Patent Application
20060286231
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to peeling devices and more particularly pertains to a new peeling device for peeling the skins off of a vegetable and in particular a device for removing the skins from a plurality of potatoes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of peeling devices is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,467 describes a device for removing skins from potatoes. Another type of peeling device is U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,034 and still yet another such device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,436.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that can hold a plurality of potatoes and simultaneously peel the potatoes in a relatively short amount of time.
The present invention meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that has a bottom wall, a top wall and a peripheral wall that is attached to and extends between the top and bottom walls. A motor is mounted in the housing. A shaft is attached to the motor and extends upwardly through the top wall. The motor is configured to rotate the shaft when the motor is turned on. A container includes a lower wall and a perimeter wall that is attached to and extends upwardly from the lower wall. The lower wall is mounted on the top wall and the shaft extends upwardly through the lower wall. The perimeter wall has an inner surface. A plurality of raised members is positioned on the inner surface. The raised members are positioned adjacent to each other and form an abrasive surface. A disc has an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface is attached to the shaft. A plane of the disc is orientated perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. A plurality of vegetables is positioned in the container. The motor is turned on so that the motor rotates the disc. The vegetables are tumbled within the container by the disc and strike the inner surface until outer skins of the vegetables are removed.
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 container 26 includes a lower wall 28 and a perimeter wall 30 that is attached to and extends upwardly from the lower wall 28. The lower wall 28 is mounted on the top wall 16 and the shaft 21 extends upwardly through the lower wall 28. The perimeter wall 30 has an inner surface 32. A plurality of raised members 34 is positioned on the inner surface 32. The raised members 34 are positioned adjacent to each other and form an abrasive surface or covering on the inner surface 32. The raised members 34 are preferably non-arcuate and are angular in nature. A cover 36 is removably positioned on an upper edge 38 of the perimeter wall 30. The cover 36 includes an upper wall 40 and a perimeter lip 42 is attached to and extending downwardly from the upper wall 40. A perimeter flange 44 is attached to the lip 42 and extends inwardly from the lip 42. The perimeter wall 30 has a perimeter groove 46 therein positioned adjacent to the upper edge 38. The flange 44 is snappily positionable in the groove 46 to releasably secure the cover 36 to the container 26.
A disc 48 has an upper surface 50 and a lower surface 52. The lower surface 52 is attached to the shaft 21. A plane of the disc 48 is orientated perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft 21. The upper surface 50 has a plurality of indentations 54 therein. A cutting member 56 may also be included which includes a plurality of blades 48 for slicing vegetables. The disc 48 may be replaced with the cutting disc 56 as needed.
In use, a plurality of vegetables is positioned in the container 26. In particular, the vegetables are potatoes, though other respectively rigid vegetables may also be placed in the container. The cover 36 is placed on container 26 and the motor 20 is turned on. The rotating disc 48 causes the vegetables to tumble within the container 26. As they tumble, they strike the inner surface 32 of the perimeter wall 30 and the raised members 34 remove the outer skins from the vegetables. Once the skins have been removed, the motor 20 is turned off and the vegetables removed from the container 26.
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.
