MXPA99007570A - Combined utensil of measuring cup, membrane and cola - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an implement, comprising a main body having a side wall defining an upper opening and a lower opening, a stop flange extending outwardly from the side wall in a position close to the lower opening , the stop flange has a downwardly concave configuration adapted to abut against a rim of a container, and a flow barrier, the flow barrier includes a plug section that can be selectively received in a blocking position within the opening lower to seal the lower opening against the egress of material, and a handle section extending from the plug section for manual clamping to move in and out of a locked position, the handle section takes the form of a peripheral rim that extends outward that has a size to be received within the main body in a colander position intermediate to the top opening r and to the lower opening, and wherein the handle section defines a plurality of openings of a size to allow passage of material within the body of the main body.

Description

COMBINED UTENSIL OF MEASURING CUP, FILLER AND COLLECTOR REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to the application No. of co-pending series (case of attorney-in-fact No. 130418-D200), which is incorporated herein by reference and forms part thereof, which includes but is not limited to those portions that appear specifically below. DECLARATION CONCERNING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH Not applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to kitchen and home utensils. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved device which can be used as a measuring cup, a funnel and a strainer. Numerous domestic tasks, including cooking, often required as certain basic acts. There are among the materials measured, materials transferred from one container to another and cast materials, there are numerous devices known to perform each of these individual tasks. Specifically, measuring cups are well known, they are like funnels, strainers and sieves. As long as each of these tools perform their function well, these individual items must be purchased individually and require storage space. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a utensil which can measure volumes. Another object of the present invention is to provide an implement which can act as a funnel. It is another object of the present invention to provide an implement which can act as a strainer. Still another object of the present invention is to provide said utensil which can perform at least two and preferably three of the above functions. This and other objectives are achieved by a measuring cup that combines, a funnel and a strainer utensil. The utensil includes a main body having a side wall defining an upper opening and a lower opening. The material can flow through the lower and upper opening into the funnel of the material. A stop flange extends outwardly from the side wall, and can act as a base to support the implement. The lower face of the stop flange may include a plurality of ridges that provide stability when the implement is used as a funnel. A flow barrier includes a plug section which can block the bottom opening that allows the utensil to be used as a measuring cup. The flow barrier additionally includes a handle section in the shape of a grooved rim. This can be placed inside the main body, with the indentations of the grooved rim that forms the openings to strain the material inside the utensil. A cover can be placed over the top opening to seal the main body against contamination, allowing storage of the material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objectives and features of the invention noted above are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent similar elements, and in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic top view of the elements of an implement according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of the main body of the utensil; Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of this; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view in detail along line 4-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a detail cross-sectional view along line B-B of Figure 3 with the flow barrier in the locked position; and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view in detail along line B-B of Figure 3 with the flow barrier in the casting position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to Figure 1, a utensil according to the present invention is generally designated by the reference number 10. The utensil 10 includes a main body 12 and a flow barrier 14. While not required, the utensil 10 can also be used with a cover 16. Each of these components, and their use, will be described in more detail later.

The main body 12 includes a side wall 18 extending from an upper edge 20 downward to a lower edge 22 (Figure 2). The side wall 18 can be made of various materials. If it is used for food items, it is preferred that the side wall 18 be made of glass, stainless steel or plastic. The side wall 10 can have various cross-sectional configurations, such as square, elliptical, etc. In the preferred embodiment shown the configuration of the cross section is round. Similarly, the side wall 18 may be vertical, or may be conical either inwardly or outwardly of the bottom edge 22 (although the bottom edge 22 preferably has a relatively smaller dimension, as discussed more fully below). In the preferred embodiment shown, the side wall 18 is conical towards the interior of the lower edge 22 to take the general form of a truncated cone. The side wall 18 defines an interior 24. The material (such as liquids, powders, pastes or combinations thereof) is intended to be introduced into the interior 24 through an upper opening 26 defined by the upper edge 20. This material may come out through the lower opening 28 defined by the lower edge 22. As well as, the main body 12, by itself, is essentially a conduit through which the material can pass. This relates to a first function of the utensil 10, which is like a funnel. Specifically, as can be visualized, if the liquid or granular material was introduced through the upper opening 26, it would flow by gravity through the utensil 10 to exit the lower opening 28. This is often employed to transfer the material from a container to another (not shown). In this regard, several containers have a variety of aperture sizes, with a standard bottle such as to hold wine and the like being one of the smallest aperture sizes. To allow for the wider use of the utensil 10, it is preferred that the lower edge 22 be dimensioned to be received within said bottle opening. This is shown in the preferred embodiment. As is known, the taper of the side wall 18 will cause the outer surface of the side wall to abut against the inside of any container opening having a measurement between that of the upper edge 20 and the lower edge 22. This can provide Stability during use as a funnel. To provide greater stability, a handle 30 can be extended outwardly from the side wall 18 for manual clamping.

Although these arrangements are acceptable, it is preferred to provide the utensil 10 even with greater stability. Specifically, it is preferred to provide a stop shoulder 32 extending outwardly from the side wall 18 in proximity to the bottom edge 22. The stop shoulder 32 includes a bottom face 34 which is intended to abut against the edge of the container. In the embodiment shown, the stop flange 32 takes the form of a flange extending radially, peripherally continuously. The stop flange 32 need not be peripherally continuous, however, two or more peripherally separated elements may be used. In a similar manner, the stop flange 32 can extend directly from the bottom edge 22. However, it is preferred that the stop flange 32 be spaced from the bottom edge 22 a short distance, as shown, to better provide the characteristics of flow for the material coming out of the lower opening 28. The stop flange 32, and more particularly the lower face 34, can be planar, they can taper outwards in the upward direction ^ (ie toward the upper edge 20), or they may, as shown, taper outward in the downward direction. It is also preferred that this outer taper decrease with distance, to form a section of a sphere or ellipsoid, as shown. As can be visualized, the edge of the container will abut against the lower face 34, with the concave shape of the stop flange 32 providing stability. This can still provide sufficient stability that the user does not need to keep in the utensil 10 in the position of the container. To ensure greater stability, however, the lower face 34 is required to be non-uniform, but instead includes a series of concentric projections defining the downwardly facing projections 32, best shown in Figure 4. Each of these projections 36 lie in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (not shown) of the main body 12. As can be visualized, the edge of the container can rest on one of the shoulders 36 that have a similar diameter. This will provide even more stability. It can, however, cause a different problem. Specifically, as the material flows from the utensil 10 to the container, the air in the container will be forced outward. If the edge of the container completely bumps above the associated shoulder 36, it may be difficult for this air to escape. To eliminate this problem, the shoulders 36 can be formed with one or more ventilation channels 38. In the shown embodiment * - the shoulder 36 having the smallest diameter includes three ventilation channels 38 extending radially apart at distances the same around its periphery. Other numbers can be provided of course. The remaining ridges 36 each share a common ventilation channel 38 extending radially along the lower face 34 of the stop flange, with this common ventilation being referred to as a main vent 40. As best shown in FIG. Figure 5, the main vent 40 takes the form of a channel communication with each of the shoulders 36. Since the main vent 40 extends into the material forming the stop flange 32, the stop flange 32 must already have be a sufficient thickness to allow this, or may include a raised section 42 on an upper face 44 of the stop flange 32. This raised section 42 may extend along the same radial plane as a handle 30, with one end of the handle 30 connected to the main body 12 and the other end connected to the stop flange 32. This positioning of the handle 30 not only improves aesthetically, but also reduces the radial extension of the handle 30, allowing storage of utensil 10 in a smaller area. As noted above, it is preferred that the stop flange 32 be separated up from the lower edge 22 by a short distance to improve the flow of the material leaving the main body 12. The section of the side wall 18 below the flange of stop 32 thus defines a peak 46. The length of this nozzle 46 is preferably smaller than the height of the stop flange 32, so that the lower edge 22 is vertically spaced over the lower part of the shoulder 36. This will allow that this lower shoulder 36 acts as a base and supports the main body 12 in a straight position for storage.

Additionally, while ventilation channels 38 allow air to escape, a similar problem may exist if peak 46 is employed. Specifically, peak 46 will preferably have a measure to fit within the mouth of a bottle for ease of use. However, if the adjustment is too narrow, air will not escape between nozzle 46 and the mouth of the container. To avoid this, the spout 46 may include one or more spacer edges 48 extending longitudinally along its outer surface. The spacer ribs 48 will separate the peak 46 from the mouth of the container, forming passages between the spacer ribs 48 that allow air to escape from the container. The use of the main body 12 as a funnel is generally similar to the devices of the prior art. The main body 12 is placed on the container with the lower edge 22 inside the periphery of the mouth of the container. This can cause peak 46, if used, to enter the mouth of certain containers. If possible, the main body 12 is reduced until the stop flange 32 rests on the mouth of the container (preferably with the shoulders 36 that are used for this stop). If this is not possible, the user will not keep the main body 12 in position on the container. The material is introduced to the main body 12 through the upper opening 26, and flows through the main body 12 by the force of gravity. The side wall 18 guides the material to the lower opening 28, where the material leaves the main body 12 flows into the container. This is continued until the user interrupts the introduction of the material into the main body 12. During this process, the air is displaced from the container, preferably allowing exhaust via the ventilation channels 38. Although the above arrangement provides a convenient versatile funnel, it is preferred that it provide additional uses for the utensil 10. For this purpose, the utensil 10 preferably includes the flow barrier 14. With this flow barrier, the utensil 10 can be used as a measuring cup, as well as a funnel. The flow barrier 14 can have any shape that allows creating an obstruction that can be removed and reused from the material flow from the lower opening 28. In the preferred embodiment, the flow barrier 14 includes a section • of plug 50 and a handle section 52. The plug section 50 is dimensioned to be selectively received within the lower opening_28, as shown in Figure 5. This location of the flow barrier 14 will be referred to as the position of blocking. When in this blocking position, the plug section 50 has a sufficiently narrow fit with the lower opening 28 to stop the flow of material (which preferably includes fluids) through it, although it still allows for manual insertion and removal of the material. the lower opening 28.

The flow barrier 14 can be formed from a variety of materials, such as cork, rubber, etc. However, an elastomeric plastic material is preferred. To provide the desired fit, the plug section 50 may include a plurality of sealing flanges 54 extending radially outwardly from the periphery of the plug section 50 to longitudinally spaced positions. These sealing flanges 54 will engage against the lower opening 28 to stop material flow, but are flexible enough to allow easy insertion and removal of the plug section 50. The handle section 52 may comprise a rod-shaped extension, simple of the plug section 50, and be formed of the same material. However, if the plug section 50 is formed of an elastomeric material, additional strength may be required. For this purpose, the handle section 52 can be formed of a relatively rigid material, such as a metal or plastic. To attach the plug section 50 to the handle section 52, it is preferred to form the handle section 52 with a mounting extension 56 extending therefrom, and to form the plug section 50 as at least a free end jacket of the mounting extension 56, as shown in FIG. sample. Again, the handle section 52 may take the form of a simple extension of the plug section 50, even if it is formed of a different material. In this regard, it is noted that the length of the handle section 52 is preferably selected so that it does not extend below the plane of the lower shoulder 36 (if the stop shoulder 32 is used), to retain the shoulder edge. of stop 32, as a base for supporting the main body 12. As can be visualized, placing the flow barrier 14 in the blocking position will stop the flow of material through the main body 12, thus causing any material introduced through the the upper opening 26 is retained within the main body 12. As such, the material can be introduced until the desired amount is accumulated. To assist in the determination of the amount of contents, the signal lines 58 can be formed on the side wall 18. Once accumulated, the material can be removed from the utensil 10 either by tilting the main body 12 to pour the contents from the upper opening 26, or removing the plug section 50 to allow material to flow from the lower opening 28. It is noted that the material can be removed immediately, b can be maintained until the last moment. If maintained, the cover 16 can be placed on the upper edge 20 to avoid contamination. More preferably, the cover 16 can act as a seal, and further prevent accidental spillage of the material from the main body 12. Although the handle section 52 can be a simple extension, the formation of the handle section 52 with a particular shape It can provide advantages. For example, in the embodiment shown, the handle section 52 takes the form of a flange extending outwardly from the lower end of the plug section 50. It can be readily seen that said form would provide a good surface for the fastening in the form manual for moving the flow barrier 14 to and from the blocking position. Further, if the stop flange 32 was not used, or was in a shape without providing a base, said shoulder-shaped handling section 52 can act as a base to support the main body 12 in a vertical position. Still another use can be made of a handle section in the form of flange 52, and this allows the implement 10 to act as a strainer. Specifically, the handle section 52 has an outer periphery 60 that can be sized to pass through the upper opening 26, but not through the lower opening 28. This is most preferably accomplished by using the cone-shaped side wall 18 and forming the outer periphery 60 with a dimension between that of the upper edge 20 and the lower edge 22. With this dimension of the outer periphery 60, the flow barrier 14_ can be placed inside the main body 12, and the outer periphery 60 will bump against the face inside of the outer periphery 60 in a strainer position (shown in Figure 6) intermediate the upper edge 20 and the lower edge 22, forming an obstruction for the passage of material through the main body 12. As a strainer by definition allows some of the material to pass through it, the flow barrier 14 should not be a total obstruction, but rather a partial obstruction. For this purpose, the handle section 52 is formed to define a plurality of openings 62 therethrough. The openings 62 may take the form of openings (n shown) located within the outer periphery 60 and extend through the handle section 52. Alternatively, the outer periphery 60 may be formed with a plurality of indentations 64 extending to in in separate locations around the periphery. These indentations 6 provide the outer periphery 60 with a grooved pattern defining the openings 62, since the indentations 64 are separated from the inside face of the side wall 18. The flow barrier 4 can be retained in the pouring position of Figure 6 by the simple friction of the outer periphery 60 against the side wall 18. However, to provide additional stability, the inner face of the side wall 18 can be provided with a peripheral protrusion defining a mounting shoulder 66 facing upwards, as shown in Figure 5. The flow barrier 14 will bump against the wall. Mounting shoulder 66, which retains it securely in the casting position, allowing even easy manual removal of the casting position. As can be visualized, to employ the utensil 10 as a strainer, the flow barrier 14 is placed within the main body 12, specifically in the casting position of Figure 6. During this operation, the user can advantageously hold the section of plug 50 for manipulating the flow barrier 14. A quantity of material to be cast (such as olives in oil, fruit segments in syrup, etc.) is then introduced to the main body 12 through the upper opening 26. The portions of the material that are liquid or smaller than the openings 62 will flow through them, while the portions of the material that are larger will be stopped by the flow barrier 14. To help secure all of the liquid or liquids. smaller portions of flow passing, the upper face of the handle section 52 can be formed with a descending concave surface, as shown. This will tend to force the flow by gravity to the openings 62. The material passing through the flow barrier 14 may exit the utensil 10 through the lower opening 28, and either be disposed of or flow to an appropriate container. as described above to be used as a funnel. Alternatively, a second flow barrier 14 can be placed in the blocking position to retain the material in a position below the flow barrier 14. The material within the main body 12 can be used immediately, or can be sealed in the same by using the cover 16 as described above to facilitate its use. As can be seen, the invention described above can be used in a number of ways, and satisfy multiple functions. Specifically, it can be used as a funnel, a measuring cup and a strainer. Additionally, by placing the cover 16, the main body 12 can also act as a storage container. The utensil 10 therefore provides increased functionality and ease of use while requiring minimal storage space. From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is adapted to obtain all the aforementioned objects and objects established together with the other advantages which will be obvious and which will be inherent in the structure. It will be understood that certain characteristics subcombinations are useful and can be used without reference to other characteristics and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Since many possible embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the scope thereof, it will be understood that all of the subject set forth herein or shown in the accompanying drawings will be construed as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Claims (6)

1. An implement, comprising a main body having a side wall defining an upper opening and a lower opening, and a stop flange extending outwardly of the side wall in a position close to the lower opening, the stop flange it has a concave downward configuration adapted to bump against a rim of a container.

2. An implement as in claim 1, wherein a lower face of the stop flange includes a plurality of concentric downwardly facing stop projections, and wherein the lower end of the stop shoulders is located at a position below said stop. the lower opening, so that the lowest of the stop projections defines a base on which the main body can rest.

3. An implement as in claim 2, wherein it further includes at least one ventilation channel extending through the stop shoulders and allowing fluid communication therebetween.

4. An implement as in claim 1, further including a flow barrier, the flow barrier includes a plug section that can be selectively received in a locking position within the lower opening to seal the lower opening against discharge of the material, and a handle section that extends from the plug section for manual clamping to move in and out of the locking position

5. A tool as in claim 4, wherein the handle section takes the form of a peripheral rim extending outwardly having a dimension to be received within the main body in an intermediate strainer position the upper opening and the lower opening, and wherein the handle section defines a plurality of openings of a dimension that allows the casting of the material within the main body

6. An implement as in claim 5, wherein the handle section includes a periphery having a plurality of indentations, the indentations define the opening when the handle section is in the strainer position.