GB2442139A

GB2442139A - Mango-pod extractors

Info

Publication number: GB2442139A
Application number: GB0718489A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Brazier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-09-21
Filing date: 2007-09-21
Publication date: 2008-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 2027-09-21
Also published as: GB0718489D0; GB0618571D0; GB2442139B

Abstract

A mango-pod extractor has a cutter 3 with a one-piece wall 4 of elongate tubular form of oval cross-section and having curved cutting-edges 12 for piercing the mango M. The wall 4 is expandable resiliently in the minor-axis dimension for close conformal cutting over the surface of the pod P within the pierced mango M. A transverse spindle 9 in the minor-axis dimension slides in slots 7,8 lengthwise of the wall 4, and carries springs 11 that squeeze front and back faces 5,6 of the wall 4 in towards one another against the resilience of the wall 4. The spindle 9 moves up the slots 7,8 as piercing progresses, allowing the wall 4 to expand resiliently round the pod P for retention of it within the cutter 3 upon withdrawal from the mango M. Sliding of the spindle 9 down the slots 7,8 discharges the pod P. Instead of a one-piece construction, the wall 4 may be replaced by bowed shells that are urged resiliently towards mutual abutment along their longitudinal edges.

Description

Mango-Pod Extractors This invention relates to mango-pod

extractors.

Known proposals for extracting the seed pods of mangos involve slicing the mango and generally leave the pod with a substantial amount of the flesh of the mango adhering to it.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mango-pod extractor that can be used to extract the pod relatively cleanly without the need for the mango to be sliced.

According to the present invention there is provided a mango-pod extractor wherein a cutter for piercing a mango has a wall of elongate tubular form that is substantially oval in cross-section and is expandable resiliently in the minor-axis dimension of its cross-section for close conformal cutting movement over the surface of the pod of the pierced mango.

The resilience in the minor-axis dimension may act for retention of the pod within the wall upon withdrawal of the cutter from the pierced mango. The extractor may in this case include a slide for movement lengthwise of the cutter for ejecting the retained pod from within the wall. The slide may comprise a spindle that extends within the tubular wall substantially parallel to the minor-axis dimension and is slidable transversely, for example in slots that extend lengthwise of the wall. Springs carried by the spindle may act on the wall to provide resilient opposition to expansion of the wall in the minor-axis dimension.

The wall of the cutter of the mango-pod extractor of the invention may be of a one-piece construction. As an alternative, it may comprise two elongate shells that are urged resiliently towards abutment with one another along their longitudinal edges.

A mango-pod extractor in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the mango-pod extractor of the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mango-pod extractor of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a cross-section on the line 111-111 of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is illustrative of the manner in which the mango-pod extractor of Figures 1 to 3 is used to extract a seed pod from a mango.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the mango-pod extractor 1 has a metal or plastics handle 2 attached to one end of a cutter 3. The cutter 3 has a wall 4 of elongate tubular form that is of an oval (generally-elliptical) cross- section. As illustrated in Figure 3, the oval cross-section of the tubular wall 4 is fairly narrow in its minor-axis dimension so that the wall 4 presents elongate front and back external faces 5 and 6 respectively, that are comparatively wide and slightly bowed.

The front and back faces 5 and 6 of the wall 4 are slotted lengthwise by slots 7 and 8 respectively, and a slide provided by a spindle 9 extends within the wall 4 parallel to the minor-axis of the cross-section to project through the slots 7 and 8 at either end 10. The spindle 9 is slidable transversely lengthwise of the slots 7 and 8, and springs 11 are retained on its two ends 10 projecting through the slots 7 and 8. The springs 11 exert pressure on the front and back faces 5 and 6 squeezing them resiliently towards one another. In this regard, the wall 4 of the cutter 3, which may be of plastics, has a degree of resilience that allows its internal minor-axis dimension to be contracted in the region of the spindle 9 down to a minimum in which the resilience of the wall 4 is balanced against the action of the springs 11.

The free end of the tubular wall 4 is shaped to provide curved cutting-edges 12 to the faces 5 and 6 capable of piercing the skin and flesh of a mango. More especially in this regard, the extractor 1 is used to extract the seed pod of a mango by first locating the cutting-edges 12 on the mango as illustrated in Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 4, the ovoid mango M is placed upright on its narrow end, and the extractor 1 is placed upright centrally on top of the broad end with the faces 5 and 6 generally aligned with the widest dimension of that end.

The handle 2 of the extractor 1 is now urged down to cause the cutting-edges 12 to pierce the mango-skin; if the skin is particularly tough, preliminary cuts may be made to facilitate piercing.

The extractor 1 is brought to the mango H with the slide-spindle 9 at the bottom of the slots 7 and 8, so that the spacing between the cutting-edges 12 is at a minimum when they enter the mango-flesh. The downward pressure on the handle 2 is continued causing the cutting-edges 12 to cut into the mango-flesh until contact with the pod P is made.

Further downward pressure urges the cutting-edges 12 progressively further apart against the action of the springs 11, as they are forced to slide over the surface of the pod P. As the cutter 3 is moved deeper into the mango H, so the slide-spindle 9 is urged progressively up the slots 7 and 8 by its contact with the exterior of the mango, and the pod P is entered progressively further into the cutter 3.

Downward pressure on the handle 2 can be relaxed when it is sensed that the cutting-edges 12 have passed the pod F, and the extractor 1 can then be withdrawn. withdrawal of the cutter 3 from the mango H brings with it the pod P held resiliently within the cutter 3 by the squeezing action of the springs 11. on the wall 4. The pod P can then be ejected from the cutter 3 by sliding the slide-spindle 9 to the bottom of the slots 7 and 8 again.

The pod is extracted with the minimum of attached flesh in that the cutting-edges 12 are urged towards one another throughout the downward movement into the mango and therefore move closely and substantiallY-COflfOrmallY over the surface of the pod to slice flesh from that surface.

There is the major advantage that the only significant slicing of the mango is in the entry cavity created by the tubular cutter 3, and, since the cavity is only between the broad end of the mango H and the length of its pod F, is minimal. By virtue of the resilience of the wall 4 and the restraint imposed by the springs 11, the cutter 3 adapts to a wide variety of shapes and sizes of pod. Only a small quantity of flesh is removed and this in any case is to a large extent recoverable from within the cutter 3 upon ejection of the pod. However, there is a further advantage in that the extractor 1 does not need to extend into the mango further than is necessary to free the pod and hold it within the cutter 3. Accordingly, the skin of the mango is pierced only at the entry point of the extractor 1, so that after the pod is removed, the mango can be served as a dessert, contained within its skin for consumption through the aperture made by the cutter 3.

In one example of an extractor constructed as described above, the overall length of the extractor is 12 inches (30.48 cm) with the cutter having a length of 6 inches (15.24 cm) an external width in the major and minor axes of 2.375 inches (5.84 cm) and 0.875 inches (2.22 cm) respectively. Because mangos vary considerably in size, extractors having different dimensions from these (smaller or larger) may be found to be better adapted to any particular use and variety of mango. Thus, it may be necessary to provide a range of extractors of different dimensionS in order to be able most efficiently to extract the pods of different mango-varieties and -sizes. However, it may nonetheless be possible to provide an extractor that has dimensions which will enable it to be used reasonably efficiently throughout a wide range of different varieties and sizes of mango.

Although the wall 4 of the cutter 3 described above is of a one-piece tubular construction having an oval or generally-elliptical cross-section, it might comprise two elongate shells which are at least partially bowed widthwise to form the front and back faces respectively, and which are urged resiliently into, or at least towards, abutment with one another along their longitudinal edges. The two shells in this way together provide a wall of elongate tubular form that is substantially oval (generally-elliptical) in cross-section, and is split lengthwise (as between the two shells) in the major-axis dimension. The split enables the wall to be expanded in the minor-axis dimension against the action of the springs 11, whether or not the shells have resilience in themselves.

Claims

Claims: 1 A mango-pod extractor wherein a cutter for piercing a mango

has a wall of elongate tubular form that is substantially oval in cross-section and is expandable resiliently in the minor-axis dimension of its cross-section for close conformal cutting movement over the surface of the pod of the pierced mango.
2. A mango-pod extractor according to Claim 1 wherein the resilience in the minor-axis dimension acts for retention of the pod within the wall unpon withdrawal of the cutter from the pierced mango.
3. A mango-pod extractor according to Claim 2 including a slide for movement lengthwise of the cutter for ejecting from the cutter a pod resiliently retained within the wall.
4. A mango-pod extractor according to Claim 3 wherein the slide comprises a spindle that extends within the tubular wall substantially parallel to the minor-axis dimension and is s].idable transversely lengthwise of the wall.
5. A mango-pod extractor according to Claim 4 wherein the spindle is slidable in slots that extend lengthwise of the wall.
6. A mango-pod extractor according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein the spindle carries springs that act on the wall to provide resilient opposition to expansion of the wall in the minor-axis dimension.
7. A mango-pod extractor according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein a free end of the wall has curved cutting-edges.
8. A mango-pod extractor according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the wall is of a one-piece construction.
9. A mango-pod extractor according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the wall comprises two elongate shells that are urged resiliently towards abutment with one another along their longitudinal edges.
10. A mango-pod extractor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.