Abstract:
An apparatus and method easily and quickly produce multiple holes in a dough layer. An apparatus according to the invention includes a top portion, a number of pins supported by the top portion in a fixed pattern, and a base portion having a number of holes arranged in a fixed pattern corresponding to the pins of the top portion. Structure, such as a hinge, is provided to lower the top portion toward the base portion and to guide the pins through a dough layer placed between the top portion and base portion and into the holes. A number of openings in the dough layer are thus produced. A corresponding method is also disclosed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The subject matter of this application is related to the subject matter of co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/010,036 to Woodward et al., filed Jan. 16, 1996, entitled “DOUGH PUNCH AND METHOD OF USE”, priority to which is claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), and which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, and to U.S. application Ser. No. 08/587,912 to Proctor et al., filed Jan. 16, 1996, entitled “MULTI-LAYERED PIZZA PRODUCT, AND METHOD OF MAKING”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,998, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an apparatus and method for forming holes in a sheet of a soft, malleable substance, and more particularly, a dough punch for punching multiple openings in a sheet of dough, such as pizza dough. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The above-referenced application Ser. No. 08/587,912 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,998) is directed to a pizza product that includes multiple dough layers. A first dough sheet is placed into a pizza pan or similar utensil, and a food ingredient layer, such as cheese, is placed over the first dough sheet. Then, a second, top dough layer is placed over the first ingredient layer, and a second ingredient layer is placed over the second dough layer. The second ingredient layer can include cheese, sausage, pepperoni and other typical pizza toppings. 
     The pizza product of the above-referenced application is designed to be baked in a single, continuous baking step. No partial assembly or partial baking steps are required, resulting in significant time savings. To accomplish this, the second dough layer advantageously includes a vent opening that allows steam to escape from the first ingredient layer. According to one embodiment, the vent opening is a single aperture at a central portion of the second dough layer. 
     It has been found, however, that in many instances the single, central aperture fails to cause steam to escape adequately from the first ingredient layer. For example, steam is generated at a lower boiling point at high altitudes, before the second dough layer has enough time to properly set. This is a problem primarily at altitudes above 3000 feet elevation. Because steam forms earlier, it also is generated for a longer period of time and thus in greater volume. This excess, early steam generated in the first ingredient layer cannot all travel to the central aperture for venting, and can cause a doming effect in the second dough layer. Unattractive bubbling, blistering, and doming in the second dough layer can cause redistribution of the toppings on the second dough layer, even to the point where the toppings slide completely off the pizza. Similar results occur when the first ingredient layer includes food products that have a moisture content that is too high. 
     Therefore, a need has arisen to prevent distortion to the top dough layer and the second ingredient layer caused by steam generated in the first ingredient layer. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the Figures, in which like reference numerals denote like elements and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dough punch according to an embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the FIG. 1 dough punch; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the FIG. 1 dough punch, with the top portion closed; 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the FIG. 1 dough punch; 
     FIG. 5 is a side, cross-sectional view of the FIG. 1 dough punch; and 
     FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the FIG. 1 dough punch perforating a sheet of dough. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Preferred embodiments of the invention are directed toward an apparatus and method for punching multiple holes in a sheet of pizza dough, to allow steam from an underlying food layer to escape through the sheet of dough. Various other applications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill, however. The holes created in the dough sheet can be for another purpose, for example allowing food ingredients to drain or otherwise pass between layers of a pizza product. Further, embodiments of the invention will have application to food and dough products other than pizza products. Other alternatives will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill. 
     FIG. 1 shows a dough punch according to a preferred embodiment. Dough punch  10  includes perforating top portion  20  and base portion  30 , both of which are preferably formed in a substantially circular shape, as shown. Of course, other shapes, such as rectangular or square shapes, can also be used. A preferred embodiment includes a substantially circular shape, however, because the dough sheets to be punched are generally circular. As shown in e.g. FIG. 3, top portion  20  is of slightly smaller diameter than base portion  30 , creating an underlap  25  substantially entirely around dough punch  10 . This saves materials and thus reduces costs. Alternatively, top portion  20  can be the same size as or larger than base portion  30 . 
     Top portion  20  is pivotally connected to base portion  30  by hinge mechanism  40 . Hinge mechanism  40  includes hinge rod  50 , removably inserted through a plurality of interlocking ears  60  and non-pivotally engaged on rod rest  70 . Hinge rod  50  preferably is of substantially cylindrical shape and preferably sits within a substantially half-circular recess in rod rest  70 . Alternatively, hinge rod  50  can be of substantially half-circular shape in cross-section, to present a lower flat surface that faces and engages an upper flat surface of rod rest  70 . In either case, hinge rod  50  can be easily withdrawn from ears  60 , allowing top and base portions  20 ,  30  to be separated and placed in a dishwasher, for example. 
     Top portion  20  of dough punch  10  supports a plurality of punch pins  80 , which preferably are disposed perpendicular to a lower surface of top portion  20 . Holes  90  of base portion  30  receive pins  80  to perforate dough sheet  100  (FIG.  6 ), as will be described below. As shown in FIG. 2, top portion  20  pivots on hinge mechanism  40  along path  110 , until pins  80  are received in holes  90 . Spacers  23  keep the tip of top portion  20  a desired distance from base portion  30 , as shown in FIG. 6, for example. Alternatively, spacers  23  can be eliminated, as the spacing between top and base portions  20 ,  30  is relatively minimal in the first instance. 
     To aid in the cutting process, pins  80  include an angled blade portion  83 , ending in a tip portion  85 . Tip  85  of each pin  80  first engages dough sheet  100  at a single point, to allow easy blade penetration of dough sheet  100 . As top portion  20  further descends along path  110 , blade  83  of each pin  80  tears or penetrates dough sheet  100  in a radial direction with respect to each pin  80 , to create a plurality of holes in dough sheet  100 . 
     The shape of blade  83  is advantageously designed to require minimal downward pressure on top portion  20  to create the holes in the dough sheet. Other shapes are also possible, for example a blunt/rounded mushroom shape, a cone shape, square, triangular and other polygonal shapes, or a shape having two tips  85  that are diametrically opposed to each other to form a V-shaped groove in cross-section, to name a few specific examples. An outwardly directed V-shape, with a square or cylindrical pin  80 , also can be used. The illustrated blade shape is especially desirable, however, to reduce the amount of pressure that must be applied to top portion  20  in creating the holes. Blunt-nosed pins, for example, require an unacceptably high amount of pressure to be applied on top portion  20  to push all of the pins through dough sheet  100 . 
     Pins  80  are held to top portion  20  by a plurality of screws, rivets or similar fasteners  87 , or by adhesive or ultrasonic welding, for example. Screws  87  with threads  89  (FIG. 6) are particularly advantageous, because damaged pins  80  can be readily removed and replaced. Pins  80  can also be molded to top portion  20 , although this is not as desirable an arrangement because adequate alignment of pins  80  with holes  90  is more difficult to achieve. 
     Each hole  90  in base portion  30  is downwardly chamfered, as shown at  95  in FIG. 6, for example. Chamfers  95  allow easy dislodgement of waste dough bits  105  from holes  90 . Blade portion  83  of each pin  80  clears at least the beginning of chamfered portion  95  of each hole  90 , for the best cutting effect. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, blades  83  clear not only chamfers  95  but also the entire bottom surface of base portion  30 . This ensures that dough bits  105  are entirely separated from dough sheet  100  and do not remain partially attached to create a flap. Flapped holes, instead of completely open holes, are undesirable because the flaps have the potential to re-seal to the remainder of dough sheet  100  or at least block holes  90 . 
     Dough punch  10  preferably includes handle  120  to allow easy grasping by a user for movement along path  110 . According to a preferred embodiment, a user of dough punch  10  pushes down on top portion  20  with one hand on handle  120  and another hand directly on top portion  20 , applying downward pressure to create the holes in the dough sheet. Dough punch  10  also advantageously includes handle portion  130 , extending from the substantially circular edge of base portion  30 , to allow easier grasping by a user during transport of dough punch  10  from one location to another. 
     Top and base portions  20 ,  30  each include ramped surfaces  140 , leading to recessed portions  150 . When top and base portions  20 ,  30  are closed together, recessed portions  150  create gap  155  (FIG.  5 ). Gap  155  acts as a relief point for excess dough extending from the center of base portion  30  back toward hinge mechanism  40 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, pins  80  are disposed on top portion  20  in a series of five concentric rings  101 ,  103 ,  105 ,  107  and  109 . Dough punch  10  thus creates a substantially uniform hole pattern in dough sheet  100 , allowing even venting of steam from underneath the dough layer in an assembled pizza product without undesirable bubbling or blistering. According to the illustrated embodiment, inner ring  101  includes five pins  80 , the next ring  103  includes nine pins, ring  105  includes thirteen pins, ring  107  includes seventeen pins, and ring  109  includes twenty-one pins, for a total of sixty-five pins. Thus, each of the outer rings  103 ,  105 ,  107  and  109  includes four pins more than its most immediate inwardly disposed ring. This number of pins has been shown to work extremely well with a 12-inch pizza product. Of course, for different applications, for example different pizza diameters, different numbers of holes and different hole patterns can be used. 
     Dough punch  10  is supported on a table or other underlying surface  200  by a plurality of feet  180 . Feet  180  are preferably formed of a substantially compressible material, such as rubber, to allow slight downward movement of dough punch  10  against table  200  when downward pressure is applied to create holes in dough sheet  100 . As shown in FIG. 6, when the user applies downward pressure to the top surface of top portion  20 , feet  180  will compress slightly. This compression allows skirt  210  and rigid standoffs  190 , secured to base portion  30 , to engage table  200  and provide counterpressure. When dough punch  10  is in the opened position (e.g. FIG.  2 ), on the other hand, skirt  130  and standoffs  190  do not engage underlying surface  200 , according to a preferred embodiment. (The gap between underlying surface  200  and skirt  130 /standoffs  190  as illustrated in e.g. FIG. 2 is not necessarily to scale.) Standoffs  190  may also be higher than feet  180  relative to table  800  by the amount of thickness of a typical pizza pan, to allow the pan to be placed under dough punch  10  to catch dough bits  105 . 
     It is desirable to remove a significant amount of material from dough sheet  100 , instead of just creating slits or other insubstantial openings. Slits or other small openings would have a tendency to re-seal in dough sheet  100 , trapping steam underneath the dough sheet during the cooking process and creating the associated problems described above. According to a preferred embodiment, pins  80  create holes in dough sheet  100  of approximately one-half inch diameter at a density of approximately one hole per 1.75 square inches of dough sheet  100 . Smaller holes, for example, one-quarter inch diameter holes, have a tendency to seal up after the dough is removed from dough punch  10 , as described above. Circumferential inter-hole spacing is approximately 1.5 inches, and ring-to ring spacing is approximately 1.25 inches, according to a preferred embodiment. Of course, other hole diameters and spacings also can be used, depending for example on the type of dough to be used. Dough bits  105  are completely separated from dough sheet  100 , as shown in FIG.  6 . 
     As dough punch  10  creates the holes in dough sheet  100 , the dough immediately around each created hole is crimped together, to prevent dough sheet  100  from separating into a plurality of different layers. Creating holes with punch  10  thus achieves advantages similar to those achieved by docking dough with a plurality of pin-sized holes, but without the need for manually rolling a typical dough docking tool around the dough. Of course, both manual docking and punching with dough punch  10  can occur during preparation of a pizza product, if desired. 
     According to a prefer red embodiment, dough punch  10  is used to punch only one dough sheet  100  at a time. Perforating multiple dough sheets simultaneously tends to knit the dough sheets together, because pins  80  press the upper dough sheet into the lower dough sheet before achieving the cutting interaction between blade  83  and hole  90 . Multiple dough sheets are thus in effect melded together, and in separating the dough sheets damage occurs to both the dough sheets and the holes created in them. For some types of applications, however, for example for relatively stiff doughs, multiple sheets can successfully be punched. 
     Dough punch  10  can be formed of a number of different materials, for example polycarbonate and polyester thermoplastics and other such materials. Materials that are relatively rugged and stand up to chemical attack and elevated temperatures, for example in dishwasher environments, are preferable. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the description is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. According to the invention, a wide variety of dough punching devices are discernable. Various modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.