| 摘要 |
An adjustable volumetric measuring utensil has an adjustable inner member including a repositionable dam member and an outer member including a fixed wall having an incurvate interior surface forming a non-horizontally oriented channel, such that the interior surface of the channel mates with the dam member at a plurality of locations to form a measuring chamber of variable volume, the channel having a full measure indicator defining a horizontal upper boundary plane delimiting from above the measuring chamber of variable volume and defining the correct positioning of the horizontal upper surface of a measured material, whereby the dam member can be positioned partly above and partly below the horizontal upper boundary plane and whereby a variable portion of the upstream face of the dam member is in contact with the measured material, depending on its positioning, the utensil including a series of volumetric measuring indicia or recipe conversion indicia. |
| 主权项 |
1. An adjustable volumetric measuring utensil comprising:
(a) an adjustable inner member including a repositionable dam member comprising an upstream face having a peripheral leading edge having a reference point of greatest depth, (b) an outer member including a fixed wall defining an interior space and having an incurvate interior surface mating with the peripheral leading edge of the upstream face of the repositionable dam member at at least four predetermined locations upon the incurvate interior surface, the incurvate interior surface having an upper edge that is open and unobstructed, the outer member having a full measure indicator selected from the group consisting of a lowest portion of the upper edge of the incurvate interior surface wherein the lowest portion of the upper edge is horizontal, a distinguishing mark, a pointer, an indicator, an indicium, a distinguishing physical feature, an imprinted horizontal line of demarcation and an incised horizontal line of demarcation, wherein the full measure indicator defines a horizontal upper boundary plane delimiting the incurvate interior surface and wherein, for a measured quantity of material, the full measure indicator defines a horizontal upper surface of full measure, such that the dam member can be repositioned to any one of the plurality of predetermined locations upon the incurvate interior surface to define a measuring chamber of variable volume depending on the positioning of the dam member upon the incurvate interior surface, the measuring chamber being bounded above by the horizontal upper boundary plane; the at least four predetermined locations comprising a first location defining a first positioning of the dam member, defining a first positioning of the adjustable inner member relative to the outer member, defining a first predetermined volumetric measurement, and defining a first reference point of greatest depth of the peripheral leading edge, having a depth beneath the horizontal upper boundary plane of D1, a second location defining a second positioning of the dam member defining a second positioning of the adjustable inner member relative to the outer member, defining a second predetermined volumetric measurement, and defining a second reference point of greatest depth of the peripheral leading edge, having a depth beneath the horizontal upper boundary plane of D2 lower than D1, a third location defining a third positioning of the dam member defining a third positioning of the adjustable inner member relative to the outer member, defining a third predetermined volumetric measurement, and defining a third reference point of greatest depth of the peripheral leading edge, having a depth beneath the horizontal upper boundary plane of D3 lower than D2, and a fourth location defining a fourth positioning of the dam member defining a fourth positioning of the adjustable inner member relative to the outer member, defining a fourth predetermined volumetric measurement, and defining a fourth reference point of greatest depth of the peripheral leading edge, having a depth beneath the horizontal upper boundary plane of D4 lower than D3; the upstream face of the dam member comprising a lower surface of variable area depending on the positioning of the dam member upon the incurvate interior surface, the lower surface being that part of the upstream face of the dam member that is in contact with the volume of measured material, the lower surface being delimited above by the horizontal upper boundary plane and delimited laterally and below by the peripheral leading edge, wherein the first positioning of the dam member defines a first positioning of the upstream face comprising a first lower surface having a vertical height H1 and an area A1 and wherein the first positioning of the dam member defines a first measuring chamber having a first volume V1; wherein the second positioning of the dam member defines a second positioning of the upstream face comprising a second lower surface having a vertical height H2 greater than H1 and an area A2 greater than A1 and wherein the second positioning of the repositionable dam member defines a second measuring chamber having a second volume V2 greater than V1, the second volume V2 comprising the first volume V1 and an additional volume VT including a portion of the interior space below depth D1; and wherein the third positioning of the dam member defines a third positioning of the upstream face comprising a third lower surface having a vertical height H3 greater than H2 and an area A3 greater than A2 and wherein the third positioning of the repositionable dam member defines a third measuring chamber having a third volume V3 greater than V2, the third volume V3 comprising the second volume V2 and an additional volume V3′ including a portion of the interior space below depth D2; and wherein the fourth positioning of the dam member defines a fourth positioning of the upstream face comprising a fourth lower surface having a vertical height H4 greater than H3 and an area A4 greater than A3 and wherein the fourth positioning of the repositionable dam member defines a fourth measuring chamber having a fourth volume V4 greater than V3, the fourth volume V4 comprising the third volume V3 and an additional volume V4′ including a portion of the interior space below depth D3, (c) a series of volumetric measuring indicia including, for each one of the at least four predetermined positionings of the adjustable inner member relative to the outer member defining one of the at least four predetermined volumetric measurements, an aligned pair of distinguishing marks selected from the group consisting of an indicium identifying the one of the plurality of predetermined volumetric measurements imprinted or incised upon the adjustable inner member and an indicator imprinted or incised upon the outer member; and an indicium identifying the one of the plurality of predetermined volumetric measurements imprinted or incised upon the outer member and an indicator imprinted or incised upon the adjustable inner member, and (d) releasable attachment means for attaching the repositionable dam member of the adjustable inner member to the incurvate interior surface of the outer member to form a measuring assembly when the dam member is fitted into the incurvate interior surface at one of the at least four predetermined locations. |
