Patent Publication Number: US-2011049276-A1

Title: Food press apparatus and method of ricing

Description:
The present invention relates to a food press apparatus of the type that, for example, comprises an apertured region for passing a piece of a foodstuff therethrough. The present invention also relates to a method of ricing a piece of a foodstuff of the type that, for example, comprises urging the piece of the foodstuff through an apertured region. 
     In the field of food preparation, particularly for those who cannot eat whole foodstuffs, for example infants, it is known to break food up into softer and more manageable component parts for feeding the infant, particularly when weaning a baby. 
     In order to make the consistency of the food suitable for consumption by an infant or person unable to eat whole foodstuffs, a so-called blender or food processor can be used. The blender comprises a jug-like vessel having a lid, and a rotating blade arrangement disposed towards the base of the vessel. The blade arrangement of the blender is electrically rotatable and serves to decimate or disintegrate a foodstuff placed in the vessel. 
     Another known device is a so-called “mouli”. The mouli is a multiple-part mill comprising a disc-like grating and a handle. The mouli is arranged so that when the handle is turned, food is urged through the perforated disc so that pureed food is produced. 
     However, the above devices are sometimes unsuitable for feeding an infant for a number of reasons. Firstly, the blender is not portable and requires a power source; the blender is also heavy and large in dimension. Secondly, the consistency of the food after processing by the blender can be undesirably smooth for feeding the infant and achieving a courser consistency is not easy with a blender. Additionally, particularly in the case of the mouli, egress of pureed food occurs, which can be undesirable, for example in a restaurant environment. Also, it is necessary to decant the pureed food into another vessel or onto a surface, for example a plate. 
     A so-called ricer or press is an alternative device known for pureeing vegetables, particularly potatoes. The ricer, somewhat akin to a garlic press, comprises a vessel coupled to a first handle, the vessel having a perforated base. A second handle is coupled to a piston, the piston being coupled to a disc that is slidable within the vessel. The vessel is filled with a foodstuff, for example a vegetable, and the second handle is used to slide the disc towards the perforated base so as to urge the vegetable against and through the perforated base as much as possible in order to obtain pureed vegetable exiting the vessel. However, as in the case of the blender and the mouli, the puree of the vegetable is not obtained in a clean manner and use of the ricer results in the creation of mess that is undesirable in some environments. 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a food press apparatus comprising: a receptacle portion for receiving a piece of a foodstuff; a plunger portion comprising an apertured region; wherein the receptacle portion and the plunger portion are arranged so as to be moveable from a first position to a second position so as to move, when in use, the apertured region through an internal volume of the receptacle portion. 
     The receptacle portion may have a base. The receptacle portion and the plunger portion may be arranged to provide, when in use, a clearance between the base of the receptacle portion and the apertured region. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a handle part comprising the receptacle portion. 
     The receptacle portion may be a recess formed in the handle part. 
     The receptacle portion may be located at a distal end of the handle part. 
     The plunger portion may be hingedly arranged with respect to the receptacle portion. 
     The apparatus may further comprise another handle part comprising the plunger portion. The plunger portion may be located at a distal end of the another handle portion. 
     The plunger portion may be removable from the another handle part. The plunger portion may be snap fittable to the another handle part. 
     The apertured region may be removable. The apertured region may be snap fittable to the plunger portion. 
     The apparatus may further comprise an end cap comprising the apertured region. The end cap may have a substantially half egg-shaped surface profile. The end cap may be removable. 
     The plunger portion may comprise a substantially hollow volume. The plunger portion may be substantially tubular. 
     The first position may be an open position and/or the second position may be a closed position. In the second position, the plunger portion may substantially reside in the receptacle portion. 
     The hollow volume may be arranged to receive, when in use, material from the receptacle portion after passage through the apertured region. 
     The apertured region may be located at a first distal end of the plunger portion and an opening is located at a second distal end of the plunger portion. 
     The opening may provide access to the hollow volume for retrieving the material therefrom. 
     The handle part may be hingedly coupled to the another handle part. The another handle part may be arranged to receive an eating implement. 
     The eating implement may be a spoon. 
     The another handle part may comprise a recessed region for receiving a shaft of the eating implement. The recessed region may be arranged to receive the shaft snugly therein. The recessed region may be arranged to receive the shaft therein as a push-fit. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a cover portion arranged, when in use, to overlie the another handle part for preventing egress of foodstuff. The cover portion may comprise a recess for storing a replacement end cap comprising another apertured region. The cover portion may be snap fittable to the handle portion. 
     The plunger portion may be arranged with respect to the receptacle portion so as to be removably hingable. The hinge may comprise a snap or push fit. 
     The plunger portion may be arranged to carry a peripheral seal. The peripheral seal may be a peripheral lip. The end cap may carry the peripheral seal. 
     The apertured portion may comprise a plurality of apertures provided therein between a first surface and a second surface thereof. 
     The plunger portion may be longitudinally arcuate in shape. 
     The receptacle portion and the plunger portion may be complementarily shaped so that the plunger portion may be capable of slidably translating within the receptacle portion. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of ricing a piece of a foodstuff, the method comprising: providing a receptacle portion for receiving a piece of a foodstuff; providing a plunger portion comprising an apertured region; and moving the plunger portion from a first position to a second position with respect to the receptacle portion so as to translate, when in use, the apertured region through an internal volume of the receptacle portion. 
     According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a food press kit comprising: a receptacle portion for receiving a piece of a foodstuff; a plunger portion comprising an optionally separable apertured region; wherein the receptacle portion and the plunger portion are arranged so as to be moveable from a first position to a second position so as to move, when in use, the apertured region through an internal volume of the receptacle portion. 
     It is thus possible to provide a food press apparatus and a method of ricing that is portable and manual. Additionally, it is possible to reproduce easily a degree of consistency for a foodstuff, the degree of consistency being selectable. It is also possible to serve the processed food in a simple manner that does not generate mess and without the need to decant the processed food. Furthermore, the food press apparatus does not present a cutting risk to the user due to the absence of sharp edges. 
    
    
     
       At least one embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an apparatus in a part-assembled state, the apparatus constituting an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  in a closed position;  FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the apparatus of  FIG. 2  carrying an eating implement;  FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  coupled to a cover piece; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of the cover piece of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  in an open position; and 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic, partially cut-away, diagram of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  in a partially closed position. 
     
    
    
     Throughout the following description identical reference numerals will be used to identify like parts. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a food press apparatus  100  for ricing or mashing a foodstuff for feeding to an infant comprises a first handle part  102  and a second handle part  104 . Respective parts of a hinge arrangement  106  are provided at a distal end of the first handle part  102  and the second handle part  104 . In this respect, a lateral pin-like protrusion  108  is integrally formed at the distal end of the first handle part  102 . A curled tongue-like portion, for example a lateral hook portion  110 , is integrally formed at the distal end of the second handle portion  104 . The pin-like protrusion  108  and the hook portion  110  are complementarily shaped so that the pin-like protrusion  108  and the hook portion  110  can be pressed into engagement by a snap fit so as to form the hinge arrangement  106 . The first and second handle parts  102 ,  104  are thus pivotable about a longitudinal axis of the pin-like protrusion  108 , but removably separable for hygiene and cleaning purposes. 
     The first handle part  102  comprises a plunger portion  112  located near the distal end of the first handle part  102  and that, although not shown in  FIG. 1 , attaches to the first handle part  102  by a snap fit for hygiene and cleaning purposes. However, the skilled person should appreciate that the plunger portion  112  can be integrally formed with the first handle part  102 . The plunger portion  112  comprises an arcuate body portion  114  coupled to an end cap portion  116 . The arcuate body portion  114  is hollow, for example tubular, and has a first access opening  118 . A second access opening (not shown) is covered by the end cap portion  116 . 
     The end cap portion  116  is removable and concave in profile, for example substantially half egg-shaped or teardrop shaped. The end cap portion  116  has a region comprising a plurality of apertures  120 , for example an array of apertures, the plurality of apertures  120  being of a first predetermined diameter. In this example, the plurality of apertures  120  is arranged in a uniform manner, for example as an array or matrix. However, the skilled person should appreciate that the distribution of the apertures over the surface of the end cap portion  116  does not have to be uniform. Furthermore, the above example implies that the apertures are circular in shape. However, other shaped apertures can be employed or a mixture of aperture shapes can be employed. Indeed, the shape of the apertures need not all be the same and the apertures sizes can vary or vary within a range of sizes for the end cap portion  116 . The end cap portion  116  also has a peripheral lip  122 . The end cap portion  116  engages, in this example, the body portion  114  by means of a pair of side-clips, though a push-fit can be employed. Of course, if the body portion  114  and the end cap portion  116  are integrally formed the body portion  114  simply comprises the apertured region. 
     The second handle part  104  comprises a receptacle portion  124  defining, in this example, a well or internal volume  126 . In this example, the receptacle portion  124  is formed as a recess in the second handle part  104  near the distal end of the second handle part  104 . The plunger portion  112  and the receptacle portion are complementarily shaped so that the plunger portion  112  is snugly slidable within the internal volume  126  of the receptacle portion  124  in a substantially sealing manner. In this example, the receptacle portion  124  is shaped so as to provide a clearance (not shown) at the bottom (blind end) of the receptacle portion  124  when the plunger portion  112  resides in the receptacle portion  124  to as full an extent as permitted by the first and second handle parts  102 ,  104  when brought together to close the food press apparatus  100 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , the first handle part  102  comprises a recess  128 . In this example, the recess  128  is profiled so as to match the footprint of at least part of an eating implement, for example a feeding spoon  130  for an infant ( FIG. 3 ), such as a shaft of the eating implement. The recess  128  is formed from a base  132  surrounded, in part, by a shallow peripheral wall  134 . The shallow peripheral wall  134  is formed from a resiliently deformable material, for example resin, and has a pair of side protrusion  136  disposed adjacent a neck region  138  of the first handle part  102  in order to retain the eating implement in-situ when not needed. If desired, the shallow peripheral wall  134  can be form from or coated with an elastomeric material in order to facilitate removable retention of the eating implement. Of course, the skilled person should appreciate that either part, or all, of the first handle part  102  can be coated with the elastomeric material. When in-situ, a working part of the eating implement, for example a bowl  140  of the feeding spoon  130  overlies the first access opening  118 . In order to facilitate removal of the eating implement without finger contact with the working part of the eating implement, for example the bowl  140 , respective push apertures  141  are provided at respective another distal ends of the first handle part  102  and the second handle part  104  in order to enable a user to release the eating implement from retention in the recess  128  of the first handle part  102  by insertion of a finger or other elongate body into the push apertures  141 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a cover portion  142  is shaped to overlie the first handle part  102  (concealed in  FIG. 4 ) and detachably couple to the second handle part  104  by a snap fit. The cover portion  142  extends to cover the length and width of the first handle part  102  but, in this example, stops short of the hinge arrangement  106 . The cover portion  142  also comprises a recessed portion  144  that serves as a storage compartment for storing a replacement end cap portion  146  ( FIG. 5 ). The replacement end cap portion  146  is held in the cover portion  142  by a snap fit or a push fit. A plurality of apertures of the replacement end cap portion  146  can be of a like configuration to the end cap portion  116 , or configured differently to provide different food processing results to the end cap portion  116 . A finger lip  150  is provided at a distal end of the cover portion  142  to facilitate removal thereof from the second handle part  104 . 
     In operation ( FIG. 6 ), assuming the food press apparatus  100  has been pre-assembled, the food press apparatus  100  is placed in an open position by manipulating the first and second handle portions  102 ,  104  by separating proximal ends  148  thereof so as to provide an access to the internal volume  126  of the receptacle portion  124 . A piece or portion of foodstuff, for example, potato or another vegetable, or a portion of a mixture of foodstuffs, is placed in the internal volume  126  of the receptacle. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the food press apparatus  100  is then closed by pivotally bringing the distal ends  148  of the first and second handle parts  102 ,  104  together so as to translate the plunger portion  112  into the internal volume  126  of the receptacle  124 , the end cap portion  116  being urged against the portion of the foodstuff so as to cause the foodstuff to start passing through the apertures  120  of the end cap portion  116  resulting in a change in consistency of the foodstuff, for example the foodstuff becomes mashed, riced and/or pureed. As the food press apparatus  100  reaches the closed position, an increased amount of the foodstuff passes through the end cap portion  116  and breaks-up during passage therethrough. Due to the presence of the peripheral lip  122 , a sealing effect is achieved between the plunger portion  112  and the receptacle portion  124 , thereby avoiding egress of some of the foodstuff around the sides of the plunger portion, particularly but not exclusively, in a spurting action. The clearance provided at the bottom of the receptacle portion  124  prevents any residual solids or hard parts of the foodstuff, for example pips, opposing substantially full closure of the food press apparatus  100  so as to cause the end cap  116  to crack or otherwise break. 
     The broken-down foodstuff now residing within the volume of the hollow plunger portion  112  is accessible therefrom via the first access opening  118 . Consequently, the processed foodstuff can be, for example, spooned out of the hollow plunger portion  112  and fed to an infant. 
     When use of the food press apparatus  100  is complete, the cover portion  142  can be placed over the first handle portion  102  and snapped into place by engagement with the second handle part  102  as described above. The presence of the cover portion  142  prevents egress of unused or residual foodstuff still located within the food press apparatus  100 . 
     Although the above-described food press apparatus  100  has been described as formed from separate piece-parts, the skilled person should appreciate that two or more parts of the food press apparatus  100  can be integrally formed. In the above example, the formation of the food press apparatus  100  from separate piece parts facilitates efficient cleaning. Also, the parts of the food press apparatus  100  are sized so as to fit in a sterilizer.