Background Art During a normal course of frying process using a frying pan without a cover or lid, the contact of moisture or oil containing food including fish produces spattering of the liquids or fats out of the frying pan, thereby not only messes up stoves and surrounding walls that are not easily cleansed but also creates severe burns to nearby people namely cooks. In order to obviate the above problems, people usually use a typical sauce pan cover or papers, e. g. newspapers. In case of utilizing the general sauce pan cover, however, the vapors generated during the frying process cannot be discharged or vented, so the foods often do not taste as good as they are supposed to be. Also, in case of covering the food with papers, say newspapers, harmful and toxic substances contained in the printing ink may fall in the food.

In order to resolve the above problems, Korean Utility Model Publication Nos. 20-0217673 and 2000-0021359 disclosed a frying pan cover for cooking fish

and a splatter shielding frying pan cover, respectively.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a frying pan cover for cooking fish utilizing an absorbing paper according to the related art, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a splatter shielding frying pan cover utilizing a wire netting according to the related art.

As depicted in Fig. 1, a handle 31 and a circular ring 20 are respectively hinged to both sides of a ring-shaped supporting plate 10 with a center hole, being folded inwardly, and an absorbing paper 40 is inserted between the inwardly folded ring 20 and the supporting plate 10, to cover the center hole. Therefore, spatters from escaping out of the frying pan during the frying process are absorbed by the absorbing paper 40, and part of the moistures generated during the cooking process is gradually discharged through a gap between the supporting plate 10 and the frying pan, wherein the gap is formed because of downward protrusion at the supporting plate 10, and the other part of the moistures is absorbed by the absorbing paper 40.

In case of the splatter shielding frying pan cover shown in Fig. 2, a wire netting 1 having small holes la is fixed at a ring-shaped rim 2 in the peripheral portion. As shown in the drawing, an auxiliary handle 3 is attached to one side of the ring-shaped rim 2, and a foldable handle 4 is inwardly attached to the other side of the ring-shaped rim 2, thereby discharging or venting vapors through the small holes 1 a and preventing spatters from escaping out of the frying pan.

However, there are several problems with the frying pan cover for cooking fish and the splatter shielding frying fan of the related art.

First, the covers have to be removed to turn over the food, i. e. fish, to cook the fish completely.

Second, in case of moving or tilting the frying pan to place the food on a dish, the cover handle should be securely gripped as well.

Third, the absorbing paper and the wire netting are not transparent so it is difficult to observe the interior of the frying pan. As a result, the food can be easily burned.

Disclosure of the Invention It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a spatter shielding cover of a frying pan, which not only enables to discharge vapors through an opening on the cover to maintain an appropriate moisture level in the food but also enables a cook to observe a cooking state and to turn over the food without removing the cover.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a spatter shielding cover of a frying pan, which not only is easy to move or tilt but also maintains appropriate frying conditions and cooking temperatures by keeping spatters of oils under the cover.

To achieve the above object, there is a cover of a frying pan, which includes an outside wall having an opening on a central portion; a horizontal portion extended horizontally from a lower end of the outside wall; and a vertical portion extended vertically from the horizontal portion.

Preferably, the horizontal portion is disposed at the top surface of the frying pan, and the top surface area of the opening is smaller than the lower surface area.

Also, the vertical portion is preferably disposed at the inside of the frying pan, and a rib is disposed on the edge between the outside wall and the horizontal portion.

Brief Description of Drawings

The above objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a frying pan cover for cooking fish utilizing an absorbing paper according to the related art; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a splatter shielding frying pan cover utilizing a wire netting according to the related art; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a major part of a cover of a frying pan according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cover of a frying pan according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, in which oil is flowing into the frying pan along a horizontal portion disposed at an inside of the frying pan and a vertical portion connected to the horizontal portion; and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view, in which oil is flowing into the frying pan along a horizontal portion disposed at an outside of the frying pan and a vertical portion connected to the horizontal portion.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a major part of a cover of a frying pan according to the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 3, the cover of a frying pan of the invention is composed of an outside wall portion 100, a horizontal portion 200a, and a vertical portion 300a.

The outside wall portion 100 has an upper opening 400 in its central area so that the moistures generated during the cooking process can be discharged therethrough. The shape of the outside wall portion 100 can be various, e. g. ring shape or square, and usually it is similar to the shape of the frying pan since the outside wall portion 100 needs to be placed over the frying pan. For example, if the frying pan is in ring shape, the outside wall preferably has the shape of the mouth of a jug, to prevent extreme spattering of oils in acute angles. That is, the surface area of the upper opening 400 is smaller than the surface area of the lower opening 410 so that the rim gets smaller as it goes upwardly.

The horizontal portion 200a is extended horizontally from the lower end of the outside wall portion and disposed at a top surface 55 of the frying pan. Hence, the rim of the horizontal portion 200a is preferably similar to the upper rim of the frying pan. In other words, when the cover is placed on the frying pan, the bottom surface of the horizontal portion 200a and the top surface of the frying pan should be fitted.

The vertical portion 300a is extended vertically from the one side of the bottom surface of the horizontal portion 200a and disposed inside the frying pan. In so doing, extreme spatters of oils in acute angle can flow down along the outside wall and eventually return to the frying pan 50, being guided by the horizontal portion 200a and the vertical portion 300a. In short, since the rim of the vertical portion 300a is smaller than the rim of the top surface 55 of the frying pan, when the cover is placed on the frying pan, the horizontal portion 200a rests on the top surface 55 of the frying pan and the vertical portion 300a is fitted inside the frying pan.

At this time, a special caution should be given to the design of the cover in consideration with the difference between the rim of the vertical portion 300a and the

top surface 55 of the frying pan, and the vertical length of the vertical portion 300a.

This is because if the difference between the rim of the vertical portion 300a and the top surface 55 of the frying pan is too great, the gap between the vertical portion 300a and the top surface 55 of the frying pan is correspondingly large, whereby the cover can be slid into the gap when the frying pan is tilted. In addition, if the vertical length of the vertical portion 300a is too small, the cover is easily slid off so that it cannot perform what it is originally supposed to do, i. e. preventing the vertical portion from escaping.

The operation state of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 4 through 6.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cover of a frying pan according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, in which oil is flowing into the frying pan along a horizontal portion disposed at an inside of the frying pan and a vertical portion connected to the horizontal portion.

As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, when the spatter shielding cover is securely fixed on the top surface of the frying pan during the cooking process, the moistures generated during the cooking process are discharged to the outside through the upper opening 400, but spatters of oils are blocked by the outside wall 100 and flow down along the outside wall 100. Eventually, this oil returns to the frying pan, being guided by the horizontal and vertical portions 200a and 300a. In this manner, the interior of the frying pan can maintain an appropriate moisture level and temperature.

Moreover, there is a rib 500a on the edge between the outside wall 100 and the horizontal portion 200a. This rib serves to reinforce the strength of the edge, and makes the oil on the outside wall flow down long the inclined surface more easily.

In the meantime, the cook can observe through the upper opening 400 the interior of the frying pan to check the cooking state of food, and if needed, turn over the food without removing the cover.

When the frying pan is tilted during the cooking process or to put the food on the dish, the vertical portion 300a is caught by the inner wall of the frying pan so that the cover is not easily escaped.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view, in which oil is flowing into the frying pan along a horizontal portion disposed at an outside of the frying pan and a vertical portion connected to the horizontal portion.

Similar to the exemplary embodiment discussed above, the horizontal portion 200a is extended outwardly from the lower end of the outside wall 100 to the frying pan, and the vertical portion 300a is extended vertically from the horizontal portion 200b downward, being disposed at the outside of the frying pan. In order to prevent the oil stuck to the outside wall 100 from discharging out of the pan through the horizontal and vertical portions 200b and 300b, staining the frying pan, a rib 500b is preferably disposed at the edge between the outside wall 100 and the horizontal portion 200b.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Industrial Applicability The oil spatter shielding cover of a frying pan of the present invention has the following advantages.

First, since the top surface area of the opening is smaller than the lower surface area, extreme spattering of oils during the frying process, e. g. frying fish, can be effectively prevented by the outside wall of the cover.

Second, the moistures generated during the cooking process are discharged to the outside through the opening so that the food maintains an appropriate moisture level, retaining its own taste.

Third, it is possible to observe through the opening the interior of the frying pan without removing the cover. Also, one can turn over the food, e. g. fish, while the cover is being shut.

Fourth, the vertical portion disposed at the inside of the frying pan guides the oil stuck on the outside wall to fall inside the frying pan via the horizontal portion and the vertical portion. Therefore, spattering of fats out of the frying pan does no longer mess up stoves and surrounding walls, and the food is no more burned because fats are well retained inside the frying pan.

Fifth, when the frying pan is tilted, the vertical portion disposed at the inside of the frying pan is caught by the inner wall of the frying pan so that the cover is not easily escaped.

Sixth, the rib placed on the edge between the outside wall and the horizontal portion reinforces the strength of the edge, and guides the oil stuck to the outside wall to fall down along the inclined surface of the rib safely into the frying pan.