DISPOSITIF DE COUPE POUR AGRUMES

CUTTING DEVICE FOR CITRUS FRUIT

Abrégé français

Dispositif tranchant pour retirer l'écorce de la demi-section d'un agrume. Le dispositif est doté d'un récipient ouvert vers le haut avec un axe vertical. Une tasse ouverte vers le haut est fixée de manière coaxiale de manière amovible à l'intérieur du récipient à proximité du bord supérieur, de manière à recevoir et à maintenir la partie à couper. Un élément tranchant manuel est fixé de manière à être pivoté coaxialement sur la partie supérieure du récipient. Cet élément est doté d'un bord inférieur annulaire conçu pour s'adapter et coulisser sur le bord supérieur du récipient. Il est également doté d'un manchon à couteau qui s'étend à une distance radiale de l'axe vertical et est orienté vers le bas vers la partie centrale inférieure de la tasse. Un couteau amovible peut être inséré sur le manchon après avoir placé la demi-section au-dessus du récipient. Une fois inséré sur le manchon, le couteau est doté d'une lame qui pénètre à l'intérieur du fruit à proximité de l'écorce et permet de retirer l'écorce de la demi-section du fruit grâce à la rotation manuelle de l'élément contenant le couteau par rapport au récipient. Le dispositif peut contenir deux ou plusieurs tasses dotées de parties centrales de différentes tailles afin de recevoir des fruits de tailles différentes. Dans ce cas, l'élément du couteau est également doté du nombre correspondant de manchons situés à différentes distances radiales pour permettre un ajustement optimal de la position de la lame du couteau selon la taille de la partie centrale de la tasse sélectionnée.

Abrégé anglais

A cutting device is disclosed for use to derind a half-section of a citrus fruit. The device has an upwardly opened container with a vertical axis. An upwardly opened cup is coaxially mounted in a removable manner within the container at a short distance from the upper edge thereof, in order to receive and hold he half-section to be derinded. A manually operable knife-supporting element is removably mounted in a rotatable manner coaxially on top of the container. This element has an annular bottom edge shaped and sized to fit and be slidable onto the upper edge of the container. It also has a knife- receiving sleeve that extends at a radial distance from said vertical axis and projects downwardly towards the central bottom portion of the cup. A knife is removably insertable into the sleeve after the half section has been positioned on top of the container. Once inserted into the sleeve, the knife has its blade that penetrates into the fruit at a short distance from he rind thereof and allows the half- section of the fruit to be derinded upon manual rotation of the knife-supporting element with respect to the container. Advantageously, the device may have two or more cups having central portions of different sizes to receive fruits of corresponding different sizes. In such a case, the knife-supporting element also has a corresponding number of knife receiving sleeves located at different radial distances to allow optimum adjustment of the position of the blade of the knife depending on the size of the central portion of the selected cup.

Revendications

10
CLAIMS
1. A cutting device for derinding a half-section of a fruit, comprising :
- an upwardly opened container having a vertical axis and an annular
upper edge concentric with said vertical axis;
- an upwardly opened cup for receiving and holding the half-section
to be derinded, said cup being coaxially mounted in a removable manner within
said container at a short distance from the upper edge thereof, and having a
central portion with a bottom;
- a knife-supporting element removably mounted in a rotatable
manner coaxially on top of the container, said element having an annular
bottom
edge shaped and sized to fit and be slidable onto the upper edge of the
container, said element also having a knife receiving sleeve that extends at a
radial distance from said vertical axis and projects downwardly towards the
bottom of the central portion of the cup; and
- a knife having a blade removably insertable into the sleeve after the
half-section has been positioned in the cup and the knife-supporting element
has been positioned on top of the container, said blade, once inserted,
penetrating into the fruit at a short distance from the rind thereof and
allowing
the half-section of said fruit to be derinded upon rotation of the knife
supporting
element with respect to the container.
2. The cutting device of claim 1, wherein the cup has an inner
surface from which project corrugations shaped and positioned to engage the
rind of the citrus fruit to be derinded and to prevent said fruit from being
inadvertently rotated together with the blade of the knife.
3. The cutting device of claim 2, wherein the corrugation consists of
teeth extending in equally spaced apart radial planes.

11
4. The cutting device of claim 1, wherein locking means are provided
to prevent the cup from being inadvertently rotated together with the blade of
the
knife once mounted in the container.
5. The cutting device of claim 4, wherein the cup has a peripheral
edge of polygonal shape, which acts as said locking means.
6. The cutting device of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the central
portion of the cup has an aperture made in it to allow overflowing juice to
drip
into the container.
7. The cutting device of claim 5, wherein the container is provided
with a pouring spout to facilitate recovery of the juice/collected therein.
8. The cutting device of claim 1, wherein the cup is shaped and
devised to mountable in upside down position onto the container whenever
requested and then used therewith as a citrus juicer.
9. The cutting device of claim 1, wherein the knife-supporting
element has a central portion devised and shaped to act as a handle in order
to
facilitate manual grasping and rotation of said element on top of the
container.
10. The cutting device of claim 1, wherein:
said device comprises at least two of said cup, said at least two cups
having central portions of different sizes to receive fruits of corresponding
different sizes; and
said knife-supporting element comprises at least two of said knife
receiving sleeves located at different radial distances to allow optimum
adjustment of the position of the blade of the knife depending on the size of
the
central portion of the selected cup.

12
11. The cutting device of claim 1, wherein the container has a flat
bottom with anti-skidding means externally attached thereto.
12. The cutting device of claim 2, wherein:
locking means are provided to prevent the cup from being
inadvertently rotated together with the blade of the knife once mounted in the
container;
the bottom of the central portion of the cup has an aperture made in
it to allow overflowing juice to drip into the container; and
the knife-supporting element has a central portion devised and
shaped to act as a handle in order to facilitate manual grasping and rotation
of
said element on top of the container.

Description

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2
CUTTING DEVICE FOR CITRUS FRUIT
a) Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a cutting device for use to separate
the pulp from the skin of fruits and more especially of citrus fruits such as
grapefruits, limes, lemons, cumquats, tangerines, oranges and the like
eventhough the same device could also be used with other fruits such as
melons, kiwis, apples and the like.
b) Brief description of the w~ior art
As is known, citrus fruits are spherical in shape and have an inner
part made of an edible pulp and an outer part called « rind », which consists
of
a semi-rigid skin. When the fruit is cut in half, its pulp defines a plurality
of sector
shaped segments each consisting of an edible soft part called « lith », which
is
surrounded by two opposite semi-rigid fiber partitions. The fiber partitions
extend
radially from a central fibrous portion up to the rind. Seeds or « pips » are
often
lodged into the lith.
Special knives are provided for cutting the edible part of the pulp
2 0 from citrus fruits. These knives have a blade that is curved to follow the
contour
of the skin and they need some manual dexterity to derind the pulp, i.e.
scrape
the pulp about its interface with the skin.
Other tools also exist, which consist of a semi-spherical open knife
made of radially extending blades which can be pressed onto a half-fruit held
2 5 into a cup, in order to slice its pulp and separate it from the skin while
the juice
is being collected into an adjacent container. In this connection, reference
can
be made to U.S. patent No. 1,040,582 granted in 1912 and U.S. patent No.
1,423,490 granted in 1922.
U.S. patent No. 4,959,903 granted on October 2, 1990 discloses a
3 0 cutting device which is presently sold worldwide under the trademark
STARFRIT/CITRUS EXPRESS and which comprises

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- an upwardly opened container for receiving pulp segments of the
fruit;
- a fruit derinding member sized and shaped to flt on top of the
container;
- a fruit segmenting member sized and shaped to flt above the fruit
derinding member on top of the container; and
- an inverted cup-shaped cover sized and shaped to cover the half
section of the fruit.
The fruit segmenting member comprises a ring which is freely
mounted on top of the fruit derinding member in use. It also comprises a set
of
arcuate knives upwardly projecting from the ring. The knives are spaced apart
and converge towards a common apex where they are connected to each other.
The fruit derinding member comprises another ring and at least one
arcuate blade upwardly projecting from the other ring. This arcuate blade has
i5 a peripherally projecting edge and is shaped, sized and connected onto the
other ring in such a manner to extend contiguously to any one of the arcuate
knives of the fruit segmenting member when the fruit segment member is fitted
on top of the base with the fruit derinding member in between.
In use, the flat face of the half fruit is applied directly onto the fruit-
segmenting member and manually pressed down with the cup-shaped cover in
order to segment radially the fruit into a plurality of pulp segments. Then,
the
cover, the fruit and the fruit segmenting member are manually turned in unison
on top of the fruit derinding member and the container, whereby the blades) of
the fruit derinding member peels the pulp segment out from the skin. After
2 5 having been cut, the so-peeled segments fall into the container where they
can
be recovered.
The object of the present invention is to provide a cutting device for
3 0 derinding a half section of a fruit, which device is simple in structure,
easy to
handle and to use and very efficient to achieve the requested derinding.

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More specifically, the invention provides a cutting device for
derinding a half-section of a fruit, especially but not exclusively a citrus
fruit,
which comprises
- an upwardly opened container having a vertical axis and an annular
upper edge concentric with the vertical axis;
- an upwardly opened cup for receiving and holding the half section
to be derinded, the cup being coaxially mounted in a removable manner within
the container at a short distance from the upper edge thereof, and having a
central portion with a bottom;
1 o - a knife-supporting element removably mounted in a rotatable
manner coaxially on top of the container, the element having an annular bottom
edge shaped and sized to fit and be slidable onto the upper edge of the
container, the element also having a knife receiving sleeve that extends at a
radial distance from the vertical axis and projects downwardly towards the
bottom of the central portion of the cup; and
- a knife having a blade removably insertable into the sleeve after the
half section has been positioned in the cup and the knife-supporting element
has been positioned on top of the container.
Once inserted into the sleeve , the blade of the knife penetrates into
2 o the fruit at a short distance from the rind thereof and allows the half
section of
said fruit to be derinded upon rotation of the knife supporting element with
respect to the container.
In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the
invention, the device comprises two or more cups having central portions of
2 5 different sizes to receive fruits of corresponding different sizes. Then,
the knife-
supporting element comprises.a corresponding number knife receiving sleeves
located at different radial distances to allow optimum adjustment of the
position
of the blade of the knife depending on the size of the central portion of the
selected cup.
3 o The invention, its structure, its operation and its advantages will be
better understood upon reading the following non-restrictive description of

CA 02315764 2000-07-25
preferced embodiments thereof, made with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
5 Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a cutting device for citrus fruit
according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, at a reduced scale;
Fig. 3 is a side elevational, cross-section view of the device shown
in Fig. 1, with an upwardly opened cup sized to receive a small fruit, such as
a
lemon or orange;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cup shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 in an exploded perspective view of the cup and container of
the device shown in Fig. 3, ready to be used as a citrus juicer;
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are views similar to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, respectively,
where the device shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is provided with a cup sized to receive
a large fruit such as a grapefruit; and
Fig. 9 is a side elevational cross-section view of the cup shown in
Figs. 6 to 8, with a grapefruit positioned in it and the blade of the knife
inserted
in cutting position;
2 o Fig. 10 is a side elevational, cross-section view of a cutting device
according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention; and
Fig. 11 is a top perspective view of a cutting tool for use to process
the fruit prior to derinding it.
DE~CRIPT10N OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
The cutting device 1 according to the first prefen-ed embodiment of
the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings is a manual device
intended to be used for derinding a half section 3 of a fruit, especially a
citrus
fruit such as a lemon or a grapefruit (see Fig. 9).
3 o The cutting device 1 comprises an upwardly opened container 5
having a vertical axis °A". The container 5 comprises an annular upper
edge 7
concentric with the vertical axis. It also comprises an inwardly projecting
flange

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9 that extends slightly below the upper edge 7. The flange 9 is coaxial to the
axis "A" and its upper surface is surrounded by a peripheral wall 11 of
polygonal
shape. The container further comprises a flat bottom 13 that makes it easy to
position onto a table or kitchen counter. Advantageously, anti-skidding means
such as a ring of rubber 15 may be attached externally to the bottom 13 of the
container to make it more stable once positioned.
The cutting device 1 also comprises at least one and preferably two
upwardly opened cups 17, 1 T for receiving and holding the half-section to be
derinded. The cups 17, 1 T have central portions 19, 19' of different sizes to
so receive fruits of corresponding different sizes. In the illustrated
embodiment, the
cup 17 is devised to receive "small" fruit such as limes, lemons or small
oranges
whereas the cup 1T is devised to receive "larger" fruit such as large oranges
or
grapefruits.
The cups 17, 1 T also have upper peripheral edges 21, 21' that are
sized and shaped to snugly flt onto the inner top portion of the container 5
and
bear onto the flange 9. Because of the polygonal shape of the peripheral wall
11 and the corresponding peripheral edges 21, 21', the cups 17, 1 T are
prevented from inadvertently rotating about the axis A. In this connection, it
may
be understood that other locking means could actually be used for preventing
2 o such a rotation. By way of example, instead of using a polygonal wail 11
and
polygonal edges 21, 21', use could be made of teeth or of a tongue and groove
system that would "lock" the cup to the container 5.
In use, one of the cups 19, 19' is to be selected as a function of the
size of the fruit to be derinded and then be coaxially mounted in a removable
2 5 manner within the container 5 as is better shown in Figs. 3 and 6, in
order to
support within its central portion the fruit to be derinded after it has been
splitted
and the bottom 4 of each half portion has been cut (see Fig. 9).
Preferably, the bottoms of the central portions 19, 19' of the cups
17, 1 T are each provided with an aperture 23, 23' to allow overflowing juice
3 0 produced during the cutting, to dip into the container 1 and be collected
therein.
To facilitate recovery of the so collected juice, the container 5 may be
provided
with a pouring spout 6, as is shown in the drawings.

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Preferably also, the cups 17, 1 T have corrugations 25, 25' on the
inner surfaces of their central portions 19, 19', which preferably consist of
projecting teeth extending in equally spaced apart radial planes. These teeth
are
shaped and positioned to engage the rind of the fruit to be derinded and to
prevent the half fruit located in the cups 17, 1 T from being inadvertently
rotated
when it is cut as will be explained hereinafter.
The cups 17,17' may also have corrugations 27, 27' on the outer
surfaces of their central portions 19, 19' and through holes 29, 29' in their
peripheral edges 21, 21'. Such makes it possible to use any one of the cups
17,
l 0 1 T as a citrus juicer after it has been positioned in upside down on top
of the
container 5, as is shown in Figs. 5 and 8.
The cutting device 1 further comprises a manually operable knife-
supporting element 31 that can be removably mounted in a rotatable manner
coaxially on top of the container 5. The element 31 has an annular bottom edge
33 shaped to define an inner flange sized to fit and be slidable onto the
upper
edge 7 of the container. The element 3 also has a number of knife receiving
sleeves 35, 35' corresponding to the number of cups, which extend at different
radial distances from the vertical axis and project downwardly towards the
bottom of the central portions 23, 23' of the corresponding cups 17, 17"
2 0 Preferably, the knife-supporting element 31 has a central portion 37
devised and shaped to act as a handle in order to facilitate grasping and
rotation
of the element 31 on top of the container 5. The opposite sides 39 of the
central
portion 37 may be left open or they may be closed. In the latter case, use can
be made of a transparent plastic material as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to give
the
2 5 user a visual access to the cup 17 or 1 T located within the device 1.
The sleeves 35, 35' are preferably shaped as °duck mouths", as
shown in the accompanying ~ drawings. As aforesaid, they are intended to
receive a knife 41 whose blade 43 is shaped and sized to be removably
insertable into the selected sleeve after the half section 3 has been
positioned
3 0 in the corresponding cup and the knife-supporting element 31 has been
positioned on top of the container 5.The blade 43, once inserted, penetrates
into
the fruit at a short distance from the rind thereof (see Fig. 9) and allows
the half

CA 02315764 2000-07-25
section of the fruit to be derinded upon manual rotation of the knife
supporting
element 31 with rasped to the container 5.
Of course, the fact that the nsaNving sleeves 35, 35' are located at
d~h~ent radii distenoe$ with raspsa to the vertksl axis 'A' pertrdts to
achieve
o~imum adJustment of the position of the blade 43 of the knife 41 dep~ding on
the size of the centred portion 18,19' of the sesacted arps 1 T, 1 T.
As it can be understood, the a~tting devk~e 1 as disclosed
her~e~boNe and shoMm in the sooompanylng drawirps can be made of plastic
material. It is very simple in structure. It is also very easy to handle and
use and
1o very efti~ent do achieve derirrding of a citrus fruit. It can further be
used as a
cihus j~ricer.
For the user's convenience, s setting toot 49 like the one in
Fig. 11 can be provided together with the derioia, in crier to facilitate
art5r~g of
the fruit 'F' bo be derinded fito half-portbrra (see the artting line 51 ) and
art~ng
1.5 of the bottom of each half-portion (see the a~tting fine 53). Such a tool
49
comprises a cup 55 shaped to n~cehre the fruit to be pnaoessed and a plurality
of guiding slots 57 that extend upwardly so as to guide a oonventionat knife
59
in the right cut5ng planes depending on the size of the fruit. Another tool
(not
shown) in the forth of a sleeve with a cutting edge at one end, may also be
2 0 provided t0 allanr removal Of the 'heart" of the fruit after it has been
cut with the
tool 49.
The cxrttir~ device 1 disclosed hereinabove is esserrtialiy manual.
tn a second preferred embodiment of the invention, this device could however
be electric, as is shown by way of non-restrictive example in Fig. 10.
2 5 In this seoorxi embodiment, the container 5 is detschably mou~rted
onto a rotating shaft 81 driven by an electric motor 83 via s set of gars 85.
The
knife-supporting element 31 is mounted on top of s bowl-shaped support 8T in
which the container 5 is placed. As may be understood, the container 5 and
fruit-n~oeiving cups 17, 1 T located therein both rotate relative to the knife-
, .
3 0 supporting e~rrrent 31 which is held by the sport 87 when this ele~k~lly
operated devise ~ actuated. This is differ~t from the manual device disdossd
heneinabove where the element 31 rotates relative to the cups 17, 1 T' and

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container 5. In both cases however, the result is obviously the same. Of
course,
other configuration could be used for this electric embodiment.
As a matter of fact, numerous modifications could be made to both
the preferred embodiments that have just been disclosed without departing from
the scope of the present invention. Thus, by way of example, each device could
have only one cup or more than two. Its size and more especially the one of
its
cups could also be adapted to handle much larger fruits such as melons, or
other fruits not necessarily of the citrus type, such as kiwis or apples. The
shape
and visual appearance of the device could also be substantially modified.
l0 Moreover, in the case of some fruits like kiwis, use could be made of a
thin rod
in place of the knife 41 mentioned hereinabove.

Dessin représentatif