Background and Summaty of the Invention An important factor in cooking is the time for'which a food item is cxposed to heat as well as the timing. required for the various stages of the ceeking process. I) uring cooking, it is often difficult for a cook to accurately determine or keep track of the amount of time that a food item has been exposed to heat. Moreover, a cook often prepares several food items at one time, each of which may requirc : a different cooking time.

It is common for cooks to use clocks or countdown timers to more precisely gauge the cooking time of a food items. For example, a cook may use one more timers to monitor the cooking time of several food items and may place the timers on a counter adjacent the cooking appliance or appliances. However, prior art cooking timers arc typically independent of the cooking appliance and the cook may have difficultly in remembering which timer is set for which cooking appliance. Moreover, the user may have a difficult time in finding a safe place to locate the timer, especially in confined and/or particularly active cooking environments.

In other circumstances, a cook may wish to temporarily leave the area of the cooking appliance, such as when a cooking time is particularly long. In addition, cooking appliances typically must be cleaned after use. Therefore there is a need for a cooking appliance having a timer that may be easily and convenicnt-ly associated with the cooking appliance for mhich it is set, espccially when several cooking appliances and timers arc being used, which timer can be separated from the cooking appliance for transport to another location and for cleaning of the cooking appliance.

The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of prior art cooking timers and satisfies the above desires. The cooking appliance of the present invention includes a timer which can be securely attached to the cooking appliance in an easy and convenient manner and which can be removed and Transported by the cook to another location, or for cleaning the cooking appliance.

In a preferred embodiment, the cooking appliance includes a lid having a handle with a socket for secure, removable attachment of a cooking timer. The timer includes a display, such as a mechanical timer or a digital timer with an Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and control settings preferably on an upwardly-facing top surface of the timer. Preferably, the handle (and timer attached thereto) is located at a top of the lid such that the timer is located at a highest point of the cooking appliance to provide a clear and unobstructed view of me timer, further, the lid and/or the handle thereof preferably rotates relative to a bottom of the cooking appliance to permit the cook to align the timer for optimal viewing and control.

Brief Description ofthe Drawings For a complete understanding of the above and other features of the invention, reference shall be made to the following detailed description oCthe preferred cmbodiments of the invcntion and to the accompanying drawings, wherein : FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment, a cooldng appliance constructed according to the invention; FIG. 2 is side elevation view of a top of the lid and timer of the cooking appliance of FIG. 1 ; FIG. 3 is a cut-away top plan view oShandlc and timer of the cooking appliance of FIG.

1 ; and fiG-4 is a cut-away end elevation view of the handle and timer of the cooking appliance oFFIG. 1.

FIGs. 5 & 6 are perspective views of independent bases of the invention.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of a cooking appliance 10 constructed according to the invention includes a bottom vessel 12 for retaining food items and liquid and a lid 14, which is preferably a dome licl having a substantially cylindrical side wall 16 and a partially spherical roof I 8 with a planar top portion 19. However, other shape lids are also within the scope of the invention. The bottom vessel 12 includes a bottom handle 20 for transporting the cooking appliance 10. The lid 14 includes a lid handle 22, suitable for gzasping by a usel-to place and renovc the lid 14. Preferably, thc lid handle 2 ? and bottom handle 20 are formed of heat-resistant plastic, or other heat resistant, insulating material to protect the user from the heat oFthc cookino appliancc during use The lid handle 22 is preferably located at top center of the lid 14 and is preferably located at a highest portion of the lid 14. A timer 24 is removably attachable to the lid handle 22.

Preferably, the timer 24 is digital or electronic type timer and includes a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) 26 and controls 28 (such as depressible or touch-sensitive buttons) suitable to set, start, stop and otherwise control the timer on a top 29 of the timer 24. The timer 24 also preferably includes a light and/or sonorous signal means (not shown). The timer 24 preferably includes an integrated digital clock and timing and control circuitry. connected to the LCD display 26, controls 28 and signal means. The timer 24 also preferably includes a self-contained power source connected to the circuitry, such as a replaceable or rechargeable battery. Alternatively, as can be appreciated, the timer 24 Call be of an anaLog or mechanical type.

Referring to FIGs. 2-4, the lid handle 22 preferably includes a circular base 30 in contact the lid 14, a neck porlion 32 extending upwardly from the circular base 30, and a grasping portion 34 depending from the neck portion 32. The grasping portion 34 preferably extends laterally outwardly from the neck portion 32 to facilitate secure grasping of the lid handle 22.

The grasping portion 28 includes a cantilcvered end portion 36 having a socket : 38 sixed and shaped to rcmoveably and securely receive an engaging portion 40 on a bottom 42 of the timer 24. Preferably, the socket 28 is in the form of a female portion oF a dove-tail joint aligned horizontally with respect to the lid 14, and the engaging portion 40 is in the form of a complementary male portion oFa dove-tail joint on the bottom 42 of the timer 24. It can he appreciated that die orientation of the portions of the dove-tail joint can be reversed such that the female portion is disposed on the timer 24 and the male portion is disposed on the lid handle 22.

As best depicted in FIG. 2, the timer 24 can be securely attached to the lid 14 by aligning the engaging portion 40 of the timer 24 with the socket 28 of the lid handle 22 and sliding the engaging, portion 40 of the timer 24 into the complementary socket 28 of the lid handle 22.

Thus, the timer 24 can be grasped by one hand of the user and attached to the cover 14 of the cooking appliance 10 with a simplc, linear lateral (i. e., horizontal) motion-Indeed, it is intended that the timer 24 can be attached to the cover 14 of the cooking appliance 10 with only one hand of the user.

Preferably, the engaging portion 40 of the timcr 24 includes a recess 43 sized and shaped to receive a projection 45 in the socket 28 of the lid handle 22 to retain the timer 24 on the lid handle 22 when attached. Thus, when attached to the lid handle 22, the timer 24 is securely affixed to the lid 14 of the cooking device.

The bottom vessel 12 preferably includes a retaining rim 50 around a periphery which surrounds a bottom rim 52 of the lid 14 to provide latcrai stability to the lid 14 when placed on the vessel 12. Therefore, the lid 14 will remain on @op of the vessel if an amount of force is applied laterally (i. e. horizontally) to the lid 14 when the timer 24 is attached or removed. If required, the user may brasp Lhe bottom handlc 20 to secure the cooking appliance 10 during attachment and removal of the timer 24. As stated above, preferably the bottom. handle 20 and lid handle 22 are formed of insulating material such that the user may comfortably grasp both portions while die cooking appliance is healed.

The Limer 24 is removed from the lid handle 22 in an opposite motion, to transport the timer 24 to another location, to carry the timer 24 separate from the cooking appliance 10, or to clean the cooking appliance 10. Again, the timer 24 can be removed with one hand in a simple, linear motion.

Preferably, a bottom surface 44 of the engaging portion 40 of the timer 24 is substantially planar such that, if the timer 24 is removed from the lid 14 and is placed on a counters ? or other flat surface, the bottom surface 44 of the engaging potion 42 forms a stable base for the timer 24.

Further, when so placed, the engaging portion 40 ofthe timer 24 is prcfcrably io. catcd below the controls 28, such that the timer 24 will remain stable (i. e., will not tip) when the controls 28 are depressed to operate the timer 24.

A magnet (not shown) can be contained within the engaging portion 40 of the timer 24 for mounting the timer 24 to a metallic surface, such a. s a refrigerator door, when disconnected from the cooking appliance 10. Preferably the magnet is mounted flu with a bottom surface 44 of the engaging portion 40 of the timer 24.

When attached to the lid handle 22, the LCD display 26 and controls 28 face upwardly toward the user to provide a clear, unobstructed view of thc display and controls. Further, the lid 14 and/or lid handle 22 preferably rotates relative to the bottom vessel 12 such that the user can align the timer for optimal viewing and control. While placement of the timer 24 on the lid handle 22 is depicted in the preferred embodiment, it is intended that the timer 24 can be affixed to other locations of the cooking appliance 10. For example, the bottom handle 20 can include a socket (not shown) sized and shaped according to the socket 28 of the lid handle 22 described above for attachment of the timer (or vice versa). Alternatively, the timer 24 can be located on the opposed gripping portion 21 of the vessel 12. IL can be appreciated that other locations of the socket and timer arc also within the scope of the invention.

Therefore the present invention provides a cooking appliance'with a timer that may be easily and conveniently attached and removed from the cooking appliance such that the timer can remain associated with the cooking appliance for which it is set and can be separated from the cooking appliance for transport to another location or for cleaning.

Referring to FIGs. 5 & 6, the cooking appliance 10 of the present invention can also include an independent timer support 50 which is separable from the vessel 12 and lid 14 of the cooking appliance 10 for securely and visibly supporting the timer 24 when disconnected from the cooking appliance 10. As depicted, the independent support 50 can be integrally formed with a recipc holder (FIG. 5) or a recipe box (FIG. 6), or another type of item. Prcferably, thc timer support 50 includes a base 52 in contact with a support surface and includes a socket 54 that is complementary to the engage portion 40 of the timer 24 such that the timer may be securely removably moulted to the timcr suloport 50 7t should be understood, of course, that. the specific form of the invention herein Lstratcd and descnbed is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. According) y, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention-