GB2038614A

GB2038614A - Chopping and cutting boards

Info

Publication number: GB2038614A
Application number: GB7930507A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-01-12
Filing date: 1979-09-03
Publication date: 1980-07-30
Also published as: JPS55101539U

Abstract

A chopping or cutting board 1 of the type used for cutting food, has a sharpening stone 2 firmly connected thereto. The stone may be a natural sharpening stone or may be fabricated from abrasive particles held together by a binder. The cutting or chopping board may be of wood, but may be of any other suitable material. In one preferred example, the grinding stone is an elongated member and is held in a slot in the board. The stone may alternatively be secured by adhesive to a corner of the board or beneath one foot thereof. The stone may be formed by placing a mixture of diamond sand and epoxy resin in a mould on a base plate provided with a handle, fig 5 (not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to a chopping and cutting board and the like This invention relates to what are normally referred to as "chopping boards". Such boards are the plate-like elements used by housewives and cooks for the cutting of or chopping of food. These boards traditionally are of wood, as this material is extremely suitable for receiving the sharp edges of the cutting tools which are used by housewives and cooks. It is to be mentioned however, that the present invention is not to be limited to boards of wood, and the invention can be applied to boards which are of a material serving the equivalent function to wood.

The chopping boards to which the invention relates are of the portable variety in that when they are not in use, they are normally stored on their edges in out of the way positions.

With the continued use, mastic edged tools become dull and require to be sharpened periodically. Even although such tools have been in use for many years, housewives are frequently inconvenience when it comes to the matter of sharpening the tools. At present, she either has to buy and install in her kitchen, a specific sharpening device, or has to keep a grinding stone. Frequently housewives in fact do not provide any form of sharpening means in their kitchens. Therefore, unless a housewife is prepared to pay the expense of a specially designed sharpening device, she will frequently be inconvenienced when her edged kitchen tools become dull in either having no sharpening device or in being unable readily to locate the grinding stone. Indeed, housewives have been known to use porcelain tableware as sharpening means.

The present invention aims at providing, in a simple and effective manner, a means of facilitating the housewives task when it comes to the matter of sharpening edged tools which are used on a chopping board.

In accordance with the invention, in its broadest aspect, and provide that a grinding stone is firmly attached to the chopping board. By this means, the housewife will always have to hand a sharpening device for sharpening her edged tools.

The said sharpening stone, which may be natural or artificial, may be for example an elongated member which is located in a slot in the top surface or a side surface of the bore. Alternatively, the stone may be located at one corner and standing on the top surface of the board, or it may be located to the underside of the foot of the board, where the board is provided with feet on which it stands in use.

The stone is preferably firmly connected to the board by means of an adhesive.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively show four different embodiments of chopping boards according to the invention; and Fig. 5 illustrates a method for the formation of an artificial sharpening stone for use in connection with the invention.

All the figures are perspective views.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in each of Figs.

1 to 4 a chopping board of wood is indicated by reference numeral 1, and in each of Figs. 1 to 4, the board 1 is a flat plate like element. In the arrange ment of Fig. 3, the board is also a plate like element, but is provided with spaced feet 1' on which the board in use stands.

In each of the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 4, there is provided a grinding element by which the edged tools which are used in connection with the board may be sharpened at will. In each embodi ment, the sharpening stone is indicated by reference numeral 2, and it will be seen in Fig. 1 that the stone 2 is located in a slot 3 at one end of the board 1 and in the top surface thereof. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the stone 2 is located in an elongated slot extending to one of the longer side edges of the board.

In the arrangement shown in Fig.3, the stone 2 is provided to the underside of the right-hand foot 1' shown in Fig. 3, whilst in Fig. 4, a triangular grinding stone 2 is provided at one corner of the top surface of the board 1.

In each case, the stone preferably is fixed to the board by means of a suitable adhesive. In addition a stone and a reception slot 3 (where provided) may be specially shaped to effect or assist the connection between the stone and board. For example, the slot 3 and stone 2 may be of dove-tail configuration.

The sharpening stone may be a natural or artificial grinding stone or whetstone, but in all cases it will present a surface of which the housewife may sharpen her edged tools which are used in connection with the chopping board. Such tools may comprise for example knives, cleavers or similar tools. The said surface may be flushed with or stand proud of a surface of the board, for example as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Examples of natural whetstone which can be used in connection with the invention are docite, liparite, tuff and slate. If the stone is of artificial material, it may comprise for example diamond sand mixed with a binder such as an epoxy resin solution. To make an artificial stone of this type, the mixture of diamond sand and binder is introduced into a moult in fluent state, and is then allowed to harden over a period of about 18 hours at ambienttemperature.

The ratio of binder to the diamond sand may be of the order of 1. 2. In addition to or as an alternative to the diamond sand there may be used particles of garnet, silicate stone, artificial grinder material such as silicon carbonate, metal carbonate such as zirconia, and/or tungsten carbonate.

It is best to use a binder material which does not shrink when it cures to hard condition, and a suitable liquid epoxy resin adhesive which serves this purpose is the one sold by Onoda Construction Materials Co. Ltd., Japan, under the trade name "KONITAC No. 5000". The said adhesive binder consists of base material and hardener mixed in the weight ratio of 2:1. The grinding particles which are mixed with the binder for producing artificial sharpening stone may be for example that sold by Uji Electrochemical Industry Co. Ltd., Japan, under the trade name of TOSA EMERY EXTRA (Particle degree No. 180).

Referring nowto Fig. 5, this figure shows one process of producing an artificial sharpening stone. A box shaped sleeve of the desired size is placed on a base plate 4 as shown in Fig. 5. Then the mixture of binder and grinding particles mentioned above is introduced into the sleeve and is left for about 18 hours until the mixture hardens. The resulting stone 2' can be shaped to the desired form to form an element to be firmly connected to a chopping board in any suitable manner such as illustrated in any of Figs. 1 to 4.

When a housewife uses a chopping board according to the invention, she will always have present and conveniently located, a suitable sharpening stone, and she can quickly and easily sharpen her edge tools as and when required.

Claims

1. A chopping board to which a sharpening stone is firmly connected.

2. A chopping board according to claim 1, wherein the sharpening stone is located in a recess of the board so that a surface of the chopping stone lies flush with the surface of the chopping board.

3. A chopping board according to claim 1, wherein the sharpening stone is secured to the chopping board so asto project therefrom.

4. A chopping board according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the stone is adhesively connected to the board.

5. A chopping board according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the stone is shaped so as to fit into an appropriately shaped recess in the board.

6. A chopping board according to any preceding claim, wherein the stone is an artificial stone comprising abrasive particles embedded in a hard binder material.

7. A chopping board according to claim 6, wherein the abrasive particles are selected from one or more of the following, diamond sand, particles of garnet. silicate stone, artificial grinding material such as silicon carbonate, metal carbonate such as zirconia and tungsten carbonate.

8. A chopping board according to claim 6 or7, wherein the binding material is a liquid of epoxy resin cured to hardened condition.

9. A chopping board according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the artificial sharpening stone is moulded.

10. A chopping board substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of producing an artificial sharpening stone for a chopping board comprising mixing epoxy resin with abrasive particles, and moulding the mixture in fluent state, then allowing the mixture to harden to form the sharpening stone.