SYSTEM FOR AFFIXING A GRIP HANDLE TO A CONTAINER OF AN ITEM OF COOKWARE

SYSTEME DE FIXATION D'UNE POIGNEE DE PREHENSION A UN RECIPIENT D'UN ARTICLE CULINAIRE

English Abstract

The invention relates to a system for fixing (3) a grip handle (2) to a container (1) belonging to an item of cookware. The inventive system (3) consists of: a stud (4) comprising a body (13) that is to be fixed to the container (1), and a flame guard (5) which surrounds the stud (4) and which comprises a lateral wall (10) and an annular shoulder (11). According to the invention, the stud (4) comprises a flange ring (14), and the distance separating the flange ring (14) from the end (6) of the body (13) to be fixed to the container (1) and the distance separating the shoulder (11) from the end of the wall (10) that is intended to be in contact with the container (1) are such that, as the handle (2) is moved towards the container (1), the shoulder (11) abuts against the flange ring (14) just before the end of the wall (10) abuts against the container (1).

French Abstract

L'invention concerne un système de fixation (3) d'une poignée de préhension (2) à un récipient (1) d'un article culinaire. Le système (3) comprend un goujon (4) comportant un corps (13) à fixer au récipient (1), et un pare­flamme (5) entourant le goujon (4) et comportant une paroi latérale (10) et un épaulement annulaire (11). Selon l'invention le goujon (4) comprend une collerette annulaire (14), la distance séparant la collerette (14) de l'extrémité (6) du corps (13) à fixer au récipient (1) et celle séparant l'épaulement (11) de l'extrémité de la paroi (10) destiné à être en contact avec le récipient (1) sont telles que, lors du rapprochement de la poignée (2) au récipient (1), l'épaulement (11) vient en butée contre la collerette (14) juste avant que l'extrémité de la paroi (10) vienne en butée contre le récipient (1).

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A system for affixation of a grip handle defining a first axis
to a container of an item of cookware, said system comprising:
a) a stud member having:
i) a body portion extending between a first free end and a
second free end so as to define therebetween a second axis
alignable with said first axis during affixation;
ii) a base portion at said first free end adapted to be
affixed to the container;
iii) an orifice at said second free end; and
iv) an annular flange surrounding the body portion in
radially extending relation relative to the second axis to form a
flange engagement surface intermediate said first and second free
ends and transverse to said second axis;
b) a flame guard having a side wall adapted to surround the stud
member, said side wall terminating at a side wall free end
positionable adjacent the container, said flame guard having an
annular shoulder projecting radially inwardly from the side wall
to define an opening through which the stud member is extendable,
said annular shoulder being positioned on the side wall in spaced
relation from said side wall free end such that, when the grip
handle approaches the container under the urging of a fastening
means engaging both said grip handle and said orifice, with the
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first and second axes aligned and with the stud member extended
through said opening, the annular shoulder abuts against the
flange engagement surface before the side wall free end abuts
against the container, thereby preventing contact of said sidewall
free end with said container.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the annular shoulder is monobloc
with the side wall of the flame guard.
3. The system of any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the annular
flange is monobloc with a body portion of the stud member.
4. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the annular
flange surrounds the body portion adjacent the base portion of the
stud member.
5. An item of cookware comprising a container, a grip handle and a
system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
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Description

CA 02547499 2011-08-30
SYSTEM FOR AFFIXING A GRIP HANDLE TO A CONTAINER OF AN ITEM OF
COOKWARE
The present invention relates to a system for affixing
a grip handle defining a first axis to a container of an item
of cookware, such as a casserole, a saucepan, a stockpot, or
a frying pan.
Such a system is of the general type having a stud
member defining a second axis with a base portion of the
stud member adapted to be affixed to the container, and a
flame guard which is adapted to surround the stud member,
with the flame guard comprising a side wall and an annular
shoulder projecting transversely from the side wall to
define an opening through which the stud member extends.
The document GB 1 555 031 divulges one such system
for affixing a grip handle to a container. As the grip
handle is brought closer and affixed by the tightening of
a screw (passing through an opening of the grip handle)
into a threaded orifice of the stud member, the flame guard
is drawn in the direction of the first axis toward the
container by the grip handle to abut against the container.
Where excessive tightening torque is applied to the screw,
the pressure exerted by the flame guard on the container can
be such that the container deforms. To avoid this problem,
the tightening torques applied to the fastening screw must be
fairly weak (of the order of 2 Nm), which can lead in the
long term to unscrewing of the screw and consequential
loosening of the grip handle.
It is an object of the present invention to solve
this problem by providing a system for affixation of a
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CA 02547499 2011-08-30
grip handle defining a first axis to a container of an
item of cookware which can support considerable
tightening torque without there being any significant
deformation to the container.
According to one aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a system for affixation of a grip
handle defining a first axis to a container of an item of
cookware wherein said system comprises a stud member having: a
body portion extending between a first free end and a second free
end so as to define therebetween a second axis alignable with the
first axis during affixation; a base portion at the first free end
adapted to be affixed to the container; an orifice at the second
free end; and, an annular flange surrounding the body portion in
radially extending relation, relative to the second axis, to form
a flange engagement surface intermediate the first and second free
ends, which flange engagement surface is generally transverse to
the second axis. The system further comprises a flame guard having
a side wall surrounding the stud member, which side wall
terminates at a free end positionable adjacent the container. The
flame guard has an annular shoulder projecting radially inwardly
from the side wall to define an opening through which the stud
member is extendable. This annular shoulder is positioned on the
side wall in spaced relation from the free end of the flame guard.
Accordingly, when the grip handle approaches the container
under the urging of a fastening means engaging both the grip
handle and the orifice, with the stud member extended through the
opening, and with the first and second axes aligned with one
another, the annular shoulder of the flame guard abuts against the
flange engagement surface of the annular flange on the stud member
before the free end of the side wall abuts against the container.
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CA 02547499 2011-08-30
This action prevents contact of the free end of the side wall of
the flame guard with the container, thereby preventing deformation
of the container during the grip handle affixation process. As a
consequence, the side wall of the container is not
.5 deformed, even if considerable tightening torque is
applied to the screw (up to 8 Nm).
According to another aspect of the invention, the
annular shoulder is monobloc with the side wall of the
flame guard.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the
annular flange is monobloc with the body portion of the
stud member.
According to still another aspect of the invention,
the annular flange surrounds the body portion adjacent
the base portion of the stud member.
Other advantages and particularities of the present
invention will emerge from the description of the
particular embodiment given by way of example and
illustrated by the attached figure.
The sole figure represents a partial sectional view
of a culinary utensil at the level of the system for
affixing according to the present invention.
As is evident from Figure 1, an item of cookware
comprises a container 1, a grip handle 2 and a system 3
for affixing the grip handle 2 to the container 1. The
grip handle 2 defines a first axis "A" that extends the
length of the grip handle 2.
The system 3 illustrated comprises a stud member 4
having a body portion 13 extending between a first free end 6 and
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CA 02547499 2011-08-30
a second free end 7 so as to define therebetween a second axis "B"
alignable with said first axis "A" during affixation. The stud
member 4 also has a base portion 6a at the first free end 6, which
base portion 6a is adapted to be affixed to the container 1,
preferably, but not essentially, by welding. The stud member 4
further has an annular flange 14 surrounding the body portion 13
in radially extending relation relative to the second axis "B" to
form a flange engagement surface 14a, which surface is
intermediate between the first 6 and second 7 free ends of the
body portion 4, and transverse to the second axis "B".
The system 3 further comprises a flame guard 5 having a
side wall 10 adapted to surround the stud member 4, said side wall
10 terminating at a side wall free end 10a positionable adjacent
the container 1. The purpose of the flame guard 5 is to help
protect the end of the grip handle 2 near the container 1
from destructive heat or flames. The flame guard 5 has an
annular shoulder 11 projecting radially inwardly relative to the
axis "A" or "B", (during or after assembly) from the side wall 10
to define an opening 12 through which the stud member 4 is
extendable during and after assembly of the system. The annular
shoulder 11 is positioned on the side wall 10 in spaced relation
from the side wall 10 free end 10a a distance that is slightly
less than the axial thickness of the annular flange 14.
Accordingly, during assembly of the system 3, when the first "A"
and second axes are aligned with one another, as the grip handle 3
approaches the container 1, the stud member 4 extends through the
opening 12. On further movement of the grip handle towards the
container, the annular shoulder 11 abuts against the flange
engagement surface 14a before the side wall free end 10a abuts
against the outside of the container 1, thereby preventing contact
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CA 02547499 2011-08-30
of the side wall 10 free end l0a with the outside of the container
1.
A threaded orifice 8 is preferably positioned at the
second free end 7, such that the grip handle 2 may be
S moved towards the container 1, with the first axis "A"
and the second axis "B" aligned (as shown in Figure 1),
and affixed to the container 1 by cooperation of the
threaded orifice 8 with a fastening means 9 (in this
instance, a tightening screw 9).
In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 1,
the orifice 8 is shown as a threaded socket positioned at
the second end, and the fastening means is shown as a
tightening screw 9 operatively engaging the orifice to
fasten the grip handle 3 to the stud member (4) . Other
types of fastening means may be used with a similar
outcome. For example, a rivet (not shown) may be used in
place of a threaded screw 9, in which case the orifice 8
could be unthreaded.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 1,
the annular shoulder 11 is preferably monobloc with the
side wall 10.
Also, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, the
annular flange 14 is preferably formed as a unitary
monobloc structure with the body portion 13. Further, the
annular flange 14 preferably surrounds the body portion
13 adjacent the base portion 6a of the first free end 6.
The rigidity of the flame guard 5 is a function of
the material constituting the annular shoulder 11 and its
thickness.
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In addition, the grip handle 2 preferably comprises a
first end portion 15, which is adapted to be disposed
inside the side wall 10 of the flame guard 5 when it is
affixed to the container 1.
During assembly of the system 3, the screw 9 is
inserted into a handle throughpassage 16 passing through
the first end portion 15 of the grip handle 2 for
operative engagement of the screw 9 with the threaded
orifice 8 of the stud member 4. The throughpassage 16
presents a first part 17 having a certain diameter
enabling the head 18 of the screw 9 to pass therethrough,
then, in the extension, a second part 19 whereof the
diameter corresponds substantially to the cylinder 20 of
the screw 9, and finally, still in the extension, a third
part 21 whereof the diameter is greater than that of the
second part 19 and receives the stud member 4. Under the
effect of tightening the screw 9 into the threaded
orifice 8, the grip handle 2 is moved, as aforesaid, in
alignment with the axis "B", towards the container 1, and
the part of the body portion 13 bearing the threaded
orifice 8 penetrates into the third part 21 until the
annular shoulder 11 of the flame guard 5 abuts against
the abutment surface 14a of the annular flange 14.
When the annular shoulder 11 abuts against the
abutment surface 14a of the annular flange 14, the free
end 10a of the side wall 10 opposite the grip handle is
very close to, but not necessarily touching the outside
of the container, so as to avoid deformation of the
container. As such, the annular flange 14 acts as a stop
means to limit further travel of the free end 10a against
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CA 02547499 2011-08-30
the container 1, such that continued tightening of the
screw 9 is impeded. In this manner, by selection of
appropriate materials and dimensions for the interacting
components of the system 3, it is thus quite possible to
apply a satisfactory tightening torque to the screw in
the order of 8 Nm. without causing deformation of the
container 1.
Of course, the present embodiment is one example only
and numerous modifications can originate therefrom. For
example, it would thus be possible for the annular
shoulder and the side wall to be two distinct pieces,
which could be assembled on one another. The same applies
for the annular flange and the body portion of the stud
member.
It would also be possible for the annular flange not
to extend from the first end of the body portion, but to
be positioned inboard therefrom along the second axis
.. B == .
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Representative Drawing