FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The field of the invention relates to cooking or heating devices, and in particular, to devices that process or cook food using steam or smoke.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    The use of steam, smoke, etc., is well known for cooking food items. A steamer assembly, for example, typically includes a steamer insert, such as a colander. The steamer insert has a perforated base and a peripheral portion that extends outwardly and/or upwardly from the base. The steamer insert is dimensioned so that it is received into a cooking pan or pot, such that the perforated based is spaced above a bottom of the cooking pan or pot. Typically peripheral portion of the steamer insert rests upon a rim of the cooking pan or pot.  
           [0003]    A traditional colander for such applications typically has a fixed height cylindrical sidewall and a perforated bottom. The cylindrical sidewall may also be perforated. During the cooking process, food is placed in the colander to allow steam or smoke to pass through the food items that are placed in the colander. It is known that different food items require different cooking times and temperatures, which translates into the cooking items being placed at different heights above, for example, water in the cooking pot which produces the steam. With fixed height cylinder sidewalls of known colanders it may be difficult to accommodate food that requires different heights above the steam producing medium in the cooking pot.  
           [0004]    For example, a four-inch height colander is used to hold a plate of salmon fish for steaming. However, the same four-inch height colander would not be tall enough to hold a whole chicken for a smoking process. Furthermore, if the colander with a sidewall having a larger height is utilized, then it is difficult to remove a plate of salmon fish from the bottom of such a deep colander. This is especially true when the colander is hot from the steam.  
           [0005]    The use of steam in cooking food items provides several benefits over other cooking methods, such as boiling, frying, etc., because no fat is required in the process. Another type of known steamer or colander is designed for use in conventional saucepans having the capacity of about two quarts or greater. To use such an insert, the saucepan is first filled with an appropriate amount of water, and then the insert is placed within the saucepan. The bottom surface of the insert is maintained above the level of water in the saucepan. In some configurations, the steamer has an outward upper lip that engages the side of the saucepan to support the insert above the level of the water. In other configurations, the steamer insert has legs extending from its bottom surface that supports the steamer above the level of the water.  
           [0006]    Although known types of colanders that are used in steamers, for example, are useful for certain applications, they have major disadvantages in that they cannot be used for simultaneously cooking different types of food items. Thus, there exists the need for an improved colander apparatus for use in cooking food items.  
           [0007]    One embodiment is a cooking or heating apparatus that has a base element having a bottom and at least one sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom. A support element is located substantially above the bottom of the base element, and a spacer element is located adjacent to the support element.  
           [0008]    In another embodiment, a stackable and configurable colander apparatus has a pot having a bottom and at least one sidewall extending upward from the bottom, a plurality of supports located substantially above the bottom of the pot, each of the supports having a plurality of apertures, and a plurality of spacer walls located substantially above the bottom of the pot. A respective support of the plurality of supports and a respective spacer wall of the plurality of spacer walls forms a respective colander. The supports and the spacer walls are stackable and form a plurality of stack configurations of supports and spacer walls. A respective colander holds at least one item for cooking or heating, and the pot element contains a medium for cooking or heating the item (such as food, medical/surgical utensils, tools, etc.). 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The embodiments of the invention may best be understood by a reference to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identified like elements, and in which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIGS. 1 and 2 depict known colander cooking devices.  
         [0011]    FIGS.  3 - 8  are perspective views depicting various embodiments of the colander of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 9 and 10 depict one embodiment of assembled components of a colander according to the present invention.  
         [0013]    FIGS.  11 - 15  are cross sectional views depicting various further embodiments of a colander cooking or heating system according to the present invention.  
         [0014]    FIGS.  16 - 20  depict various embodiments of the colander cooking or heating system of the present invention, depicting the stackability of the various components.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 21 and 22 depict yet another embodiment of the present invention showing a plurality of colander cooking or heating devices.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 23 and 24 depict another embodiment of the present invention wherein the sidewall of the colander or heating has an insulated portion.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 25 and 26 depict another embodiment of the present invention wherein a cover assembly is formed for use on a plate.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIGS. 27 and 28 depict another embodiment of the present invention wherein the depth of a pot is effected by a sidewall and a cover. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]    [0019]FIGS. 1 and 2 depict known colander cooking systems. In FIG. 1 a colander cooking system  100  has a pot or pan  102  having a bottom  104  attached to which is an upright cylindrical sidewall  108 , which has a constant height. Typically handles  106  are attached to the sidewall  108 . A cover  110  has a handle  112  and fits onto the pot  102 . Colanders such as colander  114  or colander  120  may be used with the pot  102 . The colanders  114 ,  120  have apertures  116 ,  122  respectively in a bottom area thereof. Handles, such as handles  118  on colander  114  may also be provided. As is known in the colanders  118 ,  120  are supported by a rim of the sidewall  108  of the pot  102  and may or may not be covered the cover  110 .  
         [0020]    The apertures  116 , for example, in the colander  114  allow steam or smoke to immerse the food items that are support thereon during a cooking process. A plurality of colanders, such as  202  and  204  in FIG. 2 may be stacked on the pot  200 . A cover  206  may be used and placed on the uppermost colander  204 . Numerous types of colanders are known, and take various forms and are also referred to as sieves, strainers, etc.  
         [0021]    FIGS.  3 - 8  depict further embodiments. In FIG. 3, a colander is formed by a support element  300  and a spacer element  302 . The spacer element  302  has a predetermined fixed height. However, in FIG. 4, a spacer element  402  has a different predetermined fixed height and fits on a support element  400 . The assembled colander  500  is depicted in FIG. 5 wherein a spacer element  504  is positioned on a support element  502 .  
         [0022]    In another embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 6, a colander  600  has a spacer element  604 , which also has apertures  606  therein. The spacer element  604  is positioned on the support element  602 . As depicted in FIG. 7, a pot  700  supports a support element  702  on an upper rim thereof  703 . On the support element  702  are placed one or more spacer elements  704 . FIG. 8 depicts an assembled cooking apparatus, which has a pot  800 , a first colander  802  (a colander being formed by a support element and a spacer element), a second colander  804  and a cover  806 . The colanders  802  and  804  may have identical fixed height sidewalls or may have sidewalls having different predetermined height(s).  
         [0023]    Referring back to FIG. 7, it is to be understood that in general the pot  700  is a base element that can take on a variety of configurations. Typically, the pot  700  has a bottom  705  and at least one sidewall  707  that extends upwardly from the bottom  705 . The rim  703  of the pot  700  is on an upper edge of the sidewall  707  opposed from the bottom  705 . In other words, the sidewall  707  of the base element  700  has a lower region attached to the bottom  703  of the base element  700  and an upper region opposed from the lower region. The support element  702  is thereby supported by the upper region, or rim  7037 , of the sidewall  7075  of the base element  700 . FIG. 8 depicts the use of two colanders  802  and  804 . Each of the colanders  802  and  804  is constructed from a support element (such as support element  702  in FIG. 7), and a sidewall (such as sidewall  705  in FIG. 7). However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of only two colanders, and three or more may be utilized depending upon the demands of the cooking process. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the support elements and spacer elements may be alternately stacked on the pot, or may be stacked in various combinations, such as two or more spacer elements being stacked on one another and then placed upon a single support element.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view depicting the use of two colanders  902 ,  904  formed respectively by support elements  901 ,  905  and spacers  903 ,  907 . In this embodiment each of the support elements and spacers is equipped with handles. The colanders  902  and  904  are stacked on a base element or pot  900 , and a cover may be utilized, such as cover  906 . FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the assembled cooking system having a pot  1000 , colanders  1002 ,  1004 , and a cover  1006 . Colanders  1002  and  1004  correspond, respectively, to colanders  902  and  904  in FIG. 9.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIGS. 11 and 12 depict other possible embodiments. In FIG. 11, a pot  1100  has placed upon it a support element  1102  on which is placed a spacer element  1104  having a predetermined fixed height. On the spacer element  1104  is placed another colander  1106  with a spacer element  1108  having a different fixed height. Finally, a cover may be used such as cover  1110 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 12 depicts the use of a base element or pot  1200  on which is placed a support element  1202 . In order to establish a proper height, two spacer elements  1204  and  1206  are placed on the support element  1202  as depicted. Again, a cover may be utilized such as cover  1208 . Reconfiguration of the support elements and spacer elements of the novel cooking system may have different configurations. It is not necessary, for example, that the system has a circular configuration but may have other types of geometries, such as elliptical, square, etc. Furthermore, it is also envisioned that embodiments may have spacer elements, which have slopping sidewalls to allow different diameter components. Such a system is depicted in FIG. 13. In this embodiment, a pot or base elements  1300  has placed on it a colander or support element  1300  on which is placed a spacer element  1304 . It is to be noted that the spacer element  1304  has a larger diameter at a lower end  1305  than at an upper end  1307  thereof. On the upper end  1307  is placed a second support element  1306  on which is placed another spacer element  1308 . It is to be noted that the diameter (assuming that these are circular components) is smaller for the support element  1306  and spacer element  1308  than for the support element  1302  and spacer element  1304 . The spacer element  1304  forms a transition between the two diameters as depicted. It is also noted that the spacer element  1302  may be constructed at various geometry such as the “all type configuration” as shown in FIG. 13 as opposed to the “flat” support element such as support element  1306 . FIG. 14 shows an embodiment wherein the components are assembled. In this view, in FIG. 14, the base element  1400  supports the first support element  1402  on which is located the spacer element  1404  which supports the second support element  1406  and spacer element  1408 . Also depicted on the spacer element  1408  is a cover  1410 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 15 depicts yet a further embodiment, wherein a pot  1500  supports a spacer element  1502  and has a first diameter (assuming that the component is circular) on a first end  1501  of the support element  1502  and a second larger diameter  1505 , an upper end  1503  of the support element  1502 . A support element  1504  is then placed on the upper end  1503  of the spacer element  1502  and another spacer element  1506  is placed on the support element  1504 . A cover may be utilized such as cover  1508 .  
         [0028]    [0028]FIGS. 16, 17, and  18  depict the stackability feature of an embodiment. FIG. 16 shows at a left-hand portion the support element  1600  having thereon a spacer element  1602  on which is placed another second support element  1604  and a second spacer element  1606 . All of these elements have different diameters or cross-sectional configurations as are depicted in FIG. 16. On the right-hand portion of FIG. 16 is shown how the two spacer elements  1602  and  1606  are stacked for storage. It is a feature that in the stacked configuration, as depicted in the right-hand portion of FIG. 16, the height is reduced as compared to the height of the assembled portion for cooking, as depicted in the left-hand portion of FIG. 16. FIG. 17 shows another use of the support element  1700  with two spacer elements  1702  and  1704  that have different diameters or other configurations on opposed ends thereof. Also in FIG. 18, it is depicted that the support elements, such as support elements  1800 ,  1802 , and  1804 , are also configured to be stackable in order to save space when the unit is stored away.  
         [0029]    Another possible embodiment is depicted in FIG. 19 in a form assembled for cooking, and in FIG. 20 in a form for storage. In FIG. 19, a base element or pot  1900  supports a support element  1902 , which in turn supports first and second spacer elements  1904  and  1906 . On the spacer element  1906  is a second support element  1908 , which again supports third and fourth spacer elements  1910  and  1912 . A cover  1914  may be utilized on the upper most or fourth spacer element  1912 . It is to be noted that in this configuration, the cover  1914  sits on the pot  1900 . However, the slopping sidewalls of the support elements  1904 ,  1906 ,  1910 , and  1912  allow them to be stacked for more efficient storage.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 20 shows the FIG. 19 assembly in the stacked for storage configuration. Here the pot  2002  supports the first and second support elements  2002  and  2004 . Thereon is placed the four spacer elements  2006 ,  2008 ,  2010 , and  2012 . Finally, the cover  2014  may be placed on the upper spacer element  2012 .  
         [0031]    Various other embodiments and combinations of elements of the present invention may be used for forming configurable and stackable cooking or heating systems. One such system is depicted in FIG. 21 where a base element  2100  has a top portion  2102 . The top portion  2102  has apertures  2104  and  2106 . A colander formed by support element  2108  and spacer element  2110  may be placed, for example, in the aperture  2104 . Another colander formed by support element  2114  and spacer element  2116  may be placed in the other aperture  2106 . Covers may be used respectively such as covers  2112  and  2118 . In the cooking or heating process, different items (such as food or other items to be heated) may be placed on the support elements  2108  and  2114 , and water (or other suitable medium), for example, may be placed in the pot  2100  to produce steam that flows through apertures  2104  and  2106 . The steam passes through the apertures in the support elements  2108  and  2114  for cooking respective food items thereon.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing a pot  2200  with a top portion  2202  having apertures  2204  and  2206 . It is to be understood, of course, that configurations other than circular may be utilized for the pot  2200  and apertures  2204  and  2206 . The principles of the present invention are not limited to the geometrical shapes of the elements, nor to the fitting together of the components as discussed above.  
         [0033]    For more efficient cooking, the spacer element, such as spacer element  2300 , in FIG. 23 may have sidewall  2302  that is constructed such that there is an insulating portion  2304  therein. This insulating portion  2304  may be an area that contains a vacuum or other heat insulating material. FIG. 24 is a perspective view depicting the spacer element  2400  having a insulation area  2402  and a lower edge  2404 . The lower edge  2404 , for example, would be used to fit onto another spacer element, a support element, or directly on the top edge of a base element.  
         [0034]    In yet a further embodiment a cover assembly for a plate  2500  (see FIG. 25) is formed by a spacer element  2502 , as described above, and a cover  2504 . An exploded view is depicted in FIG. 26, showing a plate  2600 , a spacer element or sidewall  2602 , and a cover  2604 . The spacer element may also be used to extend the depth of a pot  2700  as shown in FIG. 27. The depth of pot  2700  is extended by the use of spacer element or sidewall  2702 . A cover  2704  may be placed on the sidewall  2702 . An exploded view is depicted in FIG. 28, showing a pot  2800 , a sidewall  2802 , and a cover  2804 .  
         [0035]    The present invention may be useable for a variety of purposes that are unrelated to the field of cooking. For example, the apparatus of the present invention may be used in the medical field for sterilizing surgical instruments. Furthermore, the novel apparatus may be used for cleaning items by generating gasses that are appropriate to clean the items that are supported above a medium used to produce the gasses. In these various embodiments, the base element, for example, contains the medium for transferring heat to the items that are supported on the support element, for example. Cooking, sterilizing, and heating are just some of the fields in which the present invention is useable.  
         [0036]    Thus, the present invention overcomes the drawbacks of known colanders and cooking systems and provides a colander structure which can be placed at various heights above a cooking medium, and which can be combined with other colanders having the same or different heights. Although the support element and the spacer element together provide the colander function, the support element and the spacer element may also be used as individual functional parts. For example, the spacer may be used to extend a pot sidewall or as a cover extension. That is, a pot, spacer element, and a cover, in one example, may form one cooking configuration, and a pot and a support element may form another cooking configuration, in another example. Furthermore, the present invention provides a function of compact stacking, which reduces storage requirement for the cooking system of the present invention.  
         [0037]    The invention is not limited to the particular details of the apparatus depicted, and other modifications and applications are contemplated. Certain other changes may be made in the above-described apparatus without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention herein involved. For example, the components of the invention (for example, the base element, the support elements, and the spacer elements) may have various shapes and configurations, as well as being made of a variety of different materials. It is intended, therefore, that the subject matter in the above depiction shall be interpreted as illustrative and not illuminating sense.
A cooking or heating apparatus has a base element having a bottom and at least one sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom. A support element is located substantially above the bottom of the base element, and a spacer element is located adjacent to the support element. In particular, the stackable and configurable colander apparatus has a pot having a bottom and at least one sidewall extending upward from the bottom, a plurality of item supports located substantially above the bottom of the pot, each of the item supports having a plurality of apertures, and a plurality of spacer walls located substantially above the bottom of the pot. A respective item support of the plurality of item supports and a respective spacer wall of the plurality of spacer walls forms a respective colander. The item supports and the spacer walls are stackable and form a plurality of stack configuration of item supports and spacer walls. A respective colander holds at least one item for cooking or heating, and the pot element contains a medium for transferring heat to the item.