Collapsible sink-mounted colander that folds flat against the sink wall
A folding colander that mounts to the vertical wall of a sink and collapses flat for storage. It has a back panel that attaches to the sink, a front perforated bowl wall that can fold down and a bottom with drainage holes; the side panels use two or more hinge/fold lines so the front and bottom can be folded into a flat stack against the back. Intended for home cooks who want a hands-free colander that stores compactly.
(57) What the patent covered
The main claim covers a colander with a back wall configured to attach to a sink wall; a front wall that moves between a position parallel to the back wall and a position perpendicular to it; a bottom wall with multiple drain apertures that can be perpendicular to the back wall; and a pair of side walls each attached to the front and back and having two or more hinges (folding scores) that let the front wall move between those positions.
The distinctive part: Using two or more hinges/folding scores in each side panel so the front and bottom can be sequentially folded into a flat collapsed stack against a sink-mounted back wall.
Novelty 3/5. Folding colanders and sink-mounted baskets existed, but this patent focuses on multiple fold lines in the side wings plus a sink-back attachment to enable a multi-step collapse into a flat profile, which is a practical improvement on common collapsible devices.
Making it
Injection-molded plastic parts with integral living hinges for the side panels and front/bottom; stamped or molded mounting bracket; assembled with fasteners and bonded rubber pads.
Materials: food-grade plastic (e.g. polypropylene or silicone), stainless steel fasteners or mounting bracket (likely), elastomeric hinge zones or living-hinge plastic, rubber or silicone pads for sink mounting (likely)
Manufacturability 4/5. Requires several molded parts and molded living-hinge features but no electronics; production is straightforward for an injection-molding shop and final assembly is simple.
Is anyone buying?
Comparable products are on sale; this exact design wasn't found. Multiple retailers offer expandable/over-the-sink collapsible colanders (Kraus, Walmart listing, Dreamroo), indicating ongoing demand and multiple SKUs in the US market.
- Expandable Colander for Kitchen Sink / Over the Sink Colander (CSE-1LG) · KRAUS USA$34.95
- Over the Sink Collapsible Colander · Walmart (Dependable Industries listing)
- Over-the-Sink Colander · Dreamroo
This demand check was run with a web search in the week of Sep 14, 2026. Listings change often, so treat it as a starting point for your own research.
Who buys it: home cooks who rinse food and want hands-free draining and compact storage
Before you make it
We didn't find any related continuation or divisional patents still in force, although that doesn't rule out design patents, trademarks or unrelated patents covering the same product.
Practical issues include secure sink mounting and hinge durability; crowded market for collapsible colanders and need to match common sink dimensions and mounting styles.
Owners occasionally revive lapsed patents (about 1.5% are), and this page is a research lead rather than legal advice, so get a freedom-to-operate opinion before you manufacture anything.