Abstract: A food chopper blade column for use in a food chopper having a receptacle and cover. The column will be rotated in a cutting direction within the chopper during use, and mounts a plurality of cantilevered blades spaced circumferentially about the column. The upper blades include a leading edge having a single bevel cutting edge on their lower face, as well as trailing edge which is angled downward. The lowermost blade includes a leading edge having a single bevel cutting edge on its upper face, and a flat trailing edge.

Abstract: A microwave reheating container for food including a concave base and a cover. The base and cover both have a core formed of PET sheet material, formed into the appropriate base and cover shapes. The PET cores are crystallized to CPET on their interior. Each core is overmolded on its exterior with TPC capable of injection molding and having greater strength. The cover may include an elastomeric seal about its periphery. The cover may be secured to the base by one or more locking clips.

Abstract: A microwave pressure cooker including safety interlock mechanisms. A blow vent is provided in cooker lid, and a lock bar is pivoted to cooker lid in a position to block blow vent when lock bar is resting under its own weight. Free end of lock bar includes a lock tab. Lock tab extends through slot at periphery of lid. Cooker base includes handle with a cam section ending in a lock wall. Cooker lid is placed on base in a release position and rotated to a locking position. During this rotation lock tab rides over cam section and then falls adjacent lock wall, thus sealing blow vent. After cooking cover is physically prevented from rotating back to release position by lock tab abutting lock wall. User must physically lift lock bar to unseal blow vent to ensure internal pressure is released. A spline may hold lock bar in raised position.

Abstract: Microwave pressure cooker including safety interlock mechanism. A blow vent is provided in cooker lid, and a lock bar is pivoted to cooker lid in a position to block blow vent when lock bar is resting under its own weight. Free end of lock bar includes a lock tab. Lock tab extends through a slot at periphery of lid. Cooker base includes handle with a cam section ending in a lock wall. Cooker lid is placed on base in a release position and rotated to a locking position. During rotation lock tab rides over cam section and then falls adjacent lock wall, thus sealing blow vent. After cooking cover is physically prevented from rotating back to release position by lock tab abutting lock wall. User must physically lift lock bar to unseal blow vent to ensure internal pressure is released. A spline may hold lock bar in raised position.

Abstract: A food mincer providing improved features. The suction base includes a control ring providing an improved visual indication of its position. The plunger to feed the food is formed as a hollow container having a sealing lid to provide a storage area for accessories. The feed screw is formed in a multi-step molding process to allow for closer tolerances, which in turn allows for a simple gasket seal to be used. The feed screw and fan blade include a mating configuration only when the fan blade is in the proper orientation, such that if the fan blade is assembled in the incorrect orientation the extrusion grids may not be assembled.

Abstract: A microwave steam cooking container system for cooking foodstuff, comprising a water reservoir, a food container comprising a plurality of apertures on a bottom thereof, an outer wall portion and an inner wall portion, and a microwave shielding material encapsulated between said inner and outer wall portions, a cover comprising an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion, and a microwave shielding material encapsulated between said cover inner and said cover outer wall portions, wherein said food container is stacked and removably placed within said water reservoir, wherein in the assembled position the foodstuff to be cooked is shielded from cooking by direct exposure to microwave energy.

Abstract: A seal mountable to the rim of an open mouth container the seal including a resiliently flexible central panel separately formed from and intimately bonded to a substantially rigid peripheral mounting ring adapted to snap-mount to the rim of the container with the central panel being selectively flexible both inward and outward relative to the interior of the container for the accommodation of both overfilled and underfilled conditions through a variation in the head space beneath the mounted seal.