Theodore E Hubbard

US Patent:

20130247739, Sep 26, 2013

Filed:

Mar 21, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/425541

Inventors:

Theodore Hubbard - Walnut Creek CA, US
Thomas Tealdi - San Mateo CA, US
Kyle Imatani - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

ASHLOCK COMPANY, A DIVISION OF VISTAN CORPORATION - San Leandro CA

International Classification:

A23N 15/06
B26D 7/01
B26D 7/18
B26D 3/08
B26D 5/16

US Classification:

83880, 83879

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for scarifying fruit by advancing at least one pair of opposed knives contemporaneously into an article of fruit (typically a frozen cranberry or other article of frozen fruit) through at least two locations on the surface of the fruit, such that none of the knives advances so far into the fruit that its tip protrudes out from the fruit. In embodiments which scarify frozen cranberries, each of the knives typically penetrates not more than about 7 mm, or in some cases not more than about 1 mm or 2 mm into the fruit. In some embodiments, each knife has a concave distal surface (for fitting against a convex article of fruit) with a pin protruding distally (e.g., by an amount in the range from about 1 mm to about 7 mm) from the distal surface.