Cookware

Abstract

A cookware assembly or set comprising or including at least one cookware vessel of a substantially square peripheral exterior and interior form when viewed in plan, wherein the vessel has an attachment location on at least one of the four sides, the attachment location being a relief in the vessel's rim suitable for handle engagement, and a handle selectively engageable at the or any one of the attachment locations, the handle with both proximal and distal end regions having a pair of jaw elements at the proximal region for facilitating engagement to an attachment location such that a first jaw of the jaw pair locates substantially inside the vessel and a second jaw of the jaw pair locates substantially outside of the vessel, and a lid able to fit on the cookware vessel and to close, or at least substantially close, the cookware vessel.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A cookware vessel of a substantially square peripheral exterior and interior form that includes at least one handle attachment location defined on the rim of the vessel, the handle attachment location being suitable for selective attachment of a handle, wherein the handle attachment location is recessed from the surrounding rim to restrict movement of an attached handle along the rim of the vessel. 
     
     
         3 . A cookware vessel as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the cookware vessel is of a form to enable nesting at least in part with a like vessel of a smaller or larger size, if not also partially nestable with one of the same size. 
     
     
         4 . A cookware vessel as claimed in  claim 2  wherein a plurality of like cookware vessels may sequentially nest, one within the other in order of their size, even with a corresponding lid located on each vessel. 
     
     
         5 . A cookware assembly or set comprising two or more cookware vessels of a substantially square peripheral exterior and interior form, and lids corresponding to each cookware vessel,
 wherein each lidded cookware vessel is sequentially nested, or may sequentially nest, one within the other, or another, in order of their size in an efficient manner.   
     
     
         6 . A cookware assembly or set as claimed in  claim 5  wherein a handle engageable to either, or any, of the vessels is located in the smaller or smallest vessel. 
     
     
         7 . A cookware assembly or set comprising or including:
 at least one cookware vessel of a substantially square peripheral exterior and interior form when viewed in plan, wherein the vessel has an attachment location on at least one of the four sides, the attachment location being a relief in the vessel's rim suitable for handle engagement, and   a handle selectively engageable at the or any one of said attachment locations, the handle with both proximal and distal end regions having a pair of jaw elements at the proximal region for facilitating engagement to an attachment location such that a first jaw of the jaw pair locates substantially inside the vessel and a second jaw of the jaw pair locates substantially outside of the vessel, and   a lid able to fit on the cookware vessel and to close, or at least substantially close, the cookware vessel.   
     
     
         8 . A cookware assembly or set as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the cookware vessel is of a form to enable nesting at least in part with a like vessel of a smaller or larger size, if not also partially nestable with one of the same size. 
     
     
         9 . A cookware assembly or set as claimed in  claim 7  wherein a plurality of like cookware vessels may sequentially nest, one within the other in order of their size, for efficient stowage, and optionally may nest, one within the other in order of their size, even with a corresponding lid located on each nested vessel. 
     
     
         10 . A cookware assembly or set as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the second jaw of the jaw pair engages under the relief feature of the rim. 
     
     
         11 . A cookware assembly or set as claimed  claim 7  wherein the lid includes a relief substantially on its periphery to accommodate the handle when such is engaged at an attachment location. 
     
     
         12 . A handle suitable for attachment to a cookware vessel as claimed in  claim 2 , the handle comprising or including:
 a pair of jaw elements at a proximal region of the handle,   an actuator to adjust the relative position of the pair of jaw elements,   wherein the relative position of the jaw elements facilitates attachment of the handle to an attachment location provided as a relief in the rim of a cookware vessel such that a first jaw of the jaw pair locates substantially inside the vessel and a second jaw of the jaw pair locates substantially outside of the vessel.   
     
     
         13 . A handle as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the position of one or both jaws of the jaw pair may be adjusted between a locked condition where the jaws are closer together than a further apart, unlocked condition. 
     
     
         14 . A handle as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the actuator is a lever to cause adjustment of the jaws between the locked and unlocked conditions. 
     
     
         15 . A handle as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the lever can articulate between at least two stable conditions, one of which positions corresponds to the locked condition of the jaw pair, the other corresponding to the unlocked condition of the jaw pair. 
     
     
         16 . A handle as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the articulation of the lever causes a sliding and/or otherwise guided member as a second jaw element to move relative to a more proximal fixed jaw element. 
     
     
         17 . A handle as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the jaw pair are shaped such that they are complementary with the attachment location of the cookware vessel to lock the handle to the vessel in a rigid, weight bearing manner. 
     
     
         18 . A lid for, or suitable for, a cookware vessel of  claim 2 , being a vessel of a substantially square or rectangular peripheral exterior and interior form when viewed in plan, save optionally for rounded transitions between the adjacent sides, said lid being an assembly defining
 a lid body having a relief on its periphery that accords to a centre of a side of such a cookware vessel,   a slide or other moveable member carried by the lid body able to close the relief, and a handle feature of the lid carried by the lid body.   
     
     
         19 . A lid as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the handle is located substantially centrally of the lid body and has a grippable region extending upwardly substantially beyond the lid body, and a hollow region located below the grippable region, wherein the hollow region is dimensioned so that it can receive at least a portion of the grippable region of another like lid placed beneath so as to prevent interference between the lid handle and another lid when a plurality of cookware vessels are sequentially nested with their lids located thereon. 
     
     
         20 . A lid as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the slideable member can encroach over the relief to such an extent that the lid can substantially seal a vessel to which the lid is associated.