WO2005004687A1

WO2005004687A1 - Chopping or food preparation board

Info

Publication number: WO2005004687A1
Application number: PCT/IB2004/002195
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karin Nicola Ribbens
Original assignee: Karin Nicola Ribbens
Priority date: 2003-07-11
Filing date: 2004-07-02
Publication date: 2005-01-20

Abstract

A culinary chopping board (1, 15, 18, 20, 30) is provided in which a board has an outer periphery (6) with a chopping board surface operatively spaced upwards of a supporting worktop (3) and an opening (4) having an inner periphery (5) adjoining the chopping board surface for retaining a predetermined shape of receptacle (9, 14, 22, 45) in association with the chopping board with the upper periphery (10) of the receptacle at or below the level of the cutting surface to enable items on the chopping board surface to be swept into the receptacle. The inner periphery of the opening meets the outer periphery of the chopping board surface at a gap (8) in their peripheries. The inner periphery and receptacle are shaped such that, in the operative horizontal plane, the receptacle is held captive relative to the chopping board whilst it is freely removable and replaceable in a generally vertical direction. A part of the periphery of the receptacle is manually accessible in said gap. Various constructions and configurations of chopping board are also described.

Description

CHOPPING OR FOOD PREPARATION BOARD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a chopping or food preparation board that will simply be termed a chopping board herein irrespective of the ultimate use of the board, and the term is intended to extend to cutting boards used for the purpose of carving or otherwise processing prepared food items.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Chopping boards are often used in the preparation of food items prior to cooking thereof and, more particularly, for the purpose of subdividing items of food into smaller pieces prior to their being cooked or added to a culinary dish.

In one style of food preparation it is commonplace for a variety of different items of food to be subdivided and stored separately in receptacles until they are used. Such a practice is often referred to in the culinary trade and by the French term rnise en place.

Whatever practice is employed the problem exists of satisfactorily guiding subdivided pieces of food into a required receptacle or cooking vessel without pieces being accidentally dropped onto a worktop, stove, or floor.

Numerous different configurations of chopping boards have been proposed with a view to assisting a cook or chef in gathering subdivided pieces of an item of food spread over a chopping board surface and transferring them in a neat and tidy manner and with a minimum of spillage. Many proposals provide a chopping board having a chute that may be detachable or may be integral with the board whereby subdivided pieces of food can be guided into a receptacle.

Others provide a receptacle, typically in the form of a shallow dish or a bowl, that has an upper edge located below the chopping board surface and that communicates with that chopping surface, for example through a slot or other opening in the chopping board. Cut pieces of food can be swept over the appropriate edge of the chopping board surface and into the receptacle. Many of these arrangements are designed so that the receptacle must be slid out from beneath the chopping board. This has the disadvantage that clear worktop space must be maintained in the vicinity surrounding the periphery of the chopping board in order to enable this to take place without accidentally knocking over any items that may be present on the worktop.

The most recent proposal of this nature of which applicant is aware is described in United States patent No 6,478,293 to Keener. This prior patent describes an injection moulded plastics chopping board having a relatively complex shape including an integral trough at one end into which cut pieces of food can be swept. In addition, the trough can be used to receive a vertically movable scoop having a handle whereby it can be manually manipulated. The scoop, being vertically movable, avoids the disadvantage of maintaining clear space around the chopping board for sliding out a receptacle from underneath it. The scoop can be used to transfer subdivided items of food to other receptacles. Of course a plurality of scoops could be provided for conducting the so-called mise en place cooking procedure mentioned above.

However, the chopping board proposed in this prior patent cannot be fabricated from any material other than an injection moulded plastics material and the cost of injection moulding dies for the purpose is often prohibitive.

The chopping board cannot be fabricated using naturally occurring materials having an appealing aesthetic appearance. In addition, the scoops require an additional moulding die for either injection moulding the scoops separately from plastics material or diecasting them of zinc or aluminium alloy.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a chopping board that exhibits the same, if not improved, advantages over the prior art but that is of appreciably simpler construction. It is another object of the invention to provide a chopping board, the manufacture of which can, in appropriate instances, be carried out by a fabrication procedure, if required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention there is provided a chopping board comprising a board having an outer periphery with a chopping board surface operatively spaced upwards of a supporting worktop and an opening having an inner periphery adjoining the chopping board surface for retaining a predetermined shape of receptacle in association with the chopping board with the upper periphery of the receptacle at or below the level of the cutting surface to enable items on the chopping board surface to be swept into the receptacle, the chopping board being characterised in that the inner periphery of the opening meets the outer periphery of the chopping board surface at a gap in their peripheries, and in that the inner periphery and receptacle are shaped such that, in the operative horizontal plane, the receptacle is held captive relative to the chopping board whilst it is freely removable and replaceable in a generally vertical direction, and wherein, in the operative position, a part of the periphery of the receptacle is manually accessible in said gap.

Further features of the invention provide for the chopping board, at least in the region in which the opening is located, to be a board of a generally constant thickness providing a generally upright edge to the inner periphery with the edge being adapted to cooperate with the periphery of a receptacle, in use, to hold it captive in the horizontal plane; for the receptacle to be of circular shape in plan view in which case the inner periphery forms a major part of a circular shape; for the said edge to be either operatively substantially vertical in which case the receptacle is preferably configured to be supported on the same worktop surface as that on which the chopping board is supported or, alternatively, for the said edge to be of generally truncated, optionally stepped, conical shape in which case the edge is adapted to support the receptacle in a suspended condition by engagement with the outer periphery thereof; for there to be two spaced openings in the chopping board surface each of which communicates with the outer periphery at a gap in similar manner so that two spaced generally substantially identical receptacles can be simultaneously employed; and for the chopping board to comprise a board and support elements adapted to hold the board in an elevated generally horizontal position relative to a worktop, in use.

It will be understood that, in instances in which the chopping board is formed as a board supported on support elements therefor, the chopping board can be constructed of any required material that is suitable for the purpose. In particular, the board could be a suitable natural or synthetic stone such as naturally occurring granite, quartz or marble or a reconstituted stone. Alternatively it could be an exotic hardwood, or a suitable metal such as stainless steel having a suitable surface. In each of these instances the chopping board could be made to be an aesthetically appealing decorative object. A chopping board having suitable properties can perform multiple functions in that it can also be used as a stand for hot pots and pans.

As a hard rock or steel surface may be undesirable from the point of view of having a tendency to blunt knives, the invention provides a second aspect that is directed at obviating this disadvantage. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a chopping board as defined above having associated therewith a removable cover wherein the cover is adapted to form the chopping surface.

The cover could either have zones of pressure sensitive adhesive for locating it on the chopping board surface or, alternatively, the cover could have integral formations adapted to cooperate with edges of the chopping board to hold the cover in position during use. In one particular arrangement the cover is configured to be slid longitudinally onto the chopping board with cooperating inwardly lipped flanges extending along two longitudinal edges thereof. The covers may be made to be dishwasher friendly and to be replaceable or even disposable. In instances in which the cover is adapted to extend over the entire chopping board surface a cutout zone corresponds to the opening that communicates with a receptacle, in use. Typically, such covers would be made of a food grade of polyethylene or polypropylene material

The use of covers as indicated above can mean that an aesthetically pleasing chopping board can be used as a decorative object under normal circumstances of non-use and the cover can be applied to it as and when the chopping board is required for use.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention there is provided a chopping board that is moulded from plastics material so as to have an upper chopping surface and an under surface and wherein the under surface has moulded integral therewith a series of spigots or sockets adapted for cooperation with sockets or spigots of a series of legs or leg assemblies, or a plurality of rails, for supporting the board in an elevated position, in use. Further features of this aspect of the invention provide for the spigots or sockets to have a thickness of plastic that is small relative to the thickness of the board itself; for the spigots or sockets to be generally tubular sockets extending at right angles to the under surface of the chopping board and having a length greater than the thickness of the chopping board; for each spigot or socket to be located centrally in a shallow recess in the under surface of the board with the periphery of the shallow recess being adapted to sealingly engage the periphery of a hollow supporting leg operatively attached to the chopping board by way of the spigot or socket; and for each leg to have a resiliently deformable friction affording foot at its operatively lower end or, in the case of a rail, a plurality of spaced friction affording feet.

In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a chopping board assembly comprising a chopping board as defined above fitted with either a series of hollow legs each of which is individually attached to a co-operant spigot or socket that is integral with the chopping board or a plurality of the rails each of which is attached to a plurality of cooperant spigots or sockets integral with the chopping board.

Further features of this aspect of the invention provide for the hollow legs to be injection moulded plastics legs; for each leg to be attached to a cooperating socket by way of an injection moulded plastics fastener, such as a peg having a head cooperating with a shoulder in a central recess in the associated leg; and for a resiliently deformable friction affording foot to be frictionally held in said central recess.

In order that the above and other features of the invention may be more fully understood various embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 4 is an end view thereof showing the end at which the receptacle is located and illustrating one manner in which the receptacle is supported in its operative position;

Figure 5 is a sectional end view showing an alternative arrangement for supporting the receptacle in its operative position;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail of the alternative arrangement illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an isometric view illustrating one form of cover according to the second aspect of the invention;

Figure 8 is an end view of the cover illustrated in Figure 7 in its operative position on the chopping board;

Figure 9 is a plan view of an embodiment having two openings.

Figure 10 is an edge-on front elevation of a chopping board according to the fourth aspect of the invention supported on a worktop;

Figure 11 is a reduced scale plan view thereof; and,

Figure 12 is an enlarged sectional detail taken through one supporting leg along line XII - XII in Figure 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, a chopping board (1) is made from any required material from plastic through stone, wood, and metal to a conventional elongate rectangular shape. The board is fitted with a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending supporting rails (2) that serve to support the board in an elevated position above a worktop (3). Clearly, a plurality of feet could be used instead of the supporting rails and if the board be sufficiently thick, no feet or rails may be necessary.

An opening (4) is formed through the board towards one end thereof with the opening having an inner periphery (5) conforming to the major part of a circle The free ends of the inner periphery join with free ends of the outer periphery (6) at positions (7) at which there is a gap (8) in both peripheries.

The diameter of the part circular opening is selected such that a circular receptacle (9), typically in the form of a shallow bowl, may be received in the opening, for use. The relative dimensions of the receptacle, rails, and thickness of the board are selected such that, in this embodiment of the invention, the receptacle is operatively supported on the worktop on which the chopping board is supported. In this condition, the upper edge (10) of the receptacle is in registration with an edge (11) of the opening as shown most clearly in Figure 4. In this variation of the invention the outer periphery of the receptacle is adapted to be in close proximity to edge of the opening whilst being a sufficiently loose fit to enable the receptacle to be easily lifted from the opening in order to replace it or discharge its contents. It will, however, be understood that, in the horizontal plane, the receptacle is held captive relative to the chopping board. In use, subdivided items of food can be swept into a receptacle, as and when required and the receptacle exchanged or emptied from time to time. The particular construction provided by this invention enables the receptacle to be lifted manually by gripping it at the position where the gap provides access to the one side thereof. This arrangement obviates the necessity for the receptacle to have a handle and also enables any suitable commercially available and possibly mass-produced receptacle of simple construction to be employed in combination with the chopping board.

As an alternative to the receptacle being supported on the worktop on which the chopping board is supported, the opening could be provided with an edge (12) that is of inverted truncated conical shape, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. In this case the diameter of the opening is selected such that the outer periphery (13) of the receptacle (14) contacts the edge within the thickness of the board (15) so that the receptacle is suspended by the board. In this case an extremely close fit between the periphery of the receptacle and edge of the opening is achieved thereby assisting in collecting liquids in the receptacle. The truncated conical surface may be stepped in order to support the edge of the receptacle in a horizontal orientation.

Figure 5 also illustrates an alternative construction of the board wherein the board is made of a plastic material that is formed to have integral support rails (16). Such a board could be made by an extrusion process the tooling for which is very much less costly than it would be for an injection moulding process.

In all cases, the working surface of the chopping board can, as will be quite apparent from the prior art, be provided with drainage grooves or channels

(as illustrated in Figure 3) that terminate at the inner periphery of the opening so that liquids collecting on the chopping board surface can drain into a receptacle, in use. Reverting now to instances in which the chopping board itself is made of an aesthetically appealing material, such as stone, that may be subject to mutual damage by contact with a knife. In such instances there may be provided a cover (17), such as that illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, to cover the chopping board (18) as and when required. As indicated above, the cover could take many different forms, but in this embodiment of the invention, the cover is made as an extrusion and has integral inwardly lipped flanges (19) configured such that the cover can be slid longitudinally onto the chopping board.

The cover can take numerous different forms, as indicated above, and will generally be made of a suitable food grade of plastics material. Whilst it is presently considered to be preferable that the cover extend over the entire chopping board surface, it may, in at least certain circumstances, be advantageous to cover only an area of the chopping board in which cutting actually takes place.

Figure 9 illustrates, in plan view, a chopping board (20) according to the invention that has two openings (21) so that two receptacles (22) can be used simultaneously with the board, for example for separating cut items of food into two different categories, one of which may be for disposal as refuse.

Turning now to chopping boards made of injection moulded plastic materials, there may be problems occasioned by shrinkage in the event that rails or flanges are formed integral with a plastics board particularly when the board is thick (generally about 10 to 15 mm thick) and made of a polyethylene or polypropylene material. Such boards are particularly popular because of the ease with which they can be cleaned and sterilized effectively. The problem reveals itself in uneven shrinkage of the plastics material on cooling following moulding as will be well known to those skilled in the art. This shrinkage tends to cause the board to buckle and bend on cooling thereby resulting in a distorted product. The embodiment of the invention described with reference to Figures 10 to 12 is aimed at overcoming this difficulty. In this instance, a chopping board (30) is made as an injection moulded plastics board, typically of a polyethylene material having a thickness of between about 10 mm and 15 mm. The chopping board has an upper chopping surface (31) and an under surface (32).

The chopping board is operatively supported in an elevated position by means of a series of symmetrically spaced squat legs (33), in this case six, each of which is hollow and of generally right circular cylindrical shape with a domed lower end (34). The diameter of the legs is large relative to the thickness of the board and would generally be about 30 to 50 mm, typically 40 mm, in external diameter.

The upper edge (35) of each leg is received in a very shallow recess (36) moulded into the under surface of the chopping board. The recess is dimensioned so that the relatively soft material of the board seals against the adjacent edge of the relatively rigid hollow leg. This construction serves the purpose of distributing the support area offered by each leg over a somewhat greater area of board than would be the case if the leg had a small diameter at its upper end. The domed end to each leg, on the other hand, enables the leg to be supported in a small area of the worktop which is desirable from a stability point of view.

A recess (37) is formed axially in the lower end of the leg and the recess receives the head (38) of a headed peg (39) that is friction fitted into a tubular socket (40) moulded integral with the chopping board and extending at right angles to the chopping board from the centre of each of the shallow recesses (36). The socket (40) has a wall thickness that is small relative to the thickness of the board and a length somewhat greater than one half of the height at which the board is supported in use. The configuration of the socket is designed to ensure that shrinkage does not adversely affect the aesthetic appearance of the board and, in particular, no apparent shrinkage indentations are formed in the top surface of the board.

Finally, the lower end of the recess receives an elastomeric foot (41) the lower end (42) of which contacts a worktop in friction affording relationship, in use. The combination of the feet also accepts at least moderate undulations in a worktop so as to ensure that the chopping board is supported in a stable condition.

The board is provided with two inner peripheries (43) for accommodating circular receptacles (45) in exactly the same manner as described above.

It will be understood that numerous variations may be made to the latter embodiment of the invention without departing from the scope hereof. In particular, the configuration of the legs, and the number thereof, can be varied widely and will depend, at least to some extent, on the diameter of the legs; thickness of the board; and size and shape of the board. Also, it is within the scope of this invention, to form a separately moulded rail having a series of pegs moulded integral therewith and that are received within a series of cooperating sockets formed integral with the board.

It will be understood that numerous variations may also be made to the other embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the scope hereof which is limited only to the provision of an access gap communicating with a locating opening for a receptacle in a chopping board. Variations may also be made to the manner of the use of the board and, for example, as illustrated in Figure 10, a nested stack of receptacles (45) can be employed as one being removed at a time as and when necessary.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A chopping board (1 , 15, 18, 20, 30) comprising a board having an outer periphery (6) with a chopping board surface operatively spaced upwards of a supporting worktop (3) and an opening (4) having an inner periphery (5) adjoining the chopping board surface for retaining a predetermined shape of receptacle (9, 14, 22, 45) in association with the chopping board with the upper periphery (10) of the receptacle at or below the level of the cutting surface to enable items on the chopping board surface to be swept into the receptacle, the chopping board being characterised in that the inner periphery of the opening meets the outer periphery of the chopping board surface at a gap (8) in their peripheries, and in that the inner periphery and receptacle are shaped such that, in the operative horizontal plane, the receptacle is held captive relative to the chopping board whilst it is freely removable and replaceable in a generally vertical direction, and wherein, in the operative position, a part of the periphery of the receptacle is manually accessible in said gap.

2. A chopping board as claimed in claim 1 in which the receptacle is of circular shape in plan view in which case the inner periphery forms a major part of a circular shape.

3. A chopping board as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2 in which the edge of the inner periphery is selected from being operatively substantially vertical (11) in which case the receptacle is configured to be supported on the same worktop surface as that on which the chopping board is supported, and a generally truncated, optionally stepped, conical shape (12) in which case the edge is adapted to support the receptacle in a suspended condition by engagement with the outer periphery thereof.

4. A chopping board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which there are two spaced openings (21 , 43) in the chopping board surface the inner periphery of each of which communicates with the outer periphery at a gap in similar manner so that two spaced generally substantially identical receptacles can be simultaneously employed.

5. A chopping board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the chopping board comprises a board and support elements (2, 16, 33) adapted to hold the board in an elevated generally horizontal position relative to a worktop, in use.

6. A chopping board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a removable cover (17) is provided and adapted to form the chopping surface of the chopping board.

7. A chopping board as claimed in claim 6 in which the cover has integral formations (19) adapted to cooperate with edges of the chopping board to hold the cover in position during use.

8. A chopping board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the chopping board (30) is moulded from plastics material so as to have an upper chopping surface (31) and an under-surface (32) and wherein the under-surface has moulded integral therewith a series of spigots or sockets (40) adapted for cooperation with sockets or spigots (39) of a series of legs or leg assemblies (33), or a plurality of rails, for supporting the board in an elevated position, in use.

9. A chopping board as claimed in claim 8 in which the spigots or sockets have a thickness of plastic that is small relative to the thickness of the board itself.

10. A chopping board as claimed in either one of claims 8 or 9 in which the spigots or sockets are in the form of generally tubular sockets (40) extending at right angles to the under surface of the chopping board.

11. A chopping board as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 in which each spigot or socket is located centrally in a shallow recess (36) in the under surface of the board with the periphery of the shallow recess being adapted to sealingly engage the periphery (35) of a hollow supporting leg (33) operatively attached to the chopping board by way of the spigot or socket.

12. A chopping board as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11 in which each leg is hollow and individually attached to a co-operant spigot or socket that is integral with the chopping board by way of an injection moulded plastics fastener in the form of a peg (39) having a head (38) cooperating with a shoulder in a central recess (37) in the associated leg and a resiliently deformable friction affording foot (41) is frictionally engaged in said central recess so as to provide a lowermost surface (42) for engaging a worktop in use.