Abstract:
A strainer assembly for a camp cooking kit has a strainer body having at least one rim for engaging a rim of a camp cooking pot and a plurality of openings for pouring liquid from the camp cooking pot while preventing egress of other contents from the pot. Strap guiding features formed in the strainer body provide for guiding a securing strap around both the strainer body and the camp cooking pot. The securing strap includes a fastening arrangement for securing the securing strap together for attaching the strainer body to the camp cooking pot. Handles, which can be formed in the strainer body or attached to the securing strap enable the strainer body to be tipped together with the camp cooking pot to strain the contents of the cooking pot.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/229,103, filed Aug. 31, 2000, which provisional application is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to camp cooking kits that are light weight, compact, and designed for use in wilderness camp cooking situations. Specifically, this invention is used to strain hot or cold water from a cook kit pot when boiling or re-hydrating is the means of preparing a selected food item, such as pasta or dehydrated beans. A secondary use due to its shape and composition is that of a cutting board. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Various manufacturers have supplied reliable strainers for domestic and commercial use. These strainers are typically bowl or pot shaped and may incorporate one or more features such as: a single handle, a pair of handles, or an extended handle and legs. These strainers contain drainage holes that vary in number and size in proportion to the items to be strained. The volume of these strainers also varies from small to large. The material of their construction varies as well. The most common today is plastic. Aluminum and stainless steel are also used. Some strainers are incorporated into the lids of specially designed pots. In such cases, the material of their construction is typically aluminum or stainless steel. 
     The straining operation is a simple one. The strainer is placed in or held over a sink or a large bowl or service pot. The hot pot containing boiling water and the food to be strained is poured into the strainer so that the strainer catches the prepared food. The strainer and the used pots are placed about the cooking area as meal preparation continues and addressed later during clean up. A conventional strainer and the procedure described above work well in a domestic or a commercial kitchen, but doing the same in a wilderness camp cooking situation can be hazardous. The known strainers suffer a number of disadvantages including: 
     (a) The size and shape of conventional strainers favor a countertop or sink work area; something not available in a wilderness cooking situation. As a substitute, the ground, an old log, or a semi-flat rock are generally less than adequate. At any stage of the process, the cooking pot, the strainer, or service pot can be set down and thereby rendered vulnerable to tipping, accidental bumping, dropping, kicking, or invasion by chipmunks. 
     (b) The size and shape of conventional strainers are not conductive to camp cooking techniques, compact packing, and transport in a backpack. 
     (c) The procedure exposes the user of the strainer to injury from splattering boiled water. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a camp cook kit strainer comprises a flat body that is circumvented by an outer side rim and has one or more pairs of gripping handles. Between each pair or within each one of the gripping handles is a notch or slot feature that guides a securing strap. A top surface of the strainer body contains one large strainer port or two opposing strainer ports that are perpendicular to the gripping handles. To accommodate a range of cooking pot sizes, one or more concentric arc segments project from a bottom surface of the strainer body to function as alternative rims. The securing strap can include a hook and loop fastening system, together with a D-ring accessory, to secure the strainer to a cook kit pot for performing the actual straining process. 
     Another embodiment includes a similar strainer body without handles. However, notches or slots are retained in the strainer body to guide the securing strap, which wraps around both the strainer body and a cook kit pot. Handles are attached along the securing strap for emptying cook kit pots through the attached strainer body. 
     Various objects and advantages of the camp cook kit strainer include: 
     (a) To provide a device and a procedure for straining hot or cold water from a cook kit pot securely and reliably without compromising the prepared contents when exposed to potential dropping, accidental bumping and kicking, or invasion by chipmunks. 
     (b) To provide a device that is not only conductive to compact packing and transport but complements stock camp cook kit design and camp cooking techniques. 
     (c) To provide a device and a procedure that reduce the risk of burns from splattered boiled water. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings, corresponding features share the same reference numerals, although alphabetic suffixes are sometimes appended for clarity. 
     FIG. 1 shows a top view of an exemplary camp cook kit strainer body made according to my invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a broken-away view of a pair of handles separated by a securing strap notch. 
     FIG. 3 shows a securing strap with a D-ring. 
     FIGS. 4A through 4H show operational aspects of the camp cook kit strainer assembly of FIGS. 1 through 3. 
     FIG. 5 shows an alternative camp cook kit strainer body modified to include two triangle-shaped strainer ports. 
     FIG. 6 shows an alternative cook kit strainer body with most of its surface area utilized as a common strainer port and having guide slots formed in a pair of handles for guiding a securing strap. 
     FIG. 7 shows an alternative cook kit strainer body without handles but retaining notches for guiding a securing strap. 
     FIG. 8 shows an alternative cook kit strainer body with slots for guiding a securing strap. 
     FIGS. 9A through 9C show details of a strap handle. 
     FIG. 10 shows an assembly of the strap handle of FIGS. 9A through 9C together with the strainer body of FIG. 7 on a conventional cooking kit pot. 
     FIG. 11 shows another assembly of the strap handle of FIGS. 9A through 9C together with the strainer body of FIG. 8 on a conventional cooking kit pot. 
     Reference Numerals in Drawings 
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     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One embodiment of my strainer assembly is illustrated by parts in FIGS. 1 through 3 and by assembly and use steps in FIGS. 4A through 4H. An exemplary camp cook kit strainer according to my invention has a monolithic body  50  of uniform construction fashioned from a rigid material consistent with industry requirements for food applications that can stand up to repeated use in camp cooking situations. In the preferred embodiment, the material is a resin composite, such as a molded thermoplastic resin. However, the camp cook kit strainer  50  can be made of other non-ferrous or ferrous materials that meet industry standards for food applications, such as stainless steel, aluminum, non-stick coated steel or aluminum, and titanium. 
     The strainer body  50  includes three concentric pot rims  18 ,  20 , and  22 , which are arranged in diameter to accommodate a range of conventionally sized cook kit pots by loosely engaging rim surfaces of the camp kit cook pots. The middle rim  20  and inner rim  22  are formed as concentric arc segments for engaging inner or outer rim surfaces of the camp kit cook pots. For example, the outer rim  18  preferably measures roughly 9.7 inches in diameter, the middle pot rim measures roughly 8.0 inches in diameter, and the inner pot rim  22  measures roughly 5.0 inches in diameter. These three measurements allow for variations in camp cook kit pots selected for use. These variations include 2 liter, 2.5 liter 3 liter, or 4 liter pots as well as 2 quart, 3 quart, or 4 quart pots. 
     Two pairs of handles  10  are integrally formed in opposite sides of the strainer body  50 . Each handle  10  is substantially square shaped and contains through-cut ribs  14  (see FIG. 2) that provide the handles with strength and gripping integrity for lifting and straining cook pots full of water. Grip notches  12  are formed as indentations in outer-most sides of the handles  10  adjacent to the outer side rim  18  to provide for more securing gripping the pairs of handles  10 . 
     Located perpendicular to the handles on opposite sides are two semi-circular shaped clusters of strainer openings  28 , which function as strainer ports  26 . Each of the openings  28  is preferably formed as a through hole in the strainer body  50 , measuring approximately 0.125 inches in diameter (although other sizes can be used depending on the items to the strained). The clusters of strainer openings  28  forming each semi-circular port  26  cover approximately 6 square inches of area each. 
     The strainer body  50  has a flat top surface  48  and a consistent thickness, which enables the strainer body  50  to also function as a cutting board. The three pot rims  18 ,  20 , and  22  and the two pairs of handles  10  have equal overall thickness (e.g., around 1 inch), so the strainer body  50  lays level on a flat surface and can be packed together with other items of a cook kit in a stack. 
     The handles  10  of each pair are separated by securing strap notches  16 , which preferably measure in this instance around 1.5 inches in width to accommodate a securing strap  30  shown in FIG.  3 . The strap  30 , which is preferably formed of a flexible material of reliable strength, includes a loop-type fastener patch adjacent to one end and a hook-type fastener patch  36  adjacent to an opposite end (e.g., VELCRO patches). A D-ring  38  is also secured at one end of the strap  30 . 
     A preferred manner of assembling and using the camp cook kit strainer body  50  and strap  30  to strain water off prepared foods is quite different from strainers of domestic use. As precaution, cotton gloves like the type made by WORKFARE—style Double Layer Chore, model #099275 should be worn to avoid burns caused by accidental contact with the pot. The process can be completed in a succession of easy steps laid out in FIGS. 4A through 4F and described below. 
     Step 1 (FIG.  4 A), place the securing strap  30  on a relatively flat and stable surface. 
     Step 2 (FIG.  4 B), wearing gloves, place a camp cook kit pot  42  to be strained on the securing strap  30  in such a way that the strap  30  is in the middle of the pot  42 . 
     Step 3 (FIG.  4 C), place the strainer body  50  on the pot  42 , fitting the pot  42  to the appropriate outer  18 , middle  20 , or inner  22  pot rim and be sure that the securing strap notches  16  of the handles  10  line up directly above the securing straps  30 . 
     Step 4 (FIGS. 4D-1 through  4 D- 3 ), guide each end of the securing strap  30  over the respective securing strap notches  16  in the handles  10 , slide a tapered end of the securing strap  30  through the D-ring  38  at its opposite end, pull each end of the securing strap  20  in opposite directions across the top surface  48  of the strainer body  50 , and snug the strap  30  tight engaging approximately equal overlapping areas of the hook and loop fastener patches  34  and  36 . At this point, the securing strap should be checked for looseness, both visually and by using a thumb and forefinger check for snugness just below the handles  10 . If the strap  30  is loose, step 4 should be repeated. 
     Step 5 (FIG. 4E) pinch the handle  10  between the index finger and thumb at the grip notches  12 . 
     Step 6 (FIG.  4 F), lift the strainer body  50 , together with the pot  42 , rotating wrists/forearms while directing strained water into desired receptacle. A small amount of water may drip from a bottom edge  24  between the camp cook kit strainer body  50  and its outer side rim  18 . Gently shake the camp cook kit strainer  50  and pot  42  allowing the last drops of water to drain. When done, remove the camp cook kit strainer  50  by reversing steps one through four. 
     An alternative pouring method is shown in FIGS. 4G and 4H and described in alternative steps 5.1 and 6.1 below. 
     Step 5.1 (FIG. 5G) as an alternative to Step 5, grip the diagonally aligned handles  10  with the thumb and index fingers of the left and right hands, respectfully. 
     Step 6.1 (FIG. 4H) lift the strainer body  50 , together with the pot  42 , rotating wrists/forearms similar to step 6 while directing strained water into a desired receptacle. Like in step 6, a small amount of water may drip from the bottom edge  24 . 
     Alternative embodiments of the strainer body are illustrated in FIGS. 5-8. Of these, FIGS. 5 and 6 feature different porting arrangements. A strainer body  50 A depicted in FIG. 5 is substantially the same as the strainer body  50  of FIG.  1 . However, instead of arranging the strainer openings  28  in semicircular patterns, the strainer openings  28  of the strainer  50 A are arranged to form triangle-shaped ports  26 A for more directed pouring control. 
     A strainer body  50 B depicted in FIG. 6 includes a full complement at of strainer openings  28  dispersed substantially throughout the top surface  48  of the strainer body  50 B forming a common strainer port  26 B. In addition, alternative handles  44  are formed with strap-guiding slots  44  for threadably engaging the securing strap  30  with the strainer body  50 B. 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 feature alternative strap guiding features. A strainer body  50 C depicted in FIG. 7 includes strap-guiding notches  44  but no handles. A strainer body  50 D depicted in FIG. 8 includes slots  46  in place of notches  16  or  44 . The function of the slots  46  remains the same—to guide the strap  30  in position around both a camp kit cook pot and the strainer body  50 D. 
     A strap handle  52  depicted in FIGS. 9A-9C is one of a pair of strap handles  52  that can be attached to the securing strap  30  as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 to function as alternatives to the handles  10  of the prior embodiments. The strap handles  52  have equally spaced slanted bars  54  that allow the strap  30  to be threaded through the handles  52  for securing the handles  52  to the strap  30  as particularly shown in FIG.  9 C. Indentations  56  in the sides of the strap handles  52  allow for more easily gripping the strap handles  52 , particularly by using a thumb and second knuckle of a forefinger. 
     In FIG. 10, the strap handles  52  are shown in lifting positions along the strap  30  securing the strainer body  50 C to the pot  42 . In FIG. 11, the strap handles  52  are shown in lifting positions along the strap  30  securing the strainer body  50 D to the pot  42 . 
     Advantages 
     From the description above a number of advantages of my camp cook kit strainer, become evident: 
     (a) The camp cook kit strainer is secured to the top of a cook pot by a securing strap. Using the gripping features, the pot can be lifted and poured. The securing strap keeps the strainer fastened to the cook pot containing the prepared items, thus protecting the contents from the accidental dropping, bumping, kicking, and invasion by chipmunks. 
     (b) The strainer ports allow the flow of water to be directed into another cook pot for reuse or disposal. 
     (c) The straining ports allow the flow of water to be controlled to minimize splattering water. 
     (d) The specifically spaced concentric pot rims expand the versatility of one camp cook kit strainer to fit a variety of cooking pots. 
     (e) The strainer&#39;s flat design makes it a convenient accessory to any stock camp cook kit. The strainer is stored above or below the nested pots of the stock camp cook kit. The entire stack can be held together with the securing strap. 
     (f) The strainer can be made to accommodate pots of varying diameter, as well as pots of specific diameter. 
     (g) A secondary use due to its shape and composition is that of a cutting board. 
     Accordingly, it is apparent that the camp cook kit strainer of this invention can be used in wilderness camping situations to strain hot or cold water from a camp cook kit when boiling or re-hydrating is the means of preparing a selected food item. In addition, when the strainer and the securing strap are used, the contents are protected from potential dropping, accidental bumping or kicking, and invasion by chipmunks. Furthermore, the camp cook kit strainer has the additional advantages in that: 
     (a) It expands a limited camp menu by adding those selected food items currently omitted by eliminating straining hazards. 
     (b) It complements stock cook kits and camp cooking techniques, and is easily packed for transport in a backpack. 
     (c) It can be produced so that one strainer will fit a variety of pot sizes. 
     (d) It can be produced so that one strainer will fit a pot of specific diameter. 
     (e) It can be produced in plastic, stainless steel, aluminum, non-stick coated stainless steel or aluminum, and titanium. 
     Although the above description contains particular specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but merely as providing illustrations of some of the preferred embodiments of this invention. For example the strainer ports could be different shapes; such as circular, oval, etc.; the grip handles could have other shapes; the hook and loop fasteners on the securing strap could be replaced by a buckle or snap, clip, etc. 
     Thus the scope of this invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.