Patent Application
20100326293
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for processing cooked foods. More particularly, the apparatus and methods relate to removing liquids from cooked foods. Specifically, the methods and systems of the present invention involve removing, liquids, fat and oils from cooked foods.
2. Background Information
In wake of the public awareness over the dangers of cholesterol and high fat diets, there has been a trend to lowering the amount of fat in one's diet. However, despite this trend, people of all cultures and all ethnic groups enjoy and will continue to enjoy numerous varieties of pan-fried foods. Often, these foods are prepared by frying meat in a pan. The meat is often fried in its own grease while it is cooked. Some pans contain grooves or tapered surface so that as meat is cooked the grease is extracted so that it flows away from the meat. This may help remove some of the fat as the meat is cooked; however, the meat can still have significant amounts of unwanted fat and oils within the cooked meat. Additionally, even foods cooked over a flame or on a barbeque can still retain significant amounts of fat and other unwanted liquids and oils at the end of the cooking process. A better way of preparing cooked foods is needed.
The preferred embodiment includes an apparatus for removing liquids and fats from cooked foods. The apparatus includes a 3-dimensional shape, a bottom plate and a top plate. The top plate and the bottom plate are formed with generally rigid food grade polymer. The bottom plate has a bottom surface and an upwardly facing top surface formed with a first array of the 3-dimensional shapes extending upward from the top surface. The top plate has a top surface and a downwardly facing bottom surface formed with a second array of the 3-dimensional shapes extending downward from the bottom surface. A connection device connects the bottom plate to the top plate to allow the top plate to be moved to an open position to allow cooked food to be placed on the top surface of the bottom plate. The connection device is adapted to move the top plate to an engaged position where the top plate is in contact with food on the bottom plate so that the food is sandwiched between the top plate and the bottom plate. In the engaged position, the top plate and bottom plate are adapted to be squeezed together to remove liquids and fats from within the food.
In one configuration of the preferred embodiment, the first array of 3-dimensional shapes forms a 2-dimensional sheet with at least two rows of the 3-dimensional shape and a least two columns of the 3-dimensional shape. Similarly, the second array of 3-dimensional shapes forms a 2-dimensional sheet with at least two rows of the 3-dimensional shape and a least two columns of the 3-dimensional shape.
In another configuration of the preferred embodiment, the 3-dimensional shape is generally a pyramid shape. The pyramid shape extends upward from the top surface of the bottom plate about ⅜ an inch. The pyramid shape has a generally square base with a rounded point extending outward from the base and the pyramid can have four sides. A side of the base is between 0.25 inches and one inch in length.
In one configuration of the preferred embodiment, the first array of 3-dimensional shapes is formed with between 13 to 23 columns of the 3-dimensional shape and between 5 and 15 rows of the 3-dimensional shape. Similarly, the second array of 3-dimensional shapes is formed with between 13 to 23 columns of the 3-dimensional shape and between 5 and 15 rows of the 3-dimensional shape.
One or more preferred embodiments that illustrate the best mode(s) are set forth in the drawings and in the following description. The appended claims particularly and distinctly point out and set forth the invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example methods, and other example embodiments of various aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that in some examples one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.
Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
The bottom plate 2 has a left side 10, a right side 11, a back side 12 a front side 13, a top surface 14 and a bottom surface 15. The top surface 14 faces upward and is formed with an array of 3-dimensional shapes 17 extending upward from the top surface 14. In the preferred embodiment, the array of 3-dimensional shapes 17 is formed as a 2-dimensional sheet with at least two rows 18 of a 3-dimensional shape and a least two columns 19 of the 3-dimensional shape.
In the preferred embodiment, the 3-dimensional shape is generally a pyramid shape 20 as is best seen in
The top plate 3 is formed similar to the bottom plate 2 and may be a partial mirror image of the bottom plate 2. The top plate 3 has a left side 30, a right side 31, a back side 32 a front side 33, a top surface 34 and a bottom surface 35. The bottom surface 35 faces downward when the bottom and top plates 2, 3, are in the engaged position as described below. As best seen in
The connection device 4 may be comprised of a pair of hinge devices 44. As shown in
In one configuration of the preferred embodiment, a handle shape 48 with a top handle opening 49 may be formed in the top plate 3 and a complementary handle shape 50 with a bottom handle opening 51 can be formed in the bottom plate 2. These handles 48, 50 can be used to carry/transport the apparatus 1 or used to apply pressure when the top and bottom plates 2, 3 are in the engaged position.
Having described the structure of the apparatus 1 for removing liquids and fat from food, the used of the apparatus 1 is now discussed. In general, food such as meat is first cooked and then the top plate 3 is moved upward from the bottom plate 2 so that the food can be placed on the bottom plate 2. Next, the top plate 3 is moved downward so that it is in contact with the food on the bottom plate 2 so that the food is sandwiched between the two plates in an engaged position. In one configuration of the preferred embodiment, the bias device 45 will apply at least some bias to squeeze the food while it is in the engaged position. This will squeeze liquids and fats from the food so that the liquids and fat flows between the array of pyramid shapes 20 and out of apparatus 1.
As shown in
Example methods may be better appreciated with reference to flow diagrams. While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the illustrated methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be appreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks can occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from that shown and described. Moreover, less than all the illustrated blocks may be required to implement an example methodology. Blocks may be combined or separated into multiple components. Furthermore, additional and/or alternative methodologies can employ additional, not illustrated blocks.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details, the representative embodiments, and illustrative examples shown and described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. References to “the preferred embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “one example”, “an example”, and so on, indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element or limitation. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase “in the preferred embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it may.
This is a standard utility application claiming priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/269,666, filed Jun. 26, 2009, the entire specification of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61269666 | Jun 2009 | US |
