U.S. patent application number 11/761994 was filed with the patent office on 2007-10-04 for food tumbler.
Invention is credited to Joyce C. Paumen, Lawrence J. Paumen, Mark D. Solvie.
Application Number | 20070227369 11/761994 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26930311 |
Filed Date | 2007-10-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070227369 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Paumen; Lawrence J. ; et
al. |
October 4, 2007 |
Food Tumbler
Abstract
A counter-top appliance has a food container with internal fins
extending inward from the outer wall at an angle offset from
radial. The food container is coupled to a motor for rotation in
either of two directions. One direction of rotation produces a
scooping, elevating and subsequent discharge of liquid and fluent
materials such as might be useful for washing or breading, while
the second direction of rotation presents a surface adapted for
massaging meat during marinating. The food container is preferably
sealed through vacuum, and has a simple geometry which greatly
facilitates thorough cleaning of the container. Meats, produce,
pasta, and other diverse foods are processed using the counter-top
appliance, and a method for processing one or a sequential set of
foods is disclosed.
Inventors: |
Paumen; Lawrence J.;
(Annandale, MN) ; Paumen; Joyce C.; (Buffalo,
MN) ; Solvie; Mark D.; (Maple Lake, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALBERT W. WATKINS
30844 NE 1ST AVENUE
ST. JOSEPH
MN
56374
US
|
Family ID: |
26930311 |
Appl. No.: |
11/761994 |
Filed: |
June 12, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10237004 |
Sep 7, 2002 |
7229656 |
|
|
11761994 |
Jun 12, 2007 |
|
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|
60317785 |
Sep 7, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
99/472 ; 99/516;
99/644 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01F 9/06 20130101; A47J
43/24 20130101; A23P 20/13 20160801; B01F 2215/0014 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
099/472 ;
099/516; 099/644 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/20 20060101
B65D081/20; A23B 4/26 20060101 A23B004/26; A47J 47/00 20060101
A47J047/00 |
Claims
1. In combination: a sealable container that receives and retains
foods within an outer wall having at least one paddle therein which
extends inward from said outer wall in a direction which is
angularly offset from radial; a motor; and a coupler for
transmitting motion from said motor to said scalable container in
either of a first direction of rotation which rotates said sealable
container to trap liquid between said paddle and said outer wall
above an at-rest liquid level and a second direction of rotation
opposite said first direction of rotation which rotates said
sealable container to discharge liquid between said paddle and said
outer wall by said at-rest liquid level.
2. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a basket inside of
said sealable container and said at least one paddle having an
external surface facing said sealable container outer wall and an
internal surface, and at least one opening extending through said
basket from said basket external surface to said basket internal
surface through which said liquid may pass.
3. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a port extending
through said sealable container outer wall which permits air to
pass selectively from an interior of said sealable container to an
exterior of said sealable container to thereby form a partial
vacuum therein.
4. The combination of claim 3 further comprising an acetic acid
solution within said sealable container.
5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said foods further comprise
produce.
6. The combination of claim 4 wherein said foods further comprise
meat.
7. The combination of claim 3 further comprising: a removable cover
enclosing an opening in said sealable container; a gasket seal
between said removable cover and said outer wall; and a partial
vacuum within said sealable container and atmospheric pressure
exterior to said sealable container, said gasket seal compressed by
forces generated from a pressure difference resulting from said
partial vacuum.
8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said sealable container has
an internal diameter of less than eight inches and a rate of
rotation of said sealable container occurs between twenty and
twenty-five rotations per minute.
9. The combination of claim 8 further comprising tumbling meat for
less than forty minutes.
10. A household kitchen counter-top appliance adapted for the
tumbling of various solid and liquid foods and food ingredients
within a tumbler and having a motor for spinning said tumbler about
a rotary axis, said tumbler consisting essentially of: a generally
circular bottom; cylindrical side walls extending from said bottom
to an opening distal said bottom and forming a rim adjacent said
opening; and a cover engaging said rim and retained thereto solely
by a pressure differential between an interior and an exterior of
said tumbler.
11. The household kitchen counter-top appliance of claim 10 further
comprising a means for preferentially transporting said various
solid and liquid foods and food ingredients adjacent said
cylindrical side walls during said spinning in a first direction
about said rotary axis above a horizontal center of said retaining
means and subsequently releasing said various solid and liquid
foods to accelerate said effective amount of said various solid and
liquid foods through the force of gravity when said tumbler spins,
said transporting means ineffective at said preferential
transporting of said various solid and liquid foods and food
ingredients when spinning in a second direction about said rotary
axis opposite said first direction.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/237,004 filed Sep. 7, 2002 and granted as
U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,656 on Jun. 12, 2007, which in turn claims
priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60/317,785 filed Sep. 7,
2001, the contents of each which are incorporated herein by
reference in entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention pertains generally to food processes
and apparatus, and more specifically to a versatile counter-top
tumbler apparatus and an associated tumbling process. The food
tumbler and tumbling process are useful to selectively marinate
meat, toss salads, cleanse food, bread foods, and for other similar
purposes.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] The processing of food has always been a labor intensive
task. Nevertheless, the need to safely prepare food is of vital
importance, and has historically dictated the difference between
entire civilizations rising or falling. Associated with the need
for safe food preparation is the desire to enable a person to
readily prepare more palatable and diverse meals with a minimum of
expertise or training. As a result of the importance of food
preparation, and the significant impact on health or labor even
relatively small improvements will have, there has been much effort
devoted through the ages on this task and a great many inventions
pertaining thereto.
[0006] In the area of food safety, many techniques have been
researched and developed which are provided to improve the safety
of the food supply. Exemplary among these are the various
inspections performed by the various governmental agricultural
agencies, such as the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) designed to ensure proper handling and processing of food
prior to human consumption. Proper education and training is
directly associated with the resulting safety and quality of a
food. While these efforts have lead to an exceptionally safe food
supply in the United States with regard to pathogens, which by many
is considered to be among the best ever available, there continue
to be significant instances where persons are inadvertently
sickened, occasionally resulting in death. Owing to the reasonable
limits on manpower for food inspection and inspection of food
growers, handlers and preparers, it is impossible to provide
inspection and verification of all food which enters into the
marketplace for consumption. Only a fraction of a percent of food
grown or imported is inspected, and costs for various analytical
techniques restrict the extent of these inspections. Consequently,
it is desirable to have a means for easily cleansing the food prior
to final preparation and consumption which will improve the safety
of the food, in the event the food has not been inspected and does,
in fact, contain undesired pathogens, pesticides, herbicides or
other contaminants.
[0007] Safety of food extends beyond the presence of foreign
contaminants, and also includes the contents of the food when
prepared a particular way. One popular method of cooking meat is
grilling or barbecue cooking over a flame. This cooking method has
been linked to increased risks of breast, stomach and colorectal
cancer, owing to the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) during
the cooking process. However, marinating meat before grilling has
been shown to reduce the amount of HCAs formed during grilling, in
some cases by as much as 92 to 99 percent. Consequently, one
preferred method for improving not only the taste of flame-grilled
meats but also the safety thereof is to marinate the meat prior to
grilling.
[0008] Safety of prepared food is only one concern. As
aforementioned, preparation time, effort and training required of
the food preparer are all also very important. In other words, the
need for extensive human effort and expertise during food
preparation may also be prohibitive, and thus deter otherwise
desired preparation. While cleansing is certainly one such step
requiring preparation time, effort and training, there are many
other steps in food preparation that have historically been
similarly labor intensive. Exemplary is the mixing of ingredients
for tossed salad, cole slaw, pasta salad and the like. These foods
have traditionally been prepared entirely by hand, owing to the
fragile nature of the foods and the importance of even distribution
of ingredients. Preparation of such ingredients in advance is
difficult or impossible, owing to the inevitable separation of
ingredients that occurs over time. Breading is another step that
has been manually performed for smaller quantities of foods, with
machinery available only for larger food establishments and food
preparation businesses. When foods are breaded substantially in
advance of cooking, such as when done on a commercial basis, the
food must be frozen to maintain the quality of the breading through
the handling and distribution of the food. Marinating meats is
another area similar to breading, where machinery has only been
available for larger commercial establishments. Examples of these
marinating machines are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,766 to
Starkweather; 3,928,634 to Gasbarro; and 4,458,586 to Reed. The
existing equipment has not been adequate for household use, owing
to a large number of issues such as safety, cost of the complex
equipment, and the lack of desire by a homeowner or apartment
dweller to dedicate space for a single or limited function
machine.
[0009] While safety, preparation time and effort, and complexity
are all important factors from a utilitarian perspective, the
variety of foods and the tastes, textures, appearances and aromas
of those foods also serves as a measure of the quality and
desirability of the food preparation. Consequently, more foods that
are easily prepared and consumed, and greater varieties of pleasing
flavors, tastes and aromas imparted to those foods, are
desired.
[0010] Various machines and devices have been proposed in the prior
art that attempt to address one or several of these important
factors associated with food preparation. For example, U.S. Pat.
Nos. 3,081,070 to Welsch and 3,439,901 to McCulloch each illustrate
salad mixers that are designed to tumble a salad without the
squashing or bruising that is typical with hand preparation. While
each of these products are novel in their design and construction,
they are limited in application to lettuce and other types of
salads, and both are prone to leakage and failure. Other inventions
have contemplated tumbling for other food products, such as the
tumble churn illustrated by Clegg in U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,291, the
contents which are incorporated herein by reference with regard to
the teachings of a tumbler base and drive system. While the Clegg
base and motor drive system offers much benefit over other prior
art techniques, the Clegg container is designed to contain milk or
cream, and act as a butter chum or other tumbling, agitating or
mixing container. Unfortunately, the Clegg screw cap and depending
vanes are relatively limited in application, since they are neither
sturdy nor designed to prevent liquids from passing between them
and the outer wall. In fact, the vanes will likely, with repeated
usage, be deflected away form the edge of the container wall at one
end or the other. Consequently, very little if any liquid may be
actually carried upon the vanes, a limitation that is very
consequential as will be better understood herein below. In
addition, the screw-on cap is difficult to manipulate when a chef
or cook's hands are either wet or oily, conditions which are
commonplace within a food preparation area. Finally, the tapered
neck on the Clegg container complicates access within the
container, both for food insertion and removal, and also for
cleaning of the container after food preparation using the
container is completed. In fact, owing to the inherent limitations,
the Clegg container is limited in application to materials that are
generally fluid in nature and which are also relatively homogenous.
This is a common limitation of the prior art.
[0011] Clearly, there is much to be desired in this vital area of
food preparation that has net been adequately addressed by the
prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] In a first manifestation, the invention is, in combination,
a sealable container; a motor; and a coupler. The sealable
container receives and retains foods within an outer wall. The
container has at least one paddle which extends inward from the
outer wall in a direction which is angularly offset from radial.
The coupler transmits motion from motor to sealable container in
either of a first direction of rotation which rotates the sealable
container to trap liquid between paddle and outer wall above an
at-rest liquid level and a second direction of rotation opposite
the first direction of rotation which rotates the sealable
container to discharge liquid between paddle and outer wall by the
at-rest liquid level.
[0013] In a second manifestation, the invention is a household
kitchen counter-top appliance adapted for the tumbling of various
solid and liquid foods and food ingredients within a tumbler. The
appliance has a motor for spinning said tumbler about a rotary
axis. The tumbler consists essentially of a generally circular
bottom; cylindrical side walls extending from bottom to an opening
distal to the bottom and forming a rim adjacent the opening; and a
cover engaging the rim and retained thereto solely by a pressure
differential between an interior and an exterior of the
tumbler.
[0014] In a third manifestation, the invention is a method of
tumbling food. Food and ingredients are added to a container, and
the container is covered. A vacuum apparatus is attached to the
container and is used to draw a vacuum therein. A food treatment
function and duration of treatment are selected. The container is
coupled to a rotary drive and tumbled responsive to the selecting
step. The container is opened subsequent to tumbling, and the
tumbled food and ingredients are removed from the container.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention solve
inadequacies of the prior art by providing safe and easy to use
apparatus and methods to marinate, toss, bread and cleanse food. A
first object of the invention is to simplify the process of safely
preparing food, while simultaneously improving the overall safety
of the prepared food. A second object of the invention is to enable
rapid and safe counter-top meat marination. Another object of the
present invention is to simplify the process of preparing salads of
all types, and reduce the amount of time and labor required. A
further object of the invention is to provide the same components
in an appropriate configuration to be capable of the very diverse
functions of marinating, breading, tossing, and cleansing with the
need for few if any additional components. Yet another object of
the present invention is to provide these aforementioned objectives
through the careful design of the components, thereby reducing the
number and complexity of parts, enabling reasonably priced
manufacture, and simplifying the cleaning and storage of the
equipment between food preparation uses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and novel
features of the present invention can be understood and appreciated
by reference to the following detailed description of the
invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment tumbler container
designed in accord with the present invention by exploded,
projected view, and including a preferred embodiment food basket
therein.
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment tumbler base for
use in combination with the preferred embodiment tumbler of FIG. 1
from a projected plan view.
[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of the
preferred embodiment tumbler and tumbler base of FIG. 2.
[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates a preferred embodiment method of food
preparation which incorporates many of the advantages and
objectives of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0021] Manifested in the preferred embodiment, the present
invention provides flexibility of application in a readily
understood and easy to use package, while still preserving both the
safety of the food preparer and also the persons consuming the
food. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated
in FIGS. 1-3, food tumbler 10 includes a food container 11 of
generally cylindrical configuration. Side walls 12, a bottom 14 and
two paddles 16, 18 are most preferably formed integrally with
container 11, thereby simplifying manufacture and reducing
production costs. Paddles 16, 18 are most preferably formed at an
angle of approximately 33 degrees from a radius line R, which
enables paddles 16, 18 to form a lifting scoop in conjunction with
side wall 12 when rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in
FIG. 3. The angle will preferably be between approximately twenty
and sixty degrees. Too small an angle will result in a loss of
fluent material lifting, while too great an angle will produce
undesirably small corners and tight spaces where food residue may
accumulate. Other geometries besides the relatively straight
paddles illustrated are also contemplated, so long as the
geometries most preferably preserve the lifting and massaging
functions.
[0022] A basket 70 may optionally be used, depending upon the
various foods and other ingredients being tumbled. In this
preferred embodiment, basket 70 has relatively large slots 72
therein, which permit liquids or powders from outside of basket 70
but within container 11 to be distributed over food that is more
gently carried within basket 70. Basket 70 is contemplated herein
for use with such diverse foods as leaf vegetables, fruits, and any
other fragile foods, and also for the breading of meats and
vegetables, though many other applications will be apparent to
those skilled in the art of food preparation.
[0023] Exterior fluent material will be exposed to the raising and
dropping action of paddles 16, 18, but the contents of basket 70
will not be. Consequently, a marinade, flour or breading mix,
vinegar and oil dressings, cleaning solutions or other liquids or
fluent materials will be elevated and dropped through gravity into
basket 70, while the contents already within basket 70 are handled
more gently. Rotation of container 11 in a clockwise direction as
shown in FIG. 3 scoops liquids and fluent materials for more
effective washing of produce and spreading of breading mixes and
the like.
[0024] Rotation in a counter-clockwise direction using the
orientation of FIG. 3 will most preferably be performed without
basket 70 in place. This orientation of paddles 16, 18 results in a
more optimum marinating of meats. Paddles 16, 18 serve in this
orientation to rub or massage the meat during the tumbling, without
tearing up more fragile meats or tissues. Consequently, the
preferred angling of paddles 16, 18 permits container 11 to be used
optimally for washing and distributing fluent or fluid materials
through rotation in a first direction, and also used optimally for
the marinating of meat through rotation opposite to the first
direction. This reversal is achieved through the step of placing
container 11 either with cover 20 adjacent to switch 33 with base
14 distal thereto for rotation in a first direction, or with cover
20 distal to switch 33 and with base 14 adjacent to switch 33 for
rotation in a second direction. This arrangement eliminates the
need for any special electrical or electronic circuitry or switches
to reverse the direction of rollers 45, though such circuitry is a
contemplated alternative herein. The ability to reverse rotation
and change the action of paddles 16, 18 thereby further simplifies
the construction of food tumbler 10, while extending functionality
and capability of the present invention.
[0025] A cover 20 includes a mating feature 22 which cooperatively
seals food container 11. This mating feature may take the form of a
simple snap lip, a mating pair of threads, or a gasket 22 as shown
in the preferred embodiment. Gasket 22 is appropriate where vacuum
is applied, since the atmospheric pressure on the outside of cover
20 provides the forces necessary to compress gasket 22 and seal
container 11. As illustrated, a vacuum seal is most preferred since
the vacuum not only provides sealing force, but also speeds the
processes of cleansing, coating and marinating food. A vacuum seal
simultaneously simplifies closure of container 11 and the cleaning
thereof after use. Cover 20 for vacuum applications will most
preferably include dome 24 for strength, and will have a vacuum
port 26 therein. Applications not requiring a vacuum, such as salad
tumbling, will also not require dome 24 or port 26.
[0026] In the preferred embodiment tumbler 10 illustrated, port 26
includes a one-way valve such as plug 28. Plug 28 is designed to
interact with features in port 26 to enable air to be withdrawn
from within container 11 through port 26, but will not allow the
air to return back into container 11. This may be accomplished by
designing the bulb end of plug 28 to seal with the exterior edge of
port 26, while grooves or other surface irregularities may be
formed on the interior surface of port 26, preventing a seal
between the inside flare of plug 28 and the interior of port 26.
This way, when vacuum is drawn around plug 28, the exterior bulb
portion of plug 28 will be drawn away from port 26, and the
interior portion will not seal, allowing air to be drawn out of
container 11. When vacuum is released from about plug 28,
atmospheric pressure will then be greater than the pressure inside
container 11, and plug 28 will be pressed against the outside of
port 26, forming a seal. When container 11 is to be opened, the
large exterior bulb of plug 28 may be deformed, breaking the seal
with port 26 and permitting air to pass into container 11. This
eliminates the vacuum seal, and allows cover 20 to be readily
removed from side walls 12.
[0027] Container 11 and cover 20 are removable from tumbler 10, to
simplify loading or charging container 11 with contents, and also
to simplify unloading and cleaning thereof. In the preferred
embodiment, container 11 and cover 20 will most preferably be
dimensioned to fit within a standard household dishwasher, and to
be manufactured from dishwasher-safe materials to withstand the
dishwasher detergent and dishwasher temperatures. This simplifies
the cleaning of container 11 after use.
[0028] Tumbler 10 also includes a base housing 30, which in the
preferred embodiment encloses a motor, transmission and roller
shafts 44, 46 such as illustrated in the Clegg patent incorporated
herein above by reference. Various rollers 45 are supported on the
shafts and driven as also illustrated in Clegg. Housing 30 which
acts as a cover for the motor and transmission, while also
providing a surface for a user control panel 32. In the preferred
embodiment an electronic timer is used as a switch 33 that controls
electric power applied to the motor. Switch 33 may take many
different forms besides the electronic timer, including but not
limited to rotary timer switches, simple on-off switches, rotary
speed controls, various electronic keypads and touch panels, and
other known user interfaces.
[0029] In order to allow cooling of transmission and motor, passive
vents may also be provided in housing 30, though vents are less
preferred owing to the possibility for food or liquids to pass
therein and not be removed by an operator. Where appropriate, those
skilled in the art may add such features as cooling fans and the
like. For the present preferred embodiment however, simpler design
and construction are preferred in order to keep the manufactured
costs relatively lower, thereby enabling more persons to afford the
opportunity to acquire and use the present invention.
[0030] Housing 30 most preferably also includes a border 35 which
is preferably somewhat lower than control panel 32. Extending from
an inner edge of border 35 is a wall 36 having slots 37 formed
therein. Through slots 37 rollers 45 pass for engagement with
container side wall 12. Rollers 45 are spaced apart sufficiently to
cradle container 11 therein along two horizontal lines, and housing
30 acts as a further retainer along two additional horizontal lines
transverse to container 11. Consequently, container 11 will nest
into rollers 45, and be driven thereby. The slope of wall 36 is
preferred to direct any liquids that may have been spilled from or
onto an exterior of container 11 during loading to settle in
central lower region 38 for easy subsequent cleaning.
Alternatively, central lower region 38 may be provided with a drain
and liquid collection device, the exact construction which will be
decided by the designer.
[0031] According to the preferred food tumbling method 400, a user
will begin the preparation for a meal by selecting food and various
additional ingredients. In the present example, this may for
exemplary purposes include preparing a marinade, and gathering a
meat of choice. The meat and marinade will be placed within
container 11 as shown in FIG. 4 at step 410 of tumbling process
400, and cover 20 will be placed thereon as shown at step 415. A
vacuum apparatus is then most preferably attached to port 26 as
shown at step 420, and a vacuum is drawn at step 425. A variety of
techniques for drawing and retaining a vacuum within a container
are known in the food industry, and the details thereof are not
important to the present invention. However, various appliances are
known that may be used, either through continuous attachment, or by
application and removal. Such devices include both manual and
electrically powered pumps, including battery powered devices. If
the vacuum is applied only once prior to the start of tumbling,
which is the preferred embodiment, port 26 will require a valve
mechanism such as plug 28, a flapper valve, or the like to permit
air to be withdrawn, while not permitting liquids to escape during
tumbling.
[0032] The tumbling function and appropriate time are preferably
determined as shown at step 430. In the preferred embodiment,
control panel 32 will be imprinted with a basic time chart for
various food treatments and foods. Additionally, the orientation of
container 11 with respect to housing 30 will need to be determined,
to select whether meats are to be massaged or fluent materials to
be lifted by paddles 16, 18. Container 11 is next placed upon
rollers 45 within base 30 as shown at step 435, and switch 33 is
activated to begin tumbling the meat within marinade at step 440.
This tumbling will most preferably be based upon the selections
made at step 430, and will be regulated by a timer or the like.
This process will typically require only about fifteen minutes for
most meats to marinate, during which time the user may prepare
lettuce, pasta, or other ingredients for a salad. When the meat
within container 11 has been sufficiently marinated, and this may
involve the absorption of from as little as desired to forty
percent or more by weight of marinade, container 11 will be removed
from housing 30 and stood on bottom 14 as shown at step 445.
Container 11 will be opened next, as shown at step 450. In the
preferred embodiment, opening container 11 comprises flexing the
external bulb on plug 28 to break the vacuum seal. The food within
container 11, in this example the meat, will be removed at step
455. Finally, container 11 and cover 20 are washed at step 460 and
are thereby prepared for the next use.
[0033] This tumbling process 400 may be repeated while the
marinated meat is being cooked. For exemplary purposes, a salad may
be prepared while the meat is cooking. In this case, step 405 will
be included, which involves inserting basket 70 within container
11. Lettuce leaves and other parts of the salad that need washed or
sanitized will most preferably be added at step 410. In addition,
the cleaning and sanitizing liquid will most preferably be added.
Most preferably, this liquid will comprise a vinegar and water
mixture having approximately one and one-quarter percent by volume
acetic acid concentration. The container 11 will be covered and
vacuumed as in steps 415-425, and the function will be selected to
orient paddles 16, 18 for lifting liquid, which is the clockwise
rotation from the view of FIG. 3. As may be seen in FIG. 3, if line
RR is a horizontal line dividing container 11 into two equal
halves, the angle of paddles 16, 18 will ensure that liquid is
carried above line RR and dropped at some point thereafter. This
allows the liquid to be dispensed across a larger area of the
tumbler, and allows gravitational forces to accelerate the liquid
to further assist in the cleaning function.
[0034] When container 11 has been sufficiently tumbled as shown at
step 440, container 11 will be removed from housing 30 and stood on
end. The food which has been cleaned and sanitized may be lifted
out of container 11 within basket 70, and rinsed with fresh water
within basket 70 as well. The fresh water rinse is preferred to
remove any vinegar taste or residue, though this rinsing is not
essential to the operation of the invention. At this point, the
salad greens have been cleaned and sanitized.
[0035] By way of example, the tumbling process of sanitizing has
been demonstrated to be highly effective on ordinary retail
produce, as the following examples illustrate. In the following
examples, reverse osmosis (RO) purified water was used as a control
treatment and compared against both ozonated RO water and the
preferred vinegar and water solution described herein above of one
and one-quarter percent by volume acetic acid. Microbial analyses
were performed on the various rinse solutions, and plate counts
were performed using 3M brand Petrifilm. Aerobic Count Plates (ACP)
estimate total aerobic spoilage bacteria. Coliform and E. Coli were
measured, and are comonly used as indicators for the possible
presence of fecal pathogens Yeast and mold counts measure the
numbers of these respective types of spoilage micro-organisms that
are present. The following percentage reductions in plate counts
are calculated with reference to the control rinse solutions
described above. Noteworthy is the fact that ozone, vinegar,
ultraviolet light, and other antimicrobials may all be used as
sterilizing compounds.
EXAMPLE 1
[0036] Alfalfa sprouts purchased at a grocery store were tumbled
for 3 minutes. In addition to a control group tumbled with RO water
as described above, a second group was tumbled with ozonated RO
water which was ozonated using a Water Pik brand ozonator. A third
group was tumbled with the vinegar and water solution:
TABLE-US-00001 Rinse ACP Coliform E. Coli Yeast Mold Ozonated
24.14% 75% Not 6.25% 200% RO measured Vinegar >98.28% >99.98%
Not 97.5% >99.95% RO measured
EXAMPLE 2
[0037] Mushrooms purchased at a grocery store were tumbled for 3
minutes. In addition to a control group tumbled with RO water as
described above, a second group was tumbled with ozonated RO water
which was ozonated using a Water Pik brand ozonator. A third group
was tumbled with the vinegar and water solution: TABLE-US-00002
Rinse ACP Coliform E. Coli Yeast Mold Ozonated RO 30.77% 0% 400%
45.16% 1,566.67% Vinegar RO >99.85% >96.7% >75% 98.35%
83.33%
EXAMPLE 3
[0038] Raspberries purchased at a grocery store were tumbled for
one and one-half minutes using RO water for control. In addition to
a control group tumbled with RO water, a second group was tumbled
with the vinegar and water solution: TABLE-US-00003 Rinse ACP
Coliform E. Coli Yeast Mold Vinegar RO >95% >67% Not measured
99.67% >99.92%
These examples demonstrate that the preferred tumbling method
removes harmful pathogens, resulting in increased levels of
pathogens in the RO water control groups. The addition of vinegar
to the RO water serves to additionally sanitize the food against a
broad spectrum of pathogens, as evidenced by the destruction of the
pathogens relative to plain RO water.
[0039] When the sanitizing tumbling process described above is
completed, tumbling process 400 may be repeated yet again. This
time, tumbling process 400 may be used to toss all of the salad
ingredients at once within container 11. Basket 70 will preferably
be inserted into container 11. Salad ingredients are then added to
container 11, including vinegar, oil, spices or other dressings at
step 410. Cover 20 will once again be placed, vacuum drawn to seal
container 11, the function and time selected, and container 11
nested once more within base 30 at steps 415, 420, 425, 430 and 435
respectively. Switch 33 is again activated at step 440, this time
typically for a much shorter duration, and the salad ingredients
will be thoroughly mixed. While this is but one of many methods for
practicing the present invention, it is apparent that food tumbler
10 may be used for a variety of diverse food preparation processes,
even within the same meal.
[0040] The most preferred materials for container 11, cover 20, and
housing 30 are plastic resins, which may or may not include various
reinforcing fibers or particles, and other ingredients known to
enhance the properties of the composition and resulting product.
The resins will most preferably be food grade, and be accompanied
by low cost and ready manufacture to custom geometries.
Nevertheless, other food grade materials may be used, including but
not limited to various steels, brass, glass and the like. Where
preferred, additional containers may bc provided, and various
colors may be imparted into the different containers 11 that have
significance regarding the contents of the particular container.
For example, where ultimate food safety is a concern, one container
may be provided for meat tumbling of a first color, while a second,
differently colored container may be used for produce. The
components may be opaque, transparent or translucent, and may
alternatively include a design or label that identifies the purpose
of the container.
[0041] The most preferred embodiment food tumbler 10, by way of
illustration but not limiting thereto, has a container 11 that
measures approximately seven and one-half inches in inside diameter
and seven inches in length. The diameter of container 11 will
preferably be in a range from approximately four to twenty inches
in diameter. Too small of a diameter reduces the washing effect,
while too large a diameter makes the machine physically too large
for the intended purpose. Performance issues are also introduced.
Paddles 16, 18 extend approximately one and one-quarter inches from
the inner surface of walls 12 towards the center-most edge thereof,
though these may vary in accord with the overall size of container
11. Basket 70 has an inside diameter of approximately five inches,
of course sized to nest within container 11. Container 11 when
powered most preferably completes between approximately 20 and 25
rotations per minute (RPM), and preferably will operate within a
range of approximately ten and forty RPM. Too slow a rotation will
not move liquid or fluent components effectively, while too fast a
rotation will result in undesirable centrifuging of the food within
container 11. Using these preferred dimensions and rotational
speeds, grocery chicken, beef and pork are most preferably tumbled
for between fifteen and twenty minutes to adequately marinate, with
a range extending between zero and forty minutes.
Less-than-preferred tumbling time reduces the amount of marinade
absorbed into the animal flesh, while longer-than-preferred
tumbling time excessively breaks down the tissue. The preferred
container is sized to conveniently hold up to four pounds of meat
and one pound of marinade, and will consequently increase the total
weight of the meat by one quarter, from four to five pounds.
[0042] Produce washing is dependent upon the hardness or softness
of the fruit or vegetable being washed. For soft fruits including
strawberries, raspberries and the like, only one to two minutes of
tumbling is adequate. For typical vegetables and firmer fruits such
as mushrooms, alfalfa sprouts and the like, three to five minutes
of tumbling is most preferred. Shorter times limit the amount of
cleaning, while longer durations may damage the produce. The
various diameters, dimensions and rates of rotation may be
optimized for one or more applications in light of the present
disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0043] The invention may reasonably be extended through the
addition of other components. Among those contemplated, but not
limited thereto, are additional cleansing structures arranged at
the inner surface of walls 12. These may most preferably take the
form of non-woven cleaning pads sold under the trademark
"Scotch-Brite" by 3M Corporation of St. Paul, Minn., USA, though
other pads, bristles or similar known cleaning surfaces may be used
with the present invention. The placement of these additional
cleaning structures about the perimeter of container 11 enhances
the efficacy of cleaning the more difficult to clean foods, such as
root vegetables and the like, and in some instances may provide
additional cushioning for the produce.
[0044] Another extension is the inclusion of cooling packs around
the perimeter of container 11. A cooling pad offers the ability to
either simply chill a food, or convert it into a phase-changed
state such as ice-cream or the like. This type of pad may be rigid
or pliable, and will preferably be stored in the freezer. Suitable
compounds will most preferable undergo a very endothermic
phase-change to most efficiently cool the contents of container
11.
[0045] While the foregoing details what is felt to be the preferred
embodiment of the invention, no material limitations to the scope
of the claimed invention are intended. Further, features and design
alternatives that would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the
art are considered to be incorporated herein. The scope of the
invention is set forth and particularly described in the claims
hereinbelow.
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