US20070090072A1

US20070090072A1 - Cooling rack for foods

Info

Publication number: US20070090072A1
Application number: US11/258,021
Authority: US
Inventors: Yu-Tzu Wang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-10-26
Filing date: 2005-10-26
Publication date: 2007-04-26

Abstract

A cooling rack for foods to hold and cool baking foods includes a first holding rack and a second holding rack that are movably coupled with at least two U-shaped legs. The first and second holding racks are grid racks consisting of a plurality of wire rods to form respectively a first platform and a second platform. The first platform of the first holding rack has a plurality of coupling portions on selected locations to engage with the legs. The first platform has one end bent to form a bucking portion. The second platform of the second holding rack has two or more latch lugs on selected locations on a lower side that have respectively an aperture to be coupled with the distal ends of two poles of each leg. The first and second holding racks may be stacked over each other or spaced from each other at a selected distance through the legs. Thereby the cooling rack can be switched to form a single-layer or double-layer with varying areas to hold the baking foods without increasing the storage space of the cooling rack.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cooling rack for holding and cooling baking foods and particularly to a cooling rack for foods that is switchable to a single and double layers of holding area without increasing storage space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The foods that are newly baked or roasted usually still have a high temperature, hence have to be moved to a suitable platform or container for cooling to avoid hindering the next cycle baking process of the oven. The conventional apparatus for holding and cooling the baking foods generally are a single-layer grid rack or tray. They provide a fixed holding area. When the quantity of baking foods at the same time increases, a plurality of grid racks or trays have to be used. As a result, more storage space is needed to hold the grid racks. Some cooling racks for holding the baking foods have a pair of foldable bracing legs located on the bottom of the grid rack or tray that are extended upright on two sides of the tray to raise the elevation of the platform. Multiple trays can be stacked through the bracing legs to form a double-layer or multi-layer holding area. The cooling apparatus for baking foods formed in a single layer fashion mentioned above has a limited holding area and takes too much storage space. The grid rack or tray that has bracing legs and are stackable can increase the holding area for foods, but stacking of the individual grid rack is not stable and often results in tumbling and causes contamination of foods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforesaid disadvantages occurred to the conventional cooling racks for baking foods, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a cooling rack for foods that is switchable to a signal-layer or a double-layer mode when in use. Hence a desired and varying holding area can be provided according to the amount of the baking foods.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cooling rack for foods that has two movable holding racks that can be coupled together and also are switchable to form a single-layer and double-layer structure which is sturdy and provides varying holding areas according to the amount of the baking foods.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the cooling rack for foods according to the invention includes a first holding rack and a second holding rack that are movably coupled by at least two U-shaped legs. The first and second holding racks are a grid rack structure, and have respectively a first platform and a second platform formed by a plurality of wire rods. The first platform has a plurality of coupling portions on selected locations to hold the legs. The first platform has one end bent to form a bucking portion. The second platform has two or more latch lugs on selection locations on a lower side thereof. Each leg has two pole ends movably coupled in apertures formed on the latch lugs.
By means of the aforesaid structure, the two legs enable the first and second holding racks to be stacked over each other or spaced from each other at a selected distance. And a single-layer or a double-layer of different holding area can be switched according to the amount of the baking foods. Such a structure does not increase as much storage space as the conventional single-layer cooling rack does.
In one aspect, the cooling rack according to the invention has at least two legs that are integrally and movably coupled with the first and second holding racks. The first and second holding racks can be stacked sturdily and spaced from each other at a selected distance. It overcomes the unstable stacking problem of the conventional cooling racks.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the invention in a stacking condition to form a single-layer.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the invention in an extended condition to form a double-layer.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the invention in stacking and extending conditions.
FIG. 4A is a fragmentary top view of the invention showing the second holding rack coupling with a leg.
FIG. 4B is a fragmentary front view of the invention showing the second holding rack coupling with a leg.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front view of the invention showing the leg leaning on the first holding rack.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, the cooling rack for foods according to the invention includes a first holding rack 1 and a second holding rack 2 that are coupled together through a leg 3 such that the first and second holding racks 1 and 2 can be overlapped and stacked over each other, or spaced from each other at a selected distance. The cooling rack thus formed is switchable to form a single-layer and a double-layer holding area according to the quantity of baking foods to be held without increasing the storage space of the cooling rack.
The first holding rack 1 is a grid rack made of a plurality of wire rods 10 to form a first platform 11. The first platform 11 has a plurality of coupling portions 12 on selected locations to couple with the leg 3. The first platform 11 further has one end bent to form a bucking portion 13 which forms an angle smaller than 90 degrees with the first platform 11. The bucking portion 13 aims to anchor the leg 3 when the second holding rack 2 is stacked over the first holding rack 1. In an embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the coupling portions 12 are formed on the wire rods 10, and preferably on two outmost wire rods 10 of the first platform 11 in a shape to movably hold the leg 3. The coupling portion 12 further may be formed by bending the wire rod 10 downward in a concave manner. The downward and concave coupling portion 12 may also become a bracing leg of the first holding rack 1 to be rested on any surface desired.
The second holding rack 2 is a grid rack substantially like the first holding rack 1, and has a second platform 21 for holding and cooling the baking foods. The second holding rack 2 has at least two latch lugs 22 on selected location of a lower side thereof. Each of the latch lugs 22 has an aperture 23 to pivotally couple with a distal end of the leg 3. Therefore, the second holding rack 2 can be lifted above the first holding rack 1 at a selected distance by swiveling the leg 3 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4B.
The leg 3 is integrally formed by bending a rod or wire rod in a U-shape. It has a transverse bar 31 on the bottom and two distal ends extended upwards then bent outwards to form two opposing poles 32 and 33 as shown in FIG. 4A. The two poles 32 and 33 have two distal ends 321 and 331 that are movably coupled with the apertures 23 of the latch lugs 22 as shown in FIG. 4B. Hence the leg 3 and the second holding rack 2 are movably coupled together. The transverse bar 31 is located on the bottom of the wire rods 10 of the first platform 11, and engaged with the coupling portions 12 close to two ends thereof so that the leg 3 also is movably coupled with the first holding rack 1.
By coupling the second holding rack 2 with at least two legs 3, and coupling the legs 3 with the first holding rack 1, the first holding rack 1, second holding rack 2 and legs 3 are movably coupled together. As the transverse bar 31 is located on the bottom of the wire rods 10 of the first platform 11, it is movably coupled with the first holding rack 1 without escaping, and can be turned about the coupling portion 12 and lifted from the first platform 11 and lowered again. The poles 32 and 33 of the legs 3 are swiveled to lean on the bucking portion 13 of the first holding rack 1 to be anchored. Meanwhile, the second holding rack 2 is moved in a parallel manner above the first holding rack 1 at a selected distance to form a double-layer platform for holding foods as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
As the legs 3 are interposed between the first and second holding racks 1 and 2, swiveling one of the legs 3 or lifting any portion of the second holding rack 2 can move another leg 3 like moving a linkage bar mechanism. And the second holding rack 2 can be moved upwards easily above the first holding rack 1 at the selected distance, or lowered thereafter to stack over the first holding rack 1.
Thus the cooling rack for foods of the invention, through the first and second holding racks 1 and 2 that are coupled with the legs 3 to form a stacked manner or be extended to form a higher layer and a lower layer, the holding area can be altered flexibly. When the second holding rack 2 is located above the first holding rack 1 in a parallel manner as shown in FIG. 2, it can hold more baking foods 4 than when they are stacked together as shown in FIG. 1.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiment thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A cooling rack for foods, comprising:

a first holding rack which is a grid rack consisting of a plurality of wire rods to form a first platform, the first platform having a plurality of coupling portions on selected locations and one end bent to form a bucking portion;

a second holding rack which is another grid rack consisting of a plurality of wire rods to form a second platform and has at least two latch lugs on a lower side of thereof, each of the latch lugs having an aperture; and

at least two legs each being an integrated rod formed in U-shape by bending, each leg having a transverse bar on the bottom and two distal ends extended upwards and outwards to form two opposing poles, each of the poles being coupled with the aperture of the second holding rack such that the transverse bar is located on the bottom of the first holding rack, the transverse bar abutting to two ends thereof being engaged with the coupling portions of the first holding rack, the legs being movably coupled with the first holding rack and the second holding rack.

2. The cooling rack for foods of claim 1, wherein the bucking portion is extended upwards from the first platform at an angle smaller than 90 degrees.

3. The cooling rack for foods of claim 1, wherein the coupling portions are formed on the wire rods of the first platform.

4. The cooling rack for foods of claim 3, wherein the coupling portions are formed on the two outmost wire rods of the first platform.

5. The cooling rack for foods of claim 1, wherein the coupling portions are extended downwards from the first platform in a concave manner.

6. The cooling rack for foods of claim 5, wherein the downward concave coupling portions become bracing legs of the first holding rack.

7. The cooling rack for foods of claim 1, wherein each of the legs is swivelable about the coupling portions through the two poles and movable upwards and lowered thereafter.

8. The cooling rack for foods of claim 7, wherein the two poles of one leg are swivelable to lean on the bucking portion and anchor thereon.