Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a food residues straining assistive device that removes the food residue from food vessels and strain the residues in an effective manner without splattering the residues on sides of the sink.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Food residues are leftover particles and scraps from food items that accumulate on dishes during washing. Straining these residues is crucial for maintaining a clean and efficient kitchen environment. When food residues are not properly strained, they can clog sink drains and cause unpleasant odors, create blockages in plumbing, and attract pests. Efficiently removing these residues helps prevent these issues, ensuring smooth drainage and reducing the need for frequent plumbing maintenance. Additionally, straining residues keeps the sink area hygienic by preventing the spread of food particles and potential bacterial growth.

[0003] Traditionally, food residues are strained using a variety of manual tools. Common methods include using mesh strainers or colanders placed over the sink or in a bowl to catch food particles while allowing water to drain. Some people use manually operated hand-held sieves or pour dishes through these tools to separate residues from the water. Additionally, people often remove large food scraps by hand or with a spatula before washing dishes, trying to prevent clogging the sink. Traditional methods for straining food residues are inefficient and messy. Manual strainers and colanders often require careful handling to avoid splashing, and they may not catch all residues, leading to clogged sinks. Hand-removing large food scraps is time-consuming and unhygienic. These methods also lack automation, making them less effective for handling varying residue amounts and types.

[0004] US2011023220A1 discloses about a flexible sink strainer having a cupped body completely comprised of a flexible material including a plurality of apertures to allow fluid to pass there through, wherein the body is capable of attaining first and second configurations, the first configuration being suitable for capturing material entrained within fluid as it passes through the apertures and the second configuration being suitable for removing material captured on the body as fluid passes through the apertures, is disclosed. Though, US’220 discloses about an invention that relates to a flexible sink strainer. However, the cited invention lacks in preventing clogging of the sink.

[0005] US20160309962A1 discloses about a container with strainer divider is appointed to filter liquid from a food product to maintain freshness. The liquid strainer divider has a main body portion with a plurality of closely arranged apertures having small diameters. The body portion terminates at a perimeter with a perimeter rim. The perimeter rim and perimeter of the main body portion of the liquid strainer divider are adapted to be received and abut against walls of a container and the plurality of straining holes or apertures of the liquid strainer divider function to separate liquid to the bottom wall of the container. The liquid strainer divider is formed having a plurality of interconnected shallow peaks and valleys, wherein the peaks are formed as a convex arched curve with sloping walls terminating to valleys that are conversely concave arched curves so as to form an interconnected waved structure. Though, US’962 discloses about an invention that relates to a container with strainer divider. However, the cited invention lacks in removing the residues from the food vessel in an automated manner.

[0006] Conventionally, many devices have been developed that are capable of assisting a user in straining food residue. However, these devices are incapable of removing the residues from the food vessel in an automated manner, and fails in reducing manual efforts and consumption of time in the overall process. Additionally, these exiting devices also lack in storing the strained residue by properly covering them.

[0007] In order to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, there exists a need in the art to develop a device that is capable of straining food residues by removing the residues from the food vessel in an automated manner without splattering the residues on sides of the sink. In addition, the developed device also stores the strained residue separately according to their types.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to develop a device that is capable of straining food residues by removing the food residues from a vessel without splattering the residues on sides of a sink, thereby preventing the residues to get clogged in drain hole of the sink.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to develop a device that is capable of detecting the type of the collected residue and accordingly store the residue in separate containers, thus assisting a user in optimal disposal of the residues after washing all dishes.

[0011] Yet another object of the present invention is to develop a device that is capable of covering the stored residue in an automated manner, thereby ensuring hygiene in surroundings of the sink.

[0012] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention relates to food residues straining assistive device that is capable of straining food residue from the vessels of varying dimensions by accommodating the vessel and removing the residue from the vessel in a self-sufficient manner.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a food residues straining assistive device comprises of a cuboidal body having an open top portion developed to be positioned on corner of a sink, plurality of suction cups are arranged on edges of the body for adhering to the sink’s surface in view of securing the body in the sink, a proximity sensor embedded in the body for determining presence of a vessel having food residues, an artificial intelligence-based imaging unit integrated in the body and paired with a processor to determine dimensions of the vessel, a drawer arrangement integrated in the body for increasing/decreasing dimensions of the body, a flap is installed on the body by means of a robotic link for providing required movement to the flap to remove the food residues from the vessel into the body in a manner that the residues/water are prevented from splattering on sides of the sink.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the proposed device further comprises of plurality of motorized iris lids arranged on base of the body to get opened/closed for allowing the water to get passed through the body into the sink while the food residues are collected on a flexible sheet overlapped over the lids for straining the residues from the water and preventing the residues to get clogged in drain hole of the sink, plurality of chambers arranged on lateral sides of the base of the body for storing different residues, the imaging unit monitors the residues to detect type of the residues, a robotic arm configured with a plate is installed on the body to scrape the residues towards the designated chamber in view of separating the residues for assisting the user in optimal disposal of the residues after washing all dishes, a motorized slid-able lid is installed on each of the chambers for covering the chambers when filled completely, and a battery is configured with the device for providing a continuous power supply to electronically powered components associated with the device.

[0016] While the invention has been described and shown with particular reference to the preferred embodiment, it will be apparent that variations might be possible that would fall within the scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a food residues straining assistive device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The following description includes the preferred best mode of one embodiment of the present invention. It will be clear from this description of the invention that the invention is not limited to these illustrated embodiments but that the invention also includes a variety of modifications and embodiments thereto. Therefore, the present description should be seen as illustrative and not limiting. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, it should be understood, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

[0019] In any embodiment described herein, the open-ended terms "comprising," "comprises,” and the like (which are synonymous with "including," "having” and "characterized by") may be replaced by the respective partially closed phrases "consisting essentially of," consists essentially of," and the like or the respective closed phrases "consisting of," "consists of, the like.

[0020] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” designate both the singular and the plural, unless expressly stated to designate the singular only.

[0021] The present invention relates to a food residues straining assistive device that is capable of providing an effective means for straining food residues from vessels without splashing and creating mess around the sink area. Additionally, the proposed device is capable of storing the strained residue separately by detecting the type of the residue.

[0022] Referring to Figure 1, an isometric view of a food residues straining assistive device is illustrated, comprising a cuboidal body 101 having an open top portion, plurality of suction cups 102 are arranged on edges of the body 101, an artificial intelligence-based imaging unit 103 integrated in the body 101, a flap 104 is installed on the body 101 by means of a robotic link 105, plurality of motorized iris lids 106 arranged on base of the body 101, a flexible sheet 107 overlapped over the lids 106, plurality of chambers 108 arranged on lateral sides of the base, a robotic arm 109 configured with a plate 110 is installed on the body 101, and a motorized slid-able lid 111 is installed on each of the chambers 108.

[0023] The device disclosed herein comprises of a cuboidal body 101 having an open top portion incorporating various components associated with the device and positioned manually on corner of a sink by a user. The body 101 serves as the core structure and is made from durable, water-resistant material that withstand the rigors of kitchen use, including exposure to water, food waste, and cleaning agents. The surface of the body 101 is fabricated with a silicon layer for preventing rust to get deposited on the sink and body 101, during prolonged use.

[0024] The edges of the body 101 are configured with multiple suction cups 102 (ranging from 4 to 6 in numbers) for affixing the body 101 over the sink’s surface. The suction cups 102 are used to create a vacuum seal between the sink surface and the edge of the body 101. When the suction cups 102 are pressed against the sink surface by the user, the initial contact creates a seal between the cup’s flexible rim and the surface. The suction cup used herein are made up of silicone rubber that easily eliminates pressure inside the suction cup for creating a vacuum between the cup and the sink surface in order to affix the body 101 firmly with the sink surface to prevent undesired movement of the body 101 under the pressure of water flow or the weight of food residues.

[0025] Upon affixing the platform, the user is required to activate the device manually by pressing a button installed on the body 101 and linked with an inbuilt microcontroller associated with the device. The button is a type of switch that is internally connected with the device via multiple circuits that upon pressing by the user, the circuits get closed and starts conduction of electricity that tends to activate the device and vice versa.

[0026] After activation of the device, the microcontroller in association with a proximity sensor embedded in the body 101, determine presence of a vessel such as a plate or bowl, containing food residues. The proximity sensor works by sending out a sound wave at a frequency above the range of human hearing, by means of a transducer. The transducer of the sensor acts both as a sound emitter and a sound receiver to send and receive the ultrasonic sound wave, respectively. As the transducer sends the sound wave, the wave hits the vessel and gets reflects back to the transducer. The sensor analyses the distance of the vessel by measuring time lapses between the sending and receiving of the sound wave. As the proximity sensor analyses the distance, it converts the measured distance into electrical signal and transmit that signal to the microcontroller.

[0027] The microcontroller processes the received signal from the proximity sensor in order to determine the presence of the vessel having food residues in proximity. Upon successful detection of the vessel, the microcontroller generates a command to actuate an artificial intelligence-based imaging unit 103 integrated in the body 101 and paired with a processor for capturing and processing multiple images in vicinity of the body 101. The artificial intelligence-based imaging unit 103 comprises of a high-resolution camera lens, digital camera sensor and a processor, wherein the lens captures multiple images from different angles and perspectives in vicinity of the body 101 with the help of digital camera sensor for providing comprehensive coverage of the vessel.

[0028] The captured images then go through pre-processing steps by the processor integrated with the camera. The processor carries out a sequence of image processing operation including pre-processing, feature extraction and classification in order to enhance the image quality, which includes adjusting brightness and contrast and removing any distortion or noise. The pre-processed images are transmitted to the microcontroller linked with the processor in the form of electrical signals.

[0029] The microcontroller further processes the received signals in order to determine dimensions of the vessel and accordingly generates a command to actuate a drawer arrangement integrated in the body 101 for increasing/decreasing dimensions of the body 101. The drawer arrangement consists of a motor, hollow compartment and multiple compartments that are connected with sliders.

[0030] Upon actuation by the microcontroller, an electric current pass through the motor of the drawer mechanism and energized the motor. The energized motor further actuates the compartments which are initially at the stowed condition to move in a successive manner within the hollow compartment and extends/ retracts length of the compartments.

[0031] Simultaneously, each of the compartments having a fixed groove track, wherein upon actuation of the slider, the motor of the slider gets energized and provides a movement to the compartment to move in a linear direction on the groove track of the successive compartment as directed by the microcontroller to increase/decrease dimensions of the body 101 as per the determined dimensions of the vessel.

[0032] After adjustment of the body 101 dimensions, the user is required to manually accommodate the vessel having the food residue into the body 101. A flap 104 is installed on the body 101 by means of a robotic link 105, wherein upon accommodation of the vessel, the microcontroller generates a command to actuate the robotic link 105 to extend for providing required movement to the flap 104 to remove the food residues from the vessel into the body 101. The robotic link 105 mainly comprises of motor controllers, arm, end effector and sensors. The arm is the essential part of the robotic link 105 and it comprises of three parts, the shoulder, elbow and wrist.

[0033] All these components are connected through joints, with the shoulder resting at the base of the arm, typically connected to the microcontroller. The elbow is in the middle and allows the upper section of the arm to move forward or backward independently of the lower section. Finally, the wrist is at the very end of the upper arm and attached to the flap 104 that is positioned by the link 105 towards the vessel carefully removes the food residues from the vessel, directing them into the cuboidal body 101 in a manner that the residues and any accompanying water do not splatter onto the sides of the sink.

[0034] Once the food residues from the vessel are transferred into the body 101, the microcontroller generates a command to actuate multiple motorized iris lids 106 (ranging from 4 to 6 in numbers) arranged on base of the body 101 to get opened/closed for allowing the water to get passed through the body 101 into the sink. The iris lids 106, mentioned herein, consists of a ring in bottom configured with multiple slots along periphery, multiple number of blades and blade actuating ring on the top.

[0035] The blades are pivotally jointed with blade actuating ring and the base plate are hooked over the blade. The blade actuating ring is rotated clock and antilock wise by a DC motor embedded in ball actuating ring which results in opening and closing of the lids 106 for allowing water from the vessel to pass through the body 101 and into the sink.

[0036] To ensure that food residues do not clog the sink's drain, a flexible sheet 107 is placed over the iris lids 106. This sheet 107 acts as a filter, catching and holding the food residues while allowing the water to pass through in view of straining the residues from the water. The lateral sides of the base are arranged with multiple chambers 108 (ranging from 2 to 4 in numbers). Each of these chambers 108 is designated for storing different types of food residues, wherein the imaging unit 103 continuously monitor the collected residues to identify the type of residues present on the flexible sheet 107.

[0037] Once the imaging unit 103 detects and classifies the residue type, the microcontroller actuates a robotic arm 109 equipped with a scraping plate 110 to scrape the detected residues towards the appropriate designated chamber. The robotic arm 109 works in the same manner as of the robotic link 105 described above to scrape the residues towards the designated chamber, for separating the residues, and assist the user in optimal disposal of the residues after washing all dishes.

[0038] Each of the chamber is installed with a motorized slidable lid 111, wherein after the chamber is completely filled, the microcontroller generates a command to actuate the lid 111 for covering the chambers 108. The motorized slid-able lid 111 used herein is an automated cover consisting of a sliding mechanism powered by a small electric motor, which allows the lid 111 to move horizontally across the top of the chamber. When the chamber is filled with residues, the motor is activated by the microcontroller to slide the lid 111 into place, covering the chamber securely. This prevents odors and assist the user in optimal disposal of the residues after washing all dishes.

[0039] Lastly, a battery is installed within the device which is connected to the microcontroller that supplies current to all the electrically powered components that needs an amount of electric power to perform their functions and operation in an efficient manner. The battery utilized here, is generally a dry battery which is made up of Lithium-ion material that gives the device a long-lasting as well as an efficient DC (Direct Current) current which helps every component to function properly in an efficient manner. As the device is battery operated and do not need any electrical voltage for functioning. Hence the presence of battery leads to the portability of the device i.e., user is able to place as well as moves the device from one place to another as per the requirements.

[0040] The proposed invention works best in the following manner where the cuboidal body 101 having open top portion is developed to be positioned on corner of the sink via multiple suction cups 102. The proximity sensor determines presence of vessel having food residues and based on which the artificial intelligence-based imaging unit 103 determine dimensions of the vessel. The drawer arrangement adjusts the dimensions of the body 101 as per the vessel dimensions. After which the robotic link 105 remove the food residues from the vessel into the body 101 via the integrated flap 104 in a manner that the residues/water are prevented from splattering on sides of the sink. Multiple motorized iris lids 106 get opened/closed for allowing the water to get passed through the body 101 into the sink while the food residues are collected on the flexible sheet 107 overlapped over the lids 106 for straining the residues from the water and preventing the residues to get clogged in drain hole of the sink. Further the imaging unit 103 monitors the residues to detect type of the residues and based on which the robotic arm 109 scrapes the residues towards the designated chamber by means of the attached plate 110 for separating the residues and assisting the user in optimal disposal of the residues after washing all dishes.

[0041] Although the field of the invention has been described herein with limited reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternate embodiments of the invention, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. , Claims:1) A food residues straining assistive device, comprising:

i) a cuboidal body 101 having an open top portion, developed to be positioned on corner of a sink, wherein plurality of suction cups 102 are arranged on edges of said body 101 for adhering to said sink’s surface, in view of securing said body 101 in said sink;
ii) a proximity sensor embedded in said body 101 for determining presence of a vessel having food residues, based on which an inbuilt microcontroller activates an artificial intelligence-based imaging unit 103 integrated in said body 101 and paired with a processor for capturing and processing multiple images in vicinity of said body 101, respectively to determine dimensions of said vessel;
iii) a drawer arrangement integrated in said body 101 for increasing/decreasing dimensions of said body 101, wherein a flap 104 is installed on said body 101 by means of a robotic link 105 that is actuated by said microcontroller to extend for providing required movement to said flap 104 to remove said food residues from said vessel into said body 101, in a manner that said residues/water are prevented from splattering on sides of said sink;
iv) plurality of motorized iris lids 106 arranged on base of said body 101 that are actuated by said microcontroller to get opened/closed, for allowing said water to get passed through said body 101 into said sink, while said food residues are collected on a flexible sheet 107 overlapped over said lids 106, thereby straining said residues from said water, while preventing said residues to get clogged in drain hole of said sink; and
v) plurality of chambers 108 arranged on lateral sides of said base, each chamber designated towards storing different residues, wherein said imaging unit 103 monitors said residues to detect type of said residues, based on which said microcontroller actuates a robotic arm 109 configured with a scraping plate 110, installed on said body 101, to scrape said residues towards said designated chamber, in view of separating said residues, thus assisting said user in optimal disposal of said residues after washing all dishes.

2) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a motorized slid-able lid 111 is installed on each of said chambers 108 for covering said chambers 108, when filled completely, thus ensuring hygiene in surroundings of said sink.

3) The device as claimed in claimed in claim 1, wherein said body 101 is fabricated with a silicon layer for preventing rust to get deposited on said sink and body 101, during prolonged use.

4) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a battery is configured with said device for providing a continuous power supply to electronically powered components associated with said device.