Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Apparatus – Blotting means combined with means for purpose other than...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-14
2003-06-17
Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3749)
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Apparatus
Blotting means combined with means for purpose other than...
C034S330000, C034S335000, C034S355000, C034S398000, C034S095000, C034S095100, C015S244100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06578285
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for removing grease from food items, and more particularly to a device for absorbing or blotting grease from the surface of delicate food items such as pizza.
2. Preliminary Discussion
Scientists are learning more and more every day about the deleterious effects of excess fat and fatty foods on the human body. Such information has made consumers increasingly conscious of their eating habits in general, causing them to try to minimize the amount of fat or oils contained in their diets. At the same time, the average consumer is also working longer hours and generally has a very busy or hectic schedule, leaving less time to satisfy his or her hunger pangs or appetite. Consequently, “fast food” has become a standard part of the diet of the working population. However, while “fast food” can quickly satisfy such hunger pangs, over the long term healthier foods and a balanced diet are required for nutritional sustenance for consumers to remain healthy, alert, and productive.
One “fast food” that has enjoyed increasing popularity in recent years is pizza. Pizza has several advantages over other fast foods. First, many consumers believe that pizza smells and tastes better than more traditional fast foods such as hamburgers, fried chicken, french fries, tacos, or the like. In addition, unlike many other fast foods, pizza can be easily reheated without losing much of its original flavor. Another advantage is that pizza is often delivered, so workers do not have to wait in line or even leave their homes or offices for such pizza to be served. Pizza is also often consumed in a group setting, since a single large pizza pie can usually satisfy the appetite of three of four normal sized persons. A further advantage of pizza over other “fast foods” is that consuming a slice or slices of pizza is generally considered healthier than consuming other higher-fat, lower carbohydrate fast foods. For one thing, the pizza crust provides carbohydrates, and the cheese provides protein and calcium. In addition, a pizza may be topped with any number of vitamin and mineral rich vegetables, especially green peppers, broccoli, or spinach. Finally, pizza is not as subject to bacterial deterioration as some other foods, which, if left unrefrigerated, can quickly become dangerously infected with bacterial food poisoning agents.
Although pizza has numerous nutritional advantages over many other “fast foods,” most pizzas contain a rather thick layer of cheese, which cheese contains large quantities of fat. When the pizza is cooked or heated in a pizza oven, the cheese melts, thereby causing grease to separate from the cheese and to collect or form in pockets on the surface of the pizza. Such condition can be even further aggravated if the pizza contains additional fatty toppings, such as pepperoni, Italian sausage, or ground beef, which release additional amounts of grease during heating. A further disadvantage is that since a pizza slice is usually consumed virtually immediately after it has been cooked or heated, the grease released from the cheese and toppings is still extremely hot and can severely burn the roof of one's mouth, which is not only painful, but may also damage the taste buds for a short or sometimes longer duration.
Thus, while it is well known that grease and fats add flavor to many foods, most consumers try to remove at least some of the excess pools or pockets of grease from the surface of a pizza slice prior to eating, generally to decrease the overall fat content of such slice. One method commonly employed to remove grease from the surface of a slice of pizza is to fold or bend the slice so that the grease is channeled generally into the center portion of the fold, wherein the slice is tilted at an angle so that the grease flows off. However, while this removes some of the grease from the food item, overall folding is not very effective, since a significant amount of grease will remain on the surface absent complete mangling of the slice. In addition, by the time a consumer is ready to consume a second or third slice, such slices will have significantly cooled, allowing much of the grease to resolidify. Thus, using this method, a consumer usually cannot remove a satisfactory quantity of grease, and a relatively large quantity is still consumed during eating.
Another commonly employed method is to blot the slice by hand using an absorbent implement such as a paper napkin or towel. Although overall this method may remove more grease than folding, often pieces of the napkin or towel will tear off and become stuck on the surface of the cheese. Such method is also generally inefficient and messy. In addition, blotting using a regular napkin or towel is also usually only practical to remove grease when the food is hot or essentially right out of the oven, since the grease will solidify quickly at room temperature. Thus, it rapidly becomes difficult or even impossible to remove most of the grease from the entire surface of foods such as pizza shortly after cooking unless the food is reheated so that the temperature of the food is once again high enough for the grease to liquefy.
3. Description of Related Art
While there are numerous devices known in the prior art for absorbing liquids or moisture generally, and more specifically for blotting or removing grease, none of such devices claims the particular advantages of the inventor's device, which can be used to quickly and easily remove most of the grease from the surface of a hot food such as pizza or other foods where the grease accumulates on the surface of the food without the food item itself becoming mangled or otherwise misshapen or damaged during the removal process.
Bag-like structures having a grease absorbent lining material for absorbing grease, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,899 issued to J. P. Lappin, Jr. on Jan. 1, 1963, entitled “Absorbent Device to Absorb Grease from Articles,” are well known. When greasy foods are placed in the bag and the bag is shaken vigorously, grease is transferred from the food onto the absorbent material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,907 issued to B. Power on Jan. 15, 1991, entitled “Grease Absorbent Device,” discloses similar bag-type grease absorbing device into which greasy foods are placed immediately after cooking and gently shaken. U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,518 issued to L. H. Lee on Oct. 11, 1994, entitled “Implement to Blot Grease from Solid Foodstuff,” also discloses a similar bag-like structure which uses an air-evacuating pump means such that when the pump is turned on, the absorbent layer is pulled tightly against the foodstuff, causing the grease to be blotted onto the absorbing material. Although such devices are useful for removing grease from the surface of deep-fried or relatively solid foods, they could not be used on pizza-like foods, since such foods would be essentially destroyed by vigorous or even gentle shaking.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,921 issued to D. E. Jury on Feb. 7, 1978, entitled “Disposable Grease Absorbing Mitt,” discloses a grease-absorbing pad having a mitt-like pocket into which the hand of the user is slipped. Such mitt, however, is designed to absorb grease in a cleaning task, and the Jung reference does not teach use of the mitt for absorbing grease directly from the surface of foods.
Absorbent pads are also well known for other specific uses, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,611 issued to M. Wishman on May 3, 1983, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Absorbing Moisture,” which discloses a pad that is primarily intended for absorbing body perspiration and other body fluids. Another example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,836 issued to A. Colognori on Oct. 9, 1984, entitled “Backscrubber and/or Backscratcher with Removable Sponge Element,” which discloses a sponge and handle element for scrubbing or scratching one's back. U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,847 issued to J. R. Melcher on May 25, 1993, entitled “Swab and Method of Manufacturing and Using It,” discloses an applicator consi
Lazarus Ira S.
Rinehart K. B.
Wilkinson Charles A.
Wilkinson Clinton H.
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