Removable gripping device and kitchen set including such a removable gripping device

Abstract

TITLE: Removable Gripping Device and Kitchen Set Comprising Such a Removable Gripping Device. The present invention relates to a removable gripping device (6) for a cooking utensil, comprising a gripping body (62), a fork (64) forming a clamp (66) with the gripping body and being movable in translation, and movement means (68, 70, 72) adapted to move the fork relative to the gripping body. The movement means comprise a trigger (68) movable in rotation between a deployed position and a retracted position, and a knee joint (75) comprising at least a first connecting rod (70) and a central connecting rod (72). The knee joint is capable of moving the fork when the trigger is pivoted.The removable gripping device includes an elastically deformable element (90), which is compressed when the trigger is in the retracted position and applies a restoring force (F90) to one of the movement means so as to push the trigger back to its deployed position. See Figure 2 for abbreviations.

Description

Title of the invention: Removable gripping device and kitchen set comprising such a removable gripping device

[0001] The present invention relates to a removable gripping device and a kitchen set comprising such a removable gripping device.

[0002] EP2007260B1 is known to use removable gripping devices comprising a gripping body and a fork that is movable in translation relative to the gripping body. The fork and the gripping body together form a gripper. The fork is movable between an open position and a closed position in which the gripper is able to grasp the edge of a kitchen utensil. These removable gripping devices are also provided with movement means comprising a trigger and a knee joint. The trigger is mounted on the gripping body and is movable in rotation between a deployed position, in which the fork is open, and a retracted position, in which the fork is closed. The knee joint is able to move the fork when the trigger is pivoted.It is shaped so that the trigger is in a stable equilibrium position, both in the retracted and deployed positions, and so that the trigger passes through an intermediate position of unstable equilibrium when the trigger pivots from one of the two stable equilibrium positions to the other. These devices are generally satisfactory.

[0003] However, the handling by a user of the removable gripping device, in particular by squeezing the gripping body and the trigger in their hand, hinders the passage from the retracted position to the deployed position of the trigger and therefore the passage from the closed position to the open position of the fork.

[0004] The aim of the invention is then to propose a removable gripping device facilitating the transition from the retracted position of the trigger to the deployed position.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to a removable gripping device for a culinary article, comprising:

[0006] - a gripping body extending along a longitudinal axis between a front of the body and the rear of the body

[0007] - a fork mounted on the gripping body, forming a gripper with the front of the gripping body and being movable in translation relative to the gripping body, in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, between an open position and a closed position in which the gripper is able to pinch an edge of the cooking article, and

[0008] - means of movement adapted to move the fork relative to the body of grasping and comprising: • a trigger mounted on the gripping body and rotatable between a deployed position in which the fork is open and a retracted position in which the fork is closed, and • a knee joint comprising at least a first connecting rod and a central connecting rod, the knee joint being capable of moving the fork when the trigger is pivoted, and being shaped so that the trigger is in a stable equilibrium position, both in the retracted position and in the deployed position, and so that the trigger passes through an intermediate unstable equilibrium position when the trigger pivots from one to the other of the two stable equilibrium positions.

[0009] The removable gripping device includes an elastically deformable element, compressed when the trigger is in the retracted position and which applies a restoring force on one of the means of movement so as to push the trigger back towards its deployed position.

[0010] Thanks to the invention, and in particular thanks to the elastically deformable element, the trigger is pushed back by default to its retracted position. Thus, the transition from the retracted position of the trigger to the extended position occurs automatically and without any effort on the part of the user. Furthermore, if the user is holding the trigger and the grip tightly in their hand, the restoring force exerted on the means of movement is transmitted via the trigger to the user's hand, so that the user feels the need to loosen their grip to allow the trigger to swing from the retracted position to the extended position.

[0011] According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the removable gripping device comprises one or more of the following features, taken individually or in any technically possible combination:

[0012] - the elastically deformable element is a compression spring;

[0013] - the elastically deformable element is an elastomer block;

[0014] - the elastically deformable element is a leaf spring;

[0015] - the restoring force is greater than 30 newtons;

[0016] - when the trigger is in the retracted position, the elastically deformable element is compressed between, on the one hand, the means of displacement on which it exerts the restoring force and, on the other hand, either the grasping body or the fork;

[0017] - the elastically deformable element applies the restoring force on the connecting rod central;

[0018] - the central connecting rod is provided with a housing and a protruding guide pin in the housing so that the elastically deformable element is housed in the housing and centered around the guide pin;

[0019] - the trigger includes a first hook, and the removable gripping device includes a push button mounted on the gripping body and movable in translation relative to the gripping body, in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, between a locking position and an unlocking position, the push button including a second hook, capable of being hooked to the first hook when the push button is in the locking position and when the trigger is in the retracted position so as to prevent any pivoting of the trigger from the retracted position to the unstable equilibrium position, the second hook being capable of being disengaged from the first hook by the translation of the push button to the unlocking position;

[0020] - the elastically deformable element is dimensioned to apply a force recall automatically pushes the trigger from the retracted position to the deployed position when the push button is in the unlock position.

[0021] The invention also relates to a kitchen set comprising at least one cooking item and a removable gripping device as defined above.

[0022] The invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the drawings in which:

[0023] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] is a perspective view of a kitchen set comprising an item culinary and a removable gripping device, the gripping device being in a closed configuration;

[0024] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a section along plane II of the removable gripping device of [Fig.1], the gripping device being in the closed configuration;

[0025] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a section along plane III of the removable gripping device of [Fig.1], the gripping device being in the closed configuration;

[0026] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a section along plane II of the removable gripping device of [Fig. 1], the gripping device being in an open configuration,

[0027] [Fig. 5] [Fig. 5] is a partially exploded perspective view of the device removable gripping device of the [Fig. 1], the gripping device being in an open configuration, and

[0028] [Fig. 6] [Fig. 6] is a perspective view of part of a blocking means for the removable gripping device of the [Fig.l].

[0029] A kitchen set 2 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in [Fig.1].

[0030] The kitchen set 2 includes a cooking item 4 and a removable gripping device 6.

[0031] The cooking article 4 comprises a base 42, a rim 44, and a curved portion 48, which forms the upper end of the rim 44, opposite the base 42. The base 42 is circular and flat. The rim 44 extends from the base 42 to define an interior volume V4 for holding food. The curved portion 48 is curved outwards from the cooking article 4 and extends from the rim 44.

[0032] The removable gripping device 6 includes a gripping body 62, a fork 64 and means for moving the fork 64.

[0033] The gripping body 62 extends, along a longitudinal axis X6 of the removable gripping device 6, between a front 622 of the body and a rear 624 of the body. The front of the body, or any part mounted on it, faces the cooking article when the gripping device is mounted on such an article. Under the same conditions, the rear of the body, or any part mounted on it, faces away from the cooking article.

[0034] The front 622 of the body includes a front surface 629 which extends globally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis X6.

[0035] The fork 64 extends, along the longitudinal axis X6, between a front end 642 and a rear end 644.

[0036] The front end 642 is curved and extends with a component perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X6. The front end 642 has an internal surface 646, turned towards the front surface 629 and globally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X6.

[0037] The fork 64 is mounted on the gripping body 62 so that the front 622 of the body and the front end 642 of the fork 64 together form a clamp 66 capable of pinching the rim 44.

[0038] The fork 64 is movable in translation relative to the gripping body 62 along a direction D64, directed from the front 622 of the body towards the rear 624 of the body 62, substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X6. The fork 64 is movable between an open position and a closed position in which the clamp 66 is able to clamp the edge 44 of the cooking article 4.

[0039] More specifically, a distance D66 measured parallel to the longitudinal axis X6 between the internal surface 646 of the front end 642 of the fork 64 and the front surface 629 of the front 622 of the body, decreases when the fork 64 is moved from the open position to the closed position.

[0040] The fork 64 is held in its open position by an opening spring 94 of the removable gripping device 6. In this example, the opening spring 94 is a torsion spring. The opening spring 94 is supported, by a first one end, on the gripping body 62, and, by a second end, on the fork 64.

[0041] The means for moving the fork 64 include a trigger 68 and a knee joint 75.

[0042] The trigger 68 includes, at a front end 683, a first hook 687 and has a groove 689.

[0043] The trigger 68 includes, at a rear end 685 opposite the front end 683, a cam 684. In the plane of [Fig.3], the cam 684 extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis X6 in the direction of the fork 64.

[0044] The trigger 68 includes a ramp 682, shown in [Fig. 3]. The ramp 682 approaches the fork 64 along the direction D64. More precisely, as shown in [Fig. 3], when the trigger 68 is in the retracted configuration and when the ramp 682 is traversed along the direction D64, a distance d682, measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X6 between a point on the ramp and the longitudinal axis X6, increases.

[0045] The trigger 68 is mounted on the gripping body 62 and is rotatable about a main shaft 79 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X6, between a deployed position and a retracted position. When the trigger 68 is in the deployed position, the fork 64 is in the open position, and when the trigger 68 is in the retracted position, the fork 64 is in the closed position.

[0046] The trigger 68 is adapted to be operated manually. More specifically, the user must apply pressure to the trigger 68 to move it from its deployed position to its retracted position.

[0047] The knee joint 75 includes a first connecting rod 70, a central connecting rod 72 and a slider 74.

[0048] The first connecting rod 70 comprises a first end 702 and a second end 704. The first end 702 is movable in rotation around a first shaft 69, fixed with respect to the gripping body 62 and parallel to the main shaft 79.

[0049] The first shaft 69 is positioned longitudinally between the front 622 of the body and the main shaft 79.

[0050] The central connecting rod 72 comprises a first end 726 and a second end 728. The central connecting rod 72 advantageously has a housing 722 and a guide pin 724. The housing 722 has a circular cross-section and the guide pin 724 projects into the housing 722 and is centered on the housing 722.

[0051] The second end 728 of the central connecting rod 72 is movable in rotation about a second shaft 73 movable in translation along the longitudinal axis X6 relative to the gripping body 62, the second shaft 73 being parallel to the first shaft 69. The The second tree 73 is positioned longitudinally between the first tree 69 and the main tree 79.

[0052] The first end 726 of the central connecting rod 72 is mounted to slide in the groove 689 of the trigger 68.

[0053] The second end 704 of the first connecting rod 70 and the first end 726 of the central connecting rod 72 are assembled by a linkage allowing rotation between the first connecting rod 70 and the central connecting rod 72 around a third shaft 71 parallel to the first shaft 69 and movable in translation perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X6 relative to the gripping body 62. The third shaft 71 is positioned between the first shaft 69 and the second shaft 73 in the direction D64.

[0054] The slider 74 is assembled with the fork 64, moving along the longitudinal axis X6. The slider 74 and the central connecting rod 72 are assembled by a linkage allowing rotation between the slider 74 and the central connecting rod 72, around the second shaft 73.

[0055] Activating the trigger 68 causes the first end 726 of the central connecting rod 72 to slide in the groove 689. The sliding of the first end 726 of the central connecting rod 72 causes the first connecting rod 70 to rotate around the first shaft 69, the central connecting rod 72 to rotate around the second shaft 73, and the slider 74 to translate along the longitudinal axis X6. The translation of the slider 74 causes the fork 64 to move in a linear fashion. The movement means thus allow the movement of the fork 64 to be manually controlled.

[0056] The knee joint 75 is shaped so that the trigger 68 is in a stable equilibrium position, both in the retracted and deployed positions. The knee joint 75 is also shaped so that the trigger 68 passes through an intermediate unstable equilibrium position when the trigger 68 pivots from one of the two stable equilibrium positions to the other.

[0057] The intermediate unstable equilibrium position is defined as the position of the third shaft 71 in which the third shaft 71 is aligned with the first shaft 69 and the second shaft 73.

[0058] Furthermore, the knee joint 75 is shaped so that, when the trigger 68 is in its retracted position and therefore when the fork 64 is in its closed position, the clamp 66 grips the rim 44 when it is present between the surfaces 629 and 646.

[0059] The gripping device 6 comprises a safety shuttle 76 and a spring 78. The spring 78 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis X6 and bears on the slider 74 on one side and on the fork 64 on the other. The safety shuttle 76 is housed within the spring 78 and limits the relative movement of the slider 74 and the fork 64, by so that the fork 64 is locked in the closed position when the trigger 68 is in the retracted position and the knee joint 75 is in a stable equilibrium position.

[0060] The gripping device 6 also includes an elastically deformable element 90. The elastically deformable element 90 is compressed when the trigger 68 is in the retracted position.

[0061] More specifically, when the trigger 68 is in the retracted position, the elastically deformable element 90 is compressed between, on the one hand, one of the means of movement and, on the other hand, either the fork 64 or the gripping body 62.

[0062] In the example in the figures, the elastically elastic element 90 is compressed between the fork 64 and the central connecting rod 72.

[0063] In an unrepresented variant of the invention, the elastically elastic element 90 is compressed between the fork 64 and the gripping body 62.

[0064] The elastically deformable element 90 is advantageously housed in the housing 722 and centered on the guide pin 724 so as to minimize the bulk of the elastically deformable element 90 within the gripping device 6.

[0065] The elastically deformable element 90, when compressed, applies a restoring force F90 on one of the means of displacement, in the example the central connecting rod 72, so as to push the trigger 68 back towards its deployed position.

[0066] Advantageously, the restoring force F90 is greater than 30 newtons.

[0067] Advantageously, the elastically deformable element 90 is a compression spring, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0068] Advantageously, the guide pin 724 makes the operation of the compression spring 90 more reliable by being inserted in the center of its coils.

[0069] Advantageously, the gripping device includes a push button 92. The push button 92 includes a cap 926 projecting from the gripping body 62 and a base 928 housed in the gripping body 62 and including a protrusion 924.

[0070] The protuberance 924 extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis X6, in the plane of [Fig.3], and has a second hook 922.

[0071] The push button 92 passes through the gripping body 62 via an opening 062 in the gripping body 62. The opening 062 extends parallel, or almost parallel, to the longitudinal axis X6.

[0072] The push button is mounted to move in translation relative to the gripping body 62 along a direction D92 substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X6 between a locking position and an unlocking position.

[0073] The removable gripping device 6 comprises a return means 88 housed in the gripping body 62 and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis X6, bearing on one side on the base 928 of the push button 92 and on the other side on the gripping body 62 so as to urge the push button 92 towards its locking position.

[0074] When the push button 92 is in the locking position and when the trigger 68 is in the retracted position, the second hook 922 hooks the first hook 687, so as to prevent any pivoting of the trigger 68 from the retracted position to the unstable equilibrium position.

[0075] When the push button 92 is moved by the user over a first range of the push button 92's travel, from its locked position to its unlocked position, along the direction D92, the second hook 922 disengages from the first hook 687, releasing the trigger 68 and allowing its pivoting from the retracted position to the unstable equilibrium position.

[0076] Advantageously, the restoring force F90 exerted by the elastically deformable element 90 is such that the trigger 68 is then automatically pushed back to its deployed position when the second hook 922 is disengaged from the first hook 687.

[0077] However, if necessary, the movement of the push button 92 can be continued by the user over a second range of the push button 92's travel towards its unlocked position in the direction D92, so that the protrusion 924 comes into contact with the ramp 682 and pushes the trigger 68 back towards its deployed position.

[0078] Furthermore, in order to secure the locking of the fork 64 in the closed position, the gripping device 6 includes a locking means 80. The locking means 80 is housed in the gripping body 62. The locking means 80 is capable of immobilizing the fork 64 in the closed position by pinching a rear end 644 of the fork 64. The locking means 80 comprises a movable part 805, a pinching ring 806 and a locking spring 808.

[0079] The moving part 805 includes a cage 802 and pinching members 804.

[0080] The cage 802 extends on either side of the rear end 644 of the fork 64 and is translationally movable on the gripping body 62, along the longitudinal axis X6, between a clamping position and a release position. The cage 802 moves from the clamping position to the release position by being displaced along the direction D64.

[0081] The locking spring 808 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis X6 and bears on one side against the cage 802 and on the other side against the gripping body 62 so as to push the cage 802 towards the pinching position.

[0082] When the trigger 68 pivots from its retracted position to its deployed position, the cam 684 comes into contact with an inclined rear surface S802 of the cage 802 pushing the cage 802 back towards its release position.

[0083] The clamping elements 804 are mounted, on either side of the fork 64, in the cage 802 in a manner that is fixed in the movement of the cage 802 along the longitudinal axis X6. In other words, the movement of the cage 802 causes the translation along the longitudinal axis X6 of the clamping elements 804 so that the clamping elements 804 are in a clamping position when the cage 802 is in the clamping position and the clamping elements 804 are in a release position when the cage 802 is in the release position.

[0084] The pinch ring 806 is mounted around the fork 64. It is fixed relative to the gripping body 62. The pinch ring 806 includes an inclined internal surface S806 such that an internal diameter of the pinch ring 806 increases along the direction D64.

[0085] The internal surface S806 receives the pinching members 804. When the cage 802 is moved to the pinching position, the pinching members 804 are moved to the pinching position and pressed by the inclined surface S806 against the fork 64 so that the pinching members 804 pinch the fork 64 and block the translation of the fork 64 along the axis X6.

[0086] Furthermore, in order to secure the locking of the fork 64 in the closed position in the event of failure of the locking means 80, the first connecting rod 70 includes a protrusion 706 which extends, when the trigger is in retracted configuration, perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis X6 in the direction of the fork 64.

[0087] The protrusion 706 is designed so that, when the trigger 68 is in the retracted position, it will fit into a slot 648 formed through the fork 64. In the event of failure of the locking means 80, a rear edge 6482 of the slot will come to a front stop against the protrusion 706, the protrusion 706 limiting the movement of the fork in a direction opposite to the direction D64.

[0088] In an alternative not shown, the elastically deformable element 90 is an elastomer block

[0089] In an alternative not shown, the elastically deformable element 90 is a leaf spring.

[0090] In an alternative embodiment not shown, the elastically deformable element 90 will be arranged on the first connecting rod 70, instead of being arranged on the central connecting rod 72, the function of the elastically deformable element 90 and its interaction with the fork 64 remaining then similar to what has been described previously.

[0091] Any feature described above for one embodiment or variant is applicable to the other embodiments and variants described above, insofar as this is technically possible.

Claims

Demands

1. A removable gripping device (6) for a cooking article (4), comprising: - a gripping body (62) extending along a longitudinal axis (X6) between a front (622) of the body and a rear (624) of the body, - a fork (64) mounted on the gripping body, forming a clamp (66) with the front (622) of the gripping body (62) and being movable in translation relative to the gripping body, in a direction (D64) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, between an open position and a closed position in which the clamp is able to grip an edge (44) of the cooking article (4), and - means for moving the fork (68, 70,72) adapted to move the fork relative to the gripping body and comprising: • a trigger (68) mounted on the gripping body (62) and rotatably movable between a deployed position in which the fork (64) is in the open position and a retracted position in which the fork is in the closed position, and • a knee joint (75) comprising at least a first connecting rod (70) and a central connecting rod (72), the knee joint being capable of moving the fork (64) when the trigger is pivoted, and being shaped so that the trigger (68) is in a stable equilibrium position, both in the retracted and deployed positions, and so that the trigger passes through an intermediate unstable equilibrium position when the trigger pivots from one to the other of the two stable equilibrium positions, characterized in that the removable gripping device (6) comprises an elastically deformable element (90),compressed when the trigger (68) is in the retracted position and which applies a restoring force (F90) on one (72) of the displacement means (68, 70, 72) so as to push the trigger back towards its deployed position.

2. Removable gripping device according to the preceding claim, wherein the elastically deformable element is a compression spring (90).

3. Removable gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable element is an elastomer block.

4. Removable gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable element is a leaf spring.

5. Removable gripping device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the restoring force is greater than 30 newtons.

6. Removable gripping device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, when the trigger is in the retracted position, the elastically deformable element is compressed between, on the one hand, the displacement means (72) on which it exerts the restoring force (F90) and, on the other hand, either the gripping body (62) or the fork (64).

7. Removable gripping device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastically deformable element (90) applies the restoring force (F90) on the central connecting rod (72).

8. Removable gripping device according to the preceding claim, in which the central connecting rod (72) is provided with a housing (722) and a guide pin (724) projecting into the housing (722) so that the elastically deformable element is housed in the housing (722) and centered around the guide pin (724).

9. A removable gripping device according to any one of the preceding claims: - wherein the trigger (68) comprises a first hook (687), and - the removable gripping device (6) comprises a push button (92) mounted on the gripping body (62) and movable in translation relative to the gripping body, in a direction (D92) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (X6), between a locked position and an unlocked position, the push button comprising a second hook (922), capable of being hooked to the first hook (687) when the push button (92) is in the locked position and when the trigger (68) is in the retracted position so as to prevent any pivoting of the trigger from the retracted position to the unlocked position of unstable equilibrium, the second hook (922) being able to be disengaged from the first hook (687) by the translation of the push button (92) towards the unlocking position.

10. Removable gripping device according to the preceding claim, in which the elastically deformable element is dimensioned to apply a restoring force (F90) automatically pushing the trigger (68) from the retracted position to the deployed position when the push button (92) is in the unlock position.

11. Kitchen set (2) comprising at least one cooking article (4) and a removable gripping device (6) according to any one of the preceding claims.