Patent Application
20200047359
The present invention relates to food cutting devices and, more particularly, to a cutting device adapted to slice strawberries in one swipe.
Those interested in slicing strawberries would need to utilize a cutting implement, such as a knife, repeatedly for each strawberry. The first cut would most likely be to remove the top greenery, or calyx, but additional cuts would be required to slice the individual strawberry into a plurality of slices, which is the preferred way to slice them for either food preparation—e.g., as a topping for cereal or dessert—or for decoration—e.g., when garnishing a fruit platter. And that process would need to be repeated for each strawberry.
As can be seen, there is a need for a cutting device adapted to slice a strawberry in one swipe, wherein the cutting device is specifically dimensioned to operative engage and slice a single strawberry into a plurality of slices including slicing off the calyx with one cut, thereby making the process of slicing each strawberry a one-step process.
In one aspect of the present invention, a device for cutting strawberries, includes a cutting head provides sidewalls defining a void having a general strawberry shape; and a plurality of spaced apart parallel longitudinal cutting blades traversing said void.
In another aspect of the present invention, the device for cutting strawberries, includes a cutting head provides sidewalls defining a void having a general strawberry shape; the cutting head includes a top portion extending between two opposing top ends; two side portions, each side portion extending from a respective top end so that the two side portions converge at a tip end generally midpoint between the two opposing top ends and spaced apart from the top portion; a plurality of spaced apart parallel longitudinal cutting blades traversing said void; a latitudinal cutting blade bisecting said plurality of longitudinal cutting blades; and a handle extending transversely from the top portion at approximately a forty-five-degree angle relative to the cutting head.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a cutting device adapted to slice a strawberry in one swipe, wherein the cutting device is specifically dimensioned to operative engage and slice a single strawberry into a plurality of slices including slicing off the calyx with one cut. The cutting portion provides a cutting frame circumscribing a strawberry-shaped void. Traversing the void is spaced apart longitudinal cutting blades and one latitudinal cutting blade which does not bisect the space of the top portion of the strawberry-shaped void.
Referring to
The cutting head 14 may be planar and provide a cutting frame 16 dimensioned and adapted to define a strawberry shape void 15, as illustrated in
The sidewalls of the cutting frame 16 may provide a generally linear top portion 40 extending between two opposing top ends 42 and two opposing side portions 44, each side portion 44 extending from opposing top ends 42 toward each other so as to taper to and converge at a tip end 46, generally halfway between the opposing top ends 42 but spaced apart from the top portion 40. A distance between opposing top ends 42 may be between two and three inches. A distance between the tip end 46 and the top portion 40 may be between two and four inches.
In certain embodiments each end 42 and 46 may be a rounded corner so as to suggest or mimic the natural curve of a traditional strawberry shape. In other embodiments 20 and 30, as illustrated in
The longitudinal blades 18 may be longitudinal in that they extend between the opposing side portions 44, while the latitudinal blade 19 is generally orthogonal relative to the longitudinal blades 18. The plurality of longitudinal blades 18 may be spaced apart generally evenly between the top portion 40 and the tip end 46. The longitudinal blade 18 being closest to the top portion 40 being known as the top longitudinal blade 18. The latitudinal blade 19 may extend from the tip end 46 and terminate at the top longitudinal blade 18, bisecting the remaining longitudinal blades 18. The void between the top longitudinal blade 18 and the top portion 40 being dimensioned and adapted for severing the calyx from the flesh of the strawberry. In one embodiment, 30, the latitudinal blade bisects all of the longitudinal blades 36, as illustrated in
The handle 12 extends transversely from the top portion 40. In certain embodiments at a forty-five-degree angle or ranging from a thirty to sixty-degrees angle. The handle 12 may extend between four and five inches or longer. Adjacent a distal end of the handle may be a hanging hole 13.
A method of using the present invention may be as follows. The cutting device 10 disclosed above may be provided. A user would press the cutting device 10 down on a strawberry on a cutting surface so that the top longitudinal blade 18 severs the calyx from an upper fleshy portion of said strawberry and so the cutting frame 14 generally circumscribes the periphery of said strawberry. The result being the blades 18 and 19 dissecting the flesh portion of the strawberry into a plurality of slices, most of which would be half the girth of said strawberry because of the latitudinal blade 19.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
