Utensil for opening a shell of a crustacean
OwnerDaniel M. Martininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A utensil for opening a shell of a crustacean, such as crab, lobster and the like, has a pair of pivotally connected elongated members. Each elongate member has a handle portion and a head portion. A cutting blade is positioned in each of the head portions, the cutting blade having sharp inner edge to form a selected cut line through the shell of the crustacean. The cut line can be a uniformly straight line or defined by punctured openings that are made by serrated teeth provided on at least a portion of the cutting blade inner edge. The cutting blades are selectively brought in contact with the shelled crustacean positioned between the blades to sever the shell along a selected cut line without damaging the meat of the crustacean.
Claims29
A device for opening a shell of a crustacean, comprising:
- a first elongated rigid member having a first handle portion and a first head portion secured to the first handle portion;
- a second elongated rigid member having a second handle portion and a second head portion secured to the second handle portion, the first elongated rigid member being pivotally connected to the second elongated rigid member, and wherein each of said first head portion and said second head portion is provided with a groove on an inner surface thereof, and wherein a cutting blade means with a sharp contact edge is fitted in each said groove for engaging a shelled crustacean therebetween and for cutting through the crustacean shell, each of said cutting blades means being provided with sharp serrated teeth located on at least a portion thereof.
A device for opening a shell of a crustacean, comprising:
- a first elongated rigid member having a first handle portion and a first head portion secured to the first handle portion;
- a second elongated rigid member having a second handle portion and a second head portion secured to the second handle portion, the first elongated rigid member being pivotally connected to the second elongated rigid member;
- and wherein each of said first head portion and said second head portion being provided with a groove extending along an inner edge thereof, and wherein a cutting blade means for cutting through a crustacean shell is detachably fitted in each of said grooves, said cutting blade means comprising a blade member having a sharp contact cutting edge with serrated teeth disposed along at least a portion thereof said teeth capable of forming a plurality of spaced punctured openings in the shell of a crustacean without imparting any substantial mechanical damage on crustacean meat.
A method of opening a shell of a crustacean, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first elongated rigid member having a first handle portion and a first head portion secured to the first handle portion;
- providing a second elongated rigid member having a second handle portion and a second head portion secured to the second handle portion, and pivotally connecting the first elongated rigid member to the second elongated rigid member;
- providing a cutting blade means secured on an inner surface of each of said first head portion and said second head portion for cutting a crustacean shell, said cutting blade means comprising a cutting blade member with sharp inner edge having sharp teeth located on at least a portion thereof;
- positioning a shelled crustacean between the cutting blade member of the first head portion and the second head portion;
- moving the handle portions towards each other, thereby causing the sharp teeth of the cutting blade member to contact the shell of a crustacean and cut through the shell, thereby severing the shell along a selected cut line without imparting any substantial mechanical damage to crustacean's meat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.