Patent Application
20240139984
The invention relates generally to devices for processing food, and more particularly to machines used to cut food products into smaller pieces.
Pizza is well known to be a generally planar food product made by placing toppings, such as sauce, cheese and pepperoni, on a circular or rectangular crust. A circular pizza crust is a disk with thickness ranging from a fraction of an inch to about an inch after baking. Pizzas are typically baked after placing toppings on raw dough, thereby forming a generally planar, completed food product. Most pizzas are cut into smaller pieces in order to be consumed. However, cutting pizza is a time-consuming, and potentially dangerous, activity.
Baked pizzas are conventionally cut into pieces using a knife Pizza-cutting knives for home use commonly have a handle with a round blade rotatably mounted on an axle at the end of the handle. Such knives can be rolled to cut pizza using the sharp edge. Elongated knives used in pizza shops, where time is of the essence, have handles at both ends. However, such elongated knives require significant strength to cut the pizza, and these knives are also more dangerous due to their weight and the fact that they require strength, dexterity and coordination to safely and efficiently cut pizzas.
When a large quantity of orders is received in most retail pizza-making operations, the step of cutting pizzas can cause a “bottleneck” that reduces product throughput due to the skill and speed required to safely and effectively cut the pizza. Furthermore, danger is increased when an operator wipes the elongated, heavy blade after each pizza to avoid contaminating a pizza with the ingredients of the preceding pizza(s).
There is a need for safer, more efficient pizza cutting machines and methods.
Disclosed herein is an apparatus for cutting food products, the apparatus comprising a frame having a table with a working surface and a blade disposed adjacent the working surface. The apparatus further comprises a drive system mounted to the frame. The drive system includes a rotary prime mover that is configured for effecting rotational relative motion between the table and the blade, and a cutting linear prime mover that is configured for effecting proximal relative motion between the blade and the table. In some embodiments, the drive system also includes an aligning linear prime mover configured for effecting horizontal relative motion between the blade and the table. Some embodiments include a flexible member mounted across a slot formed in a block, wherein the block is configured to move parallel to the length of the blade.
In some embodiments, the table is rotatably mounted to the frame and the rotary prime mover is drivingly linked to the table for rotating the table relative to the frame.
In other embodiments, the blade is rotatably mounted to the frame and the rotary prime mover is drivingly linked to the blade for rotating the blade relative to the table.
In some embodiments, the cutting linear prime mover is drivingly linked to the blade for displacing the blade vertically relative to the table. In other embodiments, the cutting linear prime mover is drivingly linked to the table for displacing the table vertically relative to the blade.
In some embodiments, the aligning linear prime mover is drivingly linked to the blade for displacing the blade horizontally relative to the table. In other embodiments, the aligning linear prime mover is drivingly linked to the table for displacing the table horizontally relative to the blade.
Disclosed herein is an automated pizza cutter that is used to efficiently and safely cut various types and sizes of crusts and pizzas using different cutting patterns. The disclosed automated pizza cutter alleviates the bottleneck in the retail environment by increasing pizza throughput. The disclosed method of cutting can accommodate any size or cutting pattern from the positional blade system. An integrated and optional blade cleaner cleans the blade after each pizza to increase workplace safety and reduce cross contamination.
The apparatus improves the customer experience by ensuring that each pizza is cut consistently by the apparatus, and is cut through entirely and evenly every time. Additionally, the cut pattern is executed exactly to specification every time. A cut pattern executed to specification results in a pizza with every slice having the desired size and shape.
In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific term so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. For example, the word connected or terms similar thereto are often used. They are not limited to direct connection, but include connection through other elements where such connection is recognized as being equivalent by those skilled in the art.
The cutter 10 has a frame 12 that may be made of square steel tubing welded at junctures and forming a foundation to which other components are mounted. Metal sheets may be welded or otherwise fastened to the frame 12 to become a part of the frame 12. A table 14 is a substantially planar structure with an upper surface larger than both the blade and any pizza that will be cut in the cutter 10. The table 14 extends across frame members to form a substantially horizontal (in an operable position) working surface upon which a cooked pizza may be disposed and cut. The table may be metal, wood, plastic or any suitable material. In one embodiment, the table is a square that is about 24 inches on each side, and is formed from a thick sheet of stainless steel.
A blade 16 is disposed above the table 14 and is drivingly linked to a drive system 18. The blade 16 may be a rectangular, flat strip with straight edges forming a substantially planar high carbon steel sheet with a sharp, downwardly-facing edge 17 and lateral and top edges that may not be sharpened. The sharp edge 17 of the blade 16 is preferably sufficiently sharp to cut pizzas under the circumstances described herein, and is parallel to the upper surface of the table 14. The drive system 18 may include one or more linear actuators, such as electric, pneumatic or hydraulic rams, which could also be other linear actuators such as screws. The pneumatic rams 20 and 22 shown are vertically oriented with their lower, driven ends attached to the upper edge of the blade 16 and their upper, stationary ends mounted to a rotary driver 70 that is part of the drive system 18.
The blade 16 can be moved rotationally, vertically and/or horizontally relative to a pizza using the drive system 18. This allows precise, clean cuts with vertical displacement of the blade, after rotational and horizontal displacement has stopped, using the integrated pneumatic rams 20 and 22. No pizza is shown in the drawings, but a pizza may be placed on the working surface of the table 14 with the pizza's plane parallel to the table 14 and its outer edges within the boundaries of the table 14.
The drive system 18 is shown in more detail in
The cart 50 may be driven along the rods 30-36 in a preferably horizontal plane that is parallel to the plane of the table 14. The cart 50 may be driven by one or more prime movers, such as the stepper or servo motors 60 and 62, and the stepper or servo motor 64. The motors 60-64 may drive cogged belts that are attached to the brackets 40 and 42 and the cart 50 in a conventional manner, causing the drive system 18 to move as further described below.
The rotary driver 70, to which the rams 20 and 22 are rigidly mounted, may be mounted beneath the cart 50. The prime mover 66 may rotate the rotary driver 70 in rotational movement relative to the cart 50. This moves the rams 20 and 22, and there is sufficient compressed gas line 26 to accommodate rotational movement of the driver 70 relative to the cart 50 in both directions from about 90 to 270 degrees from a home position. The drive system 18 may thus drive the blade 16 rotationally, vertically (upwardly, downwardly), horizontally (front-to-back and/or laterally), and any combination relative to the table 14. There are components in the drive system 18 that accommodate a vertical cutting movement of the blade 16, along with a substantially horizontal alignment movement of the blade 16, which is horizontal movement substantially parallel to the plane of the working surface of the table 14. These movements may be separated into discrete movements, or they may be simultaneous.
As shown in
The prime movers 60-66 of the drive system 18, which may be connected to a computer 100 beneath the table 14 or elsewhere in the frame 12, may be actuated to drive the cart 50, and therefore the blade 16, horizontally or rotationally relative to the pizza, so the blade 16 can form a cut a spaced distance from the first cut. Once the blade is in the desired position relative to the previous cut, the rams 20 and 22 may be driven to move the blade 16 down and up again, to form another cut in the pizza at a location distal from the first cut. For example, if the first cut is along the diameter of a circular pizza, the second cut may be along another diameter of the same pizza after rotating the blade a predetermined amount from the first cut, such as ten to twenty degrees. If this process is repeated, these cuts form triangular pieces of the same size. Alternatively, the first cut may be a chord near one edge, and subsequent cuts may be parallel to the first cut but along another chord, one of which may be through the center of the circular pizza. After this first set of parallel cuts is formed, the blade may be rotated 90 degrees relative to the pizza and additional chord cuts may be made through the pizza that are perpendicular to the first cuts. Such a pattern of cutting may form rectangular pieces with four triangular pieces.
The drive system 18 may include an air compressor, air tank, pressure regulator and solenoid valves. In addition, the motor drivers are shown. The cutter 10 may be powered by a compressor and/or a bottle of pressurized gas mounted beneath the table 14, as shown in
An optional blade cleaner 120 that can work with the embodiment of
A pizza can be loaded in the cutter 10 from the front or either of the two sides. The drive system 18 moves the blade 16 horizontally with precision laterally (from left to right), longitudinally (from front to back), and any combination of the two, to align the blade with the pizza on the working surface. The rotating system rotates the blade 16 in either direction about a vertical axis. The drive system 18 displaces the blade 16 vertically toward (more proximal) and away (less proximal) from the pizza to cut the pizza as described above. The blade cleaning device 120 may make one pass or more with the rubber squeegee 122 to remove debris from the blade's 16 cutting surface effectively and safely.
The efficiency of the cutter 10 alleviates bottlenecks in the pizza operation because the cutter 10 can cut pizza very rapidly and very accurately with extreme safety. Combined with the customizable user interface and blade cleaner, the automated pizza cutter 10 is safe and easy to use.
The cutter 10 has rotational and lateral control to allow for precise cutting of pizzas. Preferably there are size and crust selection options, along with cut pattern selection options, in the programmed user interface. A pneumatic air system using the pneumatic rams 20 and 22 is one example of a linear actuator that controls the vertical movement of the blade 16 that cuts the pizza, including controlling the force, speed and any other parameters of blade movement. Alternatively, any linear actuator could be substituted for the pneumatic air system, including a linear electric actuator, a stepper motor, hydraulic rams, screws, and any other suitable system. The integrated blade cleaner 120 meets health protocols surrounding cross contamination. The cutter 10 results in increased pizza throughput at a congested area of most pizza-making operations. A customizable user interface meets customer needs. In order to avoid sliding the pizza laterally while cutting, the blade is maintained parallel to the cutting surface while cutting. Furthermore, it is preferred that the blade is not moved horizontally during the vertical cutting stroke of the blade 16 toward and away from the table 14.
A rotatable table 215 is disposed above the platform 214 and has a horizontal working surface 215′ upon which a cooked pizza may be disposed and cut. The table 215 may be metal, wood, plastic or any suitable material. In one embodiment, the table 215 is a circular plastic disk that is about 18 inches in diameter. The table 215 is driven in rotation by a prime mover, such as a stepper motor or a servo motor. The table drive motor 219, which is illustrated in
A blade 216 is disposed above the working surface 215′ of the table 215 and is drivingly linked to a drive system 218. The blade 216 may be substantially planar high carbon steel with a sharp, downwardly-facing edge 217 and lateral and top edges that may not be sharpened. The sharp edge 217 of the blade 216 is preferably sufficiently sharp to cut pizzas under the circumstances described herein. The drive system 218 may include one or more linear actuators, such as pneumatic or hydraulic rams, or screws. The linear actuators 220, 222 and 224 shown are vertically oriented with their lower, driven ends attached to the upper edge of the blade 216 and their upper, stationary ends mounted to the drive system 218 (see
The blade 216 can be displaced vertically relative to a pizza resting on the surface 215′ using the drive system 218. The linear actuators 220, 222 and 224 effect precise, clean cuts in the downward direction and then precise displacement of the blade 216 in the upward direction. No pizza is shown in the drawings, but a pizza may be placed on the surface 215′ with the pizza's plane parallel to the table 215 and its outer edges within the boundaries of the table 215.
In some embodiments, the blade may remain vertically stationary, and linear actuators similar to the actuators 220-224 are drivingly linked to the table to drive the table vertically. Such movement causes a cutting of the pizza resting on the table by relative proximal movement between the table and the blade where the blade is stationary relative to the frame and the table is displaced. This alternative illustrates the principle that there may be a reversal of the parts, which are described as being displaced relative to a stationary part, that may be moved and that may remain stationary. Of course, it is also contemplated that both parts may be moved, so long as there is relative movement between the parts. As another example, the table 215 rotates relative to the blade 216, whereas in the embodiment of
The drive system 218 includes structures along which other components may slide horizontally. The drive system 218 is shown in more detail in
The rods 230 and 232 extend slidably, such as through smooth bearings, through a moveable cart 250. A prime mover 260, which may be a rotatably driven servo or stepper motor, is rigidly mounted to the frame 212 and drivingly linked to the cart 250, such as by a cogged drive belt 262. The prime mover 260 may be connected to the central computer 300 and may be actuated thereby. The drive belt 262 may be driven by a pulley or cogged wheel attached to the drive shaft of the prime mover 260, and the drive belt 262 may be linked to one end of the cart 250 by a fastener, although equivalent linking mechanisms are contemplated. The rods 230 and 232 thus guide the cart 250 along a horizontal path, which is parallel to the table 215 and parallel to the rods 230 and 232, when driven by the prime mover 260.
The linear actuators 220-224 are rigidly mounted beneath the cart 250 and are connected to the central computer 300 for actuation thereby. Upon actuation, when in an operable orientation, the linear actuators 220-224 drive the blade 216 vertically downwardly and upwardly relative to the table 215 in a manner that drives the blade 216 closer to, and then farther from, the working surface 215′. Thus, the drive system 218 may drive the blade 216 vertically, substantially horizontally (front-to-back), and any combination relative to the table 215. Preferably any vertical movement of the blade 216 only occurs after the rotational and horizontal displacement, but this is not required.
The table drive motor 219 may rotate the table 215 relative to the platform 214 and the blade 216, as controlled by the connected central computer 300. The table drive motor 219 rotates the table 215, and therefore the pizza resting on the table 215, relative to the rotationally stationary blade 116 so that the blade 216 can cut when the pizza is in one location, and then cut the pizza in a rotationally different position without the blade 116 rotating as in the embodiment of
The blade 216 may be disposed above the table 215 by at least about the thickness of the pizza, which will typically be a fraction of an inch to about two inches, with the blade's lower edge 217 substantially parallel to the upper surface 215′ of the table 215. When a pizza is placed on the table 215, the blade 216 is driven downwardly, while maintaining its sharp, downwardly-facing edge 217 parallel to the table, into and through the pizza until the blade contacts the upper surface of the table 215 or comes just above that position, thereby forming a first cut in the pizza. Alternatively, a pizza may be placed on the table 215 on a peel 225, which is a large spatula shown in
After making a first cut as described above, and preferably after the blade is raised above the pizza, the prime movers of the drive system 218, which may be connected to a computer 300 beneath the table 215, may be actuated to drive the cart 250, and therefore the blade 216, horizontally (front to back on the cutter 210) relative to the pizza. Then the rams 220-224 may be driven to move the blade 216 down and up again, to form a second cut in the pizza at a location distal from the first cut. For example, if the first cut is along the diameter of a circular pizza, the second cut may be along a chord of the same pizza after moving the blade horizontally a predetermined amount, such as three to four inches, toward the rear of the cutter 210. Alternatively, the second cut may be made along another diameter of the pizza after rotating the table 215 a predetermined amount from the first cut, such as ten to twenty degrees. If either of these processes is repeated, or if one is carried out and then the other is carried out, these cuts form smaller pizza pieces of the same or varying size. In one embodiment, the first cut may be a chord near one edge of the pizza, and subsequent cuts may be parallel to the first cut but along another chord, one of which may be through the center of the circular pizza. After this first set of parallel cuts is formed, the table 215 may be rotated 90 degrees and additional chord cuts may be made through the pizza perpendicular to the first cuts. Such a pattern of cutting will form mostly rectangular pieces.
The prime movers of the cutter 210 may be powered by electricity, such as when all prime movers are electrical servo motors and linear actuators. The actuation of the prime movers may be controlled by the computer 300 that is connected to the prime movers. A touch screen control unit 310 may be mounted on the front of the cutter, and may be connected to the computer 300. Thus, an operator may press a button on the touch screen thereof that corresponds to the diameter of a circular pizza, thereby programming the computer 300 with information corresponding to the size of the pizza, and the computer 300 then actuates the cutter 210 to carry out one or more of the processes described above.
An alternative blade-cleaning apparatus 400 is shown in
The adjacent edges of the flexible members 402 and 404 are preferably parallel, as shown in
In the blade cleaning process, two long squeegees, which are mounted on electric gripping assemblies or pneumatic gripper rams that the blade is inserted between, clean the length of the blade 216. The grippers close so the squeegees are in contact with the blade, and then the blade is cleaned while being raised through the squeegees. After cleaning, the cleaning assembly opens to release the blade to cut the next pizza. After cutting the next pizza, the blade cleaning process can be carried out again.
In this document, relative movement is sometimes described as a first structure moving relative to a second structure. While this may appear to refer to the first structure moving while the second structure remains stationary, this description is not limited to this scenario. Instead, in the example, the first structure may be stationary while the second structure is moving relative to the first. Still further, this language can also mean both structures are moving, and they are moving relative to one another. Thus, in any part of this document in which one structure is referred to as “moving relative to” another structure, or similar language, the reference should be understood to include the meaning that either one of the structures is moving and the other is stationary, as well as the meaning that both structures are moving and there is relative movement between the two structures.
This detailed description in connection with the drawings is intended principally as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the designs, functions, means, and methods of implementing the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and features may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention and that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the invention or scope of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63271408 | Oct 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17972206 | Oct 2022 | US |
| Child | 18406843 | US |
