1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to grease transfer systems and more particularly pertains to a new grease collection system for collecting and storing cooking grease for disposal by a user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of grease transfer systems is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,265 describes a system for collecting the grease and other fluids produced during cooking. Another type of grease transfer system is U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,927 having a garbage collection device for a built in sink unit to allow garbage to be collected and compacted to facilitate storage of the garbage until the user is ready to dispose of the garbage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,137 has a grease pan positioned between the cooking food product and the heat producing element to allow the grease pan to collect grease and fluids from the food product and funnels grease and fluids away to a grease reservoir. U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,886 has a collection container that is coupled to a range and collects grease and fluids produced during the cooking process. U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,339 has a pot including inner and out cylindrical containers and a strainer to strain debris from the grease being poured into the inner cylindrical container. U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,840 has a sink with a waste opening and a waste bin where waste can be dropped into the waste opening and deposited in the waste bin to be disposed of at a later date. U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,311 has a receptacle for collecting liquid is carried on a support to move in accordance with the liquid in the receptacle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,645 has an apparatus for cleaning grease and other obstacles blocking grease-carrying conduits. U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,168 has a cooking oil storage and filtering system for filtering and storing used cooking oil prior to reuse of the cooking oil. U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,710 has a system for use with a portable cooking device that allows for grease and fluids from the cooking device to be collected and stored for disposal. U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,830 has a separation apparatus for separating water from grease and oil.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a system that has certain improved features for facilitating collection and storage of cooking grease to be disposed by the user at a later time.
The present invention meets the needs presented above by providing an inlet assembly that is coupled to the cabinet and receives the cooking grease with the hose member directing the cooking grease to the collection assembly.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new grease collection system that provides a funnel member that engages the inlet assembly to facilitate pouring of the cooking grease into the inlet assembly.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new grease collection system that has a meat draining member that is selectively coupled to the funnel member to receive cooked meat and allow the grease to drain away from the meat.
To this end, the present invention generally comprises an inlet assembly being designed for being coupled to a cabinet whereby the inlet assembly is positioned proximate a sink. The inlet assembly is designed for receiving the cooking grease to be disposed of by the user. A collection assembly is in fluid communication with the inlet assembly whereby the collection assembly is designed for receiving and storing the cooking grease from the inlet assembly to be selectively disposed of by the user. A hose member is fluidly coupled between the inlet assembly and the collection assembly. The hose member provides fluid communication between the inlet assembly and the collection assembly whereby the hose member is designed for permitting the cooking grease to flow from the inlet assembly to the collection assembly when the inlet assembly receives the cooking grease from the user.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A collection assembly 12 is in fluid communication with the inlet assembly 11 whereby the collection assembly 12 is designed for receiving and storing the cooking grease from the inlet assembly 11 to be selectively disposed of by the user.
A hose member 13 is fluidly coupled between the inlet assembly 11 and the collection assembly 12. The hose member 13 provides fluid communication between the inlet assembly 11 and the collection assembly 12 whereby the hose member 13 is designed for permitting the cooking grease to flow from the inlet assembly 11 to the collection assembly 12 when the inlet assembly 11 receives the cooking grease from the user.
The collection assembly 12 comprises a canister member 14. The canister member 14 is selectively coupled to the hose member 13 opposite the inlet assembly 11 whereby the canister member 14 is designed for receiving the cooking grease through the hose member 13 when the inlet assembly 11 receives the cooking grease from the user. The canister member 14 comprises a window member 15 whereby the window member 15 permits the user to view into the canister member 14 to determine the amount of cooking grease collected in the canister member 14. The window member 15 of the canister member 14 comprises a transparent material whereby the transparent material is designed for permitting the user to view into the canister member 14 and observe the level of the cooking grease collected in the canister member 14.
The collection assembly 12 comprises a bracket member 16. The bracket member 16 is designed for being coupled to an interior of the cabinet. The bracket member 16 selectively receives the canister member 14 whereby the bracket member 16 is designed for selectively securing the canister member 14 to the cabinet to inhibit inadvertent repositioning of the canister member 14 with respect to the hose member 13.
The bracket member 16 of the collection assembly 12 comprises a base portion 17 and a pair of arm portions 18. The base portion 17 is designed for being secured to the interior of the cabinet whereby the base portion 17 is for securing the bracket member 16 to the cabinet. Each of the arm portions 18 is oppositely coupled to the base portion 17 whereby the arm portions 18 are positioned around a portion of the canister member 14 to inhibit movement of the canister member 14 with respect to the hose member 13.
The collection assembly 12 comprises a lid member 19. The lid member 19 selectively engages the canister member 14 and the hose member 13 whereby the lid member 19 is positioned between the hose member 13 and the canister member 14. The hose member 13 extends through an access aperture 20 extending through the lid member 19 whereby the lid member 19 is for maintaining alignment of the hose member 13 with the canister member 14.
A pair of indexing members 21 are selectively coupled to the hose member 13. The lid member 19 is positioned between the indexing members 21 whereby the indexing members 21 are for limiting movement of the lid member 19 along the hose member 13 when the canister member 14 is removed to allow the canister member 14 to be emptied. The hose member 13 comprises a plurality of annular indexing channels 22 whereby each of the indexing members 21 selectively engages one of the annular indexing channels 22 to retain positioning of the indexing members 21.
A check valve 23 is coupled to one of the indexing members 21. The check valve 23 is designed for restricting flow of the cooking grease from the hose member 13 when the canister member 14 is removed to allow for disposal of the cooking grease collected in the canister member 14. The check valve 23 comprises a door member 24 and a float member 25. The door member 24 is hingably coupled to the associated one of the indexing members 21. The float member 25 is coupled to the door member 24 whereby the float member 25 is designed for floating on the cooking grease when the cooking grease has reached a pre-determined level to force the door member 24 against the associated one of the indexing members 21 to inhibit the cooking grease from further dispensing from the hose member 13.
The collection assembly 12 comprises a bag member 26. The bag member 26 is selectively inserted in the canister member 14. The bag member 26 is designed for receiving the cooking grease being stored in the canister member 14 whereby the bag member 26 is for being selectively discarded to dispose of the cooking grease collected in the canister member 14.
The bag member 26 comprises a peripheral wall 27. The peripheral wall 27 defines an interior space 28 of the bag member 26. The interior space 28 of the bag member 26 comprises an open end 29 whereby the open end 29 is designed for permitting the cooking grease to enter into the interior space 28 of the bag member 26.
The bag member 26 comprises a seal portion 30. The seal portion 30 is coupled to the peripheral wall 27 whereby the seal portion 30 is positioned proximate the open end 29 of the interior space 28 of the bag member 26. The seal portion 30 is for selectively sealing the open end 29 of the interior space 28 to inhibit the cooking grease from inadvertently leaking from interior space 28 of the bag member 26.
The collection assembly 12 comprises a plurality of bag clip members 31. Each of the bag clip members 31 is selectively coupled to the canister member 14 whereby the bag clip members 31 are for pinching the peripheral wall 27 of the bag member 26 between the bag clip members 31 and the canister member 14 to maintain positioning of the bag member 26 in the canister member 14.
The inlet assembly 11 comprises a port member 32. The port member 32 is designed for being coupled to the cabinet. The port member 32 comprises a bore 33 extending through the port member 32 whereby the bore 33 is designed for permitting the cooking grease to be poured through the port member 32 by the user. The hose member 13 is coupled to the port member 32 whereby the hose member 13 is in fluid communication with the bore 33 of the port member 32 to allow the cooking grease passing through the bore 33 of the port member 32 to flow to the collection assembly 12. A retaining nut 34 threadably engages the exterior of the port member 32 whereby the retaining nut 34 is designed for compressing the cabinet between the retaining nut 34 and a flange of the port member 32 to mount the port member 32 to the cabinet.
The inlet assembly 11 comprises a plug member 35. The plug member 35 threadably engages the port member 32 whereby the plug member 35 is selectively positioned in the bore 33 of the port member 32. The plug member 35 is for inhibiting access to the bore 33 of the port member 32 when the plug member 35 is positioned in the bore 33 of the port member 32. The plug member 35 is also designed for inhibiting odor from escaping from the port member 32.
A funnel member 26 selectively engages the port member 32 whereby the funnel member 26 is in fluid communication with the port member 32. The funnel member 26 is designed for funneling the cooking grease into the bore 33 of the port member 32 to facilitate disposing of the cooking grease. A hook member 37 is designed for being placed in the cabinet. The hook member 37 is for receiving the funnel member 26 to store the funnel member 26 when the funnel member 26 is not in use.
The funnel member 26 comprises a neck portion 38 and a funnel portion 39. The funnel portion 39 is coupled to the neck portion 38. The neck portion 38 threadably engages the port member 32 whereby the neck portion 38 is selectively positioned in the bore 33 of the port member 32 to inhibit the funnel member 26 from inadvertently disengaging the port member 32 when the user is pouring cooking grease into the funnel member 26. The funnel portion 39 is designed for receiving the cooking grease whereby the funnel portion 39 funnels the cooking grease into the neck portion 38 of the funnel member 26.
A meat draining member 40 is selectively coupled to the funnel member 26. The meat draining member 40 comprises a plurality of drain apertures 41 extending through the meat draining member 40 whereby the drain apertures 41 permit fluid communication between the meat draining member 40 and the funnel member 26. The meat draining member 40 is designed for receiving a piece of cooked meat whereby the drain apertures 41 permit grease from the cooked meat to drain away from the cooked meat and into the funnel member 26.
In an embodiment, as shown in
In an embodiment, as shown in
As can be seen in the drawing figures, and particularly in
As understood by those skilled in the art, the drain 4 of the sink 1 is an open system that leads to and is in communication with a sanitary sewer system, so that fluids and other substances placed into the tub portion 3 flows through the drain and the connected plumbing to the sanitary sewer system. In contrast, the grease collection system 10 of the invention is a closed system in the sense that all fluids and debris that enter into the system 10 through the inlet assembly 11 are collected in the collection assembly 12, and are not allowed to pass through and enter the drain or sewer system. The collection system 10 thus collects and holds all of the fluids, as well as the grease, that is placed in the inlet assembly 11 of the system 10. Beneficially, the grease collection system 10 is not required to attempt to filter grease from fluids such as water that is the case with grease trap type systems. It is thus ideal for residential and other applications where the amount of grease generated is not high, and the user of the system is able to deposit what grease is generated into the system 10. The residential user is thus provided with the benefit of a grease disposal system without the cost and complication of a commercial or industrial type grease filtering system designed to filter grease out of the flow from a drain before the flow reaches the sanitary sewer system. In the inventive system, the grease never reaches the drain system of the sink.
In use, the user removes the plug member 35 from the port member 32 and places the neck portion 38 of the funnel member 26 into the bore 33 of the port member 32. The funnel member 26 is rotated a quarter turn to threadably engage the neck portion 38 of the funnel member 26 to the port member 32 to inhibit the funnel member 26 from falling out of the bore 33 of the port member 32. The user then pours the cooking grease into the funnel member 26 and cooking grease flows through the hose member 13 coupled to the port member 32 and into the bag member 26 positioned in the canister member 14 of the collection assembly 12. The lid member 19 is removed from the canister member 14 and the bag member 26 removed from the canister member 14 when the cooking grease has reached a predetermined level in the bag member 26. The sealing portion of the bag member 26 is used to seal the open end 29 of the bag member 26 and to allow the cooking grease to be disposed of without spilling of the cooking grease.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/436,482, filed May 12, 2003, now abandoned.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10436482 | May 2003 | US |
Child | 11800267 | US |