Patent Application
20240268585
The present invention relates generally to kitchen cutting and slicing utensils, and more specifically, to a butter dish with a blade integrated within the cover.
Butter dishes are well known containers for sticks or blocks of butter. Typically, the butter dish includes a dish or plate for supporting the butter and a removable cover that is lifted off the dish to provide access to the butter. Several problems exist with such butter dishes including close spacing between the cover and the butter, and handling of the cover when the cover is lifted off the dish. The close spacing means that the cover often comes into contact with the butter when moving away from the dish and/or when the cover is returned to the dish. This translates to greasy butter being deposited on the cover and then transferred to the region between the cover and the dish when the two are brought together again. Having butter between the cover and the dish ruins the quality of the seal of the cover to the dish as well as being messy.
In accordance with an embodiment, a butter dish is provided. The butter dish includes a cover having two opposing ends and opposing side walls connecting the opposing ends. A blade is positioned at one end of the cover and is fixedly attached between the sidewalls. A base is configured to receive the cover and is further configured to receive a stick of butter. The blade is preferably confined within the sidewalls of the cover. The blade is preferably confined within sidewalls of the cover. The base includes a cutting surface to receive the stick of butter, the cutting surface including a plurality of markings disposed on edges of the cutting surface.
In accordance with another embodiment, the butter dish includes a cover having a first end and an opposing second end, and opposing sidewalls connecting the first and second ends. A blade is positioned at the first end of the cover and is fixedly attached between the sidewalls. A base has a cutting surface extending along a length of the base, and opposing end walls connected to the base cutting surface, the cutting surface being configured to receive a stick of butter.
It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments are described with reference to different subject-matters. In particular, some embodiments are described with reference to method type claims whereas other embodiments have been described with reference to apparatus type claims. However, a person skilled in the art will gather from the above and the following description that, unless otherwise notified, in addition to any combination of features belonging to one type of subject-matter, also any combination between features relating to different subject-matters, in particular, between features of the method type claims, and features of the apparatus type claims, is considered as to be described within this document.
These and other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The invention will provide details in the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the following figures wherein:
Throughout the drawings, same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements.
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide for a butter dish with an integrated blade. The blade is preferably a single linear blade that can be fixedly or non-removably attached to a cover of the butter dish. The blade can be fixed within the confines of the cover and can extend between inner sidewalls of the cover. In one embodiment, the blade does not extend beyond a lowermost point of the cover sidewalls or onto outer sidewalls or surfaces of the cover.
Traditionally, butter is provided in sticks, usually four sticks to a pound of butter, and many people prefer to have butter sticks available on the table during a meal. People usually place the stick of butter on a butter dish with a butter knife available. Most butter dishes are flat plates, often rectangular in shape. Frequently, when a person tries to cut a pat of butter from one end of the stick with the butter knife, the stick can slide around the plate. Also, the butter may melt while at room temperature for extended periods of time, and the excess liquid butter runs off the plate onto the tabletop. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention alleviate such issues by providing for a butter dish with a blade or cutter integrated or fixedly attached therein.
It is to be understood that the present invention will be described in terms of a given illustrative architecture; however, other architectures, structures, substrate materials and process features and steps/blocks can be varied within the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that certain features cannot be shown in all figures for the sake of clarity. This is not intended to be interpreted as a limitation of any particular embodiment, or illustration, or scope of the claims.
The base 20 includes a first sidewall 22A and a second sidewall 22B. In this embodiment, the first sidewall 22A is thinner than the second sidewall 22B, or stated differently, the second sidewall 22B has a width greater than a width of the first sidewall 22A. The first sidewall 22A is in opposed relation to the second sidewall 22B. The base 20 includes a cutting surface 24 that can also be referred to as a bottom surface. The cutting surface 24 can further include markings 26 extending along the edges of the cutting surface 24 and are generally equidistant with respect to each other. The cutting surface 24 can further include a blade indentation 29 that can be disposed adjacent the first sidewall 22A and is configured to receive the blade 12 within the cover 10 when the cover is in the closed position over the base 20. It will be appreciated that the blade indentation 19 shall be positioned in the base so as to receive the blade 10, and in this embodiment it can be seen that the blade indentation 19 extends transverse to the cutting surface 24.
In one embodiment, the base 20 can be supported by a first leg 28A and a second leg 28B. The first leg 28A and the second leg 28B are disposed under the base 20 on opposed ends thereof to assist in stability of the base 20 on a flat surface.
The markings 26 extending along an edge of the cutting surface 24 are preferably equally spaced apart with respect to each other and can be representative of, for example, a teaspoon or tablespoon slice of butter. The blade indentation 19 is also shown as a small divot or slot.
In summary, the exemplary embodiments present a butter dish with an integrated blade. The blade is preferably a single linear blade and is fixedly or non-removably attached to a cover of the butter dish. In other embodiments, the blade can be configured to be removable and replaceable with a new blade if needed, or a decorative style blade (e.g., zig zag) to create decorative butter slices. The blade extends between inner sidewalls or surfaces of the cover and does not extend underneath the cover or on outer sidewalls or surfaces of the cover. In other contemplated embodiments, two or more blades can be implemented without departing from the intended scope of the invention.
In one embodiment, the butter dish includes a cover having a blade fixedly attached therein and a base cooperating with the cover, the base configured to receive a stick of butter. The blade extends across the width defined by the sidewalls of the cover and is preferably confined within the sidewalls of the cover. The base includes a cutting surface to receive the stick of butter, the cutting surface including a plurality of markings disposed on edges of the cutting surface.
While there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the present principles, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the methods described and devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the same. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the present principles. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or implementation of the present principles may be incorporated in any other disclosed, described or suggested form or implementation as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
It should also be understood that the example embodiments disclosed and taught herein are susceptible to numerous and various modifications and alternative forms. Thus, the use of a singular term, such as, but not limited to, “a” and the like, is not intended as limiting of the number of items. Furthermore, the naming conventions for the various components, functions, parameters, thresholds, and other elements used herein are provided as examples, and can be given a different name or label. The use of the term “or” is not limited to exclusive “or” but can also mean “and/or”.
Having described preferred embodiments, which serve to illustrate various concepts, structures and techniques that are the subject of this patent, it will now become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating these concepts, structures and techniques may be used. Additionally, elements of different embodiments described herein may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically set forth above.
Accordingly, it is submitted that that scope of the patent should not be limited to the described embodiments but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.
