Abstract:
A method of cutting an outline of an inner circular piece in the center of a pizza then further dividing the resulting outer piece into truncated wedges results in improved retention of pizza toppings on the tip of the wedge during separation from the rest of the pizza. Brand strengthening will occur if the inner piece is instead cut into a shape resembling the company&#39;s trademark. As well, apparatus similar to a cookie cutter with a strengthened and sharpened blade is disclosed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of PPA Ser. No. 60/544,073, filed 2004 Feb. 13 by the present inventor. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM  
       [0003]     Not Applicable  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention relates to pizza, and more specifically to a method of cutting a pizza, as well as tools to perform the cutting.  
         [0005]     Cutting a round pizza into wedges, defined by radial lines emanating from its center, is a standard way of preparing a pizza for consumption. A wedge may become very narrow at the tip when a pizza is cut into many pieces, such as 8 or 12. During eating, it is difficult to hold a narrow wedge because the tip will typically droop under the weight of the cheese and toppings, such as meat and vegetables. The drooping effect is further exaggerated when the shell, namely crust, in the center of the pizza is not crispy or is very thin.  
         [0006]     When a person removes a wedge from the pizza, separating the tips of the wedges from each other becomes very challenging. Typically, the cheese and toppings on the tips of both wedges adhere to one of the wedges, resulting in no cheese or toppings on the tip of the other wedge.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,050 issued in the name of Adashek teaches a method of preparing pizza dough before toppings are added such that a separate inner piece with additional exposed crust is formed to the benefit of customers who enjoy the taste of crust. However, the added inner crust may be perceived by other customers as having low nutritional value and are therefore likely to feel cheated out of otherwise entitled toppings. Additional complications in controlling the free-floating inner piece arises when attempting to place the two part pizza in an oven for final cooking.  
         [0008]     There remains a need for a method that helps prevent the loss of cheese and toppings at the tip of a wedge of pizza. In addition, there remains a need for tools to carry out the method.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     Cutting a pizza into pieces resembling a wagon-wheel, such as one small circular piece in the center and the remaining pieces outlined by the spokes of the wheel, helps prevent the loss of cheese and toppings near the tip of the outside pieces by eliminating the pointed tip region.  
         [0010]     In addition, the small circular piece in the center of the pizza may be further cut into a small number of wedges, such as four, thereby maintaining a large angle resulting in a strong tip that will retain toppings.  
         [0011]     Alternately, the mentioned small circular piece in the center of the pizza may instead resemble an arbitrary shape, such as a polygon, peanut shape, or a shape similar to a company logo or design.  
         [0012]     A novel tool, similar to a cookie cutter, may be operated to cut the outline of the piece in the center, and a standard straight knife, such as a cleaver, may be operated to cut the resulting outer ring into truncated wedge pieces.  
         [0013]     A novel curved knife, similar to a very large curved wood-working chisel or gouge, may be operated a number of times to cut a small circular outline in the center of a pizza. 
     
    
     BREIF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     In drawings which help illustrate the present invention:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a plan view of a pizza cut into standard wedges;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a plan view of one wedge;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows a plan view of a pizza cut with a circular piece in the center;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  shows a plan view of a resulting truncated wedge;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  shows a pizza with the circular piece in the center further cut into four;  
         [0020]      FIGS. 6A  to  6 C shows alternate profiles other than a circle cut into the center of a pizza;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7A  shows the front elevational view of an outline cutting tool;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7B  shows the bottom plan view of the outline cutting tool;  
         [0023]      FIG. 7C  shows an isometric view of the outline cutting tool;  
         [0024]      FIG. 8A  shows an isometric view of an alternate outline cutting tool;  
         [0025]      FIG. 8B  shows a section view of the alternate outline cutting tool;  
         [0026]      FIG. 9A  shows the front elevational view of an outline cutting knife;  
         [0027]      FIG. 9B  show an isometric view of the outline cutting knife;  
         [0028]      FIG. 9C  shows the bottom view of the outline cutting knife;  
         [0029]      FIG. 9D  show the bottom view of an alternate outline cutting knife; 
     
    
       [0030]     In all figures, like reference numerals represent the same or identical components of the present invention.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0031]     After a pizza  20  is baked in an oven, it is desirable to cut it into manageable pieces that can be eaten without additional utensils or tools; therefore, a pizza is typically cut into wedges  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  25 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28  as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0032]     A resulting wedge  27 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , will have a narrow tip if the pizza is cut into eight or more pieces. A tip is described as narrow when the length  30  of the tip is greater than the width  31  of the tip. If the force required to tear the pre-cut cheese along the length  30  is greater than the strength of the cheese spanning the width  31 , then the toppings in the tip region  32  of both pieces often stay on only one of the two pieces being separated. One may decrease the force required to tear the pre-cut cheese by re-cutting, thereby, easing the separation of the wedges  27  and all appropriate toppings. Alternately, one may use their fingers on the length  30  of connecting cheese to help separate the desired wedge from the remaining pizza.  
         [0033]     In a method of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a pizza is cut into pieces  40  resembling a wagon-wheel by cutting the outline of one small circular piece  41  near the center and then cutting the remaining outer ring into eight or more pieces  42 ,  43 ,  44 ,  45 ,  46 ,  47 ,  48 ,  49  with cut lines on the radial spokes of the wagon-wheel. The order of cutting may be reversed or performed at one time by a large tool. A resulting piece  48  from the outer ring resembling a truncated wedge, as shown in  FIG. 4 , has a length  50  of the tip that is shorter than the width  51  of the tip. Therefore, the force required to tear the pre-cut cheese along the length  50  is less than the strength of the cheese spanning the width  51 , resulting in the toppings in the tip region  52  remaining intact with the appropriate piece  48  of pizza. Due to being unique, the piece  41  in the center may also be regarded as having more value than the others, thus instilling competitiveness and fun, and may be used as a marketing platform.  
         [0034]     In addition, the piece  41  in the center may be cut into a small number of wedges  61 ,  62 ,  63 ,  64 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , resulting in the width being greater than the length, and therefore maintaining the structural strength of the tips of the wedges.  
         [0035]     Alternately, the mentioned outline of the small circular piece  41  in the center of the pizza may instead be cut into an arbitrary profile or shape, such as a polygon  70 , peanut shape  71 , or a shape  72  that resembles a company logo or design, as shown in  FIGS. 6A  to  6 C. These shapes  70 ,  71 ,  72  may be further cut into manageable sizes if necessary.  
         [0036]     The present invention is not limited to cutting the pizza after it is cooked. A previously prepared ready-to-bake pizza may be cut before or after it is frozen. During baking, the cheese will melt and rejoin across the cut lines making the lines difficult to see; however, the pieces  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  25 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28 ,  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  44 ,  45 ,  46 ,  47 ,  48 ,  49  may still be separated since the toppings and under lying shell, namely crust, have been cut. The mentioned pieces may not be completely cut through the underlying crust in a number of places, as well as a portion of the outer most crust, to keep the pieces together while the pizza is handled and to help prevent the cheese from melting through the cut lines onto the oven rack below. To assist in separation of the pieces and appearance of cut lines, high temperature plastic, or aluminum foil dams may be inserted in the cut lines during, or after, cutting. The mentioned dams are left in place during baking to prevent the cheese from melting over the cut lines. Alternately, an edible substance that inhibits the rejoining of cheese across the cut lines may be applied to the cut lines after or during cutting.  
         [0037]     In another method of the present invention, it is conceived of asking a customer to specify a particular cutting method by referring to depictions thereof in a graphical menu during the ordering cycle at a restaurant or over the phone or internet.  
         [0038]     In an embodiment of the present invention, a novel outline cutting tool, similar to a cookie cutter, may be used to cut the outline of the piece  41 ,  70 ,  71 ,  72  in the center of a pizza, and a standard knife, such as a cleaver, may be used to cut the resulting outer ring into pieces. As shown in  FIGS. 7A, 7B  and  7 C, the outline cutting tool  77  comprises a handle  78  fastened to a top portion  79  and a cylindrical flange  80  terminating in a cutting blade  81  formed into a profile, such as a circle of three inch diameter or other arbitrary shape. The outline cutting blade  81  may comprise notches  82  or gaps to prevent local cutting of the underlying pizza crust, thereby preventing the inner piece  41 ,  70 ,  71 ,  72  from remaining inside the outline cutting tool  77  while the tool  77  is removed from the pizza after cutting. The top portion  79  is provided with suitable air holes  83 . The outline cutting tool  77  may further comprise radial cutting blades  84  internal to the profile cutting blade  81 . These internal cutting blades  84 , fastened to the handle  78 , the top portion  79 , or the profile cutting blade  80 ,  81 ; cut the piece  41 ,  70 ,  71 ,  72  in the center of the pizza into smaller, more manageable, pieces  61 ,  62 ,  63 ,  64 .  FIGS. 8A and 8B  show an alternate embodiment of an outline cutting tool  89  comprising a handle  85 , a cylindrical wall  86  terminating in a profile cutting blade  87 , and plural radial internal cutting blades  88 . The mentioned handles  78 ,  85  may be fabricated from wood, steel, aluminum, rubber, or plastic type materials, and the cutting blades  81 ,  84 ,  87 ,  88  may be fabricated from plastic, steel, or aluminum. The outline cutting tool  77 ,  89  may further comprise a temporary or permanent information card, sticker, or marking comprising the word “pizza”.  
         [0039]     A standard cookie-cutter or other tool comprising an arc or circular cutting edge, that further comprises an information card, tag, label, marking, scribing, box, or booklet that comprises the word “pizza” or other words, pictures, or phases describing a pizza, such as “cheese-pie”; is understood to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention.  
         [0040]     In another embodiment of the present invention, a novel curved knife resembling a portion of a circle, such as a quarter or a third, may be operated a number of times to cut the outline of the mentioned small circular piece  41  in the center of a pizza. As shown in  FIGS. 9A, 9B , and  9 C, the outline cutting knife  90  comprises a handle  91  fastened to a supporting member  92  terminating in a cutting blade  93  formed into a portion of a cylinder, such as an arc spanning ninety degrees of a three inch diameter circle, with an axis parallel to the cutting direction of the blade  93  and perpendicular to the cutting edge. Similarly in  FIG. 9D , the supporting member  92  and circular cutting blade  93  may comprise one or more additional straight cutting blades  94  that extend to the center point of the arc, thereby, cutting the small circular piece  41  in the center of a pizza into wedges at the same time as cutting the outline of the circle. The mentioned handle  91  may be fabricated from wood, steel, aluminum, rubber, or plastic type materials, and the cutting blade  92 ,  93 ,  94  may be fabricated from plastic, steel, or aluminum. The outline cutting knife  90  may further comprise a temporary or permanent information card or sticker comprising the word “pizza”.  
         [0041]     Those skilled in the art may make various modifications to the methods and embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The scope of the invention is set forth in and is to be only limited by the following claims.