NL2003366C2 - Grater device. - Google Patents

Description

P88864NL00

Title: Grater device

The invention relates to a grater device.

Graters are widely known and are used for example for grating pieces of food such as hard cheese, carrots or chocolate. The known graters are mostly arranged as a stationary grater, i.e. the piece food is moved over the 5 grater. Some graters are arranged as a hand grater, i.e. the grater is moved over the piece of food.

A drawback of the stationary grater is that it may be difficult to position the grater during grating for example over a bowl for receiving the grate and/or to position the grater over a food plate for targeting the grate, e.g. 10 cheese, at once over the food plate. It is known to place a box grater on top of a receiving reservoir to collect the grate in the receiving element. However, this may make the assembly of the grater and the reservoir relatively unstable, large and difficult to handle. Also, it may be difficult to distribute the grate from the reservoir over a food plate. The box grater and reservoir may be 15 relatively large and difficult to handle and/or to store. A drawback of the hand grater may be that it may be difficult to position the grate falling from the hand grater in a reservoir. Further, depending on the piece of food and/or on the grate of the piece of food, either a stationary grater or a hand grater may be used, so both a stationary grater and a hand grater are usually present in 20 kitchen equipment.

An object of the invention is to provide a grater device that obviates at least one of the abovementioned drawbacks.

Thereto, the invention provides a grater device comprising a grater element for grating of food that is removable connectable with a holder 25 element for collecting grate from the grater element, wherein the grater element is receivable in a wall of the holder element.

By providing a grater element that is removable connectable with a holder element, the grate can fall from the grater element into the holder 2 element and the holder element can collect the grate. The grater element can be removed from the holder element and the holder element can thus be taken along, e.g. to a table with food plates to serve the grate from the holder element onto the food plates.

5 By providing the grater element in a wall of the holder element, the grater device can be used as a stationary grater as well as a hand grater, contrary to the known graters that are either stationary graters or either hand graters. As a stationary grater the piece of food can be moved over the grater element positioned in the wall of the grater device and the grate can fall in the 10 holder element. Alternatively, when used as a hand grater, the grater device can be moved over the piece of food. Due to the shape of the holder element, the grate may be collected in the holder element also during hand grating.

By providing the grater element removable receivable in a side wall of the holder, the grate can fall relatively easily in the holder element when 15 the grater device is used as a hand grater as well as when the grater device is used as a stationary grater.

By connecting the grater element by means of a click connection with the holder element, the grater element can be easily connected to and removed from the holder element. Also, the connection can be easily cleaned. 20 By providing the holder element to be enclosable by a hand, the holder element can be easily held in the hand, in particular, when the grater device is used as a hand grater. No separate handles may be needed. Preferably, the holder element may be provided as a cuplike holder which may be relatively stable held in a hand and may also be relatively stable positioned 25 on e.g. a table when used as a stationary grater.

By providing at least a part of the holder element transparent, the user can easily inspect the grate in the holder element and/or the grate can be attractively presented in the grater device.

Further advantageous embodiments are represented in the 30 subclaims.

3

The invention will further be elucidated on the basis of exemplary embodiments which are represented in a drawing. The exemplary embodiments are given by way of non-limitative illustration of the invention.

In the drawing: 5 Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a grater device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of a grater device according to the invention;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a third embodiment of a 10 grater device according to the invention; and

Fig. 4 shows an exploded view of the grater device of Fig. 3.

It is noted that the figures are only schematic representations of embodiments of the invention that are given by way of non-limiting example.

In the figures, the same or corresponding parts are designated with the same 15 reference numerals.

Fig. 1 shows a grater device 1 comprising a grater element 2 for grating food and a holder element 3 for collecting the grate from the grater element 2. The grater element 2 is removable connected to the holder element 3. In particular is the grater element 2 receivable in a wall 4 of the holder 20 element 3.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is the grater element 2 removable received in a side wall 4 of the holder element 3. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2 is the grater element 2 received in the upper wall 4a of the holder element 3. The grater element 2 can form the upper wall 4a, as shown 25 in Fig. 2, but can also form a part of the upper wall 4a, for example that the grater element 2 can slide or click in the upper wall 4a.

The grater element 2 is usually provided as a metal element with openings 5 and cutting elements 6. The grater element 2 can usually be used for grating pieces of relative hard food such as cheese or carrots. The cutting 30 elements 6 usually extend above the plane of the grater element 2 in order to 4 grate the piece of food and to direct the grate towards the opening 6. Through the openings 6, the grate can fall into the holder element 3. The grater element can also be provided as a plastic element and/or an injection molded element and/or a plastic element with metal inserts. Many variants are possible.

5 Preferably, the grater element is dishwasher-proof.

By providing the grater element 2 in a wall 4, 4a of the grater device 1, the grater device 1 can be easily used as a stationary grater device as well as a hand grater device. As a stationary grater device, the grater device 1 can be placed on e.g. a table and the piece of food can be moved along the grater 10 element 2. Due to the form of the cutting elements 6 and the holder element 3 of the devices of Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the grate may easily fall into the holder element 3.

The grater device of Fig. 1 can also be used as a hand grater device, by taking the holder element 3 into a hand and moving the grater element 2 15 along the piece of food. The holder element 3 is in this embodiment arranged to be enclosable by a hand, such that the holder element 3 can easily and stable be held in a hand of a user. The holder element 3 is provided as a cuplike holder for stable holding in the hand and for stable placing on e.g. a table.

Also the grater device 1 of Fig. 2 can be used as a hand grater 20 device, by holding the holder element 3 in the hand or by providing a handle (not shown) with which the holder element 3 can be held in the hand. The grater element 2 then can be moved over the piece of food. Due to the arrangement of the cutting elements 6 and the openings 5, the grate will enter the holder element and can be collected in the holder element 3.

25 By providing the grater element 2 removable connectable to the holder element 3, the grate can easily be collected and when removing the grater element 2, the holder element 3 can easily be used for distributing and/or presenting the grate.

In the device shown in Fig. la part 7 of the holder element 3 is 30 transparently arranged. By providing a transparent part 7, the user can easily 5 inspect the grate collected in the holder element 3 and/or the grate can attractively be presented in the holder element 3. Off course, the holder element 3 can be made entirely transparent or more than one transparent part may be provided.

5 The holder element 3 may be made from metal or plastic or a combination thereof. The holder element 3 may be injection molded. The transparent part may be as a separate piece be assembled with the holder element or may be manufactured together with the holder element in e.g. one injection molding step.

10 The grater element 2 is removable connected to the holder element 2. In the embodiment of Fig. 1 the grater element 2 is connected by means of a click connection. In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the grater element 2 is connected by means of a tight-fitting connection, however, also a click-connection or a snap-fit connection, or an other connection may be possible. In the embodiment 15 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a sliding engagement between the grater element 2 and the holder element 3 is provided. Many connections are possible. Preferably, the connection is adapted for frequent and reliable use and for easy cleaning. For example a click connection may provide for a reliable connection, also when frequently used, and may easily be cleaned. Removing the grater 20 element 2 from the holder element 3 makes relatively easy cleaning of the grater element 2 and/or the holder element 3 possible. Also, by removing the grater element 2, the holder element 3 can on itself be used as a reservoir for the grate and as distributor of the grate.

Many variants will be apparent to the person skilled in the art. All 25 variants are understood to be comprised within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims (6)

1. Raspinrichting omvattende een raspelement voor het raspen van voedingsmiddelen dat losneembaar verbindbaar is met een houderelement 5 voor het opvangen van raspsel vanuit het raspelement, waarbij het raspelement in een wand van het houderelement opneembaar is.A grating device comprising a grating element for grating foodstuffs that can be detachably connected to a holder element 5 for collecting grater from the grating element, wherein the grating element can be received in a wall of the holder element. 2. Raspinrichting volgens conclusie 1, waarbij het raspelement losneembaar opneembaar is in een zijwand van het houderelement.A grating device according to claim 1, wherein the grating element can be releasably received in a side wall of the holder element. 3. Raspinrichting volgens conclusie 1 of 2, waarbij het raspelement met 10 behulp van een klikverbinding verbindbaar is met het houderelement.3. Grating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the grating element can be connected to the holder element by means of a snap connection. 4. Raspinrichting volgens een der voorgaande conclusies, waarbij het houderelement is ingericht om met de hand omgeefbaar te zijn.A grating device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder element is adapted to be manually rotatable. 5. Raspinrichting volgens conclusie 4, waarbij het houderelement een bekervormige houder is.Grating device according to claim 4, wherein the holder element is a cup-shaped holder. 6. Raspinrichting volgens een der voorgaande conclusies, waarbij ten minste een deel van het houderelement doorzichtig is.A grating device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a part of the holder element is transparent.