Foods and beverages: apparatus – Means to treat food – Subdividing into plural products
Patent
1995-11-15
1997-09-16
Alexander, Reginald
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Means to treat food
Subdividing into plural products
99593, 99591, 99590, A23N 700, A47J 1700
Patent
active
056668775
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a peeling device for fruits comprising a peeling knife whose knife-edge can be moved along the fruit surface for peeling.
2. Description of the related Art
The term "fruits" is defined as foods with surfaces that can be peeled, especially vegetables such as beets, carrots, horse-radish, potatoes, turnips, asparagus, etc., and fruits such as apples, pears, tropical fruits, etc.
In the past, the fruits were peeled mostly by hand using a knife, an arduous process that requires much labor and time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a peeling device with a drive unit and with easy handling to allow quick peeling of fruits. The proposed means for attaining the objective of the invention is to provide a preferably electrical drive unit with a drive arm that is located below the support surface of the fruits to be peeled and that oscillates the attached peeling knife, and by having the peeling knife reach through a knife opening in the support surface with the knife-edge projecting above the support surface.
Accordingly, the peeling knife of the invented peeling device is oscillated by the oscillating arm. Preferably, the oscillating arm has an electrical drive that may be similar to an electric razor drive with an oscillating head, or with a rotating electric motor with an eccentric. However, it is also possible to use other drives such as a water turbine that is connected by hose to the water line, and that may for example be advantageous if no electricity is available.
If the fruit is moved over the support surface by hand for peeling, the knife-edge that projects through the support surface cuts into the fruit surface and removes a portion of it which results in peeling. The fruit is just moved through a series of different positions over the support surface until it is completely peeled.
It has been shown to be advantageous if the support surface is designed as a container lid that has preferably several openings to pass the peels. Said container provides a stable stand for the support surface and accommodates the oscillating arm under the support surface. The container can also accommodate the peels generated by the peeling knife during the peeling process and can be easily emptied.
The fruits to be peeled have almost always roughly the shape of a truncated cone, a cylinder or sphere. The invention features a curved support surface and/or at least two planes at an angle in the area of the knife opening as well as a knife-edge that is shaped to match the shape of the support surface, in order for the knife-edge to peel the largest possible fruit surface area at a given fruit position on the support surface in one pass.
The invented peeling device can be efficiently utilized with fruits of different size and/or shape if for example several container lids are made available that feature various surfaces and matching peeling knives attached to the oscillating arm and that are used for peeling according to the shape of the fruit.
It is advantageous, if the peeling thickness is adjustable dependent on the fruits to be peeled and on the subsequent use of the fruits. For this purpose, the invention provides an adjustment for the gap between the knife-edge and the support surface. The peel thickness increases with the gap size.
Furthermore, it is useful if the oscillating arm is detachable from the drive unit. It allows easier cleaning of the oscillating arm and of the attached peeling knife without having to expose the drive unit to water which would be dangerous, especially with electric drive units, and it makes it easy to use oscillating arms with peeling knives of various shapes.
The drive unit is preferably designed with a housing that is attached on the side of the container, and that can preferably be pivoted on an axis or is detachable, and said container has a wall opening for the oscillating arm to reach through. This allows for a safe arrangement of the drive unit outside of the co
REFERENCES:
patent: 4038915 (1977-08-01), Saito
patent: 5230155 (1993-07-01), Pai
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