Patent Application
20140338546
The present invention relates to an improved food preparation product. More particularly, it is a rotatable greens drying device (hereinafter, salad spinner) that decreases the time and effort required to dry washed greens by more effectively removing surface moisture by means of an integral air circulation mechanism and rotational forces.
Salad spinner devices are common and not new to the marketplace. All known salad spinners are designed to create centrifugal force that expedites removal of residual water which accumulates after rinsing leafy vegetables. This is done to avoid soggy greens which can detract from the texture and quality of a salad. Each known device in the prior art employs a mechanical method for swiftly rotating a perforated container filled with rinsed greens inside a vessel that captures and contains water after its removal. This mechanical method is not the subject of this disclosure as it could be satisfactorily achieved by using one of several drive mechanisms already known in the public domain.
Most salad spinner devices consist of five main components: (1) a rigid and stationary exterior main bowl with (2) an exterior lid, (3) an interior rotatable colander with (4) an engageable interior lid, and (5) a rotary drive device that is fastened to the exterior lid which when activated by the user, spins the interior lid and colander in unison. The exterior lid, rotary drive, and interior lid are usually combined in a lid assembly. The user typically will fill the colander with leafy greens and wash them thoroughly under a faucet. Then, the dripping colander is placed inside the main bowl on a countertop, the lid assembly (containing the exterior lid, interior lid and the rotary device) is placed on top of the bowl and the user activates the rotary drive device to create the centrifugal force needed to remove water from the greens. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the centrifugal force, the contents are thrust outward against the perforated inner walls of the colander, obstructing the very holes meant to allow water to escape. Many times the user must stop and ‘fluff up’ the contents and spin again for adequate results.
There is a need, then, for a salad spinner device that, in conjunction with centrifugal force, includes features that accelerate drying time while making less work for the user.
The salad spinner of the present invention includes a colander adapted to be supported over a sink or basin. When a removable drive assembly is actuated, it rotates the colander creating the desired centrifugal force. A fan rotating with the colander forces air from outside and above the salad spinner into and through the colander and out the bottom of the salad spinner.
A more complete understanding of the invention and its advantages will be apparent from a review of the Detailed Description in conjunction with the following Drawings, in which:
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In the third embodiment, fan 7b has fewer, less steeply-angled blades 7b′ than fan 7 of the first and second embodiments, which allow air flow to be optimized with the respect to the designed rotation speeds imparted by the drive assembly 5b. Routine experimentation will allow the skilled artisan to match the air flow and rotation speed imparted by the drive assembly to achieve an acceptable combination of centrifugal water expulsion and air drying.
Drive assembly 5b includes an actuator 8b connected to a drive plate 15. Drive plate 15 is connected via a ring gear (not shown) in the bottom of drive plate 15 and gears 16, 17 to a one-way clutch 18, which drives a hub 19 by way of clutch cylinders 20. Hub 19 is attached to fan 7b′ by way of dogs 21. The coaxial brake includes spring 22, actuation element 23, and brake ring 24. Fastener 25 fixes the hub 19 to the drive plate 15.
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In operation, the salad spinner of this invention includes features that accelerate drying time while making less work for the user, including elements that create and promote dry airflow throughout the contents of the salad spinner device. The traditional interior engageable lid is changed to an engagement device containing a series of spaced-apart stationary vanes shaped to draw in and direct dry air to a fan, which forces air onto and throughout the greens during the spinning process. The fast moving, drier air helps evaporate moisture from the surface of the greens and helps expel water through the container holes.
Next, in the first embodiment described this invention includes a novel arrangement that can be suspended over a sink. This not only eliminates the need for a rigid exterior bowl to catch and contain water, but it saves having to manually empty water from the bowl after use. Another feature is that the colander can be made collapsible, such that the colander can substantially reduce its size so the entire device can be assembled and stored in a limited space. Still another feature is the optional cutting surface for preparing food. Finally, the device can alternatively utilize a traditional secondary rigid exterior bowl to catch and contain water.
Though it is intended to fully describe the invention as set forth here, it is reasonable to assume that one skilled in the art could adjust, modify, subtract or adapt certain aspects of this salad spinner device without departing from its original scope. The implementation of individual or combined improvements disclosed here as part of another salad spinner device would be obvious. For example, adding any type of angled air-moving elements to a new salad spinner device would be well within the bounds of what has been revealed herein. Another example would be to omit the rigidity of the colander and employ a collapsible version. Still another example would be to support or suspend this salad spinner device by another method such as with folding legs or a rigid outer bowl. The colander itself could, in fact, be freestanding—its lower end engaging with an electronic or manual drive component placed on the floor of a sink.
Various known drive mechanisms could include pull-chord escapements, levers, gear sets, plungers, and electric motors. Again, these mechanisms are not the subject matter of this disclosure. The gist of this improved salad spinner is that in addition to centrifugal force, its driven components include angled blades to force moving air to dry greens in less time with less effort. It can also function above or within a sink which keeps splashing water off countertops and eliminates the need for an exterior bowl. Lastly, its size can be reduced for storage in limited spaces.
The recommended materials will likely be, but are not limited to rigid and elastomeric plastic or metal.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in several alternative salad spinners, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the devices illustrated in their operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/753,300 filed on Apr. 2, 2010, which was a non-provisional application based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/211,653 filed on Apr. 2, 2009.
