Abstract:
A cutlery center including a support block having at least one knife blade-receiving cavity and a battery charging stand for an electric knife affixed to the support block.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application, Ser. No. 60/193,609, filed Mar. 31, 2000. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a cutlery center for storing cutlery, such as kitchen knives and scissors. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Knife storage devices comprising wood blocks with elongate knife blade-receiving cavities open at the tops of the blocks have been found useful for storing kitchen knives, such as carving knives and paring knives. Such knife storage devices are stable and securely hold knives in an upright orientation with their blades in a protected position. 
     Storage devices have also been provided for electric knives and their blades. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of this invention is to provide a cutlery center which provides for the storage of ordinary kitchen knives and also for the storage of a rechargeable electric knife assembly. 
     A cutlery center in accordance with this invention comprises a relatively massive support block which may be made from wood and provided with plural elongate cavities, each cavity having an outer end open to an outer surface of the support block and an inner end inside the support block. The cavities are of dimensions suitable for receiving the blades of kitchen knives or other cutlery devices, such as the blades of a kitchen scissors. 
     Further in accordance with this invention, the cutlery center includes an electric knife assembly including an electric knife powered by a rechargeable battery located in its handle, and a battery charging stand for storing the knife handle while charging the rechargeable battery. The knife blade-receiving cavities may include a cavity suitably sized and shaped to store the blades of the electric knife. The battery charging stand is integrally formed with the support block. 
    
    
     The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cutlery center in accordance with this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of portions of the cutlery center of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view, partly broken away, of the cutlery center of FIG. 1 shown on a reduced scale. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of a cutlery center in accordance with this invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the cutlery center of FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of a cutlery center, generally designated  10 , in accordance with this invention which comprises a free-standing, self-supporting support block  12  having plural cutlery-receiving cavities  14  that open to the top of the block  12 . The cavities  14  may extend completely through the block  12  or may have closed lower,ends inside the block  12 . Blades of various kitchen knives, such as the illustrated knife  16 , are housed within individual cavities  14 , as may be the blades of a kitchen scissors  18 . 
     The support block  12  has a main body  13  made from laminated wood to resemble a butcher block, but could be made from other construction materials. During manufacture of the main body  13 , some (one or more) of the laminations, designated  17 , are grooved to partly form the cavities  14 . The laminations are thereafter glued together in face-to-face relationship to complete the formation of the block  12  and the cavities  14  therein. 
     In accordance with this invention, the cutlery center  10  includes a battery-operated electric knife assembly comprising a battery charging stand  22  integrally connected to the main body  13  of the support block  12 , an electric knife handle  24 . which houses a drive motor (not shown) and a rechargeable battery (not, shown), and a knife blade assembly  26  adapted to be inserted into the handle  24  and operated by the drive mechanism incorporated in the handle  24 . The electrical and mechanical drive members of the knife assembly may be entirely conventional and form no part of the present invention. Therefore, they are not illustrated or further described herein. 
     The battery charging stand  22  is nested in a forwardly-facing and open groove or nest  25  in the main body  13 . The charging stand housing includes an upwardly-facing pocket  28  that snugly receives the butt end of the electric knife handle  24 . Electrical house current is supplied to a battery charging circuit (not shown) within the charging stand  22  by a power cord  30  that extends from the charging stand  22  through a cord channel  32  formed on the bottom of the support block  12  to the rear of the block  12 . As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, a base cover plate  34  integral with the housing of the charging stand  22  not only covers the bottom of the charging stand  22  but also overlies the otherwise open bottom of the cord channel  32  and engages along recessed shoulders  36  that border along the sides of the cord channel  32 . Mounting screws  38  connect the base cover plate  34  and, accordingly, the entire charging stand  22  to the main body  13  of the support block  12 . The construction is such that the bottom lower surface of the support block  12 , including the bottom surface of the main body  13  and the bottom surface of the base cover plate  34 , are coplanar. Other fasteners (not shown) or a suitable cement could also be used to ensure that the battery charging stand is integrally connected to the support block body  13 . Small feet or support pads  40  are preferably provided to support the support block above a kitchen counter or, other supporting surface. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of a cutlery center, generally designated  50 , in accordance with this invention, which is designed to receive and support items of cutlery (not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) so that their handles project both forwardly and upwardly at an angle relative to vertical of approximately 45°. This construction may be advantageous if the cutlery center  50  is to be stored under a kitchen counter. Due to this construction, the cutlery handles project from the support block  52  at an angle convenient to the user. 
     In order to support the cutlery at an approximately 45° angle, the upper portion of the support block  52  of FIGS. 4 and 5 projects upwardly and forwardly from the lower portion of the support block  52 . Accordingly, the upper portion of the battery charging stand, designated  54 , of FIGS. 4 and 5, is angled upwardly and forwardly relative to the lower portion of the charging stand  54 . Otherwise, the construction of the cutlery center  50  of FIGS. 4 and 5. is essentially the same as the first embodiment described above in relation to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , and like reference numbers indicate like parts. 
     Although the presently preferred embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be understood that within the purview of the invention various changes may be made within the scope of the following claims.