Patent Document

The present disclosure relates to spinning devices for drying wet food, such as salad spinners, and more particularly to braking systems for reducing or stopping the rotation of the spinning device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Various types of salad spinners are known for drying, or otherwise removing moisture, from salad and other foods. Such devices generally include some type of a bowl, a cover and a basket, which may also have a lid, adapted to spin within the bowl by some type of mechanical actuator. The centrifugal forces caused by the rotational velocity of the basket relative to the bowl, causes water and moisture within the food or salad to be separated and collected within the bowl. Mechanical actuators typically used on salad spinners have included hand crank mechanisms, pull strings and pump/screw mechanisms, for example. 
     Generally, these devices have relied on frictional interaction between bearing surfaces, for example, to allow the rotation of the basket to a stop after it has been spun to dry food. Such devices generally have not included a braking structure for stopping the spinning of the basket. In such cases, the user must typically wait until the spinning basket stops before removing the cover of the container and lid from the basket to access to the food within the basket. A braking structure is desirable so that a user would not have to open the cover to manually stop a spinning basket or to wait for bearing surface friction to eventually stop the basket. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , exemplary devices for drying food are reproduced, in part, from FIGS. 20 and 3, respectively, of U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,883 to Mulhauser (incorporated herein), to show the basic features of a salad spinner of the type to which the disclosure herein may be generally applied, although the present invention may be applied as well to other types of similar spinning devices and structures and is not limited to food drying or salad spinners. Devices of this general nature, like that of another exemplary device shown in FIG. 2 from U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,309 to Mulhauser et. al (incorporated herein), include a salad spinner  20  with a container having a bowl  22  and a cover  24  for the bowl  22 , a perforated basket  26  disposed in the bowl  22 , a lid  28  releasably coupled the basket  26 , and a drive assembly  30  adapted to rotate the perforated basket  26  about an axis A relative to the container. With particular reference to  FIG. 1  herein, the bowl  22  includes an alternative salad spinner  20 B, which is substantially identical to the salad spinner  20 , except a brake assembly  300  is provided to reduce and/or stop the rotation of the basket  26 , and a cover  24 A, slightly different than cover  24  in  FIG. 2 , to accommodate the brake assembly  300 . 
     For reference purposes, the descriptions of the foregoing devices from U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,883 to Mulhauser and U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,309 to Mulhauser et. al, the bowl  22  of  FIG. 2  is generally circular in shape and has a central vertical axis A and a bottom wall  32  with a cone-shaped projection  34  disposed in its center. The bowl  22  also includes a sidewall  36  terminating in a top edge  38  and a foot  40  connected to the bottom wall  32 , preferably made of a non-slip material. Generally, the elements of the device in  FIG. 2  are numbered the same as their generally corresponding elements of one embodiment of the device of the disclosure as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The basket  26  in  FIG. 2  includes a plurality of latitudinal, coaxial circular ribs  42  connected by a plurality of longitudinal ribs  44  of various lengths. The ribs  42  and  44  cooperate to define a plurality of various sized, generally rectangular apertures  46 , which are sized and shaped to allow liquid to pass therethrough. The basket  26  also includes a bottom  48  having a cone-shaped projection  50  at its center which sits atop cone-shaped projection  34  to form a rotational bearing. The ribs  42  and  44  together form a sidewall  52  terminating at a top edge  54 . 
     The lid  28  in  FIG. 2  includes a cylindrical peripheral sidewall  56  having a plurality of ribs  58  projecting outwardly therefrom. The lid  28  includes a generally convex annular surface portion  60  connected to the circular sidewall  56 , a frustroconical shaped central portion  62  depending from the annular surface portion  60 , a radially inwardly extending bottom surface portion  64  integral with the lower end of the frustroconical shaped surface portion  62  and a tubular, upwardly projecting portion  66  integral and substantially coaxial with the bottom surface portion  64 . The upwardly projecting portion  66  varies in diameter and includes shoulder surfaces  68 ,  70  formed thereon. The upwardly projecting portion  66  also includes a slot  71  disposed above shoulder surface  70 . The circular sidewall  56  of lid  28  is adapted to be releasably coupled to top edge  54  of basket  26 . In an embodiment, the lid  28  is adapted to be releasably coupled to top edge  54  with a mesh engagement with ribs  58 . 
     As seen further in  FIG. 2 , the cover  24  includes a cylindrical sidewall  76  having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the top edge  38  of the bowl  22 , thereby forming a releasable connection therebetween, such as, for example, a simple abutment or loose friction fit. In an embodiment, the releasable connection may simply allow the cover  24  to rest on the bowl  22  and be disposable thereon. The cover  24  also includes an upper surface portion  78 , a depending, substantially cylindrical central surface portion  80 , an annular bottom surface portion  82  and a generally cylindrical upwardly projecting portion  84  disposable coaxially about a portion of the upwardly projecting portion  66  of the lid  28 . The upwardly projecting portion  84  has a radially inturned end  86  at its upper end which abuts shoulder surface  68  of upwardly projecting portion  66 . The upwardly projecting portion  84  includes a plurality of axial ribs  88  projecting radially outwardly therefrom. The upper ends of ribs  88  and portions  90  of the end  86  form a generally annular groove  91  therebetween. 
     The drive assembly  30  of  FIG. 2  includes a linearly reciprocating handle structure  94  (or plunger assembly) moveable along vertical axis A. The reciprocating handle structure  94  includes a disc shaped upper end  96 , or button structure, and a coaxial cylindrical sidewall  98  depending therefrom. The drive assembly  30  includes a conversion mechanism for converting the reciprocating movement of the handle structure  94  to rotary motion of the basket  26 . The conversion mechanism  104  includes an elongated helical screw shaft  106  coaxial with the handle structure  94  and connected at one end to the disc shaped upper end  96 , preferably by a pin  107  (shown in FIG. 4 of the &#39;833 patent). The elongated helical screw shaft  106  extends a slight distance below the lower end of the cylindrical sidewall  98 . The drive assembly  30  in  FIG. 2  also includes a helical compression spring  128  seated against the disc shaped upper end portion  96  of the reciprocating handle structure  94 . 
     As mentioned previously,  FIG. 1  shows an alternative salad spinner  20 A from the &#39;883 patent which is substantially identical to the salad spinner  20  shown in FIG. 1 from that patent, except that a brake assembly  300  is provided in a slightly modified cover  24 A to stop rotation of the basket  26 . 
     The apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,883 includes a least one type of braking mechanism for use in a food spinner. The braking mechanism is carried by the bowl cover and engages the basket cover to stop rotation of the basket assembly. A brake pad is configured for applying friction against the basket cover upon application of the braking mechanism. This type of breaking mechanism imparts in off-center downward force upon the cover of a spinning basket. Such a force may increase wear on certain bearing surfaces of the basket and/or mechanical actuator and may not be efficient for stopping rotation of the basket. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a device for drying food and other items. The device includes a bowl having a bottom wall and a sidewall terminating in a top edge, a cover removably coupled to the top edge of the bowl, a basket assembly including a basket and a removable lid disposed in the bowl and rotatable relative to the bowl about an axis, and a brake assembly carried by the cover and engageable with the lid for stopping rotation of the basket assembly. The cover includes a button having a caliper like structure operably coupled to the button that moves downwardly when pressed so that two fingers of the structure move towards each other to clamp and frictionally engage an annular upstanding ridge on the lid, thereby reducing and/or stopping rotational movement of the basket. The fingers and the upstanding ridge extend substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the spinning basket and the fingers can be compressed together against the ridge as they extend through a guide channel of the brake assembly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure is illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary and not limiting, in which like references are intended to refer to like or corresponding parts, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a typical food spinning apparatus according to the PRIOR ART, for which the present invention can be incorporated; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of a typical food spinning apparatus according to the PRIOR ART, for which the present invention can be incorporated; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of a typical food spinning apparatus incorporating an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of a typical food spinning apparatus bowl cover incorporating an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5A-FIG .  5 D are cross sectional views of a brake mechanism for a food spinning apparatus according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the present inventions showing the brake mechanism in a braking condition. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While this disclosure is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the disclosure with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the disclosure to embodiments illustrated. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the present invention includes some elements similar to those in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and, for that reason among others, some of those elements shown in  FIG. 3  are correspondingly numbered with their generally corresponding elements in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The main (but not the only) differences between the salad spinner  20 B shown in  FIG. 3  and the salad spinners  20 A and  20  shown respectively in  FIGS. 1 and 2  concern the brake actuator assembly  400  in the modified bowl cover  24 B and the modified basket lid  28 B on the modified basket  26 A that stops rotational movement of the modified basket  26 A. 
     More particularly, concerning the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the salad spinner  20 B includes a drive member  30  with a reciprocating handle structure  94 . While the salad spinner  20 B is illustrated and described with a pump-like mechanism of the type shown in the aforementioned patents, the salad spinner  20 B of the present invention can be used with, and is therefore not limited to, any particular type of mechanism for effectuating rotational movement of the basket  26 A within the bowl  22 . The bowl cover  24 B is further modified, as can be seen from the top view of  FIG. 4 , to accommodate the drive assembly  30  and the brake actuator assembly  400 . As compared to the concave annular surface portion  60  of the basket lid cover  28  shown in  FIG. 2 , the modified basket lid cover  28 B of  FIG. 3  has an angled annular surface portion  60 B to allow engagement of brake actuator assembly  400  to stop and/or reduce rotational movement of the basket  26 A, as shown in more detail in  FIGS. 5A-5D  and  FIG. 6 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A-5D , an embodiment of the brake actuator assembly  400  of the present invention is shown in more detail, which includes, in  FIG. 5A , a brake button actuator  410 , brake button  430 , brake button finger or arm assembly  440 , brake button guide channel member  470 , and a basket lid including a generally annular upstanding ridge  494 .  FIG. 5B  depicts an aperture  402  in the bowl cover  24 B, which is adapted to receive brake actuator assembly  400 , that includes cylindrical side wall  404  with inner and bottom surface portions  406 ,  408  to properly position brake button actuator  410  and brake button guide channel member  470  (shown in  FIG. 5D ) in aperture  402 .  FIG. 5C  depicts a brake button actuator  410 , made of a flexible and/or resilient material, such as a plastic, as including a circular top wall  412  with lower surface portion  414 , and annular side and vertical walls  418 ,  420 , with the vertical wall  420  including positioning ledge  422  with outer and inner surface portions  424 ,  426  to help fixedly position brake button actuator  410  between bottom surface portion  408  of cylindrical sidewall  404  of cover aperture  402 , end walls  482  of lower body member  480  of brake button guide channel member  470 , and support member  488  of lower body member  480  of brake button guide channel member  470 , as shown in  FIG. 5D . Although vertical wall  420  of brake button actuator  410  is fixedly positioned in cover aperture  420 , (and thus fixedly positions the button actuator  410  as a whole in basket lid cover  28 B), both circular top wall  412  and annular sidewall  418  of button actuator  410  are not fixedly positioned within the open area of aperture  420 . More particularly, because the diameter of circular top wall  412  is less than the diameter of the lower area of annular sidewall  418  where it meets with vertical wall  420  and because of the outwardly sloping nature of annular sidewall  418  as it transitions from circular top wall  412  to vertical wall  420 , the intersection point  413  between circular top wall  412  and annular sidewall  418  acts as a hinge when downward pressure is applied to circular top wall  412  (for example, by a users finger) due to the resilient material from which these walls are made, (as shown in  FIG. 6 ). Likewise, when the downward pressure is released, the so called hinge at intersection point  413  and the flexible and resilient material of circular top wall  442  and annular sidewall  418  act together to apply a biasing force to bias both walls to their original, non-braking position as shown in  FIG. 5C . 
       FIG. 5C  further shows brake button  430 , made also of a flexible and/or resilient material, such as a plastic, as including top arch member  432  with upper and lower surface portions  434 ,  436  and transition ledges  438  at a substantially  90  degree orientation to the end of top arch member  432  that lead to button finger or arm assembly  440 . Top arch member  432  is attached at the apex of its upper surface portion  434  to the axial midpoint of lower surface portion  434  of circular top wall  442  so that brake button finger or arm assembly  440 , as a whole, moves vertically and axially with circular top wall  412  and annular sidewall  418  of button actuator  410 , when downward pressure is released from circular top wall  442 , to return brake button finger or arm assembly  440 , circular top wall  412 , and annular sidewall  418 , thereby biasing the brake assembly of the present invention to a non-braking condition, as shown in  FIG. 5C . The button finger or arm assembly  440  further includes upper angled cam portions  442 , lower caliper-like fingers  448 , and positioning post  456  centrally located at the apex of top arch member  432  and attached at its upper surface portion  458  to lower surface portion  414  of top arch member  432 , so that positioning post  456  extends substantially along parallel to the central axis of rotation A of basket  26 A and is in substantial vertical alignment with basket lid annular upstanding ridge  494 , as shown in  FIG. 5D . Button fingers  448 , like upstanding ridge  494  shown in  FIG. 5D , also extend substantially along parallel to the central axis of rotation A. Upper angled cam portions  442  of button finger or arm assembly  440  shown in  FIG. 5C  include outer and inner surface portions  444 ,  446 , lower button fingers  448  include outer and inner surface portions  450 ,  452 , and positioning post  456  includes lower and side surface portions  460 ,  462 . 
       FIG. 5D  shows brake button guide channel member  470  as including a central axial guide portion  493  for slidably receiving the positioning post  456  of the brake button finger or arm assembly  440 , and an outer axial guide portion  486  for slidably receiving the upper angled cam portions  442  and the lower button fingers  448  of the brake button finger or arm assembly  440 . The guide channel member  470  further includes lower body member  482  with top surface portion  483 , and a support member  488  with a cam actuator  490  extending into the outer axial guide portion  486  so that the inner surface portions  452  of the button fingers  448  can be compressed together against the outer surface portions  496 ,  498  of the upstanding ridge  494  as the button fingers  448  move downwardly through the guide channel member  470  to a braking position to frictionally engage, pinch or clamp the upstanding ridge  494  and stop and/or reduce rotation of the basket  26 A, as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     More particularly,  FIG. 6  shows the button fingers  448  in their braking position resulting from the inwardly-directed forces exerted on the outer surface portions  444  of the upper angled cam portions  442  as the cam portions  442  ride over the cam actuators  490  that project into the outer axial guide portion  486  of the guide channel member  470 , which is caused by depression of brake button  430  with, for example, a user&#39;s finger. To assure that effective and relatively even clamping forces are applied by the button fingers  448  to the rapidly spinning annular upstanding ridge  494  (both of which extend substantially along the central axis of rotation A), the positioning post  456  is axially aligned with the upstanding ridge  494  and the central axial guide portion  493  of the guide channel member  470 . Likewise, the “unbraking” of brake button finger or arm assembly  440  and, thus, the “unclamping” of button fingers  448  from annular upstanding ridge  494 , result from the resiliency of button actuator  410  and the sloped nature of its annular sidewall  418  and its intersection point  413  with circular top wall  442 , that provide together a sufficient “springing” or biasing force to return brake finger or arm assembly  440  to its original position once finger pressure, for example, is removed from button actuator  410 . 
     A method for reducing a rotational speed of a basket assembly disposed in a container is also disclosed. The container includes a bowl having a sidewall terminating at an edge defining an opening and a cover removably coupled to the bowl and substantially covering the opening, wherein the basket assembly is rotatable relative to the container about an axis of rotation. The basket assembly includes a basket having a sidewall terminating at a top edge and a lid removably coupled to the top edge of the basket. In an embodiment, the method comprises causing the basket assembly to rotate relative to the container, and axially translating a brake button disposed in the cover, thereby causing a pair of pinching arms to frictionally engage an annular ridge disposed on a top surface of the lid toward the cover, the ridge coaxially positioned about the axis of rotation. In an embodiment, the step of axially translating a brake button disposed in the cover includes applying downwardly directed force to the brake button. 
     While the disclosure has been described and illustrated in connection with preferred embodiments, many variations and modifications will be evident to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The disclosure is thus not to be limited to the precise details of methodology or construction set forth above as such variations and modification are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

Technology Category: a