Food cutting assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food cutting devices are dangerous for children and require significant user effort, making them unsuitable for cutting cooked food products into equally sized and shaped portions efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A child-safe food cutting assembly comprising a container, cutting device with vertically disposed lattice-shaped cutting members, and handles for easy operation, allowing safe and quick cutting of food into equally sized portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If highly sharpened cutting blades are used to cut food into smaller portions, then the cutting precision and portion uniformity are improved, but the device becomes dangerous and requires significant user force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cutting function from traditional sharp blades and relocates it to the container's bottom surface with integrated cutting edges. This separation allows the cutting element to be fixed, stable, and safe while maintaining the ability to cut food into uniform portions when the container is pressed onto the food
Solution Approach 2:
The container acts as an intermediary between the user and the cutting action. Instead of the user directly manipulating sharp blades, the user simply presses the container onto the food, and the cutting edges on the container bottom perform the cutting function, eliminating direct contact with dangerous blades
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional cutting devices with sharp blades are used, then cutting precision is improved, but the device complexity and user effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the container and cutting device into a single integrated unit. The cutting edges are formed directly on the bottom surface of the container, eliminating the need for separate cutting blades or complex mechanisms. This simplification reduces device complexity while maintaining the ability to cut food into uniform portions
Solution Approach 2:
The container serves multiple functions: it holds food, provides the cutting surface through its bottom edges, and enables portioning when pressed onto the food. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate cutting tools and reduces overall device complexity
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional cutting devices are used to cut food into desired shapes and sizes, then portion uniformity is improved, but the cutting time and user effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting edges are pre-formed on the bottom surface of the container during manufacturing. When the container is pressed onto the food, these pre-positioned edges immediately begin cutting, eliminating the need for manual blade positioning or adjustment during the cutting process, thus increasing cutting speed
Data Source
AI summary
The food cutting assembly includes a container with an open top configured to receive a food product, a food cutting device configured to fit closely inside of the container and cut the food product, and a lid configured to engage the opening of the container to cover the container. The lid has a plurality of holes proximate its edge for draining water from the food. The food cutting device includes a peripheral frame structure defining an aperture therein, a plurality of cutting members each having an edge for cutting food, located within the support structure and arranged in a lattice across the aperture to define sections between the cutting members, and one or more handles affixed to the peripheral frame structure. The cutting members are disposed vertically within the aperture, with their edges arranged in a plane proximate the bottom of the food cutting device.