Cutlery – Combined cutlery or combined with ancillary feature – With material-holder or disposal
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-04
2002-09-24
Watts, Douglas D. (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Combined cutlery or combined with ancillary feature
With material-holder or disposal
C030S142000, C030S258000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06453560
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a multi-blade (multi-scissor) cutting/chopping device with specially curved members that make it useful in preparing and serving food.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
When preparing and serving food, particularly salads and the like, it often is necessary to cut up (and/or chop) and serve the food from a bowl. Although there are conventional service utensils for serving food from a bowl, conventional knives and scissors are not well adapted for performing cutting in such a restricted environment. Specifically, the shape of traditional blades does not allow for easy maneuvering in the parabolic environment of a bowl. In addition, the curved sides of a bowl, as well as the materials of which a typical bowl is constructed, do not provide an ideal cutting surface for conventional blades.
The present invention addresses this problem by providing a cutting device with features that are particularly well suited for both cutting and serving food from a bowl, or other similar restricted environment. In particular, the kitchen shears of the present invention can have features such as one or more specially curved blades, curved ribs with cutting edges, and wing attachments for the blades and/or ribs, that allow for the scooping up of food in a bowl. Once scooped up by the device, one or more opposing blades can be put into motion, so as to cross the curved blade(s) and/or ribs, and cut the food. Thus, the present invention provides a way to scoop up food in a bowl that would otherwise be difficult to handle with a conventional knife, and support the food while the chopping of it is easily performed. Also, the chopping is easily performed regardless of the bowl's surface materials, since the device provides its own cutting surface. This makes cutting easier and protects the surface of the bowl.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The device of the invention includes two units connected so as to rotate about a common axis (or at least parallel axes) and work in gang fashion. In a main embodiment, the first unit (scooping unit) includes one or more ribs and/or one or more blades. The ribs may have cutting edges along either, but preferably both, of their sides (the cutting edges may be provided by providing ribs with blades secured to opposing sides thereof). The ribs and/or blades of the first unit are curved in their planes of rotation so as to have a convex cutting edges opposing the second unit, and serve as a platform upon which chopping/cutting is performed. In addition, prongs/wings may extend from the blades or ribs of the first unit to help scoop and hold food, preferably so as to be cut. The prongs/wings may be curved in directions in their planes of rotation or perpendicular to their planes of rotation. Alternatively, the scooping unit may have a spatula-like form (curved or flat), with the spatula-like scooping unit having an edge, preferably formed on its scooping surface, against which cutting may be performed. Thus, the scooping unit may also provide a cutting or chopping platform that is well suited for environments other than a bowl.
The second unit (cutting unit) includes one or more blades, but preferably two blades, that may also be curved in their respective planes of rotation. The blades are positioned so as to interact with the side edges of the ribs or opposing blades of the scooping unit to perform cutting when rotated in their planes of rotation from an open position to a closed position, much like parallel pairs of scissors. Thus, the corresponding cutting edges of the different units may have substantially common planes of rotation.
The device provides particular benefits when trying to cut salad greens and the like, while held in a bowl. The curvature of the scooping unit allows the device to reach, scoop, support and cut/chop the contents of a bowl easily. In addition, the design of the ribs and/or blades, as well as the prongs/wings, enables the scooping unit easily to scoop up food, and either support the food during the cutting process or serve the food already cut.
In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a cutting device including two blades inter-secured to rotate together about a common axis and spaced apart from each other along the common axis. The device also includes a rib pivotably secured to the two blades so as to rotate about an axis that is one of parallel with or the same as the common axis, with the rib being curved in a direction of rotation so as to have a concave surface. In addition, handles are integrated with the two blades and the rib to control the two blades and the rib to rotate simultaneously between opened and closed positions. The concave surface of the rib is the lead surface when moving from the open position to the closed position, and cutting edges of the two blades cross opposing edges along the length of the concave surface when moving from the open position to the closed position so as to perform cutting against the cutting edges.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the cutting device includes a plurality of pairs of blades pivotably inter-secured to rotate about common or parallel axes, each one of the pairs of blades including a first blade and a second blade having substantially common planes of rotation. The first blades are curved in their respective planes of rotation to have concave cutting edges. The cutting device also includes a pair of wings secured to the device so as to rotate with the first blades, with the wings extending in substantially opposite directions from different outermost first blades along an axis of rotation. In addition, two handles are integrated with the plurality of pairs of blades to control the first and second blades of each one of the plurality of pairs of blades to simultaneously rotate between opened and closed positions. The concave cutting edges of the first blades are lead edges as the plurality of pairs of blades are rotated from the open to closed position.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a cutting device having a blade secured to the device so as to rotate about an axis and a scoop secured to the device so as to rotate about an axis one of parallel with or the same as the axis of rotation of the blade. The scoop has a cutting edge formed thereon. Handles are integrated with the blade and the scoop to control the blade and the scoop, including the cutting edge, to simultaneously rotate between open and closed positions. The cutting edge of the scoop is a lead edge when moving from the open position to the closed position, and the cutting edge and the blade cross so as to perform a cutting action when moving from the open position to the closed position
In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a multi-scissor apparatus including a plurality of pairs of blades pivotably inter-secured to rotate about a common axis, with each one of the plurality of pairs of blades including a first blade and a second blade. The blades of each pair are curved in opposite directions in their substantially common planes of rotation to have opposing concave edges, and each of the first and second blades including a first cutting edge on the concave edge thereof. Two handles are integrated with the plurality of pairs of blades to control the first and second blades of each one of the plurality of pairs of blades to simultaneously rotate between open and closed positions. When moving from the open position to the closed position, the concave edge of each of the first and second blades is a leading edge in the direction of rotation.
Cutting Unit
For purposes of description, the blades of the present invention primarily used for cutting, i.e., the blades described above that are referred to as the second blades and the blades opposing the rib or wings, and the handle controlling those blades, are referred to as the cutting unit. The blades of the cutting unit may be of a variety of conventional designs, but preferably, the blades are curved in their planes of rotation, from points near th
Chan Eric
Chorpash Rama
Silver Michael I.
Silver Wendy L.
Spool Ira
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Watts Douglas D.
Wenco LLC
LandOfFree
Multi-blade cutting device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Multi-blade cutting device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Multi-blade cutting device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2890168