GB2258393A - Fruit or vegetable peeler or sheller - Google Patents

Abstract

A peeler or sheller for fruit or vegetable has a handle (11, 311, 411) with a first blade (15, 315) to score the fruit/vegetable, a second blade (18) to form a circular cut around a core or end of the fruit/vegetable, and a third blade (14, 314) to peel a layer of peel or shell from the fruit/vegetable. The peeler or sheller may be provided with a pivoted potato peeler (360), a potato eye remover, (Fig 15 (not shown)), and/or a retractable paring knife blade (480). Alternatively, the first blade may be associated with a pin on the handle to form the circular cut (Figs 7, 8 (not shown)). <IMAGE>

Description

THIS INVENTION relates to a fruit or vegetable peeler or sheller. The utensil shall primarily be described as an onion sheller but is also applicable as a peeler for fruits (eg. citrus fruits such as oranges and limes) ani other vegetables.

Anyone who has had to peel an onion is aware of the problems of (a) only removing the outer layer or shell and (b) weeping eyes from the acid fumes released by the onion.

The applicants have established that the problem of the acid fumes can be eliminated (or at least markedly reduced) by cutting around the root end of the onion before the outer layer or shell is removed as the acid is primarily concentrated at the root end.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, yet efficient hand-held utensil to peel or shell fruits or vegetables such as onions.

It is a preferred object to provide a utensil which enables a circular cut or coring cut to be made in the fruit or vegetable.

It is a further preferred object to provide a utensil which enables the peel or outer layer to be scored and then peeled or shelled Other preferred objects will become apparent from the following description.

In a broad. aspect, the present invention resides in a fruit or vegetable peeler or sheller including: a handle having a portion to be gripped; a first blade extending laterally from the handle to score or cut the peel or skin of a fruit or vegetable; a- second blade on the handle to form a circular cut or core around a core or end of the fruit or vegetable; and a third blade at the distal end of the handle, spaced from the portion to be gripped, engageable under the peel or layer or shell of the fruit or vegetable to lift and remove the peel, layer or shell as the third blade is advanced.

The first blade may be arranged to co-operate with a pin to operate as the second blade.

The peeler or sheller is preferahly moulded in a single unit from a suitable plastics material, although one or more of the two blades may be detachahle and formed, eg. of stainless steel Finger grips may be moulded into the handle.

Preferably, the first blade - the scoring blade - extends laterally from the handle, preferably adjacent a "neck" on the handle which connects the third blade to the handle. The blade has a sharpened edge to enable the peel/layer/sholl to be scored or cut.

In a simple embodiment, the first blade cooperates with a pin to enable a circular cut to be effected in the peel/layer/shell Preferahly, the second blade includes a cutting blade assembly having four cutting edges arranged in a circle to form a circular cut when the handle is swung through 90".

Preferably, the assembly extends upwardly from the handle and adjacent the neck.

The third blade - the peeling or shelling blade - is preferably downwardly-curved in side view and may be of V-, circular, spoon- or other shape and may have rearwardly-directed, upwardly-inclined wings to lift the peel/layer/shell from the fruit/vegetable.

A conventional "potato peeler" blade may be provided on the handle and may be pivotally mounted in a yoke at the end of the handle spaced from the third blade.

A paring blade may be provided on the handle and may be extendable to a cutting position and retractable into the handle in a storage position.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, a number of preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the utensil; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing forming a circular cut around the root end of an onion (the stalk end still intact); FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing forming a circular cut around the root end of the onion after the stalk end has been cut off; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the scoring of the outer shell of the onion; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the outer shell being removed from the onion, the peeling blade entering one end of the onion; FIG. 5A is a similar view showing the outer shell being removed the peeling blade being advanced around the circumference of the onion;; FIG. 6 is a side view of a second embodiment of the utensil; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the utensil; FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing a circular cut being formed by the third embodiment in a fruit or vegetable; FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are respective side, plan and perspective views of a fourth embodiment of the utensil; FIGS. 12 to 14 show the steps of peeling an onion using the fourth embodiment utensil; and FIGS. 15 to 17 show a fifth embodiment of the utensil which incorporates a retractable paring knife blade.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the utensil 10 of the first embodiment has a handle 11 with an integral thumb grip 12. From the forward end of the handle 11, a neck 13 extends forwardly and downwardly to the third blade 14 to be hereinafter described.

A first blade 15, ie. the "scoring blades extends laterally from a raised formation 16 on the neck 13 and has a cutting edge 17.

A circular blade assembly 18, on top of the formation 16, has four blades 19 arranged in a circle, with cutting edges so that rotation of the handle about an axis centred on the blade assembly 18 will form a circular cut.

As shown, the neck 13 extends forwardly and downwardly and is tapered to engage the rear of the third blade 14, ie. "the peeling or shelling blade", which is substantially V-shaped in plan view, with a curved (blunt) leading edge 2Q extending from the tips of side wings 21, 22.

In use, the first blade 15 is used to cut an elongate score 30 in the skin and outer shell of an onion 31 - see FIG. 4.

After the stalk end 31A has been cut off, the onion is then held with its root end 32 uppermost and the cutting blade assembly 18 is used to cut a circular cut around the root end 32, the utensil 10 being rotated through 90" to 1000 so that each blade 19 cuts a quarter-circle cut. This circular cut in the root end 32 isolates the acid in that end to limit the acid fumes released when the outer and second shells of the onion is removed, and to replace the shells from the root end as they are lifted by the utensil.

Referring to FIG 5, the third blade 14 is inserted through the score 30 in the skin and outer shell 33 and they are lifted and removed as the blade 14 is advanced around the onion. NB: In FIG. 5, the utensil is shown entering the onion 31 from one endthis is permissible. but it is preferred to advance the blade 14 around the circumference of the onion. as shown in FIG. 5A. An inner shell(s) can be peeled or shelled from the onion in the same manner.

For citrus fruits, eg. oranges, the peel will be scored by the first blade 15, the peel at the ends cut by the blades 19 of the circular blade assembly 18, and the peel removed from the flesh by the third blade 14.

In the modified embodiment 11Q of FIG. 6, the handle 111, first. blade 115 and circular blade assembly 118 are substantially as hereinbefore described. The neck 113 is more tapered and elongated and the third blade 114 is slimmer in plan view (ie. the leading edge 120 is more pointed at its forward extremity) and the side wings 122 are longer and are upwardly inclined to lift the peel/layer/shell from the flesh of the fruit/vegetable. A hole 123 through the handle 110 enables the utensil to be hung from a hook.

The third embodiment of the utensil 110 - see FIGS. 7 and 8 - has a plain handle 211 where the thumb grip 12 and finger grip 24 are omitted The third blade 214 is substantially of the same shape as third blade 14 of the utensil 10 The first blade 215 extends laterally from the handle 211 but perpendicular. to the axis. of the latter and is spaced from a pin 225. The first blade 215 scores the peel/layer/shell as hereinbefore described, but co-operates with the pin 225 (to define a rotational axis) to cut the circular cut in the fruit/vegetable 231. This is much simpler than the circular blade assemblies 18, 218 of the first and second embodiments.

As stated above, the third blades 14, 114, 214 may have a number of alternative shapes and may include curved discs or spoon-like shapes The utensils 10, 110, 210 may be moulded in a single piece from suitable plastics material (which can be washed in hot water or steam) or one or more blades 15, 18, 14; 115, 118, 114; 215, 214 may be made of stainless steel or other suitable material and be attachable/replaceable.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 to 11, the utensil 310 has a handle 311 which has a yoke 350 at the end spaced from the third blade 314, the second blade 318 being provided intermediate the yoke 350 and the third blade 314.

The first blade 315 extends laterally from one arm 351 of the yoke 350 and a conventional potato peeler blade 360 is pivotally mounted between the arms 351, 352 of the yoke. This enables the utensil 310 to combine the advantages and features of the present invention with the features of a conventional peeler to provide a "universal" peeler.

To peel an onion (see FIGS. 12 to 14), the first blade 315 is used to score the onion 331 down one or two sides, the scores being shown by arrows/lines 330. The circular second cutter 318 then cuts a circular cut around the root end 332 of the onion (FIG.

13) before the third blade 314 is used to remove the outer shell 333.

Referring now to FIGS. 15 to 17, the utensil 400 is similar to that utensil 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5A. It further incorporates a potato peeler blade 460 under the handle 461 and a potato "eye" remover 470 is provided at the end of the handle 411.

A paring knife blade 480 is hingedly mounted in a compartment 481 in the lower portion of the handle 411 and can be swung to an extended position, as shown in the drawings, or to a retracted position, within the compartment 481, when not required It will be noted that the shell can be removed without cutting off the stalk end of the onion.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention.

Claims (15)

1. A fruit or vegetable peeler or sheller including: a handle having a portion to be gripped; a first blade extending laterally from the handle to score or cut the peel or skin of a fruit or vegetable; a second blade on the handle to form a circular cut or core around a core or end of the fruit or vegetable; and a a third blade at the distal end of the handle, spaced from the portion to be gripped, engageable under the peel or layer or shell of the fruit or vegetable to lift and remove the peel, layer or shell as the third blade is advanced.

2. A peeler or sheller according to Claim 1 wherein: a pin is provided on the handle and the first blade co-operates with the pin to operate as the second blade.

3. A peeler or sheller according to Claim 1 wherein: the first blade, to score the fruit or vegetable, extends laterally from a neck portion which connects the third blade to the handle.

4. A peeler or sheller according to Claim 1 wherein: the second blade incorporates a cutting blade assembly having four cutting edges arranged in a circle to form a circular cut when the handle is rotated through at least 900.

5. A peeler or sheller according to Claim 4 wherein: the cutting blade assembly extends upwardly from a neck portion connecting the third blade to the handle.

6. A peeler or sheller according to Claim 1 wherein: the third blade, to peel or shell the fruit or vegetable is connected to the handle by a neck portion, is downwardly curved in side view and is of V-, circular, or spoon shape in plan view.

7. A peeler or sheller according to Claim 6 wherein: the third blade has rearwardly- directed, upwardly inclined wings to lift the peel/layer/shell from the fruit or vegetable.

8. A peeler or sheller according to Claim 1 wherein: a "potato peeler" blade is pivotally mounted on the handle on or adjacent the portion of the handle to be gripped.

9. A peeler or sheller according to Claim 1 wherein: a potato "eye" remover is provided on the handle.

10. A peeler or sheller according to Claim 1 wherein: a paring knife blade is pivotally mounted on the handle and is movable from a cutting position extending from the handle to a storage position retracted into a compartment in the handle.

11. A fruit or vegetable peeler or sheller substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 5.

12. A fruit or vegetable peeler or sheller substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figure 6.

13. A fruit or vegetable peeler or sheller substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 7 and 8.

14. A fruit or vegetable peeler or sheller substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 9 to 14.

15. A fruit or vegetable peeler or sheller substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 15 to 17.