Egg holding device

Abstract

An egg holding device 10 for holding an egg while the egg is being cooked in an air fryer, oven, or grill, comprising an apertureless base 12 and a continuous side wall 14, that may be circular. A hin

Description

Egg Holding Device The present invention relates to an egg holding device for holding an egg while the egg is being cooked. In particular, the device is for use in an air fryer or oven, or under a grill. A grill is often termed a broiler in the United States. A “fried egg” is cooked by removing an egg from its shell, ideally with the yolk intact, and then cooking it. Typically, a fried egg is cooked in a frying pan or on a griddle, with heat applied from underneath. However, since heat is only applied from one side, the egg may need to be flipped or basted with hot oil, to allow even cooking and / or to prevent the underside from buming. This can be challenging and time-consuming, with the risk of the yolk breaking. It would be desirable to cook a fried egg in an air-fryer or oven, or under a grill, to allow easier, more repeatable, and more even cooking of the egg. Additionally, such methods typically require less oil than when frying in a frying pan, and therefore this would provide a healthier alternative. However, it is difficult to place and contain a raw egg in or under these devices for cooking. Additionally, it is then difficult to remove and serve the cooked egg from these devices. The present invention seeks to provide a solution to these problems. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an egg holding device for holding an egg while the egg is being cooked in an air fryer, oven or under a grill, the egg holding device comprising: an apertureless base for receiving the egg thereon; a continuous side wall for surrounding the egg on the apertureless base; a hinge connecting the apertureless base and the continuous side wall, the hinge configured to permit the continuous side wall to move between a closed condition, in which at least a majority of a perimeter of a lower end of the continuous side wall engages or substantially engages the apertureless base, and an open condition, in which at least a majority of the perimeter of the lower end of the continuous side wall does not engage the apertureless base; and a biasing means for biasing the apertureless base and the continuous side wall to the closed condition. The apertureless base and the continuous side wall in the closed condition allow for an egg removed from its shell to be contained and easily manoeuvred, positioned and / or held inside a cooking device. Since the biasing means holds the apertureless base in the closed condition, the user does not need to manually ensure that the device remains closed whilst in the cooking device. Once the cooking device has cooked the egg, the egg can be easily removed by removing the holding device containing the egg. The egg can then be conveniently removed from the holding device and served by actuating the holding device into the open condition. Preferably, the egg holding device may further comprise a grip connected to the hinge and configured to actuate the apertureless base and the continuous side wall into the open condition. The grip allows for the user to manually open and close the device. The grip may otherwise be referred to as a handle. Advantageously, the egg holding device may further comprise two grips connected to the hinge and configured to actuate the apertureless base and the continuous side wall into the open condition. Additionally, the grips may be configured to be moved towards each other to actuate the apertureless base and the continuous side wall into the open condition. Thus, the device may be configured to be opened by moving the two grips towards each other. Optionally, the biasing means may comprise a spring. Additionally, the spring may be a torsion spring. In a preferable embodiment, the torsion spring may have two ends and may be received between the two grips, each end engaging one of the grips so that the torsion spring biases the two grips away from each other. Thus, the device may be configured to be opened by squeezing the two grips towards each other. Preferably, the continuous side wall may be circular or substantially circular. This allows the egg to conform to a circle shape, which is how a user might expect a fried egg to appear. However, it will be appreciated that other shapes may be considered, such as square or rectangular shapes. Beneficially, in the open condition, an entirety of the perimeter of the lower end of the continuous side wall may not engage the apertureless base. Thus, the base and the side wall are entirely separated, which provides good clearance between these parts, making it easier to remove the cooked egg from the holding device. To achieve this, the hinge axis of the hinge may be displaced from the base and the side wall. If instead the base and side wall simply hinged open with part of the side wall still in contact with the base, then it may only be possible to remove the egg from the portion of the base which is opposite the hinge. Advantageously, in the closed condition, an entirety of the perimeter of the lower end of the continuous side wall may engage or substantially engage the apertureless base. This ensures that leakage of the egg does not occur from between the base and side wall. In a preferable embodiment, an internal perimeter of the continuous side wall is configured to be entirely at or inside of a perimeter of the apertureless base when in the closed condition. Therefore, egg cannot leak from a gap between the outside of the base and the side wall. Preferably, the base may comprise a non-stick material. This allows for the cooked egg to easily slide off the base, and therefore be easier to serve. Optionally, the egg holding device consists of heat-resistant material. Since the egg holding device may be received inside an oven, the entire device may need to be heat resistant. Beneficially, the egg holding device may further comprise a lid for closing an upper end of the continuous side wall. The upper end of the continuous side wall defines an opening. The open top may be covered or closed by a lid, to maintain heat and / or steam between the continuous side wall to improve the cooking of the egg. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an air fryer, oven or grill including the egg holding device according to the first aspect of the invention. Cooking the egg using these cooking devices may allow easier and more repeatable cooking. Additionally, cooking the egg in an air fryer may be more cost-effective in terms of energy use than, for example, frying the egg on a hob or stovetop, such as one which uses gas. According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of using the egg holding device according to the first aspect of the invention, the method comprising the steps of. a) with the apertureless base and the continuous side wall in the closed condition, placing an egg on the apertureless base and inside of the continuous side wall; b) placing the egg holding device in an air fryer or oven, or under a grill; ¢) cooking the egg using the air fryer, oven or grill; d) removing the egg holding device from the cooking chamber; e) moving the apertureless base and the continuous side wall to the open condition; and f removing the egg from the egg holding device. The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a front view of an embodiment of an egg holding device in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, with an apertureless base and a continuous side wall in a closed condition; Figure 2 shows the egg holding device of Figure 1, with the apertureless base and the continuous side wall in an open condition; and Figure 3 shows a side view of the egg holding device of Figure 1. Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the egg holding device 10 comprises an apertureless base 12 and a continuous side wall 14. The base 12 is apertureless in that it is a continuous piece of material, such as a plate, and does not have through-holes through which liquid could leak. The apertureless base 12 is preferably formed from a heat conductive material, such as metal, for example aluminium or stainless steel. However, it will be appreciated that other materials may be considered, for example ceramics or food-safe heat-resistant hard plastics. If the base 12 is not formed from a non-stick material, then the base 12 may have a non-stick coating applied at least to a portion of an upper surface of the base 12. The base 12 is most preferably circular, or preferably at least has curved or rounded edges. In this way, the upper surface of the base 12 is circular or substantially circular. However, it will be appreciated that other shapes may be considered. For example, the base 12 may have a square or rectangular shaped base 12, or any other shape, including novelty shapes, such as an egg-shape or star, which may appeal to children. The base 12 may have a diameter or width of that of a conventional fried chicken’s egg. For example, the base 12 may have a diameter of width of around 100 mm. The apertureless base 12 is preferably thin and planer, for example having a thickness of less than 5 mm between major upper and lower surfaces. However, it will be appreciated that other dimensions may be considered. The side wall 14 is continuous in that it defines a closed perimeter for surrounding an egg. The continuous side wall 14 is preferably configured to sit at or inside the perimeter of the base 12. As such, the continuous side wall 14 may have a similar, identical, or smaller width as or than the base 12, and / or may have a similar or identical shape or form as the base 12. As such, here the continuous side wall 14 is circular or substantially circular; however, it will be appreciated that other shapes may be considered, in a similar way as the base 12. It may be possible for the base 12 and the continuous side wall 14 to have different shapes, in which case edges of the base 12 would ideally extend beyond the side wall 14. The continuous side wall 14 may be considered to be ringlike or annular. The continuous side wall 14 may have a height of 50 mm, although other dimensions may be considered. The continuous side wall 14 has a lower end 16 and an upper end 18, the lower and upper ends 16, 18 being at opposing axial ends of the side wall 14 to each other. Each end has a perimeter, which is continuous, and the continuous side wall 14 is defined between the perimeters of these ends 16, 18. The lower and upper ends 16, 18 thus define openings of the continuous side wall 14. The openings are preferably circular or substantially circular. The side wall 14 may have a lip at the lower and / or upper ends 16, 18. The apertureless base 12 and the continuous side wall 14 are moveable between two conditions or relative positions. The continuous side wall 14 can move between a closed condition, in which at least a majority of the perimeter of the lower end 16 of the continuous side wall 14 engages or substantially engages the apertureless base 12, and an open condition, in which at least a majority of the perimeter of the lower end 16 of the continuous side wall 14 does not engage the apertureless base 12. The closed condition is shown in Figure 1. In the closed condition, preferably the entirety of the perimeter of the lower end 16 engages or substantially engages the apertureless base 12. Whilst the perimeter of the lower end 16 preferably fully engages the base 12, so as to form a liquid seal, it will be appreciated that there may be a small gap therebetween which, as long as the gap is small enough to prevent raw egg to run therethrough, provides sufficient engagement for the function of the invention. The open condition is shown in Figure 2. In the open condition, preferably the entirety of the perimeter of the lower end 16 of the continuous side wall 14 does not engage the apertureless base 12. As such, the side wall 14 is entirely displaced from the base 12. However, it will be appreciated that some engagement may be considered. For example, a small portion of the lower end 16 of the side wall 14 may remain in contact with the base 12, as in a clamshell arrangement. To allow movement between the open condition and the closed condition, the device further includes a hinge 20 which connects the side wall 14 and the base 12. The hinge 20 has first and second hinge members 22, 24 which are hingably connected to each other at a hinge axis 26. Each member 22, 24 is generally straight and has a protrusion through which the hinge axis 26 extends to allow a greater range of motion of the hinge members 22, 24. The hinge axis 26 is preferably separated or spaced apart from the base 12 and the continuous side wall 14. Each hinge member 22, 24 extends forwards and rearwards of the hinge axis 26. Forward of the hinge axis 26, the first hinge member 22 is secured to the base 12, and the second hinge member 24 is secured to the side wall 14. This securing should be a permanent and reliable fixing, to allow repeated use and withstand high temperature. As such, welding may be used to attach the hinge members 22, 24 to the base 12 and side wall 14. Therefore, the hinge members 22, 24, base 12, and side wall 14 may all comprise a weldable material, such as steel. However, it will be appreciated that other joining methods, or unitary formation, may be considered. Rearward of the hinge axis 26, each hinge member 22, 24 defines a finger grip 28 or handle. When the finger grips 28 are moved towards each other, a forward portion 30 of each of the first and second hinge member 22, 24 moves away from each other. This allows for the side wall 14 and base 12 to move from the closed condition to the open condition. Referring to Figure 3, there is a biasing means 32 which biases the device into the closed condition. Here the biasing means 32 is part of the hinge 20. The biasing means 32 is preferably a spring, such as a torsion spring, although other biasing means 32 may be considered, such as coil springs. The torsion spring 32 is preferably received between the rearward portions 34 of the hinge members 22, 24, with one end of the torsion spring 32 connected to one hinge member 22 and the other end of the torsion spring 32 connected to the other hinge member 24. The grips 28 may include a coating or cover 36 for enhancing friction, such as non-slip material. The material should be heat resistant. This may include silicone, for example. The covers 36 can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, and are omitted from Figure 2. The grips 28 may be formed from a heat insulating material to allow use even when at elevated temperature. In general, the hinge 20 has the form of a crocodile clip or alligator clip. Although not shown, the cooking device may have a lid to cover the side wall 14 and which would sit across the upper end 18 of the side wall 14. The lid may be hingably attached to the side wall, or may be disconnected therefrom. In use, to cook an egg, the egg holding device 10 is allowed to assume the closed condition. The white and yolk of a raw egg are positioned onto the base 12 and contained by the side wall 14. The egg holding device 10 can then be placed in or under a chosen heating device or cooking device. For example, the egg holding device 10 is positioned in an air fryer or oven, or under a grill. If using an air fryer, the base 12 of the egg holding device 10 may touch the bottom of the air fryer cooking tray. Alternatively, the device 10 can first be placed in or under the chosen heating device, and then the raw egg white and egg yolk can be positioned onto the apertureless base 12 and contained by the side wall 14. The heating device is then activated. For example, if using an air fryer, the air fryer can be set to a temperature of 160 °C for 10 minutes, which cooks the egg. The egg holding device 10 with cooked egg contained therein can then be removed from the heating device. To serve the egg, the grips 28 are moved together or squeezed which overcomes the biasing force of the torsion spring 32 and moves the side wall 14 apart from the base 12, into the open condition. The egg can then be slid from the base 12 and onto the serving dish. It is therefore possible to provide an egg holding device for holding an egg for cooking in an air fryer or similar. The egg is contained by a side wall and base when cooking. The side wall and base can be conveniently separated from each other to allow serving of the egg. The words ‘comprises / comprising’ and the words ‘having / including’ when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination. The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.

Claims

Claims 1. An egg holding device for holding an egg while the egg is being cooked in an air fryer, oven or under a grill, the egg holding device comprising: an apertureless base for receiving the egg thereon; a continuous side wall for surrounding the egg on the apertureless base; a hinge connecting the apertureless base and the continuous side wall, the hinge configured to permit the continuous side wall to move between a closed condition, in which at least a majority of a perimeter of a lower end of the continuous side wall engages or substantially engages the apertureless base, and an open condition, in which at least a majority of the perimeter of the lower end of the continuous side wall does not engage the apertureless base; and a biasing means for biasing the apertureless base and the continuous side wall to the closed condition.

2. An egg holding device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a grip connected to the hinge and configured to actuate the apertureless base and the continuous side wall into the open condition.

3. An egg holding device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two grips connected to the hinge and configured to actuate the apertureless base and the continuous side wall into the open condition.

4. An egg holding device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the grips are configured to be moved towards each other to actuate the apertureless base and the continuous side wall into the open condition.

5. An egg holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the biasing means comprises a spring.

6. An egg holding device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spring is a torsion spring.

7. An egg holding device as claimed in claim 6 when dependent on claim 4, wherein the torsion spring has two ends and is received between the two grips, each end engaging one of the grips so that the torsion spring biases the two grips away from each other.

8. An egg holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the continuous side wall is circular or substantially circular.

9. An egg holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, in the open condition, an entirety of the perimeter of the lower end of the continuous side wall does not engage the apertureless base.

10. An egg holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, in the closed condition, an entirety of the perimeter of the lower end of the continuous side wall engages or substantially engages the apertureless base.

11. An egg holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein an internal perimeter of the continuous side wall is configured to be entirely at or inside of a perimeter of the apertureless base when in the closed condition.

12. An egg holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base comprises a non-stick material.

13. An egg holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the egg holding device consists of heat-resistant material.

14. An egg holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a lid for closing an upper end of the continuous side wall.

15. An air fryer, oven or grill including the egg holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

16. A method of using the egg holding device of claims 1 to 15, the method comprising the steps of: a) with the apertureless base and the continuous side wall in the closed condition, placing an egg on the apertureless base and inside of the continuous side wall; b) placing the egg holding device in an air fryer or oven, or under a grill; €) cooking the egg using the air fryer, oven, or grill; d) removing the egg holding device from the cooking chamber; €) moving the apertureless base and the continuous side wall to the open condition; and remo\ egg from the egg holding

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