GB2614134A

GB2614134A - Food cutting aid

Info

Publication number: GB2614134A
Application number: GB2218650.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Penaluna Ellie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-12-12
Filing date: 2022-12-12
Publication date: 2023-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 2042-12-12
Also published as: GB202218650D0; GB2614134B

Abstract

A food cutting aid 100 for protecting a hand of a user when cutting food with a knife. The food cutting aid comprises a handle portion 102 comprising a handle 104, 106 for being held by the hand of the user, and a protective shield 108, wherein the protective shield comprises a pair of plates 110, 112 arranged in tandem, one in front of the other, such that a slot 114 is formed between the pair of plates. The slot is arranged such that, in use, a blade of the knife can be inserted into the slot and used for cutting food positioned beneath the food cutting aid, the pair of plates guiding movement of the blade of the knife during the cutting. The protective shield is arranged relative to the handle such that the hand of the user is shielded from the blade of the knife during the cutting.

Description

Food cutting aid

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a food cutting aid. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention concerns a food cutting aid which protects a user's hand during cutting of food with a knife and can assist the user to correctly use a knife when cutting food.

Background of the Invention

Preparing and cooking food are common activities for individuals and/or families at home, and even more so for professionals who cook for a living. One of the preparatory steps of cooking involves cutting or slicing with a knife Typically, when cutting food, the food item is held by a user with one hand whilst the other hand holds a knife to cut the food item. Despite being an everyday activity, many kitchen related incidents are caused by cutting food quickly and without the proper technique. This may lead to injuries such as cuts on the fingers or on the hands of the user.

Some users may protect their fingers and hand by using finger guards and/or 20 hand protectors. An example of such a hand protector can be found in CA 2801328 Al which discloses a device called "Cut Guard" which is used to protect a user's fingers when cutting food. Similarly, CN 203003936 U discloses an integrally-formed safety hand-guard glove, wherein a user's fingers are shielded by the glove. US 2014/0182427 Al discloses a food slicing system comprising a finger guard, a finger ring and an angled knife guide.

Whilst the prior art may protect the user's hand and/or fingers whilst wearing the protective gear, they do not teach the user how to avoid cutting their hand and/or fingers without the use of the protective gear.

The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems.

Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved food cutting aid.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, a food cutting aid for protecting a hand of a user when cutting food with a knife, the food cutting aid comprising a handle portion comprising a handle for being held by the hand of the user, and a protective shield, wherein the protective shield comprises a pair of plates arranged in tandem, one in front of the other, such that a slot is formed between the pair of plates; wherein the slot is arranged such that, in use, a blade of the knife can be inserted into the slot and used for cutting food positioned beneath the food cutting aid, the pair of plates guiding movement of the blade of the knife during the cutting; and wherein the protective shield is arranged relative to the handle such that the hand of the user is shielded from the blade of the knife during the cutting.

By providing a protective shield comprising a slot which receives the blade of the knife, the blade is at least partly retained and kept physically separate from the hand holding the handle. Unlike prior art devices which merely provide a guard, the device of the present invention also guides the blade of the knife and the helps prevent lateral movement thereof The user may therefore practice a cutting motion with reduced likelihood of injury. The food cutting aid may thereby function both as a protective shield and a training apparatus for a user to learn how to cut food safely.

Each of the plates of the protective shield may have substantially identical dimensions. Each of the plates may have a rectangular shape. The pair plates may be parallel to one another. Having substantially identical and parallel plates may help retain the blade of the knife securely within the slot with a reduced risk of movement or slipping laterally during cutting. Each of the plates may comprise an inner face which faces inwardly and defines the slot, and an opposed outer face. The outer face of one of the plates may define an outer surface of the protective shield against which, in use, the blade of the knife can be slid along whilst being used to cut food positioned beneath the food cutting aid.

The protective shield may comprise a magnet for holding the blade of the knife against the outer surface of the protective shield such that, in use, the blade of the knife can be slid along the outer surface and used to cut food positioned beneath the food cutting aid whilst the blade of the knife is held to the outer surface by the magnet. Advantageously, an attractive magnetic force from the magnet may prevent the knife from moving away from the outer surface of the protective shield when cutting food items. Having the knife outside of the slot i.e. not retained within the slot, may increase the user's confidence in using a knife independently whilst still protecting the user's hand whilst the knife is used for cutting.

The protective shield may comprise a plurality of magnets. For example, the protective shield may comprise two magnets. In other embodiments of the invention, the protective shield may comprise four magnets. The magnets may be symmetrically distributed on the outer surface of the shield. The symmetric distribution of the magnets may be such that, when the knife is positioned against the outer surface of the protective shield, an attractive magnetic force from the magnets is applied substantially evenly along the blade of the knife, for example on a front part and a rear part of the blade of the knife. This may help keep the blade of the knife flat against the outer surface of the protective shield.

The food cutting aid may comprise one or more food gripping elements for gripping food positioned beneath the food cutting aid. The food gripping element may help securely hold the food item beneath the food cutting aid to reduce the likelihood of the food item moving when cutting. Alternatively or additionally, the food gripping elements may assist the user in moving the food cutting guard along the food item whilst cutting the food item. The food gripping elements may be detachable. The food gripping elements may comprise teeth. The teeth may have a triangular shape. The teeth may have a semi-circular shape. An advantage of the teeth having a semi-circular shape is that they may allow the food cutting aid to slide along a food item more smoothly during cutting.

The food gripping elements may be provided on the protective shield and/or the handle portion. The food gripping elements may be connected to one or both of the plates of the protective shield. The food gripping elements may be provided on a bottom edge of one or both of the plates of the protective shield and/or on a bottom edge of the handle portion. The food gripping elements may be removable, which may assist with cleaning after use and/or allow the food gripping elements to be interchanged. The food gripping elements may extend parallel to the slot.

The food cutting aid may comprise a gripping component comprising two or more of the food gripping elements. The gripping component may be slidably removable. The gripping component may comprise a plate. The food gripping elements may be connected to each other via the plate of the gripping component. The -4 -gripping component may comprise a food gripping element associated with a plate of the pair of plates, and a food gripping component associated with the handle portion.

One plate of the pair of plates may comprise a window for observing the blade of the knife during the cutting. The presence of a window in one of the plates may allow the user to see the blade of the knife in the slot, thereby helping to ensure that the correct cutting technique is being used. A further advantage is that the window may provide an easier way to clean the food cutting aid, as the user can more easily see within the slot after cutting.

When cutting food items, it is considered good practice to have a sharp knife, a stable, flat surface, and to position the user's hand on the food item such that the user's fingers are curled towards the user's palm. The handle portion is preferably configured such that the user can curl their fingers towards their palm when holding the handle. The handle portion is preferably configured such that the user correctly positions their hand relative to the blade of the knife. Over time, it is hoped that by using the device the user will get more confident with using a sharp knife to cut food items such that they will eventually be able to cut food items safely and with the recommended technique without the food cutting aid.

The handle may comprise two handle bars. The handle bars may be arranged such that, in use, one of the handle bars is arranged to contact the user's palm, and the other handle bar is arranged to be gripped by the user's fingers. Preferably, the handle bars are arranged parallel to each other. The distance between the two handle bars may be adjustable. An advantage of the adjustability of the two handle bars in the handle portion is that it may increase the user's comfort by accommodating the user's hand depending on their hand size.

The handle portion may comprise two side walls arranged opposite one another. Each side wall may comprise an opening for inserting one or both of the handle bars, such that one or both of the handle bars extends from one side wall to the opposite side wall. The opening may be a circular hole. The opening may a differently shaped hole, for example the hole may have a square shape. In other embodiments, the opening may be an elongated hole. Each side wall may comprise a plurality of openings, each opening configured to accommodate an end of the handle bar. The plurality of openings may be overlapping.

Each side wall of the handle portion may comprise a groove for retaining a smart device. The smart device may be a mobile phone. The smart device may be -5 -another hand held device. The groove may be used to securely position and hold a smart device whist the user is using the smart device during cutting, for example to watch a video of cutting techniques or view a food recipe. The side walls may be configured such that, when the food cutting aid is positioned on a horizontal surface with the side walls facing upward, the smart device is held in a position in which the screen is in a plane which is at least 45 degrees to a horizontal plane. The grooves may be used as a smart device holder once the user has learned how to cut food without using the food cutting aid in their hand. The grooves may be arranged to retain a book, for example a recipe book.

Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a first perspective view of a food cutting aid according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a second perspective view of the food cutting aid according to the first embodiment; Figure 3 shows examples of differently shaped teeth for a food gripping element of the food cutting aid according to the first embodiment; Figure 4 shows a side view of the food cutting guard according to the first embodiment; Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a food gripping element usable with the food cuffing aid according to the first embodiment; Figure 6 shows a first perspective view of a food cutting guard according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 shows a second perspective view of a food cutting guard according to the second embodiment; Figure 8 shows an example of a gripping component according to the second embodiment; and Figure 9 shows a side view of a food cutting guard according to a third embodiment of the invention. -6 -

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows a food cutting aid 100 for protecting a hand of a user when cutting a food item (not shown) with a knife (also not shown) according to a first embodiment of the invention. The food cutting aid 100 has a handle portion 102 having two side walls 101a, 101b which are substantially identical and arranged parallel to each other. Each side wall 101a, 101b, has an inner surface which is oriented to face the inner surface of the opposite side wall, and an outer surface which faces outwardly.

In the present embodiment, the handle portion 102 comprises a handle comprising two handle bars: a top handle bar 104 and a bottom handle bar 106, each handle bar being identical to each other. The top and bottom handle bars 104, 106 are arranged parallel to each other. That is to say, the top and bottom handle bars 104, 106 each comprise a longitudinal axis, and the longitudinal axes of the top and bottom handle bars 104, 106 are parallel to each other. The handle portion 102 is configured such that a user can rest their palm on the top handle bar 104 and curl their fingers around the bottom handle bar 106.

Each side wall 101a, 101b, has two openings 103 for inserting and mounting the outermost end of each handle bar 104, 106. The side walls are separated by a distance slightly shorter than the length of a handle bar.

Each side wall 101a, 101b has a groove 115. The grooves 115 are arranged to allow the user to rest a smart device, for example a mobile phone, within the grooves 115 such that the back of the smart device rests on the side walls 101a, 101b. This may allow a user who has finished using the food cutting aid 100 to repurpose the food cutting aid 100 as a holder for their smart device, for example for use on a kitchen counter to look at a recipe.

The food cutting aid 100 has a protective shield 108 having a pair of plates: a front plate 110 and a rear plate 112, arranged in tandem, one in front of the other. The plates 110, 112 are parallel to, and aligned with, each other. The plates are attached to each other via a bridging element 122. In the present embodiment, the bridging element U2 is integrally formed with the plates 110, 112. Therefore, the first plate 110, second plate 112 and the bridging element 122 are made of the same material and form a U shape such that the plates are arranged in parallel and facing one another. In other embodiments, the plates 110, 112, may be connected to each other -7 -by other means, for example by an adhesive. The plates 110, 112, and bridging element 122 are configured to form a slot 114 between the pair of plates 110, 112. Each of the plates 110, 112 comprises an inner face which faces inwardly and defines the slot 114, and an opposed outer face. The handle portion 102 is mounted to the outer face of the rear plate 112. The handle portion 102 is mounted to the rear plate 112 by an adhesive. In other embodiments, the protective shield 108 may be integrally formed with at least part of the handle portion 102, for example, the handle portion 102 and the protective shield 108 may be integrally formed from a plastics material. The slot 114 is arranged such that, in use, a blade of the knife can be inserted into the slot 114 for cutting a food item positioned beneath the food cutting aid 100.

The pair of plates 110, 112 can guide movement of the knife during the cutting and are arranged to protect the user's hand during the cutting. The hand of the user is thus shielded from the blade of the knife in use.

As shown in more detail in Figure 2, the front plate 110 of the food cutting aid 100 has a window 118 that allows the user to see into the slot 114 to ensure that the correct cutting technique is being used. Distributed evenly on either side of the window 118 are four magnets 120, two on the right side of the window 118 and two on the left side of the window 118. Each magnet 120 is disk-shaped and has a diameter of between 5mm to 20mm. The magnets 120 are flush with the front plate 110. The magnets 120 may be neodymium magnets. The magnets 120 are arranged to attract the blade of the knife in order to keep the blade against an outer face of the front plate 110 when cutting. The outer face of the front plate 110 defines an outer surface of the protective shield 108 against which, in use, the blade of the knife can be slid along whilst being used to cut food positioned beneath the food cutting aid 100.

The food cutting aid 100 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 has removable food gripping elements 116a-c which are located at the bottom of the food cutting aid 100 and, in use, come into contact with a food item. In the present embodiment, the food cutting aid 100 has three removable food gripping elements 116a-c. Each of the removable food gripping elements 116a-c extends parallel to the slot 114 and has a length equal to the length of the slot.

A front food gripping element 116a is mounted at the bottom of the front plate 110 as shown in Figure 2, and a rear food gripping element 116b is mounted at a rear end of the handle portion 102 as shown in Figure 1. The food gripping elements 116a, 116b have teeth which are triangular shaped. Triangular shaped teeth can be -8 -advantageous when there is a need to have an increased grip between the food cutting aid 100 and a food item, for example when cutting food items with an uneven surface. The food cutting aid 100 has a third removable food gripping element 116c which is positioned at the bottom of the rear plate 112. The third removable food gripping element 116c does not have teeth, but it will be appreciated that in other embodiments of the invention, the third food gripping element 116c may have teeth. The food gripping elements 116 may act as feet when the food cutting aid 100 is placed on an underlying surface.

Figure 3 shows example arrangements of the teeth for the food gripping elements. Figure 3 shows a first and second example 113a, 113b having triangular shaped teeth, and a third and fourth example 113c, 113d having semi-circular shapes teeth. Semi-circular shaped teeth may be advantageous when it is required to move the food cutting aid 100 during cutting, for example, when the user needs to slide the food cutting aid 100 along an elongate food item. Each example 113a, 113b, 113c, 113d has a different number of teeth. The first and second examples 113a, 113b with triangular shaped teeth have 11 and 6 teeth, respectively. It will be appreciated that in different embodiments the removable food gripping element may have a greater or fewer number of teeth. The removable food gripping element may have no teeth at all, as described above in relation to the third food gripping element 116c.

Figure 4 shows a side view of the food cutting aid 100 with an outline of the removable food gripping elements 116 located at each of the bottom of the front plate 110, the bottom of the rear plate 112 and the rear of the handle portion 102.

Figure 5 shows a detailed perspective view of a removable food gripping element 116c. The removable food gripping elements 116c has a main body 106, a neck 105 and a head portion 107. The main body 106 is a cuboid, but as described above and shown in Figure 3, the main body may have teeth. The neck 105 connects the main body 106 and the head portion 107. The neck 105 and head portion 107 form a T-shape and are configured to be inserted and releasably mounted within a corresponding slot on the food cutting aid 100. It will be appreciated that the slot has substantially the same dimensions as the neck and head portion. The neck 105 and head portion 107 may slide into a slot located at the bottom of the front plate 110, bottom of the rear plate 112 and/or the rear of the handle portion 102.

Figures 6 and 7 show perspective views of a food cutting aid 200 in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. Features of the present -9 -embodiment which are the same or similar to the first embodiment have been labelled with the same reference number but with a "2" instead of "I" at the front. In the present embodiment, the food cutting aid 200 has a handle portion 202 having two side walls 201a, 201b which are substantially identical and arranged parallel to each other. Each side wall 201a, 201b has four opening 203a, 203b, 203c, 203d, which are configured for inserting and mounting the outermost end of a handle bar 204, 206. The food cutting aid 200 has a protective shield 208 which comprises a front plate 210 and a rear plate 212 arranged in front of the handle portion 202. The front plate 210 is attached to the rear plate 212 such that a slot 214 is formed between the front and rear plates 210, 212. In use, the blade of a knife is positioned in the slot 214 for cutting.

A food gripping element 216a is provided at the bottom of the front plate 210 to hold food items when in use. The food cutting guard 200 also has a slideably removable gripping component 206 underneath the handle portion 202. As shown in more detail in Figure 8, the gripping component 206 comprises a rectangular plate 206 with a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface comprises two further food gripping elements 216b, 216c which extend between opposing edges of the plate 206.

On each of the longer sides of the gripping component 206, there are elongate protrusions 207a, 207b having a neck and head portion similar to those described in relation to the first embodiment and shown in Figure 5. The protrusions are configured to be slidably inserted and releasably mounted in a slot on the food cutting aid 200. Having a slidably mounted gripping component 206 allows the user to remove the gripping component 206 from the food cutting aid and exchange it for one having differently arranged food gripping elements, such as those comprising triangular teeth. In alternative embodiments, substantially the whole bottom surface of the gipping component 206 may comprise gripping elements.

Figure 8 shows a side view of a food cutting aid 300 in accordance with a third embodiment. Features of the present embodiment which are the same or similar to the first embodiment have been labelled with the same reference number but with a "3" instead of "1" at the front. The present embodiment has the same or similar features to the food cutting aid 100 as described with reference to the first embodiment. The food cutting aid 300 differs in that each side wall 301 of the handle portion has a plurality of connected openings 303a, 303b, 303c, 303d and 303e, each opening configured and -10 -sized to retain a handle bar. The plurality of connected openings 303a-e provides a number of positions for the user to position the handle bars to accommodate differently sized hands The food cutting aid 100, 200, 300 allows the user to learn the correct technique for cutting food in a safe way. In use, the user puts their fingers around the handle bars 104, 106, 204, 206 with their wrist placed towards an open side of the handle portion 102, 202, with the user's palm located at or near the top handle bar 104, the user's knuckles positioned near the protective shield 108, 208, and the tips of the user's fingers positioned around the bottom handle bar 106, 206. Depending on the needs of the user, they may hold the top handle bar 104, 204 or the bottom handle bar 106, 206 individually. The food cutting aid 100, 200, 300 may be used by a user's left hand or right hand. For example, the user may hold a knife with their right hand and the food cutting aid 100, 200, 300 with their left hand, or vice versa.

The food cutting aid can also be used as a learning tool to teach a user how to cut food items safely and correctly in three learning phases. Learning phase 1 involves inserting the blade of the knife into the slot 114 and cutting a food item by moving the knife up and down within the slot 114. Learning phase 1 is intended for beginners to gain confidence in using a knife whilst reducing the risk of injury. Learning phase 2 involves positioning the knife against the outer surface of the front plate 110, 210 of the protective shield 108, 208. The knife can be moved up and down relative to the outer surface of the front plate 110, 210 and used to cut food positioned beneath the food cutting aid 100, 200, 300. The blade of the knife is held flat against the outer face of the front plate 110, 210 by the magnets 120. Learning phase 2 is intended to improvs the user's independence while still providing safety by reducing the risk of injury. Learning phase 3 involves cutting food without the food cutting aid 100, 200, 300. The user should be able to hold food items by curling their fingers similarly to gripping the handle portion 102, 202 of the food cutting aid 100, 200, 300, and be able to move the knife up and down relative to the user's hand to cut the food without injuring themselves.

Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one embodiment of the present invention may be incorporated into other embodiments of the present invention.

In some example embodiments, the food cutting aid may be made of a plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The food cutting aid 100, 200, 300 may be provided in a plurality of, for example six, colour variations, wherein each colour is associated with a food item or food category, for example fish, meat, or vegetables. Having differently coloured food cutting aids 100, 200, 300 may reduce the risk of cross contamination of food. In other example embodiments, the food cutting aid 100, 200, 300 may be made out of metal material, or high temperature thermoplastic, or any other suitable material that is sufficiently durable.

It will be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims

-12 -Claims 1. A food cutting aid for protecting a hand of a user when cutting food with a knife, the food cutting aid comprising: a handle portion comprising a handle for being held by the hand of the user, and a protective shield, wherein the protective shield comprises a pair of plates arranged in tandem, one in front of the other, such that a slot is formed between the pair of plates; wherein the slot is arranged such that, in use, a blade of the knife can be inserted into the slot and used for cutting food positioned beneath the food cutting aid, the pair of plates guiding movement of the blade of the knife during the cutting; and wherein the protective shield is arranged relative to the handle such that the hand of the user is shielded from the blade of the knife during the cutting.
2. The food cutting aid according to claim 1, wherein the protective shield comprises a magnet for holding the blade of the knife against an outer surface of the protective shield such that, in use, the blade of the knife can be slid along the outer surface and used to cut food positioned beneath the food cutting aid whilst the blade of the knife is held to the outer surface by the magnet.
3. The food cutting aid according to claim 1 or 2, comprising one or more food gripping elements for gripping food positioned beneath the food cutting aid.
4. The food cutting aid according to claim 3, wherein the food gripping elements are provided on one or both plates of the pair of plates.
5. The food cutting aid according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the food gripping elements are provided on the handle portion.
6. The food cutting aid according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the food gripping elements are detachable.
7. The food cutting aid according to claim 3, comprising a slidably removable gripping component comprising: a food gripping element associated with a plate of the pair of plates, and a food gripping component associated with the handle portion.
8. The food cutting aid according to any of claims 3 to 7, wherein the food gripping elements comprise teeth.
9. The food cutting aid according to claim 8, wherein the teeth have a semicircular and/or triangular shape.
10. The food cutting aid according to any preceding claim, wherein one plate of the pair of plates comprises a window for observing the blade of the knife during the cutting.
11. The food cutting aid according to any preceding claim, wherein the handle comprises two handle bars.
12. The food cutting aid according to claim 11, wherein the distance between the two handle bars is adjustable.
13. The food cutting aid according to any preceding claim, wherein the handle portion comprises two side walls arranged opposite one another.
14. The food cutting aid according to claim 13, when dependent on claim 11 or 12, wherein each side wall comprises an opening for inserting at least one of the handle bars, such that said at least one of the handle bars extends from one side wall to the opposite side wall.
15. The food cutting aid according to claim 14, wherein each side wall comprises a plurality of openings, each opening configured to accommodate an end of one of the handle bars.
16. The food cutting aid according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein each side wall of the handling portion comprises a groove for retaining a mobile phone.