Extending filter basket

The present invention is a fryer basket or roaster basket constructed with fine wire mesh to prevent food particles from remaining in the fryer oil once the fried food is removed. The fryer basket is preferably constructed of stainless steel, but other materials could be used including but not limited to copper, brass, glass, fiberglass or the like.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally pertains to deep fryer baskets. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fryer basket with a fine mesh filter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention is particularly applicable to fry baskets and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention has broader applications and may also be adapted for use as deep fryer trap, deep fryer filter, deep fryer basket, and the like.

Restaurants that serve fried food use a great deal of cooking oil. When food particles are not filtered and make their way into the oil, they cause the oil to break down more quickly. This affects the taste of the fried food and greatly shortens the useable lifespan of the cooking oil.

Typically fry baskets are constructed of thick wire with wide gapes formed between the wires. This arrangement allows food particles to remain in the fryer through many fry cycles, thus reducing the quality and useable lifespan of the oil. By removing the food particles more frequently, preferably ever frying cycle, the oil is maintained at a higher quality for a longer period of time. Efforts to maintain cooking oil quality for longer periods of time have yielded less than ideal solutions.

Many potential solutions focus on filtering the oil after the fryer is done being used. That is the entire fryer must be drained and filtered. Which requires the fryer to be shut down and allowed to cool, that is if safe methods are being practiced. This method is time consuming, not energy efficient, and by consequence expensive. Many potential solutions simply focus on speeding up this method by constructing built in filters for fryers or suction filters that more quickly filter the oil.

Other potential solutions focus on catching the food particles earlier in the fryer. Some of these take the form of fryer liners that set in the flyer like a large fry basket made of wire mesh. To be effective these liners need to emptied frequently. So in practice the user needs to remove a fry basket filled with fried food items, and then remove the liner and dump its contents. This is an added step that takes time, thus making the frying process less efficient. Alternatively, if the fryer liner is not removed every fry cycle, then the oil preservation benefits are diminished.

Yet another potential solution is the inserting of metal mesh liners into traditional fry baskets. While this solves some of the short comings of the previously mentioned solutions, it also creates several new problems. Among the problems is that the fry liners can fall out of the traditional basket if not properly secured. Also, food particles can become lodged between the mesh and the wire basket, thus diminishing the effectiveness of the liners.

Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved fry basket which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a fryer basket or roaster basket constructed with fine wire mesh to prevent food particles from remaining in the fryer oil once the fried food is removed. The fryer basket is preferably constructed of stainless steel, but other materials could be used including but not limited to copper, brass, glass, fiberglass or the like.

The basket preferably includes a basket bottom wall; a basket front wall; a basket rear wall; and two basket side walls, where the basket front wall, basket rear wall and two basket side walls have upper edges defining in combination a basket rim. Alternatively, the basket could be cylindrical in shape with a circular mesh bottom and side wall extending upward to create a basket rim.

The fry basket preferably additionally includes at least one detachable handle. Two handles may be preferred for larger variations of the fry basket.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a fryer basket that prevents food particles from remaining in fryer oil between frying cycles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fryer basket that aids in maintaining the quality of fryer oil being used in a fryer.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fryer basket with at least one detachable handle.

In one embodiment the invention is a basket for frying food products comprising: a wire mesh base, at least one wire mesh side wall, wherein said at least one side wall forms an upper rim of said basket. In other embodiment the basket is constructed with a wire mesh with distances of 0.0010 to 0.0450 inches between adjacent parallel wires of said wire mesh. In yet another embodiment the basket is constructed with a wire mesh with distances of 0.0060 to 0.0350 inches between adjacent parallel wires of said wire mesh. In still another embodiment the basket is constructed with a wire mesh with distances of 0.0060 to 0.0150 inches between adjacent parallel wires of said wire mesh.

In another embodiment the present invention is a basket for frying food products comprising: a substantially rigid metal frame, a wire mesh base attached to said substantially rigid metal frame, at least one wire mesh side wall attached to said substantially rigid metal frame, a detachable handle, wherein the basket is constructed with a wire mesh with distances of 0.0010 to 0.0450 inches between adjacent parallel wires of said wire mesh. In yet another embodiment the basket is constructed with wire mesh with distances of 0.0060 to 0.0350 inches between adjacent parallel wires of said wire mesh. In yet another embodiment the basket is constructed with wire mesh with distances of 0.0060 to 0.0150 inches between adjacent parallel wires of said wire mesh.

In another embodiment the invention is a basket for frying food products comprising: an outer frame, an inner frame, at least one piece of wire mesh, wherein said at least one piece of wire mesh is sandwiched between said outer frame and said inner frame to form a substantially rectangular basket having a wire mesh base and at least one wire mesh sidewall. In yet another embodiment the basket is constructed with wire mesh with distances of 0.0010 to 0.0450 inches between adjacent parallel wires of said wire mesh. In still another embodiment the basket is constructed with wire mesh with distances of 0.0060 to 0.0350 inches between adjacent parallel wires of said wire mesh. In yet still another embodiment the basket is constructed with wire mesh with distances of 0.0060 to 0.0150 inches between adjacent parallel wires of said wire mesh. In still yet another embodiment the basket comprises at least one handle. In still another embodiment the basket is constructed of stainless steel. In yet another embodiment the basket is constructed of copper. In still another embodiment the basket comprises at least one detachable handle. In yet another embodiment said at least one piece of wire mesh is removable. In another embodiment said at least one piece of wire mesh is replaceable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A PRESENTLY PREFERRED AND VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Reference is now made, more particularly, toFIG. 1which is a general perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. The generally rectangular fry basket comprises a metal frame22with longitudinal mesh side walls10and14; latitudinal mesh side walls12and16; mesh base18and handle20. Metal frame22is preferably constructed of substantially rigid stainless steel. The members of frame22could be in the form of thick wire, sheet metal, solid bars, hollow bars, hollow tubes or the like. Handle20is preferably detachable from the fry basket.

Reference is now made toFIG. 2which is a general perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. The generally rectangular fry basket comprises an upper metal frame24, a lower metal frame22with lower longitudinal mesh side walls10and14(not shown); lower latitudinal mesh side walls12(not shown) and16; mesh base18and handle20. Metal frame22is preferably constructed of substantially rigid stainless steel. The members of frame22could be in the form of thick wire, sheet metal, solid bars, hollow bars, hollow tubes or the like. Handle20is preferably detachable from the fry basket. Upper metal frame is preferably constructed of stainless steel sheet metal.

Reference is now made toFIG. 3which is a general perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. The generally cylindrical fryer basket comprises an upper metal rim24, a lower metal rim22, fine wire mesh base18, fine mesh sidewall10and handle20.

Reference is now made toFIG. 4which is a general perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. The generally cylindrical fryer basket comprises an upper metal rim24, a lower metal rim22, fine wire mesh base18, fine mesh sidewall10and handle20. Preferably handle20is detachable.

Reference is now made toFIG. 5andFIG. 6, which show two views of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. With particular reference toFIG. 5, a disassembled view of the fry basket of this embodiment. The fry basket is constructed from an outer frame member30, a precut piece of fine mesh32and an inner frame member34all preferably constructed of stainless steel. Outer frame member30comprises latitudinal outer frame sidewalls36and38, longitudinal outer frame sidewalls40and42, and open outer frame base43. Inner frame member34comprises latitudinal inner frame sidewalls44and46, longitudinal inner frame sidewalls48and50, and open inner frame base53. Outer frame member30and inner frame member34include a plurality of corresponding boiling slots52and54respectively. Boiling slots52and54aid in frying by allowing gases created during frying to evenly escape.

The fry basket can be assembled by placing precut piece of fine mesh32into outer frame member30, then placing inner frame member34on top of piece of fine mesh32, then folding corresponding sidewalls up into position as shown inFIG. 6. Alternatively, fry basket could be assembled by folding sidewalls of outer framer member30and inner framer member34up into approximate position. Then placing precut piece of fine mesh32into outer frame member30and securing inner frame member32so that piece of fine mesh32is sandwiched between outer frame member30and inner frame member32. The three basket components could be secured together by any means known in the art, for example welding, screws, nuts, bolts, clips, rivets, fasteners or the like. Preferably, the basket components are secured together in a temporary fashion to allow for easy replacement of the precut piece of fine mesh32. More preferably the three basket components are secured together by intimate contact, such that when inner framer member34is pushed into outer frame member30with precut piece of fine mesh32sandwiched between the two frame members, they snap together forming a secure and sturdy basket that can later be disassembled for easy replacement of precut piece of fine mesh32

Particular, reference is now made toFIG. 6which shows a fully constructed view of a preferred embodiment of the fry basket. Once the components shown inFIG. 5are assembled they could look like the fry basket show inFIG. 6. The fry basket of Figure six also comprises detachable handles56, which connect to fry basket by means of brackets58. Although, the detachable handles could be connected by any detachable and reattachable means known in the art, not just by said brackets.

While a presently preferred and various alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described in sufficient detail above to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to make and use the same it should be obvious that various other adaptations and modifications can be envisioned by those persons skilled in such art without departing from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.