Hinged Pusher Slicer for Safe Fruit Wedge and Cube Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current apple slicing devices are difficult to use due to resistance from fruit skins, leading to potential injury and are not suitable for slicing or cubing other fruits and vegetables, as they produce undesirable wedge-shaped sections.
Innovation Solution
A slicer and pusher device with radial or grid-arranged blades, where the pusher is hingedly attached to pivot and push remaining food items through the blades, allowing for easier handling and various cutting configurations, including wedge, square, or rectangular shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional radial blade slicing devices are used, then apples can be sliced into wedges, but the skin resistance prevents complete cutting and causes safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the cutting function into multiple stages: a primary slicing mechanism that cuts through the bulk of the apple, and a secondary pusher mechanism that completes the cut through the resistant skin. This segmentation allows each component to address specific cutting challenges without requiring a single blade to overcome all resistance alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The pusher acts as an intermediary element between the user's pushing force and the final cutting action. It transmits force through the blade gaps to push remaining unsliced portions through the blades, mediating the interaction between the user and the resistant skin to complete the cutting process safely.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional apple slicing devices are used, then wedge-shaped sections are produced, but the device cannot slice or cube other fruits and vegetables
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates adjustable blade arrangements that can be reconfigured to perform multiple cutting functions. The same basic slicing mechanism can produce wedge-shaped sections for apples while also being capable of creating cube-shaped portions for vegetables like onions, making the device universally applicable to various fruits and vegetables.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade configuration is made dynamic and adjustable rather than fixed. Users can modify the blade arrangement to adapt the cutting geometry to different food items and desired shapes, allowing the device to transition between producing wedges for fruits and cubes for vegetables as needed.
3Reliability
If users push against the final bit of apple with their fingers to overcome skin resistance, then complete cutting is achieved, but the risk of cut or injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pusher serves as a protective intermediary that eliminates the need for direct finger contact with the blade area. By using the pusher's protrusions to transmit force through the blade gaps, the device completes the cutting action through the skin without requiring the user's fingers to be exposed to the hazardous blade environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs the dangerous task of pushing through the resistant skin autonomously through its engineered pusher mechanism, rather than requiring the user to manually push with their fingers. The pusher's protrusions are designed to navigate through the blade gaps and complete the cutting action self-service fashion, removing the harmful action from direct user contact.
Data Source
AI summary
A slicing device for cutting fruits or vegetables into wedges, cubes, or other desired shapes includes a slicing frame and a pusher, in which the frame includes a grid of internal cutting blades. The pusher is configured to be used to push at least partially sliced food items through the gaps between cutting blades. In some versions, the pusher is pivotally attached to the slicer and includes a removable container.