Patent Publication Number: US-2009223068-A1

Title: Rotary cutter

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The field of the invention relates to food cutting instruments. In particular, the invention relates to a rotary cutter for cutting pizzas. 
     Rotary Cutters are utilized for slicing food items, such as pizzas into smaller portions. Food items, such as pizzas, come in many forms. For example, a pizza may have a thin crust or thick crust. The pizza may be served in a pan. Some pizzas are “stuffed” in that there may be a crust above and below the main ingredients. Some pizzas may also include a crust wall along the perimeter of the pizza. 
     A variety of cutters exist that allow a pizza server to slice a pizza into sections or serving portions. These pizza cutters may comprise a handle and a blade. For example, one type of pizza cutter may include a semi-circular blade portion with handles on both sides of the straight portion of the blade for applying a downward force in conjunction with a rocking motion to cut the pizza. In other configurations, the pizza cutter may be comprised of a handle and a rotating circular blade attached in such a way as to enable a pizza server to roll the pizza cutter across the pizza. 
     At least one disadvantage of the pizza cutters described above is that they may not be well suited at thoroughly cutting the crust wall of a pan pizza while the pizza is still in the pan. For example, the semi-circular pizza cutter described above may not be capable of completely cutting through the corner portion because the edges of the pan may be in the way. To cut that portion of the crust with a circular blade pizza cutter a pizza server may have to apply extra pressure against the crust. In do so, the crust may not break cleanly. In addition, the extra force applied may result in premature dulling of the circular blade, as the circular blade will likely hit the pan upon piercing the crust. Furthermore, the circular blade may not be able to cut completely through the edge of the crust on a raised-edge pan because the radius of the circular blade may be significantly larger than the cross sectional radius between the pan wall and the bottom of the pan. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To address the problems identified above, a pizza cutter is provided. The pizza cutter may include a handle, an arm coupled to an end of the handle, a circular blade coupled to the arm; and a crust cutter member coupled to the end of the handle. An edge of the crust cutter member may be sharpened. The crust cutter member may extend in a plane substantially parallel to a centerline of the handle. 
     The pizza cutter may also include a second crust cutter member coupled to the end of the handle and extending in a different direction therefrom. The second crust cutter member may also have sharpened edge. The second crust cutter may extend in a perpendicular direction relative to the crust cutter member above, in a plane that may be substantially parallel to the centerline of the handle. The pizza cutter may also include a blade cover for covering the circular blade and a threaded knob for securing the circular blade to the arm of the pizza cutter. The threaded knob may include gripping portions that may enable a user to remove the threaded knob by hand. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pizza cutter in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the pizza cutter of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  provides top, side and front views of the pizza cutter; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the threaded stud; 
         FIG. 5  provides top, side and front view of the blade; 
         FIG. 6  provides top, side and front view of knob; 
         FIG. 7  provides top, side and front view of the blade cover; 
         FIG. 8  provides top and side views of a pizza cutter in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates cutting a pizza in a raised-edge pizza pan utilizing the pizza cutter shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates cutting a pizza in a raised-edge pizza pan utilizing the second embodiment of the pizza cutter shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates cutting a pizza in a raised-edge pizza pan utilizing a prior art pizza cutter. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a pizza cutter. Generally, the pizza cutter includes a handle  20 , an arm  36 , a circular blade  42  and a crust cutter  34 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the handle  20  may be comprised of an inner handle portion  28 , an upper gripping portion  20 , and a lower gripping portion  32 . The upper gripping portion  20  and lower gripping portion  32  encase the inner handle portion  28 . The top side of the lower gripping portion  32  may be substantially open and the bottom side may be substantially closed. The contour of the inner surface of the lower gripping portion  32   a  may be designed to match the contour of the lower surface of the inner handle portion  28   b.  The proximal end of the lower gripping portion may comprise an opening  32   b,  which may enable sliding the lower gripping portion  32  over the distal end of the inner handle portion  28   c.  A generally convex inner snapping surface  32   c  may be provided. The generally convex inner snapping surface  32   c  may be located on the inner surface of the lower gripping portion  32   a,  adjacent to the top side, and extending around the perimeter of the inner surface of the lower gripping portion  32   a.    
     The lower side of the upper gripping portion (not shown) may be substantially open and the top side of the upper gripping portion  30   b  may be substantially closed. The contour of the inner surface of the upper gripping portion (not shown) may be designed to match the contour of the upper surface of the inner handle portion  28   a.  A generally concave inner snapping surface  30   a  may be provided. The generally concave inner snapping surface  30   a  may extend around the perimeter of the upper gripping portion  30 . 
     The handle may be assembled by sliding the lower gripping portion  32  over the inner handle portion  28  via the opening at the proximal end of the lower gripping portion  32   b.  Next, the upper gripping portion  30  may be placed over the inner handle portion  28  and secured to the lower gripping portion  32  by pressing the respective snapping surfaces of the upper and lower gripping portions  30   a,    32   c  together. It is to be understood that the upper and lower gripping portions  30 ,  32  may be assembled through other means. For example, the upper and lower gripping portions may be glued together. Other means for bonding materials, commonly known to those of skill in the art, may be utilized as well. 
     When assembled, the distal end of the handle  20   a  may be rounded to provide a more pleasing and ergonomic shape, as shown in  FIG. 1 . A generally bulbous gripping region  20   b  and tapered region  20   c  may be provided between the distal and proximal ends of the handle  20   a,    20   d,  the tapered region  20   c  being near the proximal end  20   d.  It is to be understood that the handle  20  may be formed from fewer or more elements. For example, labels and the like may be embedded into the handle  20  or additional gripping features may be added. Alternatively, the handle  20  may not include gripping portions and may merely consist of a single material, such as plastic, wood or metal. Other configurations of the handle  20 , commonly known to those of skill in the art, may be utilized as well. 
     The arm  36  may extend from the proximal end of the handle  20   d  as shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the arm  36  may extend in a plane that may be offset from the center line of the handle  28   d.  This allows the circular blade  42  coupled to the arm  36  to be centered under the center line of the handle  28   d  and may result in more stable operation of the pizza cutter  10 . 
     The circular blade  42  may be mounted on the arm  36   a  by conventional means or in the manner of the first embodiment described herein. A bearing surface  38  for the circular blade  42  may be positioned at the distal end of the arm  36   a,  as shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bearing surface  38  may comprise first and second circular concentric surfaces  38   a,    38   b.  The diameter of the second surface  38   b  may be roughly equivalent to an opening in the center  42   a  of the circular blade so that the circular blade  42  may be placed over the second surface  38   b.  The second surface  38   b  may be offset from the first surface  38   a  by an amount such that when the circular blade  42  is mounted on the bearing surface  38 , the second surface  38   b  protrudes through the circular blade  42 . The second surface  38   b  further comprises a bore  38   c  in the center for inserting a threaded stud  40 , as shown in  FIG. 2   
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the threaded stud  40  has a generally cylindrical shape with a threaded first portion  40   a  and a second portion comprising compressible ribs  40   b.  The threaded stud  40  may be inserted into the bore of the second surface of the bearing surface  38   c  by pressing the second portion of the threaded stud  40   b  into the bore hole of the bearing surface  38   c.  The diameter of the second portion of the threaded stud  40   b  may be such that nominal pressing force may be required to press the threaded stud  40  into the bearing surface  38 . For example, a press may be utilized to press the threaded stud  40  in the bore  38   c.    
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the circular blade  42  may have a circular shape. A continuous sharpened edge  42   b  may be provided along the perimeter of the circular blade  42 . Other configurations, such as serrations may be provided. The circular blade  42  may further comprise a concentric opening in the center of the circular blade  42   a.  The circular blade  42  may be secured to the arm  36  by slipping the circular blade  42  over the threaded stud  40  and onto the bearing surface  38 . The circular blade  42  may be secured to the bearing surface  38  by threading a knob  44  on the threaded portion of the threaded stud  40   a.    
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the knob  44  may comprise a contact surface  44   a  and gripping surface  44   b.  The contact surface of the knob  44   a  may be circular with an outer diameter larger than the concentric opening in the center of the circular blade  42   a,  so as to secure the circular blade  42  to the arm  36 . The center of the contact surface of the knob may comprise a threaded nut  44   c.  The threads of the threaded nut  44 c may be designed to match the threads on the threaded portion of the threaded stud  40   a.  When fastened, the contact surface of the knob  44   a  may rest against the second surface of the bearing surface  38   b  thus allowing the circular blade  42  to rotate freely. 
     In operation, a user may remove the circular blade  42  by first unscrewing the knob  44  via the gripping surface of the knob  44   b  and then remove the circular blade  42  off of the bearing surface  38 . This method of operation may facilitate cleaning the blade  42 . It is to be understood that other methods may be utilized to secure the pizza cutter circular blade  42  to the arm  36 . For example, a cotter pin assembly may be utilized instead of the threaded stud  40  and knob  44 . Alternatively, a threaded surface may be provided within the bearing surface  38  and a screw may be screwed through the circular blade  42  to secure the circular blade  42  to the arm  36 . Other methods, commonly known to those of skill in the art, may also be utilized to secure the circular blade  42  to the arm  36 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , a blade cover  46  may be provided for protecting the circular blade  42  when the pizza cutter  10  is not in use. The blade cover  46  may have a circular shape with an outer diameter slightly larger than the circular blade  42 . A generally continuous curved surface  46   a  may be provided around the perimeter of the blade cover  46  to enable covering the edge of the circular blade  42   b.  A circular opening  46 c may be provided at the center of the blade cover  46  to allow the knob  44  to protrude through the blade cover  46  when the blade cover  46  is on the circular blade  42 . The diameter of the opening at the center of the blade cover  46   c  may be roughly equivalent to the diameter of the knob  44 . Snapping members  46   b  may be provided along the perimeter of the opening at the center of the blade cover  46   c  for securing the blade cover  46  to the circular blade  42 . A handle  46 d positioned around the opening at the center of the blade cover  46   c  may be provided for removing the blade cover  46  from the circular blade  42 . In operation, the snapping members  46   b  may snap to a gap region (not shown) between the contact surface of the knob  44   a  and the circular blade surface  42   d,  thus securing the blade cover  46  to the circular blade  42 . In the alternative, the opening  46   c  may be modified to firmly and removably grasp the knob  44  to secure the cover  46  to the blade  42 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the crust cutter  34  may extend in a downward direction away from the proximal end of the handle  20   d.  The perimeter of the crust cutter  34  may be comprised of an inner portion  34   c,  a lower cutting edge  34   b,  and a back portion  34   a.  The lower cutting edge of the crust cutter  34   b  extends in the same plane as the circular blade  42 . The inner portion of the crust cutter  34   c  may be defined by a circle that may be concentric with the circular blade  42  and may have a diameter slightly larger than the circular blade  42  so as to not interfere with the operation of the circular blade  42 . The distance between the lower cutting edge of the crust cutter  34   b  and the proximal end of the handle  20   d  may be approximately equal to the diameter of the circular blade  42 . The lower cutting edge of the crust cutter  34   b  may be sharpened to enable cutting through the crust of a pizza and may extend tangentially with respect to the edge of the circular blade  42   b.    
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , a second embodiment comprises a second crust cutter  50  extending away from the proximal end of the handle  20   d.  The perimeter of the second crust cutter  50  may be comprised of an inner portion  50   a,  a front cutting edge  50   b  and a top portion  50 c. The front cutting edge of the second crust cutter  50   b  may extend in the same plane as the circular blade  42 . The inner portion  50   a  may be defined by a circle that may be concentric with the circular blade  42  and may have a diameter slightly larger than the circular blade  42  so that the second crust cutter  50  may not interfere with the operation of the circular blade  42 . The distance between the front cutting edge of the second crust cutter  50   b  and the proximal end of the handle  20   d  may be approximately equal to the diameter of the circular blade  42 . The front edge of the second crust cutter  50   b  may be sharpened to enable cutting through the crust of a pizza and may extend tangentially with respect to the edge of the circular blade  42   b.  The tip of the front cutting edge  50   d  and the tip of the lower cutting edge  34 d may be position to maximize the cutting depth of the circular blade  42 . In this regard, the angle  55  formed between the lower cutting edge of the crust cutter  34   b  and the front cutting edge of the second crust cutter  50   b  may be less than 90 degrees. 
     In some embodiments, the inner handle portion  28 , the arm  36 , and the crust cutter  34  may be formed from a single casting. For example, the handle, arm, and crust cutter may be formed from a single cast piece of aluminum. It is to be understood that other materials, such as stainless steel or a high strength polycarbonate plastic may be utilized as well. In addition, the inner handle portion  28 , the arm  36 , and the crust cutter  34  may be assembled through other techniques well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as utilizing an epoxy to bond the members together or providing threaded portions at the coupling sections of the members to thread the portions together. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates cutting a pizza  60  in a raised-edge pizza pan  70  utilizing the pizza cutter shown in  FIG. 3 . In operation, the circular blade  42  of the pizza cutter  10  may be pressed through a center portion of a pizza  60   a  until the circular blade  42  comes into contact with the bottom portion of the pan  70   a.  The pizza cutter  10  may then be rolled in a direction  62   a  towards the crust wall  60   b  adjacent to the wall of the pan  70   b.  The pizza cutter  10  may then be positioned so that the lower cutting edge of the crust cutter  34   b  may be on top of the crust wall  60   b  and adjacent to the wall of the pan  70   b.  A pivotable downward force  62   b  with a center of rotation around the center of the blade  42   a  may then be applied through the handle of the pizza cutter  20  to push the lower cutting edge of the crust cutter  34   b  down through the crust wall  60   b  until the lower cutting edge of the crust cutter  34   b  comes into contact with the raised-edge pizza pan  70 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates cutting a pizza  60  in a raised-edge pizza pan  70  utilizing the second embodiment of the pizza cutter shown in  FIG. 8 . In operation, the circular blade  42  of the pizza cutter  10  may be pressed through a center portion of a pizza  60   a  until the circular blade  42  comes into contact with the bottom portion of the pan  70   a.  The pizza cutter  10  may then be rolled in a direction  62   a  towards the crust wall  60   b  adjacent to the wall of the pan  70   b.  The pizza cutter  10  may then be positioned so that the front cutting edge of the crust cutter  50   b  may be on top of the crust wall  60   b  and adjacent to the wall of the pan  70   b.  A pivotable downward force  62   b  with a center of rotation around the center of the blade  42   a  may then be applied through the handle of the pizza cutter  20  to push the front cutting edge of the crust cutter  50   b  down through the crust wall  60   b  until the front cutting edge of the crust cutter  50   b  comes into contact with the raised-edge pizza pan  70 . 
     As can be appreciated from the descriptions above, the present embodiments overcome the problems associated with prior art pizza cutters, as shown in  FIG. 11 . In particular the crust cutters enable completely cutting the crust wall  60   b  of a pizza  60  in a raised-edge pizza pan  70 . 
     Any other undisclosed or incidental details of the construction or composition of the various elements of the disclosed embodiment of the present invention or methods of their use are not believed to be critical to the achievement of the advantages of the present invention, so long as the elements possess the attributes needed for them to perform as disclosed. The selection of these and other details of construction are believed to be well within the ability of one of even rudimentary skills in this area, in view of the present disclosure. Illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described in considerable detail for the purpose of disclosing a practical, operative structure whereby the invention may be practiced advantageously. The designs and methods described herein are intended to be exemplary only. The novel characteristics of the invention may be incorporated in other structural forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention encompasses embodiments both comprising and consisting of the elements and steps described with reference to the illustrative embodiments. All technical terms shall take on their customary meaning as established by the appropriate technical discipline utilized by those normally skilled in that particular art area. It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting. It should be understood that the following claims, including all equivalents, are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention.