Grater and method for manufacturing the same
The grater with convex-concave protrusions addresses the safety and handling issues of conventional graters, providing a safer and easier-to-use solution with improved cleaning and storage capabilities.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOMITA
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-13
AI Technical Summary
Conventional graters with sharp blades pose a risk of injury, particularly for children, and are difficult to handle due to damage to nails or manicured nails, and they often trap food, making cleaning difficult.
A grater with a metal base surface featuring protrusions that are convex on the front and concave on the back, with curved apexes, eliminating sharp edges and allowing for smooth food guidance and storage.
The grater is safer for users, reduces the risk of injury, and facilitates easy handling and cleaning, while allowing for efficient grating and storage of larger quantities.
Smart Images
Figure 2026077947000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a grater and a method for manufacturing the same.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, various graters for grating ingredients such as radishes and wasabi have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a grater made of ceramics, which has a large number of small protruding blades at the center in a dish state.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] Known graters such as the grater of Patent Document 1 are provided with a large number of sharp blades for grating ingredients. Therefore, for example, when used by children, there is a risk of injury, and the grater is difficult to handle. In addition, due to reasons such as manicured or nail-arted nails being damaged or broken by the blades, there is also an aspect that the grater is difficult to use.
[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a grater that is easy to handle for any user and a method for manufacturing the same.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the grater according to the present invention has a metal base surface having a surface that serves as the grating surface and a back surface that is the opposite surface of the surface, and a plurality of protrusions formed by raising the base surface so that the back surface is concave and the surface is convex, for grating the object to be grated, and the apex of each of the protrusions has a curved shape. [Effects of the Invention]
[0007] The grater and its manufacturing method according to the present invention are easy for any user to handle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0008] [Figure 1] A plan view showing one embodiment of a grater according to the present invention. [Figure 2] A bottom view of a grater. [Figure 3] Left side view of the grater. [Figure 4] Front view of a grater. [Figure 5] A cross-sectional view along the line III-III in Figure 1. [Figure 6] Enlarged view of the first and second protrusions. [Figure 7] A cross-sectional view along the line VII-VII in Figure 6. [Figure 8] A cross-sectional view along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 6. [Figure 9] A photograph showing the surface of a grater from an oblique angle. [Figure 10] A magnified photograph of the protrusion shown in Figure 9. [Figure 11] A photograph showing the underside of a grater from an oblique angle. [Figure 12] A magnified photograph of the protrusion shown in Figure 11. [Figure 13] A plan view of a grater as the first modified example. [Figure 14] A bottom view of the grater as the first example of modification. [Figure 15] A front view of the grater as the first modified example. [Figure 16] Left side view of the grater as the first modified example. [Figure 17] Plan view of the squeezer as a second modification example. [Figure 18] Bottom view of the squeezer as a second modification example. [Figure 19] Front view of the squeezer as a second modification example. [Figure 20] Left side view of the squeezer as a second modification example. [Figure 21] Plan view of the squeezer as a third modification example. [Figure 22] Bottom view of the squeezer as a third modification example. [Figure 23] Plan view of the squeezer as a fourth modification example. [Figure 24] Bottom view of the squeezer as a fourth modification example. [Figure 25] Plan view of the squeezer as a fifth modification example. [Figure 26] Bottom view of the squeezer as a fifth modification example. [Figure 27] Plan view of the squeezer as a sixth modification example. [Figure 28] Bottom view of the squeezer as a sixth modification example. [Figure 29] Photo with the protrusion of the squeezer enlarged. [Figure 30] Plan view of the squeezer as a seventh modification example. [Figure 31] Bottom view of the squeezer as a seventh modification example. [Figure 32] Photo with the protrusion of the squeezer enlarged.
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0009] An embodiment of the squeezer according to the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the squeezer according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the squeezer 1. FIG. 3 is a left side view of the squeezer 1. FIG. 4 is a front view of the squeezer 1. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the line III-III in Figure 1. Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the first projection 31 and the second projection 41. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line VII-VII in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 6. Figure 9 is a photograph showing a perspective view of the surface 10a of the grater 1. Figure 10 is a magnified photograph of the projection 20 in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a photograph showing the underside 10b of the grater 1 in an oblique view. Figure 12 is a magnified photograph of the projection 20 in Figure 11.
[0011] Note that the rear view of grater 1 is shown symmetrically to the front view, so it is omitted from the illustration. Also, the right side view of grater 1 is shown identically to the left side view, so it is omitted from the illustration.
[0012] Grater 1 is used to grate various ingredients such as radish, wasabi, ginger, garlic, cheese, and chocolate.
[0013] Grater 1 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, aluminum, or titanium. Grater 1 is manufactured, for example, by press-forming a thin sheet metal with a thickness of approximately 1 mm using a mold.
[0014] The grater 1 has a base surface 10 and a peripheral wall 11. The base surface 10 is a flat rectangle. The base surface 10 has a surface 10a that serves as the grating surface and a back surface 10b that is the opposite surface of surface 10a. The peripheral wall 11 rises from the outer edge 10c and extends outward from the base surface 10. The peripheral wall 11 is the part that holds the grated food on surface 10a to the base surface 10 and is held by the user when the grater 1 is in use.
[0015] The base surface 10 (surface 10a) has a first region 14 on which a plurality of protrusions 20 are provided, and a second region 15 which is a flat surface on which the plurality of protrusions 20 are not provided. The first region 14 is formed, for example, on the right side, and the second region 15 is formed on the left side.
[0016] The projections 20 are formed by rising from the base surface 10 such that the back surface 10b is concave and the front surface 10a is convex, and are used to grate the object. Multiple rows (11 rows in Figure 1) of projections 20 are arranged such that the first pattern 21 and the second pattern 22 appear alternately in the left-right direction. In the first pattern 21, the projections 20 are arranged so that their longitudinal direction is aligned with a straight line that is inclined approximately 45 degrees counterclockwise with respect to the front-back direction. In the second pattern 22, the projections 20 are arranged so that their longitudinal direction is aligned with a straight line that is inclined approximately 45 degrees clockwise with respect to the front-back direction.
[0017] The projection 20 has a first projection 31 and a second projection 41.
[0018] The first projection 31 is formed by rising from the base surface 10. As shown in Figure 6, the first projection 31 has an elongated outer edge 32 that, when viewed from above, consists of a pair of opposing straight lines 33 extending in the longitudinal direction and a pair of arcs 34 connecting the opposing ends of each straight line 33. The first projection 31 is formed such that, for example, the ratio of its longitudinal length to its transverse length is 2:1. For example, the first projection 31 has a longitudinal length of 10 mm and a transverse length of 5 mm. When viewed from the front to back, the first projection 31 has an inverted bowl shape that rises gently from the outer edge 32 at a predetermined rate. The distance from the surface 10a of the base surface 10 where the outer edge 32 is located to the highest point, the top surface 35, is, for example, about 0.3 mm.
[0019] The second projection 41 is one of two (or more) projections formed by the rise of the first projection 30 such that its back surface is concave and its front surface is convex. The second projection 41 has an outer edge 42 that is approximately circular in shape when viewed from above. The second projection 41 is positioned along the longitudinal direction at the center of the first projection 31 in the short direction. A part of the outer edge 42 of the second projection 41 is positioned close to the center of the arc 34 of the first projection 31 in the short direction. The diameter of the outer edge 42 of the second projection 41 is approximately 5 mm. When viewed in the front-to-back direction, the second projection 41 rises from the outer edge 42 at a predetermined rate and has a triangular shape with a vertex 45. The distance from the surface (top surface 35) of the first projection 31 where the outer edge 42 is located to the highest vertex 45 (top surface) of the second projection 41 is, for example, about 0.9 mm, and the distance from the surface 10a of the base surface 10 is, for example, about 1.0 to 1.5 mm, preferably about 1.0 mm and 1.2 mm.
[0020] The base surface 10 on which the second projection 41 is formed is made of metal, and the second projection 41 is formed, for example, by press working. Therefore, its apex 45 is not sharp and can be said to have a curved shape. The apex 45 of the second projection 41 is shaped in such a way that it causes almost no pain even when touched with a finger or the like.
[0021] As described above, such a grater 1 is manufactured by press working using a mold. Specifically, the grater 1 is made by pushing a flat metal sheet from the back surface 10b to the front surface 10a, thereby forming multiple protrusions 20 (first protrusion 31 and second protrusion 41) that rise from the base surface 10 such that the back surface 10b is concave and the front surface 10a is convex.
[0022] In this type of grater 1, the protrusions 20 are formed by applying a textured surface, and therefore the cutting edge does not have a sharp blade. In other words, compared to known graters that have multiple blades made by sharpening the surface of a metal plate, or those that have sharp protruding blades formed by molding ceramics, the tip of the second protrusion 41, which corresponds to the cutting edge, is not sharp.
[0023] Therefore, even when used by users unfamiliar with handling a well-known grater 1, such as children, the grater 1 of this embodiment is less likely to cause injury and can be used safely and securely. Furthermore, since the tip of the second projection 41 of the grater 1 is not sharp, the risk of long fingernails or nails with manicures or nail art being damaged or broken by the blade is reduced. For this reason, the grater 1 of this embodiment can be easily handled by many users without limiting the user base.
[0024] Furthermore, because the protrusions 20 of the grater 1 are curved, the problem of grated food getting caught in the blades, as can occur with known graters 1, is reduced, making cleaning after use difficult. Therefore, the grater 1 is easy to clean and hygienic.
[0025] Furthermore, the grater 1 has not only a second projection 41 that effectively grates the food, but also a first projection 31 on which two second projections 41 are positioned. As a result, compared to the case with only the second projection 41, the food is more easily guided from the surface 10a of the base surface 10 to the second projection 41, and the reciprocating motion and circular orbital motion for grating the food within the first region 14 can be performed smoothly. That is, for example, with only the second projection 41, the food may get caught on the second projection 41 due to the steep rise of the second projection 41 from the surface 10a, and the movement of the food within the first region 14 may feel resistance and not move smoothly. In contrast, in the grater 1, since the second projection 41 is formed on the first projection 31, the food reaches the second projection 41 by ascending the slope of the first projection 31 from the surface 10a. Therefore, when the food moves from the surface 10a to the apex 45 of the second projection 41, it reaches the apex 45 via the relatively gentle slope of the first projection 31, reducing the resistance felt by the hand performing the grating motion and allowing for smooth grating.
[0026] Furthermore, because the grater 1 has a second region 15, the ingredients grated in the first region 14 can be stored in the second region 15. Therefore, the grater 1 can grate a larger amount of ingredients at once compared to a grater without the second region 15.
[0027] Furthermore, the grater 1 only needs to have multiple protrusions 20 that grate the object by having the base surface 10 rise up so that the back surface 10b is concave and the front surface 10a is convex, and there are no limitations on their arrangement or number.
[0028] For example, Figure 13 is a plan view of the grater 101 as a first modified example. Figure 14 is a bottom view of the grater 101 as a first modified example. Figure 15 is a front view of the grater 101 as a first modified example. Figure 16 is a left side view of the grater 101 as a first modified example. Note that the rear view of the grater 101 is the same as the front view and is therefore omitted from the illustration. Also, the right side view of the grater 101 is the same as the left side view and is therefore omitted from the illustration.
[0029] As shown in Figure 13, the first modified example of the grater 101 may be modified by omitting the second region 15, which is a flat surface without the projections 20 that were provided on the grater 1, and providing only the first region 114, thereby shortening the length of the base surface 110 in the left-right direction compared to the grater 1.
[0030] Such a grater 101 can be made compact, making it easy to hold in the palm of your hand, for example. Also, the grater 101 does not require much space when placed on a dining table. For example, the grater 101 is very convenient for situations such as grating wasabi at the table before eating sashimi.
[0031] Figure 17 is a plan view of the grater 201 as a second modified example. Figure 18 is a bottom view of the grater 201 as a second modified example. Figure 19 is a front view of the grater 201 as a second modified example. Figure 20 is a left side view of the grater 201 as a second modified example. The rear view of the grater 201 is the same as the front view and is therefore omitted from the illustration. The right side view of the grater 201 is the same as the left side view and is therefore omitted from the illustration.
[0032] As a second modification, the grater 201 has multiple protrusions 220 arranged along the longitudinal direction of the first protrusion 231 such that the second protrusion 241 is positioned on a line (straight or curved) that extends radially or in a spiral from a single point. The grater of the present invention allows for free determination of the arrangement of the protrusions 220, providing a degree of design flexibility.
[0033] Figure 21 is a plan view of the grater 301 as a third modified example. Figure 22 is a bottom view of the grater 301 as a third modified example. The front and rear views of the grater 301 are identical to those of the grater 101 as a first modified example, and are therefore omitted from the illustration. The left and right side views of the grater 301 are identical to those of the grater 101 as a first modified example, and are therefore omitted from the illustration.
[0034] The third modified grater, 301, has the same dimensions for its base surface 310 as the first modified grater, 101, and the same arrangement of its projections 320 as the second modified grater, 201. Therefore, the grater 301 can achieve the same effects as the first and second modified graters, 101 and 201.
[0035] Figure 23 is a plan view of the grater 401 as a fourth modified example. Figure 24 is a bottom view of the grater 401 as a fourth modified example. Figure 25 is a plan view of the grater 501 as a fifth modified example. Figure 26 is a bottom view of the grater 501 as a fifth modified example.
[0036] Note that the front and rear views of graters 401 and 501 are identical to the front and rear views of grater 201, which is a second modified example, and therefore are omitted from the illustration. Also, the left and right side views of graters 401 and 501 are identical to the left and right side views of grater 201, which is a second modified example, and therefore are omitted from the illustration.
[0037] The grater according to the present invention may have the required number of protrusions 420 arranged in a line in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, as in the fourth modified example, the grater 401. Alternatively, as in the fifth modified example, the left-to-right end positions of the rows formed by the vertically arranged protrusions 520 may be alternately shifted in adjacent rows to create a zigzag pattern. Furthermore, as in the fourth modified example, the protrusions 420 may be arranged with their longitudinal direction aligned along the front-to-back direction, or they may be arranged with their longitudinal direction aligned along the left-to-right direction.
[0038] Figure 27 is a plan view of the grater 601 as the sixth modified example. Figure 28 is a bottom view of the grater 601 as the sixth modified example. Figure 29 is a magnified photograph of the projection 620 of the grater 601. Figure 30 is a plan view of the grater 701 as the seventh modified example. Figure 31 is a bottom view of the grater 701 as the seventh modified example. Figure 32 is a magnified photograph of the projection 720 of the grater 701.
[0039] Note that the front and rear views of graters 601 and 701 are identical to the front and rear views of grater 201, which is a second modified example, and therefore are omitted from the illustration. Also, the left and right side views of graters 601 and 701 are identical to the left and right side views of grater 201, which is a second modified example, and therefore are omitted from the illustration.
[0040] As shown in the sixth and seventh modified examples, the graters 601 and 701, the first projection may be omitted, and the projections 620 and 720 may be formed only by the second projections 641 and 741.
[0041] The ease of grating with the grater according to the present invention was evaluated by changing the arrangement of the protrusions and the height of the protrusions (second protrusion).
[0042] In the following evaluation test, peeled ginger was used as the material to be grated. The grating action was performed by making 100 circular motions with uniform pressure, without intentionally changing the pressure applied to the surface.
[0043] The arrangement of the protrusions was the same as that used in the fourth to seventh modifications, as shown in Table 1. Five different heights of protrusions from the base surface were used: 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.2 mm, and 1.5 mm.
[0044] The ease of grating was evaluated based on the resistance felt by the user's hand during the grating process. "A" indicated that grating was smooth and without resistance, "B" indicated that grating was possible with some resistance, and "C" indicated that grating was impossible. "A" and "B" indicate that the grater is functioning correctly.
[0045] Table 1 shows the results of the evaluation test conducted under the above conditions.
[0046] [Table 1]
[0047] As shown in Table 1, regardless of the arrangement of the protrusions used, the grater functioned as long as the height of the protrusions was in the range of 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm. Furthermore, if the protrusion height was too low, the grater could not grate the object, and if it was too high, resistance was felt during grating. However, even with a protrusion height of 1.5 mm, the resistance was less compared to various known graters.
[0048] Furthermore, the arrangement and height of the protrusions used in evaluation tests 18 and 19 were the arrangement and height that made grating easiest. From these results, it was found that grating was easier with the first protrusion than without it. This is thought to be because, during the grating motion, the first protrusion smoothly guides the object from the surface of the base to the apex of the second protrusion.
[0049] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.
[0050] For example, we have described an example where two second projections are arranged on the first projection, but there may be one or three or more, not just two. Also, the shape of the first projection is not particularly limited and may be other than an oval. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0051] 1, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701 Graters 10, 110 base 10a surface 10b back side 14, 114 First area 15 Second area 20, 220, 420, 520, 620, 720 protrusions 31, 231 first protrusion 41, 241, 641, 741 Second protrusion 45 vertices
Claims
1. A metal base surface having a surface that serves as the grating surface and a back surface that is the opposite surface of the aforementioned surface, The base surface is formed by raising the surface so that the back surface is concave and the front surface is convex, and has a plurality of protrusions for grating the object, The vertices of each of the aforementioned protrusions form a curved shape, in a grater.
2. The base surface is a flat surface divided into at least two regions: a first region and a second region. The grater according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed in the first region and not in the second region.
3. The grater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the aforementioned protrusions has a height of 1.0 to 1.5 mm from the surface.
4. A method for manufacturing the grater according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A step of preparing a flat metal base surface having a surface that will be used for grating and a back surface that is the opposite surface to the said surface, A method for manufacturing a grater, comprising the step of forming a plurality of protrusions for grating an object by extruding the base surface from the back surface to the front surface such that the back surface is concave and the front surface is convex.