Abstract:
A peeling tool includes a main shaft, a handle affixed to a first portion of the main shaft, a nose rotatbly coupled to a second portion of the main shaft, a blade assembly positioned intermediate the handle and the nose about the main shaft, the blade assembly including a first arcuate blade and a second arcuate blade defining a space for the passage of a slice of a food product, and a peel thickness adjustment mechanism, the peel thickness adjustment mechanism being actuatable to adjust a dimension of the space.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to food preparation devices and, more particularly, to a peeling tool for peeling the skins of fruits and vegetables and for shaving fruits and vegetables. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various designs exist for handheld food peeling devices that include a handle and a blade whereby a user manually pushes the blade across a food product to slice the food product. While existing handheld food peeling devices are generally suitable for what is regarded as ordinary performance, there is room for improvement in terms of adaptability, such as peel thickness and peel type customization, flexibility, and safety. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a peeling tool for peeling food products having a mechanism for adjusting peel thickness, a selectively actuatable safety cover and a multi-blade peeling cartridge. 
     These and other objects are achieved by the present invention. 
     A peeling tool includes a main shaft, a handle affixed to a first portion of the main shaft, a nose rotatably coupled to a second portion of the main shaft, a blade assembly positioned intermediate the handle and the nose about the main shaft, the blade assembly including a first arcuate blade and a second arcuate blade defining a space therebetween for the passage of a slice of a food product, and a peel thickness adjustment mechanism, the peel thickness adjustment mechanism being actuatable to adjust a dimension of the space. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be better understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the front a peeling tool with a flat peeling blade exposed according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the back of the peeling tool of  FIG. 1  with a julienne peeling blade exposed. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the front of the peeling tool of  FIG. 1  with a sleeve in a safety position. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the peeling tool of  FIG. 1  illustrating the physical components thereof. 
         FIG. 5-8  are various views of the flat blade portion of the blade assembly of the peeling tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 9-13  are various views of the right, julienne blade portion of the blade assembly of the peeling tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 14-15  illustrate the cutting of a food product with the julienne blade portion of the blade assembly of the peeling tool. 
         FIG. 16  is a top plan view of the blade assembly of the peeling tool illustrating the cutting of a food product with the flat blade portion of the blade assembly. 
         FIG. 17  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the peeling tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 18  is an enlarged, detail cross sectional view of a nose of the peeling tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 19  is a cross-sectional view of the peeling tool of  FIG. 1 , taken along line A-A of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the peeling tool of  FIG. 1  illustrating how a user adjusts the tool for peel thickness. 
         FIG. 21  is a side elevational view of a first and second locking mechanism of the peeling tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 22  is a reverse side elevational view of the first and second locking mechanism of the peeling tool. 
         FIGS. 23A-25B  illustrate locking positions and blade positions corresponding to minimum, medium and maximum peel thickness. 
         FIGS. 26-28  are various views illustrating the structure of the second locking mechanism. 
         FIGS. 29-33  are various views illustrating the structure of the first locking mechanism. 
         FIGS. 34-35  are views illustrating the structure of a localizer for adjusting for peel thickness. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring generally to  FIGS. 1-4 , a peeling tool  10  according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a main shaft  12 , a blade assembly  14 , a fixed holder or main handle  16 , an end cap  18  and a peel thickness adjustment mechanism  20  contained within a nose  22 . As shown in  FIGS. 1-3  the main shaft  12 , holder  16  and blade assembly  14  define an elongated body of the peeling tool  10 . The main shaft  12  is preferably made of metal or other strong material suitable to withstand bending stress during use. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the fixed holder  16  is a two part skin that is fixedly secured to, and encompasses, one end of the main shaft  12 . In the preferred embodiment, the fixed holder  16  is secured to the main shaft  12  via pins  24 . The nose  22  containing the peel thickness adjustment mechanism  20  is rotatably coupled to the other end of the main shaft  12 , and the blade assembly  14  is mounted about the main shaft  12  intermediate the fixed holder  16  and the nose  22 . As best shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , a sleeve  26  is slidably mounted about the blade assembly  14  and fixed holder  16  intermediate the nose  22  and end cap  18 . As shown therein, the end cap  18 , nose  22  and sleeve  26  have an enlarged and substantially equal diameter as compared to the fixed holder  16  and cylindrical blade assembly  14 . 
     Importantly, as noted above, the sleeve  26  is slidable from a first position, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in which the sleeve  26  encompasses the fixed holder  16  and abuts the end cap  18 , to a second position, as shown in  FIG. 3 , in which the sleeve  26  encompasses the blade assembly  14  and abuts the nose  22 . As will be readily appreciated, in the first position, the sleeve  26  functions as an ergonomic handle for gripping the peeling tool  10  during use. In the second position, the sleeve  26  encompasses the blade assembly  14  for safety and for protecting the blade assembly  14  when the tool  10  is not in use. 
     As further shown in  FIG. 5 , the blade assembly  14  includes two separate blade portions, a flat blade portion  28  and a julienne blade portion  30  for making flat peel slices and julienne peel strips, respectively.  FIGS. 5-8  show various views of the flat blade portion  28 . The flat blade portion  28  includes a right flat blade  32  integrally formed with two annular guides  34  at respective ends of the blade  32 . Alternatively, the right flat blade  32  may be spot welded to the annular guides  34 . 
       FIGS. 9-13  show various views of the julienne blade portion  30 . The julienne blade portion  30  includes a left flat blade  36 , to compliment the right flat blade  32  of the flat blade portion  28 , and a julienne blade  38 . The left flat blade  36  and julienne blade  38  are integrally formed with two annular guides  34  at respective ends of the blades. Alternatively, the left flat blade  36  and julienne blade  38  may be spot welded at  39  to the annular guides  34 . 
     In an assembled state, the flat blade portion  28  and julienne blade portion  30  are brought into registration with one another to form the generally cylindrical blade assembly  14 . As will be readily appreciated, the julienne blade  38  and flat blades  32 , 36  are oriented opposite one another on the blade assembly  14  such that a user simply rotates the peeling tool  10  within his or her hand to present the desired blade system to the food product to be peeled, as discussed in detail below and as shown in  FIG. 16 . As discussed above, the blade assembly  14  is received on the main shaft  12  by inserting the shaft  12  through the annular guides  34 . Importantly, however, the flat blade portion  28  and julienne blade portion  30  are not affixed to one another, such that the flat blade portion  28  is capable of rotating slightly about the main shaft  12  independently of the julienne blade portion  30  to adjust for peel thickness, as discussed in detail below. 
       FIGS. 14 and 15  illustrate the cutting of a food product with the julienne blade  38 . Importantly, the julienne blade  38  can be used to cut from either side of the blade for right-handed and left-handed users. Referring now to  FIG. 16 , a top plan view of the blade assembly  14  is shown. As discussed above, the blade assembly  14  includes three separate blades, a left flat blade  36 , a right flat blade  32  and a julienne blade  38 .  FIG. 16  illustrates the cutting of a food product  40  with one of the flat blades  32 , 36 . In operation, the peel or a slice  41  of a food product  40  passes in between the space  42  between the left flat blade  36  and right flat blade  32  as the food product is peeled/sliced. Importantly, this space  42  may adjusted for peeling different thicknesses of skin, as discussed below. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 17 , a longitudinal cross-section view of the peeling tool  10  is shown. As shown therein, a stopper  44  is fixedly secured to the metal shaft  12  and holds the blade assembly  14  in proper position for peeling. In particular, the stopper  44  prevents the blade assembly  14  from sliding too far down the shaft  12  towards the end cap  18 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 18 , an enlarged, cross-section view of the nose  22  is shown. As shown therein, the nose  22  defines a housing and includes a release button  46  for activating the peel thickness adjustment mechanism  20 , as discussed in detail below, and a sharpened tip  48  for removing potato eyes or blemishes from food products. The nose  22  is rotatably coupled to the main shaft  12  and houses the peel thickness adjustment mechanism  20 . As shown in  FIG. 18 , the nose  22  contains a spring  50  operatively connected to the nose  22  for rotatably biasing the nose  22  relative to the main shaft  12 , a first lock  52 , a second lock  54 , a localizer  56  and the release button  46 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 19 , the blade assembly  14  is mounted on the main shaft  12  and is configured to swing about an angle C. Importantly, this swinging configuration of the blade assembly  14  ensures that the peeler  10 , and the blade assembly  14  in particular, is always in contact with the skin of various food products that may be oddly or irregularly shaped. 
       FIG. 20  illustrates how a user may adjust the peeler  10  for peeling different thicknesses of skin. As shown therein, a user pushes down on the release button  46  on the nose  22  to free the nose  22 . The nose  22  may then be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the space  42 , i.e., the width between the left flat blade  36  and right flat blade  32  (this space  42  can best be seen in  FIG. 16 ). 
     In particular, as shown in  FIGS. 21 and 22 , when the button  46  is depressed and the nose  22  is rotated, a ramp  58  of the second lock  54  engages a correspondingly-shaped slot  60  in the first lock  52  to rotate the first lock  52 . This rotation of the first lock  52  causes the first lock  52  to move upwards, away from the blade assembly  14 , until teeth  62  on the first lock  52  disengage from the end of the flat blade portion  28  such that the flat blade portion  28  becomes loose and its position can be adjusted. This upwards movement also releases spring biased lock balls  64  from their seated position within the localizer  56 , which permits the localizer  56  to be rotated which, in turn, effects rotation of the flat blade portion  28  and right flat blade  32 , as discussed below. As will be readily appreciated, the position of the right flat blade  32  can be adjusted along an arcuate path as the flat blade portion  28  is rotated about the main shaft  12 . This upwards movement is shown in  FIGS. 21 and 22 . 
     As noted above, the localizer  56  includes a plurality of recesses or detents  66  oriented about a circumference of the localizer  56 . In the preferred embodiment, the localizer  56  includes three such recesses or detents  66  corresponding to minimum, medium and maximum peel thickness. Upon rotation of the nose  22 , and thus rotation of the flat blade portion  28 , the button  46  may be released at a desired point to cause spring-urged lock balls  64  to be urged into one of the plurality of recesses  66  in the localizer  56 . This rotation adjusts the space  42  between the right flat blade  32  of the flat blade portion  28  and the left flat blade  36  of the julienne blade portion  30 . In particular,  FIG. 23A  shows the position of the lock ball  64  in the first recess, which corresponds to the minimum space, x, between the blades  32 , 36 , i.e., minimum peel thickness, as shown in  FIG. 23B .  FIG. 24A  shows the position of the lock ball  64  in the third recess, which corresponds to maximum peel thickness, z, as shown in  FIG. 24B . Finally,  FIG. 25A  shows the position of the lock ball  54  in the second recess, which corresponds to medium peel thickness, y, as shown in  FIG. 25B . 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 26-38 , the structure of the second lock  54  is shown in detail. As shown therein, the second lock  54  has a ramp  58  that engages the corresponding slot  60  in the first lock  52  to unlock the lock system. Moreover, referring to  FIGS. 29-33 , the structure of the first lock  52  is shown in detail. As shown therein, the first lock  52  is generally cylindrical in shape and has a plurality of teeth  68  for matching the teeth of a holder  70 , which is secured to the main shaft  12  by a lock pin  71 , and the localizer  56 . 
       FIGS. 34 and 35  illustrate the structure of the localizer  56 . As shown therein, the localizer  56  is generally disc-shaped and has a plurality of teeth  72  for matching the teeth  72  for meshing with the teeth  68  of the first lock  52 . As discussed above, the localizer  56  is mounted about the main shaft  12  below the nose and above the blade assembly  14 , is partially rotatable about the shaft  12 , and includes a plurality of locating recesses  66  corresponding to different peel thicknesses. 
     As will be readily appreciated, the ability of the peeling tool  10  of the present invention to adjust for varying peel thickness is an important aspect of the present invention. In addition, the peeling tool of the present invention provides a level of safety heretofore unknown in the art by providing a sleeve that entirely covers the blade assembly when the peeling tool is not in use. Advantageously, this sleeve may also be retracted towards the end cap of the peeling tool to double as an ergonomic handle during use, as discussed above. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed herein, it is understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the presently claimed invention.