Patent Publication Number: US-2018042428-A1

Title: Drainage device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/237,921, filed 10 AUG. 2016, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to devices that strain liquid from food and, more particularly, a drainage device for evacuating liquids so that the evacuated liquid and resulting steam is prevented from reentering the device and contaminating the food stuff still remaining in the drainage device. 
     Items, especially consumable food, are vulnerable to contamination after liquid passes through a straining device and splashes off of a contaminated surface. As liquid is poured through a drainage device such as a colander, liquid can contact an underlying sink basin and splash back through and into the drainage device. Bacteria and germs present on the sink basin therefore can be transferred back into and contaminate the interior of the drainage device via this “splashback” liquid. Consequently, any food within the interior of drainage device can be contaminated. Furthermore, as drainage devices rest in sink basin, similarly contaminated steam may rise off of the sink basin or from the corresponding sink drain to and through the underside of drainage device, further contaminating any items contained therein. 
     Some current drainage devices (for example, colanders) attempt to protect from splashback contamination by raising or elevating the device sufficiently high above the sink basin. This elevation has to be maintained for the entire duration that liquid may splash back or steam may rise off the supporting sink basin. Other current drainage devices attempt to protect against contamination via a two-stage mechanism where liquid is drained away from the food item into a separate chamber and held. After this stage is complete, the first chamber was sealed and the liquid containing second chamber was opened and drained. 
     Elevating a device high above the sink basin is potentially dangerous and at the very least inconvenient. Raising a colander away from the sink basin by placing it on top of another item invites instability and may require large amounts of space. Manually holding a colander may require multiple people (one to hold the colander high above the sink and another to pour). A colander placed on top of another device may tip over spilling scalding liquid uncontrollably and food into the sink basin in addition to inconveniently requiring a lot of space in or around the sink and two separate devices: a colander and the elevating device. Manually holding a colander high above the sink may result in greater amount of hot liquid splashing and accidental burns or discomfort due to increased exposure to steam on hands and arms. Furthermore, a two-stage system is more labor intensive and cumbersome than one that drains liquid and protect from germs in one stage. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a drainage device for retaining solid material while evacuating liquids so that the exiting liquid and resulting steam is impeded from reentering the device, wherein the device mitigates chance of failure and harm by being less prone to tip over due to its ability to be placed stably on a supporting surface, by being one item instead of two stacked on each other, by avoiding the need for unnecessary and prolonged exposure of arms and hands, by not requiring the opening and sealing of multiple chambers, by being entirely operable by one person, and by requiring no more space on and around the sink than a standard colander. The present invention is advantageous over colanders with extendable arms which rest on a countertop and suspend the colander over the sink basin, as the latter are much more unstable, and the present invention does not require support or stabilization from the countertop, rim or sink. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a drainage device for separating fluids for solid material, while preventing splashback contamination, the drainage device providing a bowl-shaped perforated inner wall defining an item cavity; a solid outer wall spaced apart from the inner so as to define a channeling void therebetween; a lower peripheral opening provided by the outer wall; and a neck extending through the lower peripheral opening so as to connect to a solid interface disposed along a lower portion of the inner wall, wherein a space between the neck and the lower peripheral wall defines a discharge opening fluidly connected to the channeling void. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, the drainage device providing a bowl-shaped perforated inner wall defining an item cavity; a solid outer wall spaced apart from the inner so as to define a channeling void therebetween; a lower peripheral opening provided by the outer wall; a base concentric with the lower periphery opening, the base radially extending beyond a circumference thereof by between two to four inches; and a neck extending from the base through the lower peripheral opening so as to connect to a solid interface disposed along a lower portion of the inner wall; the neck has a uniform nose-tip curvature including: a base curvature disposed below and beyond a circumference of the lower periphery opening; and an upper wall curvature disposed above and beyond said circumference, wherein a space between the neck and the lower peripheral wall defines a discharge opening fluidly connected to the channeling void. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a section detail view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a section detail view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating liquid evacuation; 
         FIG. 5  is a top detail perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a section detail view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a drainage device for separating fluids from solid material and evacuating the fluids so that the fluid and resulting steam is impeded from reentering the device and contaminating the solid material still remaining therein. The drainage device provides an inner perforated wall defining an item cavity allows for storing the solid material, while draining the fluid therefrom. A outer solid wall connected to the inner perforated wall enables continued and directed drainage of the evacuating fluid through providing a channeling void between the outer and inner walls that fluidly communicates with a discharge opening. The discharge opening is circumscribed by a supporting neck extending from a support base, while the solidity of the outer wall provides a physical barrier against germ-carrying splashback contaminating the perforated inner wall. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the present invention may include a drainage device  100  having a perforated inner wall  12  connected to a spaced apart solid outer wall  10 , wherein the space apart between the inner and outer walls  12  and  10  defines a channeling void  40 . The perforated inner wall  12  may define an item cavity  50  for receiving food stuff  22  and fluid  24  therein, wherein the fluid flows through the perforations  14  of the perforated inner wall  12 . The drainage device  100  may be made of a material with a suitably high melting point and substantial rigidity. Several materials meet these criteria (ex. certain food safe plastics and metals). Additional criteria may be the use of materials which possess anti-microbial properties. Alternatively, food safe anti-microbial treatments may be applied after manufacture of the device. 
     The item cavity  50  communicates to a peripheral opening in the inner wall  12 , wherein the opening is defined by a peripheral edge of the inner wall  12 . In certain embodiments, both inner and outer walls  12  and  10  may be substantially similarly shaped so that they both have similarly shaped item cavities, peripheral openings, peripheral edges, and the like. In other embodiments, the inner and outer walls  12  and  10  have shapes that deviate from each other, even though this may not be shown in the figures. 
     The present invention may provide a plurality of wall connecters  18  that interconnect the perforated inner wall  12  and the solid outer wall  10  along their associated peripheral edges, as illustrated in the Figures. The wall connectors  18  provide that the inner and outer walls  12  and  10  are spaced apart and do not abut, thus affording evacuation of fluid  24  through the channeling void  40 . The inner wall  12  may provide a plurality of mounting points  38  along its outer periphery, typically below its peripheral opening, while the outer wall  10  may provide a plurality of mounting elements  36  along its inner periphery that operatively associate with the plurality of mounting points  38  when the perforated inner wall  12  operatively nests within the solid outer wall  10 . The mounting element  36  may be dimensioned and adapted to securely and (in certain embodiments) removably engage the mounting point  38  so that the perforated inner wall  12  is movable between a secured condition, wherein the mounting elements and points  36  and  38  are securely engaged, and a separated condition, wherein the perforated inner wall  12  is separated from the outer wall  10 . 
     The present invention may include a base  16  dimensioned and adapted to support the drainage device  100  on a supporting surface. A neck  34  extends upwardly from the base  16  until it connects to a lower portion of the perforated inner wall  12 . It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the use of directional terms such as upper, lower, upward, downwardly, top and the like are used in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, the upward direction (or upper) being toward the top of the corresponding figures and a downward direction being toward the bottom of the corresponding figure. 
     The lower portion-neck interface  44  is solid, non-perforated, preventing fluid  24  flowing therethrough. The neck  34  is spaced apart from a lower peripheral opening  32  of the solid outer wall  10 , thereby defining a discharge opening  46  fluidly communicating with the channeling void  40 . The neck  34  is shaped to curve from a lower base curvature  56  beginning outside a circumference of the lower periphery opening  32 , curving into said circumference as it rises and passes through the lower periphery opening  32 , and then curves back in the form of an upper wall curvature  66  outside said circumference above the lower periphery opening  32 , wherein the neck  34  defines a generally nose-tip shape  76 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
     In certain embodiments, handles  30  for lifting the discharge device  100  may be included. The handles  30  may be opposite each other and attached to the outside of the outer wall. The handles  30  may be parallel with the supporting surface. 
     A method of using the present invention may include the following. The discharge device  100  disclosed above may be provided. A user may place the discharge device  100  on a suitable supporting surface, such as a sink basin, wherein the discharge device  100  is supported by the planar base  16 . When fluids  24 , food stuff or other items  22  are poured or placed into the item cavity  50  of the inner wall  12 , the perforations  14  of the inner wall  12  allows for drainage of said fluid  24  away from the food stuff  22  or other items contained within the item cavity  50 . The drained fluid  24  flows through the channeling void  40  between the inner perforated wall  12  and the outer solid wall  10 . Guided by gravity and the shape of the outer wall  10 , the fluid  24  exits the discharge opening  46  that is not occupied by the elongated neck  34 , flowing along the nose-tip shape  76  of the neck  34  away from the discharge opening  46 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
     The base  16  extends a peripheral distance away from said circumference of the lower peripheral opening  46 . In certain embodiments, the peripheral distance is twice the diameter of said circumference, thereby thwarting splashback from accessing the discharge opening  46 . In other embodiments, the base  16  can extend to over six inches from its center. Furthermore, the flow of the fluid  24  along the base  16  is at an angle relative to the discharge opening, generally perpendicular thereto, making splashback unlikely. Also, to the relatively small size of the discharge opening  46  similarly thwarts splashback. If a portion of the fluid  24  does splash back through the discharge opening  46 , the nose-tip shape  76  acts as a physical barrier, impeding the splashback from contacting the perforations  14  of the inner wall  12 , thereby preventing contamination of the food stuff/other items  22  still contained in the item cavity  50 . For similar reasons, steam  26  rising from the supporting surface/base  16  is impeded from directly passing through the perforations  14  of the perforated inner wall  12 . In other words, the downward curving splash guard neck  34  depends from the discharge opening  46  so as to divert existing fluid  24  radially, while obstructing splashback and resulting steam  26  from reentering the discharge opening  46 , and if steam  26  does reenter the discharge opening  46  it may rise through the channeling void  40 , bypassing the perforations  14 , and exiting through the space between the upper wall peripheries. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.