Abstract:
A self-contained food cleaning and preparation device is provided. The device is a fully enclosed transparent container having a flat bottom and a geometrically domed lid that secures to the bottom via a pair of latches disposed on the side of the lid or bottom. Two armholes covered by a transparent film are disposed on one or more sides of the lid. The film may be perforated for easy opening, or may be solid with cutting indicia disposed thereon. Arms are inserted into the holes through the film to access the interior surface of the container bottom, which is a food preparation surface. Fish may be cleaned on the interior surface without making a mess on an underlying counter.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/644,713 filed on May 9, 2012, entitled “Fish Scale House.” The patent application identified above is incorporated here by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a food preparation container. More specifically, the invention is a transparent box having an interior food preparation surface. The preparation surface is accessible via two arm holes in one or more sides of the box. Thin plastic covers the holes and acts as a splash guard once the user&#39;s arms are inserted into the armholes. Cooks, fishers, and anyone who regularly prepares messy food items will appreciate the portable self-contained food preparation surface. 
         [0004]    Food preparation can be a messy task. Since humans first began cooking and preparing their food, they have faced the dilemma of cleaning meats and vegetables without causing a mess. Food debris can lead to bacteria growth and more importantly to wasted foodstuffs. Meat is particularly difficult to clean and prepare because it involves the removal of animal skin, organs, muscles, and the like. The difficulty presented with daily cooking and cleaning of meat gave rise to the butcher and fish merchant trades during the early days of human civilization. These shop keepers clean, and cut up meat which can then be parceled out to customers. Historically, the preparation step might include removing particular parts of an animal and leaving the removal of unwanted parts to the customer, while in modern meat shops, all but the edible meat is removed. 
         [0005]    For hunters and fishermen who consume the bounty of their capture, the task of cleaning and preparing meat at home can be difficult and messy. Fish cleaning in particular is a messy process that can result in scattered scales and debris. Oil from fish skin soaks in to any surface it lands on, leaving a residual smell of fish behind after a cleaning. A self-contained meat preparation container is needed to provide users with a place to clean and prepare fish and meat without spreading smelly debris. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0007]    The present invention is a self-contained portable fish preparation surface ideally suited for the scaling of fish. A transparent container having a bottom and a lid that removably secure together. The lid is a dome and the bottom is a food preparation surface with latches disposed on the sides. Two or more armholes are provided, with attached clear coverings that form a splash guard. Fish are placed on the food preparation surface along with scaling implements, and the lid is placed on the bottom and latched thereto. Arms are then placed in the arm holes, where they can access the fish and scaling tools. Scales and debris are trapped inside the container volume, making it disposal easy. The prior art discussed below are considered to be a list of devices relevant to the present disclosure. 
         [0008]    A fish preparation board is disclosed by Hargrove, U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,596. The device comprises a box having parallel slits along a top surface an indent in the general shape of a fish. A drawer slides into the box from an open end, and provides a receiving volume beneath the slits for catching fish scales. A fish scaler is included having a small splatter hood to prevent scales from scattering during the fish cleaning process. Though Hargrove does disclose a box, it does not provide an interior cleaning surface or arm holes that provide a user with access to the interior surface. The only slash guard of Hargrove is attached to the fish scaler, rather than integrated into the preparation surface and lid. The present invention provides an enclosed container that reduces the scattering of scales in all directions, keeping them neatly confined within the container interior volume for easy disposal. 
         [0009]    Another fish scaling device is described in Bissell, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,095. A bucket having an interior lignin made of an abrasive grating forms the base for the device. Removably secured to the bucket is a lid, having a piston protruding therethrough. The top end of the piston has a handle, while the bottom end has a pummel exteriorly lined in the same abrasive grating as the bucket walls. Fish are placed within the bucket interior, and the lid is secured in place. The piston is then manually operated to drive the pummel, mashing and abrading fish against the grating surfaces. Scales are trapped between the grating and bucket as they are removed. Unlike the present invention, Bissell does not provide the user access to the fish during the cleaning process and does not allow for careful cleaning and filleting of a fish. 
         [0010]    Barron, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0048889 teaches an aquarium tank having a sloped bottom with a drain at the lower apex. Fish and water are placed in the tank for scaling, preventing scales and debris from scattering during cutting. After the fish is cleaned, water is drained from the tank. Scales are prevented from entering the drain by a removable filter that can be lifted out for disposal of its contents. Though the Barron device discloses a container in which a user can clean a fish with his or her hands, it does not contemplate a full volume covering. The container of the present invention fully encloses the work area and provides access only through the arm holes. 
         [0011]    These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. They do not provide a fully enclosed food preparation environment. Nor do they disclose a plurality of arm holes providing access through the container to an interior food preparation surface. The present invention is a fully closed container for preparing messy food items to prevent scattering of debris. It substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing portable fish preparation devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of fish preparation now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new self-contained environment wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when cleaning fish and preparing food. 
         [0013]    The present invention is a fully enclosed portable fish preparation environment. A flat smooth bottom and a geometrically domed, transparent lid form the body of the container environment. Latches are disposed on two or more sides of the bottom or lid, for securing the two components together during food preparation. The bottom has a smooth, level interior surface that may be used as a cutting board or merely for placement of food items such as fish, during preparation. 
         [0014]    Two arm holes are disposed on one or more sides of the container lid. These arm holes extend through the lid wall, providing access to the food preparation surface of the bottom. Because these arm holes present a break in the enclosure boundaries, a transparent film is secured around the perimeter of the arm holes and clings to a user&#39;s inserted arms. In use this film forms a splash guard, reducing the back spray of liquids, scales, and debris. In this way, the container presents a mobile food preparation environment that is used to reduce mess and time consuming clean up. 
         [0015]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fish preparation device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
         [0016]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a fully enclosed food preparation environment that prevents food debris such as fish scales and oil from scattering during cleaning and preparation. 
         [0017]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a food preparation device that has a film splash guard to protect a user&#39;s arms and torso during use. 
         [0018]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable food preparation environment that can be easily used on boats, truck beds, garage benches, and the like. 
         [0019]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable food preparation environment that acts as a sterile barrier between raw foods and the outside environment. 
         [0020]    Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
           [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of the assembled fish preparation container. The lid is secured onto the bottom creating a fully enclosed environment for preparing food. 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the fish preparation container in an attached state with the lid resting on one side. 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  shows an exploded view of the film covered arm holes of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  shows a cross-section view of the fully enclosed fish preparation environment in an assembled state. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the portable fish preparation container. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for cleaning fish, meats and other foodstuffs. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a side view of the fish preparation device in an assembled and ready for use state. A transparent lid  110  having a rectangular convex shape is removably secured to a flat bottom  120 . This lid can be completely removed from the bottom and used as a carrying container for the lid, food preparation devices, and the like. Two arm homes  130  extend through one side of the lid. A thin transparent film  140  is stretched over the armhole openings and has a targeting indicia  141  marked thereon. In use, the user will cut the transparent film along the indicia lines to gain access to the container interior. The transparent film clings to a user&#39;s inserted arms, acting as a splash guard that prevents food debris from being ejected through the arm holes. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a view of the fish preparation device in an open state. The lid  110  is unattached from the bottom  120  and lies on its side with the interior volume exposed. This lid has a convex shape that may be a rounded, rectangular, square, or the like. It may have a handle disposed on the top surface or a side wall, to facilitate easy carrying. A transparent material is used in the construction of the lid. Users must have a high degree of visibility in order to safely manipulate knives and other cooking implements within the device. 
         [0029]    Latches  150  disposed on the side of the lid  110  are adapted to engage with the bottom  120 , creating an assembled state. In a simple embodiment, the latches may be of the snap form, having a lateral channel approximately the height of the container bottom. The latch is pivotably attached to the container lid along a lateral axis. The latch can be rotated up or down and the channel snapped into place along the bottom perimeter to connect the two components. Other types of latches may also be used, such as vice clamps, button release latches, slide release latches, and the like. The latches may double as lifting handles by indenting the lid portions above the latches during construction. Such indentations provide a space for the user&#39;s hands to rest while holding onto the latches. 
         [0030]    The bottom  120  of the container has an upper and lower surface. In the figure, fish cleaning tools  161 ,  160  are disposed on the upper surface, ready for use. The upper surface is smooth and flat to facilitate even cutting and chopping of fish and other foods. On the underside of the container bottom is a coating of high friction material. The coating can be a thin layer of rubber, plastic, or any other semi-tacky substance that will reduce slippage while the container is in use. In one embodiment the bottom is a cutting board made of a silicone, plastic, or poly material. Use of a cutting board will reduce damage to knives used on the upper surface. In another embodiment the bottom is a thin flexible board such as a thick silicone cutting mat. In still another embodiment the bottom may be a smooth plastic material rather than a cutting board or mat. 
         [0031]    Turning now to  FIG. 3  there is shown a close-up view of the armholes of the container. The armholes  130  are disposed along a sidewall of the container lid  110 , and are circular in shape. Though a circular shape is ideal because it closely mirrors the natural shape of a human arm, other geometrical cross-sections are also contemplated. A thin layer of transparent film  140  covers the armhole openings and may be secured to the interior surface of the sidewall. A target shape, such as a cross-hair configuration, is formed from perforation lines  142 . To insert their arms into the armholes, users poke the perforation lines, tearing the film, and then slides their hands and arms into the container&#39;s interior volume. Perforations are used as an alternative to the targeting indicia shown in  FIG. 1  to make arm insertion easy without the use of a knife. 
         [0032]    Armholes may be disposed along one or several sides of the container lid. The precise configuration of holes will depend on the intended use of the device. Specifically, it may be desirable to have a set of arm homes on opposing sides of the device to permit rotation of the container, or to allow multiple persons to work within the container volume at one time. 
         [0033]    Turning finally to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a cross-section view of the preparation container. The lid  110  is secured to the bottom  120  via a pair of latches  150 . Though the latches are depicted in the figure as pivotably attaching to the container lid, they may also attach to the bottom and removably secure to the lid. 
         [0034]    In use an individual places the lid bottom on a support surface, with the upper surface facing upward. A fish and fish cleaning implements are then placed on the upper surface. Next, the container lid is placed on the bottom and the latches are secured into place, joining the top and bottom and creating an isolated interior volume. The user then slices the transparent film covering the armholes. Slicing is done along the target indicia markings. Then, the user&#39;s arms are inserted through the cuts in the transparent film until they gain access to the items lying on the container bottom. The user can then scale the and clean the fish, without worry that the debris will scatter about the surrounding area. Because the user is able to see through the transparent lid, risk of injury due to obstructed vision is reduced. After the user is done cleaning the fish, the latches are unfastened and the lid is removed. The fish is lifted off the bottom and placed in a cooler. Scales and debris are easily wiped off the bottom upper surface into the water, grass, or onto the ground. The lid and cleaning tools can be placed into the inverted container lid to prevent scales from getting on other items while in transit. 
         [0035]    The present invention is a portable fish and food preparation chamber that provides an isolated interior volume. This interior volume captures debris generated during food preparation and thus reduces the scatting of bacteria carrying debris in a food preparation area. Because the invention is lightweight and doubles as a carrying container, it is highly portable. It can be used on boats, truck tailgates, and other places where food preparation would normally be difficult or unsanitary. The present o container can easily be washed and sterilized prior to use, and therefore provides a portable, sterile, environment for preparing fish and other foods. 
         [0036]    It is submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
         [0037]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.