Multi-tool kitchen utensil kit and container

• US 20030234188A1
• Filed: 11/01/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robbins Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Robbins Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: McGuyer, Carter W.
• Application Number:
  US10/286,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234188A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/223
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 2043/0738 Means for storing accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/288 Spatulas; Scrapers; Multi-purpose hand implements
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 25/005 Manually operated, e.g. pizza cutters
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 5/00 Hand knives with one or more detachable blades
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 5/007 for cutting slices one by one

Abstract

A kitchen utensil kit including a single handle with one or more easily detachable and attachable accessories such as peelers, pizza cutters, cheese slicers, zesters, ice cream scoops, etc. The kit includes stackable trays for storage in drawers or on countertops. Preferably, the individual implements extend upwardly out of the storage cavities in the trays, and vertical posts are used to support one tray on top of the other without interference with the implements stored in the lower tray.

Claims

1. A kitchen implement kit comprising the combination of

a container,

a plurality of kitchen implements in said container, said implements being selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a handle having a coupling structure for releasably securing to said handle an accessory having a mating coupling structure, and at least one accessory having said mating coupling structure;

(b) a plurality of said accessories, each having said mating coupling structure;

(c) a handle having one of said coupling structures and a plurality of said accessories, each having said mating coupling structure;

at least one wall forming a plurality of recesses, each of said recesses being dimensioned to receive one of said implements;

a plurality of posts extending upwardly from said walls to support another container of kitchen implements in a position spaced upwardly from the first-named container.

2. A kit as in claim 1 in which each of said posts has an upper end and a holding structure at said upper end, a plurality of mating holding structures on said other container, whereby each of said mating structures engages with one of said holding structures to hold said containers in alignment with one another when stacked.

3. A kit as in claim 2 in which said holding structures comprises one of a projection and a receptacle, and said mating holding structure comprises the other of said projection and said receptacle, said projections and said receptacle being shaped to inhibit sideways movement of said other container relative to said posts when said projection and said receptacle are engaged with one another.

4. A kit as in claim 1 in which said walls include side walls, and the vertical dimension of each of said side walls is substantially smaller than the height of each of said posts.

5. A kit as in claim 1 in which said walls include side walls, and each of said posts has an upper end located in a plane, and the depth of each of said recesses is sufficient to hold its accessory in a position in or beneath said plane, said container being dimensioned to hold said accessories with around 40% to 60% of the height of said accessories above said side walls.

6. A kit as in claim 1 said walls include side walls, and the vertical dimension of each of said side walls is substantially smaller than the height of each of said posts, said container being dimensioned to hold said accessories with around 40% to 60% of the accessories above said side walls.

7. A kit as in claim 3 in which each of said walls has a bottom edge with one of said projections extending downwardly therefrom, and each of said receptacles is shaped to receive one of said projections.

8. A kit as in claim 7 in which each of said projections comprises a friction element to form a slip-resistant foot to support said container on a flat surface.

9. A kit as in claim 1 in which each of said recesses is shaped to conform to the shape of a selected one of said implements, and has a depth dimensioned to allow a substantial portion of each of said implements to extend upwardly out of said recess.

10. A container for kitchen implements, said container having walls forming a plurality of recesses, each of said recesses being dimensioned to receive one of said implements, said implements being selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a handle having a coupling structure for releasably securing to said handle an accessory having a mating coupling structure, and at least one accessory having said mating coupling structure;

(b) a plurality of said accessories, each having said mating coupling structure;

(c) a handle having one of said coupling structures and a plurality of said accessories, each having said mating coupling structure;

and a plurality of posts extending upwardly from said container and positioned to support a second container like the first-named container with said second container above the implements in said recesses of said first-named container when said implements are in said recesses.

11. A container as in claim 10 in which said walls include side walls having vertical dimensions substantially smaller than the vertical dimensions of said posts.

12. A container as in claim 10 in which the depth of each of said recesses is around 40% to 60% of the height of the implement which fits into said recess.

13. A container as in claim 10 in which said walls form access openings through which fingers can be inserted to grasp the implements resting in said recesses.

14. A container as in claim 10 including feet projecting downwardly from said container and a receptacle for receiving and holding one of said feet in the top of each of said posts when said container is placed atop another of said containers.

15. A tray for holding kitchen implements, said tray comprising

a wall forming a horizontal support surface, a plurality of kitchen implement receptacles supported by said support surface, and

a plurality of posts extending upwardly from said support surface to support another tray of kitchen implements above the first-named tray.

16. A tray as in claim 15 in which each of said receptacles has vertically extending walls,

said walls extending to a height substantially less than the height of an implement placed in said receptacle so as to leave a substantial portion of said implement extending out of said receptacle.

17. A tray as in claim 15 in which said posts extend to a height equal to or greater than the uppermost extent of any implement in one of said receptacles.

18. A tray as in claim 15 in which each of said receptacles is shaped to conform to the contours of a specific implement so as to provide a specific location for each implement.

19. A tray as in claim 15 in which said wall has a plurality of support feet extending downwardly therefrom, and

each of said posts has a top with a holding structure for engaging said feet and holding said trays in alignment with one another when one is stacked atop another.

20. A tray for holding kitchen implements, said tray comprising

a wall forming a horizontal support surface, a plurality of kitchen implement receptacles supported by said support surface,

a plurality of posts extending upwardly from said support surface to support another tray of kitchen implements above the first-named tray in which said wall is supported by at least one vertical wall extending around the periphery of said support wall to hold said support wall above a flat surface upon which said tray may rest,

the height of said vertical wall being substantially less than the height of implements in said receptacles,

said posts having upper ends located in a plane which is as high as or higher than the highest extent of any implement when it is in its receptacle,

each of said receptacles being shaped to conform to the contours of a specific implement so as to provide a specific location for each implement,

in which said wall has a plurality of support feet extending downwardly therefrom, and

each of said posts has a top with a holding structure for engaging one of said feet and holding said trays in alignment with one another when one is stacked atop another.