Waste Cooking Grease Collection and Disposal Apparatus

Abstract

A waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus includes a flexible heat-resistant non-conductive polymeric housing devised to withstand introduction of very hot cooking grease poured therein. The housing includes a base bounded topside by a perimetric wall to enclose an interior volume. Grease collected into the interior volume is transportable thereby to cool within a conditioned space, such as inside a refrigerator, for example. Once the grease is cooled, a block of solidified grease is readily removable from the apparatus by manual deformation of the housing. Since the housing comprises known dimensions, blocks of solidified grease of known dimensions are producible for disposal or reuse, as desired.

Claims

1. A waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus having a flexible heat-resistant non-conductive polymeric housing into which waste cooking grease is pourable for collection, said housing comprising: a base disposed to frictively engage an underlying surface and resist lateral displacement thereon; a perimetric wall disposed edgewise atop the base, said perimetric wall having a height less than both a length and a width of the base; an interior volume enclosed by the base and the perimetric wall; a top edge disposed delimiting an upper extremity of the perimetric wall; an inward surface disposed upon the perimetric wall, said inward surface coterminous the interior volume; and an inner rim disposed upon the inward surface of the perimetric wall at a position approximately two-thirds the height of the perimetric wall; wherein collection of hot grease poured into the interior volume does not lessen the stability of the perimetric wall nor deform the base and waste cooking grease is readily collectable in the interior volume for solidification when cooled, whereby a block of solidified grease is removable from the interior volume by manual deformation of the base and perimetric walls.

2. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base includes an enantiomorphic design element raised into the interior volume whereby a readable design is formable into the block of solidified grease upon solidification when cooled.

3. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base is 5 inches long by 5 inches wide.

4. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 2 wherein the base is 5 inches long and 5 inches wide.

5. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 3 wherein the perimetric wall is 2 inches tall.

6. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 4 wherein the perimetric wall is 2 inches tall.

7. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 5 wherein the inner rim is disposed upon the inward surface of the perimetric wall 1.333 inches above the base.

8. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 6 wherein the inner rim is disposed upon the inward surface of the perimetric wall 1.333 inches above the base.

9. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 7 wherein the housing is made of silicone.

10. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 7 wherein the housing is lipophobic.

11. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 8 wherein the housing is made of silicone.

12. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 8 wherein the housing is lipophobic.

13. A waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus having a flexible heat-resistant non-conductive polymeric housing into which waste grease is pourable for collection, said flexible heat-resistant polymeric housing comprising: a base having an length and a width of 5 inches, said base disposed to frictively engage an underlying surface whereon the housing is stood; a 2 inch perimetric wall vertically disposed upon the base, said perimetric wall bounding the base and enclosing an interior volume; a top edge disposed delimiting an upper extremity of the perimetric wall; an inward surface disposed upon the perimetric wall, said inward surface coterminous the interior volume; an inner rim disposed upon the inward surface of the perimetric wall at 1.33 inches height above the base, said interior rim disposed in a plane parallel with the base; an exterior rim disposed bounding the base exteriorly around the perimetric wall; and an enantiomorphic design element raised upon the base to protrude into the interior volume; wherein collection of hot grease poured into the interior volume dos not appreciably lessen the stability of the walls nor deform the base when contacted therewith, whereby waste cooking grease is readily collectable in the interior volume for solidification when cooled, whereby a block of solidified grease of standardized dimensions and having a known volume is removable from the interior volume by manual deformation of the base and perimetric walls and an imprint of the design element is readable in a surface of the solidified block of grease.

14. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 13 wherein the flexible heat-resistant housing is made of silicone.

15. The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus of claim 13 wherein the housing is lipophobic.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figures

[0020] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an example embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a top view of an example embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a cross-section view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular FIGS. 1 through 3 thereof, example of the instant waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus employing the principles and concepts of the present waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus and generally designated by the reference number 10 will be described.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3 an example embodiment of the present waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus 10 is illustrated.

[0025] The present waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus 10 has been devised to enable collection of hot cooking grease in the kitchen by the stove side. Once collected, grease storable interior to the present waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus 10 is readily cooled and solidified, as with reposition of the present apparatus 10 interior to a refrigerator, wherein cooling and solidification of said collected grease is expedited and easy disposal is subsequently enabled by manual deformation of the present waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus 10, whereby a block of solidified grease of known volume is readily expelled from the present waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus 10 for disposal or reuse, as desired.

[0026] The present waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus 10, therefore, includes a flexible heat-resistant non-conductive polymeric housing 20 into which waste grease is pourable for collection. The flexible heat-resistant non-conducive polymeric housing 20 may be formed or molded from thermoset polymer, for example vinyl or silicone. The housing 20 is heat-resistant and prevents deformation even when contacted by hot grease as delivered immediately from a stovetop. Moreover, the housing 20 is thermally non-conductive to prevent heat conduction into underlying surfaces and to enable portability by a user without protective clothing.

[0027] The flexible heat-resistant non-conducive polymeric housing 20 includes a base 22 bounded topside by a perimetric wall 22 vertically disposed edgewise upon said base 22. The perimetric wall 24 therefore bounds the base 22 and encloses an interior volume 26 there atop.

[0028] A top edge 28 is disposed delimiting an upper extremity of the perimetric wall 24. An inward surface 30 is disposed upon the perimetric wall 24, said inward surface 30 coterminous the interior volume 26. An inner rim 32 is disposed upon the inward surface 30 of the perimetric wall 24 at a height more proximal the top edge 28 than the base 22, said inner rim 32 disposed in a plane parallel with the base 22 to demark an upper limit of collected grease storable within the interior volume and signalize a known volume of said grease once solidified. Solidified blocks of waste cooking grease are thus producible at repeatable and known volumes for use, reuse, or disposal, as desired.

[0029] The base 22 is both longer and wider than the perimetric wall 24 is tall. The housing 20 thus presents a love center of gravity whereby tipping is impossible without manually inverting the housing 20. An exterior rim 34 is disposed bounding the base 22 exteriorly around the perimetric wall 24 wherein the base 22 exceeds the delimit of the perimetric wall 24 most proximal the ground whereby stability of the apparatus 10 is yet further increased. A non-slip surface (not shown) may be included exteriorly upon the base 22 to prevent lateral displacement of the device 10 or, alternately, the polymeric housing may frictively engage against an underlying surface due to the material of which the housing 20 is comprised (for example thermoset silicone).

[0030] Collection of hot grease poured into the interior volume 26 does not appreciably lessen the stability of the perimetric wall 24 nor deform the base 22, and although flexible enough for manual deformation, the apparatus 10 yet maintains its shape to bound and enclose the interior volume 26 even when contacted by application of hot grease poured therein. A user is thus enabled to pour waste cooking grease into the interior volume 26 from a frying pan, for example, without spilling grease outside of said interior volume 26. Waste cooking grease is thus readily collectable in the interior volume 26 for solidification when cooled, whereby a block of solidified grease of known dimensions is removable from the interior volume 26 by manual deformation of the base 22 and perimetric wall 24.

[0031] The waste cooking grease collection and disposal apparatus 10 may also include an enantiomorphic design element 36 raised upon the base 22 to protrude into the interior volume 26 whereby a readable design is formable into the block of solidified grease upon solidification when cooled.

[0032] The base 22 is contemplated to be square with an area large enough to position the perimetric wall 24 spaced enough to readily catch grease poured over the rims of most frying pans, whereby spillage and splattering outside the interior volume is unlikely and the grease poured from said frying pans is entirely collectable within the interior volume 26. In an example embodiment contemplated herein, the base dimensions are 5 inches by 5 inches and the perimetric wall 24 extends approximately 2 inches up from the base 22. The inner rim 32 is disposed at approximately 1.3333 inches from the base 22. The perimetric wall 24 may be thicker between the inner rim 32 and the base 22, whereby the solidified block of grease is of a known and consistent size when to occupying the interior volume 26 from the inner rim 32 to the base 22.

[0033] A user thus pours waste cooking grease into the interior volume 26 and collects grease as desired. When the level of grease in the interior volume 26 reaches the inner rim 32, a known volume of grease has been collected. Cooling in the refrigerator thus solidifies the grease and enables easy removal of a consistent, standardized, and known volume of grease for disposal or reuse, as desired. In the example embodiment herein contemplated, the volume of the block of solidified grease is approximately 30.72 cubic-inches.