Abstract:
Disclosed is a cutting board, comprising a body. The body defines a cutting surface. The cutting surface comprises a plurality of apertures extending through the body and a support structure separating each adjacent aperture of the plurality of apertures. The plurality of apertures allows fluid to drain from the cutting surface while the support structure grips the food item to minimize slippage on the surface during a cutting motion. The support structure includes one or more gripping edges for gripping a food item to resist horizontal shear forces exerted on the cutting surface. The plurality of apertures and the support structure define a substantially open matrix.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The field of the present invention relates generally to cutting boards for food products and more specifically to drainable and slip-resistant cutting boards for use with minimally viscous food items such as filleting fish.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Cutting boards are commonly used to provide a suitable surface for food preparation. Cutting boards protect the underlying surface from being damaged while simultaneously protecting the knife or similar instrument from becoming dull too quickly. In addition, a cutting board can provide a portable surface that can be removed to a sink and cleaned separately and thoroughly, whereas other surfaces, such as a kitchen countertop, may not provide adequate protection and cannot be as quickly or easily cleaned.  
           [0003]    A significant disadvantage of a conventional cutting board is the buildup of waste material and fluids generated by the food item, which may make the food preparation process less efficient and more dangerous. Efficiency is decreased due to the need to continually scrape debris and fluid away to maintain a clean and efficient cutting surface. U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,531 discloses one solution to the fluid drainage problem by providing a plurality of holes through the cutting board surface as well as a peripheral channel around the cutting surface that has additional drainage holes. A corresponding tray is used to catch the drained fluid and/or debris. This design, while allowing some drainage, does not provide any means for gripping the food item by the work surface.  
           [0004]    The increased danger disadvantage presents itself due to the presence of fluid acting as a lubricant on the cutting surface, which causes the workpiece to slip. Usually, the person performing the cutting operation must secure the food item to minimize slippage. Placing one&#39;s hands within close proximity to a moving sharp instrument increases the likelihood of cuts. U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,641 provides for a slippage resistant cutting board for food products by teaching the use of numerous adjacently placed abrasive inserts to grip the food item during a cutting operation. This design presents the disadvantage of not being drainable or permitting debris to leave the cutting surface. Debris and juices may also become trapped between adjacent inserts, which make cleaning difficult.  
           [0005]    The drainage and slippage issues present in the conventional art are particularly acute when a person performs a cutting motion that is parallel to the cutting surface. Such motion generates a significant shear force between the food item being cut and the surface of the cutting board. Horizontal cutting motions are very common when people fillet fish. An initial downward motion is used followed by a horizontal cut along the length of the fish. Knives used to fillet fish are often extremely sharp. Moreover, filleting fish produces a significant amount of debris and fluid. The fluid is most often slimy in consistency and very slippery. Therefore, filleting fish on conventional work surfaces can be difficult and often dangerous.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,200,212 and 4,017,063 each disclose clips used to hold a fish in place when scaling, cleaning or filleting. U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,279 disclosing a fish filleting apparatus for clamping a fish tail and strapping a fish head in place to aid filleting. Each of these patents recognizes the particular stabilization needs for fish filleting. However, clips and straps are inconvenient and only hold the food item at particular points, while allowing the remaining portion of the item to move. Consequently, there remains a continuing need to provide a cutting surface that provides for fluid drainage and minimal slipping of the food item being cut, particularly in the case of fish filleting.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    Disclosed is a cutting board, comprising a body. The body defines a cutting surface. The cutting surface comprises a plurality of apertures extending through the body and a support structure separating each adjacent aperture of the plurality of apertures. The plurality of apertures allows fluid to drain from the cutting surface while the support structure grips the food item to minimize slippage on the surface during a cutting motion. The support structure includes one or more gripping edges for gripping a food item to resist horizontal shear forces exerted on the cutting surface. The plurality of apertures and the support structure define a substantially open matrix. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cutting board and corresponding drainage tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a top view of a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a top view of a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4A is a partial top view of a matrix configuration for a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4B is a partial top view of a matrix configuration for a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4C is a partial top view of a matrix configuration for a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4D is a partial top view of a matrix configuration for a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4E is a partial top view of a matrix configuration for a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4F is a partial top view of a matrix configuration for a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5A is a partial side view of a lattice profile for the matrix of a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5B is a partial side view of a lattice profile for the matrix of a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5C is a partial side view of a lattice profile for the matrix of a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5D is a partial side view of a lattice profile for the matrix of a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5E is a partial side view of a lattice profile for the matrix of a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5F is a partial side view of a lattice profile for the matrix of a cutting board according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cutting board in combination with a table according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 7 is a side view of a cutting board in combination with a table according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a generally rectangular shaped cutting board  100  is shown. It should be recognized that the cutting board  100  may take many shapes, including, but not limited to circular, triangular, square, polygonal arcuate and irregular without departing from the scope of the present invention. The cutting board  100  comprises a body  102  with a top side  104 , a bottom side  105  and a perimeter  106  therearound. The body  102  also has a length L and a width W. One or both of the top  104  and bottom  105  sides of the cutting board  100  may comprise a cutting surface  107 . A handle  108  may optionally be provided to the device  100  to aid in holding and storage.  
         [0026]    The cutting surface  107  comprises a matrix or lattice portion  110  of openings or apertures  112  extending from the top surface  104  through the body  102 . The lattice portion  110  comprises a plurality of widthwise  114  and lengthwise  115  members with the apertures  112  defined there between. The plurality of widthwise  114  and lengthwise  115  members have a thickness T. The apertures  112  allow fluids to pass through the cutting surface  107  without accumulating thereon. The sizing and pattern of the lattice portion  110  is selected to support the food product on the lattice  114  while still permitting the fluid to drain.  
         [0027]    One embodiment of the invention comprises a rectangular body  102  an aperture  112  width dimension D of 1.2 mm and thickness T for the plurality of widthwise  114  and lengthwise  115  members of 0.2 mm. The area of the lattice portion comprising the apertures is approximately 60% in this embodiment.  
         [0028]    The substantially open lattice  110  of the present invention has been found to grip the food item while permitting full drainage in addition to removal of small debris. Gripping portions  144  are positioned at each aperture. The food item penetrates the plane of the cutting surface  107  and is gripped by the gripping portions  144  of the lattice  114 .  
         [0029]    A tray  116  may also be provided that conforms to the shape of the cutting board  100 . The tray  116  comprises a tray body  118  having a support ledge  119  and a recess  120  configured to receive the board  100 . The ledge  119  supports the cutting board  100  when placed in the tray  116 . The recess  120  permits juices and debris drained off the cutting surface  107  to be retained in the recess  120 . Such retention of juices and debris minimize contamination of countertops, tables or other work surfaces. The juices and debris may then be easily discarded.  
         [0030]    Referring to FIG. 3, another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the cutting board  100  is further provided with a retention clip  122  thereon. The clip uses a resilient means, such as a spring, to clamp a food item against the cutting surface  107 . In particular applications where the shear forces are very high, the clip  122  adds additional stability to the food item being cut.  
         [0031]    In another embodiment, the board  100  may be provided with supports to allow its suspension within a sink. This will allow fluids to drain directly. It will also facilitate washing of the food item before, during or after a cutting operation.  
         [0032]    Referring to FIGS. 4A through 4F, additional configurations for the lattice  110  are shown. FIG. 4A illustrates irregular shaped apertures  124  provided to a work surface. The resulting support structure is correspondingly irregular. FIG. 4B illustrates a repeating pattern of shapes  126 , such as circles  128 , pentagons  130  and squares  132 . FIG. 4C illustrates a conventional lattice  110  of circular shapes  134 . FIG. 4D illustrates a lattice  110  of pentagons  130 . FIG. 4E illustrates a densely packed lattice  110  of circular shaped  134  apertures; although various polygonal shapes may be alternatively employed. FIG. 4F illustrates a lattice  110  of irregular shaped apertures  136  defined by arcuate members  138 . Those having skill in the art will recognize that the lattice  110  may take any shape consistent with having a substantially open lattice area that permits the food item to be gripped by the gripping portions. A lattice portion not being substantially open will result in the food item slipping upon the generally closed surface as if the surface were completely closed.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIGS. 5A through 5F illustrate different structural profiles  140  for the lattice  114  according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5A illustrates a generally rectangular profile  142 . The generally rectangular profile  142  presents gripping portions  144 , which aid in gripping of the food item. FIG. 5B illustrates a singular bevel profile  146 , which presents a larger portion  145  on a first side  148  with respect to a second side  150 . FIG. 5C is double beveled  152 , which presents a central gripping portion  154 . FIG. 5D illustrates a central arcuate depression  156 , which enhances the grip of the gripping portions  144  with respect to the generally rectangular embodiment  142  of FIG. 5A. FIG. 5E illustrates a multi-planar profile  158  that presents a plurality of gripping portions  144 . FIG. 5F illustrates an inverted multi-planar profile  160  that presents first  162  and second  164  gripping portions. Those having skill in this art will recognize that the lattice  114  may be provided with any side profile that presents one or more gripping portions  144 , without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0034]    Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this illustrative embodiment, the cutting board  100  is integrated into a table  170 . The table  170  includes a recess  172  for receiving the board. The recess  172  is preferably the same depth as the board so as to provide for a flush meeting of adjacent table  174  and board surfaces  104 . A receptacle or catch basin  176  is provided to the bottom  178  of the table  170  for collecting drained fluids and/or debris. The receptacle  176  is removable for discarding the fluid and debris. Those having skill in the art will recognize that the cutting board  100  of the present invention may be incorporated into other devices without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0035]    The cutting board  100  contemplated by the present invention is molded of a plastic according to one embodiment. The board  100  may be formed by an injection molding procedure as a single part. Alternatively, the lattice portion may be fastened to a separately formed support structure. Persons having skill in the art will recognize that the board  100  may be constructed of other materials, such as wood, without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0036]    In use, a food item to be acted upon, such as a fish to be filleted, is placed upon the cutting surface  107 . The surface of the food item contacting the lattice  110  is gripped by the gripping portions  144  of the lattice  114  due to slight penetration of the plane of the cutting surface  107  by the food item. The person then performs the cutting action. Fluid generated by the food item before, during and after the procedure drains away from the food item through the plurality of apertures  112  in the body  102  of the cutting board  100 . Moreover, small debris may also fall away from the cutting surface  107  though the apertures  112 . The fluid and debris may be collected in the corresponding tray or receptacle  116 , if desired by the user. Finally, the board  100  may be washed in a conventional manner, such as in a dishwasher.  
         [0037]    The embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Additional embodiments are within the claims. Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.