NL2009867C2

NL2009867C2 - Knife cleaning apparatus.

Info

Publication number: NL2009867C2
Application number: NL2009867A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Matthew James Edward Erlichman
Original assignee: Matthew James Edward Erlichman
Priority date: 2012-05-24
Filing date: 2012-11-23
Publication date: 2014-03-03
Also published as: NL2009867A; DK201200743A1

Abstract

The present invention provides, inter alia, apparatus for cleaning of knives or other utensils that comprises a washing up bowl having a water release opening within the washing up bowl and a movable closure means for selectively closing the opening wherein a magnetic interface is provided between the washing up bowl and the closure means to facilitate holding the opening open, closed or to facilitate movement between the open and closed states.

Description

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Knife Cleaning Apparatus Field of the Invention 5 The present invention concerns primarily a novel apparatus for cleaning of knives. The apparatus is particularly suited to safe manual cleaning/ washing of Sabatiers and other sharp kitchen knives.

10 Background of the Invention

Since many kitchen knives have wooden handles and many are too long for the average cutlery basket of a domestic dishwasher machine they are most commonly still washed by hand and are generally cleaned by immersion and soaking in 15 a bowl or basin full of hot, soapy water prior to or while wiping down with a cleaning utensil such as a cloth, brush or pad and then drying on a drying rack. Hand washing such knives in this way is inherently hazardous, especially when trying to find submerged knives. There is in particular 20 significant risk of an injury to the individual by accidental impact against the blade of a submerged knife at the bottom of the bowl or sink if the knife has been dropped in the bowl or left there to soak. Knives at the bottom of a washing up bowl will almost invariably be 25 hidden/ unseen due to the dirty and soapy water or other crockery/items in the bowl restricting visibility. For some wooden-handled knives there may also be need to keep the wooden handle from entering the water. With current arrangements dirty knives are often placed into the bowl or 30 sink to clear work surfaces while cooking or cleaning and this can risk damage to the handles of wooden-handled knives .

Whereas these problems with manually cleaning kitchen knives are widespread, common longstanding problems there - 2 - remain no effective solutions other than exercising great care and seeking to wash the sharp knives individually in the hand and without leaving them in the bowl or sink to soak. Whereas the art includes specialized systems and 5 apparatus for automated washing of knives and for sterilizing knives, there remains a need for a simple, effective and low cost solution to the problems of handwashing knives safely and it is an objective of the present invention to provide such a solution.

10

Other problems faced when manually cleaning knives or other utensils in a washing up bowl include issues with emptying the bowl without having to raise the heavily laden water-filled bowl to tilt it for draining the water. This has 15 been partially addressed in the art by inclusion in some washing up bowls of substantially conventional plugs or sliders that can be raised to open a plughole in the bottom of the bowl but these generally are awkward to operate. The plugs or sliders use a friction based plugging system 20 either on the base of the bowls in a standard plug orientation or in a slider orientation on the side of the bowl and can be difficult to operate due to the forces required to activate them. As such they are likely to fail and leak as it can be difficult to exert the necessary 25 level of force required to seal the system and no way of knowing this has been achieved. This makes them difficult to operate for all users, especially so with those with arthritis and other debilitating issues. An upwardly extending actuator arm to remotely move the plug or slider 30 is needed to facilitate access from high level (top of the bowl), due to the location of the plugging point being at the bottom of the bowl. Due to the friction fit requirements of existing systems this need for an actuator arm compounds the problem. This is, furthermore, especially - 3 - true for a side slider orientated plug, due to the nature of the shape there is a lot of contact area required to faces, which increases friction and thus the forces needed to seat and unseat the plug.

5 Additionally there is frequently an issue of a lack of stacking space for cleaned items for the user. This inevitably leads to either perilous stacking on the draining board, the user having to stop washing to dry and put away items or the user washing up in multiple stages 10 once the first batch has dripped dry.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for cleaning of knives that 15 comprises a bowl having a knife rack, the knife rack comprising knife support means having a plurality of narrow slotted apertures, each slotted aperture adapted to receive a respective knife blade inserted therein for the knife handle to seat on the support means with knives extending 20 downwardly.

The knife support means preferably comprises a support panel extending from an upper part of the bowl. Preferably the support panel extends substantially horizontally across a part of the bowl and preferably is above the water fill 25 level of the bowl in use. It preferably further has a divider wall panel/baffle extending downwardly in use from the support panel and which serves in use to partition the bowl into a first zone for the knife blades extending below the support panel and a second zone that is suitable for 30 safely washing other items such as dishes and other cutlery and cookware free of risking contact with the immersed blades. The knife rack allows the knives to be soaked in the bowl while the knives are held with their handles above - 4 - the waterline and their blades are kept safely away from the users hands in the bowl.

In an alternative embodiment the knife support means may comprise a divider wall panel/baffle extending downwardly 5 in use and having a plurality of fins running down at least part of its height and defining the narrow slotted apertures as the gaps between them. This embodiment is best suited as a retrofit to a bowl or sink.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there 10 is provided an apparatus for cleaning of knives that comprises a knife rack mountable to a bowl or sink, the knife rack comprising knife support means having a plurality of narrow slotted apertures, each slotted aperture adapted to receive a respective knife blade 15 inserted therein for the knife handle to seat on the support means with knives extending downwardly and having mounting means to mount it in the bowl or sink. The mounting means suitably comprise suckers or clips or hooks or other engagement means.

20 The apparatus provides a defined safe place to stand dirty sharp knives for them to be soaked or to await washing without cluttering the worktops, instead of having them just lying at the bottom of the sink/washing up bowl. The apparatus may operate as either a washing up bowl with an 25 integrated rack for these knives, or as a 'retrofit' device to mount/ attach to a sink or bowl to achieve the same aim. The rack may be formed integrally with the bowl or may be assembled to it. In one embodiment the rack may clip-mount or hook onto the bowl, suitably at a top rim of the bowl.

30 The mounting suitably is such as to restrict movement of the rack on the bowl in use.

The divider wall panel/ baffle preferably extends substantially to the floor of the bowl or for a majority of the depth of the bowl to its floor. Where the bowl is - 5 - elongate, eg of oblong dimensions as viewed in plan, the divider wall panel/ baffle is suitably configured to partition the bowl proximate one end of the bowl so that the second zone is the larger portion of the bowl for 5 active washing up activities. The slots are preferably aligned with each other in rows.

For a retrofit rack this can suitably be mountable to a side or end of the bowl or sink or corner mountable to a rectangular bowl or sink, or even be of a curved or 10 crescent nature for round bowls. This variation of side, corner or curved positioning is also applicable for the integrated type of rack formed as part of the washing up bowl.

To facilitate drainage of the washing-up bowl a third 15 aspect of the present invention provides a washing-up bowl with a water release means, which can be activated while the sink is full of crockery etc. This suitably comprises a plug hole and plug or gated opening in the bottom, eg floor or at a low level on the side, of the bowl that is openable 20 to enable the release of the dirty and/ or cold used water and then closable to reseal the bowl in order for it to be refilled with clean warm water, all without need to tip the bowl over or to remove the knives or other items in the bowl such as crockery etc. The water release means is 25 particularly preferably incorporated in the bowl with the knife rack to facilitate the washing process. The knife rack may be located at one end or corner while the water release means is located at the other end or corner- most especially in the arrangements where the rack is integral 30 to the bowl. However, for some embodiments - most especially in the arrangements where the rack is separate from the bowl - suitably they are at the same end or corner since it is preferred that the water release means is in a zone partitioned off from the main body of water in the - 6 - bowl to avoid risk of cutlery or other items obstructing the release means and the partition panel or baffle of the knife-rack may serve this purpose.

Preferably the water release means is a sluice gate, rocker 5 system or plug on a substantially rigid actuating arm that is operable by the user from the top of the bowl to remotely open and close the drainage outlet. However, if anthropometries suit, eg if there is enough space between the baffle and sidewall of the bowl to access a plug, then 10 the plug may not need to have an actuating arm.

Preferably the bowl with water release means has a number of grooves formed in its floor. These preferably taper/slope in the direction of the water release means' location to prevent pooling of the water when draining the 15 bowl. The grooves may also assist to stop water being retained in a vacuum under upturned crockery or glasses on the base. The grooves can also enable the bowl to double up as a drainage rack for after the items have been washed, with the grooves enabling plates etc to be stood on edge 20 leaning against the side of the bowl.

By integrating drainage channels into the base of the bowl these act to both drain away water into the previously mentioned water release opening and as a resting point to enable the stacking of plates, bowls and other items for an 25 economic use of space. Thus functioning both as a washing up bowl and as a drainage and drying facility the apparatus may provide a useful practical solution to the lack of draining and drying space available in many kitchens that, for example, often otherwise results in the piling up of 30 pans, crockery etc in unstable towers next to the sink.

Furthermore, following rinsing, the knife rack can be used for draining clean knives rather than storing pre-washed ones safely. The grooves may be continuous or intermittent. They may be formed as elongate channels in the floor of the - 7 - bowl or may be defined by the space between raised bumps in the floor of the bowl such as, for example, by a substantially regularly spaced apart matrix array of hemispherical bumps in the floor. An infinite diversity of 5 shape and patterns of raised bumps may serve the same function of creating draining channels and raised edges by which to catch the edge of crockery.

A filter means such as a catchment tray may be provided at the water release means in order to capture solid matter in 10 the dirty dishwater draining from the bowl to prevent it passing into the sink and potentially clogging plumbing.

The filter means is suitably demountable from the bowl to facilitate emptying its contents into a bin.

A fourth aspect of the invention provides apparatus for 15 cleaning of knives that comprises a bowl having a knife compartment, the knife compartment being partitioned from a major volume/ zone of the bowl by a partition panel that does not fully separate the compartment from the main volume/ zone of the bowl but allows fluid communication 20 with the main volume/ zone of the bowl so that the knife blades may be soaked in water therefrom.

As a solution to the problem of awkward control of remote plug opening and closing in a fifth aspect there is provided an apparatus for cleaning of knives or other 25 utensils, such as other cutlery or crockery, that comprises a bowl having a water release opening within the washing up bowl and a movable closure means for selectively closing the opening wherein a magnetic interface is provided between the bowl and the closure means to assist keeping 30 the opening open, closed or to facilitate movement between the open and closed states. The washing up bowl, as in the preceding aspects, is preferably moulded from plastics polymer .

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The system here uses the force of magnetism to ensure the water release opening is sealed or opened, rather than friction via a human induced force. It is easier to use (less force), increases the likelihood of a water tight 5 seal and in many orientations is discreet and space saving. This lends itself particularly well to being able to provide the water release opening in a 'chamfered' corner of the bowl to facilitate ease of access to the moving parts. To provide better access to externally operated 10 versions of the design, one corner of the bowl is chamfered or has an altered radius/angle to provide more ergonomic hand access. This can also give an additional function of providing the user with a waste pouring location for unwanted fluids, enabling pre-rinsing plates and the 15 rinsing of plates during the cleaning process.

This fifth aspect of the invention is intended to embrace any means of covering and opening a water release void (or gate) within a washing up bowl, by the use of magnetism to facilitate doing so. This is to embrace movements in 20 varying planes and motions including but not limited to sliding, lifting, tipping/pivoting, twisting, rotating etc. The moving closure means can be either internal or external to the main body of the bowl for all variants described. Additionally in all variants either the bowl or moving part 25 (or assemblies which make either of the two) can be magnetically charged, or both. There are a multitude of ways that this can be achieved, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The following description with respect to Figures 20-28 illustrates a selection of 30 possible variations. This is, however, not exhaustive and the spirit and scope of the patent is intended to cover all variants and, indeed, to cover use of diverse different types of magnet, from fillings within a plastic mould, - 9 - rubber sheet magnets, solid magnets set within moulds and so on.

Since by nature of the magnetic system it is possible for the closure/ gate to be opened by the force of an internal 5 object such as an item of cutlery pressing against it a sixth aspect of the invention entails provision of a water release gate that will mitigate against this issue. We achieve this in one of a number of ways one of which entails ensuring the gate/ void opening is located in a 10 small secondary stepped down segment of the floor of the bowl. This step-down can also double as a foot of the bowl if wished. As a result the level of the top of the void/gate can be kept below the level of the main floor of the bowl. Furthermore a grate can be located in the top of 15 the foot/segment (internally) to create a filtering system and utensil block. This design is unlikely to clog from food debris due to the opportunity for a large grate size, the lowered segment/foot can be the width of the bowl to optimise this if wished.

20 Alternatively the gate can be so designed as to ensure that the gate holes face either to the sides or up/down orientations, as opposed to directly into the main area of the bowl where the utensils will sit. Having an integrated baffle inset into the bowl being comprised from part of the 25 bowl mould enables the alternate orientation of opening locations .

Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be 30 more particularly described, solely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment showing the washing up bowl with an integral knife rack moulded into one corner of the bowl and at another corner -10- of the bowl there being a partitioned drainage zone with plughole for draining the bowl, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bowl from below, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bowl, showing its use as a drainage rack after 5 completion of the washing up, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bowl, showing the demountable catchment tray demounted from the drainage outlet; Figure 5 is a plan view of the bowl from above; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the plug of the drainage facility of the bowl.

10 Figure 7 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the bowl from above, here having a partitioned drainage zone with plughole in one corner and a compact soaking pool for the knives, rather than a knife rack, in another corner;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the 15 bowl, here having a knife rack along one side rather than at the corner;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the bowl and knife rack, here having the knife rack as a retro-fit to a washing up bowl and which mounts by a hook 20 at each end of the knife rack to the rim of the bowl on opposing sides of the bowl and Figure 10 shows the rack prior to mounting to the bowl; Figure 11 is a perspective view of a variant of the Figure 10 knife rack, adapted to mount to a bowl or sink by suckers and Figure 12 is a 25 perspective view of a variant of the Figure 10 knife rack that mounts by hooks to the corner of a bowl;

Figure 13 shows a variant of the Figure 10 knife rack, adapted to mount to a bowl or sink by suckers but in which the knife-receiving slots of the knife rack comprise gaps 30 between a set of fins, and Figure 14 shows a similar variant to Figure 13 but better adapted to fit to the side wall or end wall, rather than to a corner, of a bowl or sink (alternatively the rack can be fitted in any location - 11 - by virtue of its articulating panels with living hinges and having a selection of mounting slots for suction cups); Figure 15 is a perspective view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the bowl and knife rack, similar to the 5 embodiment of Figure 10 but where the bowl has a plughole for drainage with the knife rack modified to incorporate an actuating rod/ plunger for opening and closing the plug hole; and Figure 16 is a further view of the Figure 15 bowl showing the actuating rod/ plunger raised opening the 10 plughole and also showing the demountable catchment tray being demounted from the bowl.

Figure 17 is a perspective view of one end of a further preferred embodiment of the washing up bowl where the bowl has a sliding sluice gate for drainage and a complementary 15 demountable catchment tray; and Figure 18 is an external view of the bowl showing the sluice gate raised and catchment tray in place; and Figure 19 is a further external view showing the catchment tray being demounted. Figure 20 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the 20 washing up bowl with a water release having a closure means that is magnetically held in the closed state closing the water release opening, the closure means here being an internal plunger.

Figure 21 is a perspective view of an embodiment similar to 25 Figure 20 but the closure means here being a rocking/ pivoting closure that doubles as a partition baffle.

Figure 22 is a close up view of the rocking/ pivoting closure of Figure 21.

Figure 23 is a perspective view of an embodiment similar to 30 Figure 20 but the closure means here being a rocking/ pivoting closure that is external to the bowl and where a change in angle required to create a pivot is on the bowl. Figure 24 is a perspective view of a variant of the embodiment of Figure 23 but the rocking/ pivoting closure - 12 - external to the bowl has the change in angle on the angled rocker .

Figure 25 is a perspective view of a variant of the embodiment of Figure 23 but the external closure is a 5 vertical sliding closure.

Figure 26 is a perspective view of a variant of the embodiment of Figure 23 but the external closure is a channel-guided vertical-to-horizontal curving sliding closure .

10 Figure 27 is a perspective view of a variant of the embodiment of Figure 26 where the vertical-to-horizontal sliding closure is not guided by channels but by magnet interaction.

Figure 28 is a perspective view of the Figure 27 variant 15 from below, the water release means being here shown in the open position.

Figure 29 is a perspective view of the Figure 27 variant from above.

Figure 30 is a perspective view of a variant of the 20 embodiment of Figure 27 where this version of the embodiment has an external vertical to radius slider design and a side access slot drainage hole design formed in the bowl to maximise water release while minimising blocking from food stuffs or cutlery.

25 Figure 31 is a perspective view of an embodiment of washing up bowl having drainage holes in a down-step or foot projecting downwardly from the main floor of the bowl. Figure 32 is a part cut-away perspective view of the Figure 31 embodiment showing a grate covering the drainage holes 30 in the bowl's floor.

Figure 33 is a close-up sectional view of a foot with drainage holes and further having a series of vertical sidewall openings like gills.

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Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 6, the first embodiment of the invention comprises a moulded plastics washing-up bowl 1 that has a number of unique features integrally 5 moulded into it. The washing up bowl 1 has at one corner a knife rack 2 comprising a substantially horizontal triangular flange portion 3a of the rim 3 of the washing up bowl 1 in which an array of knife-receiving slots 4 are formed.

10 The knife rack 2 provides a place for safe storage of knives, with the knife blades mounted in the slots 4 extending down the outside of the bowl 1. As can be seen, each of the slots 4 has a rim projecting downwardly on its underside to constrain the knife blade so that each knife 15 will sit securely in place with its hilt/ handle resting on the support panel defined by the triangular flange 3a. In this embodiment the knife rack is located externally to the main bowl, with benefits including that this helps to prevent cross-contamination of the water in the washing up 20 bowl in the case that the knives have been used for cutting up raw meat.

The bowl 1 further has a drainage feature at a far corner of the bowl 1 to allow water to be cold and/ or dirty dishwater to be drained from the bowl 1 without upending 25 the bowl 1. The drainage feature comprises a plughole 5 and a corresponding plug 6 (see Figure 6) where the plug 6 is operable remotely, having a plunger type form with a long rigid actuating arm 7 so that it may be both raised to open the plughole 5 and lowered to close without the user 30 needing to reach into the bowl 1. Alternatively a standard plug may be used if there is adequate space between the sidewall of the bowl and the divider for access to the plug. The drainage feature further comprises a partition panel or baffle 8 that substantially separates the drainage - 14 - zone lb of the bowl 1 from the major zone la of the bowl 1 so that the plug 6 may be operated when required unimpeded by cutlery or other small items. The baffle 8 does not completely separate the drainage zone lb from the major 5 zone la of the bowl since its purpose is to receive the water from the major zone la and drain it out to the sink.

To further assist outflow of the waste dishwater, the floor of the bowl 1 has a series of grooves 9 moulded into it that taper/ slope towards the plughole 5 preventing pooling 10 of the water. The grooves 9 and ridges alternating between them provide a support for dishes in the bowl 1 and once the water is drained from the bowl 1 through the plughole 5 the bowl 1 can function as a drainage/ drying rack for the dishes or other items therein. The grooves 9 provide 15 support to hold dishes/ plates or pans in a vertical orientation thereby minimising the space they take up and facilitating their drying. This allows the bowl 1 to perform the multiple functions of washing, draining and drying and is a very efficient space-saving solution - a 20 god-send where drying space is limited. The grooves 9 also prevent water from being trapped by vacuum in upturned cups or glasses in the bowl 1.

A further aspect of the drainage feature of the bowl 1 that is shown in Figure 4 is a filter arrangement comprising a 25 catchment tray 10 that demountably mounts to the underside of the bowl 1 directly below the plug hole 5 to catch solid matter from the dishwater and prevent it from passing straight into the sink pipe-work. The catchment tray 10 is easily demounted for emptying at suitable intervals.

30 Referring now to Figure 7, the variant of bowl 1 thereshown has (instead of a slotted knife rack) a compact soaking pool/ compartment 11 for the knives, which is partitioned from the major zone of the bowl 1 by a dividing panel/ - 15 - baffle 12. The soaking pool/ compartment 11 holds the knives stood on end.

Turning to Figure 8, this shows a variant of the bowl 1 that has a knife rack 2 integrally moulded along one side 5 rather than at the corner. By way of further contrast,

Figure 9 shows a variant of the bowl 1 where the bowl 1 and knife rack 2 are formed separately and subsequently assembled together, for example with the rack 2 as a retrofit to an existing washing up bowl. The rack 2 mounts to 10 the bowl 1 by a hook 2a at each end of the knife rack 2 to the rim 3 of the bowl 1 on opposing sides of the bowl 1.

The rack 2 comprises a substantially horizontal panel 13 as the slotted support panel for the knives and has a substantially vertical partitioning panel/ baffle 14 15 extending downwardly from the support panel 13.

Figures 11 and 12 show variants of the separately mountable knife rack 2, adapted to mount to a bowl or sink by suckers that are fitted into slots 15 in a mounting back panel 16 of the rack 2. Figures 13 and 14 show variants of the knife 20 rack 2 where the knife-receiving slots 4 of the knife rack 2 are defined by gaps between a set of fins 17 on the back of the baffle 14. The fins 17 replace need for a support panel. Mounting of these variants is suitably again by suckers and they have living hinged angle-adjustable side 25 walls 18 on the baffle 14 to carry the sucker-mounting slots 16. These angle-adjustable walls give greater mounting freedom eg to sidewalls, end walls or corners of bowls or sinks and this embodiment especially suits retro-mounting to sinks.

30 Turning to Figures 15 and 16, these show a further preferred embodiment of the bowl 1 and knife rack 2 that is similar to the embodiment of Figure 10 but the knife rack 2 is modified with a socket 19 to incorporate the plug's remote actuating rod/ plunger 7 for remotely opening and - 16 - closing the plug hole from the top of the bowl 1. Finally, turning to Figures 17 to 19, these show a further preferred embodiment where the bowl has a sliding sluice gate 6 as plug for drainage and a complementary demountable catchment 5 tray 10 that has a remote operating arm 20 for remotely demounting the catchment tray 10.

Embodiments of the invention featuring a magnetism-based water release closure system will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 20 to 30. Figure 20 shows 10 an embodiment of the washing up bowl with a water release opening 21 having a closure plug 22 that is magnetically held in the closed state closing the water release opening 21. Here the closure plug 22 has the form of a plunger that is held inside the bowl, the plunger having an actuating 15 arm/ rod 23 that extends upwardly from the plug 22 and which has a grip/ handle 23a at the top which is here shown as ball-shaped. The arm 23 allows for ease of operation by the user from the top of the bowl to open and close the water release opening/ array of plughole apertures 21 in 20 the floor of the washing up bowl. The arm 23 may have a resting point/ protrusion part way up its length to seat/ rest in a socket 26 provided at the top of a baffle 25.

This embodiment has a partition wall/ baffle 25 that partitions off the corner of the bowl in which the closure 25 plug/ plunger 22 sits ( NB. The plug 22 is shown raised and the baffle 25 is shown in outline or transparent form simply so that the closure plug/ plunger 22 can be clearly seen in the same view). A magnet is provided on the floor of the bowl, preferably on the underside of the bowl and 30 suitably located at the solid centre of the array of plughole/ drainage apertures 21 to attract the plug 22 to the closed/ sealed state closing/ sealing the plughole/ drainage apertures 21. The plug 22 for this suitably incorporates a complementary magnetic element, either a - 17 - complementarily oriented magnet or a metal/ ferro-magnetic material that is magnetised by the magnet of the bowl. Conversely, the plug 22 may have a magnet and the floor of the bowl might simply have a metal/ ferro-magnetic material 5 that is magnetised by the magnet.

Figures 21 and 22 show an embodiment similar to that of Figure 20 but in which the closure means is a rocking/ pivoting closure 27 of which a substantially upright part 27b doubles as a partition baffle to block cutlery 10 obstructing the drainage/ plug holes. The rocking/ pivoting closure 27 is approximately Z-shaped with a footplate portion 27a, the substantially upright part 27b and a headplate portion 27c. The footplate portion 27a serves to close/seal over the plughole/ drainage apertures 21 of the 15 bowl, while the substantially upright part 27b is equivalent to the stem 23 of the plunger of the Figure 20 embodiment and the headplate portion 27c is the handle/ grip for operating the closure 27. The long lower front edge at the transition from the footplate portion 27a to 20 the substantially upright part 27b serves as pivot point/ fulcrum about which the closure 27 may rock back and forth between a state in which the footplate portion 27a is flat over the plughole/ drainage apertures 21 closing them to a state in which the footplate portion 27a is inclined 25 upwardly opening the apertures 21 for draining the water away.

Again the rocking/ pivoting closure/ baffle 27 is shown in outline/ as transparent for visualisation purposes. In this diagram the array of drainage holes 21 in the floor of the 30 bowl is shown as having a triangular formation with a thin metal triangular frame overlaid to mate with the underside of the footplate portion 27a to seal the array of drainage holes 21 closed. The rocking/ pivoting closure/ baffle 27 may incorporate the magnet. It may, for example, be made - 18 - from plastic moulded with magnetic filings whereby the footplate portion 27a is magnetic to attract to the metal triangular frame on the floor of the bowl.

Turning to Figure 23, this shows a variant of the pivoting/ 5 rocking closure arrangement where the closure 28 is external to the bowl and, rather than having a bend in the closure 28 to define the fulcrum, has instead a relatively flat closure plate 28 that pivots about a change in angle of the external surface of the bowl's sidewall. The 10 sidewall of the bowl to which the closure is mounted transitions at pivot line 29 from being substantially vertical in its upper part to being inwardly inclined at its lower part. In one example construction a rubber magnet is bonded to the bowl's lower part's external face adjacent 15 the drainage opening 30 there and to be magnetically attracted thereto and seal the opening 30 closed the flat closure plate 28 is suitably made from metal.

Turning to Figure 24, this shows a further version of the external pivot system. In this instance, as per the Figure 20 21 embodiment, the fulcrum is formed by a bend 32 in the closure plate 31. In this case the bend 32 causes the lower part of the plate 32 to incline outwardly from the sidewall of the bowl when the upper part of the closure plate is flat against the sidewall. The closure plate 31 is again 25 magnetised to the closed state. Suitably it may have a rubber magnet bonded to its face and the flat-sided bowl may have block magnets in its sidewall adjacent the drainage opening 30 embedded during the manufacturing process to attract the closure plate 31.

30 Turning to Figure 25, this shows an externally mounted vertical slider type of closure 33. This may, for example, comprise a plastic slider 33 with bonded magnets 34 and with the bowl having a complementary metal part adjacent the drainage holes 35 in the bottom of the sidewall and - 19 - with guiding channels 36 in the sidewall on each vertical edge of the closure/ slider 33.

Turning to Figure 26, this particular embodiment has the closure 37 as an external vertical- to- horizontal moving 5 slider the lower tip of which passes under the floor of the bowl, with drainage holes 38 in the floor of the bowl and guiding channels 39 in the bowl. A flexible sheet rubber magnetic slider 37 is located externally and held in place and guided to and from the closed state by the guiding 10 channels 39 which are created by the mould of the bowl. The bowl in this variation of the embodiment preferably has a thin formed metal layer bonded externally to the bowl following the profile of the flat and curved/ radius parts of the bowl.

15 Turning to Figures 27 to 29, this embodiment is like that of Figure 26 and has the closure 37 as an external vertical-to-horizontal moving slider, the lower tip of which passes under the floor of the bowl, with drainage holes 38 in the floor of the bowl. A flexible sheet rubber 20 magnetic slider 37 is located externally but does not require the guiding channels 39. Instead it is managed by a rubber magnetic strip 40 bonded to the exterior of the bowl around the drainage holes 38. The alignment of poles between the magnets of the slider 37 and the rubber 25 magnetic strip 40 negates the requirement for guiding channels. Figure 27 shows the assembly in a closed position, with the handle 37a of the slider 37 filling the aesthetic role of the lip/ rim 41 of the bowl by having a matching form and when the slider 37 is in this closed 30 state the handle 37a and bowl rim 41 are level and the handle 37a appears as a continuation of the bowl rim 41. Figures 28 and 29 show the slider 37 raised up with its handle 37a above the level of the bowl rim 41 and the lower - 20 - end of the slider 37 pulled away from the drainage holes 38 allowing water to drain out of the washing up bowl.

Turning to Figure 30, this embodiment of washing up bowl has an external vertical- to- radius slider as the moveable 5 closure means, similar to the Figure 27 embodiment but the slider lower end terminates at the curved transition/ radius 42 to the floor rather than under the floor. Here, instead of the drainage holes being in the floor of the bowl, the drainage holes 43 are in the bowl radius 42 and, 10 furthermore, they are formed as side opening slots 43 that allow water to flow into them laterally/ substantially parallel to the sidewall of the bowl. This side slot variant of the water drainage opening/ gate maximises water release while minimising blocking from food stuffs or 15 cutlery.

Turning to Figure 31, this shows an alternative arrangement configured to reduce risk of blockage of the drainage holes by cutlery/ utensils or them accidentally pushing the gate/ closure open. This embodiment of washing up bowl has the 20 drainage holes 44 provided below the main floor of the bowl in a hollow foot 45 projecting downwardly from the main floor of the bowl. This may be covered over by a grate 46 as a filter/ utensil block as shown in Figure 32 and this can span the bowl orthogonal to the wall having the 25 drainage openings and thus have a large grating size in that direction and not itself be liable to clogging. The level of the top of the drainage opening 44 out of the bowl is below the level of the bowl's floor and not accessible to the cutlery/ utensils. Furthermore, by minimising the 30 width of the foot 45 parallel to the wall the chances of any obstruction from a diagonal direction are substantially removed.

Turning to Figure 33, this shows a further alternative arrangement for drainage to reduce clogging/ blocking/ - 21 - disruption by utensils. Here there is again a foot 45 with drainage holes in the foot but here the sidewall further has a series of insteps 47 with vertical openings 48, resembling the gills of a fish. These may be provided 5 additionally or alternatively to the drainage holes 44 in the foot 45.

The above described embodiments of Figures 20 to 33 variously fall into several different categories of closure movement. These movements may be non-exhaustively 10 summarised below:

Movements A) 'Sealer' type A movable closure which we will refer to as a 'sealer' can be used to cover a drainage hole or holes in the base or 15 side (located near base) of the bowl. It can be accessed directly or via an upwardly extending arm for ergonomic ease, with the contact face of the sealer to the bowl either internal or external to the bowl. The void/ opening can be opened by either lifting or pushing the part away 20 from the sealing faces in a direction perpendicular (or other angle) to the faces. A movement in the opposite direction will reinstate the seal. The orientation of this is dictated on internal or external design of the moving part. Alternatively the sealer could be tilted on one of 25 its edges to release the water through the void.

B) 'Rocker' type A movable part which we will refer to as a 'rocker' can be used to cover a drainage hole or holes in the base or side (located near base) of the bowl. It can be accessed 30 directly or via an upwardly extending arm for ergonomic ease, with the contact face either internal or external to the bowl. The bowl here can be comprised of at least two angles to allow a flat part (rocker) to pivot over it, releasing and closing the gate/void. Alternatively the bowl - 22 - can be flat and a rocker comprising of more than one angle can pivot on the flat surface, releasing and closing the gate. The pivot point can be attached magnetically or mechanically at the pivoting point from rocker to bowl. If 5 a magnetic pivot is used then the radius between the two angles along with magnetic strength will determine the forces required to 'flip' the rocker open and closed. Any combination of the four contacting faces (when open & closed) can use magnetism to hold the rocker in position.

10 Alternatively a friction fit mechanical version of this design is feasible to hold the faces in contact.

C) 'Slider' type A movable part which we will refer to as a 'slider' can be used to cover a drainage hole or holes in the base or side 15 (located near base) of the bowl. It can be accessed directly or via an upwardly extending arm for ergonomic ease, with the contact face either internal or external to the bowl. The 'gate'/closure can be opened by means of sliding the movable part away from the opening. The slider 20 can be moved in varying planes dependant on the orientation of the design. The slider can sit within a guiding channel system, as part of the bowl assembly or slider. The shape is dictated by a male/female relationship between the two. Alternatively magnets can be used on both the bowl and 25 slider, with the associated poles dictating alignment and direction of movement. The slider can be made from a rigid or flexible material. Notably a rubber magnet is ideal for transferring a vertical movement by the user at the side of the bowl, to a horizontal movement by the gate on the base 30 of the bowl.

In the above described embodiments of Figures 26 to 30 an extra benefit is provided by the altered corner configuration of the washing up bowl. In particular, we have found that to provide better access to externally - 23 - operated versions of the design, one corner of the bowl can be chamfered to provide more ergonomic hand access. This corner can then additionally be used as a means by which to pour unwanted waste down the sink before putting items into 5 the bowl. By coincidental virtue the hand access location also gives a passage past the bowl for items to be rinsed during the cleaning process without the rinse water going into the bowl. This will avoid the rinse water cooling the water in the bowl, overfilling the bowl and reducing soap 10 concentration levels

Types of magnet to be used with the various embodiments;

As previously stated in all variants either the bowl or moving part (or assemblies which make either of the two) can be magnetically charged, or both. Possible magnet 15 variants include the use of solid magnets (various types and protective outer layers), rubber magnets, magnets embedded within the mould and magnetic material mixed within the plastic as an additive. Electromagnetic systems could also be integrated into the bowl/slider, to enable 20 more remote access to the movement. This would be especially suited to users with more severe arthritis or physical disabilities.

Rubber magnets are especially preferred and particularly so for embodiments where the moving closure is adapted to 25 slide open or shut. Rubber magnets have a defining quality, aside from their flexible nature which clearly assists in creating a water tight seal that no other magnet can provide. Unlike any other type of magnet the rubber type is extruded, allowing a long continuous linear orientation of 30 positive and negatives poles, in repeating lines. This continuous linear nature of the material's poles allows the polarity lines within the rubber magnet to act as guides, which lend themselves to a smooth sliding transition of a sliding closure element with the magnetic interface, - 24 - remaining permanently engaged. In addition they also maintain slider alignment, as the magnets cannot jump between the multiple poles. This smooth linear aligned movement is not possible with standard magnets or prior 5 art, which relies on a system of the magnet either being engaged or removed. The use of a rubber magnetic interface facilitates using low effort movement for opening and closure- convenient for all users and especially for the elderly or physically disabled having impairment in 10 movement.

Catchment systems

The shape and location of the drainage closure/ gate and associated bowl assembly will dictate whether or not items 15 are likely to block and clog the water flow when the closure is opened. In turn this may reduce/ stop water release and possibly inhibit the closure of the gate. A number of methods are proposed to counter this issue, all of which can be orientated on either the side, base or a 20 transitioning radius or angled flat section between the two .

A grate over the area of the drainage openings or closure will restrict the likelihood of large objects such as cutlery from blocking the closing of the closure/gate.

25 However any reduction in aperture size will increase the likelihood of clogging from food stuffs. This in turn can be counteracted by pins/ribs in the bowl acting as a sieve around the area.

A blocking baffle can be used to block large objects 30 blocking gate reinstatement, while allowing a large water release hole to prevent blocking by food stuffs. This can be either a separate part, integrated into the bowl or on some embodiments it could be part of the moving element when internally located.

- 25 -

An alternative method entails the use of a 'side slot' system. This system benefits from the fact that the majority of items small enough to block the slot will, on the whole, be long by comparison, i.e. a knife, fork or 5 skewer. As such if the direction of access to the gate/ drainage opening is from the side then the blocking item would need to be orientated as such too. If located on a sufficiently short side (end wall) of the bowl (or ideally chamfered corner) then the objects will not be able to 10 block the gate as the length of them will clash with the opposing walls. A further alternative configuration entails providing the drainage holes in the sidewall at a down-step of the bowl floor, eg in a hollow foot, so that the holes are below the main level of the floor. As a further variant 15 the drainage holes may be in a sidewall of the bowl where the sidewall is in-stepped in one or more tiers allowing one or more drainage holes at each tier that open substantially vertically.

20 Seals

Due to the nature of the magnetically closed designs it is imperative that a water tight seal is achieved, through the force of the magnet(s) used. As such either the tolerances in manufacture must be extremely high, or alternatively at 25 least one face will require the use of material with some flexibility, to soak up imperfections. A rubber/elastomer or material of similar properties is suitably used to achieve this. This part can also be integrated into the magnet itself, using cut rubber magnet sheet to perform the 30 job of the slider, bowl (or assemblies thereof) or both. Whereas the present invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a number of preferred embodiments and inventive aspects, other inventive aspects will be apparent to the skilled reader from the foregoing - 26 - and are part of this application. Furthermore, any novel and inventive feature or combination of the features variously herein described and illustrated are within the scope of this application.

5

Summary statements for some of the more important aspects of the invention 1. An apparatus for cleaning of knives that comprises a washing up bowl such as may be placed in a sink and used to 10 wash up crockery and cutlery, the washing up bowl having a knife rack in use, the knife rack comprising knife support means proximate an upper part of the bowl, the knife support means comprising a support panel extending from the upper part of the bowl having a plurality of slotted 15 apertures, each slotted aperture adapted to receive a respective knife blade inserted therein for the knife handle to seat on the support means with the knives extending downwardly from the upper part of the bowl.

2. A knife cleaning apparatus according to 1, wherein the 20 support panel extends substantially horizontally across a part of the bowl.

3. A knife cleaning apparatus according to lor 2, wherein the apparatus has a divider wall panel/baffle in the bowl and which serves in use to partition the bowl into a first 25 zone for the knife blades to be soaked and a second zone for safely washing other items free of risking contact with the immersed knife blades.

4. A knife cleaning apparatus according to any of 1 to 3, wherein the knife support means is integral to the bowl.

30 5. An apparatus for cleaning of knives that comprises a knife rack mountable to a bowl or sink, the knife rack comprising knife support means having a plurality of narrow slotted apertures, each slotted aperture adapted to receive a respective knife blade inserted therein for the knife - 27 - handle to seat on the support means with knives extending downwardly and having mounting means to mount it in the bowl or sink wherein the knife rack further has a divider wall panel/baffle extending down from the knife rack into 5 the bowl or sink and which serves in use to partition the bowl or sink into a first zone for the knife blades to be soaked and a second zone for safely washing other items free of risking contact with the immersed knife blades.

6. An apparatus for cleaning of knives and other 10 utensils that comprises a washing-up bowl, the bowl having a water release means that can be activated to enable the release of the dirty and/ or cold used water while the sink holds items to be washed, the water release means comprising a plug hole and plug or gated opening in the 15 bottom (floor and/ or lower sidewall) of the bowl that is openable to enable the release of the dirty and/ or cold used water and then closable to reseal the bowl in order for it to be refilled with clean warm water, all without need to tip the bowl over or to remove the knives or other 20 items in the bowl.

7. A knife cleaning apparatus according to 7, wherein the bowl with water release means has a plurality of grooves, or protrusions and intervening recesses, formed in its floor .

25 8. An apparatus for cleaning of knives or other utensils that comprises a washing-up bowl having a plurality of grooves or protrusions and intervening recesses in the base/ floor of the bowl, these being sufficiently deep (eg 2mm or greater) and configured to enable the bowl to serve 30 as a drying rack for plates or bowls stood on edge with a rim of each plate or bowl held in a said groove or recess.

9. An apparatus for cleaning of knives or other utensils that comprises a washing up bowl having a water release opening within the washing up bowl and a movable closure - 28 - means for selectively closing the opening wherein a magnetic interface is provided between the washing up bowl and the closure means to facilitate holding the opening open, closed or to facilitate movement between the open and 5 closed states, wherein the movable closure means is adapted to rock or pivot between the open and closed states and is held closed by the magnetic interface.

10. An apparatus for cleaning of knives or other utensils that comprises a washing up bowl having a water release 10 opening within the washing up bowl and a movable closure means for selectively closing the opening wherein a magnetic interface is provided between the washing up bowl and the closure means to facilitate holding the opening open, closed or to facilitate movement between the open and 15 closed states, wherein the movable closure means is adapted to slide between the open and closed states and wherein the magnetic interface comprises a rubber magnet.

Claims

1. Device for cleaning knives comprising a shaped wash bowl with a knife rack, wherein the knife rack comprises knife carrying means with a number of narrow slot-shaped openings, each slot-shaped opening being adapted to receive a respective knife blade for holding the knife handle on the knife handle. carrying means with the blades reaching downwards. 10

The knife cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the knife carrying means comprises a support panel extending from an upper portion of the cup.

The knife cleaning device of claim 2, wherein the support panel extends substantially horizontally over a portion of the cup.

4. Knife cleaning device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the device has a partition wall panel / partition in the bowl, which during use serves to divide the bowl into a first area for soaking the knife blades and a second area for safe washing of other objects without risk of contact with the submerged knife blades.

Knife cleaning device according to claims 2 and 4, wherein the partition wall panel / partition during use extends downwards from the support panel. 30

6. Knife cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the knife carrying means comprises a partition wall / partition that extends downwards during use and has a number of fins running downwards at least over a part of its height and defining the narrow slotted openings as the spaces between them .

7. Knife cleaning device as claimed in any of the claims 1-6, 5, wherein the knife carrying means is integrated with the cup.

8. Device for cleaning knives comprising a knife rack mountable on a bowl or sink, wherein the knife rack comprises knife carrying means with a number of narrow slot-shaped openings, each slot-shaped opening being adapted to receive a respective knife blade for receiving the knife handle seats on the knife carrier with knives extending downwards and with positioning means for placing them in the bowl or sink, in which the knife rack further has a partition wall / partition that extends downwards from the knife rack in the bowl or sink and which during use serves to dividing the bowl or sink into a first area for soaking the knife blades and a second area for safely washing other items without risk of contact with the submerged knife blades.

9. Knife cleaning device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the positioning means comprise suction members or brackets or hooks or other gripping means in order to limit movement of the rack on the cup during use.

10. Knife cleaning device according to any of claims 1-9, which has a partition wall panel / partition that extends downwards during use, the partition wall panel / partition extending substantially towards the bottom of the bowl or over a major part of the height from the bowl to the bottom. - 31 -

11. Knife cleaning device as claimed in any of the claims 1-10, wherein the device has a washing-up bowl, the bowl having an anhydrous means that can be activated to enable the release of the dirty and / or cold used water while washing the sink contains items.

12. Knife cleaning device according to claim 11, wherein the water-releasing means comprises a plug hole and plug or port-shaped opening in the bottom, for example floor or lower part of a side wall, of the bowl that can be opened to allow the release of water and subsequently be closed to be refilled with clean warm water, all without the need to tilt the bowl or remove the knives or other objects present in the bowl.

13. Device for cleaning knives and other utensils comprising a dishwashing bowl, wherein the bowl 20 has an anhydrous agent that can be activated to allow the release of the dirty and / or cold used water while the washbasin contains articles to be washed, wherein the anhydrous agent comprises a plug hole and plug or gate-shaped opening in the bottom, for example floor, of the bowl that can be opened to allow the release of the dirty and / or cold used water and then closed to re-open the bowl to seal it in order to refill it with clean warm water, all without the need to tilt the bowl or remove the knives or other objects present in the bowl.

A knife cleaning apparatus according to claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein the water releasing agent is in a region substantially but not entirely separated from the main body of water in the bowl to prevent cutlery or other objects from obstructing the releasing agent.

The knife cleaning device of claim 14, wherein the device has a knife rack with a separation panel or partition and serves as a means to separate the area from the release means.

A knife cleaning device according to any of claims 11-15, wherein the water-releasing bowl has a plurality of grooves or protrusions and lies between recesses formed in its floor.

The knife cleaning apparatus of claim 16, wherein the grooves are slanted / inclined toward the location of the anhydrous agent to prevent piasing of the water during discharge from the bowl.

The knife cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein a filtering means is provided at the anhydrous release means to trap solid matter in water discharged from the bowl.

The knife cleaning apparatus of claim 18, wherein the filtering means can be disassembled from the bowl to facilitate emptying its contents to a receptacle.

The knife cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the water releasing means is a lock gate or plug on a substantially rigid operating arm that can be operated by the user from the top of the bowl to remotely open and close the drain outlet. - 33 -

21. Knife cleaning device for cleaning knives and other utensils which comprises a bowl with a number of grooves or protrusions and intermediate recesses in the foot / floor of the bowl, these being sufficiently deep (for example 2 mm or more) and are arranged to allow to serve as a drying rack for plates or bowls arranged on their edges with a ridge of each plate or bowl held in said groove or recess.

22. Device for cleaning knives or other utensils comprising a dishwashing bowl with an anhydrous opening inside the dishwashing bowl and a movable closing means for selectively closing the opening in which a magnetic interface is provided between the dishwashing bowl and the closing means for keeping it open, closed facilitate opening of the opening, or facilitate movement between the open and closed states. 20

A knife cleaning device according to claim 22, wherein the movable closing means is adapted to curve, rotate, tilt, rock or hinge between the open and closed states. 25

The knife cleaning device of claim 22, wherein the movable closing means is adapted to rise or slide between the open and closed states.

25. Knife cleaning device according to claim 22, 23 or 24, wherein the movable closing means is located within the washing-up bowl. - 34 -

26. Knife cleaning device according to claim 22, 23 or 24, wherein the movable closing means is located outside the washing-up bowl.

The knife cleaning apparatus of claim 26 wherein, in order to provide better access to the externally operated movable closure means, one corner is chamfered or has a different radius / angle for more ergonomic hand access. 10

28. Knife cleaning device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims with an anhydrous opening within the washing-up bowl and a movable closing means for selectively closing the opening, wherein the access direction to the opening is exclusively from the sides of the opening.

The knife cleaning apparatus of claim 28, wherein the water release opening is located on a short side of the bowl or a beveled corner. 20

30. Knife cleaning device according to any of the preceding claims, with an anhydrous release means for draining water from the bowl without the need to tilt the bowl with the opening (s) of the anhydrous release means 25 provided in a foot or other lowering of the floor of the bowl that protrudes downwards from the main floor of the bowl with the opening (s) below the main floor of the bowl.

The knife cleaning apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a grid to cover access in the foot or other lowering of the floor of the bowl from the top to keep cutlery or other items out of the bowl. - 35 -

32. Knife cleaning device according to any one of the preceding claims with an anhydrous release means for draining water from the bowl without the need to tilt the bowl, wherein an outlet opening of the anhydrous release means is provided in an inward part of a side wall of the bowl with the opening in a substantially vertical orientation.

33. Device for cleaning knives comprising a sink or sink with in use a knife rack disposed therein, wherein the knife rack comprises knife carrying means with a number of narrow groove-shaped openings, each groove-shaped opening being adapted to receive a respective knife blade inserted therein to seat the knife handle on the carrier means with the knives extending downwards, the device additionally having a partition wall panel / partition that extends downwards from the knife rack to the bowl or sink and which during use serves to separate the bowl or sink into a first area for soaking the knife blades and a second area for safely washing other items without the risk of contact with the submerged knife blades.

34. Knife cleaning device substantially as previously described with reference to the accompanying drawings.