Rebound Garlic Peeling Apparatus and Method

Abstract

A rebound garlic peeling apparatus is presented having an elastomeric, rubberlike, spherical member separable into halves. A first hemispherical section is therefore securable to a second hemispherical section to encapsulate a hollow center. An interior layer, disposed bounding the hollow center when each of the first and second hemispherical members are secured together, is forced to contact garlic cloves enclosed therein when the spherical member is accelerated against a proximal surface. Tractive engagement of the interior layer against the garlic cloves effects separation of the garlic tunic and sheath from the cloves whereby the cloves are expediently peeled by bouncing the spherical member previous to culinary preparation. Force of impact is absorbed predominantly into the spherical member whereby any bruising of the cloves is minimized.

Claims

1. A rebound garlic peeling apparatus comprising a rubberlike, polymeric, hollow, spherical member separable into halves, said spherical member having an interior layer disposed thereupon having a high coefficient of friction wherein at least one garlic clove placed interiorly encompassed within the spherical member is stripped of a tunic and sheath when the spherical member is bounced by a user against a surface to reveal at least one peeled clove when the spherical to member is subsequently separated into halves.

2. The rebound garlic peeling apparatus of claim 1 wherein the spherical member comprises: a first hemispherical section, said first hemispherical section including a nested interior hemisphere presenting a male threaded section disposed above a sealable rim of the first hemispherical section; and a second hemispherical section, said second hemispherical section including a nested interior hemisphere having a female threaded section disposed below a sealable rim of the second hemispherical section; wherein the male threaded section engages into the female threaded section and the first hemispherical section is rotationally securable to the second hemispherical section to effect conjunction of each sealable rim.

3. The rebound garlic peeling apparatus of claim 2 wherein the interior layer includes a plurality of protuberances.

4. The rebound garlic peeling apparatus of claim 2 wherein the interior layer includes a plurality of ridges.

5. A rebound garlic peeling apparatus comprising a rubberlike, polymeric, hollow, spherical member separable into halves, said spherical member having: a first hemispherical section including a nested interior hemisphere presenting a male threaded section disposed above a sealable rim of the first hemispherical section; a second hemispherical section including a nested interior hemisphere having a female threaded section disposed below a sealable rim of the second hemispherical section; and an interior layer disposed concavely upon each of the interior hemispheres of each of the first and second hemispherical sections, said interior layer having a high coefficient of friction; wherein at least one clove is positionable interior to the spherical member when the first and second hemispherical sections are rotationally engaged and secured together by threadable engagement to effect conjunction of each sealable rim and a tunic and sheath of the at least one clove is separable by frictional engagement against the interior layer when the spherical member is bounced by a user against a surface whereby at least one peeled clove is retrievable by a user when the first and second hemispherical sections are subsequently separated.

6. The rebound garlic peeling apparatus of claim 5 wherein the interior layer to includes a plurality of protuberances.

7. The rebound garlic peeling apparatus of claim 5 wherein the interior layer includes a plurality of ridges.

8. A method of peeling garlic comprising the steps of: placing a bulb of garlic into a hollow center of an elastomeric, rubberlike, hollow spherical member, said hollow center bounded by an interior layer having a high coefficient of friction; and forcing impact of the spherical member against a surface; wherein the bulb is loosened by said impact and each of a plurality of cloves comprising the bulb is separable thereby, whereby a tunic and sheath of each of the plurality of cloves is forcible from each of the plurality of cloves by tractive contact against the interior layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figures

[0017] FIG. 1 is a side view of an example embodiment with detail illustrated of a male threaded section and female threaded section engaging each of a first hemispherical section in conjunction with a second hemispherical section conjunct at a sealable rim.

[0018] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an example embodiment depicting an interior layer having a plurality of protuberances thereon.

[0019] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an example embodiment illustrating the first and second hemispherical sections separated and without the plurality of protuberances disposed upon the interior layer.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a cross section view of an example embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 5 is an in-use view illustrating a bulb of garlic disposed within a hollow center.

[0022] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an example embodiment illustrating the first hemispherical section separated from the second hemispherical section and depicting the plurality of protuberances upon the interior layer.

[0023] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an example embodiment illustrating the first hemispherical section separated from the second hemispherical section and depicting a plurality of ridges disposed upon the interior layer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular FIGS. 1 through 7 thereof, example of the instant rebound garlic peeling apparatus employing the principles and concepts of the present rebound garlic peeling apparatus and generally designated by the reference number 10 will be described.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 7 a preferred embodiment of the present rebound garlic peeling apparatus 10 is illustrated.

[0026] The present rebound garlic peeling apparatus 10 has been devised to enable expedient peeling of garlic cloves 102 and bulbs 100 previous to culinary preparation. Separation of the bulb 100 and removal of the tunic 200 and sheath 202 from cloves 102 is effective by frictional engagement of at least one clove 102 against an interior layer 50 disposed upon a elastically reboundable polymeric hollow spherical member 20, whereby agitation of the spherical member 20 effects frictional engagement of the bulb 100 against the interior layer 50 loosening the bulb 100 and removing the tunic 200 and sheath 202 from each clove 102. Agitation of the spherical member 20 is effected by bouncing the spherical member 20 against a surface.

[0027] The rebound garlic peeling apparatus 10, therefore, includes an elastically rebounding, polymeric, hollow, spherical member 20 separable into halves for reception of at least one clove 102 of a garlic bulb 100 into a hollow center 22 enclosable therein. The spherical member 20 includes a first hemispherical section 30 and a second hemispherical section 40, securable together along a medial transverse axis bisecting the spherical member 20 into halves. The first hemispherical member 30 includes a nested interior hemisphere 32 concavely disposed thereupon. The nested interior hemisphere 32 presents a male threaded section 34 disposed extended beyond a sealable rim 36, said sealable rim 36 disposed circumferentially bounding the first hemispherical section 30 transversely around the hollow center 22.

[0028] The second hemispherical section 40 also includes a nested interior hemisphere 42 concavely disposed thereupon, said nested interior hemisphere 42 having a female threaded section 44 disposed below a sealable rim 46 transversely disposed delimiting the second hemispherical section 40 around the hollow center 22. The first hemispherical section 30 is thereby securable to the second hemispherical section 40 by rotational engagement of the male threaded section 34 seating into the female threaded section 44.

[0029] The interior layer 50 is interiorly disposed concavely upon each of the first and second hemispherical sections 40, 40 overlying each respective interior hemisphere 32, 42. The interior layer 50 includes a high coefficient of friction devised for abrasive contact and tractive engagement against the at least one clove 102 when the spherical member 20 is agitated. Acceleration of the at least one clove 102 relative the interior layer 50 thus engenders frictional contact between the at least one clove 102 and the interior layer 50 whereby the tunic 200 and sheath 202 of said clove 102 is separated from the at least one clove 102. At least one peeled clove 102 is thus retrievable by a user when the first and second hemispherical sections 30, 40 are subsequently separated.

[0030] An entire garlic blub 100 is positionable within the hollow center 22 interior to the spherical member 20 when each of the first and second hemispherical sections 30, 40 is rotationally engaged in a relative first direction and secured together by threadable engagement of the male and female threaded sections 34, 44 disposed upon each corresponding interior hemisphere 32, 42. Conjunction of each sealable rim 36, 46 is thereby tautly maintained by threaded engagement of each of the first and second hemispherical sections 30, 40 together. Rotation of each of the first and second hemispherical sections 30, 40 in a relative second direction therefore enables release of the first and second hemispherical sections 30, 40 and separation of the spherical member 20 into halves.

[0031] The present rebound garlic peeling apparatus 10 is usable to encompass an entire bulb of garlic 100 within the hollow center 22 of the spherical member 20. Subsequent acceleration of the spherical member 20 accelerates the garlic bulb 100 and impact of the spherical member 20 effects impact and contact of the garlic bulb 100 against the interior layer 50. Further, elastic rebound of the spherical member 20 effects abrupt changes in velocity whereby the spherical member 20 is repeatably bounceable to effect complete separation of the cloves 102 comprising the garlic bulb 100 and, also, separation of the exterior tunic 200 and sheath 202 from each clove 102. A user may therefore place a desired quantity of garlic—comprising at least one clove—interior to the spherical member 20 and expediently peel said at least one clove 102 by causing the spherical member 20 to bounce at least once.

[0032] In an example embodiment depicted herein, the interior layer 50 may include a plurality of protuberances 52 to increase frictional contact against at least one clove 102 encompassed within the hollow center 22 when the spherical member 20 is bounced (see for example FIGS. 2, 5, and 6). In another example embodiment depicted herein, the plurality of protuberances 52 may be devised as a plurality ridges 54 (see FIG. 7, for example). Additionally textures disposed upon the interior layer 50 are contemplated as part of this disclosure whereby the coefficient of friction of the interior layer 50 is increasable thereby.