Lobster abstract
This invention covers a shallow bottom part adapted to receive
an individual lobster from the Homaridae family on its back, shaped
generally of lobster shape, with claw-shaped portions for receiving
the lobster's claws and an elongated portion extending therefrom
receiving the lobster's tail. Extending across the claw-shaped portions
are retaining strips to retain the respective claws of the lobster
and breakaway parts hinged from the respective opposite sides of
the elongated tail portion which when joined retain the lobster's
tail and with the claws retained, release of the live lobster by
itself is prevented when the bottom part containing the lobster
and the cover extending thereover is placed in the microwave oven
for the cooking operation. For cooking a Rock lobster from the Palinuridae
family or crayfish without claws, a liner is provided that is without
clawshaped portions to better confine the clawless lobster.
Lobster claims
What is claimed is:
1. A lobster cooking vessel for microwave ovens generally the overall
shape of a claw lobster from the Homaridae family having divided
separate outwardly expanded claw space portions for respectively
receiving the respective claws of the lobster and an elongated portion
extending therefrom for receiving the tail of the lobster said claw
and tail portions having side walls of little more than the height
of a lobster as laid out on its back throughout the full extent
of the vessel and releasable mean mounted on and extending across
the elongated portion between the side walls thereof for retaining
the lobster tail in the elongated lobster tail portion when the
live lobster is placed in the open cooking vessel.
2. A lobster cooking vessel for microwave ovens generally the overall
shape of a lobster from the Homaridae family and having divided
claw space portions and an elongated portion extending therefrom
for receiving the tail of the lobster as defined in claim 1 and
said releasable retaining means for the extended tail portion comprising
breakaway hinged parts respectively extending from the respective
opposite sides of the vessel which, when joined, extend over the
tail of the lobster lying within the elongated portion whereby the
lobster will be retained in a manner to prevent the upward flexing
by itself and release from the vessel.
3. A lobster cooking vessel for microwave ovens as defined in claim
1 or 2 and a cover part corresponding in shape to the lobster cooking
vessel and tightly fitted thereupon to enclose the cooking vessel
and to further retain the live lobster.
4. A lobster cooking vessel for microwave ovens as defined in claim
3 and said cover part being transparent to permit the lobster to
be viewed while being cooked.
5. A lobster cooking vessel as defined in claim 1 or 2 and retaining
strips extended across the claw space portions of the lobster cooking
vessel to retain the claws within the vessel.
6. A lobster cooking vessel for microwave ovens as defined in claim
3 having tab projections extending from the forward claw spaced
portions and from the tail space portion for the effective handling
of the vessel and corresponding tab projection provided on the cover
part.
7. A lobster cooking vessel for microwave ovens as defined in claim
2 and a liner conforming generally in shape to a clawless lobster
or crayfish from the Palinuridae family and adapted to be fitted
into the vessel for the breakaway hinged parts to extend thereover
to prevent release of the tail of the clawless lobster from within
the liner and a retainer strip to hold the head of the clawless
lobster or crayfish from within the liner.
8. A lobster cooking vessel for microwave ovens as defined in claim
1 and the end of said elongated portion being shaped to accommodate
the lobster tail fins.
Lobster description
This invention relates to a cooking vessel for use in the cooking
of lobsters from the Homaridae family or Palinuridae family in microwave
ovens.
Lobsters are usually cooked by boiling in water or in a steam-supplied
vessel which are unadaptable for use in microwave ovens. Lobsters
are alive on being placed in a cooking vessel and with no means
of placing the lobster so that its tail can be confined, the lobster
can flip itself from the vessel. Such ordinary cooking vessels would
not be satisfactory for microwave ovens.
It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to
provide a cooking vessel suitable for use in a microwave oven in
which the portions of the lobster such as the claws can be located
in forward spaces separate from one another and the tail extended
therefrom into an elongated space wherein the tail can be held by
breakaway hinged parts extending from opposite sides of the vessel.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a vessel,
with the above object in mind, wherein the vessel has an enclosure
cover that has tight-fitting engagement with the bottom part in
which the lobster will be fully contained while being cooked in
the vessel.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a vessel
for cooking a lobster having claws in a microwave oven with claw
and tail receiving portions with means that will retain the lobster
claws and tail therein with the lobster upon its back within the
vessel.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a lobster cooking
vessel for microwave ovens shaped to confine a lobster with claws
which, by the use of a liner, may be made adaptable for the retention
of a mock lobster or crayfish that has no claws and use still made
of the claw retention and breakaway hinged parts to hold down its
tail.
Further objects of the invention are to provide, with the other
objects in mind, a lobster cooking vessel for use in microwave ovens
which has a pleasing appearance, is inexpensive to manufacture,
has a minimum number of parts, durable, will receive the lobster
with little difficulty and will positively prevent its release by
itself, effective and efficient in use.
According to the present invention, there is provided a bottom
vessel shaped generally in the form on an extended lobster into
which the lobster is placed on its back and in which there are means
for retaining its claws and tail against movement and its escape
from the vessel. The claws are extended under retaining strips and
the tail when straightened is lowered into the longitudinally-extending
portion of the vessel and retained by hinged parts extended respectively
from the opposite sides of the vessel and joined together by a slide
clamp.
This same vessel is made adaptable for use with a liner for containing
a clawless lobster from the Palinuridae family which is extended
into the longitudinal portion of the vessel and the tail retained
by the same hinged parts extended over its tail. A corresponding
cover is provided which has a continuous slot about its edge for
receiving a tight-fitting extension surrounding the upper edge of
the bottom part so that the parts when joined will be substantially
airtight and the steam generated from a shallow water supply in
the bottom part will be retained for effecting the cooking of the
lobster. These parts are preferably formed of plastic that is transparent
so that the lobster or crayfish can be readily viewed to ascertain
its cooked condition and the end of its treatment within a given
period of time in a microwave oven. The parts are particularly adaptable
for the support of the lobster on its back and on a raised portion
of the bottom part to insure good circulation of the steam around
the lobster. A liner is provided for rock lobster or crayfish without
claw spaces and the tail hold down parts will be hinged to extend
over the liner and the head is held in the liner by a retaining
strip on the liner.
For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had
to the following detailed description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawing, in which
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the bottom part of the lobster
cooking vessel and looking into its open top upon a lobster from
the Homaridae family shown in phantom placed on its back therein,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally on line
2--2 of FIG. 1 with the cover attached to the bottom part and looking
in elevation upon the two hold-down hinged parts respectively extending
from the opposite sides of the bottom part and closed upon one another,
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded view showing the recessed
lower edge of the cover and the extension on the bottom part adapted
to be received by the cover recess so as to establish a steam-tight
vessel of the parts,
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the joined bottom and cover parts
with a portion of the cover part being broken away to look in plan
upon the joined hinged retaining parts for the lobster tail, the
vessel parts being preferably transparent so that the lobster may
be viewed while being cooked,
FIG. 5 is a perspective exploded view of the cover and bottom parts
and of a liner adapted for receiving a mock lobster from the Palinuridae
family or crayfish and over which the tail-retaining hinged parts
on the main bottom part are used for retaining the lobster or crayfish
tail in position when all parts are joined together,
FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the joined bottom and cover
parts with the liner therein shown in phantom along the clawless
lobster or crayfish, portions broken away to show the hinged tail
retaining parts and the head retaining strip for the liner,
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the transparent open bottom part with
the liner therein containing the crayfish.
Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1-4 there is shown a bottom
part 11 shaped generally of a lobster and containing claw-receiving
spaces 12 and 13 for receiving the claws of a lobster 14 as shown
in phantom, and when placed upon its back within the bottom vessel
part. Extending from the two separate claw-receiving portions 12
and 13 is an elongated portion 16 for receiving the tail of the
lobster and fashioned at its end to provide a space 17 conforming
generally to the lobster tail fins to retain them. Hinged connected
respectively to opposite sides of the elongated portion 16 are respective
breakaway hinged parts 18 and 19 adapted to overlie one another
when extended over the tail of the lobster and retained by a slideable
sleeve retainer 21. The end of the part 18 has a clip formation
18' attached to tightly fit over the sides of the hinged part 19
to retain the hinged parts against lateral shifting when extended
parallel to one another and over the lobster's tail of the live
lobster to prevent the lobster from releasing itself from the vessel
by a flip of its tail. Across the claw space portions 12 and 13
are respectively respective fixed retaining strips 12' and 13' to
fix the claws of the lobster therewithin.
As best seen in FIG. 2 the part 18 is hinged at 18" to the
one side, whereas the part 19 is hinged at 19' to the other side.
Extending upwardly from the inner surface of the bottom part is
a rib 22 that extends into the logitudinal portion 16 centrally
thereof to support the lobster upon its back and spaced upwardly
from the bottom surface to permit passage of steam thereunder when
the surface is covered with water used in the cooking operation
in the microwave oven.
The bottom part 11 has on its top surface an upward extension 23
FIGS. 3 and 4 that surrounds the bottom vessel part and which is
adapted to be received within a corresponding groove 24' of a preferably
transparent cover part 24 in order that the vessel parts will be
retained together in a tight manner to prevent leakage of steam
generated while the vessel is placed in the microwave oven for the
cooking operation and to retain the live lobster placed therein.
Tabs 25 and 26 extend respectively laterally from the top edge of
the bottom part from the respective claw portions 12 and 13 while
an extension 27 extends laterally from the tail space portion 16
to facilitate the handling of the vessel in the microwave oven.
By being able to retain the tail of the lobster in the manner illustrated
by use of the hinged parts joined together and retained by slide
sleeve 21 the lobster is not likely to separate itself from the
vessel once it is placed in the microwave oven for the cooking operation.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 6 and 7 there is shown the insertion
of a liner 31 the nose of which is attached under a projection
33 on the bottom part 11 to retain the forward end of liner 31 thereto
and to adapt this cooking vessel more for use for the similar cooking
of clawless rock lobster or crayfish. This liner 31 is without portions
to receive claws and will render the claw-type cooking vessel more
suitable for the cooking of the clawless mock lobster or crayfish
as best illustrated in FIG. 5. The same hinged locking parts 18
and 19 of the bottom part 11 are used for the tail of the clawless
mock lobster or crayfish within the liner 31 and will extend from
the sides of the bottom part in such a manner as to extend over
the tail of the lobster or crayfish when it is lying in the liner
vessel 31. A body-retaining strip extends across the far end of
the liner 31. Water will be provided in the liner to produce steam
and water can also be provided in the bottom part to insure the
adequate generation of steam for cooking purposes. Structurally,
the top and bottom parts are the same as already described in connection
with FIGS. 1-4 that include the claw extension spaces 12 and 13.
The clawless rock lobster or crayfish, of course, can be cooked
in the bottom part alone, but will be better confined in the liner
in a more tight manner to prevent its release at the start of the
cooking process. The preferably transparent cover 24 is also provided
with tabs 25', 26' and 27' corresponding respectively with the respective
tabs 25 26 and 27 of the bottom part 11 to facilitate the handling
of the cover and bottom parts to turn over the assembled parts with
the lobster therein in the microwave oven.
It should now be apparent that a suitable cooking vessel has been
provided for the cooking singularly of a lobster from the Homaridae
family and crayfish from the Palinuridae family in a microwave oven.
The final cooking can be observed through the preferably transparent
parts and the closed vessel removed when the final cooking has been
performed.
While various changes may be made in the detailed construction,
it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit
and scope of the present invention as defined by the pending claims.
|