Patent Publication Number: US-2013233868-A1

Title: Produce Washing Bowl

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a food preparation and server device. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traditional colanders or strainers are comprised of a plurality of openings covering most or the entirety of the surface of the device. In operation, a strainer is placed in a sink and a user pours a food in liquid, such as boiled pasta, into the strainer to drain the water from the food; alternatively, a food to be washed or rinsed in placed in the device and water is poured over the food to rinse the food and drain through the device. In use of these traditional strainers, the device must always be placed in a sink for straining or washing due to the location of the holes on the bottom surface of the device through which liquid must drain. This requirement for sink placement may be disadvantageous where a user is unable to place the device in a sink, such as when sink space is unavailable. Existing strainers also do not allow for soaking food and subsequently draining the food in the same container; food first needs to be soaked in a solid container, and then poured into a strainer for draining. Nor do existing bowls allow a user to simultaneously soak and rinse food within the same container; a conventional bowl used for rinsing and soaking will cause food to float to the top and spill out of the bowl as the bowl fills with water. Furthermore, existing designs require a user to move the drained items into another container after removal from a sink so that water does not continue to drain from the strainer holes onto a table or other surface. 
     The present invention solves the existing limitations. The washing bowl contemplated herein allows a user to drain or wash food items in the bowl without having to place the entire bowl in a sink, thereby allowing a user to use sink space for other items. Additionally, the present invention allows a user to place food in the bowl for soaking and then simultaneously or subsequently drain it through the draining dam of the bowl. The present invention also allows a user to drain a food using the bowl and then placing the bowl onto a table service without the need to transfer to a separate container for serving. Additionally, the present invention allows a user to drain food with one hand for rapid draining of liquid, as well as avoids uncontrolled splashing that occurs when a large amount of food and liquid must be transferred to a traditional strainer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a washing bowl for produce or similar food products having a draining dam and a handle. In a preferred embodiment, the draining dam is mounted on the bowl and covers a front area of bowl wall and extends over a portion of the interior space of bowl. The draining dam includes a plurality of holes through which liquid can escape when bowl is tipped in direction of draining dam. Another preferred embodiment may further include a handle coupled to bowl at opposite side of bowl to draining dam to allow a user to grip bowl with one hand and tip bowl to drain liquid through the draining dam. The bowl may be constructed of suitable materials such as plastic, stainless steel, rubber or melamine. The draining dam may be constructed of suitable materials such as plastic, stainless steel, or rubber. The handle may alternatively include a rubber gripping surface fixed thereto. 
     Other objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth illustrative embodiments that are indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective front view of a washing bowl in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view of the washing bowl of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a left side view of the washing bowl of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the washing bowl of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the washing bowl of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The description that follows describes, illustrates and exemplifies one or more embodiments of the present invention in accordance with its principles. This description is not provided to limit the invention to the embodiments described herein, but rather to explain and teach the principles of the invention in order to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to understand these principles and, with that understanding, be able to apply them to practice not only the embodiments described herein, but also other embodiments that may come to mind in accordance with these principles. The scope of the present invention is intended to cover all such embodiments that may fall within the scope of the appended claims, either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents. 
     In a preferred embodiment, washing bowl  10  comprises base or bowl portion  20 , a draining dam  30 , and a handle  50 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , base  20  is preferably bowl-shaped, with a flat bottom portion  22  and a rounded wall portion  24 . Wall  24  extends upwardly from bottom  22  to define an internal bowl volume or space  26  and a rim  28 . Base portion  20  may be constructed of various suitable materials, including plastic and stainless steel. Bowl  10  may alternatively be square or rectangular in shape (not shown) to accommodate various other shapes and sizes of produce, and/or to suit the aesthetic or shape preferences of users. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  5 , a draining dam  30  is coupled to wall  24  of base  20 . Draining dam  30  may be coupled to base  20  by based by over-molding the draining dam  30  to the wall  24 , or by other suitable means as would be understood by those in the art. Draining dam  30  includes a plurality of holes  31  therein for draining liquid from food. Draining dam  30  comprises a front generally vertical portion  32  and a generally horizontal lip portion  34 . Front portion  32  replaces a section of the bowl wall  24  such that liquid can pass through holes  31  in this section. Lip portion  34  is disposed in approximately the same plane as rim  28  and covers a section of the internal bowl space  26 . In the preferred embodiment, draining dam  30  thus defines a generally L-shaped space that traps food when bowl  10  is tipped downward to drain liquid through holes  31  in darn  30 . 
     Dam  30  may be comprised of various suitable materials such as plastic, stainless, steel, or rubber. In a preferred embodiment, draining dam  30  is constructed of a rubber material to allow dam  30  to flex slightly when trapping food upon draining liquid. Holes  31  may be of various shapes and sizes, and may vary in number of holes per dam area to accommodate various types of foods. 
     Washing bowl  10  may optionally include a handle. In the embodiment shown in the FIGS., washing bowl  10  comprises a handle  50 . Handle  50  is coupled to base  20  at rim  28  opposite dam  30 . Handle  50  may be integrally molded from same material as base  20  where bowl  10  is constructed of plastic or similar materials. Alternatively, where bowl  10  is constructed of another material such as stainless steel, handle  50  may be coupled to base  20  by soldering, screws or other similar and known methods. Handle  50  may alternatively be covered in part by of another material (not shown), such as rubber, to provide an enhanced gripping surface for the user. Handle  50  may optionally further include an indent (not shown) on top portion of handle  50  for placement of a user&#39;s thumb, providing for enhanced gripping of the washing bowl  10 . 
     In use, a user places produce or other food to be drained, washed, rinsed or soaked into washing bowl  10 . Examples of foods to be washed or rinsed include lettuce, berries, lemons, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, carrots, spinach, mushrooms and the like. User then adds water to the washing bowl  10  to rinse the food. User then grips base  20  (or, where washing bowl  10  includes a handle, user grips handle  50 ) and tips washing bowl  10  downward to drain off liquid through holes  31  in draining dam  30 . Draining dam  30  traps the food in the L-shaped space between front portion  32  and lip portion  34  as user tips washing bowl  10 , thus allowing food to remain in the bowl  10  while liquid is drained off through holes  31 . 
     Unlike traditional colanders, where water drains out immediately through holes in the majority of the colander area, water remains in interior space  26  of washing bowl  10  when added. This allows a user to, for example, wipe surfaces of vegetable with a brush or with his/her hands to achieve a more complete wash of the food surface. Additionally, washing bowl  10  allows a user to accomplish the rinsing and draining process without having to place a traditional colander wholly in a sink. Where a traditional colander needs to be placed in a sink prior to rinsing/draining a desired food, washing bowl  10  does not. This provides the advantage of the ability to rinse and drain foods without the user have to clear most of all of his/her sink space. Instead, water can be added to food in washing bowl  10  while on a countertop, and water can simply be poured out into sink without the need to place washing bowl  10  in sink at all. 
     Other foods that require draining and/or rinsing, such as canned vegetables and beans or cooked pasta in water, can also be drained using washing bowl  10 . A user can simply pour the desired food and liquid combination to be drained into washing bowl  10 , and tip the excess liquid out through holes  31  of draining dam  30 . In the case of cooked pasta to be drained, pouring the food and liquid into a traditional colander and through the plurality of holes often causes a large amount of splashing, which can be dangerous where water is still at or near boiling temperature. Washing bowl  10 , which does not have a plurality of holes throughout the base  20  like a traditional colander, reduces the uncontrolled draining and splashing normally encountered. 
     In addition, unlike traditional colanders or strainers, washing bowl  10  allows a user to soak foods and subsequently drain them in a single container. For example, dry beans, which require soaking before use in cooking, can be soaked in washing bowl  10  and then drained using draining dam  30 . This reduces clutter in the kitchen, as well as reduces the number of dishes that require washing. Furthermore, unlike a conventional bowl used for rinsing and soaking food, washing bowl  10  allows a user to simultaneously fill the base  20  with water to soak food and drain excess liquid through the draining dam  30 . If using a conventional bowl to rinse and soak food, as the bowl becomes filled with water the food will float to the top and spill over the top rim of the bowl. However, when using washing bowl  10 , the draining dam  30  allows water to drain out of the washing bowl  10  while a user fills the washing bowl  10  with water for soaking, preventing over-filling and food spillage. 
     Another advantage of washing bowl  10  over existing art is that a user can drain off only a portion of liquid from a food. For example, if a user is draining a canned food and wishes to retain some of the liquid that food is canned with, user can pour entire can of food into washing bowl  10  and only drain off the desired amount of liquid. Traditional strainers, with holes throughout the entire surface of the device, do not allow this. Another advantage of washing bowl  10  over existing art is the ability to use a single container to drain cooked pasta and then add clean water to the drained pasta to prevent drying. With a traditional colander or strainer, cooked and drained pasta will become dry after draining off the cooking liquid and leaving the pasta in the colander (or the pasta must be transferred to a conventional bowl or container to add water to prevent drying). When using washing bowl  10 , a user can pour cooked pasta into the washing bowl  10  to drain off cooking liquid through draining dam  30 , and can then add fresh water to the washing bowl  10  to prevent drying of pasta if additional time is needed before serving. 
     Another improvement over existing devices is that washing bowl  10  allows a user to serve food in the same container as it is rinsed or drained. Because washing bowl  10  uses draining dam  30  to drain off liquid, rather than holes throughout the base of the container like existing strainers, washing bowl  10  can be used as both a strainer and a serving dish. This reduces clutter in the kitchen, as well as reduces the number of dishes that require washing. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalent thereof.