Abstract:
An apparatus having a skewer preparation tray with individual cube sections for placing food items and an easy process of securing the food items to a skewer enabling a user to simultaneously safely prepare several skewers for grilling with minimal waste through dropping food-items and eliminating the dripping of marinade. The cube sections are created via coupling a plurality of horizontal-dividers with a plurality of vertical-dividers.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is related to and claims priority from prior provisional application Ser. No. 61/824,841, filed May 13, 2013 which application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of cooking implements and more specifically relates to an easy grilling skewer preparation system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The term Shish kebab is a Turkish word meaning “skewer”. It refers to threading meat on a skewer and grilling the meat on an outdoor grill. Virtually any kind of meat may be used and cubes of fruit or vegetables are often threaded onto the spit as well. Typical vegetables desired by many cooks include tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. 
     When outdoor cooks decide to grill food via a skewer process they normally are required to hold a skewer in one hand and thread the meat pieces and vegetable pieces onto the skewer one food item at a time. This is a time consuming, and an often frustrating experience as it is easy to drop slippery food items, thus wasting the meat, vegetables, or fruit. The food items being grilled are often soaked in a marinade. While placing food items on a skewer, the marinade can easily drip onto a preparation table, the floor, or the ground creating a mess and slippery conditions under foot. 
     An added undesirability in using the typical skewer occurs when the user accidently pricks fingers while trying to place the food items on the sharp tip of a skewer. Even with an apparatus comprising multiple skewers, the possibilities of pricking fingers and of dropping and wasting food applies since the food items are still threaded onto a skewer one food item at a time and one skewer at a time. 
     Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,224 to Seth Natter, U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,706 to Harold Weinberger, U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,166 to Bernadette Summers, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,513 to Charles S. Adams, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,263 to Thomas W. Wigley, Jr, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,470 to Frederick Oatley Arther. This art is representative of cooking implements. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed. 
     Ideally, an easy grilling skewer preparation system should provide a user with the ability to place food items on a plurality of skewers while minimizing the waste of dropping slippery food items, and limiting the possibility of pricking fingers while threading food items on the sharp tip of a skewer and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable easy grilling skewer preparation system to avoid the above-mentioned problems. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known cooking implement art, the present invention provides a novel easy grilling skewer preparation system. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail is to provide a skewer preparation tray with a bottom surface for collecting drippings of marinade, having individual cube sections for placing food items, and an easy process of securing the food items onto a skewer thus enabling a user to simultaneously prepare several skewers for grilling without pricking fingers or having a mess through dripping marinade and minimizing food waste. 
     An easy grilling skewer preparation system is disclosed, in a preferred embodiment, comprising: a skewer-preparation-assembly and a plurality of skewers. The skewer-preparation-assembly comprises in combination a preparation-tray having a bottom-surface, a first-side, a second-side, a third-side, and a fourth-side, a plurality of horizontal-dividers, each of the horizontal-dividers having a horizontal-first-end, a horizontal-second-end, and a plurality of horizontal-divider-intersection-slots, and a plurality of vertical-dividers, each of the vertical-dividers having a vertical-first-end, a vertical-second-end, and a plurality of vertical-divider-intersection-slots. 
     The first-side, second-side, third-side, and fourth-side of the preparation-tray are molded together in the shape of a rectangle and are fixedly attached via molding to the outer-edges of the bottom-surface of the preparation-tray. The preparation-tray having a rectangular shape is comprised of machine washable plastic material approximately 15 inches long, approximately 9 inches wide and approximately 1½ inches deep able to contain a plurality of skewers holding food-items. 
     The first-side and the third-side each comprise a plurality of skewer-slots. Each of the plurality of skewer-slots on the first-side and the third-side extend approximately ¾ inch from a top-edge of the first-side and the top-edge of the third-side enabling each of the plurality of skewers to rest at a mid-point on the first-side and the mid-point of the third-side. 
     Each of the plurality of horizontal-dividers comprises a plurality of skewer-slots enabling skewers to pass through the horizontal-dividers and a support-tab on the horizontal-first-end and the horizontal-second-end. Each of the support-tabs on the horizontal-first-ends rest on the top-edge of the second-side and each of the support-tabs on the horizontal-second-end rest on the top-edge of the fourth-side. The support-tabs, when positioned, provide stability for each of the horizontal-dividers positioned on the preparation-tray. 
     Each of the plurality of horizontal-dividers further comprises a plurality of horizontal-divider-intersection-slots having a length of approximately ¾ inch extending from the top-edge of each of the horizontal-dividers. The plurality of horizontal-divider-intersection-slots on each of the horizontal-dividers are useful for coupling with the plurality of vertical-divider-intersection-slots on each of the plurality of vertical-dividers. 
     Each of the plurality of vertical-dividers comprises support-tabs on the vertical-first-end and the vertical-second-end. Each of the support-tabs on the vertical-first-end rest on the top-edge of the first-side and each of the support-tabs on the vertical-second-end rest on the top-edge of the third-side. The support-tabs provide stability for each of the vertical-dividers on the preparation-tray. 
     Each of the vertical-dividers further comprises a plurality of vertical-divider-intersection-slots extending from the bottom-edge of each of the vertical-dividers. Each of the plurality of vertical-divider-intersection-slots on the plurality of vertical-dividers comprise a length of approximately ¾ inch extending from the bottom-edge of each of the plurality of vertical-dividers and are useful for coupling with the plurality of horizontal-divider-intersection-slots on the plurality of horizontal-dividers. The coupling of each of the vertical-dividers and each of the horizontal-dividers creates a plurality of food-item-cubes. 
     Each of the horizontal-dividers and each of the vertical-dividers are able to be placed into the preparation-tray via coupling their respective intersection-slots creating the plurality of food-item-cubes. Each of the food-item-cubes is able to hold a food-item. Each of the food-item-cubes preferably comprises a length, a width, and a depth of approximately 1½ inches with each of the food-item-cubes able to hold one food-item. A user may fill as many food-item-cubes in a row as desired prior to using one or several skewers for grilling. 
     Each of the plurality of skewers, having a ringed-handle able to be gripped by a user to handle each of the plurality of skewers, and a sharp tip able to penetrate through the food-items, is of sufficient length to enter each of the plurality of skewer-slots on the first-side, then through each of the food-items in a row, and then through each of the respective plurality of skewer-slots on the third-side. 
     When ready for use, a user is able to assemble the skewer-preparation-assembly via coupling each of the horizontal-dividers and each of the vertical-dividers via their respective intersection slots and place the now-joined horizontal-dividers and vertical-dividers into the preparation-tray using the support-tabs on the vertical-first-end, the support-tabs on the vertical-second-end, the support-tabs on the horizontal-first-end, and the support-tabs on the horizontal-second-end for stabilization respectively on the top-edge of the first-side, second-side, third-side, and fourth-size. Each of the support-tabs rest on the top-edge of the respective side of the preparation-tray. 
     The user is then able to place the food-items, comprising pieces of meat cut to size, into the food-item-cubes, and insert each of the plurality of skewers through the respective skewer-slots on the first-side, through each of the food-items, through each of the skewer-slots on the horizontal-dividers, and then through each of the opposing skewer-slots on the third-side. When the skewers containing food-items are prepared for grilling, the user is able to remove each of the plurality of skewers from the preparation-tray by gripping each of the ringed-handles on the skewers and lifting each of the skewers up and out of the preparation-tray, and place each of the plurality of skewers containing the food-items on a grill for cooking. 
     The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as an easy grilling skewer preparation system. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, an easy grilling skewer preparation system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view illustrating an easy grilling skewer preparation system in an in-use condition according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating an easy grilling skewer assembly preparation tray according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view illustrating a horizontal-divider according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3B  is a perspective view illustrating a vertical-divider according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating an assembled easy grilling skewer preparation system ready for assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating a method of use for an easy grilling skewer preparation system according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     
    
    
     The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a cooking implement and more particularly to an easy grilling skewer preparation system as used to improve the efficiency of preparing shish kebabs on a plurality of skewers and placing the skewers of shish kebabs on a grill for cooking. 
     Generally speaking, the easy grilling skewer preparation system allows a user to prepare a number of shish kebabs in a preparation tray comprising a plurality of horizontal and vertical dividers that create a plurality of cubes. Individual food items for the shish kebabs are placed in the cubes and a user is able to insert a skewer into the preparation tray and through the foods items in a row of cubes and skewer-slots on each of a plurality of horizontal-dividers, and then easily remove the skewer with the food-items from the preparation tray and place it on a grill for cooking. 
     Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference there is shown in  FIG. 1 , a perspective view illustrating easy grilling skewer preparation system  100  in an in-use condition  102  according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Easy grilling skewer preparation system  100  comprises: skewer-preparation-assembly  110  and plurality of skewers  170 . Skewer-preparation-assembly  110  comprises in combination preparation-tray  120  having bottom-surface  122 , first-side  124 , second-side  126 , third-side  128 , and fourth-side  129 , plurality of horizontal-dividers  130 , each of horizontal-dividers  130  having horizontal-first-end  132 , horizontal-second-end  134 , plurality of skew-slots  172 , and plurality of horizontal-divider-intersection-slots  136 , and plurality of vertical-dividers  140 , each of vertical-dividers  140  having vertical-first-end  142 , vertical-second-end  144 , and plurality of vertical-divider-intersection-slots  145 . 
     When ready for use, a user is able to assemble skewer-preparation-assembly  110  via coupling each of horizontal-dividers  130  and each of vertical-dividers  140  via their respective divider-intersection-slots  136  and place the ‘now-joined’ horizontal-dividers  130  and vertical-dividers  140  into preparation-tray  120  using support-tabs  146  on vertical-first-end  142 , support-tabs  146  on vertical-second-end  144 , support-tabs  146  on horizontal-first-end  132 , and support-tabs  146  on horizontal-second-end  134  for stabilization respectively on top-edge  125  of first-side  124 , second-side  126 , third-side  128 , and fourth-side  129 . Each of support-tabs  146  rest on top-edge  125  of the respective side of preparation-tray  120 . 
     The user is then able to place food-items  150 , comprising pieces of meat cut to size, into food-item-cubes  155 , and insert each of plurality of skewers  170  through respective skewer-slots  172  on first-side  124 , through each of food-items  150 , through each of skewer-slots  172  on horizontal-dividers  130 , and then through each of the opposing skewer-slots  172  on third-side  128 . In an alternate embodiment, food-items  150  comprise vegetables cut to size to fit within food-item-cubes  155 . In yet another embodiment, food-items  150  comprise pieces of fruit cut to size to fit within food-item-cubes  155 . With this flexibility of food-items  150 , the user is able to select any desired food-items  150  to use on the skewers  170  being prepared for grilling. 
     When skewers  170  containing food-items  150  are ready for grilling, the user is able to remove each of plurality of skewers  170  from preparation-tray  120  by gripping each of ringed-handles  174  on skewers  170  and lifting each of skewers  170  up and out of preparation-tray  120 , and place each of plurality of skewers  170  containing food-items  150  on a grill for cooking. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view illustrating easy grilling skewer assembly  110  preparation tray  120  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
     First-side  124 , second-side  126 , third-side  128 , and fourth-side  129  of preparation-tray  120  are molded together forming a rectangle, and are fixedly attached via molding to outer-edges  123  of bottom-surface  122  of preparation-tray  120 . Preparation-tray  120  having a rectangular shape comprised of machine washable plastic material preferably measures approximately 15 inches long, approximately 9 inches wide and approximately 1½ inches deep, able to contain a plurality of skewers  170  holding food-items  150 . In alternate embodiments preparation-tray  120  may be constructed of any machine washable material or non-machine washable material. Smaller preparation-trays  120  using fewer skewers  170  and larger preparation-trays  120  allowing for more skewers  170  may also be used in alternate embodiments. 
     First-side  124  and third-side  128  each comprise plurality of skewer-slots  172 . Each of plurality of skewer-slots  172  on first-side  124  and third-side  128  extend approximately ¾ inch down from top-edge  125  of first-side  124  and top-edge  125  of third-side  128  enabling each of plurality of skewers  170  to rest at mid-point  121  on first-side  124  and mid-point  121  of third-side  128 . 
     Since the design of preparation-tray  120  comprises bottom-surface  122 , food-items  150  and marinade on food-items  150  is collected on bottom-surface  122  to avoid waste and messy conditions. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3A  a perspective view illustrating horizontal-divider  130  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
     Each of plurality of horizontal-dividers  130  comprises plurality of skewer-slots  172  extending approximate ¾ inch from top-edge  125  of horizontal-dividers  130  enabling skewers  170  to pass through horizontal-dividers  130 , support-tab  146  on horizontal-first-end  132  and horizontal-second-end  134 . Each of support-tabs  146  on horizontal-first-ends  132  rest on top-edge  125  of second-side  126  and each of support-tabs  146  on horizontal-second-end  134  rest on top-edge  125  of fourth-side  129 . Support-tabs  146 , when positioned, provide stability for each of horizontal-dividers  130  positioned on preparation-tray  120 . 
     Each of plurality of horizontal-dividers  130  further comprises plurality of horizontal-divider-intersection-slots  136  having a length of approximately ¾ inch extending from top-edge  125  of each of horizontal-dividers  130 . Plurality of horizontal-divider-intersection-slots  136  on each of horizontal-dividers  136  are useful for coupling with plurality of vertical-divider-intersection-slots  145  on each of plurality of vertical-dividers  140 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3B  a perspective view illustrating vertical-divider  140  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
     Each of plurality of vertical-dividers  140  comprises support-tabs  136  on vertical-first-end  142  and vertical-second-end  144 . Each of support-tabs  136  on vertical-first-end  142  rest on top-edge  125  of first-side  124  and each of support-tabs  136  on vertical-second-end  144  rest on top-edge  125  of third-side  128 . Support-tabs  136  provide stability for each of vertical-dividers  140  on the preparation-tray  120 . 
     Each of vertical-dividers  140  further comprises plurality of vertical-divider-intersection-slots  145  extending approximately ¾ inch from bottom-edge  138  of each of vertical-dividers  140  and are useful for coupling with plurality of horizontal-divider-intersection-slots  136  on plurality of horizontal-dividers  130 . The coupling of each of vertical-dividers  140  and each of horizontal-dividers  130  creates plurality of food-item-cubes  155 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4  a perspective view illustrating an easy grilling skewer preparation system  100  ready for assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
     Each of horizontal-dividers  130  and each of vertical-dividers  140  are able to be placed into preparation-tray  120  via coupling each of horizontal-divider-intersection-slots  136  on horizontal-dividers  130  with each of vertical-divider-intersection-slots  145  on vertical-dividers  140  creating plurality of food-item-cubes  155 . Each of food-item-cubes  155  is able to hold food-item  150 . Each of food-item-cubes  155  comprises a length, a width, and a depth of approximately 1½ inches with each of food-item-cubes  155  able to hold one food-item  150 . A user may fill as many food-item-cubes  155  in a row as desired prior to using one or several skewers  170  for grilling. 
     Each of plurality of skewers  170 , having a ringed-handle  174  is able to be gripped by a user to handle each of plurality of skewers  170  and sharp tip  176  able to penetrate through food-items  155 . Each of plurality of skewers  170  is of sufficient length to enter each of plurality of skewer-slots  172  on first-side  124 , then through each of food-items  155 , and then through each of the respective plurality of skewer-slots  172  on each of horizontal-dividers  130 , and through skewer-slots  172  on third-side  128 . Since plurality of skewers  170  are inserted into preparation-tray  120 , the user is able to minimize any accidental pricking of fingers during the threading process. 
     Easy grilling skewer preparation system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIGS. 1-4  may be sold as kit comprising the following parts: at least one preparation-tray  120  having bottom-surface  122 , first-side  124 , second-side  126 , third-side  128 , and fourth-side  129 ; plurality of horizontal-dividers  130 ; plurality of vertical-dividers  140 ; plurality of skewers  170 ; and at least one set of user instructions. The kit has instructions such that functional relationships are detailed in relation to the structure of the invention (such that the invention can be used, maintained, or the like in a preferred manner). Easy grilling skewer preparation system  100  may be manufactured and provided for sale in a wide variety of sizes and shapes for a wide assortment of applications. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other kit contents or arrangements such as, for example, including more or less components, customized parts, different tray combinations, parts may be sold separately, etc., may be sufficient. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a flowchart illustrating a method of use  500  for easy grilling skewer preparation system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     A method of use  500  for easy grilling skewer preparation system  100  may comprise the steps of: step one  501  coupling plurality of horizontal-dividers  130  and plurality of vertical-dividers  140  via plurality of horizontal-divider-intersection-slots  136  on plurality of horizontal-dividers  130  and plurality of vertical-divider-intersection-slots  145  on vertical-dividers  140 ; step two  502  inserting coupled plurality of horizontal-dividers  130  and plurality of vertical-dividers  140  into preparation-tray  120 ; step three  503  placing food-items  150  into plurality of food-item-cubes  155  as desired; step four  504  inserting each of plurality of skewers  170  through each of corresponding plurality of skewer-slots  172  on first-side  124  through each of food-items  150  located in food-item-cubes  155 , through skewer-slots  170  on horizontal-dividers  130 , and through opposite aligned skewer-slot  172  on third-side  128 ; step five  505  removing each of plurality of skewers from preparation-tray  120  by lifting each of plurality of skewers  170  from an open-top of preparation-tray  120 ; and step six  506  placing plurality of skewers  170  on a grill for cooking. 
     It should be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶ 6. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods of use arrangements such as, for example, different orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc., may be sufficient. 
     The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.