TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to apparatus for making food rolls, and particularly, sushi.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, Japanese food, particularly sushi, has become popular in many parts of the world. Traditionally, such Japanese foods are handmade. The hand-making of sushi is not only time consuming and labour intensive, but also requires a degree of technical skills. With the growing popularity of sushi, there is a need for apparatus which provides a convenient and simple manner of production.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus which overcomes at least some of the above-mentioned problems, or which at least provides the public with a useful alternative.

Other objects of the invention may become apparent from the following description, which is given by way of example only.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a food roll maker comprising: support means having a base adapted to provide a stable support for the food roll maker in use on any substantially flat surface and adapted to support first and second rollers; first and second rollers supportable in substantially parallel relationship in the support means, at least one of said rollers adjustable such that the food roll maker has a loading configuration in which the rollers are spaced apart and an operating configuration in which the rollers are closer together; and a loop of flexible material loosely positioned about said rollers such that in said loading configuration food components may be positioned in a recessed portion of the loop of flexible material between the rollers, and in the operating configuration the recessed portion forms an internal loop confining the food components.

In one preferred form the food roll maker may further comprise closure means adapted to substantially close ends of the internal loop and retain food components in the internal loop during operation.

In a further preferred form at least one of the first and second rollers may be removable to facilitate cleaning.

In a further preferred form, the food roll maker of the present invention may further comprise tensioning means adapted to adjust tension in the loop of flexible material.

In one preferred form, said tensioning means may comprise a third roller positioned parallel to and spaced apart from said first and second rollers, and also within said loop of flexible material, the position of said third roller adjustable in relation to that of the first and second rollers so as to adjust the size of the internal loop and/or the tension in the loop of flexible material.

In a further preferred form of the present invention, the food roll maker may further comprise a drive roller engaged or engageabie with one or both of said first and second rollers so as to trap a part of said loop of flexible material between said drive roller and one or both of said first and second rollers, such that rotation of said drive roller operates the food roll maker with the application of even pressure across the length of one or both first and second rollers.

Preferably, said drive roller may be adjustable between a disengaged position remote from said first and second rollers, and an engaged position in which a part or parts of said loop of flexible material is trapped between said drive roller and one or both said first and second rollers.

In a further preferred form, a food roll maker of the present invention may further comprise interconnection means adapted to enable synchronised rotation of the first and second rollers.

In a further preferred form, a device of the present invention may further comprise drive means adapted to rotate at least one of said rollers.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of making a food roll comprising:

positioning food components on a recessed portion of a loop of flexible material positioned about first and second rollers in a spaced apart loading configuration, said first and second rollers supported on support means having a base stable on any substantially flat surface;

adjusting the position of said rollers to an operating configuration in which the rollers are closer together and said food components are confined to an internal loop of the loop of flexible material; and

rotating said loop of flexible material about said first and second rollers by rotating at least one of said rollers and applying pressure to said loop of flexible material on said roller(s), thus causing the food components to rotate in the internal loop.

In one preferred form, the method of the present invention may further comprise adjusting the size of the internal loop to enable the

production of food rolls of different diameters, by the adjustment of a tensioning means adapted to tension the loop of flexible material.

In a further preferred form, the method of the present invention may further comprise confining the food components within ends of said internal loop employing closure means, adapted to rotate with said food components when said loop of flexible material is caused to rotate.

Other aspects of the present invention may become apparent from the following description, which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 : shows a perspective view of a food roll making device of the present invention in one preferred form;

Figure 2: shows a longitudinal cross-section through the device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3: shows a view from above of a food roll making device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4: shows an end view of first and second rollers of a food roll device of the present invention, showing one means of providing synchronised rotation;

Figure 5: shows a side view of an alternative embodiment of food roll making device of the present invention in a loading configuration;

Figure 6: shows a side view of the embodiment of Figure 5 in an operating configuration; and

Figure 7: shows a side view of a further alternative embodiment of device of the present invention in an operating configuration.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In its simplest form, a food roll making device 1 of the present invention may comprise a support means 2, a first roller 3, a second roller 4 and a loop of flexible material 5.

The support means 2 has a base 6 and sides 7. The base 6 must provide the support means with stability when used to make food rolls with the device positioned on any substantially flat surface. The rollers 3, 4 are supported at the ends of their central axes 8 in the

sides 7 of the support means 2. The second roller 4 may be supported in a fixed position whilst the first roller 3 may be adjustably supported. In the configuration shown in Figure 1 , slots 9, 10 are provided in an upper edge 1 1 of sides 7 of the support means 2 to provide for the adjustable positioning of the first roller 3.

Slots 9 provide for positioning of the first roller 3 in an operating configuration, whilst slots 10 provide for positioning of the first roller 3 in a loading configuration.

It will be appreciated that the adjustability of the first roller 3 may be achieved using a variety of different configurations. One alternative configuration envisaged, for example, is that roller ends 8 of the first roller 3 may be engaged in enclosed, substantially horizontally positioned slots in sides 7 of the support means 2, said slots having one or more engaging positions.

However, the preferred system is one enabling removal of the first roller to facilitate cleaning of the roller and food roll maker. Indeed in an alternative embodiment the second roller may also be supported in the support means in a manner enabling simple removal to facilitate cleaning.

The loop of flexible material 5 forms a loop about both the first and second rollers 3, 4. In the loading configuration, as for example shown in Figure 5, there is sufficient slack in the loop for there to be a recess 1 2 in the loop 5 between the rollers 3, 4.

In the operating configuration, as for example shown in Figure 2, the recess 1 2 forms an internal loop 1 3, and the gap between the first and second rollers is reduced to a minimum whilst still enabling free movement of the flexible material about the rollers.

The loop of flexible material 5 may preferably be made of a non- absorbent and/or impervious material, for example, certain plastics materials. It is also preferable that the internal surface be non-stick.

In one modification, it is envisaged that the loop of flexible material 5 may have a row of slots adjacent each edge adapted to inter-mesh with cogs or teeth about the outer edges of the first and second rollers 3, 4. Such a modification would improve the drive of the loop of flexible material 5 and synchronisation of the rotation of the first and second rollers 3, 4, upon rotation of one of those two rollers 3, 4. In this configuration, operation of the device could be by rotation of a crank-handle at one or each end of one of rollers 3, 4, since it would not be necessary to apply pressure between the loop of flexible material and a roller in order to cause the loop of material to rotate.

In an alternative or additional modification, as shown in Figure 4, it is envisaged that roller ends 8 may extend through sides 7 of the support means 2 to end in cogs 14 which inter-mesh with a common further cog 1 5 rotatable about an axis 1 6 supported in the support means 2. Such a mechanism enables synchronised rotation of the first and second rollers 3, 4.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, an additional modification to a food roll making device of the present invention is the inclusion of a further roller as a drive roller 1 7. The drive roller 17 may be supported at one end 1 8 of a swinging arm 19, the opposite end 20 of which may be pivotally connected to the support means 2. A handle or crank 21 may be affixed to one or each longitudinal end of the drive roller 1 7 for rotating the drive roller.

With the device 1 in its loading configuration, the drive roller 1 7 may be pivoted away from the first and second rollers 3, 4 (as shown in Figure 5).

In the operating configuration, the drive roller 1 7 is pivoted to engage the loop of flexible material 5 between said drive roller 1 7 and the second roller 4. Rotation of the drive roller 1 7, thus, applies even pressure across the width of the second roller 4 to ensure even drive of the loop of flexible material 5 about the first and second rollers 3, 4.

It will be appreciated that the drive roller 17 may pivot to contact the loop of flexible material 5 either on the second roller 4 or the first roller 3, or both rollers 3, 4. It will also be appreciated that the drive roller 1 7 may be in a fixed position, substantially beneath one or other of the first and second rollers 3, 4 and adapted to engage a part of said loop of flexible material 5 in the same manner as described above.

It will also be appreciated that a food roll making device of the present invention may be driven or operated by any mechanical or automatic means acting directly to rotate at least one of the first and second rollers 3, 4, or the drive roller.

A further modification envisaged is shown in Figure 7 which incorporates a third roller 22 positioned inside the loop of flexible material 5 and parallel to the first and second rollers 3, 4. Said third roller 22 may be positioned substantially beneath one or each of the first and second rollers 3, 4, and ends of said third roller 22 may be engaged in adjustment means on or in the sides 7 of the support means 2, to enable adjustment of the distance between the third roller 22 and one or both of the first and second rollers 3, 4. In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the adjustment means comprises further slots 23 in the sides 7 of the support means 2, said slots 23 having engagement positions 24 for engaging ends of the third roller 22 in a fixed position in relation to the first and second rollers 3, 4. By this means, the tension of the loop of flexible material 5 can be adjusted and the volume of the internal loop 1 3 can be varied, as required.

To ensure that food components 25 remain in the internal loop 13 when the device 1 of the present invention is in operation the support means may include closure or retention means. In the simplest form the support means may include solid side portions at least adjacent the ends of the internal loop when the food roll maker is in its

operating configuration. The inner surfaces of these side portions are preferably non-stick. In a more sophisticated form, disks (not shown in the Figures) may be positioned adjacent internal sides of the support means 2 and within the internal loop 13 of the loop of flexible material 5 when the device 1 is in the operating configuration. These disks may be connected to the support means 2, but freely rotatable with the food components in the internal loop 1 3.

The method by which a device 1 of the present invention is operated will now be described, with particular reference to the making of sushi.

With the food roll making device in its loading configuration, as shown in Figure 5, sushi components are positioned in the recess 12. First roller 3 is then adjusted to the operating configuration (as shown in Figures 1 , 2 and 6, for example).

Pressure is then applied to the loop of flexible material 5 on one or both first and second rollers 3, 4. In its simplest form, this pressure may be applied manually directly to the flexible material on a roller. Alternatively, it may be applied by the loop of flexible material being held on the first and second rollers via a mesh and cog-type arrangement, or it may be applied through an additional drive roller which traps the material against one or both of the first and second rollers, and is manually or automatically driven.

Rotation of at least one of the rollers 3, 4, with the applied pressure, causes the loop of flexible material 5 to rotate, which in turn causes the sushi components 25 in the internal loop 1 3 of the loop of flexible material 5 to rotate and form the required roll shape.

In the making of sushi in this manner the seaweed wrapper may be positioned in the device before or after the inner components.

Whilst primarily directed at the making of sushi, it will be appreciated that a device of the present invention may also be employed for making other food products having a rolled configuration.

Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to specific components and integers of the invention having known equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although the invention has been described by way of example, and with particular reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.