The present invention relates to pizza cutters and in particular to a self aligning pizza cutter for use with a boxed pizza.
Pizza is a very popular food over large part of the world and is often bought in large quantities for parties, meetings, and the like. Pizza stores often receive large orders and on many occasions receive a large number of orders over a short period of time. Many pizza stores use conveyor belt ovens to rapidly produce enough pizzas to meet the high demand. The pizzas are cooked, boxed, and then cut into slices. Unfortunately, typical pizza cutting is performed using a single cutting blade and the slices often vary significantly in size.
The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a pizza cutter which includes at least one blade, a handle attached to the blade, and extenders for positioning the cutter in a pizza box to cut uniform slices of pizza. The blade may be a single blade or two blades forming a 90 degree “X”. The handle is attached across the top of the blade and may include slots to better grasp the handle. The extenders are attached to opposite ends of the cutter and may be fixed or rotating, and intersect opposite corners of the pizza box to align the blade to cut uniform slices.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter for a fourteen inch diameter pizza. Fourteen inch diameter pizzas are the most common pizza. The pizza cutter blade is preferably between 13.5 and 14.125 inches long, and more preferably 14.125 inches long, and the extenders reach between 2.65 and 2.9 inches and more preferably about 2.9 inches past the ends of the blade, thus reaching to opposite inside corners of the pizza box to align the blade to make precise diagonal pizza cuts.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having fixed extenders. The extenders are attached high on the cutter and gaps are provided between the blade and the extenders at each end of the blade providing clearance for a vertical box edge when making square cuts and aligning the blade for making diagonal cuts.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having pivoting extenders. The extenders are lifted when making square cuts and pivoted down for making diagonal cuts
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having removable extenders. The extenders are removed when making square cuts and attached to ends of the blade for making diagonal cuts.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having a single blade. The single blade allows easy cutting of many pizzas.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having two blades spaced apart by 90 degrees. The two blades allow quick cutting of many pizzas.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having a fixed blade, and a spring loaded blade spaced apart by 90 degrees from the fixed blade. The spring loaded blade retracts into the handle when resistance is met, and may be aligned with a first cut by the fixed blade to provide uniform pizza slices.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for cutting pizza. The method includes placing a pizza in a pizza box, positioning extenders at ends of a pizza blade, the extenders reaching a distance equal to a diagonal distance between opposite interior corners of the pizza box, pushing the cutter down into the pizza with extenders reaching into the opposite interior corners of the pizza box, making a first diagonal cut, lifting the pizza cutter, rotating the pizza cutter 90 degrees, pushing the cutter down into the pizza with extenders reaching into second opposite interior corners of the pizza box, making a second diagonal cut, lifting the pizza cutter, aligning the pizza cutter over the pizza and intersecting the first diagonal cut and the second diagonal cut for a first square cut, pushing the cutter down into the pizza, making the first square cut, rotating the pizza cutter 90 degrees, pushing the cutter down into the pizza, making a second square cut, and lifting the pizza cutter.
The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.
The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.
A perspective view of a pizza cutter 10 according to the present invention is shown in
The pizza cutter 10 further includes gaps 18 between the blade 12 and the extenders 16. The gaps 18 allow clearance for the side of the pizza box when square cuts are made with a pizza cutter having fixed extensions 16.
A side view of the pizza cutter 10 is shown in
The overall extension length L2 is selected to fit inside opposite interior corners of the pizza box to position the pizza cutter 10 for diagonal cuts. In general, the length L2 is equal to the square root of two times the length L1. For a fourteen inch pizza, the length L2 is preferably between 19.5 and 20.5 inches, and more preferably about 20 inches. The blade angle A is preferably between 70 and 75 degrees and more preferably about 70 degrees, the cutting depth D is preferably about ½ inches, and the thickness T is preferably about 3/16 inches.
The pizza cutter 10 having fixed extenders 16 ready to cut a pizza 20 in a pizza box 22 is shown in
A pizza cutter 10a according to the present invention having pivoting extenders 16a pivoted upward to cut the pizza 20 in the pizza box 22 is shown in
A pizza cutter 10b according to the present invention having removeable extenders 16b removed to cut the pizza 20 in the pizza box 22 is shown in
A pizza cutter 10c according to the present invention having two fixed blades 12a and 12b spaced apart at 90 degrees is shown in
A pizza cutter 10d according to the present invention having a fixed blade 12a, and a spring loaded blade 12c spaced apart 90 degrees from the fixed blade 12a, is shown in
A pizza cutter 10d having two handles 14a and 14b is shown in
A side view of the extender 16 is shown in
A method for cutting pizza is shown in
When the pizza cutter 10b is used having a second fixed blade 12b is used, the steps 110-114 and 124-128 of rotating the pizza cutter 90 degrees and making a second cut are not necessary. When the pizza cutter 10c having a second spring loaded blade 12c is used, the steps 110 and 124 of rotating the pizza cutter 90 degrees may include aligning the blade 12c with the prior cut.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.
The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/610,693 filed Mar. 14 2012, which application is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61610693 | Mar 2012 | US |