On terminating preparation the solid bodies must obviously be separated from the liquid.

When articles of food such as, for example, pasta, potatoes, vegetables in general, can be cooked loose by boiling them in water using a deep pan with a lid and handles, separation between solids and liquid is made using a strainer, this being a receptacle with a perforated base.

If, for example, cut up food like diced potatoes, pieces of fish or meat are cooked by frying in oil or fat, in a shallow pan like a frying pan, because the oil or fat must be heated to such a high temperature and as the cooked food must be carefully handled, separation is best made using a kitchen tool with a perforated blade.

By using this tool splashes of oil or fat, so dangerous to the body, especially to the eyes, can be prevented.

When a strainer is used, a second receptacle is needed to catch the cooking water.

This operation too can involve risks such as scalds and burns to the hands, or scalds from steam, often produced in a cloud and, in any

case, can steam up spectacles if worn, or wet the surrounding furniture or floor, such proceedings also involving premature loss of heat from the strained food, risks of pollution by passing it from one receptacle to another, extra space being taken up by too many utensils in use at once.

In the preparation of beverages such as tea, coffee, herbal teas, where solids are treated by liquids, there is always the problem of separating solids from liquids.

Solids are therefore provided in filter bags, somewhat inconvenient to use, apart from possible loss of aroma.

The invention here described eliminates all these drawbacks as will now be explained.

Subject of the invention is a cooking utensil for preparation of food and beverages in general by means of heated liquids. such as water, oil and others, comprising a receptacle, a lid with a central handle and a projecting mouth, a filter and means for connecting the filter, the lid and the rim of the receptacle, when food or beverages are being prepared, so that when preparation is complete, the receptacle can be tilted and the liquid used be run off through the filter and through the mouth in the lid.

In one type of execution the lid and the filter comprise means for fixing the filter inside the lid as required.

The filter presents a rim so shaped as to correspond substantially to the shape of the inner surface of the lid.

The filter is fixed inside the lid by fitting a knob onto the central handle on the lid ; said knob turns freely on its geometrical axis, and presents a central pin that projects inside the lid and fixes a threaded bush, at a central position on the top of the filter ; on being turned the knob screws its threaded pin into the bush until the rim of the filter matches with the inner surface of the lid.

The filter may be flat or cone-shaped.

If the filter is cone-shaped the threaded bush is fixed at its top.

In one type of execution the filter consists of a perforated disk of a size substantially the same as that of the receptacle at its rim.

The edges of the lid and of the filter are preferably flat and are substantially of the same size and shape to permit the edge of the filter to lie over the rim of the receptacle and the edge of the lid over the edge of the filter.

The means for connecting the lid to the receptacle comprise two diametrally placed handles each fixed to a short shaft freely turning at the sides of U-bolts mounted close to the edge of the receptacle.

Between said shaft and the inner surface of the U-bcit there is a square U-shaped plate comprising an upper hook-shaped part, a lower tongue-shaped part facing towards the receptacle, and a curved back.

Fixed to the shaft is a cam having a first bulge set slightly at an angle in relation to the geometrical axis of the handle, and a second bulge set at an angle of substantially 90° in relation to said axis and opposite to the first bulge so that when the handles are turned down, substantially adhering to the external wall of the receptacle, the first bulge, pressing on the inside of the plate, keeps the upper hook detached from the edge of the receptacle, allowing free application or removal of the filter and the lid, while when the handles are turned upwards and project outwards from the receptacle, such as when cooking is in progress, the second bulge, pressing on the lower tongue, causes the plate to descend and rotate, placing said upper hook over the top of the lid and creating a pull on it to keep said lid in position.

A heat-resisting spring is placed low down on the inside wall of the U- bolt to keep the lower tongue of the plate adhering to the cam.

In one type of execution the means for connection between lid and filter consist of a thread between the lid and the edge of the receptacle, and of a seat between said lid and said receptacle sufficient to fit packing round the edge of the filter.

The cooking utensil here described comprises means for creating a seal between the lid and the receptacle that may consist of one or more pieces of heat-resisting packing fitted inside the edge of the lid.

The shape of the mouth may be that of a cylindrical tube or may present an oblong cross section, parallel to the edge of the lid.

The tube may preferably present a means of closure including a safety device able to withstand high pressure.

The invention offers evident advantages.

Simplicity and convenience in straining water from cooked food such as pasta or rice, or for draining oil from cooked food such as potatoes.

Broth can also be strained off leaving the solid food in the receptacle.

Avoidance of all risks of scalding or burning, or of marks on surfaces or on the floor.

Optimum use of space since that required for using an ordinary food strainer with presently known methods is no longer necessary.

Food kept at the best temperature for consumption there being no need to take the lid off the cooking receptacle, avoiding the double transfer of food to the strainer and from there to the plates.

The food can be kept drained inside the closed utensil until needed.

In the case of herbal infusions, coffee and tea, use of the liquid produced is simplified and the aroma fully maintained.

The variant that fixes the filter to the lid offers great advantages as, on taking out the cooked food, there is no need to touch the filter which, especially in the case of frying, is extremely hot.

A combination of all these advantages means a saving of time and greater safety, advantages not only in the home but everywhere food - whether cooked in oil or fat or boiled in water like pasta, rice, vegetables-is served, in restaurants, canteens.

Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made still clearer by the following examples of its execution illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures.

Fig. 1 Cooking utensil with handles against the sides, exploded perspective.

Fig. 2 Part of the cooking utensil at the position of one handle, when not in use, cross section.

Fig. 3 As in Figure 2, with the handle in position during cooking, cross section.

Fig. 4 Plan view as in Figure 3.

Fig. 5 The cooking utensil on completion of cooking spaghetti, front perspective view, partially cut away.

Fig. 6 The cooking utensil as in Figure 5 when straining off water, side view, partially cut away.

Fig. 7 Lid of the utensil for preparation of food or beverages, devised so as to fix it to a filter, cross section.

Fig. 8 Filter devised so as to fix it to the lid, cross section.

Fig. 9 Lid and filter fixed together, cross section.

Fig. 10 As in Figure 9, perspective view.

The cooking utensil 10 comprises the receptacle 15 with handles 25, strainer 80 and lid 70.

The strainer 80 presents a flat base 83 with perforations 85 and an inclined raised rim 81 and flat edge 84.

The convex lid 70 presents an inclined raised rim 71 with flat edge 74 and a knob 75 of plastic material.

A cylindrical drainage tube 78 with a large diameter is situated on said lid.

The tube may present an., oblong cross section parallel to the lid, and may present a closing means fitted with a safety device able to withstand high pressure.

The handles 25 (Figure 4) present an arched body 26 with base 27 and hole 28, and are attached to ttre receptacle 15 by rectangular U- bolts fixed to the walls of said receptacle close to its edge and at the position of one of its diameters.

The end of the arched body of the handles presents a taper 30 inwardly inclined at substantially 45° to facilitate hand grip when moving the handles from the idle position against the wall of the receptacle 15 (Figure 2) to the position when cooking is in progress (Figure 3).

Said handles 25 (Figure 4) are fixed to the U-bolts 20 by parallel brackets 35,36 fixed to the two ends of the short cylindrical shaft 40 freely turning at the sides of each U-bolt.

Fixed to said shaft 40 is a cam 45 that presents a first bulge 46 at an XX4 geometrical axis at substantially 20° in relation to the XX2 axis of the handle, and a second bulge 47, at an XX3 axis substantially orthogonal, on the side opposite to the first bulge, in relation to said XX2 axis of the handle (Figure 3).

Situated between the shaft 40 and wall 21 of each U-bolt 20 is a curved plate 50, for catching on the hook and pulling it down, illustrated in plan view in Figure 4 ; and in a cross section in Figures 2 and 3.

The shape of said plate 50 is substantially that of a square"U"with inclined base 51, a lower tongue-shaped part 52, an upper hook- shaped part 53, and a curved back 60.

When the handles 25 lie flat against the receptacle 15 (Fig. 2) the bulge 46 on the cam 45 presses on the inclined base 51, so detaching the upper hook 53 from the edge 16 of said receptacle 15 to allow the strainer 80 and lid 70 to be put on.

The food to be cooked is then put in and the receptacle closed.

Dimensions and shape of the edge 84 of the strainer 80 and of the edge 74 of the lid 70 are substantially the same, the two therefore matching together.

To close the receptacle the handles 25 are rotated upwards (Fig 3).

This rotation causes the bulge 47 on the cam 45 to press against the lower tongue 52 after which, overcoming resistance from the flat spring 64 mounted on the inner face of the wall 21 of the U-bolts 20,

the plate 50 lowers and rotates round said shaft 40, thus pressing the upper hook 53 against the edge 74 of the lid 70 and therefore against the edge 84 of the strainer 80 (Figure 3).

As the strainer 80 is made of moderately elastic heat-resisting material, the pressure created by the pull exerted by the hook 53 at the upper end of the plate 50, creates a seal to prevent hot water escaping through the rim 16 of the receptacle 15 while draining is proceeding.

Alternatively the strainer 80 can be made of metal and can have a U- shaped tongue of elastic heat-resisting material round the edge 84.

As seen in Figures 5 and 6, the spaghetti 91 having been cooked, the cooking utensil 10 can be tilted to cause the water 90 to flow out through the tube 78, the cooked spaghetti 95 remaining in the receptacle.

Figures 7-10 illustrate another execution of the utensil for preparing food or beverages, in which the filter 120 is fixed to the lid 100.

The central handle 103 is mounted on the flat top 101 of the lid 100 by means of an external flange 115 and an internal flange 116, the two being held together by small pins 118 : Said approximately discoid filter 120 presents filtering holes 122 and a rim 121 so shaped that it can substantially be fitted to the internal surface of the lid 100.

The bush 125 with internal threading 126 is fixed by means of a base 127 to the centre of the upper surface of the filter.

The knob 105 on the central handle 103 turns freely round its geometrical axis guided by a disk lodged in a circular seat, not shown in the drawing for simplicity, inside the flange 115.

Fixed to said knob 105 is an axial pin 110 with threading 112 and pointed tip 113. By means of these threads, 112 on the pin and 126 on the bush, the pin can be screwed into the bush on the filter 120.

The filter 120 can therefore be fixed to the lid 100 by fitting the axial pin 110 on the rotatable knob 105 into the bush 125 on said filter and

then rotating the knob, to make the rim 121 on the filter match with the internal surface of the lid as shown in Figure 10.

Internal packing ensures the seal between the rotatable knob and the structure of the central handle 103 as described.

When preparation has been completed the liquid used for cooking the food or making the beverage can be easily poured off by tilting the cooking utensil comprising the receptable 15 already described, and the lid 100 as shown in Figure 6.