Abstract:
An apparatus for cutting and de-molding a dough sheet is described. The apparatus comprises a hollow cutter body, a cutting edge about an opening in the hollow cutter body, a compressible extractor in the hollow cuter body, an ejector, and a stamp with a pattern. The compressible extractor may be actuated between a first and second state. The hollow cutter body is magnetically engaged with the compressible extractor and the compressible extractor is magnetically engaged with the stamp.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The field of the present invention is an apparatus for cutting sheets of dough and other pliable food materials. 
         [0002]    Pastry cutters include variously shaped cutters which are of a rigid metal or plastic material with a cutting edge defining a hollow shape. Such cutters are typically used for cutting shapes from sheets of dough and other pliable food materials. The present disclosure refers to dough; but this term is employed here to specifically include other pliable food materials such as slices of bread. One challenge in working with and cutting pliable sheets of dough is the inherent tendency for the dough to stick. Once a desired shape is cut, it is often difficult to remove the shaped cutter without deforming the desired shape of the cut dough. 
         [0003]    Cookie items particularly come with a broad assortment of different shapes and embellishments. Numerous different cutters and tools employed to create such a variety can be difficult to accommodate in an already crowded kitchen. 
         [0004]    What is therefore desired is a device which easily permits concurrent cutting and embellishment of dough and facile separation of the processed dough from the device. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is directed to a pastry cutter principally for the preparation of individual pastries and other food items from a pliable sheet such as dough. 
         [0006]    In a first aspect of the present invention, a pastry cutter includes a cutter body having an open cavity with the cutting edge about the opening. A compressible extractor is positioned in the cavity of the cutter body and is spring biased toward the plane of the cutting edge. An extraction surface associated with an ejector element on the outward end of the compressible extractor extends outwardly to the cutting edge. A stamp extends outwardly from the ejector. With this apparatus, dough is released from the cutting edge. 
         [0007]    In a second aspect of the present invention, the pastry cutter includes a cutter body with a compressible extractor in the cavity of the cutter body, an ejector with an extraction surface to separate the dough from the cutting edge and a stamp extending outwardly from the ejector. The components are removably fixable by magnetic engagements. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pastry cutter. Other and further objects and advantages will appear hereinafter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C are perspective, top and bottom views, respectively, of a pastry cutter. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded assembly perspective view of the pastry cutter of  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are perspective and exploded assembly perspective views, respectively, of a compressible extractor. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are side and cross-sectional views, respectively, of the compressible extractor in an expanded state. 
           [0013]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are side and cross-sectional views, respectively, of the compressible extractor in a contracted state. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are side and cross-sectional views, respectively, of the pastry cutter of  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C in an expanded state. 
           [0015]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  are side and cross-sectional views, respectively, of the pastry cutter of  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C in a contracted state. 
       
    
    
       [0016]    Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the pastry cutter. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]      FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C illustrate the full assembly of a pastry cutter  10 . The cutter  10  is able to cut shapes from a sheet of dough, mold one surface of the sheet and separate the dough from the cutter  10  when the cutter is removed. The cutter  10  includes a cutter body  12  having sides  14  and a top  16  defining an open cavity  18 . The cavity  18  includes a bottom  20  which is on the underside of the top  16  and an opening  22  at the opposite end of the cutter body  12  from the bottom  20  of the cavity  18 . The opening  22  is surrounded by a cutting edge  24  defining the shape of the final pastry to be cut. Looking at the cutter body  12  alone, there is no mechanism for separating the shaped piece of dough as the cutter is withdrawn from the dough. 
         [0018]    A compressible extractor  26  is arranged within the cavity  18 . The extractor  26  may be generally cylindrical in shape with a wide variety of cross sections possible including circular and square. A generally right circular cylinder is presented in the preferred embodiment. The extractor  26  includes a first body portion  28  and a second body portion  30 . The two body portions  28 ,  30  are telescoped together to form a hollow housing. The second body portion  30  is shown to receive outwardly extending flanges  32  on the first body portion  28 . The outwardly extending flanges  32  are found on two sides of the first body portion  28  to fit within grooves  34  on the interior of the second body portion  30 . The grooves  34  do not extend all the way to the opening of the second body portion  30  so that engaging inwardly extending flanges  36  are formed. The outwardly extending flanges  32  are beveled to assist in assembly with the second body portion  30 . A coil spring  38  is positioned within the interior  40  of the compressible extractor  26  with some precompression. The ends of the compressible extractor  26  may be made identical such that it can be placed in the assembly of the cutter  10  with either end up. 
         [0019]    The first end  42  of the compressible extractor  26  includes a magnet  44 . The magnet  44  creates an engagement with the bottom  20  of the cavity  18 . If the compressible extractor  26  is principally of non ferromagnetic material, a washer  46  of ferromagnetic material may be affixed to the cutter body  12  in the top  16  by conventional means such as adhesives or molding in situ. In this way, a magnetic engagement with the top  16  of the cutter body  12  is created. The magnet  44  and ferromagnetic element  46  may be interchanged to create the magnetic engagement. Of course, it is also possible to permanently affix the first end  42  of the compressible extractor  26  against the bottom  20  of the cutter body  12  if disassembly is not of interest. 
         [0020]    A second end  48  of the compressible extractor  26  is movable relative to the first end  42  through compression of the coil spring  38 . This second end  48  also includes a magnet  50 . The coil spring  38  biases this second end  48  toward full extension where the flanges  32  and  36  engage. With precompression of the coil spring  38  even with the compressible extractor  26  at full extension, the coil spring  38  exerts a force on the sheet of dough before compression of the compressible extractor  26 . 
         [0021]    An ejector  52  is associated with the second end  48  of the compressible extractor  26 . In the preferred embodiment, the ejector  52  is a plate  54  which extends outwardly to the cutting edge  24 . The plate  54  includes an extraction surface  56  to push dough from the cutter body  12  as the pastry cutter  10  is withdrawn. A beveled ring  58  in the plate  54  is located about a hole  60  centrally located in the ejector  52 . The beveled ring  58  is received about the second body portion  30  of the compressible extractor  26  to abut against a peripheral flange  62 . The extraction surface  56  extends from the cavity to at least the full extent of the cutting edge  24  when the compressible extractor  26  is fully released. 
         [0022]    A stamp  64  having a base  66  is located at the beveled ring  58  on the extraction surface  56 . The stamp  64  is of non ferromagnetic material in the preferred embodiment but may be ferromagnetic. To create a magnetic engagement with the magnet  50  on the end of the compressible extractor  26 , a disc  72  of ferromagnetic material is affixed to the stamp  64  to become a part thereof. As before, the magnet  50  and the ferromagnetic material of the stamp  64  or the disc  72  may be interchanged to create the magnetic engagement; and it is also possible to permanently affix the second end  48  of the compressible extractor  26  with the stamp  64  if disassembly is not of interest. The stamp  64  also has a ring  68  on the side of the stamp  64  facing the extraction surface  56 . This ring  68  has a cross section which closely fits into the space radially inwardly of the beveled ring  58  and outwardly of the second body portion  30 . As the ejector  52  has a hole  60  surrounded by a bevel  58 , the edge of the hole sits against the flange  62  around the magnet  50  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The stamp  64  and disc  72  are integrated and fit into the bevel  58 . The disc  72  is ferromagnetic material to hold the stamp  64  and capture the ejector  52  through a magnetic engagement with the magnet  50 . 
         [0023]    The other side of the ejector  52  may take on a virtually infinite variety of designs and shapes. Illustrated in the preferred embodiment is a star die  70 . A distinct design from the die  70  which may be employed is a dome for forming a cavity centered in the dough to receive preserves or other fillings such as chocolate, butter nuts, etc. Lastly, a flat surface level with the extraction surface  56  outwardly of the beveled ring  58  may be employed to leave a flat surface on the dough. 
         [0024]    In operation, the pastry cutter  10  is assembled with the cutter body  12 , the compressible extractor  26 , the ejector  52  and the stamp  64  arranged in series and magnetically engaged. The advantage of this configuration is that it permits the interchangeability of a plurality of cutting edges  24 , ejectors  52  and stamps  64  having different shapes and sizes onto the same compressible extractor  26 . This permits a wide variety and diversity of shapes, sizes and imprints for the dough sheet upon which the pastry cutter  10  is configured to cut and mold. 
         [0025]    With the components assembled, the pastry cutter  10  is brought down on a sheet of dough with sufficient force for the cutting edge  24  to separate the dough in the shape defined by the sides  14  of the cutter body. With preload in the coil spring  38 , the die  70  penetrates the dough. When the extraction surface  56  encounters the dough, the compressible extractor  26  moves into the open cavity  18  of the cutter body  12 . As the cutter  10  is withdrawn, the compressible extractor  26  extends the ejector  52  to the cutting edge  24 , wiping the dough from the cutter body  12  and exposing it for release from the cutter  10 . The formed dough is then accessible to be removed from the cutter  10 . Coatings such as nonstick surfaces have not been found to be necessary but may be employed if desired. 
         [0026]    Looking at the operation of the mechanism, the coil compression spring  38  only moves a small percentage of its overall length. Consequently, the spring constant is not critical. Of greater importance is the precompression load on the spring  38  which resists compression of the extractor  26 . As the cutter  10  is pressed down on a sheet of dough, the cutting edge  24  will define the perimeter of the pastry. The ejector  52  will resist movement as the die  70  is forced into the dough because of the precompression load on the spring  38  but be forced upwardly into the cavity  18  against the spring  38  when the larger surface area of the extraction surface  56  encounters the dough and the dough provides a much greater resistance force. This allows the design of the die  70  to be stamped into the dough surface while the remaining surface of the dough is undisturbed. As the pastry cutter  10  is removed, the compression force against the extractor  26  is removed and the extraction surface  56  can eject the dough from the cavity  18  of the cutter body  18 . 
         [0027]    Thus, an improved pastry cutter is disclosed. While embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown and described, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.