GB2131709A

GB2131709A - An insertable strainer for a food mixing vessel

Info

Publication number: GB2131709A
Application number: GB08326310A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dietmar Becker; Brigitte Odewald; Rolf Strohmeyer
Original assignee: Vorwerk and Co Interholding GmbH
Current assignee: Vorwerk and Co Interholding GmbH
Priority date: 1982-12-14
Filing date: 1983-09-30
Publication date: 1984-06-27
Also published as: CH660841A5; FR2537421A1; DE8235087U1; ES276282Y; GB8326310D0; IT8336329V0; ES276282U; IT1197754B; IT8349480A0

Abstract

A food mixing vessel with rotary cutter blades 12 is provided with a strainer 7 having an upper annular portion 8, which makes a sliding seal with the vessel wall, and a lower frusto-conical slotted portion 9, extending from portion 8 to a handle 11. After a mixing operation, the strainer 7 is inserted in the vessel and pushed down, so that the liquid content of the vessel is forced to flow inwards through portion 9 to form a liquid pool 5, which is then poured off. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An insertable strainer for a food mixing vessel This invention relates to an insertable strainer for a food mixing vessel, the strainer being for separating the liquid and solid constituents of mixed foodstuff, such as fruit and vegetables.

Reference will first be made to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, which shows a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a known insertable strainer inserted in a food mixing vessel, the combination being shown during a pouring operation.

Figure 1 shows a known shallow strainer 1 inserted into the top of a mixing vessel 3. It will be seen that the strainer surface is in the uppermost region of the mixing vessel and covers the whole cross-sectional area thereof. The straining area is thus identical with the cross-sectional area of the mixing vessel.

Now if foodstuffs are mixed in the mixing vessel and if these are thereafter to be separated from their liquid constituents, then the shallow strainer 1 is fitted onto the mixing vessel 3 and the latter is tilted as shown in Figure 1. It is now extremely disadvantageous in this case, for the pouring operation, that residue/liquid mixture 4 is simultaneously brought to the surface with the movement of pouring and the solid constituents forming the residue 6 clog the strainer apertures 2. As a consequence, the liquid constituents 5 are only able to pass very slowly through the strainer openings and the straining or pouring operation is considerably slowed down. In practice, therefore, the result is not one pouring operation, but several. That is, with the first pouring, some of the liquid 5 flows out and then the residue 6 clogs the strainer.The mixing vessel has then to be brought again into its upright position to allow the residue 6 to fall off the strainer and after some time the liquid and residue separates out and the pouring operation can then be repeated. The whole operation is repeated several times until the major part of the liquid has been poured off.

According to the present invention, there is provided an insertable strainer for a food mixing vessel, the strainer being for separating the liquid and solid constituents of mixed foodstuff in the vessel and comprising an upper region having a particular cross-section for bearing internally against the mixing vessel upon insertion of the strainer therein, and an adjoining region depending from said upper region, said adjoining region reducing in cross-section with respect to that of said upper region, the arrangement being such that, upon insertion of the strainer in a said vessel containing mixed foodstuff, the liquid constituent is pressed into the volume of the strainer and is available for pouring, whilst the residue constituent of the foodstuff is retained within the vessel outside the strainer and below said upper region thereof.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing, which is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an insertable strainer according to the invention inserted in a food mixing vessel.

In the embodiment shown, the insertable strainer 7 comprises an annular region 8 which is fitted tightly inside the mixing vessel 3 which has a corresponding annular periphery in its upper region. The strainer 7 has an adjoining region 9 depending from the upper region 8, this adjoining region 9 reducing in cross-section with respect to that of the upper region 8 and, in the form illustrated in Figure 2, the region 9 is frusto conical in cross-section. The base of the strainer 7 lies in the region of the cutter blades 12 of the vessel 3. Slits 10 are formed through the wall of the strainer 10, these slits extending from the region 8 to the base of the region 9.

With foodstuff that has just been mixed, the residue/liquid mixture 4 is separated as follows.

After mixing, the strainer 7 is forced with the aid of a central handle 11, as a kind of plunger, into the residue/liquid mixture 4. The liquid 5 is thereby pressed through the slits 10 and at the same time the annular region 8 bears against the inside of the mixing vessel 3 so that the residue constituent 6 which rises due to the displacement is not able to escape in an upward direction. Due to this squeezing operation, the total quantity of liquid 5 is now available at the time of the pouring operation at the first attempt, the residue constituent 6 of the foodstuff being retained within the vessel 3 outside the strainer 7 and below the upper region 8 thereof.

It will be appreciated that the strainer 7 is able to be given many different forms of reduced crosssection in the region 9.

1. An insertable strainer for a food mixing vessel, the strainer being for separating the liquid and solid constituents of mixed foodstuff in the vessel and comprising an upper region having a particular cross-section for bearing internally against the mixing vessel upon insertion of the strainer therein, and an adjoining region depending from said upper region, said adjoining region reducing in cross-section with respect to that of said upper region, the arrangement being such that, upon insertion of the strainer in a said vessel containing mixed foodstuff, the liquid constituent is pressed into the volume of the strainer and is available for pouring, whilst the residue constituent of the foodstuff is retained within the vessel outside the strainer and below said upper region thereof.

2. A strainer as claimed in Claim 1, wherein slits through which liquid can pass are formed in said adjoining region, these slits extending from a base of said adjoining region to said upper region.

3. A strainer as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said adjoining region is frusto-conical in cross-section.

4. A strainer as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a handle is provided by which means the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION An insertable strainer for a food mixing vessel This invention relates to an insertable strainer for a food mixing vessel, the strainer being for separating the liquid and solid constituents of mixed foodstuff, such as fruit and vegetables. Reference will first be made to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, which shows a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a known insertable strainer inserted in a food mixing vessel, the combination being shown during a pouring operation. Figure 1 shows a known shallow strainer 1 inserted into the top of a mixing vessel 3. It will be seen that the strainer surface is in the uppermost region of the mixing vessel and covers the whole cross-sectional area thereof. The straining area is thus identical with the cross-sectional area of the mixing vessel. Now if foodstuffs are mixed in the mixing vessel and if these are thereafter to be separated from their liquid constituents, then the shallow strainer 1 is fitted onto the mixing vessel 3 and the latter is tilted as shown in Figure 1. It is now extremely disadvantageous in this case, for the pouring operation, that residue/liquid mixture 4 is simultaneously brought to the surface with the movement of pouring and the solid constituents forming the residue 6 clog the strainer apertures 2. As a consequence, the liquid constituents 5 are only able to pass very slowly through the strainer openings and the straining or pouring operation is considerably slowed down. In practice, therefore, the result is not one pouring operation, but several. That is, with the first pouring, some of the liquid 5 flows out and then the residue 6 clogs the strainer.The mixing vessel has then to be brought again into its upright position to allow the residue 6 to fall off the strainer and after some time the liquid and residue separates out and the pouring operation can then be repeated. The whole operation is repeated several times until the major part of the liquid has been poured off. According to the present invention, there is provided an insertable strainer for a food mixing vessel, the strainer being for separating the liquid and solid constituents of mixed foodstuff in the vessel and comprising an upper region having a particular cross-section for bearing internally against the mixing vessel upon insertion of the strainer therein, and an adjoining region depending from said upper region, said adjoining region reducing in cross-section with respect to that of said upper region, the arrangement being such that, upon insertion of the strainer in a said vessel containing mixed foodstuff, the liquid constituent is pressed into the volume of the strainer and is available for pouring, whilst the residue constituent of the foodstuff is retained within the vessel outside the strainer and below said upper region thereof. For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing, which is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an insertable strainer according to the invention inserted in a food mixing vessel. In the embodiment shown, the insertable strainer 7 comprises an annular region 8 which is fitted tightly inside the mixing vessel 3 which has a corresponding annular periphery in its upper region. The strainer 7 has an adjoining region 9 depending from the upper region 8, this adjoining region 9 reducing in cross-section with respect to that of the upper region 8 and, in the form illustrated in Figure 2, the region 9 is frusto conical in cross-section. The base of the strainer 7 lies in the region of the cutter blades 12 of the vessel 3. Slits 10 are formed through the wall of the strainer 10, these slits extending from the region 8 to the base of the region 9. With foodstuff that has just been mixed, the residue/liquid mixture 4 is separated as follows. After mixing, the strainer 7 is forced with the aid of a central handle 11, as a kind of plunger, into the residue/liquid mixture 4. The liquid 5 is thereby pressed through the slits 10 and at the same time the annular region 8 bears against the inside of the mixing vessel 3 so that the residue constituent 6 which rises due to the displacement is not able to escape in an upward direction. Due to this squeezing operation, the total quantity of liquid 5 is now available at the time of the pouring operation at the first attempt, the residue constituent 6 of the foodstuff being retained within the vessel 3 outside the strainer 7 and below the upper region 8 thereof. It will be appreciated that the strainer 7 is able to be given many different forms of reduced crosssection in the region 9. CLAIMS

4. A strainer as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a handle is provided by which means the strainer can be inserted in a said mixing vessel in the manner of a plunger.

5. An insertable strainer for a food mixing vessel, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing.

6. A food mixing vessel having an insertable strainer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

7. Afood mixing vessel as claimed in Claim 6, wherein when the strainer is inserted in the vessel, the base of the strainer lies in the region of the upper edges of cutter blades of the mixing vessel.

8. A mixing vessel as claimed in Claim 6 or 7, wherein said upper region of the strainer is annular in cross-section and the vessel has a corresponding cross-section in the region where the strainer is intended to bear internally against the vessel.

9. A food mixing vessel as claimed in Claim 6, 7 or 8, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing.