Patent Publication Number: US-10767928-B1

Title: Drying apparatus

Description:
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
     CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a non-provisional of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/635,055 filed Feb. 26, 2018 entitled FOOD DRYING APPARATUS, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entireties. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates generally to drying apparatus for drying items having moisture or water on them. Particularly, food items such as fruits and vegetables are often washed in preparation for consumption or maintained in a humid environment to keep the fruits and vegetables fresh, however, the washing process or the humid environment can leave the fruits and vegetables damp. Additional clothes such as bathing suits can be taken off in a wet or dampened condition where it would be beneficial to be able to remove some of the moisture from such clothing items quickly. 
     Traditionally, in food preparation, when an article of food has excessive moisture on the surface of the food, a person would manually dry the food by patting a cloth on the wet surface of the food to remove the food. The manual contact of the surface of the cloth to the surface of the damp surface of the food would transfer the moisture to the cloth. This process can be especially burdensome in certain applications such as salad preparation or for drying herbs where there are many pieces of food and each piece has a large surface area. The process of drying each leaf of lettuce manually can be tedious and time consuming using this method. 
     Conventional solutions for drying food items such as fruits and vegetables can include salad spinners and the like. Most implementations are large, bulky, require large amounts of storage space, and include fragile parts which are difficult to fix or replace. Other solutions require time for the moisture to naturally fall off of the food, which is ineffective for time sensitive food preparation. Other systems include a drainage device such as net, basket, or mesh which water can pass through and be captured by an outer container. Such conventional solutions can require a certain amount of skill or finesse in removing the moisture from the food and not reintroducing the moisture back onto the food. Other systems include only a carrier made of a net or mesh material that can hold items to be washed under a sink and allow water to pass through the carrier, but such solutions allow residual water to drip or splatter from the net or mesh carrier once removed from the sink. 
     What is needed then is a system and/or method for effectively removing moisture from items such as food without the difficulties and inefficiencies seen in other implementations. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     This Brief Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     One aspect of the present disclosure is a drying apparatus that includes at least a first absorbent layer and a waterproof layer attached to the first absorbent layer to form a drying body. At least three elongated handles can extend radially from the drying body. Wet items such as food can be placed on the drying body and the elongated handles can be brought, folded, gathered, or converged together to wrap the drying apparatus around the items. The elongated handles can be grasped by a user&#39;s hand and the drying apparatus can be swirled or slung by the elongated handles to force water and moisture from the items and into the absorbent layer of the drying apparatus to dry the items. 
     Another aspect of the present disclosure is a drying apparatus including a first absorbent layer, a second absorbent layer, and a waterproof layer positioned between the first and second absorbent layers to form a reversible drying body, the reversible drying body having at least three corners. At least three elongated handles extending radially from a corresponding corner of the drying body. The drying body having two absorbent layers oriented opposite one another can allow both sides of the drying apparatus to be used to dry items. 
     Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method of removing water from an item, the method including the steps of providing a drying apparatus including a first absorbent layer and a waterproof layer attached to the absorbent layer to form a drying body, at least three elongated handles extending radially from the drying body; placing the item adjacent the first absorbent layer of the drying apparatus; bringing the at least three elongated handles together to at least partially surround the item with the first absorbent layer; and swirling the drying apparatus in a circular motion via the at least three elongated handles. 
     One objective of the disclosure is to provide an apparatus for drying items that have excessive moisture contained in or resting on the surface of the item. 
     Another objective of the disclosure is to provide a method for drying items having excess moisture contained within or on the item&#39;s surface by using a drying apparatus. 
     Numerous other objects, advantages and features of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art upon a review of the following drawings and description of a preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of one embodiment of a drying apparatus of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of first and second absorbent layers and a waterproof layer of a drying apparatus of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of another embodiment of a drying apparatus having multiple absorbent layers each with a waterproof backing. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of another embodiment of a drying apparatus with a drying body having inwardly concave outer edges between elongated handles. 
         FIG. 5  shows an item placed on the drying apparatus of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  shows the handles of the drying apparatus of  FIG. 4  converged and the drying apparatus surrounding the item, the drying apparatus configured to be swirled in a circular motion to dry the item. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that are embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific apparatus and methods described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims. 
     In the drawings, not all reference numbers are included in each drawing, for the sake of clarity. In addition, positional terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “side,” “top,” “bottom,” etc. refer to the apparatus when in the orientation shown in the drawing. A person of skill in the art will recognize that the apparatus can assume different orientations when in use. 
     As seen in  FIG. 1 , a drying apparatus  10  is provided. The drying apparatus can be used to dry various items, including but not limited to foods such as fruits and vegetables, as well as other wet items such as clothing. The apparatus  10  can be utilized to dry any suitable item via centrifugal motion of the item. The drying apparatus  10  can include a first absorbent layer  12  and a waterproof layer  14  attached together for forming a drying body  18 , and elongated handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  extending from the drying body  18 . The handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  extend radially, or from a center of the drying body, in some embodiments. The drying apparatus  10  may be used to hold a damp or wet item, such as an article of food, the food positioned adjacent to and contacting the absorbent layer  12 . The handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  can be folded, converged, or gathered together by a user such that the drying apparatus  10  at least partially surrounds the item and forms a pouch  50  or sling in which the food sits. A user may then spin or swirl the drying apparatus  10  in circles while grasping the elongated handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d . A centrifugal force results from the spinning motion and acts on the items positioned within the pouch  50  of the drying apparatus  10 . The centrifugal force causes the moisture on the food to move outward from the food and to contact the absorbent layer  12 . The water is absorbed into the absorbent layer  12  and the food remains dry after the user stops spinning the apparatus  10 . 
     In some embodiments, the drying body  18  is not reversible and is comprised of a single absorbent layer  12  with a waterproof backing or layer  14 , such that the drying body  18  is not reversible. In other embodiments, the drying apparatus  10  can include a first absorbent layer  12 , a second absorbent layer  16 , and a waterproof layer  14  positioned between the first absorbent layer  12  and the second absorbent layer  16 . The waterproof layer  14  can be positioned between the first absorbent layer  12  and the second absorbent layer  16  to minimize or prevent contact between and water or moisture transfer between the first absorbent layer  12  and the second absorbent layer  16 . The waterproof layer  14  can also prevent water from passing through the drying body  18  and being flung during spinning or swirling of the drying apparatus  10 . The first absorbent layer  12 , the second absorbent layer  16 , and the waterproof layer  14  form a reversible drying body  18 , with an absorbent layer  12  and  16  positioned on either side of the waterproof layer  14 . Thus, when a user is using the drying apparatus  10 , a user may place an item in contact with the first absorbent layer  12  and spin the drying apparatus  10  to remove the moisture from the item. If the food remains damp and the first absorbent layer  12  is saturated or nearly saturated with moisture, or if a second item needs to be dried, a user may place the item or second item in contact with the second absorbent layer  16  of the drying body  18  and spin the drying apparatus  10  to remove the moisture from the item or second item. 
     In some embodiments, the waterproof layer  14  has the same or substantially the same outer profile  30  and outer dimensions as the first absorbent layer  12  and the second absorbent layer  16 . In other embodiments, the waterproof layer  14  can have a unique outer profile  30  and outer dimension relative to the first and second absorbent layers  12  and  16 , a non-limiting example of which may be seen in  FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, the elongated handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  may be integrally formed on the first and second absorbing layers  12  and  16 . In such embodiments, the waterproof layer  14  may have an outer profile  30  and outer dimension which corresponds to the area of the first absorbent layer  12  and the second absorbent layer  16  which constitute the drying body  18  that surrounds the item and forms the pouch  50  when the handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  are converged or gathered together. 
     The first and second absorbent layers  12  and  16  can be attached to opposing sides of the waterproof layer  14 , such that the waterproof layer  14  is sandwiched between the first and second absorbent layers  12  and  16 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , in some embodiments, the first absorbent layer  12  can have a first waterproof backing  14   a  and the second absorbent layer  16  can have a second waterproof backing  14   b . For instance, some absorbent materials can be sold with a waterproof backing preformed on the absorbent layer. In such embodiments, the two waterproof backings  14   a  and  14   b  can be positioned facing or contacting each other with the first absorbent layer  12  is positioned outward from the waterproof backings  14   a  and  14   b  and the second absorbent layer  16  is positioned outward from the waterproof backings  14   a  and  14   b  in a direction opposite from the first absorbent layer  12  such that the waterproof backings  14   a  and  14   b  are positioned or sandwiched between the first absorbent layer  12  and the second absorbent layer  16  to form a reversible drying body  18 . In other embodiments, the drying apparatus  10  may comprise a first absorbent layer  12  having a waterproof backing  14   a  and a second absorbent layer  16  positioned adjacent to and attached directly to the waterproof backing  14   a  of the first absorbent layer  12 . Subsequent layers of the apparatus  10  can be attached to one another via any suitable means, including but limited to, adhesives, stitching, friction welding, etc. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the drying apparatus  10  can include elongated handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  extending from the drying body  18 . The drying body  18  may be shaped such that the drying body  18  includes corners  22 . For instance, in some embodiments, the drying body  18  can form a generally rectangular or quadrilateral shape with four corners. Corners  22  on the drying body  18  can come to sharp apex or include a corner edge or area from which handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  can extend. An elongated handle  20  may extend from each of the corners  22  of the reversible drying body  18 . Each handle  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  may extend from a corresponding corner  22  (for example handle  20   a  on corner  22   a , handle  20   b  on corner  22   b , and so forth). In one embodiment, the drying body  18  may include four corners  22   a - 22   d . Each handle  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  extends from a corresponding corner  22  of the four corners  22   a - 22   d.    
     In other alternate embodiments, the reversible drying body  18  can include at least three corners  22  and the apparatus  10  can include at least three corresponding handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d , for instance for a triangular shaped drying body  18 , or the drying body  18  can include at least five corners  22  and the apparatus  10  can include at least five corresponding handles in other embodiments. In other embodiments, the apparatus can include up to 8 elongated handles extending radially from the drying body  18 . 
     In some embodiments, the drying body  18  can have a generally circular shape without any corners, and the handles  20  can extend radially about the circular drying body  18 . In some embodiments, the handles  20  can extend radially and symmetrically from the drying body  18 . 
     Each handle  20  may be integrally formed on the drying body  18  and extend from the corners  22  of the drying body  18 , for instance into the absorbent layers  12  and  16  at each corresponding corner  22 , or the handles  20  may be attached to the drying body  18 . In some embodiments, the handles  20  may be attached to the drying body  18  via a stitched or sewn connection, forming a seam. 
     The handles  20  can be elongated and shaped such that a user may easily grasp each of the handles  20  with a firm grip. Each handle  20  can be shaped relatively thin such that when the handles  20  are converged or brought together the handles  20  can be grasped in a single hand such that the user can have a firm, full-handed grip on each of the handles  20 . The handles  20  may be elongated to provide an adequate section or surface of material for gripping the handle  20 . Elongated handles  20  in some embodiments can extend radially outward from the drying body  18 , and particularly from each corner  22  of the drying body  18 . 
     In some embodiments, each of the elongated handles  20  can have a length  32 , and the drying body  18  can have a width  30  and a diagonal dimension  34 . In some embodiments, the ratio of the width  30  of the drying body  18  to the length of the elongated handles  20  can be less than about 4. In some embodiments, the ratio of the width  30  of the drying body  18  to the length of the elongated handles  20  can be less than about 3. In still other embodiments, the ratio of the width  30  of the drying body  18  to the length of the elongated handles  20  can be less than about 2. In some embodiments, the ratio of the diagonal dimension  34  of the drying body  18  to the length of the elongated handles  20  can be less than about 5. In some embodiments, the ratio of the diagonal dimension  34  of the drying body  18  to the length of the elongated handles  20  can be less than about 4. In still other embodiments, the ratio of the diagonal dimension  34  of the drying body  18  to the length of the elongated handles  20  can be less than about 3. Longer handles  20  relative to the dimensions of the drying body can provide a longer distance between a user&#39;s hand and items placed in the drying apparatus  10  during swirling or slinging of the food drying apparatus. A great moment arm can provide a greater centrifugal force on the items during swirling to help increase the amount of water extracted from the items. 
     The drying body  18  of the drying apparatus  10  can further comprise outer edges  24  extending or positioned between adjacent elongated handles  20  or pairs of handles  20  and corners  22  (for example, between corner  22   a  and corner  22   b , and between corner  22   b  and corner  22   d ). The outer edges  24  extending between corresponding adjacent corners  22  of the reversible drying body  18  can form an outer profile or an outer dimension of the drying body  18 . In some embodiments, the outer edges  24  of the drying body  18  extending between adjacent corners  22  can be substantially linear. Each of the outer edges  24  can have a midline. In some embodiments, the outer edge may have an indentation or notch  26  extending inward or towards the center of the drying body  18 , wherein each indentation or notch  26  can be positioned at the midline of a corresponding outer edge  24 . 
     The notches  26  can help reduce holes or openings in the pouch  50  formed from excess material when the handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  are brought, gathered or converged together. When a substantially square reversible drying body  18  with elongated handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  extending from the corners  22  is folded at positioned to form a pouch  50  after the handles  20  are gathered together, large folds or creases can form at the midline of each of the outer edge  24  of the reversible drying body  18  extending between each handle  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d , the creases or folds forming holes where items can potentially fall out of the pouch  50  during swirling or spinning of the apparatus  10 . The notches  26  formed at the midline of each outer edge  24  of the reversible drying body  18  minimize the folding and creasing that occurs at midline. The notches  18  can help provide a more secure and enclosed pouch  50  for containing the food during the drying process. Furthermore, the notches  26  can provide a reduction in weight from the reversible drying body  18 . 
     In other embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the outer edges  24  can have a generally inwardly concave shape as the outer edges  24  extend between corresponding pairs of handles  20  and corners  22 . Outer edges  24  having an inwardly concave shape can help provide a similar benefit as the notches  26  in  FIG. 1  as the concave outer edges  24  can help reduce creases or folds along the outer edges  24  as the handles  20  are brought, gathered, or converged together to help retain items in the pouch  50  during swirling or spinning of the apparatus  10 . 
     A method for drying food using a drying apparatus  10  is provided, portions of which are depicted in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 . The method includes providing a drying apparatus  10  including a first absorbent layer  12 , a waterproof layer  14  attached to the absorbent layer  12  to form a drying body  18 , and at least three elongated handles  20  extending radially from the drying body  18 . The drying apparatus  10  can further include any of the various features discussed herein. The method further includes placing an item on a drying body  18  adjacent the first absorbent layer  12  of the apparatus  10 . The handles  20  can be brought, gathered, or converged together to at least partially surround the item with the first absorbent layer  12 . The drying apparatus  10  can then be swirled via the handles  20  in a circular motion to dry the item held within the drying apparatus  10 . 
     As the elongated handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  are gathered, a pouch  50  is formed around the item placed on the drying body  18 . The user then grasps each of the elongated handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  in one hand. The user then swings, swirls, or slings the drying apparatus  10  in circles via the handles  20  such that the pouch  50  containing the item revolves around the user&#39;s hand via the elongated handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d . Stated otherwise, a centrifugal force may be applied to the item and water on the item placed in the pouch  50  formed by the drying body  18  by rotating the drying apparatus  10  about a rotational axis extending through the user&#39;s hand or a distal end of the handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d , wherein the pouch  50  revolves around the rotational axis. 
     As the pouch  50  is revolving around the handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d , the water or moisture is acted upon by the centrifugal force and migrates radially outward from the axis of rotation of the drying apparatus  10 . The moisture contacts the absorbent layer  12 ,  16  of the reversible drying body  18  and is absorbed. The moisture is not able to migrate radially outward beyond the waterproof layer  18  as the waterproof layer  18  provides a centripetal force in a direction opposite the centrifugal force applied to the moisture and the waterproof layer  14  contains no pores through which the moisture may pass. Once the user has determined that an appropriate amount of spinning has occurred for the moisture to be removed from the surface of the food, the user may terminate the spinning of the drying apparatus  10 . The drying apparatus  10  may then by placed on a surface such as a table. The drying apparatus  10  is capable of lying flat on or flush with the surface when each of the elongated handles  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d  is pulled radially outward relative to a central point of the drying apparatus  10 . 
     In some embodiments, the drying apparatus  10  can further include a second absorbent layer  16 , the waterproof layer  14  positioned between the first and second absorbent layers  12  and  16 . The method can further include turning the drying apparatus  10  over, placing the item adjacent the second absorbent layer  16  of the drying apparatus  10 , bringing the at least three elongated handles  20  together to at least partially surround the item with the second absorbent layer  16 , and swirling the drying apparatus  10  in a circular motion via the at least three elongated handles  20 . In some embodiments, a second item can be dried by the drying apparatus  10 . The method can further include removing the first item from the drying apparatus  10 , turning the apparatus  10  over, placing a second item adjacent the second absorbent layer  16  of the drying apparatus  10 , bringing the at least three elongated handles  20  together to at least partially surround the second item with the second absorbent layer  18 ; and swirling the drying apparatus  10  in a circular motion via the at least three elongated handles  20 . 
     A user may fold and store the drying apparatus  10  in small places suitable for other household or workplace items, such as in a linen closet, a drawer, or a cabinet. The absorbent layers  12 ,  16  may include a number of various materials including highly absorbent and/or quick dry materials. For example, the absorbent layer  12 ,  16  may be made of material including but not limited to cotton, microfibers, bamboo linen blends, hemp blends, fleece, wool, foams, rayon, polyesters, etc. The absorbent layer  12 ,  16  may also include certain manufacturing patterns to help improve absorbency such as terry loops and bird&#39;s eye patterns. The waterproof layer  14  may include a variety of materials including, but not limited to, polyurethane, synthetic fleece, vinyl, polytetrafluoroethylene, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and waxes. In some embodiments, the waterproof layer  14  can include non-waterproof material coated with a waterproof material or substance. For instance, in one embodiment, the waterproof layer  14  can include a polyurethane coated fabric. However, any suitable material known to one of skill in the art for waterproofing or absorption may be used. 
     Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful DRYING APPARATUS, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention.