Food scoring knife and method for scoring

• US 6,487,948 B1
• Filed: 10/18/1999
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alfi, Elias A.
• Original Assignee: Alfi, Elias A.
• Inventors: Alfi, Elias A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peterson, Kenneth E.
• Application Number:
  US09/420,519
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 302/94, 30/2, 302/89, 303/17, 303/40, 303/42, 303/43, 303/44, 303/92, 303/93, D 8/98, 83/13
• US Class Current: 83/13
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 3/00 Hand knives with fixed blades handles, attaching the handles B25G
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes

Abstract

A food scoring knife of the presently preferred embodiment has an ergonomic handle portion and a head portion. A bottom edge of the handle portion is convex, while a bottom edge of the head portion is linear. During scoring, the user applies gentle pressure to the scoring knife, in particular, by placing fingers on a tapered finger rest, and at gripping indented sides of the handle portion. A tapered blade in the bottom edge of the head portion has a sharp cutting edge angled back toward the handle portion. The sharp edge slashes the surface of the food item as the scoring knife is pulled by the user. The convex bottom edge helps the user avoid dragging a bottom surface of the handle portion along the food item while scoring.

Claims

1. A method of scoring dough, comprising:

providing a food scoring knife comprising;

an elongated body having proximal and distal ends and comprising a handle portion at its proximal end and a head portion at its distal end, the handle portion having a height greater than the head portion, the body having a top edge and a generally rectangular end cross-sectional area with a bottom edge that extends along the length of the body, the bottom end being curved and generally smooth along its entire length; and

an exposed blade having a bottom edge that is generally parallel to at least a portion of the top edge of the body and proximal and distal ends, the blade extending from a portion of the bottom edge of the head portion of the body near the distal end of the body and permanently attached to the body, wherein the height of the distal end of the exposed blade is greater than the height of the proximal end of the exposed blade;

wherein the distal end of the body and the bottom edge of the body having a junction that is curved, the curved junction extending beyond the distal end of the exposed blade; and

pulling the knife over the dough so that the bottom edge of the body is in contact with the dough, whereby the exposed blade penetrates the dough and the body does not penetrate the dough.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the body of the knife is made of plastic.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the head portion of the knife has proximal and distal ends and decreases in height from its proximal end to its distal end.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the head portion of the knife has a length greater than the length of the handle portion.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the exposed blade of the knife has a height no greater than about 0.25 inch.