Multi-radius curve rollover frying pan

Abstract

A mutli-radius curve rollover frying pan, including a second hemi-circular side having a multi-radius curve cross-section along a first arcuate section and a second arcuate section to terminate at a second rim, is provided. The second rim is disposed substantially parallel the pan base but overhanging the first arcuate section. The multi-radius curve cross-section quickens towards the second rim whereby foodstuffs accelarated up the second hemi-circular side are gently inverted and rolled over at the second arcuate section maintaining contact with the pan. Flight of foodstuffs is minimized. Foodstuffs are inverted to complete rotation upon the slope of the first arcuate section before coming to rest under the influence of gravity on the cooking surface of the pan base. Force of impact is therefore minimized. Thus even delicate foodstuffs (such as eggs, for example) are readily inverted with minimal dexterity required and with minimal force applied to the pan proper.

Claims

1. A multi-radius curve rollover frying pan comprising: a base having a cooking surface; a first hemi-circular side; a first rim disposed atop the first hemi-circular side, a second hemi-circular side, said second hemi-circular side having a mutli-radius curve cross-section, said multi-radius curve cross-section having: a first arcuate section, said first arcuate section having a first tangential derivative increasing at a constant rate; a second arcuate section disposed atop the first arcuate section, said second arcuate section having a second tangential derivative increasing at a constant rate greater than a rate of change of the first tangential derivative of a first arcuate section; and a second rim disposed atop the second hemi-circular side, said second rim disposed overhanging the second side above the first arcuate section approximately parallel the base; wherein a slope of the cross-section of the second hemi-circular side increases along at least two radius curves whereby foodstuffs accelerated up the second hemi-circular side are folded over to invert upon the second arcuate section before returning to the cooking surface of the base.

2. The multi-radius curve rollover frying pan of claim 1 further comprising at least one handle disposed at a first position at a juncture between the first hemi-circular side and the second hemi-circular side.

3. The multi-radius curve rollover frying pan of claim 2 wherein the handle is further to attachable at a second position at the juncture between the first hemi-circular side and the second hemi-circular side in a position opposite the first position.

4. The multi-radius curve rollover frying pan of claim 3 wherein the handle attaches at each of the first and second positions by engagement with an attachment point devised to releasably interconnect with the handle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figures

(1) FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an example embodiment.

(2) FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an example embodiment.

(3) FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of an example embodiment.

(4) FIG. 4 is a top elevation view of an example embodiment and illustrating a multi-radius curve cross-section of a second hemi-circular side.

(5) FIG. 5 is a right side elevation view of an example embodiment.

(6) FIG. 6 is a cross-section view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 5 illustrating the multi-radius curve cross-section of the second hemi-circular side.

(7) FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an example embodiment having an additional attachment point for a second position for an attachable handle whereby the embodiment is usable by both left-handed and right-handed users.

(8) FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C, illustrate a path of inverting a foodstuff by causing the foodstuff to move up along the multi-curve cross-section of the second hemi-circular side whereby the foodstuff is gently rolled over and returned to a cooking surface.

(9) FIGS. 9A and 9B are an isomeric view illustrating the same path of inverting the foodstuff by causing the foodstuff to move up along the multi-curve cross-section of the second hemi-circular side whereby the foodstuff is gently rolled over and returned to the cooking surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(10) With reference now to the drawings, and in particular FIGS. 1 through 9 thereof, example of the instant mutli-radius curve rollover frying pan employing the principles and concepts of the present mutli-radius curve rollover frying pan and generally designated by the reference number 10 will be described.

(11) Referring to FIGS. 1 through 9 a preferred embodiment of the present mutli-radius curve rollover frying pan 10 is illustrated.

(12) The present multi-radius curve rollover frying pan 10 has been devised to enable controlled inversion of foodstuffs by simplified manual action in accelerating food across a cooking surface of the pan 10. As specifically illustrated in FIG. 6, the present multi-radius curve rollover frying pan 10 includes a cross-section having at least two radius curves along a second hemi-circular side, said cross-section comprising at least a first arcuate section (having a first radius) and a second arcuate section (having a second radius less than the first radius of the first arcuate section). Foodstuffs accelerated up the second hemi-circular side are gently folded over and inverted onto the first arcuate section before returning downslope to the cooking surface of the base. See for example the stages illustrated in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C, and also FIGS. 9A and 9B. Simplified manual action, therefore, enables, expedient folding over of foodstuffs without significant forcing whereby even delicate foodstuffs (such as eggs, for example) are gently inverted without breaking.

(13) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present multi-radius curve rollover frying pan 10 includes a base 20 having a cooking surface 22. A first hemi-circular side 24 is disposed curved up from the base 20 circumferentially around one half of the base 20. A first rim 26 is disposed atop the first hemi-circular side 24, said first rim 26 disposed nearly normal the base 20 (see for example FIGS. 3 and 6). Thus the first hemi-circular side 24 represents a typical curved side of a frying pan regularly seen in the art, and approximates a quarter circumference of a circle.

(14) A second hemi-circular side 28 is disposed circumferentially around the other half of the base 20. The second hemi-circular side 28 includes a mutli-radius curve cross-section 50 whereby the rate of change of the slope when taken in cross-section increases up the second hemi-circular side 28, ending at a second rim 30 disposed nearly in parallel with the base 20 but overhanging a first arcuate section 32 of the second semi-circular side 28, as will be described subsequently. See for example FIGS. 6, 8A, 8B, and 8C.

(15) The multi-radius curve cross-section 50 of the second hemi-circular side 28, therefore, includes a first arcuate section 32 and a second arcuate section 34 disposed atop the first arcuate section 32. The first arcuate section 32 has a first tangential derivative increasing at a constant rate and the second arcuate section 34 has a second tangential derivative increasing at a constant rate that is greater than the rate of change of the first tangential derivative of the first arcuate section 32. The second arcuate section 34 terminates apically at a second rim 30 disposed atop the second hemi-circular side 28. Due to the relationship of the second arcuate section 34 relative to the first arcuate section 32, the second rim 30 is disposed overhanging the second hemi-circular side 28 above the first arcuate section 32 in a plane approximately parallel the base 20. Example dimensions defining this overall relationship and the multi-curve cross-section 50 are shown in FIG. 6.

(16) Thus the slope of the cross-section of the second hemi-circular side 28 increases along at least a two-radius curve whereby foodstuffs 100 accelerated up the second hemi-circular side 28 are folded over, to gently rollover and invert upon the slope of the first arcuate section 32 before returning under the influence of gravity to the cooking surface 22 of the base 20. Inversion of the foodstuffs 100 is thereby controlled, to minimize separation of the foodstuffs 100 from contact with the pan 10 and to prevent forcible impact between surfaces of largely divergent slope, whereby breakage of even delicate foodstuffs is minimized. See for example FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C, and stages 1 through 8 exemplifying the controlled rollover inversion effected along the multi-curve cross-section 50. Even minimal force, therefore, is effective in controlling inversion of foodstuffs 100.

(17) Simple sideways motions of the pan 10 effected manually to accelerate foodstuffs 100 up the second hemi-circular side 28, therefore, gently invert foodstuffs 100 traveling up the second hemi-circular side 28 to restore said foodstuffs 100, inverted, to the first arcuate section 32. Food is prevented from accelerating over the second rim 30 because the second rim 30 is disposed approximately parallel to the base 20 whereby foodstuffs accelerated up the second hemi-circular side 28 are directed towards the center of the pan 10, rolling over upon the first arcuate section 32 before returning to the base 20 of the pan 10. Thus minimal dexterity is required to gently rollover foodstuffs 100 when wielding the present multi-radius curve rollover frying pan 10, and even excessive force accelerates the stages illustrated in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C, whereby foodstuffs 100 are rolled over and minimal separation of the foodstuffs 100 from contact with the pan 10 is maintained. This lessens any force of impact when inverting the foodstuffs 100 and renders a significant improvement over the prior art.

(18) For manual control of the instant multi-radius curve rollover frying pan 10, at least one handle 36 is disposed at a first position 38 at the juncture between the first hemi-circular side 24 and the second hemi-circular side 28. A further embodiment is contemplated, illustrated in FIG. 7, wherein the handle 36 is further attachable at a second position 40, disposed at the juncture between the first hemi-circular side 24 and the second hemi-circular side 28 in a second position 40 disposed diametrically opposite the first position 38. Attaching the handle 36 at this second position 40, therefore, enables ambidextrous use of the present multi-radius curve rollover frying pan 10 whereby a user is enabled to effectively position the second hemi-circular side 28 to said user's left or right preferentially according to said user's dexterity and handedness. See FIG. 7.

(19) In at least one embodiment contemplated herein, the handle 36 attaches at each of the first and second positions 38, 40 by engagement with an attachment point 42 devised to releasably interconnect with the handle 36 expediently by spring-loaded or other manually interactive securable mechanism.