Abstract:
A pizza cutter includes at least one blade, a handle attached to the blade, and extenders for positioning the cutter in a pizza box to cut uniform slices of pizza. The blade may be a single blade or two blades forming a 90 degree “X”. The handle is attached across the top of the blade and may include slots to better grasp the handle. The extenders are attached to opposite ends of the cutter and may be fixed or rotating, and intersect opposite corners of the pizza box to align the blade to cut uniform slices.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/610,693 filed Mar. 14 2012, which application is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to pizza cutters and in particular to a self aligning pizza cutter for use with a boxed pizza. 
         [0003]    Pizza is a very popular food over large part of the world and is often bought in large quantities for parties, meetings, and the like. Pizza stores often receive large orders and on many occasions receive a large number of orders over a short period of time. Many pizza stores use conveyor belt ovens to rapidly produce enough pizzas to meet the high demand. The pizzas are cooked, boxed, and then cut into slices. Unfortunately, typical pizza cutting is performed using a single cutting blade and the slices often vary significantly in size. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a pizza cutter which includes at least one blade, a handle attached to the blade, and extenders for positioning the cutter in a pizza box to cut uniform slices of pizza. The blade may be a single blade or two blades forming a 90 degree “X”. The handle is attached across the top of the blade and may include slots to better grasp the handle. The extenders are attached to opposite ends of the cutter and may be fixed or rotating, and intersect opposite corners of the pizza box to align the blade to cut uniform slices. 
         [0005]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter for a fourteen inch diameter pizza. Fourteen inch diameter pizzas are the most common pizza. The pizza cutter blade is preferably between 13.5 and 14.125 inches long, and more preferably 14.125 inches long, and the extenders reach between 2.65 and 2.9 inches and more preferably about 2.9 inches past the ends of the blade, thus reaching to opposite inside corners of the pizza box to align the blade to make precise diagonal pizza cuts. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having fixed extenders. The extenders are attached high on the cutter and gaps are provided between the blade and the extenders at each end of the blade providing clearance for a vertical box edge when making square cuts and aligning the blade for making diagonal cuts. 
         [0007]    In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having pivoting extenders. The extenders are lifted when making square cuts and pivoted down for making diagonal cuts 
         [0008]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having removable extenders. The extenders are removed when making square cuts and attached to ends of the blade for making diagonal cuts. 
         [0009]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having a single blade. The single blade allows easy cutting of many pizzas. 
         [0010]    In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having two blades spaced apart by 90 degrees. The two blades allow quick cutting of many pizzas. 
         [0011]    In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza cutter having a fixed blade, and a spring loaded blade spaced apart by 90 degrees from the fixed blade. The spring loaded blade retracts into the handle when resistance is met, and may be aligned with a first cut by the fixed blade to provide uniform pizza slices. 
         [0012]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for cutting pizza. The method includes placing a pizza in a pizza box, positioning extenders at ends of a pizza blade, the extenders reaching a distance equal to a diagonal distance between opposite interior corners of the pizza box, pushing the cutter down into the pizza with extenders reaching into the opposite interior corners of the pizza box, making a first diagonal cut, lifting the pizza cutter, rotating the pizza cutter 90 degrees, pushing the cutter down into the pizza with extenders reaching into second opposite interior corners of the pizza box, making a second diagonal cut, lifting the pizza cutter, aligning the pizza cutter over the pizza and intersecting the first diagonal cut and the second diagonal cut for a first square cut, pushing the cutter down into the pizza, making the first square cut, rotating the pizza cutter 90 degrees, pushing the cutter down into the pizza, making a second square cut, and lifting the pizza cutter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0013]    The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pizza cutter according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2A  is a side view of the pizza cutter according to the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2B  is an end view of the pizza cutter according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  shows the pizza cutter according to the present invention having fixed extenders ready to cut a pizza in a pizza box. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3A  shows the pizza cutter according to the present invention having pivoting extenders ready to cut a pizza in a pizza box. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3B  shows the pizza cutter according to the present invention having removable extenders ready to cut a pizza in a pizza box. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  shows a pizza cutter according to the present invention having two fixed blades spaced apart at 90 degrees. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  shows a pizza cutter according to the present invention having a fixed blade, and a spring loaded blade spaced apart 90 degrees from the fixed blade. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  shows a pizza cutter according to the present invention having two blades and two handles. 
           [0023]      FIG. 7A  shows a side view of the extender according to the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 7B  shows an end view of the extender according to the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 7C  shows a top view of the extender according to the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a method for pizza cutting according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0027]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]    The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
         [0029]    A perspective view of a pizza cutter  10  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . The pizza cutter  10  includes a handle  14  having wide slots  15  allowing easy grasping and a blade  12  attached to the bottom of the handle  14 . Extenders  16  are attached to each end of the cutter. The extenders  16  reach outward and downward from the handle  14  and are configured to reside against opposite diagonal inside corners of a pizza box to center and align the blade  12  to make a diagonal cut. The pizza cutter  10  may then be rotated 90 decrees to make a second diagonal cut. The extenders  16  reach a distance of the square root of two times the width of the blade  12  to correctly position the blade for diagonal cuts. The extenders  16  reach down to between a height H above the cutting edge  18   a  of the blade and even with the cutting edge  18   a  of the blade and are preferably even with the cutting edge  18   a  of the blade  18 . The height H is preferably about ⅜ inches. 
         [0030]    The pizza cutter  10  further includes gaps  18  between the blade  12  and the extenders  16 . The gaps  18  allow clearance for the side of the pizza box when square cuts are made with a pizza cutter having fixed extensions  16 . 
         [0031]    A side view of the pizza cutter  10  is shown in  FIG. 2A  and an end view of the pizza cutter  10  is shown in  FIG. 2B . The blade  12  has a length L 1  and the extensions  16  add additional length for an overall length L 2 . The blade  12  preferably has an edge angle A, a cutter depth D, and a thickness T. The most popular pizza size is a fourteen inch diameter round pizza, and the blade length L 1  for cutting a fourteen inch diameter pizza is preferably between 13.5 and 14.125 inches, and more preferably 14.125 inches. A shorter blade may fail to cut the entire pizza, although a very slight amount of uncut crust is generally acceptable. The pizza is generally cut inside a pizza box which is square with inside dimensions of about 14.125 by 14.125 inches. If the blade is longer than 14.125 inches, the box will interfere with a square (i.e., the blade parallel with the sides of the box). 
         [0032]    The overall extension length L 2  is selected to fit inside opposite interior corners of the pizza box to position the pizza cutter  10  for diagonal cuts. In general, the length L 2  is equal to the square root of two times the length L 1 . For a fourteen inch pizza, the length L 2  is preferably between 19.5 and 20.5 inches, and more preferably about 20 inches. The blade angle A is preferably between 70 and 75 degrees and more preferably about 70 degrees, the cutting depth D is preferably about ½ inches, and the thickness T is preferably about 3/16 inches. 
         [0033]    The pizza cutter  10  having fixed extenders  16  ready to cut a pizza  20  in a pizza box  22  is shown in  FIG. 3 . The pizza box  22  includes sides (or edges)  22   a,  and the gaps  18  allow the pizza cutter  10  to clear the sides  22   a  when the cut is made. 
         [0034]    A pizza cutter  10   a  according to the present invention having pivoting extenders  16   a  pivoted upward to cut the pizza  20  in the pizza box  22  is shown in  FIG. 3A . The extenders  16   a  do not require a gap  18  and pivot upward around shafts  17  to clear the sides  22   a  when the cut is made. The shafts  17  may be solid pins, rolled pins, threaded shafts, or the like. 
         [0035]    A pizza cutter  10   b  according to the present invention having removeable extenders  16   b  removed to cut the pizza  20  in the pizza box  22  is shown in  FIG. 3B . The extenders  16   b  do not require a gap  18  and are removed to clear the sides  22   a  when the cut is made. 
         [0036]    A pizza cutter  10   c  according to the present invention having two fixed blades  12   a  and  12   b  spaced apart at 90 degrees is shown in  FIG. 4 . The two blades  12   a  and  12   b  allow making two cuts simultaneously to save time. A second handle may be included above the blade  12   b.    
         [0037]    A pizza cutter  10   d  according to the present invention having a fixed blade  12   a,  and a spring loaded blade  12   c  spaced apart 90 degrees from the fixed blade  12   a,  is shown in  FIG. 5 . A leaf spring  24  exerts downward force on the spring loaded blade  12   c.  The spring loaded blade  12   b  retracts towards the handle  14   a  in a slot  26  when the pizza cutter  10   d  is pressed downward to cut the pizza. Although the blade  12   c  does not cut the pizza, it does allow a user to make a first cut with the blade  12   a,  rotate the pizza cutter 90 degrees and align the cutter by lining the blade  12   c  with the first cut, to make a second cut 90 degrees from the first cut. Various other springs, for example, a coil spring, may be substituted for the leaf spring  24 . A second handle may be included above the blade  12   c.    
         [0038]    A pizza cutter  10   d  having two handles  14   a  and  14   b  is shown in  FIG. 6 . The pizza cutter  10   d  may have fixed blades or one fixed blade and one spring loaded blade. When the second blade is a spring loaded blade  12   c,  a slot  26  is provided in the handle  14   b  and a spring  24  (see  FIG. 5 ) is housed in the handle  14   b,  which spring  24  may be a leaf sprint, a coil spring, or the like. 
         [0039]    A side view of the extender  16  is shown in  FIG. 7A , an end view of the extender  16  is shown in  FIG. 7B , and a top view of the extender  16  is shown in  FIG. 7C . The extender  16  may include a pointed end  16   b  having two sides preferably at an angle A 2  of about 45 degrees to side of the extender  16 . The pointed end  16   b  intersects the inside corners of the pizza box and are preferably vertical to fit against the inside corners of the pizza box. 
         [0040]    A method for cutting pizza is shown in  FIG. 8 . The method includes placing a pizza in a pizza box at step  100 , positioning extenders at ends of a pizza blade, the extenders reaching a distance equal to a diagonal distance between opposite interior corners of the pizza box at step  102 , pushing the cutter down into the pizza with extenders reaching into the opposite interior corners of the pizza box at step  104 , making a first diagonal cut at step  106 , lifting the pizza cutter at step  108 , rotating the pizza cutter 90 degrees at step  110 , pushing the cutter down into the pizza with extenders reaching into second opposite interior corners of the pizza box at step  112 , making a second diagonal cut at step  114  lifting the pizza cutter at step  116 , aligning the pizza cutter over the pizza and intersecting the first diagonal cut and the second diagonal cut for a first square cut at step  118 , pushing the cutter down into the pizza at step  120 , making the first square cut at step  122 , rotating the pizza cutter 90 degrees at step  124 , pushing the cutter down into the pizza at step  126 , making a second square cut at step  128 , and lifting the pizza cutter at step  130 . 
         [0041]    When the pizza cutter  10   b  is used having a second fixed blade  12   b  is used, the steps  110 - 114  and  124 - 128  of rotating the pizza cutter 90 degrees and making a second cut are not necessary. When the pizza cutter  10   c  having a second spring loaded blade  12   c  is used, the steps  110  and  124  of rotating the pizza cutter 90 degrees may include aligning the blade  12   c  with the prior cut. 
         [0042]    While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.