Kitchen Appliance With Locking Handles

A kitchen appliance comprising:

• a housing having a base adapted to rest on a support surface and a side wall extending upwardly 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 the base defining a cavity within the housing, the housing having a housing rim at a first, free edge of the side wall 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 sized and shaped to fit within the cavity of the housing, having a generally hollow interior adapted to retain contents therein and a container rim adjacent an upper end thereof defining an opening for accessing the interior thereof;
• 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 handle assembly engageable by a user for carrying the kitchen appliance comprising a handle anchor positioned on said housing and a handle pivotably connected thereto, wherein said handle is pivotable between an engaged position in which at least a portion of the handle contacts the lid 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 portion of the handle is spaced-apart from the lid to permit the lid to be removed from the container rim;
• wherein the handle anchor includes a handle anchor catch defining an upper end thereof, having a generally planar top surface and an arcuate side surface defining a radius facing away from the exterior surface of the side wall of the housing and the handle includes a locking mechanism for locking the handle in the engaged position, said locking mechanism comprising a biasing member adapted to bias the locking member from a first, unlocked position to a second, locked position when the handle is in the engaged position, and a lock release adapted to move the locking member from the second, locked position to the first, unlocked position, and wherein:
• in the disengaged position of the handle, the arcuate surface of the handle catch defines a stop surface abutting the locking member, stopping the biasing member from moving the locking member from the first, unlocked position to the second, locked position,
• in the engaged position, the locking member clears the arcuate surface of the handle catch, and the locking member is positioned on substantially even level with, and is slidable along, the generally planar top surface of the handle anchor catch, such that the arcuate surface no longer stops the biasing member from moving the locking member from the first, unlocked position to the second, locked position of the handle,
• in the first, unlocked position of the locking member, the locking member clears the radius of the handle catch arcuate surface, such that the handle is pivotable from the engaged position to the disengaged position, and
• in the second, locked position of the locking member, the handle anchor catch obstructs pivoting of the locking member about the catch, such that the handle is prevented from freely pivoting from the engaged position to the disengaged position.