This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerning pressing food items, such as garlic.
For the past several decades it has been common to press garlic by placing a peeled garlic clove in a die-cast or injection molded press that is typically comprised of a lower handle member that includes a lever portion and a cup that incorporates a plurality of round extrusion holes. This aspect is attached by a hinge to an upper handle that incorporates and presses the clove of garlic through the extrusion holes. One company AMCO (trademarked) produces a garlic press that incorporates two plungers and two extrusion wells, one for slicing and one for pressing.
One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a food item press, such as a garlic press, which provides a four-in-one food item press tool accommodating a plurality of food item recipes, such as garlic recipes, such as virtually all garlic recipes. In at least one embodiment, the device is comprised of a lower handle member or bottom handle device with an elongated resilient handle that includes ergonomic features. At an end portion of the lower handle member is a circular structure, wheel, or basket, that is divided by four axial structures. The four axial structures serve to receive an extrusion basket or wheel that is comprised of four different extrusion configurations corresponding to four different wells or sections. The four wells include a first well having a plurality of small extrusion holes, a second well providing a grid structure that creates a Julian cut, a third well or structure that includes slots that can dice a food item, such as clove, and lastly a fourth well or section, having a plurality of larger holes for a more course extrusion. The basket is rotated to position underneath the plunger of an upper handle that includes the extrusion plunger and is locked in place when the basket slots nest into axial spokes of the lower handle device or structure.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for pressing a food item into a plurality of sliced configurations. The apparatus may include a top handle device, a bottom handle device, a wheel or basket and a plunger. The top handle device may be connected to the wheel so that the top handle device rotates with respect to the wheel. The plunger may be fixed to the top handle device. The wheel may be fixed to the bottom handle device. The wheel may have a plurality of sections into which a portion of the plunger can be inserted in order to press a food item into a sliced configuration.
The plurality of sections of the wheel may include first, second, third, and fourth sections. Each of the first, second, third, and fourth sections of the wheel may be bounded by walls, and may have a set of extrusion openings which are different from the other sections of the first, second, third, and fourth sections of the wheel. For example, each of the extrusion openings of the set of extrusion openings of the first, second, third, and fourth sections may be in the form of a circular hole, a larger circular hole, an elongated slot, and a substantially square opening, respectively. The set of extrusion openings of the first, second, third, and fourth sections may be configured to create a first set of cylinders of a food item, a second larger set of cylinders of a food item, a diced food item, and a Julian cut food item, respectively, when the plunger presses the food item.
The top handle device may have a first end which is connected to the wheel and a second end. The plunger may be fixed to an underside of the top handle device, near the first end of the top handle device, and substantially perpendicular to the top handle device. The top handle device may be connected to the wheel so that the top handle device can rotate in a first plane which is substantially parallel to the wheel and to the bottom handle device and so that the top handle device can rotate in a second plane which is substantially perpendicular to the wheel and to the bottom handle device. The plunger may be configured to fit snugly into each of the plurality of sections. The plunger may have a substantially pie shaped section which fits snugly into each of the plurality of sections.
At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising using an apparatus to press a food item into one of a plurality of sliced configurations. The apparatus be configured and/or may have one or more of the features previously described.
The garlic press 1 includes a top handle device 2, a bottom handle device 20, and a wheel 40. The top handle device 2 is connected to the wheel 40 by a pin 8, and a device 10 as shown in
The top handle device 2 includes ridged or protruding portions 2c, 2e, 2g, 2i, and 2k, and curved or indented portions 2d, 2f, 2h, and 2j. The top handle device 2 is configured so that it can be more easily gripped by a hand of a user. The top handle device 2 may have a trademarked logo portion 6 with a company and/or product name printed on it. The top handle device 2 is connected to a plunger 60 so that the plunger 60 can pivot with respect to the top handle device 2. The plunger 60, as shown in
The bottom handle device 20 includes ridged or protruding portions 20c, 20e, 20g, 20i, and 20k, which typically are directly across from ridged or protruding portions 2c, 2e, 2g, 2i, and 2k of the top handle device 2, respectively. The bottom handle device 20 as shown in
The wheel 40 may include sections 42, 44, 46, and 48 shown in
The wheel 40 may have slot openings 52 and 54 shown in
As shown in
The gap or spacing, H4 shown in
The indentations of the top handle device 2, such as indentation 2f may have a width W5 of about 0.49 inches as shown in
The distance, W7, shown in
The width of device 4 may be H14 shown in
The height H14 from the top of device 4 to the distal end of circular structure 70 may be 1.61 inches as shown in
The width W15 of the section 66 of the plunger 60 shown in
In operation, an individual separates the top handle device 2 and the bottom handle device 20 into an opened state, such as in
The garlic press 1 provides a four-in-one garlic tool accommodating a plurality of and in one or more embodiments virtually all garlic recipes. The top and bottom handle devices 2 and 20 provide an elongated resilient overall handle that includes ergonomic features. At the ends 2b and 20b the top and bottom handle devices 2 and 20 in one or more embodiments provide the overall circular structure 70 that is divided by the four axial structures 71a, 71b, 71c, and 71d. The four axial structures 71a, 71b, 71c, and 71d serve to receive the extrusion basket or wheel 40 that is comprised of four different extrusion configurations or sections 42, 44, 46, and 48, that include a plurality of section 46 of small extrusion holes, a section or well 44 provides a grid or square structure that creates a Julian cut, section or well 48 provides a structure that includes slots that dice the clove, and lastly section 42 provides a plurality of larger holes for a more course extrusion. The basket or wheel 40, shown in
The rotational approach of providing a wheel like structure, such as basket or wheel 40 in one or more embodiments of the present invention minimizes the storage space required providing a significant user benefit. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the larger and long handles, for top handle device 2 and bottom handle device 20 shown in
In at least one embodiment of the present invention an EDM (Electronic Digital Machine) texturized finish can be provided for one or all of the outer surfaces of the top handle device 2 and the bottom handle device 20 to provide improved grip and traction. The plurality of handle recesses or indented portions, such as 2f, 2h, and 2j for the top handle device 2, and 20d, 20f, 20h, and 20j for bottom handle device 20 shown in
The basket or wheel 40 and use of axial spokes 45a-d shown in
Although the fine pressing section 46, coarse pressing section 42, julienne section 44, and slicing section 48 extrusion sections shown in
The handle assembly, which may include top handle device 2 and bottom handle device 20, can be constructed of food grade materials including nylon, polycarbonate, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), or any other suitable thermal plastic material. Alternatively, the entire unit including top handle device 2 and bottom handle device 20 could be die-cast of any suitable material such as aluminum or zinc. In the preferred embodiment, the lower handle assembly or bottom handle device 20 is die-cast and then a thermal plastic material is overmolded on top of the die-casting. Likewise the upper handle assembly or top handle device 2 is die-cast with a plastic overmolded on top of a metal structure. Another embodiment would include a friction fit silicon or other elastomeric cover that is affixed to a metal assembly as a secondary process. In yet another embodiment, the entire assembly including top handle device 2 and bottom handle device 20 includes would be constructed of all metal with not plastic components.
In the preferred embodiment the basket assembly or wheel 40 would be die-cut in order to create the general structure of the basket assembly or wheel 40 including the extrusions or sections 42, 44, 46, and 48 and holes, openings, or slots within the extrusions or sections 42, 44, 46, and 48. A secondary stainless steel insert not shown can be fitted into which sections 48 and 44 for the julienne and slicing feature. These stainless steel inserts would be installed into the basket assembly or wheel 40 as a secondary process. In at least one embodiment, all of the materials selected for the invention would be made of FDA (Food and Drug Administration) food contact approved materials and would be suitable for temperatures necessary to make them dishwasher safe.
Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention's contribution to the art.
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