Abstract:
A cutting board for food preparation is equipped with a blower which can be mounted on the board in various positions to keep airborne irritants from the cut food away from the breathing zone of the preparer. A novel food guide and knife guard combination may be mounted on a grid of locations on the upper surface of the cutting board. The grid points have holes drilled through the board which provide a means for mounting the food guide and the knife guard as well as a means for draining juices from the cutting surface. A removable juice collection tray is mounted below the cutting board.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Professional cutting boards for food preparation lack optimum means for, at least, (a) control of food for accurate manual slicing in various directions for proper preparation and pleasing presentation; (b) proper collection of food juices generated during slicing for disposal or reuse; and (c) positive ventilation of the immediate slicing area to minimize a food preparer&#39;s exposure to airborne irritants. It is the object of the invention to provide these means. Further objects and advantages will become evident as described in more detail below. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention is a rigid, flat, elongate cutting board made of material suitable to back the manual cutting of food, that is, to provide a durable and easily-cleaned surface that is compatible with knife blades. At least a portion of the cutting surface is provided with a printed or inlaid grid pattern as an aid to cutting reproducible thicknesses of foods items. 
     Vertical holes are drilled through the board at the intersection of the grid lines to permit drainage of food juices through the board into a tray optionally mounted below the board. A vertical rigid food guide and a vertical rigid knife guard are also provided, each having dowels depending therefrom which can be inserted into the top openings of the vertical holes for support. 
     The cutting board is also provided with means for holding the base of a blower, in a plurality of orientations that allow the blower to blow air directly across the food as it is being cut and away from the user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the instant invention as viewed from above the right side of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is both a rear end view and a front end view of the preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment as viewed from below the right side of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a right side view of the preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  depicts a typical use of the preferred embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, in which like elements are represented by like indicia in each drawing,  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the instant invention as viewed from above the right side  110  of the invention. A rigid, flat, elongate cutting board  1 , made of material suitable to back the manual cutting of food, has an upper surface  2  upon which to cut food, at least a portion of which is provided with a printed or inlaid grid pattern  3  as an aid to cutting reproducible thicknesses of food items. 
     In this embodiment, the cutting board  1  is rectangular, but in other embodiments, other shapes such as, but not limited to, oval may be used. Vertical holes, e.g.,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9  and  10  are drilled through the board at the intersection of lines in the grid pattern  3 . The grid pattern shown in this embodiment is square, but in other embodiments, other patterns such as, but not limited to, triangular may be used. A vertical rigid food guide  11  and a vertical rigid knife guard  12  are also provided, each having dowels  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16  and  17  depending therefrom which are gripped by the top openings of the vertical holes  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 , and  8 , respectively, for support. The number and positioning of the dowels may be changed within the scope of this invention so long as they provide secure support for the food guide  11  and the knife guard  12  when food and a knife are pressed against them. 
     Holes  9  and  10  and all the rest of the holes at the grid points remain open to permit drainage of food juices through the board into a tray optionally mounted below the board (see  FIG. 3 ). It is important for hygiene that all of the drain holes be sufficiently large and smooth-bored for complete cleaning. 
     A blower  18  attached to blower support means (not visible in this view) at the front end  19  of the board  1  is aimed to blow air directly at high velocity lengthwise across the upper surface  2 . Unlike most kitchen vents, the blower  18  uses air emitting from the positive side of the blower to move air contaminated with food odors and irritants positively away from a user standing at either right side  110  or left side  111  of the board. The typical draft vent of most kitchens and some ranges is effective at moving large volumes of air from a food preparation environment, but applies negligible velocity to the air adjacent to food being cut and the person cutting the food. 
     In this embodiment, the blower  18  is preferably articulable vertically and horizontally so that it may be optimally aimed by the user. 
     The lower surface of the board is provided with a blower support means (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) for holding the base of the blower both at the front end  19  and the rear end  112 . Placement of the blower support means at other locations along the periphery of the board are within the scope of this invention. 
     The food guide  11  in this embodiment is elongate both in height and in the lengthwise direction of the cutting board  1 . This is to ensure that it will resist the sidewards pressure on food by the user even if the item to be cut is large. The knife guard is elongate in height but is preferably not elongate in length because it is meant to provide a stop against horizontal motion of the knife blade without significantly constraining the width of the food being cut. 
     In this embodiment, both the forward food guide end  113  and the knife guard  12  are shown rounded so as not to grate on the blade of a knife, but in other embodiments either or both may be planar or multifaceted in the vertical direction. 
       FIG. 2  is both a rear end view and a front end view of the preferred embodiment minus the blower  18  (see  FIG. 1 ). Taking  FIG. 2  as a rear end view, it shows the rear end  112  of the cutting board  1  resting on a board support  20 . The board end support  20  may be one piece transverse to the length of the cutting board  1 , as shown, or it may be more than one piece so long as the cutting board  1  is stably supported on a flat surface  21  (shown in dashed lines as environmental structure). One or more resilient pads  22  may also be provided to protect the surface  21  and keep the cutting board  1  from rocking. A blower support means  23  is provided here, taking the form in this embodiment of a pair of slots  23  extending inwardly through the board end support  20  from the rear end  112  parallel to the length of the cutting board  1 . The front end view in this embodiment is identical to the rear end view with the front end indicium  19  substituted for the rear end indicium  112 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment as viewed from below the right side  110  of the invention. It shows the fan  18  having blower attachment means  30  attached to the blower support means  23 . In this preferred embodiment, the blower attachment means takes the form of a pair of elongate tangs inserted into the pair of slots  23 . The slots  23  may extend through the board end support  20  and into extensions  31  attached to the lower surface  32  of the cutting board  1  for rigidity of support. Note that in this embodiment, the extensions  31  are made narrow enough that they fall between adjacent rows of drain holes exemplified by drain holes  33  and  34 . 
     Drain holes  8  and  10  in this figure correspond with drain holes  8  and  10  in  FIG. 1 , illustrating that the drain holes pass all the way through the cutting board  1 . 
     Other embodiments of this invention may utilize one or more alternatively-shaped slots in the board end support  20 , so dimensioned as to provide adequate support for the blower  18  without extensions  31 . It is also possible within the scope of this invention to have the slots  23  made in the front end  19  of the cutting board  1 , preferably positioned so that the corresponding blower attachment means does not obstruct any of the drain holes. 
     A juice collection tray  35  is provided in this preferred embodiment. It comprises a preferably square collection portion  36  surrounded by a support lip  37 . The support lip  37  cooperates with transverse support grooves  38  (only one visible in this view) so that the tray  35  may be slid in and out in the direction of the arrows A underneath the cutting board  1 . For this purpose, the depth of the collection portion  36  must be less than the vertical distance between the lower extremity of the resilient pads  22  and the lower surface  32  of the cutting board  1 . Other means for supporting the tray  35  under the cutting board  1  that are currently known in the art are within the scope of this invention. 
     This figure also shows a center board support  39 , the need for which depends on the length and rigidity of the cutting board  1 . Like the board end supports  20 , this support may consist alternatively within the scope of this invention as a plurality of supports.  FIG. 4  is a right side view of the preferred embodiment minus the blower attachment. It shows all of the elements identified in the other figures that are visible in this view. The left side view of this embodiment is a mirror image of this right side view with the left side indicium  111  substituted for the right side indicium  110 . 
       FIG. 5  depicts a typical use of the preferred embodiment. The food guide  11  has been pressed downwardly into the cutting board  1  so that the dowels fit into their corresponding holes (see  FIG. 1 ). Food to be sliced  50  (in this case an onion, shown in dashed lines to indicate environmental structure) has been placed against the right side  51  of the food guide  11 , and the knife guard  12  has been pressed downwardly on the opposite side of the food so that its dowel (again refer to  FIG. 1 ) fits into a corresponding hole. The position of the knife guard  12  relative to the food guide  11  determines the angle of the cut. When the edge  52  of the knife  53  (again shown in dashed lines to indicate environmental structure) is placed against the food guide  11  at point  54  and against the knife guard  12  at point  55 , the knife  53  will cut the food  50  along a straight line between them. 
     In embodiments, the cutting board  1  may also have a cutout portion through it (not shown) which would allow waste to be pushed off the surface. Embodiments may also include a food pushing device (not shown) for pushing food forwardly between the food guide  11  and the knife guard  12 .