HOME CHEF SPICE RACK SYSTEM

Abstract

Disclosed is a home chef spice rack system comprising a front shelf and a back shelf. The front shelf comprises three hole(s) to store bowl-stored spices while the back shelf comprises a non-hole compartment designed to hold a plurality of spice bottle(s). Further, the front shelf is located in front of the back shelf while the front shelf is located below the back shelf in a tiered fashion such that both of the bowl-stored spices and the spice bottles are readily accessible to at least one cook during at least one spicing/cooking activity. The bowl-stored spices are bulk-contained within a glass or plastic covered spice jar(s) having a lid. The back shelf is recessed from an upper planar surface of the front shelf. The non-hole compartment houses seven of the spice bottles, the spice bottles located linearly adjacent to each other in line.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is related to and claims priority from prior provisional application Ser. No. 61/411,370, filed Nov. 18, 2010 which application is incorporated herein by reference.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d).

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of organizing and storing systems and more specifically relates to a tiered spice organizing and storing system.

2. Description of the Related Art

Cooking can be a very time-sensitive process. Ingredients may need to be cooked at certain temperatures for specific amounts of time. If the cooking time is exceeded, the quality of the ingredients and resulting dishes may be compromised. Because of this, cooks may not have time to search for necessary spices while cooking.

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavor a dish or to hide other flavors. In the kitchen, spices are distinguished from herbs, which are leafy, green plant parts used for flavoring. Many spices are used for other purposes, such as medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics, perfumery, or for eating as vegetables.

A spice may be available in several forms: fresh, whole dried, or pre-ground dried. Generally, spices are dried. A whole dried spice has the longest shelf life so can be purchased and stored in larger amounts, making it cheaper on a per-serving basis. Some spices are rarely available either fresh or whole, for example turmeric, and must be purchased in ground form. Small seeds, such as fennel and mustard seeds, are used both whole and in powder form.

The shelf life of a whole spice is roughly two years; of a ground spice roughly six months. The “flavor life” of a ground spice can much shorter. Ground spices are better stored away from light. Spices are often kept in cabinets or on shelves, making specific spices potentially difficult to locate. The cluttered nature of traditional spice cabinets and shelves may cause cooks to search extensively for certain spices, which is inconvenient both before and during the cooking process. Therefore, a convenient and effective tiered spice organizing and storing system that is simple to use and takes up very little space is needed.

Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. Nos. D561,539; D397,898; D354,875; D243,298; D468,162; and 5,871,107. This prior art is representative of spice racks. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.

Ideally, a home chef spice rack system should be cook-friendly, easy to install and yet, would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable home chef spice rack system for organizes a variety of spices.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known organizing and storing system art, the present invention provides a novel home chef spice rack system. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a tiered spice organizing and storing system to afford cooks unobstructed access to spices when cooking or preparing to cook. Using this product may substantially eliminate the need for cooks to search through cluttered shelves in order to locate specific spices.

The present invention, home chef spice rack system as disclosed herein preferably comprises: a front shelf and a back shelf. The front shelf may comprise three holes to store bowl-stored spices while the back shelf comprises a non-hole compartment designed to hold a plurality of spice bottles lined up adjacently with each other.

Further, the front shelf is located in front of the back shelf while the front shelf is located below the back shelf in a tiered fashion such that both of the bowl-stored spices and the spice bottles are readily accessible to at least one cook during at least one spicing/cooking activity. The front shelf and the back shelf are preferably located on separate horizontal planes. Additionally, the front shelf prevents forward, rearward or sideward movement of the bowl-stored spices which are preferably bulk-contained within the covered spice jar(s).

The back shelf prevents forward and rearward movement (but not side to side movement) of the spice bottle(s). The bowl-stored spices are bulk-contained within a glass or plastic covered spice jar(s) having a lid. The bowl-stored spices comprise a gasket to prevent the bowl-stored spices from falling through the hole(s) in the front shelf.

The back shelf is recessed from an upper planar surface of the front shelf. The non-hole compartment houses seven of the spice bottles, the spice bottles located linearly adjacent to each other in line.

Further, the tiered spice organizing and storing system is storable on a countertop and may comprise a middle shelf. The tiered spice organizing and storing system may be manufactured from stainless steel, plastic, or wood.

A kit is also embodied herein for the home chef spice rack system comprising the following parts: at least one tiered spice organizing and storing system; a plurality of the bowl-stored spices in the covered spice jar(s) and the spice bottles; and a set of cook-instructions.

In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention a preferred method of use is disclosed herein comprising: step one inserting a plurality of spice bottles adjacently into a back shelf; step two locating a covered spice jar for storing a frequently used spice in bulk; step three pouring the frequently used spice into the spice jar and placing a lid over the covered spice jar; and step four placing the covered spice jar on a front shelf in a hole for convenient storage and use.

The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as a home chef spice rack system. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, home chef spice rack system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view illustrating a home chef spice rack system in an ‘in-use’ condition according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view illustrating a tiered spice organizer and storer of the home chef spice rack system to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows another perspective view illustrating the tiered spice organizer and storer of the home chef spice rack system to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is perspective view illustrating a covered spice jar(s) and a spice bottle(s) of the home chef spice rack system to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is perspective view illustrating an alternate embodiment of the home chef spice rack system to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of use for the home chef spice rack system according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIGS. 1-5.

The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to field of organizing and storing systems and more specifically relates to a tiered spice organizing and storing system.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 showing perspective views of home chef spice rack system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Home chef spice rack system 100 preferably comprises tiered spice organizer and storer 102. Tiered spice organizer and storer 102 provides cooks with immediate access to necessary spices. Cooks may position tiered spice organizer and storer 102 on a countertop or other cook-accessible location such as in a cupboard for example.

Tiered spice organizer and storer 102 may be manufactured in a wide array of colors and materials to fit a cook's preference and to match a specific decor in the cook's kitchen for example. Further, tiered spice organizer and storer 102 preferably comprises plastic, wood, or stainless steel as shown best in FIG. 2. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as cook preferences, design preference, structural requirements, marketing preferences, cost, available materials, technological advances, etc., other materials such as, for example, glass, ceramic, composite, other metals and alloys, non-metals, etc., may be sufficient.

Tiered spice organizer and storer 102 preferably comprises a shelf-like structure without end walls in preferred embodiments. Further, tiered spice organizer and storer 102 includes two separate compartments for storing spices most frequently used by the cook as shown best in FIG. 3. These two separate compartments preferably comprise front shelf 110 and back shelf 130. Tiered spice organizer and storer 102 comprises L-shaped legs 108 (inwardly facing) to horizontally support tiered spice organizer and storer 102. Further, tiered spice organizer and storer 102 may comprise removable walls such as in the form of end caps to prevent spice bottle(s) 138 from falling off tiered spice organizer and storer 102.

Front shelf 110 may comprises at least one hole(s) 114, to store bowl-stored spice(s). It should be noted that the use of three hole(s) 114 is the preferred layout of tiered spice organizer and storer 102 as shown best in FIG. 2. Bowl-stored spices are preferably bulk-contained within covered spice jar(s) 118 as shown best in FIG. 4. Covered spice jar(s) 118 may be filled with the spices most frequently used by the cook, such as basil and paprika for example, however other spices may be stored inside covered spice jar(s) 118 that may be more frequently used by the cook.

Additionally, covered spice jar(s) 118 further comprises gasket 124. Gasket 124 preferably prevents bowl-stored spices that are preferably bulk-contained within covered spice jar(s) 118 from falling through hole(s) 114 in front shelf 110. Gasket 124 may be manufactured from rubber for example however other materials may be used. Further, gasket 124 is located around a periphery rim of covered spice jar(s) 118. Covered spice jar(s) 118 may comprises glass or plastic, depending upon cook-preference and color scheme chosen for tiered spice organizer and storer 102.

Additionally, covered spice jar(s) 118 preferably comprises lid 120 to preserve the life of the spice inside covered spice jar(s) 118 as shown best in FIG. 4. Lid 120 is preferably removably-coupleable to covered spice jar(s) 118 thereby creating a vacuum seal when lid 120 is removably-coupled to covered spice jar(s) 118. Lid 120 may be removed from covered spice jar(s) 118 by either twisting and/or turning lid 120 relative to covered spice jar(s) 118 or by lifting lid 120 upwardly relative to covered spice jar(s) 118.

Front shelf 110 is preferably located in front of back shelf 130. Further, front shelf 110 is preferably located below back shelf 130 in a tiered fashion such that both covered spice jar(s) 118 and spice bottle(s) 138 are readily accessible to at least one cook during at least one spicing/cooking activity. Front shelf 110 and back shelf 130 are preferably located on separate horizontal planes (at different heights from shelf, such that spice products located therein may be easily reached). Additionally, front shelf 110 prevents forward, rearward or sideward movement of bowl-stored spices (which are preferably bulk-contained within covered spice jar(s) 118.) Back shelf 130 prevents forward and rearward movement (but not side to side movement) of spice bottle(s) 138.

Back shelf 130 may be recessed from upper planar surface 112 of front shelf 110 to limit displacement of spice bottle(s) 138 when resting on tiered spice organizer and storer 102 as shown best in FIGS. 1 & 3. Back shelf 130 may also include non-hole compartment 134 that is preferably open. Non-hole compartment 134 may hold up to seven (equal to or more or less than) standard-sized spice bottle(s) 138 linearly adjacent to each other in line at one time as shown best in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 5 showing a perspective view illustrating an alternate embodiment of the home chef spice rack system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Tiered spice organizer and storer 102 may comprise an optional middle shelf 500. In other embodiments more tiers may be employed. Middle shelf 500 may be included in tiered spice organizer and storer 102 to accommodate more than seven spice bottle(s) 138 due to the additional shelf that is provided. Middle shelf 500 preferably may hold up to seven additional spice bottle(s) 138 thereby promoting organization and ease of finding a particular spice during the cooking or baking process.

Home chef spice rack system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIGS. 1-5 may comprise kit 540. Kit 540 may comprise the following parts: at least one tiered spice organizer and storer 102; a plurality of the bowl-stored spices in covered spice jar(s) 118 and spice bottle(s) 138; and a set of cook-instructions.

Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, cook preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other kit contents or arrangements such as, for example, including more or less components, customized parts, different color combinations, parts may be sold separately.

FIG. 6. shows flowchart 650 illustrating method of use 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIGS. 1-5. A method of using (at least herein enabling method of use 600) home chef spice rack system 100 may comprise the steps of: step one 601 inserting a plurality of spice bottle(s) 138 adjacently into a back shelf 130; step two 602 locating covered spice jar(s) 118 for storing a frequently used spice in bulk in front; step three 603 pouring the frequently used spice into covered spice jar(s) 118 and placing lid 120 over covered spice jar(s) 118; and step four 604 placing covered spice jar(s) 118 on front shelf 110 in hole(s) 114 for convenient storage and use. The system may then be used and refilled as needed.

It should be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to cook preference. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, cook preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods of use arrangements such as, for example, different orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc., may be sufficient.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.

Claims

1. A tiered spice organizing and storing system comprising:

a front shelf; and

a back shelf;

wherein said front shelf comprises three holes to store bowl-stored spices;

wherein said back shelf comprises a non-hole compartment designed to hold exactly seven spice bottle(s);

wherein said front shelf is located in front of said back shelf;

wherein said front shelf and said back shelf are located on separate horizontal planes;

wherein said front shelf prevents forward, rearward or sideward movement of said bowl-stored spices;

wherein said back shelf prevents forward and rearward movement of said spice bottles;

wherein said tiered spice organizing and storing system does not contain end walls;

wherein said tiered spice organizing and storing system comprises L-shaped legs to horizontally support said tiered spice organizing and storing system; and

wherein said front shelf is located below said back shelf in a tiered fashion such that both of said bowl-stored spices and said spice bottle(s) are readily accessible to at least one cook during at least one spicing/cooking activity.

2. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 1 wherein said tiered spice organizing and storing system is storable on a countertop.

3. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 1 wherein said bowl-stored spices comprises a gasket to prevent said bowl-stored spices from falling through said holes in said front shelf.

4. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 1 wherein said bowl-stored spices are bulk-contained within covered spice jar(s).

5. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 4 wherein said covered spice jar(s) comprises glass.

6. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 4 wherein said covered spice jar(s) comprises plastic.

7. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 4 wherein said covered spice jar(s) comprises a lid.

8. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 1 wherein said back shelf is recessed from an upper planar surface of said front shelf.

9. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 1 wherein said spice bottles are located linearly adjacent to each other in line.

10. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 1 wherein said tiered spice organizing and storing system comprises wood.

11. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 1 wherein said tiered spice organizing and storing system comprises plastic.

12. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 1 wherein said tiered spice organizing and storing system comprises stainless steel.

13. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 1 further comprising a middle shelf.

14. A plastic tiered spice organizing and storing system comprising:

a front shelf; and

a back shelf;

wherein said front shelf comprises three holes to store bowl-stored spices that are bulk-contained within covered spice jar(s);

wherein said bowl-stored spices comprises a gasket to prevent said bowl-stored spices from falling through any one of said three holes in said front shelf;

wherein said back shelf comprises a non-hole compartment designed to hold seven of spice bottle(s);

wherein said front shelf is located in front of said back shelf;

wherein said front shelf is located below said back shelf in a tiered fashion such that both of said bowl-stored spices and said spice bottle(s) are readily accessible to at least one cook during at least one spicing/cooking activity;

wherein said bowl-stored spices comprise a contoured outer rim to prevent said bowl-stored spices from falling through said three holes;

wherein said tiered spice organizing and storing system is storable on a countertop;

wherein said front shelf and said back shelf are located on separate horizontal planes;

wherein said front shelf prevents forward, rearward or sideward movement of said bowl-stored spices;

wherein said back shelf prevents forward and rearward movement of said spice bottles;

wherein said tiered spice organizing and storing system does not contain end walls;

wherein said tiered spice organizing and storing system comprises L-shaped legs to horizontally support said tiered spice organizing and storing system; and

wherein said covered spice jar(s) comprises glass;

wherein said covered spice jar(s) comprises a lid;

wherein said back shelf is recessed from an upper planar surface of said front shelf;

wherein said non-hole compartment houses seven of said spice bottle(s), said spice bottle(s) located linearly adjacent to each other in line; and

wherein said non-hole compartment houses seven of said spice bottle(s), said spice bottle(s) located linearly adjacent to each other in line.

15. The tiered spice organizing and storing system of claim 14 further comprising a kit including said at least one tiered spice organizing and storing system; said plurality of said bowl-stored spices in said covered spice jar(s) and said spice bottle(s); and a set of cook-instructions.

16. A method of using a tiered spice organizing and storing system comprising the steps of:

inserting a plurality of spice bottles adjacently into a back shelf;

locating a covered spice jar for storing a frequently used spice in bulk;

pouring said frequently used spice into said spice jar and placing a lid over said covered spice jar; and

placing said covered spice jar on a front shelf in a hole for convenient storage and use.