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(11) | EP 4 566 776 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | BREAD CUTTER APPARATUS |
| (57) The present invention relates to kitchen accessories, in particular to a flat bread
cutter apparatus. The bread cutting apparatus of the present invention comprises a
base frame (1), a support frame (2), a cutting plate (3) comprising a plurality of
slits (4), a blade support plate (5) comprising at least two blades (6), a guiding
mechanism comprising at least one guide rail (7) and at least one sliding frame (8),
a handle mechanism comprising at least one manual handle (9), a handle frame (10)
and a tensioning element (11); wherein the blade support plate (5) is displaced between
a resting position above the base frame (1) and a final position in contact with the
cutting plate (3) so that the blades (6) are aligned and slice through the slits (4)
of the cutting plate (3). The present invention aims to increase the precision and
efficiency during the processing of a large number of bread loaves to be cut into
smaller even pieces.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to kitchen accessories, in particular to a flat bread cutter apparatus.
PRIOR ART
[0002] Traditional Turkish bread is a type of flat bread normally used to prepare Doner Kebab sandwiches, wherein one whole bread is partitioned into 2 - 4 pieces to prepare a sandwich per piece.
[0003] When preparing a large number of sandwiches, the bread is usually partitioned in advance, which requires each loaf to be cut manually using a knife blade to first divide the loaf longitudinally into two halves, then further cut each piece in half to obtain 4 equal pieces to prepare 4 sandwiches. If the user wishes larger pieces, the loaf may be cut into 3 pieces, however this requires more precision into the cutting process so that each piece is similar in size.
[0004] In addition, it is difficult to cut more than one loaf of bread, as the stacking of more than one bread requires an increased force applied to the knife blade and requires even more precision to cut the loaves equally.
[0005] This manual approach can take a long time to perform if there is a large number of loaves to cut, and may result in bread pieces having slightly different sizes. In addition, this approach may carry risks to the users who is more susceptible to have their hands cut during the repetitive cutting of a large number of bread loaves.
[0006] The present invention aims to solve these problems by increasing precision and efficiency of the cutting procedure of a large number of bread loaves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention a bread cutting apparatus comprising:
- a base frame (1);
- a support frame (2);
- a cutting plate (3) comprising a plurality of slits (4), being said cutting plate (3) positioned on the base frame (1);
- a blade support plate (5) comprising at least two blades (6) facing downwards towards the base frame (1);
- a guiding mechanism comprising at least one guide rail (7) and at least one sliding frame (8), being said sliding frame (8) connected to the blade support plate (5) at one end and to the guide rail (7) on the other end, being the guide rail (7) and sliding frame (8) operatively configured to allow the movement of the blade support plate (5) towards the cutting plate (3);
- a handle mechanism comprising at least one manual handle (9), a handle frame (10) and a tensioning element (11) operatively connected to the guiding mechanism and the support frame (2) so that the tensioning element (11) maintains the handle frame (10) in a resting position through tension forces;
[0008] The present invention allows the user to cut one or more loaves of bread previously stacked on top of the cutting plate (3) by pulling downwards the manual handle (9) of the handle mechanism in a single motion. As the manual handle (9) is pulled downwards, the guiding mechanism is actuated in that the sliding frame (8) connected to the blade support plate (5) slides along the guide rail (7), resulting in a precise movement of the blade support plate (5) towards the cutting plate (3). The blades (6) of the blade support plate (5) slice through the one or more loaves of bread and also through the slits (4) of the cutting plate (3) as the blade support plate (5) reaches its final position, ensuring that the bread loaves on top of the cutting plate (3) are cut through, thereby dividing the bread loaves into smaller pieces.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base frame (1) comprises a space below the cutting plate (3), so that the laminated edge of the blades (6) is not damaged against a given surface after slicing through the slits (4) of the cutting plate (3), when the blade support plate (5) reaches its final position.
[0010] In an advantageous aspect of the present invention, the tensioning element (11) of the handle mechanism allows the return of the blade support plate (5) back to its resting position above the base frame (1), as it exerts a tension force to the handle frame (10) so that the handle frame (10) and sliding frame (8) are more easily displaced upwards when the user stops pulling down the manual handle (9), being the upwards movement delimited by the guiding mechanism, in particular by the guide rail (7). The facilitated return to the resting position of the manual handle (9) and of the blade support plate (5) increases the user efficiency, as the user is only required to exert a downward force to cut the bread, and is not required to exert an upwards force to reset the apparatus, being this procedure assisted by the tensioning element (11).
[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bread cutting apparatus comprises a locking mechanism configured to lock the handle mechanism and prevent any unsolicited displacement of the blade support plate (5), in particular towards the cutting plate (3). Preferably, the locking mechanism comprises a locking bolt which locks the movement of the handle mechanism prevents the downward displacement of the blade support plate (5) in case the tensioning element (11) fails, thereby decreasing the risk of injury of the user. Moreover, the locking bolt also allows to lock the apparatus to facilitate the safe transportation of the apparatus.
[0012] The present invention is preferably used to cut bread loaves but may be also used to cut other food items that can be sliced in this manner, such as pizzas, legumes or fruits, being not limited to any of its described embodiments.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0013]
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the bread cutting apparatus.
Figure 2 illustrates different positions of the blade support plate (5), in particular a resting position wherein both the manual handle (9) and the blade support plate (5) are positioned at a maximum height above the base frame (1); an intermediate position wherein both the manual handle (9) and the blade support plate (5) are positioned above the base frame (1) at a lower height than the height of the resting position; and a final position wherein the blade support plate (5) is positioned over the cutting plate (3) so that the blades (6) of the blade support plate (5) slice through the slits (4) of the cutting plate (3).
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a blade (6), comprising an angled laminated edge, a grip (15) and attaching means (16) positioned in the top non-laminated edge. The attaching means (16) are configured to engage with a blade slot (13) of the blade support plate (5) so that the blade (6) is secured to said blade support plate (5).
Figure 4 illustrates the assembly of the blade support plate (5) and four blades (6). The blade support plate (5) comprises a plurality of blade slots (13), each blade slot (13) having locking means (14) configured to secure one blade (6) to the blade support plate (5) and to allow said blade (6) to be replaced. The locking means (14) preferably comprise a tension lock that can be actuated to facilitate the removal of each blade (6).
Figure 5 illustrates a front view of another embodiment of the bread cutting apparatus.
Figure 6 illustrates a side view of another embodiment of the bread cutting apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The more general and advantageous configurations of the present invention are described in the Summary of the Invention. Such configurations are detailed below in accordance with other advantageous and/or preferred embodiments of implementation of the present invention.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support frame (2) comprises a plurality of notches (12) positioned at different heights, wherein said notches (12) are configured to function as attaching points for the handle mechanism at different heights. This allows the user to ergonomically adjust the height of the manual handle (9) and of the blade support plate (5), to facilitate the use of the apparatus by the user.
[0016] In a relevant aspect of the present invention, the blade support plate (5) may comprise a maximum of six blades (6), wherein the blades (6) are positioned at an angle between 30° and 180° between each other, thus allowing the user to define the cutting pattern of the bread loaves, depending on the intended number of cut pieces or the size of each cut piece. The user may attach two blades (6) positioned at a 180° angle to cut one bread loaf into two half pieces, or may attach three blades (6) positioned at a 120° angle to cut one bread loaf into thirds, or may attach four blades (6) positioned at a 90° angle to cut one bread loaf into quarter pieces, and so on.
[0017] In addition, each blade (6) may comprise a removable protective sheath configured to cover the laminated edge of said blade (6), to increase the safety of the apparatus.
[0018] The blades (6) are preferably removable, being secured to the blade support plate (5) comprising a plurality of blade slots (13), each blade slot (13) having locking means (14) configured to secure one blade (6) to the blade support plate (5) and to allow said blade (6) to be removed or replaced. This allows the user to remove each blade (6) for cleaning or to perform maintenance procedures, such as sharpening, and also allows the user to easily replace the blades (6), whenever necessary.
[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each blade (6) comprises a grip (15) positioned in a non-laminated edge of said blade (6), preferably the top edge, and also comprises attaching means (16) configured to engage with a blade slot (13) so that the blade (6) is secured to the blade support plate (5). The attaching means (16) may be tension locks that can be easily actuated by the user to proceed with the removal of the blade (6). The advantage of the grip (15) is that the user is provided with a safe spot to manipulate the blade (6), thus facilitating both blade (6) removal and assembly procedures.
[0020] Another embodiment of the present invention may comprise at least one pressure bar (18) configured to operatively connect the handle frame (10) to the sliding frame (8), and may comprise at least one support bar (17) connected to the handle frame (10) of the handle mechanism; wherein the at least one pressure bar (18) mechanically transmits the displacement of the handle frame (10) to the sliding frame (8), thus resulting in the vertical movement of the blade support plate (5); and the at least one support bar (17) increases the stability of the handle frame (10), especially while the user is pulling the manual handle (9), by preventing the distortion of the handle frame (10) if the force exerted by the user is not uniform.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cutting plate (3) comprises at least one bracket, preferably two brackets, so as to align the bread loaves on the cutting plate (3) in an optimal position to be cut. Therefore, the brackets are preferably positioned at the edge of said cutting plate (3) so that the bread loves may me positioned against said brackets and adopt an optimal position to be cut. The advantage of the use of bracket to adjust the position of the bread loaves is that a stack of multiple bread loaves may be easily aligned against the bracket and minimize the time spent by the user to stack multiple bread loaves to be cut by the apparatus.
[0022] In another embodiment of the present invention, the base frame (1) and the support frame (2) may comprise a single body. Alternatively, the base frame (1) and the cutting plate (3) may comprise a single body.
[0023] Moreover, the base frame (1) may comprise leveling means configured to level the base frame (1) in a given surface, wherein the leveling means may comprise leveling screws that can be manually adjusted by the user so that the base frame (1) and cutting plate (3) are leveled.
[0024] In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the bread cutting apparatus is made of sturdy materials, preferably metal, more preferably stainless steel. This material is resistant to corrosion and is easier to clean and sanitize so as to avoid any food contamination or spoilage. The thickness of the stainless steel used to manufacture the bread cutting apparatus may be between 3 mm and 4 mm.
1. A bread cutting apparatus comprising:
- a base frame (1);
- a support frame (2);
- a cutting plate (3) comprising a plurality of slits (4), being said cutting plate (3) positioned on the base frame (1);
- a blade support plate (5) comprising at least two blades (6) facing downwards towards the base frame (1);
- a guiding mechanism comprising at least one guide rail (7) and at least one sliding frame (8), being said sliding frame (8) connected to the blade support plate (5) at one end and to the guide rail (7) on the other end, being the guide rail (7) and sliding frame (8) operatively configured to allow the movement of the blade support plate (5) towards the cutting plate (3);
- a handle mechanism comprising at least one manual handle (9), a handle frame (10) and a tensioning element (11) operatively connected to the guiding mechanism and the support frame (2) so that the tensioning element (11) maintains the handle frame (10) in a resting position through tension forces;
wherein the displacement of the handle frame (10) results in the displacement of the blade support plate (5) between a resting position above the base frame (1) and a final position in contact with the cutting plate (3) so that the blades (6) comprised in the blade support plate (5) are aligned and slice through the slits (4) of the cutting plate (3).2. A bread cutting apparatus according to the previous claim wherein the base frame (1)
comprises a space below the cutting plate (3).
3. A bread cutting apparatus according to any of the previous claims comprising a locking
mechanism configured to lock the handle mechanism and prevent the displacement of
the blade support plate (5).
4. A bread cutting apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the locking mechanism comprises
a locking bolt.
5. A bread cutting apparatus according to any of the previous claims wherein the support
frame (2) comprises a plurality of notches (12) positioned at different heights, being
said notches (12) configured to function as attaching points for the handle mechanism
at different heights.
6. A bread cutting apparatus according to any of the previous claims wherein the blade
support plate (5) comprises a maximum of six blades (6), wherein the blades (6) are
positioned at an angle between 30° and 180° between each other.
7. A bread cutting apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each blade (6) comprises a
removable protective sheath configured to cover the laminated edge of said blade (6).
8. A bread cutting apparatus according to any of the previous claims wherein the blade
support plate (5) comprises a plurality of blade slots (13), each blade slot (13)
having locking means (14) configured to secure one blade (6) to the blade support
plate (5) and to allow said blade (6) to be removed or replaced.
9. A bread cutting apparatus according to claim 8 wherein each blade (6) comprises a
grip (15) positioned in a non-laminated edge of said blade (6) and further comprises
attaching means (16) configured to engage with a blade slot (13) so that the blade
(6) is secured to the blade support plate (5).
10. A bread cutting apparatus according to any of the previous claims comprising at least
one pressure bar (18) configured to operatively connect the handle frame (10) to the
sliding frame (8) and wherein the handle mechanism comprises at least one support
bar (17) connected to the handle frame (10).
11. A bread cutting apparatus according to any of the previous claims wherein the cutting
plate (3) comprises at least one bracket, being said bracket positioned at the edge
of said cutting plate (3).
12. A bread cutting apparatus according to any of the previous claims wherein the base
frame (1) and the support frame (2) comprise a single body.
13. A bread cutting apparatus according to any of the previous claims wherein the base
frame (1) and the cutting plate (3) comprise a single body.
14. A bread cutting apparatus according to any of the previous claims wherein the base
frame (1) comprises leveling means configured to level the base frame (1).
15. A bread cutting apparatus according to any of the previous claims being made of metal.