GB2580297A - An easy clean garlic press - Google Patents

Abstract

A garlic press comprising a two-part press plate with holes through which garlic is to be extruded. The first part (5; fig. 12) and second part 8 of the press plate each include a flat planar surface through which holes pass. The holes in the first part are different to the holes in the second part (e.g. offset holes, see fig. 11 versus fig. 12) such that when the two parts are brought together one on top of the other (over-layed) the resulting holes through both parts (9, fig. 13) are smaller than the holes in either of the individual parts. The resulting finer holes allow for smoother extruded paste, while disassembly of the plate reveals larger/ coarser holes for easier cleaning. The press may be a hand-operated piston press with a first component (1; fig. 6), comprising a handle and press block 6, hinged to a second component 2, comprising a handle and a chamber 10 incorporating the first plate part (5; fig. 12). The chamber 10 receives the press block 6 and a hollow carrier 3 incorporating the second plate part 8.

Description

AN EASY CLEAN GARLIC PRESS

This invention relates to a hand operated piston type garlic press which has been designed to overcome the difficulties experienced by users when attempting to clean the press plate through which the garlic is extruded.

Garlic is a member of the aliium family (like onions and ieeks) wl used as a seasoning due to its extremely strong flavour. It is grown as a large bulb known as a "head and this head contains smaller segments known as 10 cloves. To use the garlic love it has to be peeled and chopped or crushed. One popular method of preparation when crushing is preferred, is to use a hand operated of garlic press which produces an extruded paste and in many cases without h need for peeling the clove first.

However, when garlic is crushed and extruded through the press plate of a hand operated garlic press the resulting substance is very sticky and it is very difficult to clean the small holes in the press plate through which the garlic has been extruded. This therefore identifies one of the biggest problems with garlic presses which is related to cleaning them after use.

A number of different solutions to the problem of cleaning the press plate are taught in the art and these solutions include, designs which disassemble easily, designs which allow easy access to the sieve or press plate and designs in which a series of rods or pins are provided to either automatically or manually pass through the holes in the press plate.

Examples of prior art which teaches disassembly are as follows.

US5165335. Is a lever operated hand press where two halves are hooked together and can just be pulled apart for cleaning when the handles are fully open. Cleaning in this case is facilitated by making the end of each handle a cleaning comb.

W09403091. This art teaches the disassembly of the whole body of the press where all of the parts remain connected allowing easy access to the press plate. US4794854. This patent is a completely different approach, where the holes in the press plate have a common split line and all of the body parts open up whist remaining connected leaving the holes exposed as U shaped indents.

The following art provides pins or protrusions which can pass into or through the press plate for cleaning purposes.

US2018220848. In this patent the upper handle has two functions the first as a press block and the second when the upper handle is rotated through 180 degrees and a series of pins are brought into contact with the press plate to clear the holes in the said plate.

US4069752. This art is similar to the above example where the handles rotate 180 degrees and bring a series of pins into contact with the press pad.

US5791237. Here a separate pad containing pins is provided for cleaning purposes which is stored in one of the handles.

SE528269. This art is similar to previous example in that cleaning pins are provided which can be brought into action to pass through the holes in the sieve a second set of holes are provided through which the pins have to pass on route to the press plate.

ES2234341. As well as a removable plate this art also shows a set of pins integral to the press plate which pins pass into the press plate when the press is fully closed.

US5513562. A final example of the provision of cleaning pins which also incorporates a hooked pivot for easy disassembly and where the cleaning pins are a separate pin based cleaning element.

Examples of art which teach easy access to the press plate are as follows, US5463941. This art is a conventional lever operated garlic hand press where the press plate whilst remaining attached swing out away from the main body of the press to facilitate cleaning.

US2009025575. Primarily focussed on providing three different press plate hole sizes but also provides a clear press plate for cleaning.

CN2551151. This art is another conventional design of hand press but incorporating a removable press plate which makes for easy cleaning. US5101720. A patent which demonstrates a dual function garlic press and grater which has two press plates of different densities one for extruding pressed garlic and the other for grating. The plates can be swung clear of the body or completely removed for cleaning and can also be reversed.

The present invention provides a solution to the difficulty of cleaning the press plates in a garlic press. The above examples of the art illustrate a conventional hand lever operated piston press containing a compression element which applies pressure to substance to be compressed and a press plate element through which the substance is extruded. However these elements are also present in other types of press which are designed to extrude a substance under pressure through a press plate. Typical examples of art which illustrate alternative presses other than lever operated piston presses to which the present invention may be applied can be found by referring to US4348950 and W09222235 which both incorporate a press plate and illustrate presses operated by screw threads instead of levers.

In this specification a press plate means a plate containing holes which pass through the said plate and through which holes garlic is extruded and is sometimes also referred to as a sieve. The said plate may be an assembly formed from more than one part.

According to the invention there is provided a garlic press which includes a press plate comprising a first part and a second part. Both first part and second part may have any shape perimeter with side walls and each plate has two identical flat planar surfaces through which holes pass from the surface on one side of the plate to the surface on the other side of the plate. The holes in the first part do not correspond to the holes in the second part so that when one part is placed on top of the other part so that their planar surfaces are in contact with each other parts of the said holes do not pass through the combined first part and second part.

The result therefore of putting the first part and the second part together, is much smaller holes through the combined parts. The said press plate which combines both parts therefore, has fine holes which produce a smooth extruded paste like substance but can be disassembled to reveal much larger holes making cleaning the first part and the second part much easier.

The first part and the second part of the said press plate may be individual detachable components but may also be incorporated into a larger component so that the side walls of the first part of the press plate and the second part of 10 the press plate each merge with and become part of a larger item.

For example, in a preferred embodiment a hand operated garlic press is made with three main components. Component one and component two are hinged together and both having handles which are brought together to operate the press. Component one would include a press block and component two would include a chamber for receiving component three. The bottom of the said chamber in component two would hold the first part of the said press plate.

In the above preferred embodiment the said chamber would telescopically receive component three which is a hollow carrier which incorporates, at its base, the second part of the said press plate. When the said carrier is inserted into the chamber in component two, the first part and the second part of the press plate come together to form the complete press plate, which is included in invention as described.

Component three is hollow and its internal cavity is designed to receive the press block of component one which enters the internal cavity of component three when the handles of components one and two are brought together.

In use a garlic clove is placed in the internal cavity of component three and when the handles are brought together garlic, driven by the press block is extruded through the fine holes in the press plate.

The press block as described in a preferred embodiment, is a solid block 10 attached to component one but this can be a separate item connected to component one by a pivot allowing the press block, in use, to align itself into the internal cavity of component three.

The two handles of the hand press are pivoted at one point meaning that when closing the two handles together the leading edges of the press block traverse an arc. In other embodiments which are not shown the angle of the sides of the press block and the receiving cavity of component three may be formed to accommodate the said arc.

The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings which are described as follows:-Figure 1. Is a side view of the fully assembled garlic press Figure 2. Is a view of the bottom part of the press known as component two also showing the press plate through which the pressed garlic is extruded.

Figure 3. Is a top view showing component one Figure 4. Illustrates the invention in 3D partly open and showing at the top of the page component one and the press block and at the bottom of the page component two which holds the press plate (not visible) into which component three the insert has been telescopically inserted.

Figure 5 Is the same as figure 4 except that the produce is fully open Figure 6. Shows the fully open product with component three (which is the carrier which holds the second part of the press plate) partly withdrawn.

Figure 7. Is the same as figure 6 with the carrier for the second part of the press plate fully withdrawn.

Figure 8. A 3D view of component three the carrier Figure 9. A side view of the carrier Figure 10. An end view of the carrier.

Figure 11. a view of the second part of the press plate which is attached to component 3, the carrier.

Figure 12. This is a view of the first part of the press plate which is incorporated into component two.

Figure 13. Shows the hole pattern through which garlic is extruded when component three is inserted into component two.

Figure 14. Is an illustration of the principal upon which the invention is based.

Now referring to the drawings, firstly the underlying principles upon which the invention is based will be demonstrated by referring to Figure 14. In order to create a press plate which is easy to clean, the holes in the press plate need to be coarse. However, in order to produce a smooth extruded paste the holes in the press plate need to be fine. The solution to this dichotomy is to have a press plate in two parts as illustrated in the figure 14 drawings showing plates A and B. When plate A is placed upon plate B (both of which have larger easily cleaned holes) because the holes in one plate are offset to the holes in the other plate, the result is a combined plate C with much smaller through holes. Ideally, to avoid having a large unused border area with wasted space plate B's useable surface can be reduced to that shown in the drawing of plate D, but this reduces the holes at the sides and corners to smaller less easily cleaned holes.

However the design in the drawing of plate D can be implemented without the downside of smaller holes and this is demonstrated in the present invention which is described with reference to the drawings as follows.

Referring now to Figuresl, 2 and 3. These are each alternate views of the complete device. Figure 1 is a side view showing components 1 and 2 and the top edge of component 3 together with the pivot point 4 which connects components 1 and 2.

Figure 2 is a bottom view showing the bottom operating lever and the first part of the press plate 5 with larger holes 7 through which can be seen the second part of the press plate 8 and smaller holes 9 which result from the combination of the first and second parts of the press plate. In this illustration it can be seen that the first part of the press plate 5 is formed as an integral part of component two.

Figure 3 is a simple top view which just illustrates the extent of component 1 which includes the operating top lever.

Reference to top and bottom here (and throughout this specification) is simply a reference to the position of the invention in figure 1 with reference to the top of the drawing page. There is no top or bottom to the press when in use.

Figure 4, is a 3D view where all of the elements of the press can be seen. In this illustration the press is partly open. Components 1 and 2 have been moved apart to expose the press block 6 and also component 3 which is the carrier which holds the second part of the two part press plate and in this illustration is fully inserted into component 2.

Figure 5 shows the press fully open. The press block 6 is shown attached to component 1 and the carrier which is component 3 is fully engaged into component 2.

The removal of the carrier which is component 3 is shown in figures 6 and 7. In figure 6 the carrier 3 is half way out and in figure 7 the carrier 3 is fully removed for cleaning and the second part of the press plate 8 is now visible. The inside of the carrier 3 which is shown as 11 is intended for receiving the press block 6.

It is the combination of the carrier 3 and the second part of the press plate 8 which makes the fine extrusion process possible. When the carrier 3, is fully inserted into the receiving space 10 in component 2 the second part of the press plate 8 comes into contact with the first part of the press plate 5 making the network of small holes required for extrusion.

Component 3 may be better understood by referring to Figures 8, 9 and 10. The second part of the press plate is built into the bottom of the carrier 3 which can be seen in figures 8, 9 and 10. Figure 8 is a 3D view, figure 9 is a side view and figure 10 is an end view.

The pattern of the press plate second part 8 which is attached to and pad of the carrier 3, is shown in Figure 11 and the pattern of the first part of the press plate 5 containing holes 7 is shown in figure 12 and the smaller holes 9 resulting from the combination of first and second parts of the press plate are indicated by the X's in Figure 13.

It will be seen that the cleaning process is simplified requiring only opening the handle, which is part of component parts 1 and 2 and extracting the carrier 3 which exposes larger holes in both parts of the press plate.

It will also be understood that the alternate designs illustrated in the exampled prior art where screw threads are used may also be adapted to incorporate the present invention. It is also possible to vary the design of the press plate so that it is not flat, for example a bowl like shape could be used requiring the press block to be modified accordingly to reflect the bowl shape of the press plate. Or the press plate could be two or more parts; therefore nothing in this specification is intended to limit the press plate to two parts as described in the preferred embodiment shown in this specification.

The scope of the application for this invention is not intended to be limited by the example given in this specification and its accompanying drawings which demonstrate just one preferred embodiment of many different possible embodiments.

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS1. A garlic press of any construction which contains a press plate in which there are holes through which garlic is extruded and which press plate consists of a first part and a second pad which in use are brought together on top of each other and where each part has flat planar surfaces through which holes pass from the flat surface on one side of the part to the flat surface on the other side of the pad and where the said holes in the first part are not identical in size and or shape and or position to the holes in the second part so that when the first part and the second pad are brought together one on top of the other to form a complete press plate the resulting holes which pass through the said complete press plate are smaller than the holes in either the first or Osecond parts.
2. 2. A garlic press which contains a press plate according to claim 1 where the said first and second pads of the press plate may be individual components or may incorporated into larger components which are used in the construction of the said garlic press.
3. 3. A garlic press according to any previous claim consisting of components one two and three where components one and two are hinged together at their distal ends and have handles at their proximal ends which in use are brought together and where component one has a press block and component two has a chamber for receiving component three whilst also incorporating part one of the said press plate and component three has a chamber for receiving the said press block and also incorporates part two of the said press plate.
4. 4. A garlic press according to claim three where component three is a hollow carrier open at one end and the other end incorporates the second part of the said press plate and where the said carrier in use is inserted into a chamber in component two which chamber incorporates part one of the said press plate so that parts one and two of the said press plate come together to form a complete press plate. C)
5. 5. A garlic press according to claim 4 where the said component three which is a hollow carrier incorporating at one end part two of the press plate is designed to receive a press block which press block is part of component one.
6. 6. A garlic press according to any previous claim where the said press block may be pivotally attached to component one of the said garlic press.