Combined kitchen utensil holder

Abstract

Provided is a combined pot and pan lid holder in the form of an open-top cylindrical body with a vertical slot for insertion of the user's hand and an internal kitchen utensil holder insertable into the cylindrical body. When necessary, the hot pot or pan lid is placed during cooking onto the open top side of the cylindrical body with the internal (pot or pan covering) side of the lid facing up. Since the internal side of the lid faces up, dripping from the lid to the support surface is completely prevented. The internal holder, which is intended for elongated kitchen utensils, such as ladle spoons, taste spoons, etc., can be used independently or held inside the cylindrical body.

1 . A combined kitchen utensil holder comprising a cylindrical body having an outer cylindrical surface, an inner cylindrical surface, a longitudinal axis, at least one open end, and a slot in the cylindrical surface that is parallel to the longitudinal axis and has a width sufficient for insertion of the palm of the human hand into the cylindrical body; an internal kitchen utensil holder insertable into the cylindrical body through said at least one open end; and supporting means on the cylindrical body for supporting the internal kitchen utensil holder in the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         2 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the internal kitchen utensil holder comprises a central rod that has an upper end and a lower end and is arranged along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body; and at least one annular body that is rigidly connected to the central rod perpendicular to the central rod and near the upper end of the central rod, the annular body having openings for insertion of elongated kitchen utensils. 
     
     
         3 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 2 , wherein the cylindrical body is open at both ends and has an upper end face and a lower end face, wherein the supporting means on the cylindrical body for supporting the internal kitchen utensil holder comprises at least one projection at the lower end face that projects radially inward from the inner surface of the cylindrical body, and wherein the central rod has a flange at said lower end that is supported by said at least one projection when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         4 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 3 , wherein the flange is provided with a cup-shaped body that has an open side facing up when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body, said cup-shaped body serving to support and limit movements of the lower ends of the kitchen utensils inserted into the opening of the annular body. 
     
     
         5 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical body is assembled from a first semicylindrical body and second semicylindrical body, which are assembled so that they can slide relative to each other in the circumferential direction but are restricted against relative movement in the radial direction. 
     
     
         6 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 5 , wherein the internal kitchen utensil holder comprises a central rod that has an upper end and a lower end, and is arranged along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body; and at least one annular body that is rigidly connected to the central rod perpendicular to the central rod and near the upper end of the central rod, the annular body having openings for insertion of elongated kitchen utensils. 
     
     
         7 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 6 , wherein the cylindrical body is open at both ends and has an upper end face and a lower end face, wherein the supporting means on the cylindrical body for supporting the internal kitchen utensil holder comprises projections at the lower end faces that project radially inward from the inner surface of the cylindrical body, and wherein the central rod has a flange at said lower end that is supported by said projections when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         8 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 7 , wherein the flange is provided with a cup-shaped body that has an open side facing up when the internal kitchen utensil holder is inserted into the cylindrical body, said cup-shaped body serving to support and limit movements of the lower ends of the kitchen utensils inserted into the opening of the annular body. 
     
     
         9 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 7 , wherein the first semicylindrical body and the second semicylindrical body have means for assembling to form said cylindrical body, each said semicylindrical body having a height, side edges, an upper end face, a lower end face, an outer surface, an inner surface, and a radial inward projection on its inner semicylindrical surface for forming said projections of the cylindrical body and for supporting the flange of the central rod when said first semicylindrical body and second semicylindrical body being assembled into said cylindrical body, and the internal kitchen utensil holder being inserted into the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         10 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 9 , wherein said semicylindrical bodies have their respective radial inward projections on opposite end faces so that if the first semicylindrical body has the radial inward projection on the upper end face, the second semicylindrical body has the radial inward projection on the lower end face; said means for assembling the semicylindrical bodies into a cylindrical body and each semicylindrical body comprising a linear slot located near one of the edges and extending from one of its end faces essentially to the middle of the height of the semicylindrical body; a circumferential slot that starts near the other of said edges and intersects with the point of termination of the linear slot; and a slider that is rigidly connected to the respective semicylindrical body, projects from the surface of the semicylindrical body, and is guided in the circumferential slot of the other of said semicylindrical bodies when they are assembled into a cylindrical body, said slider having means that allow sliding of the semicylindrical bodies relative to each other in the circumferential direction but that restrict movements of the semicylindrical bodies relative to each other in the radial direction. 
     
     
         11 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 3 , comprising at least one handle attached to the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         12 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 10 , further comprising a first handle that is located on the outer side of first semicylindrical body and is rigidly connected to the slider of the first semicylindrical body, and a second handle that is located on the outer side of the second semicylindrical body and is rigidly connected to the slider of the second semicylindrical body. 
     
     
         13 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 2 , wherein the central rod has a longitudinal groove, the upper annular body is slidingly installed on the central rod and has a pin that protrudes into the longitudinal groove for guiding the upper annular body along the longitudinal groove to a position raised above said at least one open end, and wherein the inner kitchen utensil holder has means for securing the upper annular body in said raised position. 
     
     
         14 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 11 , wherein the central rod has a longitudinal groove, the upper annular body is slidingly installed on the central rod and has a pin that protrudes into the longitudinal groove for guiding the upper annular body along the longitudinal groove to a position raised above said at least one open end, and wherein the inner kitchen utensil holder has means for securing the upper annular body in said raised position. 
     
     
         15 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 6 , wherein the central rod has a longitudinal groove, the upper annular body is slidingly installed on the central rod and has a pin that protrudes into the longitudinal groove for guiding the upper annular body along the longitudinal groove to a position raised above said at least one open end, and wherein the inner kitchen utensil holder has means for securing the upper annular body in said raised position. 
     
     
         16 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 9 , wherein the central rod has a longitudinal groove, the upper annular body is slidingly installed on the central rod and has a pin that protrudes into the longitudinal groove for guiding the upper annular body along the longitudinal groove to a position raised above said at least one open end, and wherein the inner kitchen utensil holder has means for securing the upper annular body in said raised position. 
     
     
         17 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 12 , wherein the central rod has a longitudinal groove, the upper annular body is slidingly installed on the central rod and has a pin that protrudes into the longitudinal groove for guiding the upper annular body along the longitudinal groove to a position raised above said at least one open end, and wherein the inner kitchen utensil holder has means for securing the upper annular body in said raised position. 
     
     
         18 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper annular body has a diameter greater than the diameter of the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         19 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 7 , wherein the upper annular body has a diameter greater than the diameter of the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         20 . The combined kitchen utensil holder according to  claim 17 , wherein the upper annular body has a diameter greater than the diameter of the cylindrical body.