GB2288114A

GB2288114A - A culinary press

Info

Publication number: GB2288114A
Application number: GB9406120A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Tree
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-03-28
Filing date: 1994-03-28
Publication date: 1995-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-28
Also published as: GB2288114B; HK1014146A1; GB9406120D0; CN1116916A

Abstract

A culinary press suitable particularly for crushing garlic is disclosed which comprises first and second handle members 10, 20 pivotably connected, the first member including a plunger 50 and the second member including a perforated surface 24 through which the garlic is forced and a intermediate member 30 which defines the sides of a chamber in which the garlic is placed, the member 30 being pivotably rotatable relative to the surface 24 to allow easy cleaning of the chamber. <IMAGE>

Description

A CULINARY PRESS This invention relates to a culinary press particularly but not exclusively to a garlic press.

Garlic presses are known and can take the form of two pivotable handles, one of which is provided with a chamber into which a garlic clove is placed and the other is provided with a plunger which presses into the chamber when the handles are brought together thus crushing the garlic clove and forcing the clove through a perforated surface of the chamber.

It is a disadvantage of such garlic presses that they are difficult to clean out after use.

According to the invention there is provided a culinary press comprising a chamber for receiving food, the chamber having a perforated surface through which food is to be forced by a plunger and wherein the sides of the chamber and perforated surface are relatively movable.

Preferably, the culinary press is provided in the form of first and second pivotable arms which may be grasped by the user, the first arm being formed with the plunger and the second arm being formed with the perforated surface of the chamber and in a further preferred form the sides of the chamber are formed as a separate member pivotably mounted co-axially with and disposed between the first and second arms.

With a culinary press of the invention, as the sides of the chamber are movable relative to the perforated end surface, access to all surfaces of the chamber for removal of crushed material and cleaning is made considerably easier then with a conventional culinary or garlic press.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompany drawings in which figure 1 is a perspective view of a embodiment of the invention with Figure 2 being a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the components of the culinary press separated.

With reference to the figures, the culinary press comprises first and second arms 10, 20 pivotably connected together by means of a pin 30. Member 10 is provided with 2 limbs 12 with member 20 provided with 2 limbs 22 provided with respective bores, the limbs being interleaved as shown when mounted on pin 30. The member 20 includes an arcuate perforated surface 24 which forms a base of a chamber for receiving garlic or other food to be crushed. Between members 10, 20 a further member 30 is provided which comprises four side portions 32, 34, 36, 38 connected together to form a hollow structure. Side portion 38 has a protruding limb 40 which is interleaved between limbs 12 and includes a bore through which pin 30 is disposed so that member 30 is co-axially pivotable with members 10, 20.

Sides 32, 36 have an arcuate profile the same as the profile of surface 24 so that the members 20, 30 may lie one on the other as shown in figure 1.

Member 10 is provided with a plunger 50 which has a arcuate surface 52 of similar shape to surface 24 so that in the position shown in figure 1 the components can rest one against the other.

In use, member 30 is arranged to lie against member 20 so that a chamber is defined by surface 24 and sides 32-38.

A garlic clove is placed in the chamber and handle/plunger 10/50 is then moved so that the plunger enters the chamber.

Application of hand pressure then crushes the garlic clove forcing the thus-minced garlic out through the perforations in surface 24.

After use and when it is decided to clean the culinary press, the member 30 may be rotated away from member 24 thus exposing the perforated surface 24 and the sides of the chamber for easier cleaning.

The perforated surface 24 is shown of arcuate form which allows a larger perforated surface and the pressing pressure from the plunger 50 to be more evenly distributed than with conventional garlic presses where such a surface is generally flat.

The members 10, 20, 30 are preferably formed from injection moulded plastics material with the pin 35 preferably being formed from plastics or aluminium.

Claims

1. A culinary press comprising a chamber for receiving food, the chamber having a perforated surface through which food is to be forced and, sides adjacent the perforated surface, the sides being movable relative to the surface, and a plunger movable into the chamber.

2. A culinary press as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plunger and chamber are pivotably connected.

3. A culinary press as claim in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the sides of the chamber are formed as a separate member from the perforated surface.

4. A culinary press as claimed in claim 3 wherein the perforated surface and separate member are pivotally connected.

5. A press as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the plunger and perforated surface are formed as part of respective first and second handle members.

6. A press as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the perforated surface and corresponding surface of the plunger are of arcuate form.

7. A culinary press substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.