Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26B—HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B26B11/00—Hand knives combined with other implements, e.g. with corkscrew, with scissors, with writing implement
  • B26B11/006—Several functions combined in the blade
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
  • A47J17/00—Household peeling, stringing, or paring implements or machines
  • A47J17/02—Hand devices for scraping or peeling vegetables or the like

Definitions

• 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 to a peeler for fruits (eg. citrus fruits such as oranges and limes) and other vegetables.
• 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 preferably moulded in a single unit from a suitable plastics material, although one or more of the two blades may be detachable and formed, eg- of stainless steel. Finger grips may be moulded into the handle.
• 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/shell to be scored or cut.
• the first blade co ⁇ operates with a pin to enable a circular cut to be effected in the peel/layer/shell.
• 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°.
• 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.
• 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 and 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 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.
• FIGS 15 to 17 show a fifth embodiment of the utensil which incorporates a retractable paring knife blade.
• the utensil 10 of the first embodii ⁇ ent 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 blade” extends laterally from a raised formation 16 on the neck 13 and has a cutting edge 17.
• a circular blade assembly 18, on the 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.
• 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 20 extending from the tips of side wings 21, 22.
• 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.
• 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 100° 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.
• 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 end- this 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.
• 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 thir 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.
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• the first blade 315 is used to score the onion 331 down one or two sides, the scores being shown by arrows/lines 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.
• 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
• the shell can be removed without cutting off the stalk end of the onion.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Forests & Forestry (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Apparatuses For Bulk Treatment Of Fruits And Vegetables And Apparatuses For Preparing Feeds (AREA)
• Knives (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=27157623

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (13)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1992
  • 1992-08-04 IN IN554CA1992 patent/IN179052B/en unknown
  • 1992-08-06 GB GB9216669A patent/GB2258393B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1992-08-06 WO PCT/AU1992/000417 patent/WO1993002602A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (6)

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