Patent Publication Number: US-2011056016-A1

Title: Accessory for a double basin kitchen sink

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable 
     SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an accessory for double basin kitchen sinks. The accessory can be in the form of a cutting board or a bowl or a colander or a mounted blade. 
     2. Prior Art 
     The prior art has cutting boards mounted over the sink divider in a double basin kitchen sink or they straddle across one of the basins or they are mounted on the kitchen countertop. The present invention is mounted over the sink divider and has many more uses. It can be a cutting board or a bowl or a colander or a mounted blade. In a small kitchen or in a commercial kitchen, such flexibility is important. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,162 shows a cutting board that is attached to the sink divider by using studs that fit into nuts mounted onto the underside of the cutting board. These nuts are slid into slots and nonrotatably mounted. The cutting surface so produced can be shaky and does not present other uses such as those shown in the present invention. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,770 B1 has a first cutting board that straddles a sink divider and a second cutting board that is connected to the first cutting board on one edge and the other edge rests on the countertop. This arrangement obstructs one of the two sinks and both cutting boards can be shaky. because they are supported at the edges. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,336 B2 shows a cutting board that is mounted on the counter edge. It uses the narrow counter space located at the front of the sink to provide a cutting surface. There is a good chance any spillage would end up onto the floor because the cutting board is right at the edge of the kitchen counter. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,336 B2 can only provide a cutting board on the kitchen sink. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,305 B1 shows a cutting board that is movable side-to-side and front-to-back over a sink basin. It substantially obstructs the sink basin. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,964 shows a cutting board that is supported over one basin of a double basin kitchen sink. It substantially obstructs the sink basin. 
     The present invention is stable because it is supported by the divider of the kitchen sink and the countertop in front of the sink divider. One member of this invention is detachable. When removed, there is hardly any obstruction to the double basin kitchen sink. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a first member, and a second member with attachment(s) on its bottom surface. The first member rests on the sink divider and overhangs over both sides of the sink divider. Said first member has a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface has two legs that straddle the sink divider. Bolts are used to attach the two legs of the first member to the sink divider. Other means of attachment may be used. 
     The second member of the invention can be a cutting board or a bowl or a colander or a mounted blade, together with attachment(s) on its bottom surface. For example, the second member of the invention can be a cutting board that has two “S” shaped attachments on its bottom surface so that it engages said overhang portions of said first member, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The second member of the invention is then slid along said first member so that it rests on the sink divider. If the second member of the invention is a cutting board, then part of the cutting board rests on the sink divider and part of it rests on the countertop located in front of the sink divider. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  a perspective view showing a first member and a second member of the invention where the second member is a cutting board. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the first member of the invention taken from the cut  2 - 2  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a cutting board resting on a sink divider and on the countertop located in front of the sink divider. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the first member, and the second member, which is a cutting board, together with its two attachments taken from the cut  4 - 4  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the cutting board as shown in  FIG. 3  together with two “S” shaped attachments on its bottom surface. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a bowl together with a “C” shaped attachment on its bottom surface. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a blade mounted on a body together with a “C” shaped attachment on its bottom surface. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention comprises a first member, and a second member together with its attachment(s). The first member of the invention rests on and is attached to the sink divider. The second member of the invention may be a cutting board or a bowl or a colander or a mounted blade, together with its attachment(s). The second member, together with its attachment(s), is detachably attached to the first member of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a first member  10  and a second member of the invention. In this embodiment, the second member of the invention is a cutting board  12 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a cross sectional, view of the first member  10  which comprises a member  14  resting on a sink divider  20  such that the said member  14  overhangs over both sides of the sink divider  20 . The said member  14  has two legs  16  that straddle the sink divider  20 . In this embodiment, bolts  18  are used to attach the two legs  16  to the sink divider  20 . Other means of attachment may be used. For example, one may use screws or thumbscrews. 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the second member of the invention. In this embodiment, the second member of the invention is a cutting board  12 . Part of the cutting board  12  rests on the sink divider and part of it rests on the countertop located in front of the sink divider. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view showing the cutting board  12 , together with its two attachments  22 , attached to the first member of the invention  10 . On the underside of the cutting board  12  is a bottom surface  26 . Bolts  24  attach two “S” shaped attachments  22  to the bottom surface  26  of the said cutting board  12 . The two “S” shaped attachments  22  are then engaged with the overhang portions of said member  14 , which is shown in  FIG. 2 . The cutting board  12  together with the two “S” shaped attachments  22  are then slid along said member  14  so that part of the cutting board  12  rests on the sink divider and part of it rests on the countertop located in front of the sink divider. 
       FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the cutting board  12  together with two “S” shaped attachments  22  attached to its bottom surface  26 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a bowl  30 , together with a “C” shaped attachment  28 . In this embodiment, the second member of the invention is a bowl  30 . In another embodiment of this invention, the bowl  30  is perforated with holes so that it functions as a colander. For example, a pot of spaghetti boiled in water may be poured into the perforated bowl. The spaghetti is left in the perforated bowl and the hot water harmlessly flows out of the perforated bowl and into the kitchen sink. 
     The bowl  30  together with its “C” shaped attachment  28  is engaged with the overhang portions of the member  14 , which is shown in  FIG. 2 . The bowl  30  together with its “C” shaped attachment  28  are then slid along the said member  14  so that the bowl  30  rests on the sink divider. 
       FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of a blade  38  mounted on a body  34  together with a “C” shaped attachment  40 . The “C” shaped attachment  40  is engaged with the overhang portions of the member  14 , which is shown in  FIG. 2 . The blade  38  together with the body  34  and the “C” shaped attachment  40  are then slid along the said member  14  so that the blade  38  rests on the sink divider. The blade  38  may be used to sharpen knives. Alternatively, it may be used to remove the kernel from coconuts or used to saw meat.