GB2509717A

GB2509717A - Chopping board with funnel

Info

Publication number: GB2509717A
Application number: GB201300374A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Murison
Original assignee: Country Kitchenware Supplies Ltd
Current assignee: Country Kitchenware Supplies Ltd
Priority date: 2013-01-09
Filing date: 2013-01-09
Publication date: 2014-07-16
Also published as: GB201300374D0

Abstract

A chopping board 1 has a food preparation sector 4 comprising a substantially planar area and a food delivery sector 4 comprising a funnel means 6 and a retaining means 8. The funnel means comprises an aperture extending through the board from a first surface 10 providing the food preparation and food delivery sectors to a second surface, wherein, in use, the first surface provides an upper surface of the board. The retaining means may be arranged along one or more edges of the board and comprise a ridge extending from the first surface. The board may be formed of a plastics material.

Description

CHOPI'INC BOARDS It has been known to use a board or other protective surface in a kitchen for the preparation of foodstuffs for cooking. It is desirable that the board has a dual purpose and is suitable both for protecting the kitchen surface which may be vulnerable to marking and damagc and typically the board comprises a material that is also suitable for use with a knife for chopping and cutting of foodstuff prior to cooking.

Once food stuff has been prepared there is usually waste material, which has to be disposed off, and prepared foodstuff which has to be transferred to a receptacle for cooking such as a frying pan or a saucepan. The problem of transferring the waste material and the prepared foodstuff appropriately and without spillage has been a problem and there have been a number of attempts to solve the problems.

One solution to the problem of disposing of waste material has been arrange a board to be fitted over a waste receptacle or a sink and to provide a hole in the board through which waste material can be transferred to the receptacle. This has a problem in that the board is fixed in place over the waste receptacle which may be inconvenient and there may be increased problems in transferring the foodstuff to an appropriate cooking receptacle.

It is known to provide a chopping board that is flat in a first position and can be folded in a second position to allow foodstuff to be funnelled into the cooking receptacle without spillage around the sides of the cooking receptacle. The board has been grooved to allow the board to fold in the second position. However such boards have been found to have associated problems such as the board folding while food is being prepared and also problems have been found with scraps becoming stuck in the grooves.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a board having a food preparation sector comprising a substantially planar area and a food delivery sector comprising a funnel means and a retaining means.

Preferably the board is substantially planar. It is also desirable that the board is substantially rigid or at least resistant to folding. It may be desirable that the board has some flexibility.

The food preparation sector may comprise a major portion of a first surface of the board.

In use the first surface would comprise an upper surface of the board. Preferably the food delivery sector is located to one side of the board. In a more preferred embodiment the food delivery sector is located in a corner of the board.

The funnel means may comprise an aperture extending through the board from the first surface. Preferably the aperture is sized such that chopped foodstuffs can pass readily through the aperture from an upper surface of the board. In a particularly preferred embodiment the aperture has sides that are inwardly angled from the first surface of the board to a second lower surface of the board. The angled sides of the aperture form a funnel that can direct foodstuffs passing through the aperture into a cooking receptacle below the board.

Preferably the retaining means comprises a ridge extending from the first surface. The ridge may comprise an upwardly extending lip arranged along an edge of the board in at least the food delivery sector. Preferably the lip gradually increases in height to form a ridge in a zone adjacent the funnel means in the food delivery sector. In an embodiment in which the board is rectangular the lip may be provided along two adjacent sides of the board. In this embodiment the aperture forming the funnel means may be provided in a corner of the board and the ridge adjacent the funnel means is the highest portion of the lip. A small lip may be provided along edges of the board in the food preparation sector but not such that the lip retains food on the board. Preferably the ridge forming the retaining means does not extend all around the board.

The ridge acts to retain food and liquid on the board if the board is lifted and tilted to deliver prepared foodstuffs through the funnel means to a cooking receptacle. Preferably the ridge acts to direct foodstuffs into the aperture and to prevent foodstuffs from falling off the board in and uncontrolled manner.

In one embodiment the second surface is provided with a depending rim around a periphery of the board. The rim is preferably arranged to hold the board away from a surface on which the board is placed so that the board does not stick to the surface.

Preferably the board comprises a rigid or semi rigid material.

Preferably the board is formed of a plastics material. The plastics material is preferably suitable as a base on which food may be chopped and cut and provided a resistance to chopping without blunting a blade of a knife used to chop foodstuffs on the board. The plastics material may be rigid providing a firm surface on which chopping and cutting may take place.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of food preparation comprising placing a foodstuff to be prepared on a board having a food preparation sector and a food delivery sector, preparing the foodstuff by chopping or cutting the foodstuff and then delivering the foodstuff to a cooking receptacle by means of the food delivery sector, which comprises a funnel means and a retaining means wherein the foodstuff is moved towards the funnel means and passes therethrough to the cooking receptacle and wherein the retaining means prevents the foodstuff from falling off an edge of the board.

Preferably the retaining means is arranged along one or more edges of the board. The retaining means may comprises a ridge.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top view of a board in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a top perspective view of the board of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the board, and Figure 4 is a bottom view of the board.

A board 1 in accordance with the invention comprises a food preparation sector 2 and a food delivery sector 4 comprising a funnel means 6 and a retaining means in the form of a ridge 8.

The food preparation sector 2 comprises a substantially planar area of a first surface 10 of the board. The first surface 10 is an upper surface of the board in use. The food preparation sector 2 is a major portion of the first surface of the board and is generally located across the centre and one side of the board.

The food delivery sector 4 is located to one side of the upper surface of the board and the funnel 6 and retaining means 8 are generally situated in a corner of the board. The ridge 8 extcnds along two sides 12, 14 of the board and gradually increases in height towards the funnel means. A highest zone 16 of the ridge extends around a corner of the board adjacent the aperure. The ridge 8 is arranged such that if the board is picked up and tilted so that chopped food can be moved from the food preparation sector 2 to the delivery sector 4 the chopped food is prevented from falling over an edge of the board and is directed towards the funnel means 6 so that the transfer of the prepared foodstuff to the cooking receptacle is more closely controlled and prepared food is prevented from falling over the edge of the board in and undesirable location.

The funnel 6 means comprises an aperture in the board extending from the first side to a second, lower, surface 18 of the board best seen in Figure 4. Embodimenls of the invention typically have a substantially circular shaped aperture as this has been found convenient to allow foodstuffs to pass therethrough. However, apertures of other shapes, such as oval, elliptical, square or the like may also be possible.

The aperture has sides 20 formed by the thickness of the board and the sides of the aperture are angled inwardly from the first to the second side so that a funnel is formed.

The funnel means 6 has a diameter d such that most prepared foodstuffs can pass through the aperture and from the food preparation surface to the cooking receptacle.

The lower side 18 of the board is provided with a downwardly depending rim 22 in use and that rim 22 assists in spacing the board 1 away from a surface on which the board is placed so that the board does not stick to the surface. The rim extends all the way around a periphery of the board.

The board may be used in a method of food preparation in which the board is placed on a surface and a foodstuff to be prepared is placed on a food preparation sector of the board and is prepared by chopping or cutting and the foodstuff is then delivered to a cooking receptacle by means of the food delivery sector comprising a funnel means and a retaining means and in which the foodstuff is moved towards the funnel means and passes therethrough to the cooking receptacle.

The ridge extending around the edge of the board in the food delivery sector prevents food falling off the board in the wrong place and directs the food towards the funnel means so that it can be directed towards the cooking receptacle without spillage and mess. If there is liquid on the board after preparing the food stuff the ridge assists in retaining the liquid on the upper surface of the board and allowing it to be readily directed towards the funnel means if desired.

It has been found that a board as described is a significant improvement over previous boards as the board is made of a plastics material and is at least semi rigid so providing a sympathetic surface for food preparation. The board can be lifted and tilted to allow the prepared foodstuff to be moved towards the funnel means. If the board is placed over a cooking receptacle the foodstuff can be nioved through the funnel means into a cooking receptacle without making a mess around the cooking receptacle. Liquid can also be retained on the board and directed towards the cooking receptacle through the funnel means if desired. The board therefore has the advantages of being movable and being arranged to be able to control delivery of the prepared foodstuff to the cooking receptacle without spillage of food or liquid.

It will be appreciated that the skilled man can envisage alternative arrangements in which the board may be square or round. In a round embodiment the funnel means may be provided adjacent one edge of the board and the ridge may be provided along a portion of the periphery with the highest zone of the ridge next to the funnel means.

Claims

CLAIMS1 A board having a food preparation sector comprising a substantially planar area and a food delivery sector comprising a funnd means and a retaining means wherein the funnel means comprises an aperture extending through the board from a first surfacc providing the food prcparation and food dclivery sectors to a second surface, wherein, in use, the first surface provides an upper surface of the board.
2. The board of Claim I wherein the board comprises a rigid or semi-rigid material.
3, The board of Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the board is resistant to folding.
4, The board of any preceding claim wherein the food preparation sector comprises a major portion of the first surface of the board.
5. The board of any preceding claim wherein the food delivery sector is ocated to one side of the board. r
6, The board of any preceding claim wherein the food delivery sector is located in a LCD 20 corner region of the board.
7. The board of any preceding claim wherein the aperture has sides that arc inwardly angled such that the diameter of the aperture decreases from the first surface of the board to the second surface of the board, wherein, in use, the angled sides of the aperture form a funnel that directs foodstuffs through the aperture,
8. The board of any preceding claim wherein the retaining means is arranged along one or more edge regions of the board.
9, The board of any preceding daim wherein the retaining means comprises a ridge extending from the first surface,
10. The board of Claim 9 wherein the ridge comprises an upwardly extending Hp arranged along an edge region of the board in at least the food delivery sector,
11. The board of Claim 10 wherein the hp gradually increases in height to form a ridge in a zone adjacent the funne' means in the food delivery sector.
12, The board of Claim 9 or Claim 10 wherein the highest portion of the lip is adjacent the funnd means.
13. The board of any preceding claim wherein the second surface is provided with a rim around a periphery region of the board, wherein, in use, the rim depends from the second surface, 14, The board of any preceding claim wherein the board is formed of a plastics material.15, A method of food preparation comprising placing a foodstuff to be prepared on a board having a food preparation sector and a food delivery sector, preparing the foodstuff by chopping or cutting the foodstuff and then delivering the foodstuff to a cooking receptacle by means of the food delivery sector, which comprises a funne' i'neans comprising an aperture extending through the board and a retaining means wherein the r foodstuff is moved towards the funnel means and passes therethrough to the cooking reccptacle and wherein the retaining means prevents the foodstuff from falling off an LCD 20 edge of the board. (4