Patent Application
20110221112
This invention relates generally to cutting boards, particularly including cutting boards having an attached bin for retaining scraps produced while cutting.
In food preparation, it is often useful to have a cutting board that can be placed on any countertop in order to cut the food items at any desired location without damaging the countertop. The cutting process often separates peels, stems, leaves, cores, or other food scraps that are to be discarded. Because it can be inconvenient to carry the scraps back and forth to a discard container contemporaneously as they are produced, it is useful to have a scrap bin associated with the cutting board. Unfortunately, a cutting board with an attached scrap bin is typically bulky and difficult to store.
A preferred version of the invention includes a cutting board that is configured for use in cutting food items. The cutting board has a generally planar region that can rest on a countertop to enable cutting.
One portion of the cutting board is adapted to attach to a scrap bin, with the scrap bin being selectively attachable or detachable as desired.
In preferred versions the scrap bin is also collapsible, making it even smaller for storage.
These and other examples of the invention will be described in further detail below.
The preferred versions of the invention are described below and illustrated in the following figures.
With reference to
One portion of the cutting board is configured to attach to a scrap bin. In the version as shown, this is accomplished by providing mounts on a front end of the cutting board. Thus, a front end of the cutting board includes a vertical face 12 that is generally perpendicular to the upper planar surface 10 of the cutting board. Most preferably, the vertical face extends downwardly from the planar cutting board, thereby forming an L shape. The downwardly-depending vertical face can engage an edge of the countertop on which the cutting board rests to ensure that the cutting board is firmly placed along the edge of the countertop.
In the version as shown, the vertical face extends substantially along an entire side of the cutting board, while in other versions of the invention it may extend downward along only a portion of a side. Likewise, in some versions of the invention the downwardly-extending vertical face may be omitted, with a means for mounting the scrap bin being incorporated into an end of the cutting board without a vertical extension.
The cutting board includes one or more scrap bin supports 13, 14 for mounting the scrap bin. In the exemplary version, the supports are in the form of horizontal pins having peripheral flanges to define an annular shoulder to retain the scrap bin as described below.
The scrap bin 20 is constructed to be collapsible and is formed in three sections, including a rigid back section 22, a flexible central section 23, and a rigid front section 24. The rigid back section includes a generally flat back wall that is configured to rest against the generally flat downwardly-depending vertical face of the cutting board. In other versions the front and back sections may also be flexible or semi-rigid.
The back section further includes a means for attachment to the cutting board. In the illustrated version, this is in the form of one or more indentations 41, 42 defining cavities on the back side of the back section 22 and formed to receive the supports 13, 14 extending from the cutting board. The cavities extend inward in a direction from the back section toward the front section when the scrap bin is assembled. A lower portion of the cavity is flared outwardly from side to side, creating a wide skirt that will easily allow the supports to be received within the lower portion of the cavity. An upper portion of the cavity is substantially narrower, having a rounded upper end and a neck formed just below the upper end.
The cavities preferably further include a slot formed in the upper portion of the cavity, the slot being sized to retain the pin of the support but being narrower than the annular flange of the support. The slots thereby provide a shoulder against which the annular flanges will engage to prevent the scrap bin from falling from the cutting board. Accordingly, the bin supports are readily insertable into the lower portion of the cavities. Once inserted into the lower portion of the cavity, the back section is moved downward relative to the cutting board, urging the support upward and into the top portion of the cavity where it is frictionally held in place.
Other attachment means may be used to secure the scrap bin to the cutting board. For example, the scrap bin may have one or more pins or hooks that are insertable into slots formed in the cutting board. Alternatively, tongue and groove, snaps, or other interlocking arrangements may be used.
The center section 23 of the scrap bin is attached to the front and back sections by gluing, over-molding, or other suitable techniques. As shown, the center section includes a pair of living hinges 31, 32 with an intermediate region 33 between them. The central section is preferably formed from silicone or other resilient materials such that the living hinges enable the central section to be folded along the living hinges. Because the living hinges extend generally along the entire length of the central section of the scrap bin, they allow the entirety of the scrap bin to be compressed along the living hinge.
The front section 24 of the scrap bin is also formed from a substantially rigid material such as plastic. The front section 24 has a width that is smaller than the width of the back side, such that the intermediate section is tapered somewhat to define a bin that is substantially trapezoidal in shape when viewed from the top, looking downward upon the planar surface 10 and the bin 20.
Optionally the front section may include a handle 21 to facilitate pulling the scrap bin outward to expand it from the collapsed position. In the illustrated version, the handle is in the form of a curved flange sized to receive the fingertips of a user so that it can be pulled outward.
In use, the cutting board may be placed on a countertop with the vertical edge 12 being adjacent the edge of the countertop. The scrap bin is attached to the cutting board, mounting the receiving cavities onto the supports. If the scrap bin is in the compressed position, it can be expanded by pulling the handle outwardly.
After use, the scrap bin can be separated from the cutting board, emptied, cleaned, and compressed for storage. By pushing the front section 24 toward the back section 22, the front section 24 of the scrap bin is urged into a position inside the central section. The width of the front section 24 is somewhat smaller than the width of the back section 22. Consequently, the movement of the front section toward the back section causes the first living hinge 31 to fold such that an outer lateral surface of the front section is moved toward an outer lateral surface of the central section 23. Likewise, the second living hinge 32 is bent to allow the front section to collapse to a position substantially adjacent the back section.
The scrap bin may also be collapsed when attached to the cutting board by pressing it inward in the direction of the arrow as illustrated in
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/313,587 filed Mar. 12, 2010; the contents of which are incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61313587 | Mar 2010 | US |
