NL2014616B1

NL2014616B1 - Drip absorber.

Info

Publication number: NL2014616B1
Application number: NL2014616A
Authority: NL
Inventors: De Lange Raymond
Original assignee: De Lange Raymond
Priority date: 2015-04-10
Filing date: 2015-04-10
Publication date: 2017-01-25
Also published as: NL2014616A

Abstract

The invention relates to a drip absorber, comprising an assembly of a backing layer and a drip absorbing layer supported on or by the backing layer, wherein the assembly is pre-configured and at least the backing layer comprises fold lines configured to convert the assembly between an essentially flat state and a three dimensional state, in which three dimensional state the backing layer defines a container.

Description

DRIP ABSORBER

The present disclosure relates to a drip absorber, comprising an assembly of: - a backing layer; and - a drip absorbing layer supported on or by the backing layer.

In professional culinary applications, chefs and cooks tend to arrange an absorbing layer of for instance re-usable cloth or woven tissue on a work surface or arrange a disposable absorbing layer of for instance paper or non-woven tissue onto a layer of for instance aluminium foil, to allow fluid, water or moisture to drip or leak from prepared, semi-finished or fresh foods onto or into the cloth, tissue or paper. This practice is costly and inefficient for re-usable absorbing materials, since these have to be washed to clean these absorbing materials from the fluid, water or moisture originating from the food, which can result in huge amounts of laundry for a professional kitchen. In relation to the practice of laying a layer of aluminium foil onto a work surface and then arranging an absorbing layer thereon, this is too time consuming in a professional kitchen, where timing of cooking is of paramount importance, because cooks and chefs loose time for arranging the separate layers. Further, all known prior art concepts have as a common disadvantage, that too much water, fluid and/or moisture dripped onto the absorbing layer may spill out of the absorbing layer onto the work surface, causing a mess to be cleaned up. Even though reference is made here to professional culinary applications, drip absorbers according to the present disclosure are equally well applicable in domestic environments and the like.

The inventors of the present disclosure are not aware of any proposal to improve the working conditions of domestic or professional cooks and chefs to furnish an easy-to-use solution.

According to the present disclosure, however, a drip absorber is provided, which is distinguished in that the assembly is pre-configured and at least the backing layer comprises fold lines configured to convert the assembly between an essentially flat state and a three dimensional state, in which three dimensional state the backing layer defines a container. Such a container may have a plurality of shapes or forms and fold lines may be provided to define one or more than one of these shapes and forms, such as a tray with upturned sides, a cone or a pointed bag for French fries, et cetera. The three dimensional shape allows for larger quantities of water, fluid and/or moisture to be contained and, simultaneously, pre-configuration of the assembly allows for the drip absorbers according to the present disclosure to be deployed swiftly, with a minimum loss of time for cooks and chefs.

According to the present disclosure, many preferred embodiments are possible, which are not considered to be essential but merely preferable. In this sense, such preferred embodiments are by no means to be interpreted as limitations on the scope of protection according to the present disclosure and the appended claims, in particular the appended independent claim.

For example, in a potential embodiment the backing layer comprises a layer of at last one material from a group, comprising: foil; aluminium; aluminium foil; plastic; metal foil.

For example, in an additional or alternative potential embodiment the drip absorbing layer comprises a layer of at last one material from a group, comprising: woven or non-woven tissue; cloth; absorbing paper. Admittedly, reusable absorbing layers may require laundry for cleaning, thereby decreasing the effect of the present disclosure in only this sense, but leaving intact all the other benefits and effects thereof.

According to the present disclosure, fold lines are provided in order to be able to define a three-dimensional container shape of the drip absorber. This may preferably be achieved by providing the feature that at least one fold line extends parallel to a side edge of the backing layer. Such a configuration of the at least one fold line will allow for formation of an upturned edge or side to enhance the water, fluid or moisture absorbing capability of the combined and preconfigured assembly.

In yet a further preferred embodiment, the drip absorber according to the present disclosure may additionally or alternatively exhibit the feature, that the backing layer comprises a comer, at which folding lines cross each other. In this preferred embodiment it is possible to create corners in upturned sides or edges and achieve a sideways closed enclosure of the container shape.

In another preferred embodiment, the drip absorber according to the present disclosure may additionally or alternatively exhibit the feature that the assembly is in the flat state thereof connected with an adjoining assembly. Such a connection allows for connected packaging, transport and the like, and also achieves that a number of drip can be furnished at or close to a workplace on a work surface, without contributing to clutter. In such an embodiment having connections with an adjoining assembly, a drip absorber according to the present disclosure may exhibit the additional feature that the assembly and the adjoining assembly are connected via at least one connection from a group, comprising: a tear line; a cut line; perforations; discrete connection strips. Preferably connections can be broken manually, but a cut line for a user, chef or cook to disengage a particular drip absorber from its connections with the adjoining assembly using for example a pair of scissors is also within the scope of protection for the present disclosure.

In a further preferred embodiment, the drip absorber according to the present disclosure may additionally or alternatively exhibit the feature that the assembly is rolled up. This may contribute further to a tidy workplace at a work surface in for example a professional kitchen. A user, chef or cook may unroll the assembly and fold along the fold lines to define the three-dimensional container shape. Such a contribution to a tidy workplace is further enhanced, when providing a preconfigured assembly in a rolled up form is combined with the feature of connection of an assembly with an adjoining assembly, In such a further development, can be furnished to users, chefs or cooks in much the same way as garbage bin bags on a roll, except that the drip absorbers comprise the separate components of the preconfigured assembly of a backing layer and an absorbing layer together in the rolled up form, thus contributing further to efficiency and tidiness at the workplace.

In yet a further embodiment, the drip absorber according to the present disclosure may exhibit the additional or alternative features that the assembly is, in the flat state thereof, stacked on or with an adjoining assembly. Such a stack may also exhibit connected adjoining assemblies, and even without connections a stack of assemblies may already contribute considerably to the tidiness and efficiency at the workplace.

After the foregoing reference to embodiments of the present disclosure in terms and definitions of the appended claims, herein below follows a more detailed description of specific embodiments of the present disclosure, under reference to the appended drawing. Again it is noted, that the scope of protection according to the claims and in particular the appended independent claim is by no means restricted by or limited to any particular feature from the following embodiment description, unless said scope of protection is particularly restricted or limited to any such feature by definition thereof in the independent claim. It is further noted, that the appended single independent claim also encompasses evident or obvious alternatives. In the appended drawing:

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an assembly of or for a drip absorber according to the present disclosure in the process of being converted from a flat shape into a three-dimensional container shape;

Figure 2 shows a schematic representation in frontal view of a role of preconfigured assemblies with a tear line between adjoining assemblies, which can be released from the role to be erected into a three-dimensional container shape, like the one of figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a completed drip absorber with upturned sides in a three-dimensional container shape;

Figure 4 shows a similar representation but in perspective view of the role of preconfigured assemblies, having in-turned side edges corresponding with upturned wall like edges of completed the tray shaped container of figure 3; and

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a stack of preconfigured drip absorbers, having optional connections between adjoining assemblies.

Figure 1 shows a drip absorber 1 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure.

The drip absorber 1 comprises an assembly of an essentially flat backing layer 2 and the superposed absorbing layer 3. The flat backing layer 2 can be made of foil, aluminium foil, metal foil, plastic and the like. The absorbing layer 3 can comprise cloth, woven or nonwoven tissue, absorbing paper, and the like. The flat backing layer 2 is provided with a straight fold lines 4, running parallel to sides of the backing layer 2, and oblique fold lines 5. The fold lines 4, 5 define edge portions 6, which can be upturned in the direction of arrow A, to form side walls of the drip absorber one in a three-dimensional container shape to increase the amount of fluid, that can be held within the drip absorber 1.

When folding up side edge portions 6, at oblique fold lines 5 a flap 8 is defined, which can be folded back against one of the side walls 9 of the finished drip absorber 1.

When the side walls 9 are folded up, as shown in a portion of figure 1 and in a resulting representation of figure 3, the absorber layer 3 may be snuggly or loosely enclosed thereby, to maintain the absorber layer 3 in place on a bottom of the three-dimensional container shaped drip absorber according to the present disclosure.

Figure 2 shows a roll 10 of interconnected preconfigured assemblies 11, 12, each capable of defining a drip absorber according to the present disclosure, for example like the one depicted in figure 1. Adjoining assemblies 11, 12 are connected via a tear line 13, which may equally well be cut by a user, like a chef or a cook, using a pair of scissors 14. Tear line 13 may be cut in over a short distance, as shown in the right side of figure 2.

In the representation of the embodiment according to figure 2, side edge strips 15 extend away from a bottom portion 16. Figure 4 depicts an alternative embodiment, in which side edge strips are folded back onto the bottom portion 16, which results in a shorter roll 10 than in figure 2, but at the expense of a bigger diameter of roll 10 at the outer ends 17 thereof.

In addition to placement of absorbing layer 3 on bottom 16 of a container shaped drip absorber 18 in figures 3, tops of edges or side walls 9 thereof are shown to comprise tom edges 19, exhibiting remnants of the tear line 13 in figure 2 or 4.

Figure 5 exhibits a stack 20 of preconfigured assemblies 21, of which backing layers comprise fold lines. Preconfigured assemblies 21 may be arranged loosely on top of one another in the stack 20, but interconnections may also be defined between adjoining preconfigured assemblies 21, such as cut lines or tear lines. However, in the representation of the embodiment according to figure 5, at the side edge 22 connections 23 may be defined in the form of, for example, discreet connection elements, which may be formed from, for example, the same material is that of the backing layer.

Based on the foregoing description of the appended drawings, the introductory remarks above and the contents as a whole of the present disclosure, it is self evident that additional and alternative embodiments will become immediately evident to the skilled person, after having been confronted with the present disclosure as a whole. Consequently, such additional and/or alternative embodiments are all to be considered as encompassed within the scope of protection for the present disclosure, as defined in the appended claims, and including evident or even obvious alternatives, and the like. For example, the scope of protection according to the present disclosure is by no means limited to any selection of materials for the backing layer and/or the absorbing layer, and any present or future suitable material for either of the backing layer and the absorbing layer may be employed. Further, the absorbing layer may be attached to the backing layer to define the preconfigured assembly, according to the present disclosure. Instead of folding flaps 8 in the embodiment of figure 1, closing elements can be added to keep sidewalls 9 up right and surroundings of sidewalls 9 watertight to contain fluid, water and moisture within the interior of the container shaped drip absorber.

Claims

A leak absorber, comprising an assembly of: - a back layer; and - a leak-absorbing layer supported on or by the back layer, the assembly being pre-arranged and comprising at least the back layer folding lines arranged to transform the assembly between a substantially flat state and a three-dimensional state, the back layer defines a bin in the three-dimensional state.

The leak absorber according to claim 1, wherein the back layer comprises a layer of at least one material from a group, comprising: foil; aluminium; aluminium foil; plastic; metal foil.

The leak absorber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the leak absorbing layer comprises a layer of at least one material from a group, comprising: woven or bonded fabric; dust; absorbent paper.

A leak absorber according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein at least one fold line extends parallel to a side edge of the back layer.

A leak absorber according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the back layer comprises an angle in which the fold lines intersect.

A leak absorber according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly in its flat condition is connected to an adjacent assembly.

The leak absorber according to claim 6, wherein the assembly and the adjacent assembly are connected to each other via at least one connection of a group, comprising: a tear line; a cutting line; perforations; discrete connection strips.

The leak absorber according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly is rolled up.

The leak absorber according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly, in a flat state thereof, is stacked on or with an adjacent assembly.