Patent Publication Number: US-2013241127-A1

Title: Food Processor for Processing and Cleaning Foods Easily and Quickly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a processor and, more particularly, to a food processor for processing foods, such as vegetables, fishes, meats and the like. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional chopping board  1  in accordance with the prior art shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is placed on a sink  2  to treat foods, such as vegetables  3 , fishes  4 , meats and the like. However, both of the processed foods and the wasted materials are placed on the chopping board  1  after treatment of the foods so that the processed foods and the wasted materials are mixed easily, thereby causing a sanitary problem, and thereby causing inconvenience to the user. 
     A conventional food processor  5  in accordance with the prior art shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  comprises placement basket  50  and a chopping board  51  retractably mounted on the placement basket  50 . The placement basket  50  has two handles  53  formed on two opposite ends thereof. The chopping board  51  has a bottom provided with a locking piece  52 . When the chopping board  51  is retracted onto the placement basket  50 , the locking piece  52  of the chopping board  51  is releasably locked onto one of the two handles  53  the placement basket  50 , so that the chopping board  51  is locked onto the placement basket  50  temporarily. After the locking piece  52  of the chopping board  51  is detached from one of the two handles  53  the placement basket  50 , the chopping board  51  is unlocked from the placement basket  50  and can be pulled outward relative to the placement basket  50  to expand the food processor  5  so that the food processor  5  can be placed on a sink  54 . Thus, the chopping board  51  is used to process foods, such as vegetables, fishes, meats and the like. Then, the processed foods on the chopping board  51  after treatment of the foods are pushed into and placed in the placement basket  50 . However, the wasted materials and water from the chopping board  51  easily fall down or flow into a compartment  55  of the sink  54 , thereby dirtying the sink  54 , and thereby causing inconvenience to the user when cleaning the sink  54 . 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a food processor, comprising a container having an interior provided with a receiving space, a straining basket removably mounted in the receiving space of the container, at least one chopping board removably mounted in the receiving space of the container, and two support bars retractably mounted on the container. 
     The container has two opposite ends each spaced from the chopping board and the straining basket. The chopping board has two opposite ends, with a gap being defined between each of the two opposite ends of the chopping board and a respective one of the two opposite ends of the container. The straining basket has two opposite ends, with a clearance being defined between each of the two opposite ends of the straining basket and a respective one of the two opposite ends of the container. 
     The receiving space of the container has two opposite sides each provided with a stop shoulder abutting the chopping board to support the chopping board. The chopping board has two opposite sides each abutting a top of the stop shoulder of the container. The receiving space of the container has a periphery wall provided with a plurality of positioning bosses pressing the chopping board to position the chopping board in the receiving space of the container. Each of the two opposite sides of the chopping board is pressed and positioned by the positioning bosses of the container. 
     The container has two guide tracks formed on two opposite sides thereof for mounting the support bars. Each of the support bars is inserted between the two guide tracks of the container. Each of the two support bars has a substantially U-shaped profile. The two support bars are retractably mounted on the two opposite ends of the container. 
     Each of the two opposite ends of the container has a protruding top provided with a hanging hole. The straining basket has two opposite sides each abutting a side of the stop shoulder of the container. The positioning bosses of the container are disposed above the stop shoulder. The chopping board is located above the straining basket and the stop shoulder of the container. The straining basket has a surface provided with a plurality of straining holes connected to the receiving space of the container. The container has a bottom provided with a draining hole connected to the receiving space, and the food processor further comprises a plug removably mounted in the draining hole of the container to block the draining hole of the container. 
     Preferably, the food processor comprises two chopping boards removably mounted in the receiving space of the container. The two chopping boards are juxtaposed to each other. 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a food processor for processing and cleaning foods easily and quickly. 
     According to the primary advantage of the present invention, the foods are processed by the chopping board, the wasted foods and water are pushed into and placed in the container, and the processed foods are pushed into and washed in the straining basket, so that the food processor can process, wash and clean the foods quickly and completely, thereby facilitating a user processing and washing the foods. 
     Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIGS. 1 and 2  show a conventional chopping board in accordance with the prior art. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a conventional food processor in accordance with the prior art. 
         FIG. 4  is a front assembly view of the conventional food processor as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a food processor in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the food processor as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side cross-sectional view of the food processor as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic operational view of the food processor as shown in  FIG. 5  in use. 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic operational view of the food processor as shown in  FIG. 5  in use. 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of a food processor in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 5-7 , a food processor  6  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a container  62  having an interior provided with a receiving space  620 , a straining basket  61  removably mounted in the receiving space  620  of the container  62 , at least one chopping board  60  removably mounted in the receiving space  620  of the container  62 , and two support bars  63  retractably mounted on the container  62 . 
     The container  62  has a bottom provided with a draining hole  624  connected to the receiving space  620 , and a plug  64  is removably mounted in the draining hole  624  of the container  62  to block the draining hole  624  of the container  62 . The container  62  has two guide tracks  625  formed on two opposite sides thereof for mounting the support bars  63 . The container  62  has two opposite ends  626  each spaced from the chopping board  60  and the straining basket  61 . Each of the two opposite ends  626  of the container  62  has a protruding top provided with a hanging hole  623 . The receiving space  620  of the container  62  has two opposite sides each provided with a stop shoulder  621  abutting the chopping board  60  to support the chopping board  60 . The receiving space  620  of the container  62  has a periphery wall provided with a plurality of positioning bosses  622  pressing the chopping board  60  to position the chopping board  60  in the receiving space  620  of the container  62 . The positioning bosses  622  of the container  62  are disposed above the stop shoulder  621 . 
     The chopping board  60  is located above the straining basket  61  and the stop shoulder  621  of the container  62 . The chopping board  60  has two opposite sides  602  each abutting a top of the stop shoulder  621  of the container  62 . Each of the two opposite sides  602  of the chopping board  60  is pressed and positioned by the positioning bosses  622  of the container  62 . The chopping board  60  has two opposite ends  600 , with a gap  601  being defined between each of the two opposite ends  600  of the chopping board  60  and a respective one of the two opposite ends  626  of the container  62 . The chopping board  60  has two opposite surfaces with two different colors to facilitate a user processing cooked and uncooked foods. 
     The straining basket  61  has a surface provided with a plurality of straining holes  610  connected to the receiving space  620  of the container  62 . The straining basket  61  has two opposite sides each abutting a side of the stop shoulder  621  of the container  62 . The straining basket  61  has two opposite ends  611 , with a clearance  612  being defined between each of the two opposite ends  611  of the straining basket  61  and a respective one of the two opposite ends  626  of the container  62 . 
     The two support bars  63  are retractably mounted on the two opposite ends  626  of the container  62 . Each of the two support bars  63  has a substantially U-shaped profile. Each of the support bars  63  is inserted between the two guide tracks  625  of the container  62 . 
     In operation, referring to  FIG. 8  with reference to  FIGS. 5-7 , the support bars  63  are retracted into the two guide tracks  625  of the container  62 , and the straining basket  61  and the chopping board  60  are mounted in the receiving space  620  of the container  62  as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In such a manner, the chopping board  60  is used to process foods, such as vegetables, fishes, meats and the like. At this time, wasted foods and water from the chopping board  60  are pushed into and placed in the container  62 . Then, the chopping board  60  is removed from the receiving space  620  of the container  62 , and processed foods on the chopping board  60  are pushed into and placed in the straining basket  61 . Then, the straining basket  61  is directly placed on a sink for washing the processed foods. Thus, the food processor  6  can process, wash and clean the foods completely. 
     Alternatively, referring to  FIG. 9  with reference to  FIGS. 5-7 , the support bars  63  are pulled and extended outward from the two guide tracks  625  of the container  62  and are placed on a sink  7  so that the container  62  are mounted on and supported by the sink  7 . At this time, the straining basket  61  and the chopping board  60  are mounted in the receiving space  620  of the container  62 . In such a manner, the chopping board  60  is used to process foods, such as vegetables, fishes, meats and the like. At this time, wasted foods and water from the chopping board  60  are pushed into and placed in the container  62 . Then, the chopping board  60  is removed from the receiving space  620  of the container  62 , and processed foods on the chopping board  60  are pushed into and placed in the straining basket  61 . Then, the straining basket  61  is removed from the receiving space  620  of the container  62 . Then, the plug  64  is removed from the draining hole  624  of the container  62 . Then, the straining basket  61  is again placed in the container  62  as shown in  FIG. 9 . In such a manner, the processed foods in the straining basket  61  can be washed and cleaned on the sink  7 . At this time, water strained from the straining holes  610  of the straining basket  61  is drained from the draining hole  624  of the container  62  into the sink  7 . Thus, the food processor  6  can process, wash and clean the foods completely. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the food processor  6   a  in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises two chopping boards  60   a  removably mounted in the receiving space  620  of the container  62 . The two chopping boards  60   a  are juxtaposed to each other. Each of the two chopping boards  60   a  has two opposite surfaces with two different colors to facilitate a user processing foods of different kinds. 
     Accordingly, the foods are processed by the chopping board  60 , the wasted foods and water are pushed into and placed in the container  62 , and the processed foods are pushed into and washed in the straining basket  61 , so that the food processor  6  can process, wash and clean the foods quickly and completely, thereby facilitating a user processing and washing the foods. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.