IE43434B1 - Improvements in or relating to a food grating device - Google Patents

Abstract

FOOD CUTTING DEVICE An integral grater and spoon combination for shredded vegetables and/or spices including opposed grating surfaces, the opposite ends of which are so shaped to form bucket-like spoon members that function to collect the grated food product and retain same for deposit as the user may desire.

Description

The present invention relates to a food grating device, and more particularly a food grating device for shredding or grating small quantities of a food product.

It is not uncommon to purchase a variety of spices such as cinnamon sticks, pepper corns, chillies, nutmeg, garlic and the like in whole form and to grate small amounts for food seasoning. Since only very small quantities of such seasonings are normally required, it is inappropriate and often clumsy to attempt to obtain such small quantities using a conventional food grater of the type commonly used for grating cheese, carrots and the like.

According to this invention there is provided a food grater comprising a substantially planar portion having grater means protruding from the opposed faces thereof and oppositely directed receptacle portions protruding therefrom, said receptacle portions being angularly positioned with respect to the plane of said planar portion so as to be approximately parallel one to the other, and longitudinally extending side wall members integral with and substantially perpendicular to both said surface and said receptacle portions.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a food grating device in accordance with the invention; 3 4 3-1 - 3 Figure 2 is a top plan view of a device similar to that shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view of the device looking from right to left along Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the device of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an end view of the device of Figure 1? Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken along line 7-7 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 10 designates a grater as may be seen in Figure 1. The grater is much smaller than conventional graters and may thus be termed a miniature grater. Such a grater 10 includes a grating member 12 having a plurality of projections 14 protruding therefrom. The projections are arranged with respect to each other in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the projections in axial columns and inclined rows. In particular, as may be seen from Figures 6 and 7 the projections 14 protrude from the upper and lower surfaces of the grating member 12 so that in effect two graters are incorporated into a single structural embodiment.

The projections 14 have the form of rhombodic parallelepipeds each having four vertical side walls 16 and a generally planar top wall 18. The projections are offset but aligned with respect to one another as described above, the corners of the projections 14 being longitudinally aligned along the upper and lower surfaces of the grating member to provide suitably oriented cutting edges for grating a foodstuff when moved thereover. 3 4 3 4 - 4 The grating member 12 also includes as an integral part thereof extensions 20 and 22 which protrude at an angle to the plane containing member 12, from the opposite ends of the member 12. These respective extensions 20, 22 are oppositely angled from the plane of the grating member 12 and each extension comprises two portions 24 and 26 as may best be seen in Figure 6. Each of the respective portions 24 and 26 are of approximately equal size and each is approximately parallel with its respective counterpart at the opposite end of the member 12. The portions 24 are positioned at approximately a 45° angle to the plane of the grating member 12 and the portions 26 are at approximately 80° with respect to the grating member 12. This angular arrangement of the extensions 20, 22 forms the basic shape of two receptacles 28 of the grater 10.

The overall grater construction is completed by two planar side wall members 30 which extend along opposite sides of the grating member 12 and extend perpendicularly therefrom. The edges 32 of the side wall members 30 are parallel to grating member 12. Furthermore, the wall members 30 extend to respective terminal edges 34 and 36 of extensions 20 and 22 and have edges 38 which lie in planes that are approximately parallel to portions 24.

The wall members 30 and the grating member 12 define a channel which extends along the entirety of the lower surface of the grating member 12 and into one of the receptacles 28.

This produces a completely contained area within which grated material may be collected and retained during the grating operation. The upper surface of the grating member (see Figure 1) is not bounded by any channel defining wall members, but however the upper surface of the grating member does have a receptacle 28 at one end thereof to receive grated material. 3 4 3 ί - 5 It should be noted that the particular angled relationship between the portions 24· and the grating member 12 allows the user to rest the grater on a table or work surface, one of the portions 24 being in contact with the table or work surface and providing a steadying influence upon the grater during its use. When in use the grating member 12 is supported at approximately a 45° angle with respect to the table or work surface. One receptacle 28 may be utilised as a handle whilst food is grated on the grating member and the grated particles descend into the other receptacle 28.

The device is made from a suitable plastics material which will adequately grate foods of the type discussed above.

Claims (10)

1. A food grater comprising a substantially planar portion having grater means protruding from the opposed faces thereof and oppositely directed receptacle portions protruding therefrom, said receptacle portions being angularly positioned with respect to the plane of said planar portion so as to be approximately parallel one to the other, and longitudinally extending side wall members integral with and substantially perpendicular to both said surface and said receptacle portions.

2. A food grater according to claim 1 wherein said receptacle portions are each comprised of a plurality of generally planar portions which are angularly positioned with respect to each other.

3. A food grater according to claim 2 wherein each said receptacle portion is comprised of first and second generally planar portions.

4. A food grater according to claim 3 wherein the respective ones of said generally planar portions are approximately equal in size.

5. A food grater according to claim 3 or 4 wherein the respective first generally planar portions are at approximately a 45° angle with respect to the plane of said substantially planar portion and the respective second generally planar portions are at approximately an 80° angle with respect to the plane of said substantially planar portion.

6. A food grater according to claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon wherein the side wall members extend all along the extent of said substantially planar portion and receptacle portions and exhibit an outer edge configuration that is substantially parallel with the respective ones of said portions and with said substantially planar portion. 4 3 4 3 4 -

7. 7. Λ food grater according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said protruding grater means include a plurality of aligned projections.

8. A food grater according to claim 7 wherein said 5 projections have substantially vertical side walls and planar top walls.

9. A food grater according to claim 7 or 8 wherein each of said projections is a rhonibodic parallelepiped.

10. A food grating device substantially as herein 10 described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.