A Device for Cracking a Shell of a Food Item

• US 20180235389A1
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Published: 08/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Noct AS
• Original Assignee: Noct AS
• Inventors: Storesund, Jan Roar
• Granted Patent: US 10,455,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 29/00 Processing shellfish or bivalves, e.g. oysters, lobsters; Devices therefor, e.g. claw locks, claw crushers, grading devices; Processing lines
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 29/027 Hand tools for shelling shellfish
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/06 Combined or separable sets of table-service utensils; Oyster knives with openers; Fish servers with means for removing bones kitchen equipment A47J
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/061 Oyster knives with openers; Shellfish openers processing bivalves, e.g. oysters, A22C29/04
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/26 Nutcrackers

Abstract

A device is for cracking a shell of a food item. The device has a first plier, a second plier and a pivot rotatably connecting the first plier with the second plier for enabling the food item, when arranged between the pliers, to be compressed between the pliers by a rotation of the pliers towards each other. The device further comprises a lockable spacing arrangement having an acceleration dependent locking device adapted to permit the rotation of the two pliers towards each other if an acceleration of the rotation is below a threshold value and adapted to lock the rotation of the two pliers towards each other if the acceleration of the rotation is equal to or exceeding said threshold value.

Claims

1. A device for cracking a shell of a food item, the device comprising:

a first plier, a second plier and a pivot rotatably connecting the first plier with the second plier for enabling the food item, when arranged between the pliers, to be compressed between the pliers by means of a rotation of the pliers towards each other;

a lockable spacing arrangement comprising an acceleration dependent locking device adapted to permit the rotation of the two pliers towards each other if an acceleration of the rotation is below a threshold value and adapted to lock the rotation of the two pliers towards each other if the acceleration of the rotation is equal to or exceeding said threshold value.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the locking device comprises a disengaged state in which the two pliers are free to rotate towards each other and an engaged state in which the two pliers are prevented from rotating towards each other, the locking device comprising an inertia device biased to a first position relating to the disengaged state and adapted to be displaced from the first position to a second position relating to the engaged state if the acceleration of the rotation of the two pliers towards each other is equal to or exceeding said threshold value.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the locking device further comprises a first engagement member, a second engagement member arranged at the inertia device and adapted to engage with the first engagement member, thereby locking the rotation of the two pliers towards each other, and a biasing device applying a force on the inertia device, wherein the biasing device is arranged to hold the second engagement member of the inertia device disengaged from the first engagement member if the acceleration of the rotation of the pliers is below said threshold value and arranged to allow the second engagement member of the inertia device to engaged with the first engagement member if the acceleration of the rotation of the pliers is equal to or exceeding said threshold value.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the inertia device comprises a displaceable arm extending between the first plier and the second plier, and where the locking device further comprises a further pivot connecting a first end portion of the arm to the first plier, and an elongated guide member extending along the length of the second plier and connecting a second end portion of the arm displaceable along the length of the second plier, wherein the guide member further comprises the first engagement member and the second end portion of the arm comprises the second engagement member.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the guide member comprises two or more first engagement members distributed along the length of the guide member.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the further pivot at the first plier is arranged closer to the pivot than the guide member at the second plier.

7. The device according to claim 4, wherein the guide member provides displacement of the second end portion of the arm between a front position and a rear position when the pliers are rotated towards each other, which front position is closer to the pivot than the rear position.

8. The device according to claim 4, wherein the biasing device comprises an elastic member connected between the first plier and the arm and adapted to act on the arm with a force that pulls the second engagement member at the second end portion of the arm away from the at least one first engagement member of the guide member while the second end portion of the arm is displaced along the guide member.

9. The device according to claim 4, wherein the guide member comprises an elongated support member extending along the length of the guide member and the second end portion of the arm comprises a support part adapted to be guided by the support member along the length of the guide member.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the support part is adapted to, when the pliers are rotated towards each other and the acceleration of the rotation is below the threshold value, be pressed by the biasing device towards the support member and guided by the support member so that the second engagement member of the second end part of the arm is separated from the at least one first engagement member at the guide member, and when the pliers are rotated towards each other and the acceleration of the rotation is equal to or exceeding the threshold value, be displaced away from the support member so that the second engagement member of the second end part of the arm engages with the at least one first engagement member at the guide member.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the support member comprises one or more projection elements protruding away from the length of the guide member arranged at respective position of the at least one first engagement members.

12. The device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one first engagement member comprises a first tooth element comprising a first sloped surface and a second sloped surface, wherein the first sloped surface is steeper than the second sloped surface, wherein the second engagement member comprises a corresponding second tooth element that is arranged in an opposite direction to first tooth element.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the spacing arrangement further comprises a damper device comprising a further elastic element adapted to absorb and damp shock impulses when the pliers are rotated towards each other.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the damper device comprises a stop arrangement comprising a first stop member protruding from one of the first plier and the second plier, and a second stop member at the other of the first plier and the second plier, wherein the pliers are rotatable between an operational state in which the first stop member and second stop member are separated from each other and a non-operational state in which the first stop member and second stop member are contacting each other.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the inertia device comprises a displaceable arm extending between the first plier and the second plier, and where the locking device further comprises a further pivot connecting a first end portion of the arm to the first plier, and an elongated guide member extending along the length of the second plier and connecting a second end portion of the arm displaceable along the length of the second plier, wherein the guide member further comprises a first engagement member and the second end portion of the arm comprises a second engagement member wherein the second end portion of the arm is in the rear position on the guide member when the first stop member and second stop member are contacting each other.