MULTI LEVEL CONFIGURABLE COUNTERTOP ROASTER OVEN

Abstract

A countertop roaster is configured for stacked or apparatus for multilevel cooking of food. The roaster has a first housing having a first sidewall surrounding a first cooking cavity and a a second housing having a bottom surface extending to a second sidewall surrounding a second cooking cavity. The roaster is configured for use with the first housing alone, or in a stacked configuration with a second housing atop the first housing where different foods can be cooked respectively in said first cooking cavity and said second cooking cavity with heat communicated from an electric heating element in said first housing.

Claims

1. A countertop roaster apparatus for multilevel cooking of food, comprising: a first housing having a first sidewall surrounding a first cooking cavity; a second housing having a bottom surface extending to a second sidewall, said bottom surface and said second sidewall surrounding a second cooking cavity; a lid, said lid having a perimeter edge configured to engage atop either said first sidewall in a position covering said first cooking cavity or atop said second sidewall in a position covering said second cooking cavity; said countertop roaster configurable to a stacked configuration with said bottom surface of said second housing supported upon an upper perimeter edge of said first sidewall; and said countertop roaster in said stacked configuration communicating heat from said first cooking cavity to said bottom surface of said second housing and into said second cooking cavity, whereby a first food positioned in said first cooking cavity can be cooked by said heat and a second food in said second cooking cavity can concurrently be cooked by said heat.

2. The countertop roaster apparatus for multilevel cooking of food, of claim 1, additionally comprising: a support ring having a first side surface opposite a second surface; an aperture formed in a central portion of said support ring communicating between said first side surface and said second surface; said first side surface of said support ring configured to engage upon said upper perimeter edge of said first sidewall; said second surface configured for positioning said bottom surface of said second housing thereon; said countertop roaster in said stacked configuration having said bottom surface of said second housing supported upon said second surface of said support ring and said first side surface of said support ring positioned on said upper perimeter edge of said first sidewall; said countertop roaster in said stacked configuration communicating heat from said first cooking cavity through said aperture and to said bottom surface of said second housing and into said second cooking cavity.

3. The countertop roaster apparatus for multilevel cooking of food, of claim 2, additionally comprising: an annular recess depending into said second surface of said support ring; and said bottom surface of said second housing being positioned within said annular recess when supported upon said second surface of said support ring.

4. The countertop roaster apparatus for multilevel cooking of food, of claim 2, additionally comprising: handles positioned in respective handle engagements at opposite ends of said support ring; and said handles providing grip points for the hands of a user to lift and elevate said support ring with said second housing positioned thereon, above said upper perimeter edge of said first sidewall.

5. The countertop roaster apparatus for multilevel cooking of food, of claim 3, additionally comprising: handles positioned in respective handle engagements at opposite ends of said support ring; and said handles providing grip points for the hands of a user to lift and elevate said support ring with said second housing positioned thereon, above said upper perimeter edge of said first sidewall.

6. The countertop roaster apparatus for multilevel cooking of food, of claim 4, additionally comprising: said handle engagements at opposite ends of said support ring being rotational engagements between said support ring and each respective said handle.

7. The countertop roaster apparatus for multilevel cooking of food, of claim 5, additionally comprising: said handle engagements at opposite ends of said support ring being rotational engagements between said support ring and each respective said handle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive examples of embodiments and/or features of the disclosed device and system. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative of the invention herein, rather than limiting in any fashion. In the drawings:

[0027] FIG. 1 depicts the device configured for single level cooking in the first cooking cavity located in a housing, and having the lid engaged atop the perimeter of the sidewall the housing.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the device in a stacked configuration, configured for multilevel cooking, where a second housing with a second cooking cavity has been operatively engaged with the top surface of s support ring which has a bottom surface in sealed engagement with the top of the sidewall of the housing, and showing the lid operatively sealed upon the perimeter of the upper end of the sidewall of the second housing having the second cooking cavity.

[0029] FIG. 3 displays an exploded view of the removably engageable components of the countertop roaster device which are configurable by a user to the device as in FIG. 1, or FIG. 2.

[0030] FIG. 4 depicts another exploded view of the components of the Countertop roaster device herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The device 10 and system herein disclosed and described in FIGS. 1-4 provide a solution to the shortcomings in prior art of countertop single level cooking roaster ovens. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the device 10 is configurable to a first configuration, which cooks food on a single level, in a first cooking cavity 12. This first cooking cavity 12 is defined by the interior surface of a sidewall 14 of a first housing 16 which has conventional electric heating elements mounted therein to communicate heat at the appropriate temperature, into the first cooking cavity 12. As noted such heating elements are well known in the art and need not be depicted.

[0032] A lid 18 is provided to seal upon the sidewall 14 of the first housing 16 to cover and seal the first cooking cavity 12 during cooking cycles. As noted above, this lid 18 is also configured to form a sealed engagement over the second cooking cavity 20 of a stacked second housing 23. A liner 22 may be provided which inserts into the first cooking cavity 12 or may also be provided to allow for removal and cleaning of the cooking surface.

[0033] The device 10 also includes components allowing the user to configure the device 10 to a stacked configuration such as depicted in FIG. 2, to cook multiple different foods separated in multiple cavities aligned on multiple levels. To that end, a support ring 24 shown having handles 25 is provided. The support ring 24 is configured on a bottom or first side surface 26 to form a first sealed engagement with the upper perimeter edge 28 of the sidewall 14 of the first housing 16, which would be the upper perimeter edge 28 of the liner 22 when inserted into the first cooking cavity 12.

[0034] This support ring 24 is configured on an upper or second surface 30 to form a second sealed engagement in a contact with a lower perimeter edge 32 of the second housing 23 surrounding the second cooking cavity 20. This second sealed engagement may be enhanced with an annular recess 34 shaped and sized to engage and support the lower perimeter edge 32 of the second housing 23 surrounding the second cooking cavity 20, in a seated and secure position atop the support ring 24. The annular recess 34 by having a shape and size which mirrors that of the lower perimeter edge 32 of the second cooking cavity 20, forms slide lock connection therebetween which prevents sliding of the second housing 23 atop the support ring 24 and is preferred to prevent accidental dismount of the second housing 23 when the device 10 is in the stacked configuration of FIG. 2.

[0035] The annular recess 34 depends into and surrounds an aperture 36 of the support ring 24. This aperture 36 which communicates through the support ring 24, defines a pathway to communicate heat rising from the first cooking cavity 12 to heat a bottom surface 38 of the second housing 23 having the second cooking cavity 20 when the second housing 23 is seated on the support ring 24. This bottom surface 38 in combination with the sealed engagement of the lower perimeter edge 32 of the second housing 23 having the second cooking cavity 20, with the upper or second surface 30 of the support ring 24, forms a secondary lid upon the first cooking cavity 12 when the device is in the stacked or multilevel configuration of FIG. 2.

[0036] The different components of the device 10 and their respective positioning and engagement can be discerned in FIGS. 3-4. As can be seen, the second housing 23 has a second cooking cavity 20 with a size or volume defined by an interior surface of a surrounding second sidewall 21 of the second housing 23 and the bottom surface 38 thereof. As also can be seen, the lid 18 which engages on top of the first cooking cavity 12 as in FIG. 1 to seal it, is also configured to form a sealed engagement atop the second housing 23 and over the second cooking cavity 20 as in FIG. 2 in the stacked or multilevel configuration.

[0037] In this multilevel configuration, the user may at any time remove the support ring 24 using the handles 25 while it is engaged with the second cooking cavity 20 and lid 18, to provide access to the first cooking cavity 12. While it was thought such handles 25 were not needed and the user could simply lift the support ring 24 on the sides, such did not work well when the support ring 24 was heated, and did not provide an easy grip point for the user to lift the support ring to different elevations and balance the support ring 24 with the second housing 23 sitting thereon. As such, the inclusion of the handles 25 which are in rotational engagements 27 on opposite sides of the support ring 24 are preferred to provide heat insulation and a more balanced handling. It was found that rotationally engaging the handles 25 not only reduced the heat communicated to them from the support ring 24, the rotation gave the user an easier grip with both hands as the elevation of the support ring 24 changed, versus fixed position handles 25. Also, while in the multilevel configuration, the user can get access to the second cooking cavity 20 by simply removing the lid 18 off of the engagement over the top of the second housing 23.

[0038] As noted, in a particularly preferred mode of the device 10, a secondary cooking container 40 have two or more separate cooking recesses 42 and 44 formed therein, can be positioned into the second cooking cavity 20 by seating a projecting perimeter edge 46 into a mounting recess 48 formed along the top perimeter edge of the second sidewall 21 of the second housing 23 surrounding the second cooking cavity 20. Such will provide at least two additional cooking recesses 42 and 44 to hold two other types of food, elevated above a lower portion of the second cooking cavity 20, to be heated by heat rising therefrom. The device 10 can also be provided with a support rack 51 which is insertable within the first cooking cavity 12 or the liner 22 therefor or within the second cooking cavity 20 to hold food above the bottom thereof and allow for easy removal.

[0039] As can be discerned, the device in the stacked or multilevel configuration of FIG. 2, can be employed to concurrently cook one type of food in the first cooking cavity 12 and separated therefrom in a second cooking cavity 20 the user can concurrently cook a second type of food. If the user wishes to cook additional types of food in separated areas from the first and second cooking cavities concurrently, the secondary cooking container 40 may be inserted and two or more other foods may be concurrently cooked in the plurality of cooking recesses 42 and 44 or more, therein. Should the user wish to simply cook one item, the device 10 is reconfigurable to the single level cooking configuration of FIG. 1.

[0040] As noted, any of the different configurations and components can be employed with any other configuration or component shown and described as part of the device herein. Additionally, while the present roaster oven invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof and steps in the method of production, a latitude of modifications, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosures, it will be appreciated that in some instance some features, or configurations, or steps in formation of the invention could be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All such changes, alternations and modifications as would occur to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this invention as broadly defined in the appended claims.

[0041] Further, the purpose of any abstract of this specification is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Any such abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting, as to the scope of the invention in any way.