Abstract:
A food grater includes a handle and one or more pivoting grating surfaces that can be stowed within the handle or pivoted outward for use. The pivoting or otherwise retractable nature of the grating surface allows for more compact storage and also provides a handy cover for the grating surface for enhanced safety during storage or transit

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/495,242 filed Jun. 9, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention generally relates to food graters, particularly including graters having multiple grating surfaces. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Food graters are ubiquitous and very useful items in a typical kitchen. One problem with graters is that the exposed grating surfaces are very sharp, making storage and handling of the grater somewhat dangerous. The combination of bulk and exposed sharp blades also makes it especially inconvenient to try to transport a grater, for example on a picnic. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]    A preferred food grater as illustrated and described below includes a handle and one or more pivoting grater blades that can be stowed within the handle or pivoted outward for use. The pivoting or otherwise retractable nature of the blade allows for more compact storage and also provides a handy cover for the blade for enhanced safety during storage or transit. 
         [0005]    In some versions of the invention, the grater includes multiple pivoting blades, each of which may be stored or extended for use. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a preferred food grater, shown with the grating surface in a stowed position. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a preferred food grater, shown with the grating surface in a deployed position. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a preferred food grater, shown with the grating surface in a deployed position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a preferred food grater. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of a preferred food grater. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a top view of a pair of preferred food grating surfaces. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0013]    A preferred version of the grater includes a handle  10  having a grating body or grating surface  30  supported on the handle at a pivot  20 . As described more fully below, the grating surface is pivotally movable between a stowed position in which it is stored within the handle and an extended or deployed position in which it is rotated away from the handle to expose the grating surfaces for use. 
         [0014]    Although the pivoting version as illustrated below is the preferred implementation, in other versions the grating surface may slide linearly within the handle so that it retracts and extends generally along an axis formed by the handle rather than pivoting along a pivot point at a distal end of the handle. In addition, although the handle is preferably formed such that the grating surface is received between two handle halves in the retracted position, in some versions the handle may be formed with only one half such that in the retracted position the handle is adjacent only the sharpened-edge side of the grating surface. 
         [0015]    In the preferred version, as best seen in the exploded view of  FIG. 5 , the handle is formed with a first side portion  11  and a second side portion  12 . Either or both of the handle portions may be formed with mating cylindrical sleeves  18 ,  19  such that one sleeve is received within the other. The sleeves need not be internally cylindrical, and most preferably only the outermost surface of the combined mating cylindrical sleeves incorporates a cylindrical surface to allow for pivoting motion of the blades about the cylinders. 
         [0016]    One or more grating surfaces is carried on the handle cylinder for pivotal motion about the cylinder. In the version as shown in  FIG. 3 , two grating surfaces  30 ,  32 , are provided. Exemplary grating surfaces are also illustrated in  FIG. 6 , in which each of the grating surfaces  30 ,  32  includes a substantially circular opening  38 ,  39  that is sized to receive the handle cylinder to allow the blades to pivot about the cylinder. 
         [0017]    The handle halves and internal grating blades are sandwiched together and retained by a fastener  21 ,  22 , which may be in the form of a rivet and cap, a nut and bolt, or other such fastener. In the preferred version, the fastener includes a male portion  21  having a shaft that extends through the mating sleeves  18 ,  19  forming the handle cylinder, with an end cap  22  joined to the male portion to securely fasten the grater together. 
         [0018]    The preferred first handle portion  12  includes a generally planar handle body having an internal mating sleeve  18  formed at one end. The planar body has an integrally formed first sidewall  14  along most of one side of the planar handle body, terminating at a distal end of the handle opposite the sleeve  18 . 
         [0019]    The second handle portion  11  is primarily a mirror image of the first handle portion. Thus, it includes a generally planar body having an external mating sleeve  19  at one end. In the second handle portion, the external mating sleeve  19  is somewhat larger than the internal sleeve  18  of the first handle portion so that the internal sleeve can be received within the external sleeve. The second handle portion further includes a second sidewall  13  formed on one side of the planar body so that the first and second sidewalls  13 ,  14  are adjacent one another and are of the same length when the handle portions are joined together. When the handle portions are joined together, they form an opening in the region opposite the sidewall such that the grating surfaces may be pivoted into and out of the handle through the opening. 
         [0020]    The grating surfaces  30 ,  32  are preferably formed with a grater frame  33  supporting a grater plate  34 . Most preferably, the grater plate is formed from stainless steel and the frame is formed from a plastic material, In other versions, however, the grater frame and plate are integrally formed from plastic, metal, or other materials. 
         [0021]    At one end, the grater frame is formed with an opening  38  sized to snugly receive the external sleeve  19  for pivotal movement of the frame  33  about the cylindrical sleeve. 
         [0022]    The frame may further include a detail to retain the grater frame in an open and closed position for use and for storage. As illustrated, the frame includes a pawl  36  formed along the interior circumference of the opening  38 , with a channel  44  adjacent the pawl to allow the pawl to move radially inward and outward. The pawl engages a notch  16  formed on the external sleeve cylinder  19 . When the pawl is positioned within the notch, the grater frame resists pivotal movement. Upon application of a sufficient rotational force, however, the pawl will flex radially outward from the notch (thereby closing the gap formed by the channel) to separate the pawl from the notch and allow pivotal movement of the frame. A second notch (not shown) may be formed on the external sleeve cylinder approximately 180 degrees opposite the first notch to provide a similar locking function when the frame is positioned in the deployed, open position. 
         [0023]    At the distal end of the frame  33 , opposite the end forming the opening  38 , the frame may include a finger  35  that projects outwardly and away from the distal end of the frame. The finger projection forms a shoulder to allow better gripping of the frame for rotational movement to open and close the grater. 
         [0024]    In the version as illustrated, two grating surfaces  30 ,  32  are provided. In other versions, however, only a single grating surface may be incorporated, or more than two grating surfaces may be secured within the handle. 
         [0025]    The grating surfaces will preferably have grating plates with different cutting surfaces. Thus, for example, a first grating surface may have a grating plate with relatively larger teeth  40  and corresponding openings while a second grating surface may have a grating plate with relatively smaller teeth  42  and corresponding openings. Yet other grating plates may have slicing or zesting surfaces, as desired. 
         [0026]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.