Patent Application
20200359846
The present disclosure relates to a portable support for a manual food cutter, such as a potato cutter. The present disclosure also relates to a system for cutting food, such as potatoes, and further relates to a method for cutting food. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a portable support, system and method for cutting food, such as potatoes, in a relatively small preparation area where counter space is at a premium, such as in a food truck, bar or restaurant kitchen.
Potato cutters are known, and are typically used to cut potatoes into strips to make french-fries. Potato cutters have also been used to cut other types of food, such as fruits and vegetables. For instance, carrots, tomatoes, onions, apples, among other fruits and vegetables, may each be inserted into a potato cutter, and cut into strips. Known potato cutters suffer from several problems. In particular, known potato cutters are bolted or otherwise fixed on a counter, table or wall, thus taking up valuable counter, table or wall space. In addition, the known potato cutters suffer from sanitary problems because they are difficult to clean while anchored to the counter, table or wall. Moreover, it can be time consuming to unbolt the potato cutter from the counter, table or wall to thoroughly clean the potato cutter, such as to wash the potato cutter in a sink or commercial dishwashing machine.
The portable support, systems and methods for cutting food, such as potatoes, discussed herein overcome the above problems. While the present disclosure discusses a portable support for a potato cutter, the potato cutter is just one example of a food cutter that may be used with the portable support according to the invention. The present disclosure is not meant to be limited to only potato cutters, or to potato cutters that are only capable of cutting potatoes.
A need exists for a food cutting system that saves valuable counter space (or table or wall space), is easy to clean, and is quickly and easily anchored to and removed from a counter (or table or wall) or other use position.
The present disclosure meets these needs and, in one embodiment, is directed to a portable support for a food cutter, comprising: a substantially planar frame extending in a plane; an attachment device on the frame for attaching the frame to the food cutter; a shaft protruding from the frame and extending substantially parallel with the plane of the frame, wherein the shaft comprises a dimension configured to be inserted into a holder of a can opener that is fixed to a table or counter to orient the frame substantially vertically relative to the table or counter.
The portable support imparts an increased level of sanitation to the food cutter because the frame—with the attached cutter—can be withdrawn from the holder of the can opener as a unit, and the unit can easily be washed in a sink or commercial dishwashing machine. Because the portable support is portable and acts as a wall for the food cutter, the portable support is particularly useful in smaller kitchens or food trucks where counter space (or table or wall space) is at a premium. Moreover, the shaft of the portable support allows the food cutter to be easily mounted and dismounted from the holder of the can opener, which saves preparation time.
In an embodiment, the attachment device comprises a channel on opposite sides of the frame. In another embodiment, the attachment device comprises a plurality of holes in the frame.
In an embodiment, the shaft is provided with one of a detachable sleeve and a spacer to increase the dimension of the shaft.
In an embodiment, the frame is substantially rectangular, and each of the plurality of holes is respectively located in a vicinity of a corner of the frame.
In an embodiment, the shaft extends from one end of the frame to an opposite end of the frame.
In another embodiment, a system for cutting foods comprises: a food cutter including feet for mounting the food cutter; a can opener holder comprising a cavity; and a portable support for the food cutter. The portable support comprises: a substantially planar frame extending in a plane; an attachment device on the frame that connects the feet of the food cutter to the frame; and a shaft protruding from the frame and extending substantially parallel with the plane of the frame, wherein the portable support is releasably attached to the food cutter when the feet are connected to the attachment device, and at least a portion of the shaft is located in the cavity of the can opener holder.
In an embodiment, the shaft is releasable from the cavity of the can opener holder while the food cutter is attached to the portable support.
In an embodiment, the shaft is provided with one of a detachable sleeve and a spacer to increase the dimension of the shaft.
In an embodiment, the can opener holder is fixed to a table or counter, and orients the frame substantially vertically relative to the table or counter when the at least a portion of the shaft is located in the cavity of the can opener holder.
In an embodiment, the attachment device comprises a channel on opposite sides of the frame, and the feet are configured to be inserted into the channels for connecting the feet to the frame. In another embodiment, the attachment device comprises a plurality of holes in the frame, and each of the feet comprises a hole for aligning with one of the plurality of holes in the frame for connecting the feet to the frame with a bolt through an aligned pair of holes.
In an embodiment, the frame is substantially rectangular, the attachment device comprises a plurality of holes, and each of the plurality of holes is respectively located in a vicinity of a corner of the frame.
In an embodiment, the shaft extends from one end of the frame to an opposite end of the frame.
In a further embodiment, a method for cutting food comprises attaching a food cutter to a portable support via an attachment device, the portable support comprising a substantially planar frame extending in a plane; and a shaft protruding from the frame and extending substantially parallel with the plane of the frame; and inserting at least a portion of the shaft into a cavity of a can opener holder that is fixed to a surface to orient the frame substantially vertically relative to the surface.
In an embodiment, the method further comprises providing the shaft with one of a detachable sleeve and a spacer to increase the dimension of the shaft.
In an embodiment, the method further comprises withdrawing the shaft from the cavity of the can opener holder while the food cutter is attached to the portable support.
In an embodiment, the shaft extends from one end of the frame to an opposite end of the frame.
Various embodiments are hereafter described in detail and with reference to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar elements throughout the several figures and views that collectively comprise the drawings.
Before explaining the disclosed embodiments in detail, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments depicted or described, and that the invention can be practiced or carried out in various ways. The disclosure and description herein are illustrative and explanatory of one or more presently preferred embodiments and variations thereof, and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in the design, organization, means of operation, structures and location, methodology, and use of mechanical equivalents may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
As well, it should be understood that the drawings are intended to illustrate and plainly disclose presently preferred embodiments to one of skill in the art, but are not intended to be manufacturing level drawings or renditions of final products and may include simplified conceptual views to facilitate understanding or explanation. Further, the relative size and arrangement of the components may differ from that shown and still operate within the spirit of the invention.
Moreover, as used herein, the terms “up” and “down”, “upper” and “lower”, “upwardly” and downwardly”, “upstream” and “downstream”; “above” and “below”; and other like terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element are used in this description to more clearly describe some embodiments discussed herein. However, depending on the orientation of the portable support discussed herein, such terms may refer to a left to right, right to left, or other relationship as appropriate. Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments described herein, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and non-limiting.
In an exemplary embodiment, the frame 12 may be 22.86 cm (9 inches) wide (see “W” dimension in
In a preferred embodiment, the location of the plurality of bolt holes 14 on the frame 12 is on the corners of the frame 12 so that the bolt holes 14 are able to align with the corresponding bolt holes 22 of the potato cutter 20. In this regard, the shape of each of the bolt holes 14 may be elongated, as opposed to circular, so as to accommodate slight variations in the location of the corresponding bolt holes 22 of the potato cutter 20. The elongated shape of the bolt holes 14 may thus accommodate different bolt hole layouts of the potato cutter 20. In an embodiment, the length “BL” of the elongated bolt holes 14 may be 1.27 cm (½ inch), and the width “BW” may be 0.48 cm ( 3/16 of an inch). The elongated bolt holes 14 may extend in the “y” direction as shown in
The portable support 10 further includes a shaft 16 protruding from the frame 12 and extending substantially parallel with the plane “x”, “y” of the frame 12. In a preferred embodiment, the shaft 16 extends from one end of the frame 12 to an opposite end of the frame 12, so as to provide more stability for the frame 12 when the portable support 10 is mounted to the can opener holder 32 (discussed below). In an alternative embodiment however, the shaft 16 may extend only from the base of the frame 12. In either embodiment, the shaft 16 protrudes about 12.7 cm (5 inches) from the base of the frame 12, as shown in
The shaft 16 of the portable support 10 is configured to have a cross-sectional dimension, e.g., 1.27 cm by 1.27 cm (½ inch by ½ inch) that fits into the cavity 35 of most can opener holders 32. In the case that the dimension of the shaft 16 is too small to provide a tight fit within the cavity 35, the portable support 10 may be provided with a spacer 50, as shown in
As an alternative to the spacer 50,
A system for cutting potatoes may include: a potato cutter 20 including a plurality of bolt holes 22 for mounting the potato cutter 20; a can opener holder 32 comprising a cavity 35; and a portable support 10 for the potato cutter 20. The portable support 10 may include all of the features and embodiments discussed herein. For instance, the portable support 10 may include a substantially planar frame 12 extending in a plane “x”, “y”; a plurality of bolt holes 14 in the frame 12 that align with the bolt holes 22 in the potato cutter 20; and a shaft 16 protruding from the frame 12 and extending substantially parallel with the plane “x”, “y” of the frame 12. In the system, the portable support 10 is releasably attached to the potato cutter 20 at the bolt holes 14, 22 via attachment devices, such as bolts, that extend through the bolt holes 14, 22. At least a portion of the shaft 16 is located in the cavity 35 of the can opener holder 32. The shaft 16 is releasable from the cavity 35 of the can opener holder 32 while the potato cutter 20 is attached to the portable support 10. The shaft may be provided with at least one of the detachable sleeve 60 and the spacer 50, as discussed above. The can opener holder 32 is fixed to a table or counter 40, and orients the frame 12 of the portable support 10 substantially vertically relative to the table 40 when the shaft 16 is located in the cavity 35 of the can opener holder 32.
A method for cutting potatoes may include: attaching a potato cutter 20 to a portable support 10 via attachment devices, such as bolts, that extend through a plurality of bolt holes 22 in the potato cutter 20 and a plurality of bolt holes 14 in the portable support 10, the portable support 10 comprising a substantially planar frame 12 extending in a plane “x”, “y”; and a shaft 16 protruding from the frame 12 and extending substantially parallel with the plane “x”, “y” of the frame 12; and inserting at least a portion of the shaft 16 into the cavity 35 of the can opener holder 32 to orient the frame 12 substantially vertically relative to the table or counter 40. In the method, the shaft 16 may be provided with at least one of a detachable sleeve 60 and a spacer 50 as discussed above. In some instances where the can opener holder 32 is not already fixed to the table or counter 40, the method may also include fixing the can opener holder 32 to the table or counter 40. The method may further comprise withdrawing the shaft 16 from the cavity 35 of the can opener holder 32 while the potato cutter 20 is attached to the portable support 10.
The portable support, potato cutting system and methods discussed herein save valuable counter space (or table or wall space), makes the potato cutter easy to clean, and quickly and easily anchors and removes the potato cutter to from a counter (or table or wall) or other use position. The portable support 10 imparts an increased level of sanitation to the potato cutter 20 because the frame 12, with the attached potato cutter 20, can be withdrawn from the can opener holder 32 of the can opener 30 as a unit, and the unit can easily be washed in a sink or commercial dishwashing machine. Because the portable support 10 is portable and acts as a wall for the potato cutter 20, the portable support 10 is particularly useful in smaller kitchens or food trucks where counter space (or table or wall space) is at a premium. Moreover, the shaft 16 of the portable support 10 allows the potato cutter 20 to be easily mounted and dismounted from the can opener holder 32, which saves preparation time.
Although several preferred embodiments have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and describe in the foregoing specification, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that additional embodiments, modifications and alterations may be constructed from the principles disclosed herein.
