GB2413939A

GB2413939A - A food masher

Info

Publication number: GB2413939A
Application number: GB0509664A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeffrey Steven Morgan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-05-12
Filing date: 2005-05-11
Publication date: 2005-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 2025-05-11
Also published as: GB0509664D0; GB2413939B; GB0410600D0

Abstract

A food masher (2) comprises a mashing plate (4), apertures (6) in the mashing plate, and a handle (8) which upstands from a first side (10) of the mashing plate (4) and which comprises a hand grip portion (12) and a shank (14) and the food masher (2) being such that the handle (8) is able to flex with respect to the mashing plate (4) without substantial loss of food mashing pressure. The food masher may include a flexible portion positioned at the end of the shank remote from the handle grip portion. The flexible portion may be made of flexible material, the remainder of the shank being made of rigid material. Alternatively the flexible portion may be a part of the shank which is of smaller cross sectional area the parts of the shank adjacent to flexible portion. Still further the flexible means may be a mechanical joint such a hinged or ball joint positioned between the first side of the mashing plate and an end of the shank remote from the hand grip portion.

Description

24 1 3939

A FOOD MASHER

This invention relates to a food masher. More especially, this invention relates to a food masher that may be used for mashing a variety of foods including potatoes, swedes, parsnips, bananas, raspberries and food for babies.

Food mashers are known. They are most frequently used for mashing potatoes. The known food mashers usually comprise a mashing plate, and a handle which is rigidly connected to the mashing plate. When mashing food in some types of container, difficulty is encountered in easily being able to mash all of the food at the bottom of the container. Also the known food mashers are often uncomfortable to use.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a food masher comprising a mashing plate, apertures in the mashing plate, and a handle which upstands from a first side of the mashing plate and which comprises a hand grip portion and a shank, and the food masher being such that the handle is able to flex with respect to the mashing plate without substantial loss of food-mashing pressure.

The food masher of the present invention is advantageous in that the ability of the handle to flex with respect to the mashing plate enables the food mashing pressure to be applied to the mashing plate through the handle with the handle being at different angular positions with respect to the mashing plate. This in turn facilitates simple and easy complete mashing of food in a wide variety of different types of container. The flexing is of a degree which permits the handle to flex as required with respect to the mashing plate, but which also enables to food masher to be sufficiently rigid for the food mashing.

The food masher may include flexible means for enabling the handle to flex with respect to the mashing plate.

The flexible means may be a flexible portion of the shank. In this case, the flexible portion of the shank is preferably positioned at an end of the shank remote from the hand grip portion. The flexible portion of the shank may be positioned elsewhere along the length of the shank if desired.

The food masher may be one in which the flexible portion is made of a flexible material which is joined to the remainder of the shank, and in which the remainder of the shank is made of a rigid material.

Alternatively, the food masher may be one in which the flexible portion is a part of the shank which is of a smaller cross sectional area than parts of the shank adjacent to the flexible portion. In this case, the flexible portion may be made of the same material as the remainder of the shank, with the flexibility being provided by the smaller cross sectional area.

Alternatively, different types of materials may be employed for the flexible portion and the remainder of the shank.

The flexible means may alternatively be a mechanical joint. The mechanical joint will usually be positioned between the first side of the mashing plate and an end of the shank remote from the hand grip portion.

The mechanical joint may be a hinged joint or a ball joint. Any suitable and appropriate type of mechanical joint may be employed.

The food masher may be one in which the handle is able to flex through 360 .

Alternatively, the food masher may be one in which the handle flexes only backwards and forwards in one straight line. Alternatively, the food masher may be one in which the handle flexes only backwards and forwards in two different straight lines. These two different straight lines will preferably be at right angles to each other but other angular relationships of the two straight lines may be employed.

Preferably, the mashing plate is circular in plan. Generally, the mashing plate may be of any suitable and appropriate shape in plan so that, for example, the mashing plate may alternatively be oval, square or rectangular in plan.

The apertures are preferably circular apertures. Generally, any suitable and appropriate shapes for the apertures may be employed so that, for example, the apertures may alternatively be oval, square or rectangular apertures.

The hand grip portion is preferably a tapering bulbous hand grip portion with a curved free end. The hand grip portion may be of any suitable and appropriate shape that gives a firm comfortable grip.

The food masher may be made of any suitable and appropriate material or combination of materials. Thus, for example, the mashing plate may be made of a metal or a plastics material. Presently preferred metals are stainless steel and aluminium. Where plastics materials are employed, they should provide sufficient rigidity. The mashing plate will itself be manufactured of a required thickness to give the required rigidity for mashing. The handle may be made of the same material as the mashing plate or from different materials. The choice of materials may depend upon the type of flexible means employed. For example, if the flexible means is the above mentioned flexible portion which is made of a flexible material, then the flexible material may be a flexible rubber or a flexible plastics material whilst the remainder of the shank may be made of a rigid material such for example as stainless steel or aluminum. If the flexible means is a mechanical joint, then the entire mashing plate and handle may be made of the same materials, for example stainless steel or aluminium.

The handle may be such that the hand grip portion and the shank are made of the same or different materials. The hand grip portion may be made completely of a material such for example as rubber or a plastics material. Alternatively, the hand grip portion may be provided with a sleeve of a softer material provided over a base of a harder material. Where the sleeve is provided over a harder base material, the sleeve may be a force fit in position or it may be moulded in position, in dependence upon manufacturing techniques and the shape of the hand grip portion.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of a food masher.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a food masher 2 comprising a mashing plate 4, apertures 6 in the mashing plate 4, and a handle 8. The handle 8 upstands from a first side 10 of the mashing plate 4. The handle 8 comprises a hand grip portion 12 and a shank 14.

The food masher 2 is such that the handle 8 is able to flex with respect to the mashing plate 4. More specifically, the food masher 2 includes flexible means 16 which enables the handle 8 to flex with respect to the mashing plate 4. As shown in the drawing, the flexible means 16 is formed as a flexible portion of the shank 14, positioned at an end 18 of the shank 14 remote from the hand grip portion 12. The flexible means 16 is made of a flexible material which is joined to the remainder of the shank 14, with the remainder of the shank 14 being made of a rigid material.

As shown in the drawing, the mashing plate 4 is circular in plan, the apertures 6 are circular apertures, and the hand grip portion 12 is a tapering bulbous hand grip portion 12 with a curved free end 20.

The flexible means 16 enables the handle 8 to flex through 360 with respect to the mashing plate 4 without substantial loss of food-mashing pressure. This 360 flexing is shown schematically by arrows 22. The 360 flexing enables the food masher 2 easily and comfortably to be used for mashing food in a wide variety of containers. It is not necessary for users to strain their wrists as sometimes occurs when trying to mash all the food in some container. Also, due to the flexing of the handle 8 with respect to the mashing plate 4, good mashing pressure can be applied to the food via the mashing plate 4 with the handle 8 being at deferent angles to the mashing plate 4. This again facilitates thorough food mashing with maximum comfort and minimum effort by users of the food masher 2.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawing has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the mashing plate 4 can be of a shape other than the illustrated circular shape. The shank 14 can be other than the illustrated centrally tapering shape. The hand grip portion 12 can be other than the bulbous illustrated shape. The apertures 6 can be differently shaped from those shown and they can be formed by moulding at the time of manufacture of the mashing plate if the mashing plate 4 is formed by moulding, or they can be formed by a stamping process after manufacture of the mashing plate if the mashing plate 4 is itself stamped from a larger sheet of material such for example as a larger sheet of metal. The food masher 2 can be used for mashing a wide variety of foods including staple diet foods such for example as potatoes, and soft fruits such for example as bananas and raspberries.

Claims

1. A food masher comprising a mashing plate, apertures in the mashing plate, and a handle which upstands from a first side of the mashing plate and which comprises a hand grip portion and a shank, and the food masher being such that the handle is able to flex with respect to the mashing plate without substantial loss of food-mashing pressure.

2. A food masher according to claim 1 and including flexible means for enabling the handle to flex with respect to the mashing plate.

3. A food masher according to claim 2 in which the flexible means is a flexible portion of the shank.

4. A food masher according to claim 3 in which the flexible portion of the shank is positioned at an end of the shank remote from the hand grip portion.

5. A good masher according to claim 3 or claim 4 in which the flexible portion is made of a flexible material which is joined to the remainder of the shank, and in which the remainder of the shank is made of a rigid material.

6. A food masher according to claim 3 or claim 4 in which the flexible portion is a part of the shank which is of smaller cross sectional area than parts of the shank adjacent to the flexible portion.

7. A food masher according to claim 2 in which the flexible means is a mechanical joint.

8. A food masher according to claim 7 in which the mechanical joint is positioned between the first side of the mashing plate and an end of the shank remote from the hand grip portion.

9. A food masher according to claim 7 or claim 8 in which the mechanical joint is a hinged joint or a ball joint.

10. A good masher according to any one of the preceding claims in which the handle is able to flex through 360 .

11. A food masher according to any one of claims 1 - 9 in which the handle flexes only backwards and forwards in one straight line.

12. A food masher according to any one of claims 1 - 9 in which the handle flexes only backwards and forwards in two deferent straight lines.

13. A food masher according to claim 12 in which the two straight lines are at right angles to each other.

14. A food masher according to any one of the preceding claims in which the mashing plate is circular in plan.

15. A food masher according to any one of the preceding claims in which the apertures are circular apertures.

16. A food masher according to any one of the preceding claims in which the hand grip portion is a tapering bulbous hand grip portion with a curved free end.

17. A food masher substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.