WO2008135797A1

WO2008135797A1 - Sanitary cutlery drainer

Info

Publication number: WO2008135797A1
Application number: PCT/GR2008/000032
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anastasios G. Fotopoulos
Original assignee: Fotopoulos Anastasios G
Priority date: 2007-05-07
Filing date: 2008-05-06
Publication date: 2008-11-13
Also published as: GR20070100270A

Abstract

The invention refers to containers in which we place spoons, knives, forks and relative items to drain and stay there until their use. The sanitary cutlery drainer, according to the invention, comprises a container (1), which can receive the cutlery with their tip that comes in contact with foodstuffs down. Naturally, the cutlery may be also placed in it with their handles down, if we so wish. At the center area, preferably, of the container bottom there is a suitable opening (2) for ventilation of the container and outflow of the waters that drip. It is also provided with a support base (4) or it may be hung up (7). Further, it is possible that two or more cutlery drainers are combined into a unity (e.g. after the cutlery dry in one sanitary cutlery drainer, same are transferred to the next where they stay dry and clean). It may also be accompanied by a tray to collect the rinsings. The advantage of the sanitary cutlery drainer is that it can be cleaned easily and also it keeps the cutlery in a hygienic condition. The most important however is that it allows us to take the cutlery by their handle and not touch the tip that comes in contact with foodstuffs.

Description

SANITARY CUTLERY DRAINER

1

The invention refers to containers in which cutlery are placed to dry and stay there until their use.

The cutlery drainers used to date, for draining and temporary storage of cutlery, exhibit serious drawbacks.

They are complicated and practically impossible to be cleaned satisfactorily. However, the worst of it is that cutlery are placed in the drainer with their handle down. When we need some of them, we have to catch it with our hands from the tip that comes in contact with the foodstuffs. Our hands, of course, are not always clean, nor is it convenient to wash them constantly.

The sanitary cutlery drainer, according to this invention, comprises a container that can receive the cutlery with their tip that comes in contact with foodstuffs down. At the bottom center area of the container there is one or more openings to drain the water dripping from the cutlery. The container and its opening or openings facilitate the outflow of the dripping water, their ventilation and their cleaning.

The advantage of the sanitary cutlery drainer is that it can be easily cleaned and maintains the cutlery in hygienic condition. Still, the most important is that it allows us to pick them by the handle and not touch the tip that comes in contact with the foodstuffs. FIGS. 1A, 1 B Show indicatively a sanitary cutlery drainer with a support base in perspective view and in cross section.

FIGS. 2A, 2B Show indicatively a hung sanitary cutlery drainer in perspective view and in cross section.

Figures 1A₁ 1 B, 2A₁ 2B and the description that follows are only an example and do not restrict the field of application of the invention.

The sanitary cutlery drainer comprises a container that can receive cutlery with their tips that come in touch with the foodstuffs down (e.g. the fork is placed with its tines down).

At the center area of the container bottom there is one or more openings to drain the water that drips from the cutlery.

The container and the opening or openings facilitate the outflow of water that drips, their ventilation and cleaning.

The sanitary cutlery drainer is made of suitable material and can have any appropriate shape and size.

With appropriate modification or/and supported by suitable means it can be installed anywhere (e.g. on the kitchen counter, on the plate-rack or on the wall).

The sanitary cutlery drainer may constitute an independent unit or two and more similar or dissimilar sanitary cutlery drainers may be combined into one unit (e.g. a sanitary cutlery drainer for the regular cutlery combined with a sanitary cutlery drainer for small cutlery).

To avoid possible strain of the materials from their constant contact with the pointed edges of the cutlery, it could be that the pointed edges of the knives, forks and relative items are rounded. The cutlery, which, for some reason, must have pointed edges, could have a hole at their handle edge for hanging on the wall or on some other appropriate point.

In Figures 1A and 1 B we have designed, indicatively, an example of sanitary cutlery drainer with a support base.

The container (1 ) has at the middle, preferably, of its bottom an opening (2) for outflow of the water dripping from the cutlery. It has also a broadened section (3) for receiving the cutlery with their tip that comes in touch with the foodstuffs down. The lowest part of the container is molded into a support base (4) that is provided with one or more openings (5) for free outflow of the dripping waters and best ventilation of the container.

The container (1 ), the opening (2) and the support base (4) facilitate the outflow of rinsings, the ventilation and the cleaning of the container. The sanitary cutlery drainer is made of durable and, preferably, smooth surfaced material (e.g. of stainless steel or of durable glass).

The angles, preferably, have been replaced by curves with appropriate inclination. This facilitates the cleaning, the ventilation and the outflow of the dripping waters, and on the other hand the cutlery do not obstruct the opening (2) but slide into the broadened section (3). The same may be applied with the level sections as well.

The size of the container (1 ), the inclination and the curvature of the broadened section (3) depend on the size and the shape of the cutlery (e.g. there may exist a container for regular cutlery, a smaller container for small cutlery and a bigger container for knives).

The sanitary cutlery drainer has the shape of a glass and because it comes free from any appendages, it can be cleaned perfectly and as often we wish, like a glass.

Finally, the support base (4) could be a detachable section.

Also, two or more identical or dissimilar sanitary cutlery drainers can be combined into one unit with common support base (4).

In Figures 2A and 2B we have designed, indicatively, an example of hung sanitary cutlery drainer that has relative construction.

The container (1 ) has at the middle, preferably, of its bottom an opening (2) for outflow of the water that drips from the cutlery. It has also a broadened section (3) to receive the cutlery with their tip that comes in contact with the foodstuffs down.

The container (1 ) and the opening (2) facilitate the outflow of dripping waters, the ventilation and the cleaning of the container, like in the sanitary cutlery drainer of the previous example.

The sanitary cutlery drainer modified accordingly and supported by appropriate means is attached to the plate- track, on the wall or on any other appropriate place.

For example, the container (1 ) has broadened brim (6). The sanitary cutlery drainer is supported in its place by the ring (7) that is applied under the broadened brim (6). The ring (7), with appropriate adjustment, is attached to the plate- rack or on the wall or on some other appropriate point.

Two or more rings (7) may be combined so that in the same framework two or more similar or dissimilar sanitary cutlery drainers may be accommodated.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A sanitary cutlery drainer for draining and temporary storage of spoons, knives, forks and relative items characterized in that said drainer comprises a container (1 ) that can receive cutlery with their tip that comes in contact with foodstuffs down and facilitates the outflow of water dripping from them, while at the center area of the container bottom there is an opening (2) to outflow the dripping waters.

2. The sanitary cutlery drainer according to claim 1 characterized in that the container (1 ) has a broadened section (3) to receive the cutlery with their tip that comes in contact with foodstuffs down.

3. The sanitary cutlery drainer according to claims 1 , 2 characterized in that the container is equipped with a support base (4).

4. The sanitary cutlery drainer according to claim 3 characterized in that the support base (4) is equipped with one or more openings (5) for free outflow of the rinsings and the best possible ventilation of the container.

5. The sanitary cutlery drainer according to claims 1 , 2 characterized in that the container is modified appropriately so that it may be hung up.

6. The sanitary cutlery drainer according to claim 5 characterized in that the container (1 ) has broadened rim (6).

7. The sanitary cutlery drainer according to claims 5, 6 characterized in that supported by appropriate means, is hung up on appropriate places.

8. The sanitary cutlery drainer according to any of the claims 1 to 7 characterized in that some or all angles have been replaced by curves with appropriate inclination.

9. The sanitary cutlery drainer according to any of the claims 1 to 8 is characterized in that some or all corners of the opening (2) have been replaced by curves with appropriate inclination.

10. The sanitary cutlery drainer according to any of the claims 1 to 9 characterized in that the container (1 ) has more than one openings at the center area of its bottom, for outflow of the dripping waters.

11. The sanitary cutlery drainer according to any of the claims 1 to 10 characterized in that said drainer may combine two or more identical or dissimilar sanitary cutlery drainers into a unity.