Bread Cutter with Segmented Blades and Intermediary Guide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manual cutting of Turkish bread for sandwich preparation is inefficient, requiring precision and increased force, leading to inconsistent piece sizes and safety risks, especially when cutting multiple loaves.

Innovation Solution

A bread cutting apparatus with a base frame, support frame, cutting plate with slits, blade support plate with blades, guiding mechanism, handle mechanism, and tensioning element, allowing for precise and efficient cutting of multiple loaves with a single motion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If manual cutting with a knife blade is used to divide bread loaves, then the cutting process can be performed with simple tools, but the precision and consistency of piece sizes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of cutting toolsVSAvoidprecision and consistency of piece sizes

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting apparatus divides the cutting function into multiple blades (at least two blades) arranged on a blade support plate, with each blade corresponding to a slit on the cutting plate. This segmentation allows simultaneous cutting of multiple bread loaves with consistent precision while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting plate with slits serves as an intermediary element between the blades and the bread loaves. The slits guide the blades and provide a reference structure that ensures consistent cutting positions and piece sizes across multiple loaves, while the user still operates a simple handle mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If multiple bread loaves are stacked for cutting, then the productivity increases, but the force required and precision needed deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of bread loaves cutVSAvoidforce applied to cut through stacked loaves

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple blades are arranged on the blade support plate to cut through multiple stacked bread loaves simultaneously. This segmentation of the cutting function across multiple blades distributes the cutting force requirement and enables high productivity while maintaining consistent precision for each loaf.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The apparatus merges multiple cutting operations into a single action by stacking multiple bread loaves and cutting them simultaneously with multiple blades. This combining of operations increases productivity while the guiding mechanism ensures that the same force is applied uniformly to all loaves.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If multiple bread loaves are stacked for cutting, then the productivity increases, but the precision and consistency of piece sizes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of bread loaves cutVSAvoidprecision and consistency of piece sizes

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting plate features multiple slits that correspond to multiple blades, creating segmented cutting paths for each loaf in the stack. This segmentation ensures that each loaf is cut with the same precision as if cut individually, while the multi-blade configuration enables simultaneous cutting of multiple loaves for high productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting plate with its slits acts as an intermediary that standardizes the cutting process for multiple stacked loaves. The slits provide fixed reference positions that guide the blades through all loaves at identical locations, ensuring consistent piece sizes across all loaves while enabling batch processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Ease of manufacture

If manual cutting is performed repeatedly, then the simplicity of the cutting tool is maintained, but the time required and safety risks worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of cutting toolVSAvoidtime required for repetitive cutting

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The apparatus merges multiple individual cutting operations into a single batch operation. By stacking multiple bread loaves and cutting them simultaneously with multiple blades, the user performs one cutting action instead of repeatedly cutting each loaf individually, dramatically reducing the total time required while keeping the operating mechanism simple.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The bread loaves are pre-stacked on the cutting plate before the cutting action. This preliminary arrangement of multiple loaves in position allows them to be cut simultaneously in one operation, eliminating the time loss associated with repeatedly positioning and cutting each loaf separately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

5Ease of manufacture

If manual cutting is performed repeatedly, then the simplicity of the cutting tool is maintained, but the safety risks worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of cutting toolVSAvoidsafety risks to user

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

By merging multiple cutting operations into a single simultaneous action with multiple blades, the apparatus reduces the number of times the user's hand must be near the cutting zone. This single-action design minimizes exposure to blade hazards while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The handle mechanism acts as an intermediary that allows the user to operate the blades from a safe distance. The user pulls the handle to drive the blades through the stacked loaves, keeping hands away from the direct cutting path while maintaining simple operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The apparatus enables precise and efficient cutting of bread loaves into consistent pieces, reducing user effort and minimizing safety risks, while allowing for easy adjustment of cutting patterns and sizes.

Implementation Method 1

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

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTension: Tension

Data Source

PatentEP4566776A1Bread cutter apparatus

Publication Date: 2025.06.11 BESSA DOS SANTOS LUÍS CARLOS

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Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6

AI summary

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.