SERVING BOWL HAVING A CHAMBER FOR WASTE
This invention relates to a serving bowl having a chamber for waste.
There are e.g. two-piece ashtrays wherein the upper ashtray proper which may have a carrier for a cigarette package or a box of matches or the like, has a flat bottom defined circum- ferentially by a relatively low edge and, in the middle, has a relatively large aperture positioned at the level of the flat bottom and constitutes the mouth for a downwardly taper- ing discharge member passing into and being carried by a tall tubular column having a lower container accommmodating cigarette and cigar butts and other waste from cigar boxes or cigarette packets, burnt out matches etc., so that the waste is kept hidden from those using the ash tray and other per- sons adjacent to the same. However, this ashtray as disclosed in U.S. patent specification No. 1,807,079 is quite unfit as a serving bowl for e.g. nuts, wrapped-up drops/chocolates, shrimps and prawns, etc., i.e. nutrients having an edible part and a waste part, which is due to the large central opening which must be positioned at the same level as the flat bottom of the upper ashtray part. Otherwise, one could not push ash and the like down into the opening.
U.S. patent specification No. 2,240,842 deals with a nut bowl having a removable nutshell container. The disadvantage of this divided serving bowl having a waste chamber is that the waste is visible at any time. Used for nuts, this disadvan- tage is perhaps not so conspicuous, but it becomes immediately more obvious in connection with stone fruit, shrimps and pawns, the waste thereof being far more unappetising.
Another nut bowl suffering from the same disadvantage, is disclosed in U.S. patent specification No. 2,693,686. Other two-piece containers less relevant with regard to the present invention constructively as well as functionally, are disclosed in e.g. DE published application No. 24 47 909, DK laying-out publication No. 148,581 and GB published application No. 2,264,858.
According to the invention, a two-piece serving bowl has been provided, exhibiting ample space for nuts, wrapped-up drops/chocolates, shrimps, morellos/cherries and similar stone fruit, etc. , within an upper bowl part, the lower portion thereof being releasably downwardly insertable and sup- portable in a lower bowl part for hidden accommodation of waste (nutshells, paper, shrimp/prawn shells, stone fruit stones, etc.), the upper bowl part, preferably in a central bottom portion, being provided with an upright, tubular outlet member having a vertically through-going bore, the upper mouth thereof being positioned substantially at the same level as the side wall edge of the upper bowl part, the bottom of the upper bowl part in the position of use, being spaced from the bottom of the lower bowl part.
In such a two-piece serving bowl design, the conditions are adjusted a comprehensive upper bowl part - the serving bowl - the upper side wall edge just being adapted to the level of the upper end of the upright, tubular outlet member for the waste. At any time, the waste is kept hidden as long as the serving bowl is in use, cleaning being simple to perform.
For the suspension of the upper bowl part on the lower bowl part, it is easiest to maintain the upper side wall edge of the lower bowl part as supporting portion for the upper bowl part which, approximately at the mid-region of the height ex- tension thereof, may be provided with a narrow transition portion extending slopingly radially inwardly in a downward direction between an upper portion of the upper bowl part and a lower portion thereof and, with the outer face of this transition portion, the upper bowl part bears supportedly against the upper side wall edge of the lower bowl part, the latter receiving waste from the upper mouth of the upright, tubular outlet member of the upper bowl part. The upper end of the upright, tubular outlet member may have an upward conically expanded end portion.
When the assembled, two-part serving bowl is in use, nuts, shrimps, chocolates, stone fruit, etc., will be filled in the upper bowl part, between the central, upright outlet member and the side wall. Nutshells or shells from shrimps, chocolate paper or fruit stones are, as waste, put into the upper mouth of the upright, tubular outlet member, said upper mouth extending upwardly to the level of the side wall edge of the upper bowl part or higher, and land in the waste chamber of the lower bowl part where the waste is hidden, which is of particular advantage when the waste is unappetising. The up- permost portion of the lower bowl part will be unavailable for the receipt of waste, because it accommodates the lower portion of the upper bowl part.
A preferred exemplary embodiment of a two-piece serving bowl having a hidden waste chamber according to the invention is further explained in the following, reference is being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 shows, in an axial vertical sectional view, the two- piece, assembled serving bowl provided with a hidden waste chamber;
Figure 2 shows, in an axial vertical sectional view, the two- piece serving bowl as set forth in fig. 1 in an exploded view.
In the drawing, A-A denotes a central, vertical symmetry axis for a two-piece joinable serving bowl for e.g. nuts, stone fruits, shrimps, wrapped-up chocolates/drops etc.
The serving bowl comprises two loose bowl parts, an upper bowl part 10 having a bottom 10' and a side wall 10", as well as an annular, upwardly open space for the accommodation of said nuts etc. From a central hole in the upper bowl part's 10 bottom 10 ' , a tubular outlet member 12 extends vertically upwardly, the outlet member 12 having a vertically through- going bore. The upper, funnel-shaped end 12' of the outlet member 12 is positioned at the same level as the circumferen- tial edge 10' • ' of the upper bowl part's 10 side wall 10" or at a level somewhat above the same. Thereby is prevented that nuts, shrimps etc. are landing in the hidden waste chamber 18 of the lower bowl part 14 through a lower outlet member 12.
In the embodiment shown, the upper bowl part 10, approxi- mately at a level corresponding to half of its height extent, is provided with an annular support portion 16 extending radially inwardly in a downward direction. With this support portion 16, the upper bowl part 10 bears supportedly on the upper side wall circumferential edge 14 • of the lower bowl part 14.