MXPA00000076A - Handle for a cooking vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

A handle (1) for a cooking vessel, wherein a body (2), made of thermosetting material, has a through inner cavity (6) between two opposite boundary surfaces (3, 4) of the body (2);and the cavity (6) is fitted through with an insert (10) made of thermoplastic material and having click-on fastening means (18, 19) for reversibly connecting the insert (10) to the body (2).

Description

TWO-PARTS HANDLE FOR A CONTAINER FOR COOKING FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved handle for a cooking vessel and which is particularly suitable for its manufacture from two different materials to achieve the aesthetic and functional shapes that can not be achieved in any other way using the materials normally used for these purposes. The kitchen containers (pots, pans, etc.) are usually fitted with handles to facilitate their grip, even when hot; for which purpose, the best handles are obviously those with good thermal insulating properties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Some known handles are made of thermal setting polymer materials, for example, resins with phenol-formaldehyde loading; Although they are good thermal insulators, these materials have poor mechanical characteristics, are not easy to work with to achieve complex shapes, can not be colored as required and therefore are not suitable for the manufacture of handles with aesthetic characteristics or P969 functional predetermined (for example, mechanical strength, shape and color). In addition, as is well known, these materials have a tendency to deteriorate in appearance, especially as a result of frequent washing. Other handles are known in which a part made of phenol-formaldehyde resin (or other similar thermal setting materials) is covered with or coupled with another part made of a thermoplastic material, whose favorable, well-known properties can be exploited to reach any shape or color of the thermoplastic part. However, this presents another problem to ensure the firm connection of the parts made of different normally incompatible materials. For example, handles are known in which a lining of thermoplastic material is secured over a core of thermal setting material, using appropriate securing means (screws or rivets). The thermoplastic liner is also known-for example, from European Patent Application EP-A-808600- to be molded directly onto the thermal setting resin part. In addition to requiring specially designed additional components (the securing elements) the mechanical connection of the two parts (the phenol-formaldehyde resin and the thermoplastic), obviously also P969 involves a relatively long assembly process, both causing an increase in the total cost of production. Furthermore, if the user wishes to separate the parts made of different materials, for example, to wash them differently, it also involves another relatively laborious operation, providing, of course, reversible securing means (eg, screws) that have already been used. . On the other hand, the molding of two materials of essentially different chemical and physical characteristics, requires the precise control of the molding process, which is a relatively expensive and complex operation and is not appropriate for the formation of highly complex shapes and obviously prevents any possibility of separating the two parts made of different materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a handle for a cooking vessel, designed to eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages, typically associated with known handles. In particular, an object of the invention is to provide a handle that is cheap and easy to produce, that provides a wide variety of shapes, colors, color combinations and designs in general and that at P969 at the same time is highly functional, resistant, durable and with good thermal insulation properties. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a handle for a cooking vessel, the handle comprises a body made of a first material and having a first and a second opposing and essentially limiting surface facing each other and a portion of end with connection means to connect with a cooking vessel; characterized in that it consists of at least one internal cavity passing between the first and second opposite limiting surfaces of the body; at least one corresponding insert made of a second material and fitted through at least the internal through cavity, with respective opposite ends located on the first and second limiting surfaces of the body and a means of securing with a clasp to secure the at least one insert with at least one internal through cavity. The handle in accordance with the present invention is, therefore, inexpensive and easy to produce, it does not require complex molding or complex and time-consuming assembly operations; it can be done in a wide variety of designs and in particular in an infinity of shapes, colors or combinations of colors; and it is at the same time highly functional, resistant, durable and P969 good thermal insulation properties. In addition, parts made of different materials can not only be assembled quickly and easily but can also be separated in the same way for proper washing / cleaning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An unlimited number of embodiments of the present invention will be considered by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment of a handle for a cooking vessel in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the handle of assembled Figure 1; Figure 3 shows, in detail on a larger scale, a section along the line III-III of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the handle according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to Figures 1 to 3, a handle 1 for a cooking vessel (of any type not shown), comprises a body 2 advantageously made of P969 thermal setting polymeric material, for example, a phenol-formaldehyde loaded resin with good thermal insulation properties and traditionally used to make handles for cooking vessels. Although shown longitudinally elongated in the non-limiting example in Figures 1 through 3, the handle 1 according to the present invention can obviously be of any shape. Regardless of the shape, the body 2 consists of two opposing, confronting, opposing surfaces 3, 4 - in the example shown, a lower and upper limiting surface respectively and a respective end portion 5 with connection means for connecting to a container for cooking well known (for example, with a through hole for the insertion of a respective securing screw). The body 2 consists of an internal cavity 6 passing between the opposite, limiting surfaces 2, 3; in particular, the body 2 comprises a number of first openings 7 separated in the limiting surface 3 (lower) and a continuous opening 8 in the limiting surface 4 (upper), all of them internally connected to each other to form the through cavity 6. The cavity 6 encloses an insert 10 made, preferably, of a polymeric thermal setting material and fitted through the cavity 6 with the respective opposite ends 11, 12 located on the opposite, limiting surfaces 3, 4 of the body 2. In the example shown, the insert 10 consists of a portion 13 visible at the end 12 and a number of securing portions 14 at the end 11. In particular, a visible portion 13 is defined by a curved shaped plate inserted within the opening 8 continues on the surface 4 limiting the body 2 and with an external surface 16 that joins the limiting surface 4; and the securing portions 14, for example, defined by the respective transverse ribs inserted through the openings 7 in the limiting surface 3, project from a face 17, opposite the external surface 16 of the visible portion 13. Each of the securing portions 14 has at least one retaining tooth 18, which engages a corresponding seat 19 formed in the body 2, close to the limiting surface 3 of the body. For example, as shown in detail in Figure 3, the retaining teeth 18 are defined by respective legs projecting from the respective walls 20 of the securing portions 14 and the corresponding seats 19 are defined by the respective steps formed on the limiting surface 3 of the body 2. Preferably, each tooth 18 comprises a round front edge 21 which, together with the limited amount of elastic deformability of the material from which the insert 10 is made, allows the tooth 18 to be easily fastened with its seat 19 respectively. A retaining tooth 18 can, of course, being provided in only one of the retaining portions 14 (eg, the one closest to the end portion 5 of the handle 1), since each of the securing portions 14 may consist of a number of 18 retention teeth. Preferably, the securing portions 14 extend beyond the limiting surface 3 of the body 2 to define, on the limiting surface 3 of the body 2, a succession of convex transverse projections 22 allowing the user to easily grasp the handle 1. In the longitudinal, opposite ends of the visible portion 13, the insert 10 comprises a first and a second contact portion 24, 25, which rest on the corresponding internal surfaces 26 of the cavity 6 when the retaining tooth 18 engages with its respective seats 19. In the example shown, the contact portions 24, 25 also project from the face 17 of the visible portion 13 and extend parallel to the securing portions 14 and are shorter than the same portions.; and the other contact portions 27 can be formed between the transverse ribs defining the securing portions 14. The body 2 can also consist of a hole 28 which possibly communicates with the cavity 6 but is not occupied by the insert 10 and by means of which the handle 1 can be hung. The insert 10, as well as the body 2 and the cavity 6 can, of course, be of any shape , in particular, the insert 10 may have the shape to comprise, for example, a slope 29 projecting from the external surface 16, to define a support for the user's finger. The body 2 and the insert 10 are manufactured separately from the desired materials. In particular, as established, the body 2 can be made, with advantage, of a thermal setting polymeric material (such as a phenol-formaldehyde loaded resin) and the insert 10 of a thermoplastic polymeric material, which can easily take any form (including lower recesses, cavities, projections, etc.) and any color (practically without any limitation). The insert 10 is adjusted to the body 2 - by means of a straight snap operation, fast by virtue of the presence of the teeth 18 and their respective seats 19 - in the correct position secured by the contact portions 24, 25 and possibly 27, which they coincide with the respective internal surfaces 26 of the cavity 6. Figure 4, in which any detail similar or identical to those already described is indicated using the same reference numerals, shows a possible variation of the handle according to the present invention : a handle, in particular for a pan, again consists of a body 2 made of a thermal setting material and with a cavity 6 passing between the two opposing, constraining surfaces 3, 4 (in the example shown, a limiting surface upper and lower, respectively) and a known end portion 5 for connection with a cooking vessel. In this case, the body 2 comprises of an opening 8 in the limiting surface 4 (upper) and an opening 7 in the limiting surface 3 (lower), both openings define a cavity 6 which, in this case also fits through with an insert 10 made of a thermoplastic polymeric material. Although not shown in detail for purposes of clarity, the insert 10 again comprises a visible portion 13 inserted within a continuous opening 8 in the limiting surface 4, and a securing portion 14 with at least one retaining tooth 18, for example, advantageously defined by a circumferential projection that engages the respective annular seat 19, formed on the limiting surface 3 (and in all respects equivalent to that shown in the section of Figure 3).

Claims (7)

CLAIMS.

1. A handle for a cooking vessel, the handle comprises a body made of a first material and having a first and a second opposing and essentially confining limiting surfaces with one another and an end portion with connecting means for connecting with a container for cooking; characterized in that it also comprises at least one internal passageway between the first and second opposite limiting surfaces of the body; at least one corresponding insert made of a second material, fitted through at least one internal through cavity with the respective opposite ends located on the first and second limiting surfaces of the body; a clasp securing means for securing the at least one insert within at least one internal through cavity. A handle according to Claim 1, characterized in that the clasp securing means comprises at least one retaining tooth located at a first end of at least one insert located on the first limiting surface of the body and a corresponding seat formed in the body, close to the first limiting surface of the body. A handle according to Claim 2, characterized in that the at least one insert comprises P969 a visible portion and at least one securing portion adjusted through at least one cavity and having at least one retaining tooth, the at least one securing portion extends from the visible portion and through the cavity so that at least one retaining tooth projects out of the cavity. A handle according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the body is made of a thermal setting polymeric material, for example, with a phenol-formaldehyde resin base; and the at least one insert is made of a thermoplastic polymeric material. A handle according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the at least one insert comprises at least one contact portion resting on a corresponding internal surface of the at least one internal through cavity when the at least one tooth retainer is coupled with the corresponding seat. A handle according to any of Claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the at least one internal passage through the body comprises at least one first opening formed in the first limiting surface and which is inserted in at least one P969 corresponding securing portion of the at least one insert, with at least one corresponding retaining tooth and a second continuous opening formed in the second limiting surface and inserted into the visible portion of the at least one insert. A handle according to Claim 6, characterized in that the first limiting surface comprises a number of separate first openings connected internally to each other and with the second continuous opening to form the at least one internal through-hole for the insertion of at least one insert the at least one insert comprises a number of securing portions projecting from the visible portion and inserted through the first openings. P969