Abstract:
Apparatus for creating cavities in edible material includes a cylindrical hollow tube having a distal end that is adapted to serve as a cutting edge and a core removal blade extending inward from the cutting edge part way across the tube.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to food preparation, and specifically to mechanical means for removing the cores of, or placing a cavity in, various fruits, vegetables and other edibles.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Various devices have been designed for removing the cores of fruits, vegetables and other edibles, both in bulk and on an individual basis. A number of these devices have been designed to be used in large scale food service operations, such as institutional kitchens. Others have been designed for use in the home and by small food service operations.  
           [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 1,390,977 to Behr, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a handheld, spring-operated device for removing pits from cherries.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,081 to Ellis et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a device for peeling and coring apples that have been picked from a bulk supply. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,869,974 and 3,962,963 to Ellis, which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose methods of further processing apples which have been oriented, peeled and cored on the machine described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,081. In accordance with the technique described in these patents, the fibrous carpel tissue providing the seed cell in the apple is removed and the apples may be discharged whole or passed through a slicing device to cut the apples into a number of segments.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,223 to Buck et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a hand tool that is shaped and sized to separate a core from the leaves of a cabbage head and to remove the separated core from the leaves.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,725 to Poltielov, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a tool for preparing baked apples and other fruits and vegetables by coring through the top of each fruit or vegetable to form a hole therein. The tool includes a hollow plug cutter barrel, which is rotated as it is pressed down against the fruit, thus cutting into the fruit around the core. In one embodiment, the hollow plug cutter barrel has a crossbar extending completely across its opening at the cutting end, whose function is to dislodge the core.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,719 to Poltielov, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a device, for mechanically removing the cores of fruits and vegetables. The device is designed to be used with a vertical or horizontal hand press.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,407 to Fischer, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a device for preparing comestibles, such as fruits, vegetables, cold meats and cheese, by making a cavity in these items to allow one to fill these with another edible material.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    It is an object of some aspects of the present invention to provide simple and easily-insertable apparatus for removing a core from fruits and vegetables.  
           [0010]    It is a further object of some aspects of the present invention to provide apparatus to create cavities in comestibles including fruits and vegetables, pastries, cakes, cold meat and cheese, in which the resulting plug is easily removed at the end of the operation.  
           [0011]    In preferred embodiments of the present invention, apparatus for coring fruits and vegetables and creating a cavity in a food item comprises a cylindrical extended hollow cutting element attached to a handle at one end, and comprising, at its other end: (a) a cutting edge, preferably serrated, around the periphery of the hollow element, and (b) a core removal blade, attached to the periphery of the hollow element perpendicular to the axis of the element, and extending inward toward the axis. In distinction to the crossbar shown in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,725 to Poltielov, the core removal blade extends only part way across the cylinder, preferably no more than half way.  
           [0012]    An operator holding the handle pushes the apparatus into the food item while rotating the handle. Upon reaching the desired depth, the operator pulls the apparatus out of the food item along with the material captured in it. The perpendicular core removal blade, having cut a generally spiral path through the core during the rotation and insertion of the apparatus into the food item, subsequently serves as a base to support the removal of the core as the hollow element is withdrawn from the item. In a simple operation, therefore, these preferred embodiments of the present invention core a fruit or vegetable, or create a cavity in a food item and remove the excess material contained within the cavity. Because the core removal blade extends only part way across the cylinder, it is easy to insert the cutting element into the food item by hand (unlike Poltielov&#39;s device, which require special presses or power attachments), but still removes the entire core neatly and efficiently.  
           [0013]    There is therefore provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, apparatus for creating cavities in edible material, including:  
           [0014]    a cylindrical hollow tube having a distal end that is adapted to serve as a cutting edge; and  
           [0015]    a core removal blade extending inward from the cutting edge part way across the tube.  
           [0016]    Preferably, the apparatus includes a handle fixed to a proximal end of the tube. Additionally or alternatively, the cutting edge is serrated, and a segment of the length of the cylindrical hollow tube is not fully enclosed by the periphery of the tube.  
           [0017]    Preferably, the core removal blade extends inward no more than half way across the hollow tube, and most preferably substantially less than half way across the hollow tube. Further preferably, the core removal blade is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical hollow tube.  
           [0018]    There is also provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for creating cavities in edible material, including:  
           [0019]    bringing a cylindrical hollow tube, having a distal end that is adapted to serve as a cutting edge and a core removal blade extending inward from the cutting edge part way across the tube, into contact with a surface of the edible material;  
           [0020]    pressing the tube into the material while rotating the tube, so as to make a generally cylindrical cut through the material; and  
           [0021]    when the cut reaches a desired depth in the material, withdrawing the tube so as to pull out a portion of the material that is within the tube.  
           [0022]    Preferably, the tube is inserted by grasping and turning a handle fixed to a proximal end of the tube, so that the core removal blade incises a spiral into the material within the tube.  
           [0023]    The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings, in which:  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of apparatus for coring a food item, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the distal end of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, showing a plane perpendicular to the axis of the apparatus; and  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a cross-section of the distal end of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, showing a plane parallel to the axis of the apparatus.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional illustration of apparatus  18  for coring a food item, in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention. Apparatus  18  typically comprises a handle  20  at its proximal end, and a hollow cylindrical element  22  at its distal end. Preferably, cylindrical element  22  is not fully enclosed by its periphery for a portion  24  of its length, so as to allow easy removal of an extracted core, and to facilitate cleaning of the apparatus after use. Distal to portion  24 , hollow element  22  preferably forms a complete ring. A serrated edge  26 , which is typically cut out of element  22 , extends forward, to be placed against the food item. A perpendicular core removal blade  28 , also preferably cut out of element  22 , extends partially into an enclosed space  30  defined by the distal end of element  22 .  
         [0028]    Reference is now made to FIGS. 2 and 3, which are schematic illustrations of the distal end of apparatus  18 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an end view in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of element  22 , and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view in a plane parallel to the axis of element  22 . Core removal blade  28  extends from the rim of element  22  into space  30 .  
         [0029]    In use, apparatus  18  is placed by an operator holding handle  20  into a position adjacent to the surface of an item of food. The operator rotates apparatus  18  while applying pressure, thereby enabling serrated edge  26  to cut and penetrate into the item. Simultaneously, blade  28  cuts a spiral pattern into the portion of the food within space  30 . Upon reaching the desired distance into the food item, the operator pulls handle  20 , and apparatus  18  is withdrawn from the food item. During withdrawal, cutting edge  28  pushes the material captured within the circumference of apparatus  18  (e.g., the core of a fruit), until the material is entirely removed from the food item. Thus, in a simple operation, this preferred embodiment of the present invention removes the core of a fruit or vegetable, or creates a cavity in a food item and removes the material contained within the cavity. Typically, the cavity is then filled with an appropriate stuffing.  
         [0030]    Devices in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention may be made in different sizes and with different cutting characteristics, depending on the specific intended application. For example, element  22  may be made of different types of materials, and with different sizes and types of serrations, or with a smooth cutting edge. Furthermore, although apparatus  18  is operated manually, using handle  20 , element  22  may also be adapted for mounting on a hand press or power drive. It will thus be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereof that are not in the prior art, which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.