US20050101238A1

US20050101238A1 - Crab meat extracting apparatus

Info

Publication number: US20050101238A1
Application number: US10/693,596
Authority: US
Inventors: Godfrey LeBoeuf
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-10-27
Filing date: 2003-10-27
Publication date: 2005-05-12
Also published as: US7261626B1; CN2757586Y

Abstract

A crab meat extracting apparatus for extracting the meat from a boiled or cooked crab. The crab meat extracting apparatus includes a planar base member having a top side; and also includes a crab support member being attached upon the top side of the planar base member; and further includes a tray being removably disposed upon the planar base member; and also includes a crab compressing assembly including a crab compressing plate being hingedly attached to the crab support member and being removably disposed upon the crab support member for compressing a shelled crab between the crab support member and the crab compressing plate.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to crab meat extractors and more particularly pertains to a new crab meat extracting apparatus for extracting the meat from a boiled or cooked crab.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of crab meat extractors is known in the prior art. More specifically, crab meat extractors heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,256; U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,478; U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,077; U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,547; U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,349; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 297,093.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new crab meat extracting apparatus. The prior art includes various types of crab meat extractors having handles and compressors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new crab meat extracting apparatus which has many of the advantages of the crab meat extractors mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new crab meat extracting apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art crab meat extractors, either alone or in any combination thereof. The present invention includes a planar base member having a top side; and also includes a crab support member being attached upon the top side of the planar base member; and further includes a tray being removably disposed upon the planar base member; and also includes a crab compressing assembly including a crab compressing plate being hingedly attached to the crab support member and being removably disposed upon the crab support member for compressing a shelled crab between the crab support member and the crab compressing plate. None of the prior art includes the combination of the elements of the present invention.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the crab meat extracting apparatus in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new crab meat extracting apparatus which has many of the advantages of the crab meat extractors mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new crab meat extracting apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art crab meat extractors, either alone or in any combination thereof.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new crab meat extracting apparatus for extracting the meat from a boiled or cooked crab.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new crab meat extracting apparatus that is easy and convenient to set up and use.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new crab meat extracting apparatus that eliminates the mess usually associated with extracting meat from a crab.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new crab meat extracting apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a lateral cross sectional view of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is another lateral cross sectional view of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new crab meat extracting apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the crab meat extracting apparatus 10 generally comprises a planar base member 11 having a top side 12. A crab support member 13 is conventionally attached upon the top side 12 of the planar base member 11. The crab support member 13 is a plate having a semi-circular main portion 14 and also having planar end portions 15, 16 which are fastened upon the top side 12 of the planar base member 11. A tray 33 is removably disposed upon the planar base member 11. The tray 33 includes a bottom wall 34, and also includes a side wall 35 and an end wall 36 being conventionally attached along a perimeter of the bottom wall 34.
A crab compressing assembly includes a crab compressing plate 17 being hingedly attached to the crab support member 13 and being removably disposed upon the crab support member 13 for compressing a shelled crab between the crab support member 13 and the crab compressing plate 17. The crab compressing plate 17 is longitudinally curved and has an end 18 which is hingedly attached to one of the planar end portions 15,16 of the crab support member 13. The crab compressing plate 17 is disposed generally parallel to the crab support member 13 upon the crab compressing plate 17 being disposed upon the crab support member 13. The crab compressing assembly also includes a bracket member 19 being conventionally attached upon the top side 12 of the planar base member 11, and further includes a handle assembly being pivotally mounted to the bracket member 19, and also includes a roller member 32 being conventionally mounted upon the handle assembly and being rollably engaged upon the crab compressing plate 17. The bracket member 19 includes an elongate main portion 20 and also includes end portions 21,23 being angled relative to the elongate main portion 20, and being disposed generally perpendicular to the planar base member 11, and having holes 22,24 being disposed therethrough. The handle assembly includes a pair of elongate handle support members 25,27 having angled first end portions 26,28 each of which is pivotally disposed in the hole 22,24 of a respective end portion 21,23 of the bracket member 19, and also includes a handle support cross member 29 being integrally attached to second ends of and extending between the elongate handle support members 25,27, and also includes a roller support cross member 31 being conventionally attached intermediate of the first ends portions 26,28 and the second ends of and extending between the elongate handle support members 25,27, and further includes a handle member 30 being disposed about the handle support cross member 29. The roller member 32 is rollably disposed about the roller support cross member 31.
In use, the user places a shelled crab upon the crab support member 13, and pivots the handle assembly by grasping the handle member 30 upon the crab compressing plate 17 which presses upon the shelled crab thus forcing the crab meat out and upon the tray 33.
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the crab meat extracting apparatus. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A crab meat extracting apparatus comprising:

a planar base member having a top side and including a tray;

a crab support member being attached upon said top side of said planar base member, said crab support member being is an arch having a semi-circular main portion and also having end portions which are fastened upon said top side of said planar base member; and

a crab compressing assembly including a crab compressing plate being hingedly attached to said crab support member and being removably disposed upon said crab support member for holding and compressing a shelled crab between said crab support member and said crab compressing plate.

3. A crab meat extracting apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein said tray includes a bottom wall, and also includes a side and an end wall being attached along a perimeter of said bottom wall.

4. A crab meat extracting apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein said crab compressing plate is longitudinally curved and has an end which is hingedly attached to one of said planar end portions of said crab support member, said crab compressing plate being disposed generally concentric to said crab support member upon said crab compressing plate being disposed upon said crab support member.

5. A crab meat extracting apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said crab compressing assembly also includes a bracket member being attached upon said top side of said planar base member, and further includes a handle assembly being pivotally mounted to said bracket member, and also includes a roller member being mounted upon said handle assembly and being rollably engaged upon said crab compressing plate.

6. A crab meat extracting apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein said bracket member includes an elongate main portion and also includes end portions being angled relative to said elongate main portion, and being disposed generally perpendicular to said planar base member, and having holes being disposed therethrough.

7. A crab meat extracting apparatus as described in claim 6, wherein said handle assembly includes a pair of elongate handle support members having angled first end portions each of which is pivotally disposed in said hole of a respective said end portion of said bracket member, and also includes a handle support cross member being attached to second ends of and extending between said elongate handle support members, and also includes a roller support cross member being attached intermediate of said first ends portions and said second ends of and extending between said elongate handle support members, and further includes a handle member being disposed about said handle support cross member, said roller member being rollably disposed about said roller support cross member.