Patent Application
20160069725
The present invention relates to a measuring cup for use in the kitchen which is integrated for ease of use with a cutting board so that dicing, cutting, slicing of fruits, vegetables, and other food stuffs is accomplished on the cutting board, in a conventional manner, and, then, by the edge of the cutting board being angled and mating with the top edge of the front side of the measuring cup, the passage of cut foodstuff from cutting board to measuring cup is seamless, clean, and easy. And, by having the angle of the lip of the front side of the cup an an angle, food put into the cup while on its side will be maintained there as the lip of the cup is the high point of the “bottom” which is really the front side of the cup. Thus, a chef, cook, food preparer can cut foodstuff on the cutting board and quickly transfer the same to a measuring cup, without mess, to determine the quantity of foodstuff available for a recipe. A sealable lid is also provided which allows for preservation of food contained within the measuring cup and also allows other measuring cups to be easily stacked, one upon the other.
Cutting boards are common kitchen items, useful for cutting, slicing, dividing, paring foodstuffs, e.g., vegetables, garlic cloves, fruits, meats, poultry, etc. Often, the quantity of the cut up foodstuff is required, in cups, for example, for addition to other foodstuffs, to make a complete meal or meal portion. Recipes often dictate specific quantities of sliced, diced, or cut food to be added to other food components to make an appetizer, a salad, entree, etc.—½ cup of chopped onion; 1 cup of sliced green peppers; 1½ cups of sliced strawberries; 2 cups of cubed steak (for a salad); 1 cup of chopped scallions, etc. Thus, the acts in a kitchen of slicing, chopping, dicing, all conventionally and often done on a cutting board, is the first of a two step process to produce the desired quantity of the food, which, just as conventionally, then requires the transfer of the food, just cut, sliced, diced (hereinafter collectively referred to as “cutting”) from cutting board into a measuring cup. That transfer is often done by raising the cutting board over the measuring cup and using a spatula, a side of the knife blade, even one's hand, to push the cut food into the measuring cup, located with its base on the counter. That seems messy and can lead to transferring of the cut food onto the counter, not into the measuring cup.
Measuring cups are also very common kitchen “gadgets,” serve as an aide to cooking, even considered a cooking utensil. Measuring cups generally come in a variety of sizes to accommodate various measures, e.g., a ½ cup; 1 cup; 1½ cup; 2 cup; even a 4 cup volume of measuring cup. These measuring cups have been provided to consumers for years in stainless steel, rubber, plastic, glass, etc. They have side wall markings, interior and/or exterior, to enable the measurer (the cook or chef of the moment) to determine the quantity of food within the cup's interior cavity. These are quite conventional. Transferring cut food from cutting board to measuring cup has been messy, however.
Measuring cups have also been provided in the past with lids, tops, closures so that the same can be maintained, with food therein, for later use, storage in a refrigerator, cupboard, on a shelf, etc. These lids or closures can be rubber, glass, plastic, even plastic film and cover the top opening of the measuring cup until desirably removed for access to the food within the cup. The lids have been provided in various types but generally provide a relatively air-tight seal. The sealing lids are provided with a gripping slot which accepts the upper edge of the measuring cup and holds the lid to the measuring cup until desirably removed, done by peeling the same from the top of the cup.
If a measuring cup of the prior art were laid on its side to ease the transfer of food from cutting board to the cup, it would not be an easy nor simple transfer but, rather, would likely be messy, complicated by the food draining out of the cup and onto the table top, as the side wall on the table top is parallel to the table top.
Until the present invention, to Applicant's knowledge, there has not been provided a measuring cup which is provided with an angled top edge on one side which mates with the perimeter edge of a cutting board such that the two articles can be easily used to transfer the cut food from the cutting board quickly, easily, seamlessly and without mess, to the measuring cup. The present invention provides these functional characteristics.
Prior to the present invention, there has not been a measuring cup which allows for the same to lay on its side and maintain all food from sliding out of the same. Prior to the present invention, there hasn't been a measuring cup with a sealing lid which allows for the easy stacking of measuring cups, each having a lid as a closure. The present invention provides these features.
The present invention relates to a measuring cup which integrates with cutting board. Preferably, the cutting board is provided with at least one side (of a generally rectangular shape with curved corners), preferably on all sides, with an undercut edge or bevel. Thus the slightly smaller in surface are of the planar surfaces of the cutting board rests upon the table top while the slightly larger planar surface, the top of the cutting board, faces upward, with food to be cut thereupon.
A preferable transparent measuring cup preferably formed of plastic, with or without a handle, comprises a top edge of a front side which is elevationally higher than the opposed or back side. The front and back sides are connected by side walls. Preferably, the measuring cup is provided in a specific convenient size, with other cups of the same series provided, in different yet incrementally distinct sizes. The top edge or the high side of the front surface of the measuring cup is provided with an outwardly extending flange, forming a small incline or ramp into and onto the front side, when the front side is laid down on a table top. When held adjacent to the cutting board, with its undercut edge, the two components mate. The measuring cup slides beneath the undercut edge or bevel of the cutting board. The angled flange of the measuring cup will mate with the bevel or undercut edge of the cutting board. And, the edge of the flange will hold the front side of the measuring cup at an angle to the table top. The thickness of the cutting board and the angles of the cutting board and the flange cooperate so that the measuring cup is adjacent the cutting board and cut food can be easily into the measuring cup, without the food backsliding onto the cutting board. Basically, when the cutting board and the measuring cup are slid together, a co-planar surface is provided, the inside front wall of the measuring cup and the top of the cutting board. Thus, food stuff cut on the cutting board can easily, seamlessly, without mess and quickly be slid from the surface of the cutting board and into the measuring cup. Then, the measuring cup can be stood upon its base and the quantity of foodstuff therein (just cut) can be easily and accurately measured by the side-wall markings.
It is also an aspect of the present invention to provide the measuring cups disclosed herein with sealing lids for use with storage of foodstuff within the measuring cups. The sealing lids are conventional in attachment to the top edges of the measuring cups. However, of course, some extending flange must be provided to the lid, to cover and grip the flange of the measuring cup. In addition, the lid is provided with a level, flat, planar surface corresponding to the dimensions of the base of the measuring cup so that the base of one measuring cup can fit on and be stably secured on the planar surface of the lid.
Description will now be given of the invention with reference to the attached
A measuring cup 10 is provided. It comprises a base 12, a relatively short, back wall 14, a pair of opposed side walls 16, 17 and a tall (in relative height) front wall 18. Preferably, the measuring cup is made of shatterproof glass or a sturdy and clear plastic. Quantity or volume markings are located, by printing onto the front, rear, and/or side walls, as is quite conventional in measuring cups of this general type. Some markings can be in cups, others in metrics. Here, for example, on the side wall 16 are quantity markings 50 indicative of ¼ cup, ½ cup, ¾ cup, 1 cup and similar markings up to 2 cups. The quantity markings 50 or measurement indicators can be provided on both or either the inside or outside of the walls but reflects a volume of material, say, for example, diced onions, poured sugar, cut scallions, measured from the base 12 of the measuring cup vertically up the side, rear and front walls, when the measuring cup is placed on a table top with its base thereon.
The top edge 20 of the measuring cup 10 is a small width-wise enlargement of the thickness of the walls with the exception of the flange or support lip 22 for the front wall 18. As can be seen in
Cutting board 40 is a wood, plastic or otherwise hard surface for dicing, chopping, cutting of food. It has a bottom surface 42 and a top cutting surface 44. It can be any shape, although rectangular with curved corners is likely preferred. The thickness of the cutting board, for the measuring cup and cutting board to integrate together to maximum effectiveness, is about the dimensional protrusion of the support lip 22 over the front surface of front wall 18. When the front wall 18 is lain on a table top, as shown in
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, to further ensure the ease and absence of mess for transferring cut food from cutting board into cavity of the measuring cup, one or more edges or surface areas 46 of the cutting board are provided with an undercut 48. At the undercut 48, the top surface of the cutting board 44 overlies the table top and not the bottom surface while the bottom surface of the cutting board 42 is directly on the table top. Stated differently, the angle of the undercut to the top surface of the cutting board is basically the same as the angle of the support lip so that the undercut of the cutting board and the support lip, mate and there is little space between the support lip and the edge 46 of the cutting board. Thus, food scraped from the top surface of the cutting board will easily and smoothly be pushed into the cavity of the measuring cup, without mess. The angle of the undercut, taken from the side, is basically the same angle defined by the support lip, viewed from the same side of the measuring cup, as seen in
AS can be seen in
In use, a cook food preparer can use a cutting board 40 in conventional manner, dicing, slicing or cutting food. Then, when a quantity is desirably measured, the preparer can locate a measuring cup adjacent to the cutting board, with front wall on the table top and support lip adjacent and abutting the undercut of the cutting board. Then, the preparer can push the cut food into the cavity and turn the measuring cup on its bottom. Quantity of food can be seen on the side wall markings. If desired, a lid can be snapped onto the upper edges of the measuring cup by having the channel of the lip frictionally engaged by the upper edge of the walls of the measuring cup. The cup, with contents can be stored, as desired. When further contents desired, the lid can be peeled off. As mentioned, the level support 62 of the lid of one measuring cup serves as the support surface for the bottom 12 of another measuring cup.
It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular feature or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.
