Citrus fruit segmenter

Details Citrus fruit segmenter Citrus fruit segmenter

1998-09-10

2001-06-12

Young, Lee (Department: 3729)

Cutlery

Segmenters

C030S123600, C030S123700, C425S281000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06243952

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to hand operated devices for removing an individual segment or a few pluralities of segments using a one-handed operating segmenting device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous patents disclose devices for cutting a segment or segments from citrus fruit. U.S. Pat. No. 2,321,725, for example, illustrates the most basic type of segmenter in which a blade of a single length of flat metal wire is bent to form a loop and the wire is drawn through a segment of the fruit. U.S. Pat. No. 1,794,800 illustrates another type of segmenter in which a single blade is drawn through the fruit to cut a segment or segments. Canadian Patent 470,436 illustrates a more complicated segmenter device for removing all of the segments of a citrus fruit simultaneously using a device which requires two hands to operate the operating mechanism for the moving scoops against fixed triangular blades. The segmenting device shown in the Canadian patent offers the advantage of slicing a segment or segments and then entrapping the segment by moving a curved scoop along the skin inside of the skin of the citrus fruit until a segment is trapped between the scoop and the fixed triangular cutting blades. However, the Canadian device is cumbersome to use and thus detracts from the desirability of easily removing a grapefruit segment from a grapefruit or an orange segment from a large orange.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, one feature is to provide a one-hand operated citrus fruit segmenter which can remove one segment or only a few of adjacent segments less than all of the segments by simply moving a pad on a handle relative to the end of the handle so that the heel of the hand can be pressing the segmenter into the fruit while movement of the pad will advance a scoop along the inside of the skin of the fruit until it entraps a segment between the scoop and the fixed blades on the end of the handle. This one-handed operation is simple to perform and since less than all of the segments are to be removed, it is easy to use and easy to control.
A second feature of the invention is a unique operating mechanism for advancing a curved scoop of a citrus fruit segmenter into the citrus fruit and toward a fixed triangular blade in the citrus fruit so that the scoop is easily moved by the user with minimum effort. This feature of the invention includes a drive rack and a driven rack, the driven rack being moved by the drive rack through a pinion gear. A finger pad is connected to the drive rack. While the pad can be moved by a thumb or finger, preferably the operation is by placing the heel of the hand on the end of a handle to press the segmenter into the citrus fruit and then pulling back with a pair of fingers against multiple pads on opposite sides of the handle toward the heel of the hand in a strong and easy clasping motion.


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