WO1997040730A1

WO1997040730A1 - Utility board

Info

Publication number: WO1997040730A1
Application number: PCT/AU1996/000248
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Allen Sanguinetti
Original assignee: John Allen Sanguinetti
Priority date: 1995-05-02
Filing date: 1996-04-26
Publication date: 1997-11-06
Also published as: AU5088396A

Abstract

The present invention provides: a utility board (1) suitable for use with a synthetic plastics bag (36); which bag comprising a receiving portion (37) having a bottom (38) and a side wall (39) or walls capable of being opened out to define a generally rounded opening (41) to retain those goods and two handles (42-43); and wherein the utility board (1) comprises an end and two sides extending away from the end generally in a direction and wherein the end has a recess (8) therein; the utility board further comprising holding means for such a bag adjacent to said end (31) adapted to space apart part of the side wall or walls of the receiving portion and wherein holding means for the handles (43) are provided along the side walls adapted to hold the handles of the bag (32) whereby the bag will be held in relationship to the utility board with the opening open whereby, in use, articles to be located in the bag may be swept across the utility board and through the recess (8) into the bag. A utility board can also have the recess in the end shaped to hold a bowl, basing, sieve or other receptacle or the like in captured manner excepting against removal in a particular direction.

Description

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TITLE: UTILITY BOARD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a utility board.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Utility boards have many uses and one of the more common uses is as a cutting board in a kitchen for the purposes of preparing fruit and vegetables for human consumption.

In the process of preparing fruit and vegetables it is common to cut off ends and portions which are not up to a desired standard and also to peel from certain vegetables, an outer skin.

As a result, a substantial amount of debris is often accumulated upon a utility board which then needs to be disposed of.

Various methods of disposal are known including grinding machines located in waste outlets of sinks and simply sweeping the waste material into a rubbish bin.

However, within our community there is increased concern of appropriately packaging garbage in a manner suitable for clean and efficient disposal and to avoid overloading sewage systems with water carrying fruit and vegetable matter.

However, utility boards have many other uses besides a kitchen use; for instance, a utility board may be used in art and craft matters wherein materials such as leather or plastic are cut out to form various shapes but in the process also producing a waste material.

In another instance, a utility board may be used to sort materials such as nails or screws into a group which is considered worthy of being preserved and another group which is to be discarded as rubbish.

Another object that is commonly waste within most households is a supermarket shopping bag which comprises a receiving portion having a bottom and a side wall or walls capable of being opened out to define a generally rounded opening for the receiving of goods to be carried and having a bottom to retain those goods and two handles.

Although such supermarket bags are commonly used to contain rubbish, it often happens that an excess of such bags is obtained which are not put to good use. _A more particular example of such supermarket bags are known as "singlet bags" where the handles are continuous with the receiving portion and are formed of the same material as part of a continuous length.

However, the present invention is also applicable to bags of different a nature including those wherein handles are located below said opening and others wherein the handles are separate integers to the receiving portion but which are bonded to the receiving portion or otherwise attached thereto.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide a utility board which may find a number of uses and also to provide a use for synthetic plastics bags which may be in excess of requirements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides:-

a utility board suitable for use with a synthetic plastics bag; which bag comprising

a receiving portion having a bottom and a side wall or walls capable of being opened out to define a generally rounded opening for the receiving of goods to be carried and having a bottom to retain those goods and two handles; and wherein

the utility board comprises an end and two sides extending away from the end generally in a direction and wherein,

the end has a recess therein;

the utility board further comprising holding means for such a bag adjacent said end adapted to space apart part of the side wall or walls of the receiving portion and wherein holding means for the handles are provided along the side walls adapted to hold the handles of the bag whereby the bag will be held in relationship to the utility board with the opening open whereby, in use, articles to be located in the bag may be swept across the utility board and through the recess into the bag.

PREFERRED ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION

Preferably the recess is a generally rounded recess.

However, the recess may be of any desired shape and, in general, it will usually be desirable that the recess be shaped to receive a suitable receptacle.

Preferably said holding means for such a bag comprises abutments located on the end of the utility board outboard thereof towards the sides of the utility board.

Preferably said holding means for the handles comprises abutments located along the sides of the utility board remote from the end of the utility board.

Preferably the abutments are upstanding from the board.

Preferably the abutments are comprised of recesses in the sides of the board.

Preferably the abutments are comprised of recesses in the end of the board.

Preferably the recess in the end is shaped to hold a bowl, basin, sieve or other receptacle or the like, in captured manner excepting against removal in a particular direction.

Preferably the board is a free standing structure. Alternatively it may be that the utility board is part of another structure such as a drawer, shelf or bench.

Preferably there is a groove in the board adapted to carry liquids towards said recess.

In one particular instance, said holding means for such a bag comprises a selected one of notches in the end of the utility board or peg means upstanding from the utility board.

In one instance, said holding means for the handles comprises notches located along the sides of the utility board or peg means extending from the utility board.

In an alternative, said holding means for the handles comprises abutments which are movable towards and away from the end of the utility board whereby to be able to apply tension to the handles and hence to the bag itself.

The utility board of the present invention may be made of any suitable material and may be made of a composite of materials. Materials which have been found to be particularly effective include wood, plastic and metal.

In one practical use of the utility board of this invention, fruit and vegetables will be cut up upon a surface of the utility board to produce a comestible together with waste material. The comestible will be removed for use and the waste material may then be readily swept along the board, through the recess and into a bag secured to the end of the utility board.

As a result, waste material will be neatly packaged into a bag which may be removed from the utility board and disposed of in a neat and comely manner. An example of a utility board in accordance with this invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a utility board in accordance with this invention in association with a sieve,

Figure 2 is an isometric view of an alternative utility board,

Figure 3 is a plan view of part of the utility board as shown in Figure 2,

Figure 4 shows the utility board of Figure 1 in association with a basin,

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the utility board of Figure 1 in association with a synthetic plastics bag and with a bench,

Figure 6 is an isometric view of the utility board of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a plan view of the end of the utility board shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 8 is an end view of part of the utility board shown in Figure 1.

INTEGER LIST

1. Utility board 2. Top surface

3. First end

4. Second end 6. First side

7. Second side

8. Recess

9. Groove 21. Upper aperture

22. Flange

23. Lower aperture

24. Sieve 26. Basin 31. V-shaped notches

32. L-shaped notches

33. Pegs

36. Synthetic plastics bag

37. Receiving portion 38. Bottom

39. Side wall

41. Opening

42. Handle

43. Handle 44. Bench

46. Limb

47. Limb

48. Bight

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings there is shown a utility board 1 which has a top surface 2, a first end 3, a second end 4, a first side 6, and a second side 7.

In the first end 3 is a recess 8.

A groove 9 is provided in the top surface 2 and leads to the recess 8.

In practical use, the groove 9 will convey liquids from the top surface 2 towards the recess 8. The recess has an upper aperture 21 of a first diameter and beneath that upper aperture 21 is a flange 22 which inherently defines a lower aperture 23 which has a second diameter which is less than the first diameter.

Further, it is to be noted that the recess 8, while circular, extends to a greater extent than a semi circle.

As a result of the extending to a greater extent than a semi circle, the recess 8 can capture a receptacle such as the sieve 24 shown in Figure 1 or the basin 26 shown in Figure 4 against removal from the recess 8 in a vertical downward direction or a horizontal direction with respect to Figures 1 and 4 but permits removal of the sieve 24 or basin 26 by upward movement.

As a consequence, in practical use the sieve 24 or basin 26 will be held reasonably well in position with respect to the utility board but can be removed therefrom when it is desired but by positive action on the part of a user.

As described with respect of Figures 1 and 4, a user may cut fruit or vegetables on the top surface 2 and sweep peelings or cuttings into the sieve 24 or basin 26 for subsequent disposal or alternatively, a comestible to be further treated or used, may be swept into the sieve 24 or basin 26.

The first end 3 has two V-shaped notches 31 located therein on opposite sides of the recess 8.

Alternatives to those V-shaped notches 31 are various forms of abutments or holding means including pegs, clips, and anything else which may be suitable for the purpose of holding as is to be explained below.

The first side 6 and the second side 7 have L-shaped notches 32.

Alternatives to the L-shaped notches 32 are pegs 33 which are shown in Figures 2 and 3 or any other convenient form of abutment or holding means such as those previously mentioned with respect to the V-shaped notches 31.

The V-shaped notches 31 and L-shaped notches 32 or pegs 33 enable the utility board 1 to be associated with a synthetic plastics bag 36.

The bag 36 shown is illustrative of only one type of bag which may be used with the utility board and in this instance the synthetic plastics bag 36 comprises a receiving portion 37 having a bottom 38, a side wall 39 and an opening 41.

Further, the synthetic plastics bag 36 comprises handles 42 and 43 which are integral with the receiving portion 37 and continuous therewith and formed of the same material.

As depicted, the synthetic plastics bag 36 is of the type known as a "singlet bag" as is commonly supplied in supermarkets and other stores for the taking of goods away from those stores and which bags are commonly wasted as having only limited use other than their original use.

However, as is particularly shown in Figure 5, the synthetic plastics bag 36 may be associated with the first end 3 and the first side 6 and second side 7 by locating part of the material surrounding the opening 41, and particularly a portion thereof between the limbs 46 and 47 defining, with a bight 48, the handles 42 and 43 which are generally U-shaped.

As is particularly shown in Figure 5, a portion of the side wall 39 defining the opening 41 and between the limbs 46 and 47 is located in a respected one of the V-shaped notches 31.

The handles 42 and 43 can then be stretched and located as is appropriate to their length and their ability to stretch in a selected one of the L-shaped notches 32 or over a selected one of the pegs 33 so that the synthetic plastics bag 36 will be reasonably tightly held to the utility board 1 but with the opening 41 in open condition and located between the recess 8.

Thus, with the synthetic plastics bag 36 located as is shown in Figure 5, material on the top surface 2 can be readily swept into the receiving portion 37 of the synthetic plastics bag 36.

That material may be waste material or material which is desired to be kept at the user's choice.

The above described utility board will be found to be of particularly use in kitchens and food preparation areas but can also have many other uses such as in work shops, tool sheds or in places where material needs to be sorted.

As described, the utility board is a unitary structure capable of being readily transported from place to place and being placed on another object such as the bench 44 as shown in Figure 5.

However, if desired, the utility board 1 could itself be part of a bench, drawer or other structure so as to be a substantially static and/or built in item.

It is to be noted that while the synthetic plastics bag 36 has been described as firstly being associated with the V- shaped notches and thereafter with the L-shaped notches 32 or pegs 33, it is quite possible for the handles 42 and 43 to be firstly associated with the L-shaped notches 32 or the pegs 33 and thereafter to be associated with the V- shaped notches 31.

The claims, illustrations, photographs and drawings form part of the disclosure of this specification as does the description, claims, illustrations, photographs and drawings of any associated provisional or parent specification or of any priority document all of which are imported hereinto as part of the record thereof.

Finally it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements or parts without departing from the spirit and ambit of the invention.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

1. A utility board suitable for use with a synthetic plastics bag; which bag comprising

the end has a recess therein;

2. A utility board as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the recess is a generally rounded recess.

3. A utility board as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said holding means for such a bag comprises abutments located on the end of the utility board outboard thereof towards the sides of the utility board.

4. A utility board as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said _holding means for the handles comprises abutments located along the sides of the utility board remote from the end of the utility board.

5. A utility board as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the abutments are upstanding from the board.

6. A utility board as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the abutments are comprised of recesses in the sides of the board.

7. A utility board as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the abutments are comprised of recesses in the end of the board.

8. A utility board as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the recess in the end is shaped to hold a bowl, basin, sieve or other receptacle or the like, in captured manner excepting against removal in a particular direction.

9. A utility board as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the board is a free standing structure.

10. A utility board as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the utility board is part of another structure such as a drawer, shelf or bench.

11. A utility board as claimed in Claim 1, wherein there is a groove in the board adapted to carry liquids towards said recess.

12. A utility board as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the abutments are pegs.

13. A utility board having an end and two sides extending away from the end generally in a direction and wherein the end has a recess therein within which a receptacle can be located such that, in use, articles to be located in the receptacle may be swept across the utility board and through the recess and into the receptacle.

A utility board as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the 14. recess in the end is shaped to hold a bowl, basin, sieve or other receptacle or the like in captured manner excepting against removal in a particular direction.