Pineapple Corer With Sliding Section Cutter for Uniform Flesh Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for separating pineapple flesh from the core and rind are cumbersome and dangerous to use, particularly when attempting to section the flesh into uniform chunks, as they require heavy lifting and precise cutting skills.
Innovation Solution
A tool with a cylinder jacket-shaped corer featuring a helical flesh cutter and a section cutter with an annular hub and spokes, allowing for easy extraction and sectioning of pineapple flesh without the need for manual lifting or precise cutting, by sliding the section cutter along the corer to cut the flesh into uniform sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the user detaches the handle and turns the corer upside-down to remove flesh, then the flesh can be separated from the tool, but the operation becomes clumsy and potentially dangerous due to the heavy weight of the flesh
Solution Approach 1:
The section cutter is provided in advance and attached to the corer before extraction. The cuts are made preliminarily while the flesh is still supported on the tool, eliminating the need to handle heavy freestanding flesh later. This preliminary sectioning reduces the weight burden during the removal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The section cutter is nested on the corer in a telescopic arrangement, allowing it to be stored within the corer structure and deployed when needed. This nested design allows the sectioning function to be integrated without adding significant external weight or complexity to the tool.
2Productivity
If the user cuts the helical string of flesh lengthwise while it rests on the flesh cutter, then sections can be obtained, but the operation requires dangerous dexterity and precise cutting skills
Solution Approach 1:
The section cutter performs the sectioning function automatically as it is slid along the corer. The cutting action is self-contained within the tool structure, eliminating the need for the user to manually guide a separate knife through slippery flesh. The tool itself provides the cutting service rather than requiring manual dexterity.
Solution Approach 2:
The section cutter acts as an intermediary between the user's simple sliding motion and the complex task of sectioning flesh. Instead of directly cutting with a knife, the user operates the section cutter which then performs the precise sectioning function, mediating the interaction between user and flesh.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple lengthwise cuts are made to prepare sections or chunks of flesh, then the desired dimensions can be achieved, but the number of required cuts increases operation time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sectioning cuts are made in advance during the single extraction operation. The section cutter is designed to make all necessary cuts preliminarily while the flesh is still supported on the tool, so that when the flesh is removed, it is already sectioned to the desired dimensions. This eliminates the need for subsequent cutting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The sectioning action is continuous and integrated with the extraction operation. As the section cutter slides along the corer during removal, it continuously sections the flesh in one uninterrupted motion, rather than requiring multiple separate cutting operations after extraction.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A tool (1) for separating flesh from a core and a rind of a fruit, in particular a pineapple, comprising: a corer (10) that, op opposite ends, is provided with a driving member (40) and a cutting edge (12); a flesh cutter (20) extending radially on the corer and having at least one cutting edge (22), wherein the shape of the flesh cutter is such that upon rotation it executes a helical movement with a predetermined pitch; a rind cutter (30), provided at an outer end of the flesh cutter and extending parallel to the corer, said rind cutter including a cutting edge (32). The tool further comprises a section cutter (60), including an annular hub (62) configured to be slidingly received on the corer, an annular rim (66), and one or more spokes (64) radiating from the hub and interconnecting the hub and the rim.