Kitchen Appliance and Method of Using Same

Abstract

A kitchen appliance includes a housing that defines a cavity. The housing has a housing rim defining an opening to the cavity. A heating or cooling element is disposed within the housing to heat or cool the cavity. A container has a generally hollow interior and a container rim. A lid is sized and shaped to at least partially cover the opening of the container when placed on the container. The lid has an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface. At least one handle is pivotally mounted to one of the exterior surface of the side wall of the housing and the exterior surface of the lid. The handle is pivotable between an engaged position to retain the lid in sealing engagement with the container rim and disengage position to permit the lid to be removed from the container rim.

1 . A kitchen appliance comprising:
 a housing having a base and a side wall extending therefrom, the side wall having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface, at least portions of the interior surface of the side wall and base defining a cavity within the housing, the housing having a housing rim defining an opening to the cavity;   a heating or cooling element disposed within the housing proximate the cavity to heat or cool the cavity;   a container having a generally hollow interior and a container rim defining an opening for accessing the interior thereof, the interior being capable of retaining contents therein, the container being sized and shaped to fit within the cavity of the housing;   a lid sized and shaped to at least partially cover the opening of the container when placed on the container, the lid having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface facing the interior of the container when the lid is placed on the container; and   at least one lid locking arrangement comprising a pair of spaced apart protrusions extending from one of the lid and sidewall of the housing and a member extending from the other of the lid and sidewall of the housing and being movably positionable between an engaged position in which at least a portion of the member engages with the protrusions to retain the lid in sealing engagement with the container rim for inhibiting leakage of the contents from the interior of the container and a disengaged position in which the member of the lid locking arrangement is disengaged from protrusions to permit the lid to be removed from the container rim.   
     
     
         2 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a gasket extending around one of an outer edge of the lid and the container rim for sealing engagement with the other of the container rim and the outer edge of the lid.   
     
     
         3 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the member comprises a first end, an opposing second end, and an elongated connecting portion extending therebetween. 
     
     
         4 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 3 , wherein one of the first end and the opposing second end is configured as a t-shaped member. 
     
     
         5 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the member comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         6 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the member is positioned between the protrusions when in the engaged position. 
     
     
         7 . A kitchen appliance comprising:
 a housing having a base and a side wall extending therefrom, the side wall having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface, at least portions of the interior surface of the side wall and base defining a cavity within the housing, the housing having a housing rim defining an opening to the cavity;   a heating or cooling element disposed within the housing proximate the cavity to heat or cool the cavity;   a container having a generally hollow interior and a container rim defining an opening for accessing the interior thereof, the interior being capable of retaining contents therein, the container being sized and shaped to fit within the cavity of the housing;   a lid sized and shaped to at least partially cover the opening of the container when placed on the container, the lid having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface facing the interior of the container when the lid is placed on the container; and   at least two opposing lid locking arrangements, each lid locking arrangement having a first member mounted to one of the side wall of the housing and the lid and a second member disposed on the other of the sidewall of the housing and the lid that complementary engages with the first member to selectively retain the lid in sealing engagement with the container rim and the housing to inhibit leakage of contents from the interior of the container,   each first member including a base portion secured to the one of the side wall of the housing and the lid, and an elastic portion extending from the base portion including a transversely extending member formed thereon,   the first member being configured to engage with the second member by extending the elastic portion such that the transversely extending member is moved past a portion of the second member and then released such that the transversely extending member is restrained by the second member of the lid locking arrangement.   
     
     
         8 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 7 , further comprising a gasket extending around one of an outer edge of the lid and the container rim for sealing engagement with the other of the container rim and the outer edge of the lid. 
     
     
         9 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the second member comprises at least two laterally spaced-apart protrusions extending outwardly therefrom and the first member is positioned therebetween when the lid is retained in sealing engagement with the container rim. 
     
     
         10 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the second member abuts against the first member when the lid locking arrangement is in a locked configuration 
     
     
         11 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the elastic portion comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         12 . A kitchen appliance comprising:
 a housing having a base and a side wall extending therefrom, the side wall having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface, at least portions of the interior surface of the side wall and base defining a cavity within the housing, the housing having a housing rim defining an opening to the cavity;   a heating or cooling element disposed within the housing proximate the cavity to heat or cool the cavity;   a container having a generally hollow interior and a container rim defining an opening for accessing the interior thereof, the interior being capable of retaining contents therein, the container being sized and shaped to fit within the cavity of the housing;   a lid sized and shaped to at least partially cover the opening of the container when placed on the container, the lid having an exterior surface and an opposing interior surface facing the interior of the container when the lid is placed on the container; and   at least two opposing lid locking arrangements, each lid locking arrangement having a first member coupled to the housing and a second member disposed on the lid that complementary engages with the first member to selectively retain the lid in sealing engagement with the container rim and the housing to inhibit leakage of contents from the interior of the container,   each first member including an extending portion, having an opening formed therein, the opening being configured to receive the second member therein by aligning the opening with the second member such that upon release of the extending portion the first member is releasably engaged with the first member.   
     
     
         13 . The kitchen appliance according to  claim 12 , further comprising a gasket extending around one of an outer edge of the lid and the container rim for sealing engagement with the other of the container rim and the outer edge of the lid. 
     
     
         14 . The kitchen appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the second member is configured as a catch that extends outwardly from an outer edge of the lid. 
     
     
         15 . The kitchen appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the extending portion is at one end connected to a base attached to the housing and includes a t-shaped handle at a second end thereof.