Abstract:
A novel and useful food chopper that includes a cutter having cutting edges arranged to form one or more cells and spring loaded plungers disposed and supported within the cells. The plungers include wipers extending around the circumference of the plungers at or near their bottoms. During a chopping cycle, the plungers are pushed back by the food to be chopped and compress their associated spring. When released, the wipers on each plunger squeegee the inner walls of the cell thereby achieving a cleaning action. Chopped food waste is minimized by careful placement of the wipers on the body of the plungers, placement of the plungers within the cells and by having a substantially flat bottom surface of the plungers which are mostly flush with the cutting edges of the cutter. Use of the wiper permits the food chopper to achieve very efficient chopping with minimal waste and a self-cleaning mechanism.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of food stuff chopping, and more particularly relates to an efficient self-cleaning food chopper. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Food choppers are well-known food preparation aids or tools that are in widespread use today. They are handy devices that are found in most kitchens and used frequently by chefs, cooks and others who prepare food. Although most do a reasonable job of chopping food, many accomplish this task with relatively large amounts of wasted food due to inefficiency of their chopping mechanisms. 
         [0003]    In addition, many existing food choppers are notoriously difficult to clean due to the many nooks and crannies of their chopping mechanisms. This is especially true for most garlic presses and small food stuff choppers. Many have holes, openings, perforations, corners, etc. where chopped food accumulates and collects leading to large amounts of wasted food product as well as making it difficult to clean the chopper. 
         [0004]    There is thus a need for a food chopper that is capable of chopping food stuff while wasting a minimal amount of food product. In addition, it is desirable to have a food chopper that is relatively easy to clean. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is a novel and useful food chopper that includes a cutter having cutting edges arranged to form one or more cells and spring loaded plungers disposed and supported within the cells. The plungers include wipers extending around the circumference of the plungers at or near their bottoms. During a chopping cycle, the plungers are pushed back by the food to be chopped and compress their associated spring. When released, the wipers on each plunger squeegee the inner walls of the cell thereby achieving a cleaning action. Chopped food waste is minimized by careful placement of the wipers on the body of the plungers, placement of the plungers within the cells and by having a substantially flat bottom surface of the plungers which are mostly flush with the cutting edges of the cutter. Use of the wiper permits the food chopper to achieve very efficient chopping with minimal waste and a self-cleaning mechanism. 
         [0006]    Several advantages of the food chopper of the present invention include: (1) complete chopping of food stuff against a cutting surface such as a cutting board or table; (2) minimal wasted food product after a chopping cycle completed; and (3) self-cleaning mechanism eliminating or minimizing the need for the user to manually clean the chopper. 
         [0007]    There is thus provided in accordance with the invention, a food chopper, comprising a housing, a cutter having one or more cutting edges arranged to form one or more cells having inner walls, one or more plungers, each plunger having a wiper and springedly moveable within a cell of said cutter, and wherein said wiper is operative to remove food from the inner walls of its respective cutter cell in response to movement of said plunger. 
         [0008]    There is also provided in accordance with the invention, a food chopper, comprising a housing, a cutter having a plurality of cutting edges arranged to form a plurality of cells, each cell having inner walls, a plurality of plungers disposed within said plurality of cells, each plunger having a wiper extending substantially around the circumference thereof and adapted to be springedly moveable within a cell of said cutter, and wherein said wiper is operative to remove food from the inner walls of its associated cutter cell in response to movement of said plunger. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1A  is a diagram illustrating a perspective bottom view of the food chopper of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 1B  is a diagram illustrating a perspective top view of the food chopper of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 1C  is a diagram illustrating a side view of the food chopper of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 1D  is a diagram illustrating a perspective bottom view of a portion of the food chopper of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a top perspective view of the cutter assembly portion of the chopper; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of a single plunger portion of the chopper; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4A  is a side sectional view of a first example plunger having rounded wipers; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4B  is a side sectional view of a second example plunger having pointed wipers; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4C  is a side sectional view of a third example plunger with having concave shaped wipers; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4D  is a side sectional view of a fourth example plunger having retaining tabs; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4E  is a top plan view of the fourth example plunger of  FIG. 4D ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a side sectional view of the chopper; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a side sectional view of the chopper at the beginning of a chopping cycle; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a side sectional view of the chopper at the approximate middle of a chopping cycle; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a side sectional view of the chopper at the end of a chopping cycle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    A diagram illustrating a perspective bottom view of the food chopper of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1A . The food chopper, generally referenced  10 , comprises a housing  12 , a cutter or cutting assembly  14  having sharp cutting edges  18  and a plurality of plungers  16 . Note that the chopper is symmetric from back to front (i.e. side to side). In one embodiment, the housing functions to provide support from the cutter and plungers as well provide a holding or gripping surface for a user&#39;s hand to operate the chopper. The housing may be constructed from any suitable material such as food safe plastic, wood, metal, rubber, polymers, etc. 
         [0026]    In one embodiment, the cutter comprises an array of cutting edges that form a plurality of cells in a grid pattern including a plurality of cells  13 . Each cell  13  has one plunger disposed within it. The plunger is able to move up and down within a cell using, for example, a telescopic motion. A biasing mechanism such as spring mechanism  17  is affixed to the top portion of each plunger. Note that plunger  19  is shown in a compressed (or retracted) state in one corner of the chopper and all other plungers  16  are shown in an extended uncompressed idle position. In some embodiments, the biasing member may include a plurality of springs, leaf or blade type springs, etc. For example, in some embodiments, the biasing member may be formed from a polymer spring which may be formed separately from, or integrally with, a corresponding plunger. 
         [0027]    A diagram illustrating a perspective top view of the food chopper of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1B . The portion of the chopper  10  shown includes the housing/handle  12 , cutter  14 , cutting edges  18  and outer wall  22  of the cutter. 
         [0028]    A diagram illustrating a side view of the food chopper of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1C . The portion of the chopper  10  shown includes housing/handle  12 , cutter  14  and outer wall  22  of the cutter. 
         [0029]    A diagram illustrating a perspective bottom view of a portion of the food chopper of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1D . The plungers and associated springs have been removed to better illustrate the cells in which the plungers are mounted. The portion of the chopper  10  shown includes housing/handle  12 , cutter  14 , plurality of cells  13  and cutting edges  18 . 
         [0030]    A diagram illustrating a top perspective view of the cutter assembly portion of the cutter portion (hereinafter the cutter) is shown in  FIG. 2 . The cutter, generally referenced  20 , comprises outer side walls  22  and a plurality of cross members  24  arranged to form a plurality of cells  28  having inner walls  26 . The bottom edges of the outer side walls and cross members are sharpened and used to cut and chop food stuff. The outer side walls and/or cross members may be formed, at least in part, by blade portions each having a sharpened edge adjacent to the bottom edge of the cutter. 
         [0031]    In the example embodiment shown, the cutter comprises a square or rectangular shape wherein the cells formed are squares or rectangles. It is appreciated that the cutter may be adapted to have any desired shape depending on the implementation. For example, the cutter may have comprise triangular shaped cells with each cell (other than cells on the outer edge of the cutter) abutting a neighboring cell on all three sides. In another embodiment, the cutter may comprise circular shaped cells where the space between cells may be unoccupied by a plunger. In yet other embodiments, it is envisioned that the cells may have other polygonal shapes such as rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, etc. or combinations thereof. These cells may share one or more common walls. Further, regardless of cell shape, each plunger should correspond with the shape of a corresponding cell. 
         [0032]    In one embodiment the cutter is made of metal such as stainless steel where the cross members are coupled to each other and/or to the outer side members using any suitable method such as welding, notching, etc. It is appreciated that the cutter may be made from any material, e.g., food safe plastic, etc., that is able to cut and chop food stuff without significant denting, dinging or premature dulling of the cutting edges. The cutter and/or the plungers may include a non-stick surface coating, if desired, to prevent food items sticking thereto. 
         [0033]    A top perspective view of a single plunger portion of the chopper is shown in  FIG. 3 . In one embodiment, the plunger, generally referenced  30 , comprises a plunger body  32 , wiper portion  34  and detent  38 . One plunger is springedly disposed in each cell of the cutter. In use, the plunger moves up and down within its associated cell. Regardless of the shape of the cutter, the plungers are adapted such that the wiper portion  34  fits snug against the inner walls of the cell. Thus, the plungers have a shape that is complementary to the cells of the cutter. In the example embodiment shown, the corner section  36  of the wiper fits snug (while allowing for telescopic motion within the cell) in the corner of the inner walls of the cell. The wiper extends around the full circumference of the plunger body. In yet other embodiments, however, the wiper may extend about the circumference of the plunger body in a discontinuous manner, if desired. In one embodiment, the plunger comprises an opening or recess  38  adapted to receive a portion of the spring or other biasing mechanism. 
         [0034]    In use, the wipers function to provide a squeegee effect when the plungers move up and down (e.g., telescopes) within a cell. As described in more detail infra, when food is chopped, the wipers act to remove via the squeegee effect any food that came in connect with the inner walls of the cell. Thus, the wiper material is preferably compressible such as rubber or rubberized plastic to be able to squeegee the inner walls of the cells. The plunger and/or wiper may be made of any suitable material. For example, in some embodiments, the plunger and/or wiper may be made from materials such as a polymer, an elastomeric rubber, plastic, and/or any combination thereof as long as the wiper is capable of squeegeeing the inner walls of the cells. Further, in yet other embodiments, the plunger may be formed from wood or the like. 
         [0035]    Several examples of wiper portions of the plungers will now be described. A side sectional view of a first example plunger having rounded wipers is shown in  FIG. 4A . The plunger, generally referenced  40 , comprises a body  42 , wiper  46  and bottom surface  44 . In this embodiment, the wiper has rounded corners. 
         [0036]    A side sectional view of a second example plunger having pointed wipers is shown in  FIG. 4B . The plunger, generally referenced  50 , comprises a body  52 , wiper  56  and bottom surface  54 . In this embodiment, the wiper has a smooth sloping shape to a substantially pointed bottom portion. 
         [0037]    A side sectional view of a third example plunger with having concave shaped wipers is shown in  FIG. 4C . The plunger, generally referenced  60 , comprises a body  62 , wiper  66  and bottom surface  64 . In this embodiment, the wiper has a concave shaped top portion for more efficient scraping of food off the inner walls of cells. In addition, the wiper comprises optional ribs  68  which function to aid in guiding the plunger in travel within a cell. These are located substantially at the opposite end of the plunger to provide stability for travel of the plunger in a cell. 
         [0038]    A side sectional view of a fourth example plunger having retaining tabs is shown in  FIG. 4D . The plunger, generally referenced  41 , comprises a body  42 , wiper  46 , bottom surface  44 , top portion  45  and retention mechanism  48 . The retention mechanism comprises tabs  47  and  49 . In this embodiment, the plunger includes the retention mechanism to aid in keeping the plungers in the cells of the cutter. In one embodiment, the tabs  47  and  49  mate with the slot  25  ( FIG. 2 ) on one or more inner walls of each cell. 
         [0039]    A top plan view of the fourth example plunger of  FIG. 4E  is shown in  FIG. 4E . The portion of the plunger  41  shown includes retention mechanism  48 , including tabs  47 ,  49 , and wiper  46 . 
         [0040]    In alternative embodiments, the wipers may have any suitable shape on the top, mid and bottom sections. For example, the wipers may have concave shapes on both the top and bottom portions while the mid portion may be indented. This allows for more efficient scraping of food off the inner walls on both the down stroke and upstroke of the plungers within the cells. 
         [0041]    A side sectional view of the chopper is shown in  FIG. 5 . The chopper, generally referenced  70 , comprises a housing  72 , a support backing or plate  74 , a spring mechanism, cutter extension or support  78 , cutter  80 , cutting edges  82  and plungers  84 . In one embodiment, the spring mechanism includes a plurality of springs  76  which bias each corresponding plunger in an extended position such that a bottom surface (e.g., an anvil surface)  86  of the each plunger can contact and/or exert a force on a food product in use. Each plunger may include the bottom plunger surface  86 , a wiper  88  and one or more optional ribs  81  (shown only on one plunger for clarity). In use, each plunger is disposed in its own corresponding cell and may be coupled to the plate  74  by a corresponding spring of the springs  76 . In the example embodiment shown, the backing for the spring mechanism is provided by the plate  74 . When cutting, the plungers travel up (e.g., telescope) in their cells and compress their corresponding spring of the springs  76 . The plate functions as the backing for the spring mechanisms so that the springs may provide a biasing force against the plate. Note that alternatively, the support for the springs may be provided by the housing itself. In this embodiment, the housing thus provides a triple function of a handle for the user, housing for the internal components and backing support for the plunger springs. Thus, the housing should be shaped and/or sized such that it may be easily grasped by a user. 
         [0042]    In another embodiment, the plungers comprise ribs  81  on a portion of the plungers or extending fully around the circumference of the plunger. The ribs may be configured to act as a guide to support the smooth travel of the plunger up and down in a cell. The ribs, which may be situated at the top portion of the plungers, may also perform a wiping function to complement the squeegee action of the wipers  88  on the bottom portion of the plungers. 
         [0043]    The cutter extension or support  78  is an optional portion of the cutter assembly. In one embodiment, the function of the support is to provide a base to securely mount the blade portions and/or to mount the cutter to the housing (e.g., see  FIG. 1A ). Depending on a depth of the cells of the cutter, the support  78  may extend the depth of the cells to a sufficient depth to accommodate the plungers when in a fully compressed position of its travel. The support portion  78  may be made of any suitable material such as plastic, metal, etc. In one embodiment, the blade portions of the cutter may be made of metal or steel having a part of the cell depth while the support  78  is made of plastic (e.g., a less costly material) and provides the remaining cell depth to the cells to accommodate the full travel of the plungers within the cells. Further, the support portion may be coupled to the blade portions using any suitable method such as bonding, welding, rivets, adhesives, etc. 
         [0044]    A side sectional view of the chopper at the beginning of a chopping cycle is shown in  FIG. 6 . The chopper, generally referenced  90 , comprises a housing  92 , a support backing or plate  94 , a plurality of springs or other compressible spring mechanisms  96 , a cutter extension or support  98 , cutter  100 , cutting edges  101  and plungers  106 . Each plunger comprises a body  105 , a bottom plunger surface  103  and a wiper  108 . 
         [0045]    In use, the food chopper  90  is placed over the food a user wishes chopped or cut (e.g., garlic, nuts, orange peel, etc.), which is placed on table or surface  91 . For example, consider two food items  102 ,  104 . Before any downward force is exerted on the chopper, the plungers are all in an uncompressed state. The plungers are disposed within the cutter cells such that their bottom surfaces  103  are substantially flush with the cutting edges  101  of the cutter  100 . This provides the double benefits of (1) minimizing waste and (2) allowing for easy cleanup. It is appreciated that relatively small crevices or nooks may be present depending on the design and manufacturing of the chopper. These crevices, however, are small and do not appreciable contribute to food waste. In yet other embodiments the plungers may be slightly recessed or slightly extend outward from the cutting edges of the cutter. At this time, a user may exert a force upon the housing so as to urge the edges of the cutter against the two food items and may continue to exert a force against the two food items so as to cut the two food items. 
         [0046]    A side sectional view of the chopper at approximately the midpoint of a chopping cycle is shown in  FIG. 7 . The chopper, generally referenced  110 , comprises a housing  112 , a support backing or plate  114 , a spring or other compressible spring mechanism  120 , a cutter extension or support  116 , a cutter  118 , cutting edges  131  and plungers  128 . Each plunger comprises a body  137 , bottom plunger surface  139  and wiper  133 . 
         [0047]    At this mid-point in the chopping cycle, the user has applied downward force to the housing  112  sufficient for the cutter blades to cut, slice, and/or chop the food items  130 ,  132 . Edges  131  of the cutting blades are forced downward towards the surface  111  on which the food is being chopped, such as a cutting board, table, countertop, etc. The chopping action ceases when the cutter edges meet the cutting surface  111 . As downward force is applied by the user, the food items are chopped and at the same time exert an upward force on the bottom of the plungers. As a result of contract with the food, those plungers that contact food items travel upwardly within their cell and compress their associated spring mechanism. 
         [0048]    Note that in one embodiment, all plungers are independently suspended within the cutter, i.e. each plunger has its own spring, allowing only those plungers that contact food to move. For those plungers, each travels a distance within its cell in accordance with the size of the food item. Those plungers that do not contact food remain in their uncompressed position where the plunger bottom surface is substantially flush with the cutting edges. Note that during the chopping process, it is likely that some food particles are likely to stick to the inner walls  135  of those cells that contact food. These food particles are wiped from the inner walls by the squeegee action of the wipers on the plungers when the chopper is lifted up, as described in more detail infra. 
         [0049]    A side sectional view of the chopper at the end of a chopping cycle is shown in  FIG. 8 . The chopper, generally referenced  140 , comprises a housing  142 , a support backing or plate  143 , a plurality of springs or other compressible spring mechanisms  148 , cutter extension or support  144 , cutter  146 , cutting edges  155  and plungers  150 . Each plunger comprises a body  157 , bottom plunger surface  153  and wiper  152 . 
         [0050]    In use, after the chopper  140  has chopped the food, the user lifts the chopper off the chopping surface  154 . As the chopper is lifted, the compressed springs in those cells whose plungers were compressed force their respective plungers back to the idle position flush with the cutting edges. It is in the idle position that the springs or spring mechanisms are fully extended in an uncompressed state. 
         [0051]    During the lifting action, the wipers on each plunger squeegee any food sticking to the inner walls  151  of a cell. The food is forced out of the cell and typically remains on the bottom surface of the plunger. A user can then quickly and easily pass a flat edged utensil such as the back end of a knife across the bottom surface of the chopper and remove any remaining chopped food from the bottom surfaces of the plungers. 
         [0052]    Note that the springs or spring mechanisms may comprise any suitable material or mechanism that provides sufficient counter force to achieve the squeegee action of the wipers against the inner walls of the cells. The springs or spring mechanism, however, cannot be so stiff that it is difficult or impossible for the plungers to move in their cells during a chopping cycle. Thus, the spring mechanisms may provide a biasing force to return each plunger to its fully extended position after being retracted by an article of food situated between the chopping surface and a corresponding plunger. Further, in some embodiments the backing or plate (e.g., see  143 ) may be formed integrally with the housing. Moreover, in some embodiments it is envisioned that the biasing members may be formed integrally with a corresponding plunger. 
         [0053]    Note also that the cutter may comprise any desired number of cells depending on the application. For example, a single large cell with one plunger may be used to cut or chop large pieces of food. In one embodiment, the cutter and cutting edges are formed to have a decorative shape which may be used to cut dough in the preparation of baked food, e.g., cookies, cakes, etc. 
         [0054]    Thus, by the squeegee action of the wipers in each cell, and by placing the wipers substantially at the bottom portion of the plungers close to the cutting edges, the food chopper of the present invention exhibits very efficient chopping with minimal waste and a self-cleaning mechanism. 
         [0055]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
         [0056]    The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. As numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the limited number of embodiments described herein. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that all suitable variations, modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.