Structure, cutting board, and method for draining food material

Abstract

To provide a compact and easy-to-handle structure having a draining groove.SOLUTION: A structure 1 having a groove 2 for draining a food material containing water is provided. The structure 1, which has a plate-like structure, assumes a keyhole shape in a planar view, in which a square groove (square groove part 2A) with a predetermined groove width and a cylindrical groove (cylindrical groove 2B) with a groove diameter larger in dimension than the groove width of the square groove part continue in the plate-like structure. In the cylindrical groove 2B, a tapered surface 2b is formed at a peripheral edge of one surface of the plate-like structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure having grooves for draining water-containing food materials, a cutting board having such grooves, and a method for draining food materials using such grooves. [Background technology]

[0002] Prior art to the present invention includes the techniques described in the following patent documents. First, there is a cutting board which is formed from a roughly rectangular plate body, has a support portion formed by drilling a plurality of water-washing holes along at least one side of the board, has corners formed on the support portion, and has opposing corner edge portions of the support portion arranged closely together (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Another example is a draining cutting board in which a plurality of -shaped slits for water passage are formed through the top and bottom surfaces of a plank-shaped cutting board body (Patent Document 2).

[0004] The technology described in Patent Document 1 involves placing a cutting board in front of and behind a kitchen sink, and allowing wash water to flow into the kitchen sink from a number of wash water holes drilled along at least one side of the cutting board.

[0005] The technology described in Patent Document 2 uses multiple slits formed in a cutting board to allow water and juices flowing out of ingredients to drain to the underside of the cutting board.

[0006] All of these cutting boards have a groove structure for draining water, but the groove structure is designed to improve drainage of water from the top surface of the cutting board, and is not designed to drain cooking scraps and other items that contain moisture (hereinafter referred to as "food ingredients").

[0007] For example, the cleaning water holes described in Patent Document 1 and the slits described in Patent Document 2 are not intended to function as squeeze holes for draining water from a net bag containing food ingredients.

[0008] Furthermore, these cleaning water holes and slits can get in the way of working with a knife and can become pits for finely chopped ingredients to fall into.

[0009] If the cleaning water holes or slits are too large, they will interfere with the intended function of the cutting board, etc., and if they are too small, bags containing food may get stuck in the holes, making it difficult to attach and remove the bags.

[0010] In other words, the objective of the present invention is to add a function useful for draining food ingredients without impairing the function of a cutting board or the like, and to realize a structure with grooves for draining that is compact and easy to handle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-314740 A [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3159572 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a structure having a drainage groove which is compact and easy to handle.

[0013] The first invention is a structure having a groove for draining water-containing foodstuffs, the structure having a plate-like structure, the plate-like structure having a keyhole-shaped groove in plan view, the keyhole-shaped groove being a combination of a square groove (square groove portion) with a predetermined groove width and a cylindrical groove (cylindrical groove portion) with a groove diameter larger than the groove width of the square groove portion, the cylindrical groove portion having a tapered surface formed on the periphery of one side of the plate-like structure. The second invention is the structure according to claim 1, the structure being a cutting board, the tapered surface being formed on the underside of the cutting board. Further, the third invention is a method for draining food ingredients using the structure of the first or second invention, comprising a first step of using an opening of a draining net containing the food ingredients as a handle and passing the handle upward with the cylindrical groove portion on which the tapered surface is formed being the downward side, a second step of draining the water by pulling the handle upward in the angular groove portion, and a third step of removing the draining net from the structure after draining the water by sliding it until at least a part of the draining net reaches the cylindrical groove portion. Effect of the Invention

[0014] In the present invention, the draining groove is keyhole-shaped in plan view, so it is expected to be a compact draining groove. In addition, the present invention has a tapered surface on the periphery of one side of the cylindrical groove portion, and the groove diameter is larger than that of the other side, so it is expected to have the effect of making it easier to insert the draining net before draining and easier to remove the draining net after draining. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional image of a structure. [Diagram 2] This is an example of a tapered surface. [Diagram 3] This is an example of a cutting board (underside) with grooves for draining water. [Figure 4] An image of how the draining net is inserted. [Diagram 5] This is an image of the squeezing process of a draining net. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional image of the drainage net and grooves after drainage (the left image shows a cross-section of the square groove part, and the right image shows a cross-section of the cylindrical groove part). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Example 1 The following are embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] In this embodiment, a resin cutting board having a thickness of 12 mm was used as the structure 1. However, the material of the structure 1 is not limited to resin, wood, metal, etc. The thickness of the structure 1 is also not limited. When draining water in front of or behind a kitchen sink as in Patent Document 1, the thickness of the cutting board is desirably 10 mm or more.

[0018] The draining groove in the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "draining groove 2") is a mechanism for squeezing a draining net (hereinafter referred to as "draining net 3") containing ingredients and the like to drain the water.

[0019] In the present invention, the term "food material" refers to food materials that are being used before or during cooking, or food materials that are no longer needed after cooking. Food materials also include food materials that are not edible themselves, such as vegetable or fruit peels, tea leaves, and egg shells, but are generated during the cooking process.

[0020] 1 is a cross-sectional image diagram of a structure 1 having a drainage groove 2. The structure 1 in which the drainage groove 2 is provided has a predetermined thickness, and at least the portion where the drainage groove 2 is provided is required to have a plate-like structure.

[0021] However, in the present invention, the plate-like structure means that the plate has a region thick enough to allow the drainage groove 2 to be formed, and does not necessarily have to have a flat plate structure. For example, the plate may have a curved surface like a pot lid.

[0022] The drain groove 2 formed in the structure 1 has a structure in which a square groove (square groove portion 2A) with a predetermined groove width and a cylindrical groove (cylindrical groove portion 2B) with a groove diameter larger than the groove width of the square groove portion 2A are integrated to form a keyhole shape in a plan view. Here, the keyhole shape refers to a continuous shape formed by connecting the rectangular groove surface of the square groove portion 2A at one end in the longitudinal direction so that two vertices of the rectangular groove surface are positioned on the periphery of the circular groove surface of the cylindrical groove portion 2B.

[0023] The groove width of the angular groove portion 2A means the width in the short direction of the groove, and the groove diameter of the cylindrical groove 2B means the diameter when the groove is circular. In this embodiment, the groove width of the angular groove portion 2A is 5 mm, and the groove diameter of the cylindrical groove 2B is 10 mm. The groove length in the longitudinal direction of the angular groove portion 2A is 255 mm. However, these lengths are not limited.

[0024] In the cylindrical groove portion 2B, a tapered surface 2b is formed on the periphery of one surface of the structure 1. As a result, the groove diameter on the surface on which the tapered surface 2b is formed is larger than the groove diameter on the other surface. In this embodiment, the groove diameter on the tapered surface side is 17 mm, and the depth of the tapered surface is 6 mm. In the present invention, the tapered surface may be a surface that is processed to be linear or a surface that is processed to be curved convexly or concavely when viewed from above and below in cross section of the structure 1.

[0025] The tapered surface 2b formed on the periphery may be formed only on a part of the periphery, and may include a portion with a different inclination angle or surface shape. For example, the surface may be machined so that the inclination gradually increases from the intersection of the angular groove portion 2A and the cylindrical groove portion 2B (FIG. 2).

[0026] Fig. 3 shows an example of a cutting board with a drain groove 2 formed on the underside. The drain groove 2 is formed along one longitudinal side of a 280 mm x 480 mm cutting board. The location where the drain groove 2 is formed is not limited, but in the case where the structure 1 is a cutting board, it is desirable to form the drain groove 2 in a position that does not interfere with work with a knife and where cut ingredients are unlikely to fall off.

[0027] Draining of food ingredients is performed by applying pressure to the draining net 3 through the draining grooves 2 of the cutting board and squeezing the net 3 with the food ingredients placed in it. The food ingredients are generally anything that comes from materials used in cooking, such as rice, chopped carrots, radishes, cabbage, and other vegetables, tea leaves, coffee grounds, egg shells, etc. Figures 4 and 5 show some of the steps for draining.

[0028] The draining net 3 is a bag with a mesh-like surface that can separate water from the contents. The material of the bag is generally made of resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, but is not limited to this and can be any material such as metal, nonwoven fabric, or other natural materials. There is also no limitation on the size of the mesh.

[0029] The draining process is as follows: First, the top of the draining net 3 containing the food ingredients is inserted from the cylindrical groove portion 2B (the side where the tapered surface 2b is formed). Figure 4 shows the state after the draining net 3 has been inserted. In this way, the cylindrical groove portion 2B becomes the part used to insert the draining net 3. The part that has been passed through to the top surface of the cutting board becomes the handle portion of the draining net 3. At this stage, it is sufficient that the handle portion of the draining net 3 is secured on the top surface side of the cutting board, and it does not need to be pulled up to the part containing the food ingredients.

[0030] Next, the draining net 3 is slid by the handle to a predetermined position in the square groove section 2A. The square groove section 2A is the part used for draining water. As shown in Figure 5, the food is squeezed in the square groove section 2A. The food is squeezed near the groove surface of the square groove section 2A on the underside of the cutting board, and water is separated from the mesh.

[0031] Although not shown in the figure, after the water is separated, the drain net 3 is slid by the handle into the cylindrical groove portion 2B. The cylindrical groove portion 2B is the part used to remove the drain net 3. The drain net 3 that has been slid to the cylindrical groove portion 2B is removed from the underside of the cutting board, completing the draining operation. The above series of operations may be performed by a device that realizes manual operations, and it does not matter whether they are performed manually or automatically.

[0032] The findings obtained through repeated evaluation of the draining operation according to the present invention will be described below. It has been confirmed that the shape of the drainage groove 2 according to the present invention is superior as a shape of the drainage groove 2 for foodstuffs that can be applied to existing utensils such as cutting boards, because it achieves both compactness of the drainage groove 2 and ease of attachment and detachment of the draining net 3 from the drainage groove 2.

[0033] Furthermore, when the drain groove 2 is provided in an existing fixture, the groove shape is required to be compact and unobtrusive so as not to impede the original function of the fixture.

[0034] First, findings obtained regarding facilitating attachment and detachment of the drain net 3 from the drain groove 2 will be described. A problem with a cutting board having only a square or cylindrical groove is that the drain net 3 cannot be easily attached before draining, and the drain net 3 cannot be easily removed after draining.

[0035] For example, if the groove penetration direction is perpendicular to the plate surface, the drainage net 3 is likely to get caught on the edge of the groove when it is attached, regardless of the size of the groove. In other words, the drainage net 3 does not smoothly move to the state shown in Figure 4, and may even be damaged.

[0036] In addition, if the grooves are small, it is difficult to pass the draining net 3 through the grooves. Even if the draining net 3 passes through the grooves, the pressure on the ingredients contained in the draining net 3 during the squeezing process is concentrated near the grooves, making it difficult to separate the water from the ingredients as a whole. This is more significant the more elastic the material of the draining net 3 is.

[0037] In addition, after the water is drained, the drain net 3 may get stuck in the grooves together with the ingredients during the squeezing process, making it difficult to remove the drain net 3. Also, if the squeezing process is performed with excessive force and some of the ingredients move to the upper surface side of the cutting board, it becomes even more difficult to remove the drain net 3.

[0038] These problems are solved by the groove shape according to the present invention. The drainage groove 2 according to the present invention has a groove shape that is a keyhole shape in plan view by connecting a square groove and a cylindrical groove, and the cylindrical groove portion 2B is a part for attaching and detaching the drainage net 3 to the structure 1, and the square groove portion 2A is a part for squeezing the drainage net 3. In addition, the cylindrical groove portion 2B has a tapered surface 2b formed on the groove periphery on the insertion side when the drainage net 3 is attached to the structure 1.

[0039] The tapered surface 2b forms an obtuse angle with the plate-shaped surface in a top-bottom cross-sectional view of the cutting board. As a result, when the drain net 3 is inserted into the structure 1, the tapered surface 2b serves as a guide and prevents the drain net 3 from getting caught on the edge of the groove.

[0040] The rectangular grooves 2A have a predetermined length for draining water. This prevents the pressure on the ingredients from concentrating on a specific point during the squeezing of the draining net 3, as shown in Figure 5, and allows water to be efficiently separated from the draining net 3.

[0041] The tapered surface 2b serves to make it easier to remove the drain net 3 from the cutting board. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional image of the drain net 3 and grooves after draining. The left image in Figure 6 shows the cross section immediately after draining in the square groove portion 2A. Since the contents of the drain net 3 become dense in the square groove portion 2A, the drain net 3 becomes clogged in the square groove portion 2A. This is the same when there is only a cylindrical groove.

[0042] To release the drain net 3 from being stuck in the square groove 2A, the drain net 3 is slid by the handle into the cylindrical groove 2B. The right diagram in Fig. 6 shows a cross section of the part slid from the square groove 2A into the cylindrical groove 2B.

[0043] Here, for the cylindrical groove portion 2B, the groove area from the upper surface of the cutting board to just before the tapered surface 2b is called the X zone, and the groove area where the tapered surface 2b is formed is called the Y zone. When the draining net 3 slides from the square groove portion 2A to the cylindrical groove portion 2B, the dense state of the ingredients contained in the draining net 3 is alleviated. This is because the diameter of the cylindrical groove is larger than the width of the square groove.

[0044] Furthermore, the density of the contents is X zone > Y zone. This is because the tapered surface makes the groove diameter of Y zone larger than that of X zone as it moves downwards. By sliding the drain net 3 into the cylindrical groove portion 2B having these two regions, the drain net 3 can easily be removed downwards. In other words, the worker only needs to move the handle of the drain net 3.

[0045] In this embodiment, the draining effect was also evaluated when the food material contained oil such as edible oil or beef tallow. It was confirmed that the groove structure according to the present invention was effective even when the food material contained oil.

[0046] Next, findings obtained regarding the compactness of the drain groove 2 will be described. The cylindrical groove portion 2B according to the present invention not only makes it easy to insert and remove the draining net 3, but also contributes to making the groove more compact. For example, if the draining groove 2 is only the cylindrical groove portion 2B, a draining net containing several hundred grams of food material will not be able to drain sufficiently unless it has a groove diameter of at least several tens of mm (e.g., 20 to 30 mm).

[0047] In contrast, the drain groove 2, which is a keyhole-shaped groove in plan view and consists of a cylindrical groove portion 2B and a square groove portion 2A, can be made smaller in size because the square groove portion 2A is responsible for squeezing the drain net 3, and the cylindrical groove portion 2A has a groove diameter sufficient for attaching and detaching the drain net 3.

[0048] In this embodiment, the groove diameter of the cylindrical groove portion 2B is sufficient if it is 10 mm. In other words, if the drainage net 3 is smaller than that of this embodiment, the groove diameter of the cylindrical groove portion 2B can be made even smaller to enable drainage, and the present invention can also be applied to a smaller structure 1.

[0049] In this embodiment, the length of the square groove portion 2A is sufficient relative to the groove diameter of the cylindrical groove portion 2B, but the square groove portion 2A may be shorter. The length of the square groove portion 2A should be set in relation to the size of the drain net 3, and the length required for the squeezing operation is sufficient. For example, the length of the square groove portion 2A may be about 2 to 3 times the diameter of the cylindrical groove portion 2B.

[0050] In this way, by making the drainage groove 2 compact, it becomes possible to provide the drainage groove 2 not only on the cutting board of this embodiment but also on various other implements without interfering with their original functions. [Industrial Applicability]

[0051] The drain groove of the present invention is compact and easy to handle, so it can be provided on various utensils such as cutting boards and used for draining. In addition to cutting boards, it can be used for corner lids. It can also be applied to ordinary pot lids and used for cooking. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 structure 2 Drain groove 2A Square groove 2B Cylindrical groove 2b Tapered surface

Claims

1. A structure having a groove for draining water-containing foodstuffs, The structure has a plate-like structure, The plate-like structure has a groove having a keyhole shape in a plan view, in which a square groove (square groove portion) having a predetermined groove width and a cylindrical groove (cylindrical groove portion) having a groove diameter larger than the groove width of the square groove portion are connected to each other, The cylindrical groove portion is a structure in which a tapered surface is formed on the periphery of one surface of the plate-like structure.

2. 2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the structure is a cutting board, and the tapered surface is formed on a lower surface of the cutting board.

3. A method for draining food using the structure of claim 1 or 2, A first step of using an opening of the draining net containing the food material as a handle and passing the handle upward with the cylindrical groove portion on which the tapered surface is formed as the lower side; A second step of draining water by pulling the handle upward in the square groove portion; A third step of removing the drainage net from the structure by sliding the drainage net until at least a portion of the drainage net reaches the cylindrical groove portion after the drainage; How to drain ingredients, including:

Images