EP4297586A1 - Cutting means for processing potatoes and other fruits and vegetables - Google Patents

Cutting means for processing potatoes and other fruits and vegetables

Info

Publication number
EP4297586A1
EP4297586A1 EP22717806.8A EP22717806A EP4297586A1 EP 4297586 A1 EP4297586 A1 EP 4297586A1 EP 22717806 A EP22717806 A EP 22717806A EP 4297586 A1 EP4297586 A1 EP 4297586A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
blades
cutting means
support
cutting
central line
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP22717806.8A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Bart KROEF
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pip Innovations BV
Original Assignee
Pip Innovations BV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Pip Innovations BV filed Critical Pip Innovations BV
Publication of EP4297586A1 publication Critical patent/EP4297586A1/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D1/00—Cutting through work characterised by the nature or movement of the cutting member or particular materials not otherwise provided for; Apparatus or machines therefor; Cutting members therefor
    • B26D1/0006—Cutting members therefor
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L19/00—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof
    • A23L19/10—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof of tuberous or like starch containing root crops
    • A23L19/12—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof of tuberous or like starch containing root crops of potatoes
    • A23L19/14—Original non-roasted or non-fried potato pieces
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L19/00—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof
    • A23L19/10—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof of tuberous or like starch containing root crops
    • A23L19/12—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof of tuberous or like starch containing root crops of potatoes
    • A23L19/18—Roasted or fried products, e.g. snacks or chips
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/26—Means for mounting or adjusting the cutting member; Means for adjusting the stroke of the cutting member
    • B26D7/2614—Means for mounting the cutting member
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D1/00—Cutting through work characterised by the nature or movement of the cutting member or particular materials not otherwise provided for; Apparatus or machines therefor; Cutting members therefor
    • B26D1/0006—Cutting members therefor
    • B26D2001/0033—Cutting members therefor assembled from multiple blades
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D1/00—Cutting through work characterised by the nature or movement of the cutting member or particular materials not otherwise provided for; Apparatus or machines therefor; Cutting members therefor
    • B26D1/0006—Cutting members therefor
    • B26D2001/0053—Cutting members therefor having a special cutting edge section or blade section
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D1/00—Cutting through work characterised by the nature or movement of the cutting member or particular materials not otherwise provided for; Apparatus or machines therefor; Cutting members therefor
    • B26D1/0006—Cutting members therefor
    • B26D2001/006—Cutting members therefor the cutting blade having a special shape, e.g. a special outline, serrations
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D2210/00—Machines or methods used for cutting special materials
    • B26D2210/02—Machines or methods used for cutting special materials for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers

Definitions

  • This application pertains to a cutting means for processing potatoes and other fruits and vegetables.
  • the potato has always been an important stock food. Having been cultivated by native Americans in the Andes for millennials introduction of the potato to continental Europe is reported first in Antwerp in 1567. By the end of the 17 th century, it has established as the most important stock food of the Irish rural population. In the mid of the 18 th century, the potato was also established as a standard crop in Central Europe and Scandinavia, in particular by corresponding orders of Prussian King Frederick II. and by the publications of Swedish scientist Eva Ekeblad. Since then, the potato has become an indispensable part of the cuisine in the whole of Northern, Western and Central Europe. On a global scale the potato has developed to be one of the most important crops together with wheat, corn and rice.
  • Hasselback potato which has been introduced by Swedish chef Leif Elisson in 1953 and which is named after Swedish-based restaurant “Hasselbacken”.
  • Hasselback potatoes are whole, unpeeled potatoes which on one side undergo the so-called “Hasselback cut” into a plurality of thin leaflets which hold together on the other side. Hence, the potato is multiply cut into but it is not cut apart.
  • Hasselback potatoes are baked in an oven and get their own character from crispy leaflets on the top and a soft bottom of the potato.
  • Hasselback potatoes are made by hand which is a time-consuming process even for a skilled chef. There are several obstacles for an industrial production of Hasselback potatoes.
  • Potatoes from one single supply can easily differ between the size of e.g. a walnut and a large grapefruit. Their shape can be about spherical, about egg-shaped, lengthy or of completely random form. These differences in size and shape are a challenge for industrial processing of potatoes in general as both many machines require input of goods of about equal size and also many recipes require potatoes or potato pieces of about equal size in order to make sure that they are done at about the same time. While a person performing the Hasselback cut with a knife can adapt to every potato individually and select suitable potatoes according to his experience, production of Hasselback potatoes by a machine is much more difficult as a machine will require input of raw material of about equal size and of about equal shape.
  • potato is generally used for any starch- containing plant tubers which are used as human or animal food.
  • a potato according to this application is a tuber of the common potato, Solanum tuberosum.
  • the term “potato” can also mean the tuber of the sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas or any other plant.
  • “About equal size” means that two potatoes differ in external dimensions by not more than 20% and which show similar properties due to their size. In the case of potatoes the term “of about equal size” also implies that they require the same boiling or baking time for becoming edible.
  • robots As a part of the solution, the use of robots has been introduced into potato processing as it has e.g. been reported in WO 2015/187021. In this application, robots are used for sorting out e.g. defective potatoes.
  • the teaching of this document may be used for solving the problem of processing potatoes of different size and shape only by sorting them into different classes and selecting the ones which are suitable for processing to Hasselback potatoes.
  • an efficient and fully automatic machine for performing the Hasselback cut is not available.
  • a cutting means comprising a support having a top surface, a central line as a fictitious line dividing the top surface of the support in a first part and a second part, a plurality of regular blades each having a length and at least one cutting edge mounted on the top surface of the support, wherein the cutting edges of the blades are all oriented in a direction parallel to the central line, at least one extended blade the blades being mounted staggered in the direction parallel to the central line and staggered in a direction perpendicular to the central line characterized in that at least two blades in the first part and at least two blades in the second part of the support have different heights above the lowest point of the support and wherein the length of the extended blade is at least double as large as the length of the longest regular blade.
  • blade will be used for a piece of solid material such as metal comprising at least one sharpened edge.
  • This sharpened edge will be called “cutting edge” throughout this application.
  • the cutting edge may be sharpened in a sharpening process, e.g. by grinding or peening or any other sharpening method.
  • the part of the blade comprising the cutting edge is made from especially hard material with good sharpening properties such as surgical stainless steel or carbon steel.
  • liquid coating of the blades may be used.
  • liquid coatings are e.g. thin layers of hydrophobic liquids such as fatty, mineral or silicone oils which prevent formation of a water film on the blades.
  • Such liquid coatings will have to be renewed on a regular basis.
  • Liquid coatings cannot only protect the blade but also the cutting edge as liquid coating agents have the possibility to penetrate the microscopic structure of the cutting edge without changing its cutting properties.
  • a disadvantage of liquid coatings is that they can contaminate the processed goods which might be undesired e.g. in food processing. This problem may be avoided by using e.g. paraffine oil of medical quality or natural oils such as tea seed oil, palm oil or coconut oil which can also be used as food.
  • the term “support” will be used for a piece of solid and rigid material on which the blades can be fixed e.g. using parts of bayonet mounts, parts of screw mounts, parts of friction fits or surfaces on which blades can be fixed by welding, soldering or by using any kind of glue such as hot melt glue or epoxy resin glue.
  • the support may also comprise fixation means for fixing the support to e.g. the rack of an apparatus or the shell of a home kitchen device.
  • fixation means may be all kinds of fixation means such as screws, threaded holes, bolts, unthreaded holes, clamps, hooks or male or female parts of an arrestor.
  • the support according to the application may be any structure that is suitable for mounting blades thereon such as a rack, a monolithic block of material, a multi- segmented structure or any combination thereof.
  • the support according to the application has a lowest point which may be part of a bottom surface of the support. Said bottom surface may spread over the whole area of the support or over only a part thereof. It is also possible that the lowest point of the support may be part of a bottom line of the support. It is furthermore possible that the lowest point of the support is a single point. In any case, the lowest point is located on the side of the support which is opposite to the top surface and which, at the same time, is also the point on the support which is furthest from the blades.
  • the regular and extended blades may be fixed to the support using parts of bayonet mounts, parts of screw mounts, parts of friction fits or surfaces for welding, soldering or using any kind of glue such as hot melt glue or epoxy resin glue.
  • the blades may be fixed in a way which allows easy removal and replacement of the blades for sharpening or for replacing faulty blades.
  • the blades may be fixed in a way which allows to alter their height over the lowest point of the support without necessity to disassemble the cutting means allowing to use the cutting means for processing of different kinds of articles which are of different dimensions.
  • the regular and extended blades are distinguished by their length.
  • the extended blade is at least double as long as the longest regular blade. In an embodiment, the extended blade is at least three or four times as long as the longest regular blade. In an embodiment, the extended blade may extend over the whole length of the central line.
  • the extended blade may serve as a rail stabilizing the movement of an article when moved over the cutting means. Stabilization during the cutting process is e.g. essential for performing the Hasselback cut in potatoes no matter whether the cut is executed by hand or by a machine. Only stabilization makes sure that the cuts yield parallel leaflets and that the potato is neither cut apart nor individual leaflets are cut out of the potato under processing.
  • the article When the article is moved over the cutting means according to the application with the extended blade serving as a rail, the article will successively pass by all other blades of the cutting means and will receive a cut from them.
  • the number of blades which are in contact with the article at the same time may be limited to e.g. two or three including the extended blade. This reduces friction and allows to carry out the Hasselback cut with a minimal amount of force which both protects the potato and the cutting means from wear.
  • regular and extended blades may be staggered perpendicular to the central line in such a way that in the projection along the central line the distances between adjacent blades differ by at most 0.3 millimeters.
  • a uniform Hasselback cut is not only essential for the look of a Hasselback potato but also for a uniform processing as leaflets of uniform thickness get brown and crispy evenly.
  • the cutting means may also be used for slicing of articles such as potatoes.
  • the height of the extended blade may be chosen lower than the height of all regular blades while the height of all other blades exceeds the thickness of the article.
  • the article such as a potato is moved over the extended blade and successively is cut into slices by the other blades which then requires an arrangement of the blades other than the extended blade in a way that slices are always cut from the ends of the remainder of the article.
  • the regular blades should be mounted in the form of a wedge with the broad end of the wedge at the side where the movement of the potato begins.
  • the regular and/or extended blades comprise mounting means which can be altered in size it will be possible to use the same cutting means for performing the Hasselback cut and to produce slices of articles with just very moderate manipulation of the cutting means.
  • the extended and regular blades are mounted on the support in such a way that at least one cutting edge of at least one regular blade forms an obtuse angle with the support.
  • This arrangement of the cutting edge allows to reduce friction in the cutting process as not all parts of the blade are getting in contact with the article to be cut at the same time.
  • the support may have a non-planar form.
  • the support has a convex form.
  • the support may have a convex form in the central area with flat edges on the outside.
  • the extended blade may be mounted at the highest point of the support and project above at least some other blades. In such case it is made sure that an article of a thickness larger than the height of the extended blade is not cut apart.
  • the cutting means may also be part of an apparatus for industrial production of Hasselback potatoes.
  • said apparatus may comprise a device for moving the potatoes through the workspace of the apparatus such as a conveyor belt as well as a device for detection of the size, the shape and the orientation of the potatoes such as one or more cameras which are connected to a computer which both evaluates the camera pictures and - according to the results of the picture evaluation - conducts a robot which robot picks up the selected potato, carries it to the cutting means and moves it along the central line of the cutting means.
  • the robot used in said apparatus may comprise an arm.
  • the robot used in said apparatus may be a delta robot. Delta robots are industrial robots wherein the base of the robot is located over the workspace of the robot comprising all actuators of the robot.
  • the platform may carry a means to pick up a potato from the device for moving the potatoes through the workspace of the apparatus.
  • the means to pick up the potato can e.g. be an arrangement of needles which stick into the potato similar to a fork.
  • a vacuum lifter may be used which picks up the potato by application of air pressure lower than the surrounding air pressure and which releases the potato by applying the air pressure of the surrounding.
  • the potato is then moved over the cutting means according to the application which cutting means may be mounted in the vicinity of the device for moving the potatoes through the workspace of the apparatus.
  • the potatoes are picked up after detection of their form, orientation and size e.g. by optical imaging.
  • the potatoes may be returned to the device for moving the potatoes through the workspace of the apparatus or they may be moved to a different place such as a collection container or a further device for moving potatoes through the apparatus such as another conveyor belt. Production of Hasselback potatoes may thus be integrated into the sorting of potatoes.
  • the robot arm used in the apparatus may also be movable in all directions. Depending on the size and the thickness of the potato under processing, the height may be chosen under which the potato is moved over the blades of the cutting means in order to make sure that the cuts have a depth which is suitable for the size of the potato. Hence, the use of a robot guarantees an optimal control of the cutting process.
  • the application also pertains to a home kitchen device comprising the cutting means.
  • the cutting means may be a part of a hand- or electrically driven home kitchen device which provides a shell around the cutting means and a means to grip an article such as a potato and to move it along the central line of the cutting means from one end of the central line to the other end of the central line.
  • the application also pertains to a method for cutting an article wherein said article is moved over the blades of the cutting means parallel to the central line of the cutting means according to the application.
  • the article may either receive cuts or be cut apart into slices.
  • the article is moved over the blades of the cutting means parallel to the central line of the cutting means by a robot.
  • the robot used in said method may comprise an arm.
  • the robot used in said method may be a delta robot.
  • Delta robots are industrial robots wherein the base of the robot is located over the workspace of the robot comprising all actuators of the robot. From the base of the robot, three middle-jointed handles are extended with the ends of said handles being connected to a trigonal platform. In a delta robot, this platform carries the tools of the robot and therefore, this platform can be identified with the arm of the delta robot which is moved by the interplay of said three middle-jointed handles.
  • the platform may carry a means to pick up an article and move it over the cutting means.
  • the article cut using the method is a potato.
  • the application also pertains to the use of a cutting means according to the application for producing Hasselback potatoes. Description of the figures
  • Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the cutting means according to the application comprising a support with a convex part 1a and edges 1b as well as regular blades 2 and one extended blade 3 marking the center line of the support.
  • the cutting means comprises fixation means 4.
  • the extended blade marks the central line as a fictious line which divides the support into a first part 5 and a second part 6.
  • This figure illustrates the staggered arrangement of the blades wherein a plurality of blades is about equally distributed over the length of both the central line (marked by the extended blade 3) and over the width of the convex part of the support 1a.
  • Fig. 2 shows the same embodiment of the cutting means as shown in Fig. 1 in a projection along the central line comprising the support with a convex part 1a and edges 1b, the regular blades 2, the extended blade 3 and the fixation means 4.
  • the extended blade 3 marks the central line as a fictious line dividing the support in a first part 5 and a second part 6. Note that in this projection, the extended blade 3 cannot visually be distinguished from the regular blades 2.
  • the blades are equally distributed over the width of the convex part of the support 1a and therefore over the length of a line perpendicular to the central line. Furthermore, all blades are visible in this projection. No blades do overlap in this projection. Every blade in the first part of the support 5 and in the second part of the support 6 has an individual height.
  • Fig. 3 shows the same embodiment of the cutting means as shown in Fig. 1 in a projection perpendicular to the central line comprising the support 1, the regular blades 2, the extended blade 3 and the fixation means 4.
  • the blades behind the extended blade are only visible by their top edges.
  • the regular blades 2 which are visible not only by their top edges are the regular blades 2 of the first part of the support 5.
  • the regular blades 2 of the first side of the support are about equally distributed over the length of the support and therefore over the length of the central line. Note that the regular blades of the first part of the support have different heights and that no blade of the first part of the support is fully covered by another blade of the first part of the support in this projection.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Forests & Forestry (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Nutrition Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Preparation Of Fruits And Vegetables (AREA)

Abstract

A cutting means comprising a support, a central line as a fictitious line dividing the support in a first part and a second part and a plurality of blades each having at least one cutting edge. The blades are mounted on the support, wherein the cutting edges of the blades are all oriented in a direction parallel to the central line and the blades are arranged staggered in the direction parallel to the central line and in a direction perpendicular to the central line. At least two blades in the first part and at least two blades in the second part of the support have different heights.

Description

CUTTING MEANS FOR PROCESSING POTATOES AND OTHER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Description:
This application pertains to a cutting means for processing potatoes and other fruits and vegetables.
Where available to humans, the potato has always been an important stock food. Having been cultivated by native Americans in the Andes for millennials introduction of the potato to continental Europe is reported first in Antwerp in 1567. By the end of the 17th century, it has established as the most important stock food of the Irish rural population. In the mid of the 18th century, the potato was also established as a standard crop in Central Europe and Scandinavia, in particular by corresponding orders of Prussian King Frederick II. and by the publications of Swedish scientist Eva Ekeblad. Since then, the potato has become an indispensable part of the cuisine in the whole of Northern, Western and Central Europe. On a global scale the potato has developed to be one of the most important crops together with wheat, corn and rice.
As a crop of global meaning, both production and processing of potatoes has developed to a large industrial scale and has also diversified depending on local culture and seasons. A large amount of different potato dishes has established which have different requirements concerning the properties of the potatoes or potato pre-products which are used either in home cooking or in industrial processing.
One such specialized potato dish is the so-called Hasselback potato which has been introduced by Swedish chef Leif Elisson in 1953 and which is named after Stockholm-based restaurant “Hasselbacken”. Hasselback potatoes are whole, unpeeled potatoes which on one side undergo the so-called “Hasselback cut” into a plurality of thin leaflets which hold together on the other side. Hence, the potato is multiply cut into but it is not cut apart. After topping with liquid butter and seasoning, Hasselback potatoes are baked in an oven and get their own character from crispy leaflets on the top and a soft bottom of the potato.
Processing of potatoes to Hasselback potatoes is difficult as the leaflets have to be thin and even on the one hand and it has to be made sure that on the other hand the potato is not cut into pieces under processing. Therefore, Hasselback potatoes are made by hand which is a time-consuming process even for a skilled chef. There are several obstacles for an industrial production of Hasselback potatoes.
Individual potatoes show a large difference in both size and shape. Potatoes from one single supply can easily differ between the size of e.g. a walnut and a large grapefruit. Their shape can be about spherical, about egg-shaped, lengthy or of completely random form. These differences in size and shape are a challenge for industrial processing of potatoes in general as both many machines require input of goods of about equal size and also many recipes require potatoes or potato pieces of about equal size in order to make sure that they are done at about the same time. While a person performing the Hasselback cut with a knife can adapt to every potato individually and select suitable potatoes according to his experience, production of Hasselback potatoes by a machine is much more difficult as a machine will require input of raw material of about equal size and of about equal shape.
Throughout this application, the term “potato” is generally used for any starch- containing plant tubers which are used as human or animal food. In particular, a potato according to this application is a tuber of the common potato, Solanum tuberosum. However, the term “potato” can also mean the tuber of the sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas or any other plant. “About equal size” means that two potatoes differ in external dimensions by not more than 20% and which show similar properties due to their size. In the case of potatoes the term “of about equal size” also implies that they require the same boiling or baking time for becoming edible.
As a part of the solution, the use of robots has been introduced into potato processing as it has e.g. been reported in WO 2015/187021. In this application, robots are used for sorting out e.g. defective potatoes. The teaching of this document may be used for solving the problem of processing potatoes of different size and shape only by sorting them into different classes and selecting the ones which are suitable for processing to Hasselback potatoes. However, an efficient and fully automatic machine for performing the Hasselback cut is not available.
What is available on the market are slicers which allow cutting separate slices of potatoes, cucumbers, carrots or other vegetables, however, these devices are not suitable for performing the Hasselback cut as they are designed for cutting through the vegetable and not for cutting into the vegetable while making sure that the vegetable remains to hold together. Cutting into slices of e.g. potatoes is normally performed consecutively with every cutting step yielding one individual slice. In such case, the potato is in contact with one knife at a time only. The Hasselback cut, however, would have to be carried out by as many blades as leaflets are to be cut from the potato. However, if the potato is in contact with too many blades at a time, friction will hamper smooth performing of the cut.
It is the object of this patent application to solve this problem by providing a A cutting means comprising a support having a top surface, a central line as a fictitious line dividing the top surface of the support in a first part and a second part, a plurality of regular blades each having a length and at least one cutting edge mounted on the top surface of the support, wherein the cutting edges of the blades are all oriented in a direction parallel to the central line, at least one extended blade the blades being mounted staggered in the direction parallel to the central line and staggered in a direction perpendicular to the central line characterized in that at least two blades in the first part and at least two blades in the second part of the support have different heights above the lowest point of the support and wherein the length of the extended blade is at least double as large as the length of the longest regular blade.
Throughout this application, the term “blade” will be used for a piece of solid material such as metal comprising at least one sharpened edge. This sharpened edge will be called “cutting edge” throughout this application. The cutting edge may be sharpened in a sharpening process, e.g. by grinding or peening or any other sharpening method. In an embodiment, the part of the blade comprising the cutting edge is made from especially hard material with good sharpening properties such as surgical stainless steel or carbon steel.
In order to protect the regular and extended blades from corrosion also in wet environments, e.g. when used for cutting articles containing water such as potatoes, a liquid coating of the blades may be used. Examples of liquid coatings are e.g. thin layers of hydrophobic liquids such as fatty, mineral or silicone oils which prevent formation of a water film on the blades. Such liquid coatings will have to be renewed on a regular basis. Liquid coatings cannot only protect the blade but also the cutting edge as liquid coating agents have the possibility to penetrate the microscopic structure of the cutting edge without changing its cutting properties. A disadvantage of liquid coatings is that they can contaminate the processed goods which might be undesired e.g. in food processing. This problem may be avoided by using e.g. paraffine oil of medical quality or natural oils such as tea seed oil, palm oil or coconut oil which can also be used as food.
Throughout this application, the term “support” will be used for a piece of solid and rigid material on which the blades can be fixed e.g. using parts of bayonet mounts, parts of screw mounts, parts of friction fits or surfaces on which blades can be fixed by welding, soldering or by using any kind of glue such as hot melt glue or epoxy resin glue. The support may also comprise fixation means for fixing the support to e.g. the rack of an apparatus or the shell of a home kitchen device. These fixation means may be all kinds of fixation means such as screws, threaded holes, bolts, unthreaded holes, clamps, hooks or male or female parts of an arrestor.
The support according to the application may be any structure that is suitable for mounting blades thereon such as a rack, a monolithic block of material, a multi- segmented structure or any combination thereof.
The support according to the application has a lowest point which may be part of a bottom surface of the support. Said bottom surface may spread over the whole area of the support or over only a part thereof. It is also possible that the lowest point of the support may be part of a bottom line of the support. It is furthermore possible that the lowest point of the support is a single point. In any case, the lowest point is located on the side of the support which is opposite to the top surface and which, at the same time, is also the point on the support which is furthest from the blades.
The regular and extended blades may be fixed to the support using parts of bayonet mounts, parts of screw mounts, parts of friction fits or surfaces for welding, soldering or using any kind of glue such as hot melt glue or epoxy resin glue. The blades may be fixed in a way which allows easy removal and replacement of the blades for sharpening or for replacing faulty blades. The blades may be fixed in a way which allows to alter their height over the lowest point of the support without necessity to disassemble the cutting means allowing to use the cutting means for processing of different kinds of articles which are of different dimensions.
The regular and extended blades are distinguished by their length. The extended blade is at least double as long as the longest regular blade. In an embodiment, the extended blade is at least three or four times as long as the longest regular blade. In an embodiment, the extended blade may extend over the whole length of the central line.
The extended blade may serve as a rail stabilizing the movement of an article when moved over the cutting means. Stabilization during the cutting process is e.g. essential for performing the Hasselback cut in potatoes no matter whether the cut is executed by hand or by a machine. Only stabilization makes sure that the cuts yield parallel leaflets and that the potato is neither cut apart nor individual leaflets are cut out of the potato under processing.
When the article is moved over the cutting means according to the application with the extended blade serving as a rail, the article will successively pass by all other blades of the cutting means and will receive a cut from them. As the blades are staggered both along the extended blade and perpendicular to the extended blade, the number of blades which are in contact with the article at the same time may be limited to e.g. two or three including the extended blade. This reduces friction and allows to carry out the Hasselback cut with a minimal amount of force which both protects the potato and the cutting means from wear.
In order to allow for a uniform thickness of the leaflets of the Hasselback cut, regular and extended blades may be staggered perpendicular to the central line in such a way that in the projection along the central line the distances between adjacent blades differ by at most 0.3 millimeters. A uniform Hasselback cut is not only essential for the look of a Hasselback potato but also for a uniform processing as leaflets of uniform thickness get brown and crispy evenly.
Depending on the heights of regular blades, the cutting means may also be used for slicing of articles such as potatoes. In such case the height of the extended blade may be chosen lower than the height of all regular blades while the height of all other blades exceeds the thickness of the article. In such case, the article such as a potato is moved over the extended blade and successively is cut into slices by the other blades which then requires an arrangement of the blades other than the extended blade in a way that slices are always cut from the ends of the remainder of the article. Hence, the regular blades should be mounted in the form of a wedge with the broad end of the wedge at the side where the movement of the potato begins. In case the regular and/or extended blades comprise mounting means which can be altered in size it will be possible to use the same cutting means for performing the Hasselback cut and to produce slices of articles with just very moderate manipulation of the cutting means.
In an embodiment, the extended and regular blades are mounted on the support in such a way that at least one cutting edge of at least one regular blade forms an obtuse angle with the support. This arrangement of the cutting edge allows to reduce friction in the cutting process as not all parts of the blade are getting in contact with the article to be cut at the same time.
Apart from the height of the blades, the result of the cutting process can also be altered by the shape of the support. The support may have a non-planar form. In an embodiment, the support has a convex form. The support may have a convex form in the central area with flat edges on the outside. In such case the extended blade may be mounted at the highest point of the support and project above at least some other blades. In such case it is made sure that an article of a thickness larger than the height of the extended blade is not cut apart.
The cutting means may also be part of an apparatus for industrial production of Hasselback potatoes. Apart from the cutting means, said apparatus may comprise a device for moving the potatoes through the workspace of the apparatus such as a conveyor belt as well as a device for detection of the size, the shape and the orientation of the potatoes such as one or more cameras which are connected to a computer which both evaluates the camera pictures and - according to the results of the picture evaluation - conducts a robot which robot picks up the selected potato, carries it to the cutting means and moves it along the central line of the cutting means. The robot used in said apparatus may comprise an arm. The robot used in said apparatus may be a delta robot. Delta robots are industrial robots wherein the base of the robot is located over the workspace of the robot comprising all actuators of the robot. From the base of the robot, three middle- jointed handles are extended with the ends of said handles being connected to a trigonal platform. In a delta robot, this platform carries the tools of the robot and therefore, this platform can be identified with the arm of the delta robot which is moved by the interplay of said three middle-jointed handles. The platform may carry a means to pick up a potato from the device for moving the potatoes through the workspace of the apparatus. The means to pick up the potato can e.g. be an arrangement of needles which stick into the potato similar to a fork. Also a vacuum lifter may be used which picks up the potato by application of air pressure lower than the surrounding air pressure and which releases the potato by applying the air pressure of the surrounding. By the robot arm, the potato is then moved over the cutting means according to the application which cutting means may be mounted in the vicinity of the device for moving the potatoes through the workspace of the apparatus. In an embodiment, the potatoes are picked up after detection of their form, orientation and size e.g. by optical imaging. After having been moved over the cutting means, the potatoes may be returned to the device for moving the potatoes through the workspace of the apparatus or they may be moved to a different place such as a collection container or a further device for moving potatoes through the apparatus such as another conveyor belt. Production of Hasselback potatoes may thus be integrated into the sorting of potatoes.
In order to make sure that the potato is neither destroyed by the means to pick up the potato nor lost by the means to pick up the potato under carrying to the cutting means, while being moved over the cutting means or while putting the processed potato back to the device for moving the potatoes through the workspace of the apparatus, friction in the cutting process has to be minimized. This is achieved by the blades which are mounted staggered in the direction of the central line and in a direction parallel to the central line. The means to pick up the potato may be installed on the robot arm in such a way that it is rotatable. This would allow to turn the potato in the right orientation before moving it over the cutting means as the orientation of the potato is crucial for a proper execution of the Hasselback cut.
The robot arm used in the apparatus may also be movable in all directions. Depending on the size and the thickness of the potato under processing, the height may be chosen under which the potato is moved over the blades of the cutting means in order to make sure that the cuts have a depth which is suitable for the size of the potato. Hence, the use of a robot guarantees an optimal control of the cutting process.
The application also pertains to a home kitchen device comprising the cutting means. In order to protect the user from injuries by the large amount of blades, the cutting means may be a part of a hand- or electrically driven home kitchen device which provides a shell around the cutting means and a means to grip an article such as a potato and to move it along the central line of the cutting means from one end of the central line to the other end of the central line.
The application also pertains to a method for cutting an article wherein said article is moved over the blades of the cutting means parallel to the central line of the cutting means according to the application. Depending on the dimensions of the blades and the support of the cutting means and depending on the size of the article, the article may either receive cuts or be cut apart into slices.
In an embodiment the article is moved over the blades of the cutting means parallel to the central line of the cutting means by a robot. The robot used in said method may comprise an arm. The robot used in said method may be a delta robot. Delta robots are industrial robots wherein the base of the robot is located over the workspace of the robot comprising all actuators of the robot. From the base of the robot, three middle-jointed handles are extended with the ends of said handles being connected to a trigonal platform. In a delta robot, this platform carries the tools of the robot and therefore, this platform can be identified with the arm of the delta robot which is moved by the interplay of said three middle-jointed handles. The platform may carry a means to pick up an article and move it over the cutting means.
In an embodiment, the article cut using the method is a potato.
The application also pertains to the use of a cutting means according to the application for producing Hasselback potatoes. Description of the figures
Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the cutting means according to the application comprising a support with a convex part 1a and edges 1b as well as regular blades 2 and one extended blade 3 marking the center line of the support. On the support, the cutting means comprises fixation means 4. In this embodiment, the extended blade marks the central line as a fictious line which divides the support into a first part 5 and a second part 6. This figure illustrates the staggered arrangement of the blades wherein a plurality of blades is about equally distributed over the length of both the central line (marked by the extended blade 3) and over the width of the convex part of the support 1a.
Fig. 2 shows the same embodiment of the cutting means as shown in Fig. 1 in a projection along the central line comprising the support with a convex part 1a and edges 1b, the regular blades 2, the extended blade 3 and the fixation means 4.
The extended blade 3 marks the central line as a fictious line dividing the support in a first part 5 and a second part 6. Note that in this projection, the extended blade 3 cannot visually be distinguished from the regular blades 2. The blades are equally distributed over the width of the convex part of the support 1a and therefore over the length of a line perpendicular to the central line. Furthermore, all blades are visible in this projection. No blades do overlap in this projection. Every blade in the first part of the support 5 and in the second part of the support 6 has an individual height.
Fig. 3 shows the same embodiment of the cutting means as shown in Fig. 1 in a projection perpendicular to the central line comprising the support 1, the regular blades 2, the extended blade 3 and the fixation means 4. Note that in this projection, the blades behind the extended blade are only visible by their top edges. The regular blades 2 which are visible not only by their top edges are the regular blades 2 of the first part of the support 5. The regular blades 2 of the first side of the support are about equally distributed over the length of the support and therefore over the length of the central line. Note that the regular blades of the first part of the support have different heights and that no blade of the first part of the support is fully covered by another blade of the first part of the support in this projection.

Claims

Claims:
1. A cutting means comprising
- a support having a top surface,
- a central line as a fictitious line dividing the top surface of the support in a first part and a second part,
- a plurality of regular blades each having a length and at least one cutting edge mounted on the top surface of the support, wherein the cutting edges of the blades are all oriented in a direction parallel to the central line, - at least one extended blade
- the blades being mounted staggered in the direction parallel to the central line and staggered in a direction perpendicular to the central line characterized in that at least two blades in the first part and at least two blades in the second part of the support have different heights above the lowest point of the support and wherein the length of the extended blade is at least double as large as the length of the longest regular blade.
2. The cutting means of claim 1 wherein at least one extended blade extends along the central line.
3. The cutting means of any one of the previous claims wherein the at least one cutting edge of the regular and/or extended blades forms an obtuse angle with the support.
4. The cutting means of any one of the previous claims wherein the distances between adjacent regular and/or extended blades in the projection along the central line differ by at most 0.5 millimeters.
5. The cutting means of any one of the previous claims wherein the support comprises a non-planar surface.
6. The cutting means of claim 5 wherein the surface of the support has a convex form.
7. A home kitchen device cutting food articles comprising a cutting means according to any one of the previous claims.
8. A method for cutting an article characterized in that the article is moved over the regular and extended blades of a cutting means according to any one of the claims 1 to 7 parallel to the central line of the cutting means.
9. The method of claim 8 characterized in that the article is moved over the regular and extended blades of the cutting means by a delta robot.
10. The method of claims 8 or 9 wherein the article is a potato.
11. Use of a cutting means according to one of the claims 1 to 7 for producing Hasselback potatoes.
EP22717806.8A 2021-04-16 2022-03-24 Cutting means for processing potatoes and other fruits and vegetables Pending EP4297586A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP21168799 2021-04-16
PCT/EP2022/057839 WO2022218674A1 (en) 2021-04-16 2022-03-24 Cutting means for processing potatoes and other fruits and vegetables

Publications (1)

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EP4297586A1 true EP4297586A1 (en) 2024-01-03

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP22717806.8A Pending EP4297586A1 (en) 2021-04-16 2022-03-24 Cutting means for processing potatoes and other fruits and vegetables

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EP (1) EP4297586A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2022218674A1 (en)

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL2012969B1 (en) 2014-06-06 2016-07-21 Kroef Bart Method for processing potatoes.
US20160207212A1 (en) * 2015-01-15 2016-07-21 Mccain Foods Limited System and method for cutting hasselback food items
EP3488982A1 (en) * 2017-11-22 2019-05-29 ELCEP Design ApS Apparatus for processing food articles such as potatoes

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