Title: Counter-mountable cutting board
Abstract: A cutting board has a cutting platform and a clamp assembly to securely mount the cutting board to a counter edge. The cutting platform has an elevated planar cutting surface supported on a narrower base. The cutting board includes a removable receptacle for location over a sink, and hook features for hanging trash bags. The cutting board uses the narrow counter space located at the front of the sink to provide a useful cutting or chopping surface. The board occupies very little sink space and allows access to the sink and water taps for other washing chores once it is mounted to the counter. The clamp assembly hooks or clamps around the counter edge to prevent the cutting board from toppling during use.
Patent Number: 6,994,336 Issued on 02/07/2006 to Loo
| Inventors:
|
Loo; Yeng Way (88 Hampstead Hill N.W., Calgary, Alberta, CA)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
975482 |
| Filed:
|
October 29, 2004 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Current U.S. Class: |
269/302.1; 269/289.R |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
B23Q 3/00 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
269/3021,289.R,900
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 1743763 | Jan., 1930 | Erickson.
| |
| D159881 | Aug., 1950 | Zekowski.
| |
| D161596 | Jan., 1951 | Russ.
| |
| 3598164 | Aug., 1971 | August.
| |
| 4118021 | Oct., 1978 | DeLomba.
| |
| D259166 | May., 1981 | Krusche.
| |
| 4305166 | Dec., 1981 | Rose.
| |
| 4318537 | Mar., 1982 | Dorman et al.
| |
| 4456021 | Jun., 1984 | Leavens.
| |
| D283777 | May., 1986 | Morin.
| |
| 4653737 | Mar., 1987 | Haskins et al.
| |
| 4765603 | Aug., 1988 | Huppert.
| |
| D376737 | Dec., 1996 | Hecker.
| |
| 5865105 | Feb., 1999 | Pepelanov.
| |
| 5904271 | May., 1999 | Collins et al.
| |
| D415661 | Oct., 1999 | Georgeovich.
| |
| 5996983 | Dec., 1999 | Laurenzi.
| |
| 6026972 | Feb., 2000 | Makowski.
| |
| 6341770 | Jan., 2002 | Landherr.
| |
| 6702273 | Mar., 2004 | Sellers.
| |
| 2003/0218290 | Nov., 2003 | Goldberg et al.
| |
| 2005/0110203 | May., 2005 | Loo.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 2052422 | Mar., 1993 | CA.
| |
| 0335657 | Oct., 1989 | EP.
| |
| 1252849 | Oct., 2002 | EP.
| |
| 2264224 | Aug., 1993 | GB.
| |
| 2355920 | May., 2001 | GB.
| |
| 8308752 | Nov., 1996 | JP.
| |
| WO 97/4073/0 | Nov., 1997 | WO.
| |
Primary Examiner: Wilson; Lee D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Malyszko; Thomas E.
Claims
I claim:
1. A cutting board for use on a counter comprising:
a platform having a generally planar cutting surface;
a base portion beneath said cutting surface for elevating said cutting surface
above said counter when placed thereon, wherein said base provides said platform
with an overhanging first portion and an opposed overhanging second portion; and,
means for securing said platform to said counter to removably retain said platform
on said counter during use, said securing means comprising at least one clamp assembly
having an adjustable L-shaped bracket for engaging said counter.
2. The cutting board of claim 1 further including a fastener operatively engaged
with an elongate slot in said bracket to allow a user to selectively adjust said
bracket to the thickness of said counter edge.
3. The cutting board of claim 1 wherein said platform is inclined relative to
said base to urge drainage of liquids toward an edge of said overhanging second portion.
4. The cutting board of claim 3 further including an upstanding ridge located
about a portion of the perimeter of said platform to promote said drainage.
5. The cutting board of claim 1 wherein at least one hook member is provided
adjacent the perimeter of said overhanging first portion to support a bag.
6. The cutting board of claim 1 further including a receptacle removably attachable
to said second portion of said platform.
7. The cutting board of claim 6 wherein said receptacle has a perforated base
for liquid drainage.
8. The cutting board of claim 6 wherein said platform includes spaced supports
along said second portion for removably receiving attachment means on said receptacle,
and a latch member to urge retention of said receptacle on said supports.
9. The cutting board of claim 8 wherein said receptacle includes a flange extending
along a portion of the periphery thereof, and said attachment means comprises a
ridge at each end of said flange for mating with one of said supports on said platform.
10. The cutting board of claim 1 wherein a blind slot is located within said
platform opposite said cutting surface for slidingly receiving a portion of said
L-shaped bracket.
11. A cutting board for use on a counter comprising:
a platform having a generally planar cutting surface;
a base portion beneath said cutting surface for elevating said cutting surface
above said counter when placed thereon and for providing said platform with an
incline for drainage of liquids therefrom; and,
at least one clamp assembly on said base for securing said platform to said counter
during use.
12. A cutting board for use on a counter comprising:
a platform having a cutting surface:
a base portion beneath said cutting surface for elevating said cutting surface
above said counter when placed thereon;
said base portion having means for securing said platform to said counter;
said base portion having a hollow compartment for holding a non-skid pad.
13. A cutting board for use on a counter having an edge comprising:
a platform having a top surface for food preparation;
a base beneath said top surface adapted to rest on said counter and to elevate
said top surface thereabove, wherein said platform protrudes from a first side
of said base to provide a front overhanging portion, and protrudes from a second
side of said base to provide a back overhanging portion; and,
securing means on said base for removably securing said platform to said counter
edge comprising at least one clamp assembly having an adjustable L-shaped bracket
for engaging said counter edge and exerting a clamping force with said base, said
assembly including a fastener operatively engaged with an elongate slot in said
bracket to allow a user to slide the bracket relative to said base to accommodate
the thickness of said counter.
14. A cutting board for use on a counter having an edge comprising:
a platform having a top surface for food preparation;
a base beneath said top surface adapted to rest on said counter and to elevate
said top surface thereabove, wherein said platform protrudes from a first side
of said base to provide a front overhanging portion, and protrudes from a second
side of said base to provide a back overhanging portion;
means on said base for removably securing said platform to said counter edge;
wherein an upstanding ridge is located about a portion of the perimeter of said
platform and said platform is inclined relative to said base to urge liquid an
said top surface to drain off a back edge of said back portion of said platform.
15. The cutting board of claim 14 further including a receptacle removably attachable
to said back portion of said platform.
16. The cutting board of claim 15 wherein:
said platform includes spaced supports on said back portion of said platform
for mating with attachment means on said receptacle, and a latch member to help
retain said receptacle on said supports; and,
said receptacle includes a peripheral flange, and said attachment means comprises
a ridge at each end of said flange for mating with a respective support of said platform.
17. A cutting board for use on a counter comprising:
a platform having a generally planar cutting surface and a recess along one edge
of said platform;
means for securing said platform to an edge of said counter to removably retain
said platform on said counter during use comprising a clamp assembly having a L-shaped
bracket adapted to adjustably engage said recess.
18. The cutting board of claim 17 wherein said bracket includes at least one
elongate slot, and said clamp assembly includes a fastener for operatively engaging
said slot to allow a user to selectively adjust said bracket to the thickness of
said counter edge by fixing the position of said bracket in said recess.
19. A cutting board for use on a counter comprising:
a platform having a cutting surface;
a base portion beneath said cutting surface for elevating said cutting surface
above said counter when placed thereon;
at least one clamp assembly on said base portion for securing said platform to
said counter during use; and,
a receptacle removably attachable to a back portion of said platform.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a space saving kitchen cutting board and more
particularly to a cutting board which can be used on the narrow section of a counter
top located at the front edge of a sink.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common in small kitchens to have a kitchen sink with only a single basin
and a compact counter where there is not much space for accommodating a cutting
board and other cooking hardware. Cutting boards that can be placed over the sink
have been used to address this problem in a small kitchen set up. Unfortunately,
such "over-the-sink" type cutting boards hinder a user's accessibility to the sink
for washing and other chores since they wholly or substantially obstruct the sink.
As a result, over-the-sink cutting boards have to be moved to the side of the sink
when some washing or other chores need to be done immediately. Moving over-the-sink
cutting boards back and forth could be a messy task because the liquid from the
cutting board can drip onto other areas of the counter top or the floor. Further,
chopping on over-the-sink cutting boards may damage or dent the sink if the sink
is not made of a higher gauge material.
The over-the-sink cutting boards available on the market usually incorporate
a strainer. A further disadvantage of such boards is that a large hole is typically
formed on the cutting board surface to hold the strainer, thus leaving little room
for cutting. Such cutting boards therefore have some difficulty in handling tasks
like cutting large leafy vegetables or preparing food for a larger party, especially
when there is only a single-basin kitchen sink. The unused food typically goes
into the strainer, which is removed for disposing the waste into the trash bin.
The periodic act of removing waste from the strainer to the trash bin can be messy.
What is therefore desired is a novel cutting board which overcomes the limitations
and disadvantages of prior boards. Preferrably, it should be readily supportable
over a sink from the narrow section of counter at the front of the sink proximate
a user, to provide a cutting surface without occupying much of the sink and other
useful counter top space. In particular, the board should include a ready mean
of securing about the counter's edge, such as a hooking or clamping mechanism,
to prevent the cutting board from toppling into the sink, particularly during food
preparation. The board should further incorporate a removable receptacle at one
end, and means for optionally hanging a plastic trash bag into which scraps can
be conveniently deposited from the board.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The cutting board of the present invention addresses the drawbacks discussed
above. The present cutting board uses the narrow section of the kitchen counter,
located at the front edge of a sink, to support the board for cutting or chopping
tasks. This small and narrow counter area has never been useful for any other cooking
and washing chores, but this is the best location to cut up fresh vegetables, fruits
and meat because it is right in front of the sink. The board of this invention
occupies very little sink space, and does not unduly impede a user's access to
the sink and water taps.
Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention provides a cutting
board having an elevated planar cutting surface supported by a narrow base, resulting
in overhanging front and back portions of the cutting surface. In a preferred embodiment
the back portion protrudes further from the base than the front portion so that
more of the cutting surface extends over the sink than in front of the counter.
The cutting board further has a mean of securing that allows the cutting board
to be hooked around the counter edge to prevent the cutting board from toppling
during use, as when cutting, chopping or slicing food. The securing mean has a
pair of clamp assemblies each of which is mounted on a respective downwardly protruding
leg from the base. Each clamp assembly has a thumb screw, adjustable right angled
member, washer and a plate with a threaded hole which function to grip about the
counter's edge.
When installing the cutting board to the counter edge, each clamp assembly is
loosened by turning the thumb screw so that the counter edge can easily slide within
the base of the cutting board and the adjustable right angled member. To set the
gap for the countertop thickness, the user simply compresses the planar cutting
surface and adjustable right angled member together so that the edge of the kitchen
counter is lightly clamped therebetween, and the thumb screw is then tightened.
Since the edge of the counter is only lightly clamped, the cutting board can be
easily removed from the counter edge by sliding it out horizontally and later re-inserting
it back to the counter edge. This process can be repeated many times without having
to adjust the thumb screws once the gap is set.
The cutting board also has attachment features for holding a receptacle at the
far end of the cutting board's back portion. The receptacle, as well as the board's
cutting surface, is molded from a food grade plastic. Further, a hook is integrally
molded at each lateral edge of the cutting board at the front portion and is used
to support a two-handle or similar plastic bag which can hang in front of the counter.
When cutting the food, unwanted food can be disposed into the hanging bag at the
side of the board and the desired, or processed, food can be swept or tossed into
the receptacle at the far end of the board.
Upstanding ridges are formed along three sides of the planar cutting surface,
namely along the near or front edge and along the adjoining lateral edges, but
is omitted from the back or far edge. As the planar cutting surface is inclined
at an angle towards the sink when mounted on the counter, any liquid collected
on the planar cutting surface should flow toward the back edge and drip is into
the sink. The ridges guide the liquid toward the back edge and impede or prevent
liquid from dripping off the sides of the cutting board onto the counter or off
the front edge onto the user or the kitchen floor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example
only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows cutting board according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention and a kitchen counter with sink for mounting thereto;
FIG. 2 is a close-up of the cutting board of FIG. 1 showing an exploded view
of a the board's clamp assemblies;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view from below the cutting board of FIG. 1, and a receptacle
for attachment to the back edge of the cutting board;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the cutting board of FIG. 1 and of the receptacle of
FIG. 3 mounted to the back edge of the cutting board;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section of the cutting board and receptacle in
FIG. 4 along line 5—5;
FIG. 6 shows the cutting board and receptacle of FIG. 4 mounted to the front
edge of the kitchen counter and extending over a portion of the sink;
FIG. 7 shows the cutting board of FIG. 1 in two of many possible positions on
the counter, namely mounted in front of the sink and another mounted away from
the sink;
FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the cutting board of the present invention
having a larger base;
FIG. 9 shows yet another embodiment of the cutting board of the present invention
employing a cutting surface made of wood; and
FIG. 10 shows a variant of the wooden cutting board of FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED ENBODIMENTS
Referring first to FIG. 1, a counter
50 defines a kitchen counter
top and a sink
51 mounted therein, which results in a narrow strip of counter
52 running along the front edge of the sink. That front counter strip
52
is typically too narrow to be useful for any cooking and washing chores. The width
of this narrow counter strip
52 ranges from one inch to more than five inches
(about 25 to 125+ mm), but in most kitchens the width is usually in the range of
two to four inches (about 50 to 100 mm). The applicant has found that this narrow
strip
52 can be used for mounting a space saving kitchen cutting board,
a first embodiment of which is generally designated by reference numeral
10.
This location is ideal for chopping or cutting up fresh vegetables, fruits and
meats because it is right in front of the sink. Furthermore, the front edge
53
of most kitchen counters usually protrudes out from the front cabinet panels
54,
and so can be advantageously used as a securing feature to prevent the cutting
board
10 from toppling toward or into the sink
51.
The terms "front" or "forward", "rear" or "backward", "upper", "lower" and the
like will be used for identifying certain features of the cutting board and the
counter. The use of these terms is not intended to limit the board's use or orientation.
Further, when decribing the invention, all terms not defined herein have their
common art-recognized meaning. Also, the present description will refer mostly
to the top-mounted type of sink
51 where its rim rests on the counter top
50A. However, it will be understood that the present invention is equally
applicable to other types of sinks, as long as the counter (or like surface in
front of the sink) has a front counter strip
52 and edge
53 to which
the cutting board is to be mounted.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the cutting board
10 has a main cutting
platform
10A and a securing means
70 in the form of two like but
spaced clamp assemblies. The platform
10A is molded from a food grade plastic,
although other suitable materials may be used, such as wood (as discussed later).
The platform
10A has a top planar cutting surface
11 which is elevated
by a narrow base
12 which is either molded integrally with the platform
underneath or is otherwise connected thereto. The narrow base
12 results
in overhanging first and second, or front and back, portions
13 and
14
of the platform. In this embodiment the back portion
14 protrudes further
from the base
12 than the opposed front portion
13 so that more of
the platform extends over the sink than beyond the counter's front edge
53.
Each of the clamp assemblies
70 has a thumb screw
71 (or like
fastener) and associated washer
72, a L-shaped bracket
73 with a
leg portion
73A and a foot portion
73B, and a plate member
74
with threaded hole
74A therethrough. The leg portion
73A has an elongate
slot
75 through which the thumb screw
71 is adapted to pass. These
clamp parts are preferably made of stainless steel material to avoid corrosion.
Each assembly
70 is adapted to be secured to the back side (i.e. the side
facing the board's back edge
14) of a respective leg
15 which protrudes
away, or downwardly, from the base
12. Each clamp assembly is secured by
passing the thumb screw
71 (with washer
72 thereon) from the front
of the base through a hole
25, then through the slot
75 of the bracket
73, and into threaded engagement with the hole
74A of the plate member
74 (see additional views in FIGS. 3 & 5). The thumb screw
71 acts
to clamp the leg
73A between the plate member
74 and the back side
of the leg
15. A user may therefore use the thumb screw
71 to selectively
slide the bracket to adjust the spacing of the bracket's foot
73B from the
base within the range of the elongated slot
75. Therefore, each clamp assembly
70 can be adjusted to fit a standard range of counter thicknesses. The adjustable
bracket
73 is preferably insert-molded with wear resistant and non-scratch
plastic or rubber material to avoid damaging the counter. In this preferred embodiment
two legs
15, and their corresponding clamp assemblies
70, are provided
near each end of the base
12 for stable and secure mounting to the counter.
It will be appreciated that a single leg
15 and clamp assembly
70
may be sufficient to prevent the cutting board from toppling, but such arrangement
is not preferred.
Upstanding and adjoining ridges are formed along three sides of the cutting
surface
11, namely a ridge
27 along the front edge (closest to a
user) of the cutting platform
10A, and a ridge
28 along each lateral
edge of the cutting platform. A ridge is omitted from the back edge. The planar
cutting surface
11 is also inclined relative to the base
12 at an
angle downwardly towards the sink. This arrangement urges liquids on the cutting
surface toward the back edge and into the sink. The ridges
27 and
28
also impede or prevent any liquid from dripping off the front and lateral sides
of the cutting board.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the base
12 is preferably integrally
molded to the bottom of the cutting platform
10A. The base is substantially
hollow to reduce material and weight, and thus is formed of a series of interconnected
walls for structural integrity. A rectangular hollow compartment
23 is formed
at each end of the base
12 to house a non-skid pad
60. The non-skid
pads
60 are preferrably made of a compressible material, such as a soft
rubber or plastic, and configured to protrude slightly below the base (preferably
tapered outwardly toward the front end as best seen in FIG. 5) so as to engage
the counter. The non-skid pads
60 are compressed when the cutting board
is mounted to the counter edge to enhance frictional resistance therebetween, and
to allow the bottom of the base to fully contact the counter and rest evenly thereon.
The non-skid pads
60 are particularly useful when used on a smooth counter
surface, and they help prevent the cutting board from sliding away from the sink.
One or more upturned hooks
29 are integrally molded at both sides of the
cutting platform
10A at the front portion thereof. The hooks
29 are
used to support a two-handle plastic bag or other like trash bag. The location
of each hook
29 is configured so that after mounting the cutting board to
the counter edge, the hook
29 is near the vertical plane of the counter
edge in order to minimize the moment generated from the weight of the trash bag
suspended on the hook. In other words, the hook is located such that the trash
bag hangs beside the counter's edge and minimizes any forces which might urge the
cutting board to flip away from the sink.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 to 5, a further feature of the invention is a
receptacle
40 for mounting at the back of the cutting platform
10A.
The receptacle has a main container portion
41 and a flange
42 extending
along three sides of the container's lip. Reinforcing ribs
44 are placed
at intervals underneath the flange
42. A ridge
43 is formed at each
terminal end of the flange
42, and the profile of each ridge
43 matches
that of a groove
20 in a receptacle support
19 for mating therewith.
The base of the receptacle
40 preferably has perforations
45 for
liquid drainage.
Attachment means for the receptacle
40 to the cutting board is
provided by a pair of spaced receptacle supports
19 integrally molded underneath
the cutting platform
10A adjacent its back edge. The distal end of each
support protrudes away from the back edge and forms a groove
20 adapted
to mate with the respective ridge
43 of the receptacle
40. A forwardly
protruding wedge-shape latch
22 is formed underneath the cutting platform
10A intermediate the supports
19 to help retain the receptacle on
the supports. The receptacle supports are spaced a distance which is slightly larger
than the length of the main container
41.
When attaching the receptacle
40 to the cutting board
10, the
front upper edge
46 of the receptacle (i.e. the one without the flange
42)
is slid between the receptacle supports
19 at a slightly downward angle
and underneath the cutting platform
10A. When the receptacle
40 is
fully inserted, the ridges
43 of the flange
42 engage the groove
20 of the respective support
19, and the bottoms of the flange
42
rest on the tips of the receptacle supports
19. The cantilever effect of
the receptacle
40 on the supports
19 urges the receptacle's non-flanged
upper edge
46 into contact with the bottom of the cutting platform
10A.
The latch
22, which ends up being positioned inside the receptacle
40
upon its attachment to the board, abuts the upper edge
46 to prevent the
receptacle
40 from inadvertently sliding out. The receptacle
40 is
removed by reversing the above process, namely by lifting the back of the receptacle
up at an angle to disengage from the latch
22 and sliding it out away from
the board.
Referring next to FIG. 6, when installing the cutting board
10 to
the counter's front edge
53, the clamp assemblies
70 need to be loosened
by turning the thumb screws
71 so that the counter edge
53 can easily
slide between the base
12 and the foot
73B of the adjustable L-shaped
bracket
73. To set the gap for that countertop's thickness, a user should
simply compress by hand the cutting surface
11 and adjustable brackets
73
together so that the counter edge
53 is clamped therebetween and the thumb
screws
71 are then tightened. The foot member
73B of the adjustable
bracket
73 is configured to be thin so that it does not block the movement
of drawers and cabinet doors under the counter. The above-noted clamping force
should be adequately firm to retain the board on the counter, yet not so tight
so as to prevent a user from repeatedly sliding the board off the counter and then
reinserting the board thereon, without further loosening or adjustment of the clamping
assemblies. The gap (between the bracket's foot
73B and base
12)
need only be set once for any particular counter. The elevated cutting platform
is configured to clear the height of the sink's rim
51.
Once the cutting board is mounted to the counter, food can be cut, sliced or
chopped on the cutting surface
11. For small cutting chores, the processed
food can be scraped or tossed into the receptacle
40, and the receptacle
may be detached from the board for moving the processed food to a desired location,
such as into a cooking pot or frying pan. Since the cutting board occupies very
little sink space, it does not hinder accessibility to the sink and to the tap
water for other washing chores.
FIG. 7 illustrates the versatility of the present invention. In a first case
for large cutting chores (as illustrated on the left side of FIG. 7), the receptacle
may be omitted and a colander
62 is placed in the sink into which the processed
food can be scraped or tossed directly. Unwanted food can be trashed into a plastic
bag hung from one of the hooks
29. In a second case the cutting board may
also be used away from the sink on any flat counter surface to provide a raised
cutting surface (as illustrated on the right side of FIG. 7). In this instance
a plate
61 or low profile pan is placed underneath the cutting board to
catch foods and collect juice from carving. These convenient "chop, catch and trash"
features of the board, as illustrated in both cases, allow a user to finish a first
cutting chore and quickly free up the cutting surface to start another cutting chore.
FIG. 8 shows an alternate version of the invention in which the cutting board
110 has a larger, namely wider (from front to back), base
112 for
added stability on any kitchen counter with under-mount sinks, as the sink's outer
rim is always below the counter surface. Otherwise, the cutting board
110
has all the features described for the first embodiment of the cutting board
10.
Variants of the securing means
70 may be applied to variants of the
cutting board. FIG. 9 shows a solid narrow base
212 (as opposed to the generally
hollow narrow base
12) for use with wood chopping board
210. The
planar cutting platform
210A and the solid base
212 can be made from
a thick solid block of wood as a single integral unit, or by gluing the platform
210A and base
212 together. Blind slots
216 are bored into
the platform
210A from underneath, and adjacent the base
212, to
allow the brackets
273 to slide thereinto. These slots augment the range
of travel of the bracket's foot relative to the base
212 to accommodate
a greater range of kitchen counter thicknesses. The heads of thumb screws
271
can be used as hooks for hanging two-handed plastic trash bags. FIG. 10 shows an
adjustable single clamp assembly
370 applied to a recess
380 in the
edge of a solid thick wooden chopping board
310. The recess
380 is
fairly deep to provide a first, or front, portion
313 that extends toward
a user when mounted to a counter, much like the front portion
13 of the
preferred embodiment, for enhanced ergonomics during use. The board should be sized
so that the second, or rear, portion
314 extends over a sink when mounted
adjacent thereto. The clamp assembly has a wide L-shaped metal bracket with a pair
of spaced, vertically oriented elongate slots
375 adapted to receive respective
thumb screws
371. Although one thumb screw and centrally located slot would
also work, the pair illustrated is preferred for security. The bracket may slide
within the recess
380 for vertical adjustment within the range of the elongate
slots, and be fixed at a desired position (namely to the thickness of the kitchen
counter edge) by tightening the thumb screws. This slot and clamp configuration
allows the omission of a base (
12). This variant is useful for any kitchen
counters with under-mount sinks. It will be understood that the wood of the cutting
boards
210,
310 may be substituted with thick plastic or other suitable materials.
The above description is intended in an illustrative rather than a restrictive
sense, and variations to the specific configurations described may be apparent
to skilled persons in adapting the present invention to other specific applications.
Such variations are intended to form part of the present invention insofar as they
are within the spirit and scope of the claims below. For instance, although a single
basin sink has been used in the above description, it is understood that the present
invention may be used with other types of sinks and those with two or more basins.
*