Disposable Oil and Grease Trap

Abstract

A disposable oil and grease trap for containing and disposing of grease, oil, fat, etc. produced by cooking. The disposable oil and grease trap generally includes a rim adapted to rest above a surface of a sink, the rim having a bottom, an upper surface, and a central opening. The trap may also include a trap element sized and shaped to extend into a sink drain below the surface of the sink, the trap element being secured to the bottom of the rim such that the rim suspends the trap element. The rim may also include an adhesive on its upper surface, wherein the rim is foldable such that the adhesive on a first portion of the rim contacts the adhesive on a second portion of the rim to contain a substance, such as a waste material, within the trap element.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

I hereby claim benefit under Title 35, United States Code, Section 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/819,994, filed Mar. 18, 2019. The 62/819,994 application is currently pending. The 62/819,994 application is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable to this application.

BACKGROUND

Field

Example embodiments in general relate to a disposable oil and grease trap for providing a convenient, disposable receptacle for used oils, fats, grease, etc. produced by cooking.

Related Art

Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.

Cooking oils and greases, fats, etc. are harmful to plumbing systems, and should not be disposed of by simply pouring them down the drain. Accordingly, some products exist for the disposal or at least containment of grease and oil, such as empty or used aluminum cans, bottles, heat-resistant bags, or jars. In addition, some products are intended to store grease and fat for later use in cooking.

As mentioned, the potential harm to plumbing makes it undesirable to use the sink to dispose of cooking oil, fat, grease, etc. In addition, cans, bottles and jars take up room when empty, and are not always readily available.

SUMMARY

An example embodiment is directed to a disposable oil and grease trap. The disposable oil and grease trap includes a rim adapted to rest above a surface of a sink, the rim comprising a bottom, an upper surface, and a central opening. The trap may also include a trap element sized and shaped to extend into a sink drain below the surface of the sink, the trap element being secured to the bottom of the rim such that the rim suspends the trap element.

The example embodiment may also include an adhesive, which may be a partial or full adhesive layer on the upper surface of the rim, wherein the rim is foldable such that the adhesive on a first portion of the rim contacts the adhesive on a second portion of the rim to contain a substance, such as a waste material, within the trap element.

In some embodiments of the disposable oil and grease trap, the trap element is substantially basket shaped. In addition, the trap element may be impermeable, and may be made of parchment paper.

In still other embodiments of the disposable oil and grease trap, the rim is rigid. Further, the disposable trap may also comprise a non-adhesive layer positioned to cover the adhesive. In some embodiments, the rim comprises creases to facilitate folding the rim in half. The rim may also be ring shaped, or substantially ring shaped in some example embodiments.

Example embodiments of the oil and grease trap may be used in a method comprising the steps of inserting the disposable oil and grease trap in a sink drain such that the rim suspends the trap element in the drain and the central opening is substantially aligned with the sink drain opening. Next, the method may comprise pouring a waste material through the central opening into the trap element, then lifting the disposable oil and grease trap out of the sink drain. Once out of the sink drain, the method may comprise folding the rim so that the adhesive on the first portion of the rim contacts the adhesive on the second portion of the rim to contain the waste material within the trap element.

In another example embodiment, the disposable oil and grease trap includes a means for receiving and holding a waste material within a portion of a sink drain, and also includes a means for suspending the means for receiving within the sink drain, the means for suspending adapted to rest above a sink surface. This example embodiment may also include means for sealing the disposable oil and grease trap to create a disposable unit.

In an example embodiment, the means for receiving is substantially basket shaped. Further, the means for receiving may be impermeable, and may, for example, be made of parchment paper.

In still another example embodiment of the disposable oil and grease trap, the means for suspending comprises a rigid rim. Also, the means for sealing may comprise an adhesive on an upper surface of the rigid rim. Some example embodiments may further comprise a non-adhesive layer positioned to cover the adhesive. The rigid rim or the means for suspending may comprise creases to facilitate folding the rigid rim or the means for suspending in half. In embodiments wherein the means for suspending comprises a rigid rim, the rigid rim may be ring shaped.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the embodiments of the disposable oil and grease trap in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional embodiments of the disposable oil and grease trap that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the disposable oil and grease trap in detail, it is to be understood that the disposable oil and grease trap is not limited in its application to the details of construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disposable oil and grease trap is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Example embodiments will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference characters, which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limitative of the example embodiments herein.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 4 is another exploded, perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap being positioned in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap in position in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap being used in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a disposable oil and grease trap, taken at lines 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is another perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap being used in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 10 is another perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap being used in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 11 is another perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap being used in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 12 is another perspective view of a disposable oil and grease trap being used in accordance with an example embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the steps used with an exemplary embodiment of a disposable oil and grease trap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An example disposable oil and grease trap 10 generally comprises a rim 20 adapted to rest above a surface 52 of a sink 50, the rim 20 comprising a bottom 22, an upper surface 24, and a central opening 26. The trap 10 may also include a trap element 30 sized and shaped to extend into a sink drain 54 below the surface 52 of the sink 50, the trap element 30 being secured to the bottom 22 of the rim 20 such that the rim 20 suspends the trap element 30 in the drain 54.

The trap 10 may also include an adhesive 40 on the upper surface 24 of the rim 20, and the rim 20 may be foldable such that the adhesive 40 on a first portion 27 of the rim contacts the adhesive 40 on a second portion 29 of the rim 20 to contain a substance, such as a waste material 60, within the trap element 30. In some embodiments, the trap element 30 is substantially basket shaped. In addition, the trap element 30 may be impermeable, and may be made of parchment paper, such that the waste material 60 is contained within the trap element 30 of the trap 10 by the impermeable material.

Further, the rim 20 of the disposable oil and grease trap 10 may be rigid. The disposable trap 10 may also include a non-adhesive layer 42 (i.e., a release layer 42) positioned to cover the adhesive 40. For example, the release layer 42 may be weakly adhered to the adhesive 40 to protect it from sticking together or to other substances before the trap 10 is used, and layer 42 may be easily peeled away from the trap after the trap has been used, so that the adhesive 40 can be used to seal and contain waste material 60 within the trap element 30. Additionally, in some embodiments, the rim 20 comprises creases 28 to facilitate folding the rim 20 in half. The rim 20 may also be ring shaped, or substantially ring shaped, in some example embodiments.

The disposable oil and grease trap 10 may include a means for receiving and holding a waste substance within a portion of a sink drain 54, and also a means for suspending the means for receiving within the sink drain 54, the means for suspending adapted to rest above a sink surface 52. This example embodiment may also include means for sealing the disposable oil and grease trap 10 to create a disposable unit.

In an example embodiment, the means for receiving is substantially basket shaped. Further, the means for receiving may be impermeable, and may, for example, be made of parchment paper, although other materials and shapes are also possible. In still another example embodiment of the disposable oil and grease trap 10, the means for suspending comprises a rigid rim 20. Also, the means for sealing may comprise an adhesive 40 on an upper surface 24 of the rigid rim 20.

As best shown in FIGS. 1-4, the disposable trap 10 may have a substantially basket-shaped trap element 30, which is sized and shaped to fit into a standard kitchen sink drain 54 (see, e.g., FIG. 5). The trap element 30 may be, overall, basket shaped, but it may also have a flat or planar ring-shaped portion 32, suitable for gluing, stapling, bonding, or otherwise attaching to the bottom 22 of the rim 20.

The trap element 30 may be made of parchment paper or any other suitable impermeable or low-permeability material. In some embodiments, the trap element 30 may be shaped from a single piece of parchment paper, shaped as shown, for example, in FIGS. 3 and 4 such that it has a basket-shaped portion 34 that will be suspended within the drain 54. The trap element 30 may also comprise a flat or substantially planar portion 32.

Parchment paper may be a good choice for the trap element 30 of the trap 10 since it is capable of withstanding fairly high temperatures, which allows it to be used to trap and contain hot fats, oils, greases and other waste materials from cooking. Parchment is also inexpensive and environmentally friendly, making it suitable for a disposable product. It can also be readily folded and shaped as desired. In addition, the parchment may be folded into layers to form flat portion 32, such that a separate rim 20 (i.e., made from a separate material) is not needed. In such an embodiment, an adhesive 40 could be applied directly to the portion 32 of trap element 30 to make a substantially complete, disposable trap 10.

It should be noted that while the trap 10 may have the appearance of a filter or strainer, it is not a filter or a strainer. Instead, it is an impermeable trap that prevents potentially harmful or undesirable substances from entering a drain and the plumbing system of a home or building.

As mentioned above, the trap element 30 may be made and formed so that its flat, ring-shaped portion 32 is rigid enough to suspend the trap element 30 in drain 54 by itself. In addition, the trap element 30, and more particularly, the flat portion 32, may be attached to a separate, substantially rigid rim 20, which is strong enough to rest on the surface 52 of a kitchen sink 50, and suspend trap element 30 within drain 54, below the surface 52 of the sink 50, as best shown in FIGS. 6-9. The rim 20 may be made of cardboard or other suitable, disposable materials. As shown for example in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rim 20 may include tabs 23 to assist in handling the trap 10, such as placing it in a drain 54 and lifting it out after use. Tabs 23 also serve to make folding and sealing the trap 10 easier, as explained below.

Because the disposable oil and grease trap 10 is designed to be folded in order to seal waste material 60 inside, the rim 20 may have manufactured creases 28 (or a living hinge, or other structure) to facilitate folding and a better seal. The rim 20 has an upper surface 24, which may have a layer of adhesive 40 on it, for sealing the trap 10 after waste material 60 has been poured into it. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, if the rim 20 is ring shaped, the creases 28 may be on a line that passes through the center of the rim 20, and tabs 23 may be centered or spaced 90° from the creases 28, so that the tabs 23 are better suited for holding the rim 20 and folding the trap 10, as shown in FIG. 10.

The rim 20 may also have a central opening 26 above the basket-shaped portion 34 of the trap element 30, through which grease, fats, oils, and other waste material 60 can be poured or inserted.

In use, and as best illustrated in FIGS. 5-12 and by the steps shown in FIG. 13, the oil and grease trap 10 may first be inserted in a standard sink drain 54 or other drain 54, or even above any suitable structure or device, such that the rim 20 suspends the trap element 30 in the drain 54 or above an open receptacle or other object (such as a can, for example), and the central opening 26 of the rim 20 is substantially aligned with the drain opening. Once inserted, the rim 20 rests on the surface 52 of the sink or drain 54, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. Next, a user may pour waste material 60 through the central opening 26 into the trap element 30, as shown in FIG. 7. When all the waste 60 has been poured or placed in the trap 10, it is contained in the impermeable or low-permeability basket-shaped portion 34 of the trap 10, as shown in FIG. 8.

Next, the non-adhesive release layer 42 is peeled away from the trap 10, exposing the previously protected adhesive 40, as shown in FIG. 9. Then, the trap 10 is lifted out of the drain 54 (such as by tabs 23) and folded in half, sealed, and disposed of as shown in FIGS. 10-12. The tabs 23 and creases 28 aid a user in raising and folding the trap 10, as the creases 28 are placed in alignment through the center of the trap 10, to allow it to be folded neatly in half. For example, a first portion 27 of the rim 20 is on one side of the creases 28, while a second portion 29 is on the other side, and these two portions will meet and be adhered to each other when the trap 10 is folded, as best shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

The tabs 23 are radially spaced 90° apart from the creases 28. The tabs 23 make it easy to place and raise the trap 10 in the drain 54, and to fold it to seal the contents of the trap 10 before disposal.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the disposable oil and grease trap, suitable methods and materials are described above. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent allowed by applicable law and regulations. The disposable oil and grease trap may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.

Claims

1. A disposable oil and grease trap, comprising:

a rim adapted to rest above a surface of a sink, the rim comprising a bottom, an upper surface, and a central opening;

a trap element sized and shaped to extend into a sink drain below the surface of the sink, the trap element being secured to the bottom of the rim such that the rim suspends the trap element; and

an adhesive on the upper surface of the rim;

wherein the rim is foldable such that the adhesive on a first portion of the rim contacts the adhesive on a second portion of the rim to contain a substance within the trap element.

2. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 1, wherein the trap element is substantially basket shaped.

3. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 1, wherein the trap element is impermeable.

4. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 1, wherein the trap element is made of parchment paper.

5. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 1, wherein the rim is rigid.

6. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 1, further comprising a non-adhesive layer positioned to cover the adhesive.

7. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 1, wherein the rim comprises creases to facilitate folding the rim in half.

8. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 1, wherein the rim is ring shaped.

9. A method of using the disposable oil and grease trap of claim 1, comprising:

inserting the disposable oil and grease trap in a sink drain such that the rim suspends the trap element in the drain and the central opening is substantially aligned with the sink drain opening;

pouring a waste material through the central opening into the trap element;

lifting the disposable oil and grease trap out of the sink drain; and

folding the rim so that the adhesive on the first portion of the rim contacts the adhesive on the second portion of the rim to contain the waste material within the trap element.

10. A disposable oil and grease trap, comprising:

a means for receiving and holding a waste material within a portion of a sink drain;

a means for suspending the means for receiving within the sink drain, the means for suspending adapted to rest above a sink surface; and

a means for sealing the disposable oil and grease trap to create a disposable unit.

11. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 10, wherein the means for receiving is substantially basket shaped.

12. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 10, wherein the means for receiving is impermeable.

13. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 10, wherein the means for receiving is made of parchment paper.

14. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 10, wherein the means for suspending comprises a rigid rim.

15. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 14, wherein the means for sealing comprises an adhesive on an upper surface of the rigid rim.

16. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 15, further comprising a non-adhesive layer positioned to cover the adhesive.

17. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 14, wherein the rigid rim comprises creases to facilitate folding the rigid rim in half.

18. The disposable oil and grease trap of claim 14, wherein the rigid rim is ring shaped.