FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to devices for cutting and slicing fruits and vegetables.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It can be challenging to slice certain vegetables into sticks, such as in the case of carrots or celery. The dimension of the vegetable can make them difficult to work with, and simply slicing with a standard knife can be dangerous as the narrow vegetable may be difficult to hold while slicing. Existing devices for cutting and chopping are generally not directed to cutting long slender vegetable sticks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A preferred vegetable stick maker includes a plunger and a hollow body, each of which has a height which is much greater than a width. The body is configured with one or more blades extending across the hollow interior of the body so that a vegetable pushed through the body will encounter the blades and be sliced accordingly. The plunger includes a terminal end that diverges into a plurality of legs configured to receive the blades to facilitate slicing.
In one example of the invention, the slicer includes a hollow body having a base and body sidewalls extending toward a rim to define an interior space.
One or more blades is seated within the interior space of the hollow body between the rim and the base and spanning the sidewalls, the blade or blades dividing the interior space into a plurality of sections.
In one version, the blade forms a V-shape having an apex and a pair of uprights in which the apex is relatively closer to the base than to the rim, and the uprights are relatively closer to the rim than to the base, the blade having a sharp edge facing toward the rim.
A plunger is sized and dimensioned to be received within the hollow body, the plunger having an upper end and an opposing lower end, with a cap at the upper end.
The cap is attached to (which can include being integrally formed with) a central barrel, the central barrel diverging into a plurality of legs which terminate at the lower end.
In a version, each of the plurality of legs further has an inclined interior face at the lower end, facing inward and toward the center of the plunger, each inclined face being formed with a gripping feature extending outward from the inclined face.
In a version, the blade comprises at least a first blade and a second blade, the first blade positioned to intersect the second blade, and wherein the plurality of sections comprises at least four sections.
In one version, the hollow body comprises a first height from the rim to an upper end of the uprights of the blade, the first height being at least three inches.
In an example, the central barrel further comprises an inclined surface between each of the plurality of legs.
In another example, the gripping feature comprises a fin, and each fin may be positioned to bifurcate each inclined face.
In a version, the hollow body further comprises a central band positioned between the base and the rim, the central band extending radially outwardly from the hollow body.
In another version, the hollow body is formed with an upper section, a lower section, the central band being positioned between the upper section and the lower section.
In a preferred example, the first blade and the second blade are mounted to the central band.
In an example, the hollow body comprises a flared region adjacent the rim, the flared section being flared radially outwardly.
In some examples, the plunger defines an axis from the upper end to the lower end, the plunger cap forms a plunger cap width along a cross section through the plunger cap and perpendicular to the axis, the barrel forms a barrel width along a cross section through the barrel and perpendicular to the axis, the plunger cap width being greater than the barrel width.
Yet other features are disclosed below, and any version of the invention may have any or all of the foregoing features.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings, in which the invention is illustrated to scale with respect to a preferred version of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a preferred vegetable stick maker.
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a preferred vegetable stick maker, shown with a plunger separated from a body.
FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of a preferred vegetable stick maker plunger.
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a preferred vegetable stick maker, with a plunger seated in a body.
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a preferred vegetable stick maker.
FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a preferred body for a vegetable stick maker.
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a preferred body for a vegetable stick maker.
FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a preferred body for a vegetable stick maker.
FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a preferred body for a vegetable stick maker.
FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of a preferred vegetable stick maker, shown with a plunger separated from a body and inverted from the orientation of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to FIG. 1, a vegetable stick maker includes a plunger 100 and a body 200. As illustrated, the plunger is seated within the hollow outer body.
The general operation of the vegetable stick maker is shown in FIG. 2, in which the plunger 100 has been fully removed from the body 200. In this orientation, the body 200 is at rest on a horizontal surface 10 such as a kitchen countertop. A vegetable such as a carrot can be inserted into the top of the body 200 (in the direction of the arrow B positioned between the body 200 and the plunger 100). With a vegetable seated inside the body, the plunger 100 is then pressed downward in a direction indicated by the arrow B, and generally along a central axis A extending through the body 200, to push the vegetable through the blades within the body. Though illustrated as being at rest on a horizontal surface, in most cases (that is, with vegetables having any appreciable length), the body must be raised above the horizontal surface and held in the hand of a user to provide clearance for the vegetable as it is pushed through the body and the blades within it. Thus, in most uses the horizontal surface 10 of FIG. 2 is for a point of reference for discussion of the orientation and direction of movement of the components rather than a description of typical operation. Instead, in operation in which the vegetable is first placed inside the body, the body is best hand-held above a surface.
The preferred shape and configuration of the plunger is best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The plunger includes a central portion 180 which forms a barrel that diverges into one or more legs at a lower end (with the lower end being the portion adjacent the arrow 170) and a cap 190 at an opposing upper end. In the illustrated example, each of the barrel and the cap are shaped in horizontal cross section (that is, a cross-section defined by a plane extending through the plunger in which the plane is parallel with the horizontal surface 10 in FIG. 2, and perpendicular to the axis A) as a rectangle or square with rounded corners. Other versions may be rounded or have other shapes. The top and bottom views of FIGS. 4 and 5 further illustrate this preferred shape. Most preferably, the interior of the body 200 is formed with a complementary mating shape, though dimensioned slightly larger to accommodate the easy insertion and removal of the plunger.
In the illustrated version, the upper portion or cap 190 of the plunger is larger in cross section than the central portion or the barrel 180, preferably formed so that the barrel flares radially outward about its entire perimeter to transition between the barrel and the cap. The flared region 192 terminates at an upper edge 191 which will rest on an upper rim of the body, as described below. The cap thereby forms a surface that abuts against the body, such as at the upper edge 191, to prevent over-insertion of the plunger.
The lower end of the plunger, opposite the cap, terminates in a plurality of legs separated from one another by gaps between each of the legs. In the illustrated example, four legs 110, 120, 130, 140 are shown in the exemplary plunger. In other versions, depending on the number of blades and desired slices, there may be between two and eight legs. In yet other versions, a different number of legs may be provided. As seen in FIG. 2, a gap 170 is provided between an adjacent pair of legs 140, 110. Most preferably, substantially identical gaps are provided between each pair of adjacent legs, though not visible in FIG. 2.
Each pair of adjacent legs diverges from the barrel 180 at an upper juncture, such as juncture 145 shown in FIG. 2. In the bottom view of FIG. 4, four junctures 115, 125, 135, 145 are visible. The upper juncture is located at an outer peripheral location on the plunger, and forms an inclined ramp in the space between adjacent legs, with the ramp terminating at a central lower juncture 178 positioned at a central axis of the plunger.
In one example, the plunger is dimensioned with a distance P1 extending from the upper edge 191 to the juncture 145, a distance P2 from the upper juncture to the lower juncture, and a distance P3 from the lower juncture to the bottom of the plunger. In one version, the total height of the plunger is about five inches, with each of the distances P2 and P3 being about one inch. Accordingly, distance P1 is preferably about 3 inches or greater. Most preferably the plunger is formed from a plastic material.
As seen in the front lower perspective view of FIG. 3, and the bottom view of FIG. 4, each of the legs 110, 120, 130, 140 terminates in a tapered distal end. Thus, for example, leg 130 includes a tapered left side 132 and a tapered right side 133. The orientation of the tapered portions is to narrow the perimeter of the leg, thereby increasing the separation space between adjacent legs at the distal ends.
Each leg further terminates in an inclined interior face 134, facing inward and toward the center of the plunger. As seen in FIG. 3, the interior face 134 of leg 130 is formed as an isosceles triangle having a base at the distal end of the leg and an apex positioned relatively closer to the barrel. The interior face in each case is bifurcated by a fin 111, 121, 131, 141. In the illustrated example, the fin extends axially away from the plunger. In one version, each fin is approximately ⅛ inch or ¼ inch in length. Though the preferred version includes an integral fin extending along the central portion of the inclined interior face, in other versions a different configuration may be used as a grip structure at the distal end of each leg, such as one or more spikes or other raised surfaces.
With reference to FIG. 6, the body 200 is formed with an outer shell having a hollow interior such that a vegetable may be inserted into the top opening 280 at the upper rim, and may emerge from the bottom opening 281 at the lower rim or base 250. The body is formed with sidewalls extending upwardly from the base 250 to the rim 210. A central band 230 extends about the perimeter of the body, extending radially outward from the sidewalls and providing a gripping surface.
FIG. 7 shows a top view of the body 200, and in this exemplary version the body includes a pair of blades 300, 310, each of which bifurcates the otherwise hollow interior of the body. The blades divide the interior of the body into sections, which in the illustrated version comprises four sections 321, 322, 323, 324 as viewed from the top or bottom. The blades are each formed with an upper sharpened surface, so that the sharpened edge is relatively closer to the rim or upper edge than the base.
The structure of the body 200 is further illustrated in FIG. 8, showing a front elevational view of the body but with the internal blades visible in broken lines. Thus, it illustrates the body as including an upper rim 210 and a lower base 250, with sidewalls extending upwardly from the base to the rim. The central band 230 is provided at a location generally between the rim and the base, extending radially outwardly from the sidewalls. Each of the two blades 300, 310 in the preferred version is formed in a V-shape, having terminal ends 301, 303 and a downwardly-pointed apex 302 in the middle.
As seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, each of the opposing terminal ends 301, 302 is configured with a flange configured to mount within the central band 230. In one example of the invention, the body is formed in three sections, including a lower section 202, the central band 230, and an upper section 201. In this example, the central band is formed with a plurality of vertical slits (e.g, 231, 232), each of the slits being configured to receive a flange or other mounting structure of one of the blades. Accordingly, each of the blades is seated in the central band by mounting them within the corresponding slits, with the flange or other mounting structure further being received within a circumferential channel 235 formed in the central band. The blades attach to one another at the apexes, with a first blade 300 having an upper channel 330 and the second blade 310 having a lower channel 331, the upper and lower channels interlocking with one another to join the blades at a right angle within the central band and the body.
In one example, each of the upper and lower sections 201, 202 mount to an interior seat formed in the central band such that the central band at least partially surrounds each of the upper and lower sections.
As seen in FIG. 8, the height and location of the blades in the body corresponds to the dimensions of the plunger. Thus, in one version the uppermost portion of the upper edges of the blades are located at a distance of approximately P1 below the upper rim of the body (though preferably slightly longer than P1 so that the blades do not quite reach the interior inclined surfaces of the plunger). The lowermost portion of the lower edges of the blades are at a distance P2 below the uppermost portion of the upper ends of the blades, providing an angle for the V shape that generally matches that of the inclines of the plunger from the upper juncture to the lower juncture. Most preferably, the distance P1 from the rim to the blades is greater than 2½ inches, or greater than about three inches, and the internal width of the rim is less than about 3 inches, or less than about 2½ inches, thereby making it difficult for a user's fingers to extend into the body to the point where they might reach the sharpened edge of the blades. The hollow body further has a height from the base to the rim which is greater than the diameter of the rim.
In use, a vegetable such as a carrot may be inserted into the body through the rim as described above, then the plunger is inserted into the body and pushed toward the blades along the direction of the central axis until the plunger forces the vegetable through the blades.
Alternatively, the process may be inverted as shown in FIG. 10. In this orientation, the plunger is placed on top of a horizontal surface 10 so that the cap is on the surface and the legs extend upwardly, away from the horizontal surface. A vegetable or other food item is placed atop the legs, where it is held by the fins or gripping surface on the inclined interior surfaces of the legs. Once in position, the body is lowered over the vegetable and the barrel, rim end first, to surround the vegetable and the plunger, moving in an axial direction until the blades pass through the vegetable and the body encounters the rim of the plunger. At that point, the vegetable will be sliced and can be removed from the base of the body. This particular orientation is advantageous in that it allows for increased leverage by placing the plunger on a countertop.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
Patent Application
20180085964
