Patent Publication Number: US-2009238924-A1

Title: Method for Manufacturing a Decorative Pizza

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention pertains to a method for manufacturing a pizza having a decorative contour. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Pizza is a popular food among children and various casual social gatherings. A common goal when managing children and/or casual social gatherings is entertainment. More specifically, at feeding times, an amused child is more likely to eat than a child having a foul disposition. Additionally, at casual social gatherings, entertaining food makes the gathering more enjoyable. Consequently, there is a desire for a pizza having an entertaining or amusing characteristic. 
     One conventional pizza manufacturing method, disclosed in Errera, U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,892, includes forming ridges of crust on the surface of a conventionally shaped pizza to create a desired shape on the surface of the pizza, such as an animal. This conventional method is limited in that the contour of the resulting pizza is that of a conventional pizza. As a result, the shape on the surface of the pizza is not overtly noticeable. Another conventional pizza manufacturing method, disclosed in Feeley, U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,026, includes decorating a pizza using edible food products. This conventional method is also limited in that the contour of the resulting pizza is that of a conventional pizza. As a result, the shape on surface of the pizza is not overtly noticeable. Consequently, a method for manufacturing a pizza having a decorative contour is desired. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the various features of the present invention there is provided a method for manufacturing a pizza having a decorative contour. The method includes flattening a pizza dough such that the pizza dough defines a top surface. The flattened pizza dough is contoured such that the contour of the pizza dough is substantially the decorative contour. The contoured pizza dough is formed such that the pizza dough defines a shoulder that defines the contour of the pizza dough and the contour of the top surface. Toppings are positioned at the top surface such that the toppings accent the decorative contour. The toppings are retained at the top surface by the shoulder. The pizza dough, including the toppings, is cooked, resulting in the pizza having the decorative contour. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above-mentioned features of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention read together with the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a pizza having a decorative contour manufactured in accordance with the various features of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a pizza dough flattened in accordance with the various features of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a contouring device used to contour the pizza dough of  FIG. 2  in one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the contouring device of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of a pizza dough contoured in accordance with the decorative contour of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a pizza having a decorative contour. The method includes contouring a pizza dough such that the contour of the dough is substantially the decorative contour. The dough is formed to define a shoulder and a top surface, whereby the shoulder defines the contour of the dough and the contour of the top surface. Toppings are positioned at the top surface such that the toppings accent the decorative contour. The shoulder retains the toppings at the top surface. The dough and toppings are cooked, resulting in the pizza having the decorative contour. One embodiment of a pizza having the decorative contour manufactured in accordance with the various features of the present invention is illustrated generally at  10  in  FIG. 1 . 
     The pizza  10  defines a shoulder  12  and a top surface  14 . The shoulder  12  establishes the perimeter of the pizza  10  and defines the contour of the pizza  10  and the contour of the top surface  14 . The contour of the pizza  10  is a decorative contour. A decorative contour is any contour that is not conventional for a pizza, a conventional contour being a round or square contour. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the decorative contour is that of an animal. The top surface  14  receives toppings  16  thereon, and the shoulder  12  retains the toppings  16  at the top surface  14 . One step in manufacturing the pizza  10  is to flatten uncooked pizza dough such that the flattened dough  18  defines the top surface  14  and has a depth d, as illustrated at  FIG. 2 . The flattened dough  18  can be any dough suitable for creating a pizza crust. The depth d of the flattened dough  18  varies in accordance with the desired crust type and thickness of the resulting pizza  10 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a contouring device  20  in accordance with the various features of the present invention. The contouring device  20  contours the flattened dough  18  such that the contour of the flattened dough  18  is substantially the decorative contour. In the illustrated embodiment, the contouring device  20  includes a decorative contour template  22 , a support structure  24 , a handle  26 , and a platform  28 . Also, in the illustrated embodiment, the decorative contour template  22  is positioned above the platform  28  by the support structure  24 . When positioned above the platform  28 , the decorative contour template  22  is at a first position. The flattened dough  18  is positioned on the platform  28  directly below the decorative contour template  22 . The decorative contour template  22  is moved from the first position to being in contact with the flattened dough  18 . When in contact with the flattened dough  18 , the decorative contour template  22  is at a second position. In the illustrated embodiment, the support structure  24  includes an extendable member  30  such that the decorative contour template  22  is movable between the first position and the second position. In one embodiment, the extendable member  30  is a spring-loaded device that biases the decorative contour template  22  to the first position but is movable, by some force, to the second position. In the illustrated embodiment, the decorative contour template  22  is movable between the first and second position by applying a manual force to the handle  26 . It should be noted that the decorative contour template  22  can be moved between the first and second position by manual or motorized force without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. For example, in one embodiment, the decorative contour template  22  is moved between the first and second position by a motor activated by a manually operated switch. In another embodiment, the decorative contour template  22  is a hand-held device that is manually moved between the first and second position. 
     When at the second position, the decorative contour template  22  contours the flattened dough  18  such that the resulting contour of the flattened dough  18  is substantially the decorative contour. In the illustrated embodiment, when the decorative contour template  22  moves from the first position to the second position, the template  22  cuts the flattened dough  18 , leaving the contoured dough  32  with a contour that is substantially the decorative contour. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the decorative contour template  22  in accordance with the various features of the present invention. In the alternate embodiment, the decorative contour template  22  includes a bottom portion  44  a perimeter wall  46 . The bottom portion  44  and the perimeter wall  46  define a pan-type structure that is constructed of a material cable of withstanding the conditions associated with baking a pizza. The perimeter wall  46  defines the contour of the decorative contour template  22 , which is substantially the decorative contour. In one embodiment of the present invention, the alternate embodiment of the decorative contour template  22  contours the flattened dough  18  in accordance with the above discussion. More specifically, when at the first position, the bottom portion  44  of the decorative contour template  22  is away from the flattened dough  18 . When moved to the second position, the perimeter wall  46  of the decorative contour template  22  contours the flattened dough  18  as discussed above. After contouring the flattened dough  18 , the decorative contour template  22  is flipped such that contoured dough  32  is within the decorative contour template  22  to the extent that the contoured dough  32  is supported by the bottom portion  44  and contained by the perimeter wall  46 . 
     In another embodiment of the above-discussed alternate embodiment of the decorative contour template  22 , the flattened dough  18  is manually pressed into the decorative contour template  22  such that the dough is within the decorative contour template  22  as discussed above. When the dough is within the decorative contour template  22 , the dough is contoured to the extent that it is the contoured dough  32 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the contoured dough  32  corresponding to the pizza  10  of  FIG. 1 . The perimeter of the contoured dough  32  is formed to define the shoulder  12 . In one embodiment, the shoulder  12  is formed by hand. The shoulder  12  defines the contour of the contoured dough  32  and the contour of the top surface  14 . The shoulder  12  retains typical pizza toppings, such as sauce, cheese, pepperoni, etc., at the top surface  14 . In one embodiment, the toppings  16  are positioned at the top surface  14  such that the toppings  16  accent the decorative contour. For example, in the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the toppings  16  include cheese  34 , a pepperoni  36 , black olives  38 , mushrooms  40 , and onions  42 . The cheese  34  is disposed at the top surface  14  such that the cheese  34  substantially covers the top surface  14  and appears to be the fur of the animal. The pepperoni  36  is disposed at the top surface  14  and at the head of the animal such that the pepperoni appears to be the animal&#39;s eye. The black olives  38  are disposed at the top surface  14  and at the head of the animal such that the black olives  38  appear to be the animal&#39;s nose. The mushrooms  40  are disposed at the top surface  14  and at the back of the animal such that the mushrooms  40  appear to be markings on the animal&#39;s fur. And the onions  42  are disposed at the top surface  14  and at the feet of the animal such that the onions  42  appear to be the animal&#39;s hooves. 
     When the contoured dough  32  has been formed to define the shoulder  12  and has been topped with the toppings  16 , the contoured dough  32  is cooked. When the above-discussed alternate embodiment of the decorative contour template  22 , which includes the bottom portion  44  and the perimeter wall  46 , is used, the contoured dough  32  is cooked within the decorative contour template  22  such that the decorative contour template  22  maintains the contour of the contoured dough  32  through the step of cooking the contoured dough  32 . In one embodiment, the contoured dough  32  is cooked in an oven. However, it should be noted that the contoured dough  32  can be cooked by ways other than using an oven, such as using a grill, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The cooked contoured dough  32  is the pizza  10  having the decorative contour. Although the decorative contour illustrated at  FIG. 1  is that of an animal, it should be noted that the decorative contour can be a contour other than that of an animal without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. For example, the decorative contour can be that of a vehicle, or an article of sporting equipment, or a character, or a flower, or a crown. Accordingly, the toppings  16  can be positioned at the top surface  14  to accent the respective decorative contours as follows: when the decorative contour is that of a vehicle, pepperonis can be positioned to appear to be wheels; when the decorative contour is that of a football, peppers can be positioned to appear to be laces; when the decorative contour is that of a character, pepperonis can be positioned to appear to be facial features, such as eyes, a nose, and a mouth; when the decorative contour is that of a flower, pepperonis can be positioned to appear to be blooms; and when the decorative contour is that of a crown, pepperonis can be positioned to appear to be jewels. 
     From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will recognize that a method for manufacturing a pizza offering advantages over the prior art has been provided. The method includes contouring a pizza dough such that the contour of the dough is substantially the decorative contour. The dough is formed to define a shoulder and a top surface, whereby the shoulder defines the contour of the dough and the contour of the top surface. Toppings are positioned at the top surface such that the toppings accent the decorative contour. The shoulder retains the toppings at the top surface. The dough and toppings are cooked, resulting in the pizza having the decorative contour. 
     While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.