FRYPAN LID

COUVERCLE POUR POELE A FRIRE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
A frypan lid comprises an upper transparent plastic
cover and a lower heat resistant plastic collar fixedly
connected to the transparent cover and adapted to fit on a
rim of the frying pan. The collar acts as a heat insulating
body between the cover and the frying pan so as to prevent
heat generated by the frying pan during use drom adversely
affecting the cover. me frypan lid prevents grease or the
like from spattering out over the area immediately surrounding
the pan, while at the same time enabling one to view the
contents of the pan. Since both the cover and collar are
made of plastics, the lid is also light-weight and practically
non-breakable.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-
1. A lid for a frying pan, comprising an upper
transparent plastic cover and a lower heat resistant plastic
collar fixedly connected to said transparent cover and
adapted to fit on a rim of said frying pan, said collar acting
as a heat insulating body between said cover and said frying
pan whereby to prevent heat generated by said frying pan
during use from adversely affecting said cover.
2. A frypan lid as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said collar is made of a heat resistant plastic material
which resists heat up to a temperature of at least about
500°F.
3. A frypan lid as claimed in claim 2, wherein
said heat resistant plastic material is selected from the
group consisting of phenolic resins and glass-filled
thermoplastic polyesters.
4. A frypan lid as claimed in claim 3, wherein
said heat resistant material is a phenol-formaldehyde resin.
5. A frypan lid as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said cover is made of a transparent plastic material which
resists heat up to a temperature of at least about 250°F.
6. A frypan lid as claimed in claim 5, wherein
said transparent plastic material resists heat up to a tem-
perature of at least about 300°F.
7. A frypan lid as claimed in claim 5, wherein
said transparent plastic material is selected from the group
consisting of polycarbonate, nylon and polysulfone plastics.
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8. A frypan lid as claimed in claim 7, wherein
said transparent plastic material is a polycarbonate plastic.
9. A frypan lid as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said collar has an inwardly extending peripheral tongue
adjacent an upper edge thereof and wherein said cover is
provided with an outer facing peripheral groove adjacent
a lower edge thereof, said groove receiving said tongue in
fitting engagement whereby to fixedly connect said cover
and collar together.
10. A frypan lid as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said collar has a laterally outwardly projecting peripheral
flange adapted to rest on the rim of said frying pan and
a rib depending from said flange, said rib adapted to abut
against an inner peripheral surface of said rim whereby to
act as a stop preventing lateral displacement of said flange
relative to said rim.
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Description

The invention relates to a frypan lid and, more
particularly, to a transparent lid for electric frying
pans.
Various attempts have been made to manufacture
a frypan lid which prevents grease or the like from spattering
out over the area immediately surrounding the pan, while at
the same time enabling one to view the contents of the pan.
In Canadian Patent No. 137,105, for instance, there is
disclosed a frypan cover made in two sections, comprising
a lower section adapted to rest on the frying pan and an
upper section hingedly connected to the lower section.
Both lower and upper sections are made of sheet metal.
Whenever it is desired to give attention to the contents
of the frying pan, the upper section may be swung back
on the hinge to an open position, the lower section re-
maining on the frying pan to prevent the grease from
spattering out over the stove and floor. Such cover thus
requires manipulation in order to open the upper section
for viewing and therefore does not allow one to view
directly the contents of the pan.
It is also known to use frypan covers made
wholly of heat resistant glass, such as PYREX (trademark).
Such covers, although being transparent, are relatively
heavy and easily breakable.
To Applicant's knowledge, it has never occurred
to one skilled in the art to substitute a transparent
plastic material for the heat resistant glass conventionally
employed, since the transparent plastics which are economi-
cally a~ailable are known to deteriorate when placed in
direct contact with the hot rim of a frypan in use, which
- may reach temperature~ up to 450F.

67~
It is therefore an object of the present
invention to overcome the above drawbacks and to provide a
frypan lid which is not only transparent but also light-
weight and practically non-breakable.
In accordance with the invention, there is
provided a lid for a frying pan, comprising an upper trans-
parent plastic cover and a lower heat resistant plastic
collar fixedly connected to the transparent cover and
adapted to fit on a rim of the frying pan. The collar acts
as a heat insulating body between the cover and the frying
pan so as to prevent heat generated by the frying pan
during use from adversely affecting the cover.
Thus, by interposing between the transparent
plastic cover and the frying pan a heat resistant plastic
collar which also serves as a heat insulating body, the
high temperature produced by the frying pan is prevented
from reaching the cover and adversely affecting it. Since
both the cover and collar are made of plastics, the lid
of the invention is relatively light-weight and practically
non-breakable.
Further advantages and features of the inven-
tion will become more apparent from the following detailed
description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated
by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein-
Figure 1 is an elevation view of a frypan lid
according to the invention, shown fitted on a frying pan
represented in broken lines; and
Figure 2 is a part sectional view taken along
line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated
a frypan lid generally designated by reference numeral 10
-- 2 --

and shown fitted on a conventional electric frying pan 12
provided with an electric heating element 14. ~he lid 10
is made in two sections comprising an upper transparent
plastic cover 16 and a lower heat resistant plastic collar
18 which is fixedly connected to the cover 16 and is adapted
to fit on the rim 20 of the frying pan.
T~e collar 18 is preferably made of a heat
resistant plastic material which resists heat up ~o a tem-
perature of at least about 5000F. Examp]es of such a heat
resistant plastic material are phenolic resins such as
phenol-formaldehyde resin, sold under the trademark sAKELI~E,
and a glass filled thermoplastic polyester sold under the
trademark VALOX. On the other hand, the cover 16 is pre-
ferably made of transparent plastic material which resists
heat up to a temperature of at least about 250F, preferably
about 300F. Suitable plastic materials for the cover are,
for example, polycarbonate, nylon and polysulfone plastics.
~ he cover 16 and collar 18 are connected together
by means of a tongue and groove arrangement, as best shown
in Fig. 2. Thus, the collar 18 has an inwardly extending
peripheral tongue 22 and the cover 16 is provided with an
outer facing peripheral groove 2~ receiving the tongue 22 in
fitting engagement so as to fixedly connect the cover and
collar together.
As also shown in Fig. 2, the collar 18 has a
laterally outwardly projecting peripheral flange 26 adapted
to rest on the rim 20 of the frying pan. In order to
prevent lateral displacement of the flange 26 relative to the
rim 20, a rib 28 depends from the flange and is adapted to
abut against the inner peripheral surface of the rim, there-
by acting as a stop.

~6g~6~
As it is apparent, the transparent plastic cover
16 is not in direct contact with the rim 20, but is rather
spaced from the rim with the heat resistant plastic collar
18 interposed therebetween. The collar 18 serves a heat
insulating body and thus prevents the high temperature produced
by the frying pan 12 from reaching the cover 16 and adversely
affecting it.