510 and is connected at a second end to a respective end of the longer portion 522. An angle created between a shorter portion 524 and a respective end of a respective longer portion 522 may be obtuse. The longer portions 522 are substantially parallel.

[0044] Each transverse support 530 has a longer portion 532 and two shorter portions 534. Each of the shorter portions 534 is connected at a first end to the top wire 510 and is connected at a second end to a respective end of the longer portion 532. An angle created between a shorter portion 534 and a respective end of a respective longer portion 532 may be obtuse. The longer portions 532 are substantially parallel. In the embodiment shown, the longer portions 522 of the longitudinal supports 520 are in contact with the longer portions 532 of the transverse supports 530 and are between the longer portions 532 of the transverse supports 530 and the top wire 510. In other embodiments, the longer portions 532 of the transverse supports 530 may not be in contact with the longer portions 522 of the longitudinal supports 520 and/or may be between the longer portions 522 of the longitudinal supports 520 and the top wire 510.

[0045] The base rack 400, as shown in this figure, has a top wire 420 whose shape is similar to that of the top wire 510 of the wire chafing stand 500 (as above, similar is defined as “having a substantially shape as and having a different size than”).

[0046] In the embodiment shown, the base rack 400 has two longitudinal lower sections 430. Each longitudinal lower section 430 has a longer portion 432 and two shorter portions 434. Each of the shorter portions 434 is connected at a first end to the top wire 420 and is connected at a second end to a respective end of the longer portion 432. An angle created between a shorter portion 434 and a respective end of a respective longer portion 432 may be obtuse. The longer portions 432 are substantially parallel.

[0047] A plurality of transverse wire segments 450 is arranged between the two longitudinal lower sections 430. Each respective wire segment 450 is substantially parallel to and substantially equidistant from a most adjacent and/or a pair of most adjacent wire segment(s) 450 of the plurality of transverse wire segments 450. Each respective wire segment 450 has a first end thereof lying on a first longer portion 432 of a first longitudinal lower section 430 and has a second end thereof lying on a second longer portion 432 of a second longitudinal lower section 430.

[0048] A protruding bar 410 is connected at a first end to a first shorter portion 434 of a first longitudinal lower section 430 and is connected at a second end to a most-adjacent part of a nearest first shorter portion 434 of a second longitudinal lower section 430. A second protruding bar 410 is connected at a first end to a second shorter portion 434 of the first longitudinal lower section 430 and is connected at a second end to a most-adjacent part of a second shorter portion 434 of the second longitudinal lower section 430. A locking mechanism 412 is placed in the vicinity of each connection between a protruding bar 410 and a shorter portion 434 of a longitudinal lower section 430.

[0049] The base rack 400 further has three transverse supports 440. Each transverse support 440 has a longer portion 442 and two shorter portions 444. Each of the shorter portions 444 is connected at a first end to the top wire 420 and is connected at a second end to a respective end of the longer portion 442. An angle created between a shorter portion 444 and a respective end of a respective longer portion 442 may be obtuse. The longer portions 442 are substantially parallel. In the embodiment shown, the longer portions 432 of the longitudinal lower sections 430 are in contact with the longer portions 442 of the transverse supports 440 and are between the longer portions 442 of the transverse supports 440 and the top wire 420.

[0050] The raised rack 300, in the embodiment shown, has a pair of end wire segments 310 with a plurality of longitudinal wire segments 320 lying there-between. Each of the end wire segments 310 are substantially parallel to each other. Each of the longitudinal wire segments 320 of the plurality of longitudinal wire segments is substantially parallel to each other.

[0051] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the base rack and the raised rack of FIG. 1, and of an alternative raised rack. FIG. 4 is a left side view of the assembled base rack and raised rack of FIG. 1, the reverse side being a mirror image thereof. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the assembled base portion of FIG. 1 and the alternative raised rack of FIG. 3. The raised rack, in some embodiments, is the raised rack 300. The raised rack 300 has a plurality of longitudinal wires 320, each of which has four bends 330. An angle of each of the bends 330 may be equal.

[0052] Each longitudinal wire 320 of the raised rack 300, in the embodiment shown, has segments 340, 342, 344, 346, and 348, each of which is connected to the segment before and/or after it by way of a bend 330. The segments 340, 344, and 348 are horizontal in a vertical plane (where a horizontal plane is defined as “a plane containing all segments 340 of each of the wires 320”), and the segments 340 and 348 are coplanar. The segments 342 and 346 are tilted at equal and opposite angles relative to the horizontal plane.

[0053] The raised rack, in other embodiments, is raised rack 350. In this embodiment, each of the longitudinal wire segments 320 is substantially straight throughout. The entire raised rack 350 lies in substantially a same plane.

[0054] Each of the end wire segments 310 of the raised rack 300 or the raised rack 350 is sized to be removably held in place when placed onto a respective protruding bar 410 and held in place by a respective locking mechanism 412 of the wire chafing stand 400.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4, when the raised rack 300 is held removably in place by protruding bars 410 and locking mechanisms 412 of the wire chafing stand 400, a distance between a most-raised segment of the raised rack 300 and the top wire 420 of the base rack 400 is smaller than a distance between the top wire 420 of the base rack 400 and a lowest portion of the transverse supports 440 of the base rack 400.

[0056] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled base rack and raised rack of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the base rack and raised rack of FIG. 1. As shown by these figures, a length of a transverse wire segment 310 of the raised rack 300 may be greater than a length of a respective protruding bar 410 of the base rack 400. The raised rack 300 may be resilient in a horizontal and/or in a longitudinal direction, such that it may be deformed in that direction and return to its original shape. “Resilience” is defined as “a capacity to return to its original shape after being deformed”.

[0057] For purposes of this disclosure, the term “substantially” is defined as “at least 95% of” the term which it modifies.

[0058] Any device or aspect of the technology can “comprise” or “consist of” the item it modifies, whether explicitly written as such or otherwise.

[0059] When the term “or” is used, it creates a group which has within either term being connected by the conjunction as well as both terms being connected by the conjunction.

[0060] While the disclosed technology has been disclosed with specific reference to the above embodiments, a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the disclosed technology. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. Combinations of any of the methods and apparatuses described hereinabove are also contemplated and within the scope of the invention.