GB2357989A

GB2357989A - Pastry cutter

Info

Publication number: GB2357989A
Application number: GB0000184A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kwok Kuen So
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-01-06
Filing date: 2000-01-06
Publication date: 2001-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 2020-01-06
Also published as: GB2357989B; GB0000184D0

Abstract

A pastry cutter (100) comprising a handle (110) and a removable rotary cutting head (130) having a body (132) with opposite ends (140) and including a cutting blade (134) for use with the handle (110) to cut pastry. The handle (110) incorporates a rigid connector (120) providing a pair of opposed hooks (122) for engaging the opposite ends (140) of the cutting head (130). At least one end (140) of the cutting head (130) is spring-loaded to extend outwards for both ends (140) to engage coaxially with the hooks (122) of the connector (120) and is retractable to permit release of the engagement at both ends (140).

Description

2357989 PASTRY CUTTER The present invention relates to a pastry cutter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are several general types of construction for pastry cutters. In the type of construction concerned, the pastry cutter has a handle and incorporates a rotary cutting blade at one end of the handle. In use, the blade is pressed and rolled on a sheet of pastry to cut or stamp out pastry pieces of a particular shape corresponding to the design of the blade. The cutting of pastry pieces in different shapes will require the use of several pastry cutters having individual blade designs.

The invention seeks to mitigate or at least alleviate such a problem by providing a pastry cutter, of which the cutting blade is changeable.

SUMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a pastry cutter comprising a handle and a removable rotary cutting head having a body with opposite ends and including a cutting blade for use with the handle to cut pastry, said handle comprising a rigid connector providing a pair of opposed parts for engaging the opposite ends of the cutting head, wherein at least one end of the cutting head is spring- loaded to extend outwards for said opposite ends to engage co-axially with the opposed parts of the connector and is retractable to permit release of the 5 engagement at said opposite ends.

Preferably, said one end of the cutting head is formed with an end recess for engaging the corresponding part of the connector.

In a preferred embodiment, said one end of the cutting head is in the form of a plug slidable outwards and inwards relative to the body, and a spring is provided inside the body to resiliently bias the plug outwards.

More preferably, one of the plug and body has a side protrusion in engagement with a slot of the other of the plug and body for limiting the movement of the plug.

Further more preferably, the plug has a tubular inner end portion which is divided longitudinally into two parts, with one of them bearing the protrusion or slot and being deformable to permit the engagement between the protrusion and the slot.

Yet further more preferably, the spring has an end provided with an end piece for acting upon the inner end portion of the plug, said end piece jamming into. between the divided parts of the end portion f or holding said one part against deformation.

In a preferred construction, the connector is provided by a metal rod formed to have opposed ends acting as the opposed parts for engaging the opposite ends of the cutting head.

It is preferred that both ends of the cutting head are 10 extendable and retractable.

More preferably, both ends of the cutting head have substantially the same construction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a pastry cutter in accordance with the invention, which has a handle and a rotary cutting head; Figure 2 is a top plan view corresponding to Figure 1, showing the cutting head separated from. the handle; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cutting head of Figure 1, taken along line A-A; and Figure 4 is an exploded top plan view corresponding to Figure 1, showing various components of the cutting head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a pastry cutter 100 embodying the invention, which cutter 100 comprises a handle 110 and a removable rotary cutting head 130 connected to the handle 110. The handle 110 has a elongate plastic body 112 and includes a pair of metal prongs 120 for connecting the cutting head 130. The prongs 120 extend forwards from the front end of the body 112 to form a generally V-shaped configuration, having respective free ends bent into a pair of opposed hooks 122 pointing at each other for holding the cutting head 130 between them.

The prongs 120 are made from a single piece of metal rod folded at mid-length to form a stem 124 which is inserted into a hole at the f ront end of the handle body 112. The prongs 120 are sufficiently strong to be rigid and immovable in practice.

The cutting head 130 is moulded from plastics material to have a body in the form of a tubular central shaft 132 and include a pair of opposite curved blades 134 formed integrally around the shaft 132 with a web 138. Each blade 134 has a sharp peripheral edge 136 around and is bent in such a manner that its developed shape is circular (for cutting out a circular pastry piece from a larger sheet of pastry).

Each open end of the shaft 132 is occupied slidably by a respective end plug 140 which is tubular and has outer and inner ends or end portions 142 and 144. The outer end 142 is open, and so is the inner end 144, to provide an end recess. The inner end portion 144 is divided longitudinally into two halves 145 by a pair of opposite side slots 146, with one of the halves 145 bearing a side protrusion 148 and being deformable inwards to allow insertion of the end plug 140 into the corresponding end of the shaft 132. A longitudinal slot 133 is formed near each end of the shaft 132 for slidably engaging the protrusion 148 upon insertion of the corresponding end plug 140. The engagement between the protrusion 148 and the slot 133 limits the extent in which the end plug 140 is slidable inwards and outwards relative to the shaft end concerned. In an alternative arrangement, the protrusions 148 and slots 133 may be swapped with each other as between the end plugs 140 and the shaft 132.

The shaft 132 contains a compression coil spring 150 which is provided at each opposite end with an end piece 152 for engaging the inner end 144 of the respective end plug 140.

Outer end 154 of the end piece 152 is conical and jams into between the two halves 145 of the inner end portion 144 of the respective end plug 140, for holding the two halves 145 apart against deformation. This avoids any accidental disengagement of the protrusion 148 from the 5 related slot 133.

In order to connect the cutting head 130 to the handle 110, the end plugs 140 of the shaft 132 are initially pushed to retract inwards (arrows X of Figure 2) against the action of the spring 150 for allowing the shaft 132 to be fitted in co-axially between the end hooks 122 of the prongs 120. Upon release, the end plugs 140 will re-extend outwards to have their open outer ends 142 engage with the respective hooks 122. The cutting head 130 is rotatable relative to the handle 110 and is now ready for use to cut pastry.

Removal of the cutting head 130 from the handle 110 is done by pushing the end plugs 140 of the body shaft 132 inwards to disengage them from the corresponding hooks 122 of the prongs 120, whereupon the cutting head 130 may be detached.

The described cutting head 130 is only one example designed for use with the handle 110. Other cutting heads suitable for use have essentially the same body shaft 132 (and end plugs 140 and spring 150, etc) but cutting blades which have different designs from that of the described blades 134 for cutting out pastry pieces of various other shapes. All the cutting heads are interchangeable for use with the handle 110.

It is envisaged that only one end of the shaft 132 of the cutting head 130 needs to be extendable and retractable for both ends to engage with the respective hooks 122 of the prongs 120. Accordingly, the other end of the shaft 132 may not incorporate a said end plug 140. Also, the prong hooks 122 may be replaced by female formations, with the end plugs 140 arranged to be inserted into them for engagement.

The invention has been given by way of example only, and 15 various other modifications of and/or alterations to the described embodiment may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended claims.

8

Claims

1. A pastry cutter comprising a handle and a removable rotary cutting head having a body with opposite ends and including a cutting blade for use with the handle to cut pastry, said handle comprising a rigid connector providing a pair of opposed parts for engaging the opposite ends of the cutting head, wherein at least one end of the cutting head is spring-loaded to extend outwards for said opposite ends to engage co-axially with the opposed parts of the connector and is retractable to permit release of the engagement at said opposite ends.

2. The pastry cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one end of the cutting head is formed with an end recess for engaging the corresponding part of the connector.

3. The pastry cutter as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said one end of the cutting head is in the form of a plug slidable outwards and inwards relative to the body, and a spring is provided inside the body to resiliently bias the plug outwards.

4. The pastry cutter as claimed in claim 3, wherein one of the plug and body has a side protrusion in engagement with a slot of the other of the plug and body for limiting the movement of the plug.

5. The pastry cutter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plug has a tubular inner end portion which is divided longitudinally into two parts, with one of them bearing the protrusion or slot and being deformable to permit the 5 engagement between the protrusion and the slot.

6. The pastry cutter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spring has an end provided with an end piece for acting upon the inner end portion of the plug, said end piece jamming into between the divided parts of the end portion for holding said one part against deformation.

7. The pastry cutter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector is provided by a metal rod formed to have opposed ends acting as the opposed parts for engaging the opposite ends of the cutting head.

8. The pastry cutter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein both ends of the cutting head are extendable and retractable.

9. The pastry cutter as claimed in claim 8, wherein both ends of the cutting head have substantially the same construction.

10. A pastry cutter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.