Patent Application
20130068703
Embodiments provided herein relate to colanders and related methods of use.
Currently, a wide variety of colanders and colander products are available for consumers. Conventional colanders allow a user to rinse food stuffs such as produce, meat, legumes, or grains by placing contents within the colander and then running water over the contents. Conventional colanders have many small perforations over the colander surface so that the running water may quickly drain out. Utilizing a colander in this manner facilitates removal of debris on the food stuffs.
In some instances, however, food stuffs may benefit from cleaning methods not achievable by conventional solutions. For example, repeated soaking and agitation may provide a higher degree of food cleanliness over conventional solutions. As such colander-container vessels and methods of use are provided herein.
The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not art extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented below.
As such, colander-container vessels are presented including: a bowl, the bowl including, a lip; a sidewall surface, where the sidewall surface includes a number of perforations disposed proximate with a front portion of the lip, and a bottom surface; and a retention surface disposed along the front portion of the lip, where the retention surface extends away and inward from the lip. In some embodiments, colander-container vessels further include a handle disposed along a back portion of the lip. In some embodiments, the retention surface includes a second number of perforations. In some embodiments, colander-container vessels further include a first base disposed along the bottom surface, where the first base is configured for stabilizing the colander-container vessel on a substantially planar surface in a substantially vertical position. In some embodiments, colander-container vessels further include a second base disposed along the sidewall surface proximate with the handle, where the second base is configured for stabilizing the colander-container vessel on a substantially planar surface in a back-tilted position. In some embodiments, colander-container vessels further include a third base disposed along the sidewall surface proximate with the retention surface, where the third base is configured for stabilizing the colander-container vessel on a substantially planar surface in a forward-tilted position.
In other embodiments, colander-container vessels are presented including: a bowl, the bowl including, a lip, a sidewall surface, and a bottom surface; and a retention surface disposed along the front portion of the lip, where the retention surface extends away and inward from the lip, and where the retention surface includes a number of perforations. In some embodiments, colander-container vessels further the sidewall surface includes a number of perforations disposed proximate with a front portion of the lip. In some embodiments, the perforations form a spherical lune pattern. In some embodiments, colander-container vessels further include a first base disposed along the bottom surface, where the first base is configured for stabilizing the colander-container vessel on a substantially planar surface in a substantially vertical position. In some embodiments, colander-container vessels further include a second base disposed along the sidewall surface proximate with the handle, where the second base is configured for stabilizing the colander-container vessel on a substantially planar surface in a back-tilted position. In some embodiments, colander-container vessels further include a third base disposed along the sidewall surface proximate with the retention surface, where the third base is configured for stabilizing the colander-container vessel on a substantially planar surface in a forward-tilted position.
In other embodiments, methods for utilizing a colander-container vessel are presented including: providing the colander-container vessel, where the colander-container vessel includes, a bowl, the bowl including, a lip, a sidewall surface, where the sidewall surface includes a first number of perforations disposed proximate with a front portion of the lip, and a bottom surface, and a retention surface disposed along the front portion of the lip, wherein the retention surface extends away and inward from the lip; placing the solid food stuff in the colander-container vessel; filling the colander-container vessel with a liquid; soaking the solid food stuff for a user defined period; and straining away the liquid while retaining the solid food stuff in the colander-container vessel. In some embodiments, methods further include agitating the solid food stuff before the straining away the liquid. In some embodiments the liquid is selected from the group consisting of: an aqueous cleaning solution, a non-aqueous cleaning solution, an aqueous soaking solution, a non-aqueous soaking solution, a non-edible solution, and an edible solution. In some embodiments, the solid food stuff is selected from the group consisting of: a vegetable, a fruit, a legume, a grain, an animal product, and a plant product.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention.
Further as illustrated, colander-container vessel 100 may include retention surface 112 disposed along front portion of lip 120. In embodiments, retention surfaces may extend away and inward from the lip. Furthermore, retention surface 112 may include perforations 114 and retention edge 113, which edge may be a smooth edge, a jagged edge, a scalloped edge, and a contoured edge without departing from embodiments provided herein. As noted above, perforations may include any number of shapes and sizes without departing from embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, perforations may form a grid pattern, an offset grid pattern, and a random pattern without limitation. Still further as illustrated, colander-container vessel 100 may include base 116 disposed along bottom surface 104. Base 116 may be configured to maintain colander-container vessel embodiments on substantially planar surfaces in a substantially vertical position. In some embodiments, colander-container vessels may include a second base (not shown) that may be disposed along sidewall surface 102 proximate with handle 118. In these embodiments, the second base may be configured for stabilizing colander-container vessel 100 on a substantially planar surface in a back-tilted position. In some examples, a back-tilted position may allow colander-container vessel embodiments to retain a volume of liquid maximized with respect to perforations 108. In other embodiments, a third base (not shown) may be disposed along sidewall surface 102 proximate with retention surface 112. In these embodiments, the third base may be configured for stabilizing colander-container vessel 100 on a substantially planar surface in a forward-tilted position. In some examples, a forward-tilted position may allow colander-container vessel embodiments to evacuate a volume of liquid from the colander container vessel.
Further as illustrated, colander-container vessel 100 may include handle 118 disposed along back portion 122 of lip 110. In some embodiments, handles may be continuously formed from back portion 122 of lip 110. In other embodiments, colander-container vessels may have no handle (not shown). In still other embodiments, a bowl of colander-container vessels may have a depth-to-width ratio in a range of 1:3.5 to 2:1. In some embodiments, a depth-to-width ratio may be selected from the group consisting of: 1:15, 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1 without limitation.
It may be appreciated that colander-container vessels may be manufactured by any variety of methods known in the art without departing from embodiments provided herein. For example, embodiments may be manufactured from any suitable polymeric compound by injection molding, casting, milling, and any other polymeric compound forming processes known in the art without limitation. In some embodiments, colander-container vessels may be manufactured from any suitable metal or metal alloy by die cutting, stamping, casting, welding, forming, and any other metal forming processes known in the art without limitation. In addition, colander-container vessels may be manufactured from any suitable wood by carving, milling, cutting, and any other wood forming processes known in the art without limitation, it may be appreciated that there are a variety of suitable materials with which to manufacture disclosed embodiments, which materials are disclosed by example and without limitation.
Methods for utilizing colander-container vessel embodiments provided may include the following steps:
a) Providing a colander-container vessel in accordance with embodiments provided herein;
b) Placing solid food stuffs in the colander-container vessel;
c) Filling the colander-container vessel with a liquid;
d) Soaking the solid food stuff for a user defined period;
e) Agitating the solid food stuff; and
f) Straining away the liquid while retaining the solid food stuff in the colander-container vessel.
The following illustrations are provided for clarity in understanding method embodiments provided herein.
While this invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. Furthermore, unless explicitly stated, any method embodiments described herein are not constrained to a particular order or sequence. Further, the Abstract is provided herein for convenience and should not be employed to construe or limit the overall invention, which is expressed in the claims. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
A claim for priority is hereby made under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §119 for the present application based upon U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/626,206, filed on Sep. 21, 2011 which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61626206 | Sep 2011 | US |
