Device for separating liquids

A device for separating liquids has a side wall enclosing an interior space. A bottom is connected to the side wall adjacent a lower edge of the side wall and has an aperture formed therein at a position above the lower edge. The bottom extends upwardly and inwardly toward the aperture such that as the device is forced downwardly into a combination of liquids, a liquid floating on top of another different liquid is forced through the aperture and contained by the side wall and the bottom portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a device for separating a liquid from a 
combination of liquids wherein the separated liquid is floating on the top 
surface of another different liquid. 
Generally, when two liquids are combined, the liquid having the lower 
specific weight will float on the top surface of the liquid having the 
higher specific weight. A simple example of the above phenomenon is a 
combination of oil and water wherein the lighter oil will float on the top 
surface of the heavier water. 
In many situations where there is a combination of liquids, it is desirous 
to separate the floating liquid from the other liquid. For example, during 
the cooking and preparation of soups, stews, chili, and sauces, animal fat 
from the soup stock or from the meat particles rises to the top surface of 
the soup, stew, or sauce. The harmful health effects of animal fat are 
well-known and well documented in today's society. Therefore, 
health-conscious individuals have attempted to remove or skim the fat from 
cooking liquids by using a spoon or other similar utensil. Further, these 
individuals have also attempted to pour the fat off of the cooking liquid 
by tilting the pot or pan in which the liquid is contained. 
The above-described methods have not proved adequate for removing the fat 
from the cooking liquid. Skimming the fat from the surface with a spoon 
requires numerous skimming operations. Further, oftentimes the fat is not 
adequately removed by the skimming iterations with the spoon, and many 
times, the flavorful broth or sauce is accidentally skimmed and discarded 
with the fat. Attempting to pour the floating fat off of the cooking 
liquid also results in inadequate removal of the fat and accidental 
removal of the broth or sauce. Further, the handling of a hot pot or pan 
during the delicate pouring process can be dangerous to both the person 
pouring or to others in the area. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,860 discloses a skimmer for removing fat from a liquid. 
The skimmer disclosed in the patent includes a bowl member which is 
submersed in a liquid such that mainly floating fat and some of the broth 
or sauce flows into the bowl. The bowl is then removed from the cooking 
liquid and the fat floats to the top surface of the quantity of liquid 
disposed in the bowl. The bowl has an opening on its bottom surface which 
is opened and closed by actuating a trigger on a handle attached to the 
bowl. The opening is opened such that the broth or sauce in the bottom of 
the bowl can be drained back into the cooking pot. The opening is closed 
prior to the fat flowing through the opening. The fat then can be 
discarded from the bowl and the process repeated if needed. The skimmer of 
the patent adequately removes fat from soups or sauces and has been 
commercially successful. However, the skimmer has movably connected parts 
which can increase the cost of manufacturing the skimmer. Further, the 
skimmer requires that a user correctly position the bowl of the device 
within a liquid combination such that mainly fat flows into the bowl. 
Thus, a user is required to maintain the bowl of the device in a 
substantially level manner and to position the bowl along the top surface 
of the liquid combination so that the floating fat can flow therein. 
Therefore, the skimmer of the patent requires a user to exercise a certain 
amount of deftness in order to operate it. 
A skimming device is needed which can easily and safely remove a liquid 
floating on the top surface of another different liquid with a minimal 
amount of effort and skill on the part of the device user. Further, a 
skimming device is needed which has a simple structure so that it can be 
easily manufactured and easily used. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the invention is to provide a skimming device for removing a 
liquid floating on the top surface of another liquid which is more 
effective and which requires a minimal amount of effort on the part of the 
device user. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a skimming device which 
utilizes the inherent tendency of a lighter liquid to remain on the top 
surface of a heavier liquid to force the lighter liquid into a collecting 
cavity. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a skimming device which 
collects a liquid floating on the top surface of another liquid without 
collecting or requiring replacement of the other liquid. 
A still further of the present invention is to provide a skimming device 
which has a simple structure such that it can be easily manufactured. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a skimming device which 
allows the collection of a floating liquid in a safe manner. 
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are 
obtained by a skimming device having a side wall enclosing an interior 
space. A bottom is connected to the side wall adjacent a lower edge of the 
side wall. The bottom has an aperture formed therein at a position above 
the lower edge. The bottom extends upwardly and inwardly toward the 
aperture such that as the device is forced downwardly into a combination 
of liquids, a liquid floating on top of another different liquid is forced 
through the aperture and contained by the side wall and the bottom. 
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the side wall is 
circular in shape and the bottom is generally conical in shape. 
These and other important aims and objectives of the present invention will 
be further described or will become apparent from the following 
description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A skimming device embodying the principles of the invention is broadly 
designated in the drawings by the reference numeral 10. Device 10 includes 
a circular continuous side wall 12 which has an upper edge 14 and a lower 
edge 16. Side wall 12 defines an interior space which is bounded on its 
lower end by a bottom 18. Bottom 18 is preferably formed integrally with 
and extends from the side wall 12 at a location adjacent the lower edge 
16, as best shown in FIG. 2. Bottom 18 is frusto-conical in shape such 
that it extends upwardly and inwardly from the lower edge 16 of side wall 
12. 
Bottom 18 has a separating aperture 20 formed generally at its center and 
generally at the apex of the frusto-conical shape of the bottom. Aperture 
20 is located at a longitudinal location that is intermediate the lower 
edge 16 and the upper edge 14 of side wall 12. Aperture 20 extends in a 
generally horizontal direction and has a straining structure 22 disposed 
therein, as best shown in FIG. 4. Structure 22 is preferably formed 
integrally with the bottom 18 and has an inner solid circular portion 24 
and arm portions 26. When structure 22 is molded in the aperture 20, 
elongated arcuate openings 28 are formed. It is through openings 28 that a 
floating liquid will flow during the separating operation, as will be more 
fully described below. 
Lower surface 30 of bottom 18 forms a frusto-conical cavity 32 which serves 
to funnel and channel a floating liquid through the aperture 20 as device 
10 is forced downwardly into a combination of liquids, as will be more 
fully described below. Upper surface 34 of bottom 18 together with the 
side wall 12 forms an annular receiving cavity 36 for receiving and 
holding the floating liquid after it has passed through aperture 20. 
Side wall 12 and bottom 18 are described above and shown in the figures as 
being generally circular in shape. Side wall 12 and bottom 18, however, 
can be of any suitable configuration. For example, side wall 12 can be 
rectangular or polygonal in shape and bottom 18 can be generally pyramidal 
in shape. Further, bottom 18 is described above and shown in the figures 
as having generally straight angular portions extending inwardly and 
upwardly toward aperture 20. However, bottom 18 also can have a curved or 
arcuate shape such that the portions of bottom 18 extend upwardly and 
inwardly toward aperture 20 in a curved or arcuate fashion. 
Side wall 12 and bottom 18 may be made of any suitable material, but are 
preferably manufactured of a transparent material sold under the trade 
name "LEXAN," which is a thermoplastic carbonate-linked polymer produced 
by reacting bisphenol A and phosgene. 
Device 10 also has two handles 38 which are attached to side wall 12 
adjacent upper edge 14. Handles 38 are snapped into holes 44 and can be 
held together at 38a so that an operator can operate device 10 with one 
hand. Handles 38 can also be pivoted away from one another so that an 
operator can operate the device with two hands. Handles 38 are also used 
to force device 10 downwardly into a combination of liquids. The handles 
also allow the user to manipulate the device during the separating process 
such that spillage of the separated-liquid is prevented. Further, the 
handles allow the user to invert the device after the floating liquid has 
been collected to dispose of the liquid. Handles 38 each have horizontal 
grasping portion 40 and attaching legs 42. Each attaching leg 42 has an 
attaching nub 44 which is pivotally received in a corresponding attaching 
aperture 46 extending through side wall 12, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 
5. The attaching legs 42 are made of a resilient material (for example, 
"LEXAN") such that they have an outward biasing force to hold them in 
their corresponding aperture 46. Handles 38 are attached to side walls 12 
by forcing legs 42 inwardly, aligning the nubs 44 with the apertures 46, 
and allowing nubs 44 to snap into their corresponding apertures 46. Thus, 
the resilient nature of legs 42 allows secure attachment of handle 38 to 
side wall 12. 
Device 10 also preferably has a snap-in screen filter 48, as best shown in 
FIGS. 2, 3, and 5. Screen filter 48 has an annular holding member 50 for 
holding a screen 52. Member 50 can be made of any suitable resilient 
material, for example, "LEXAN". Screen 52 is preferably a wire mesh 
screen, but can be made of any suitable material, for example, plastic. 
Screen 52 generally has a shape such that its upper surface 54 is convex 
and its lower surface 56 is concave, as best shown in FIG. 2. Holding 
member 50 has a diameter which allows it to fit loosely within side wall 
12 adjacent lower edge 16. Member 50 also has attaching nubs 58 extending 
from its outer peripheral surface for alignment with and receipt within 
attaching apertures 60 disposed through side wall 12. Filter 48 is 
attached to device 10 by deforming the resilient holding member 50 and the 
screen 52 such that the nubs 58 can be snapped into place within the 
apertures 60. Filter 48 also has a tab 62 to aid in the removal of filter 
48. 
In operation, the handles 38 and the filter 48 are snapped into position at 
their appropriate locations along the side wall 12. Device 10 is then 
positioned on the top surface of a combination of liquids wherein a first 
liquid is floating on top of a second liquid. Device 10 will tend to float 
on the top surface of the liquid combination and traps an amount of 
floating liquid underneath the bottom 18 and within the side wall 12. 
Filter 48 prevents solid particles, which may be suspended in the liquid 
combination, from entering the cavity 32. A user grasps the handle 38 and 
forces device 10 downwardly. As this is done, the floating liquid will be 
funneled or channeled by the lower surface 30 of bottom 18 toward and 
through the aperture 20. After the floating liquid flows through the 
aperture 20, it then flows downwardly along the upper surface 34 of bottom 
18 and is contained in the receiving cavity 36. The user maintains a 
downward force until the second liquid supporting the floating liquid 
approaches or starts to flow through the aperture 20. The transparent 
nature of the material of which the side wall 12 and the bottom 18 are 
made allows the user to visually inspect when the second liquid approaches 
the aperture 20. The inherent tendency of the lighter floating liquid to 
remain on the top surface of the heavier liquid is utilized in combination 
with the shape of the bottom 18 to force the floating liquid through the 
aperture 20 and into the receiving cavity 36. Thus, the user can 
discontinue the downward force shortly before any of the second supporting 
liquid flows through aperture 20. 
After the user has forced the device downwardly such that the second 
supporting liquid approaches the aperture 20 as described, the user then 
guides the device 10 upwardly using handles 38. It has been found that the 
upward movement of the device 10 within the liquid combination without 
removing the device therefrom provides a suction-type effect such that 
floating liquid not originally contained underneath the bottom 18 and 
within the side wall 12 is drawn therein by the upward movement. The 
downward movement can then be repeated to remove the additional floating 
liquid drawn under the bottom 18. Thus, several iterations of the cycle 
mentioned above likely will remove all the floating liquid from the top 
surface of the supporting liquid. 
After the floating liquid has been collected in the receiving cavity 36, 
device 10 can be inverted and the floating liquid properly disposed of. 
Device 10 can be used without the filter 48. If it is used in such a 
configuration, the straining structure 22 will prevent particles and 
material suspended in the liquid combination from passing through the 
aperture 20. As is apparent, the filter 48 can be used when there are 
smaller particles present within the liquid combination, and the straining 
structure 22 will be adequate when only larger particles are present 
within the liquid combination. 
With reference to FIG. 5, device 10 optionally can be fitted with an 
extension skirt 64. Skirt 64 can be attached to the lower edge of device 
10 in any suitable manner, for example, by a snapping arrangement or 
structure. Skirt 64 provides a larger cover area for a floating liquid 
such that, when device 10 is moved downwardly, most if not all of the 
floating liquid will be collected with a single downward movement. Skirt 
64 can have an appropriate diameter to fit a particular sized container in 
which the liquid combination is located. Further, skirt 64 can be made of 
any suitable material, for example, a heat-resistant plastic. 
FIG. 6 shows a skimming device 10 with an alternative handle structure 66. 
Handle 66 has an extension portion 68 formed integrally with side wall 12 
and a horizontal grasping portion 70. The device shown in FIG. 6 with 
alternative handle structure 66 operates in the same manner described 
above, and can also be fitted with screen filter 48 and/or extension skirt 
64. Handle 66, like handles 38, allows manipulation of the device during 
the separating process such that spillage of the separated liquid is 
prevented and allows inversion of the device to dispose of the collected 
liquid. 
As described above, skimming device 10 provides an easy and convenient way 
for removing a floating liquid from a liquid combination. The device 
utilizes the inherent tendency of a lighter liquid to remain on the top 
surface of a heavier liquid in conjunction with the shape of the bottom 18 
to funnel or channel the lighter liquid through the aperture 20 and into 
the receiving cavity. The one-piece structure of side wall 12 and bottom 
18 can be easily manufactured. Further, there are no moving parts to wear 
or which would require complex manufacturing techniques. Additionally, the 
snap-on structure of the handles 38 and the screen filter 48 provide for 
easy assembly and for easy disassembly for cleaning purposes. 
Skimming device 10 described above is especially useful for removing fat 
from the top of a pot or pan in which a soup, chili, stew, or sauce is 
cooking. However, the use of skimming device 10 is not limited to cooking 
situations, but can be used in any situation wherein it is desirous to 
remove a floating liquid from a liquid combination. One such situation 
where the device may be advantageous is for use in waste treatment and 
disposal.