Patent Publication Number: US-2003230202-A1

Title: Pliant press for draining liquids from canned foods

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] There is a need for an improved press device for compressing and evacuating liquids away from canned tuna without getting the liquids on ones body or clothes. The present invention relates to an improvement to a press device for forcibly evacuating liquid from canned tuna and the like. Although it can be used for any number of foods, its most preferred use is with the 6 oz and 12 oz cans of tuna.  
       [0002] When canned tuna is opened, it is common practice to partially or fully drain off the packing fluid before eating the tuna. Most people squeeze out the liquid by first opening the can and then pushing the severed lid down in the can with their fingers or thumbs while holding the can upside down. This procedure exerts forces on the lid primarily at the two finger engaging points and forces the liquid out between the severed lid and inside of the can causing the odorous staining liquid to squirt on the user and user&#39;s clothes. The direct pressing of the severed lid with exposed fingers can also cause injury to the user. Furthermore getting the lid out of the can after pressing is time consuming and can result in injury. Prior art, which tried to solve these problems, include U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,544 issued December 1976 to Farley, which suggests a cup-like utensil having a cylindrical wall conforming to the internal diameter of a standard can for squeezing and straining tuna; U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,063 issued December 1994 to Berg, which suggests a press with a lid-engaging area shaped to fit the contour of the lid of a can; U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,721 issued January 1998 to Holmes, which suggests a perforated disc sized to fit snugly inside an open can; U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,481 issued May 1999 to Schwietert, which suggests a molded plastic strainer device sized to fit into an open can of tuna; U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,870 issued May 2000 to Strauss, which suggests a plate matching the inner contour of a container. The prior art referenced does not successfully address the need for a cost effective press device that prevents canned liquids from coming into contact with the user&#39;s body or clothes during pressing.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] According to the present invention we provide a flexible press for draining liquid from canned food which is somewhat the reverse of that shown by Farley, Berg, Holms, Schwietert, and Strauss but not precisely so. Referenced prior art describes a device that fits inside the can and performs the pressing function from that interior position. The outer lip of our press fits on the outside of the tuna can and holds the press in place by a friction fit while the flexible center portion of the press is manipulated against the severed lid of the can forcibly evacuating the liquid out the drain. The positioning of the pressing device of the present invention on the outside edge of the can provides for the liquid being contained within the pressing device and the user having complete control while the liquid is channeled out the opening thereby eliminating the possibility of the canned liquid coming into contact with the user&#39;s body or clothes.  
       [0004] Another object of the invention is to provide a press of the type described that accomplishes the pressing operation with the severed lid remaining in the can, the lid forming a part of the pressing structure.  
       [0005] Another object of the invention is to provide a press of the type described that utilizes a suction cup as a part of the press to retrieve the severed lid after the pressing operation is completed.  
       [0006] Other objects are to provide a press of the type described that eliminates contact of the contents of the can with the fingers or the hands to prevent the odorous material from getting on the person&#39;s hands and/or clothing and that reduces to a minimum the possibility of injury to the user.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
     [0007]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the invention with the top facing upwardly;  
     [0008]FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 showing the press in an initial step on a can before pressing;  
     [0009]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the device of FIG. 1 and a cross-sectional side view of a food can, as the device is prepared to install on the can;  
     [0010]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view, of the device of FIG. 1 and a cross-sectional side view of a food can with the device installed on the can prior to pressing;  
     [0011]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the device of FIG. 1 and a cross-sectional side view of a food can with the device in an advanced step of pressing; and  
     [0012]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the device of FIG. 1 and a cross-sectional side view of a food can subsequent to the pressing step, showing the can&#39;s severed lid held to the device by the suction cup.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0013] In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms, and variations in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.  
     [0014]FIG. 1 shows a isometric top view of the device  10  having an opening  12  radially located on flexible center section  14 . It can be understood that any number of openings  12 , within the flexible center section  14 , can be used to obtain the desired draining effect and are encompassed in this invention.  
     [0015]FIG. 2 shows an isometric cut-away top view illustrating the device  10  attached to a can  32 , having a severed lid  34 . The severed lid  34  has an inner, somewhat flat surface area but an outer area adjacent the edge is ribbed for stiffness. According to the present invention, the lid  34  is not initially removed after cutting but as will be apparent hereinafter, it is used as a pressing plate during pressing operations. It is an improvement that the device  10  has a band  18  oblique to the center section  14  which encompasses the outside perimeter of the can  32 , holding the device  10  in place by a friction fit thereby sealing off the contents of the can from the user. An opening  12  is located on the flexible center section  14 , of the device  10 , so that liquids can be drained from the solid foods and directed away from the user&#39;s body and or clothes, as shown in FIG. 5.  
     [0016]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view illustrating the device  10 , and a can  32  having a severed lid  34  prior to the device  10  being installed onto the can  32 . This view also illustrates the oblique band  18 , which encompasses the central portion of the device  10 , and a suction cup  16  centrally located on the underside of the device  10 .  
     [0017]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view illustrating the fit of the device  10  onto a can  32 .  
     [0018] Without the use of a pressing device, the most desired method for removing liquid from solid food in cans is as follows. The can is upright when the lid is severed and the lid is allowed to remain in the can. It is then usually desirable to grasp the can and press the lid down with enough pressure to support the lid in place while inverting the can, thus draining off excess liquid from the can. In this manner excess liquid is forcibly squeezed out indiscriminately allowing the liquid to come into contact with the user and the user&#39;s clothing. The can is then restored to its original upright position, and the severed lid is removed manually using the fingers exposing the user to risk of cuts and injury by the potential of the severed lid coming into direct contact with the user&#39;s fingers.  
     [0019] The invention will be better-understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the best mode of carrying out the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
     [0020] In the operation of removing liquid from solid food in cans using the embodiment of this invention as illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 6 , the lid  34  of the can  32  is first severed around its edge and is not removed from the can as it will be used during the pressing operation to assist in the removing of the liquids, namely, as shown in FIG. 3.  
     [0021] Thereupon, the device  10  is placed on the can  32  in its upright position as shown in FIG. 4. The oblique band  18  encompasses the outside perimeter of the can  32  and holds the device in place by a friction fit thereby sealing off the contents of the can from the user. Then the assembly is inverted as shown in FIG. 5. A pressing function is obtained with the hand applying pressure to the flexible center section  14  of the device  10  as shown in FIG. 5. The liquid is forcibly extracted out around the edge of the severed lid  34 . Due to the friction fit of the device  10  onto the outer edge of the can  32  by way of the oblique band  14  the liquid is contained within the device  10  and the user has complete control while the liquid is channeled out the opening  12  of the device  10  thereby eliminating the possibility of the liquid coming into contact with the user&#39;s body or clothes. This operation is done with the assembly over a sink or another desired receptacle to catch the fluid. The pressure exerted during the pressing operation serves to flatten the suction cup  16  located on the flexible center portion  14  of the underside of the device  10  thereby creating a vacuum that attaches the severed lid  34  to the suction cup  16 .  
     [0022] When pressing is completed, the can  32  with the device  10  still assembled is restored to its original upright position. The device  10  is then removed from the can  32  as illustrated in FIG. 6. Since the severed lid  34  is attached to the suction cup  16  on the underside of the device  10 , the severed lid  34  is removed safely and easily, eliminating any risk of injury and direct contact by the user.  
     [0023] This device  10  is distinct from other prior art inventions. Prior art describes devices, which fit inside the can and perform the pressing function from that interior position. Conversely, the oblique band  18  of the present device  10  fits on the outside of the can and holds the device  10  in place by a friction fit while the flexible center section  14  of the device  10  is manipulated against the severed lid  34  forcibly extracting the liquid out the opening  12 . The positioning of the device  10  on the outside edge of the can provides for the liquid being contained within the pressing device  10  and the user having complete control while the liquid is channeled out the opening  12  thereby eliminating the possibility of the canned liquid coming into contact with the user&#39;s body or clothes.  
     [0024] It is an advantage of the device  10  that it is manufactured as a molded, single piece and may be comprised of any one of a variety of inexpensive flexible materials including polymer, rubber, and the like or material mixtures know to those skilled in the art. Preferred materials are inert in the sense of unreactive with the food product, so that no off-flavors or colors are imparted to the food during the draining procedure. Rubber or plastic is used in most embodiments because it is inexpensive, inert, and light in weight.  
     [0025] It should be understood that other embodiments of this invention might be manufactured using alternative processes and/or multi-piece designs.  
     [0026] As illustrated, device  10  is in the shape of a circle that fits onto the food can to be drained (as illustrated), but any other shape is encompassed by this invention, such as rectangles for sardine cans and the like (not illustrated).  
     [0027] Another advantage of the device as made and used according to the invention are, in most embodiments, so inexpensive, inert, and light that they can be used as described in FIGS.  1 - 6  and then disposed of.