Systems and methods for a robot-adapted cutting board and knife

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12557945-B2
Application number	US-202117353175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2021
Priority date	Jun 21, 2021
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes causing a robotic limb to intercouple with a handle of a knife. The knife comprising a handle at a proximal end where the handle is configured to intercouple with the robotic limb, a bade connected to the handle, and an indentation at a distal end where the indentation is configured to intercouple with a bar of the cutting surface, and where the blade is rotatable around a first axis while intercoupled with the bar. The method includes causing the indentation of the knife to be intercoupled with the bar of a cutting board. The cutting board comprising the cutting surface and the bar affixed to the cutting surface. The method includes adjusting, by the robotic limb the position of the knife along the bar to along with an object on the cutting surface and rotating the knife to cut the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a cutting board, a knife intercoupled to the cutting board, and a robotic limb; wherein the cutting board comprises:
a cutting surface; and
a bar affixed to the cutting surface, wherein the bar is disposed along a first axis and couples the knife to the cutting board;
wherein the knife comprises:
a handle at a proximal end of the knife, wherein a proximal end of the handle is opposite a distal end of the handle that is connected to a blade, and wherein the proximal end of the handle comprises one or more chambers configured to intercouple with the robotic limb, at least one of the one or more chambers having an opening with a central longitudinal axis that is angled relative to a second axis, wherein (1) the second axis is substantially perpendicular to the first axis along the knife, (2) the second axis and the opening central longitudinal axis intersect, and (3) the opening central longitudinal axis does not intersect with the first axis when the knife is intercoupled to the bar of the cutting board by an indentation on the distal end of the blade;
the blade connected to the handle; and
the indentation at the distal end of the blade, wherein the indentation intercouples the knife along a second axis with the bar of the cutting board, wherein the knife is rotatable around the first axis while the indentation is intercoupled with the bar.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bar is affixed to the cutting surface at a height above the cutting surface, wherein a largest width of the blade from a cutting edge of the blade to a spine of the blade is at least as wide as the height.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blade comprises:
a cutting edge, wherein, when the indentation of the blade is intercoupled with the bar of the cutting board and the knife is rotated around the first axis to be in contact with the cutting board, the cutting edge is configured to be substantially flush with the cutting surface.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blade comprises a plurality of holes in a particular pattern, wherein the particular pattern is configured to reduce a contact area between the blade and an object being cut by the blade.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a weighted arm connected to the bar and extending along the second axis substantially perpendicular to the bar, wherein the weighted arm is rotatable around the first axis and slidable along the bar on the first axis.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the robotic limb comprises one or more robotic fingers, and wherein at least one of the one or more chambers is configured to intercouple with at least one of the one or more robotic fingers.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a pair of grommets affixed to the bar and slidable along the bar on the first axis, wherein the indentation of the blade is configured to intercouple with the bar between the pair of grommets, wherein the pair of grommets stabilize movement of the blade along the first axis while the knife is rotating around the bar.

8 . A method comprising:
causing a robotic limb to be intercoupled with a handle of a knife, wherein the knife intercouples with a bar affixed to a cutting surface, the bar being disposed along a first axis, wherein the knife comprises:
the handle at a proximal end of the knife, wherein a proximal end of the handle is opposite a distal end of the handle that is connected to a blade, and wherein the proximal end of the handle comprises one or more chambers configured to intercouple with the robotic limb, at least one of the one or more chambers having an opening with a central longitudinal axis that is angled relative to a second axis, wherein (1) the second axis is substantially perpendicular to the first axis along the knife, (2) the second axis and the opening central longitudinal axis intersect, and (3) the opening central longitudinal axis does not intersect with the first axis when the knife is intercoupled to the bar of the cutting board by an indentation on the distal end of the blade;
the blade connected to the handle; and
the indentation at the distal end of the blade, wherein the indentation intercouples the knife along a second axis with the bar of the cutting board, wherein the knife is rotatable around the first axis while the indentation is intercoupled with the bar;
causing the indentation of the knife to be intercoupled with the bar of a cutting board, wherein the cutting board comprises:
the cutting surface; and
the bar affixed to the cutting surface, wherein the bar is disposed along the first axis;
adjusting, by the robotic limb, a position of the knife along the bar to align with an object on the cutting surface; rotating, by the robotic limb, the knife around the first axis toward the cutting surface to cut the object on the cutting surface.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the blade further comprises:
a cutting edge, wherein, when the indentation of the blade is intercoupled with the bar of the cutting board and the knife is rotated around the first axis to be in contact with the cutting board, the cutting edge is configured to be substantially flush with the cutting surface to finish cutting the object, wherein the cutting edge is used to cut the object when rotating the knife around the first axis toward the cutting surface.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
placing, by the robotic limb, the object on the cutting surface.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
placing, by the robotic limb, a weighted arm on the object, wherein the weighted arm holds the object to the cutting surface, wherein the weighted arm is attachable to the bar and is rotatable around the first axis and slidable along the bar on the first axis.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the blade further comprises:
a plurality of holes in a particular pattern, wherein the particular pattern is configured to reduce a contact area between the blade and the object being cut by the blade, wherein the plurality of holes causes the object to not stick to the blade once finished cutting the object.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
sliding, by the robotic limb, a pair of grommets affixed to the bar to align with the object on the cutting surface, wherein the pair of grommets are slidable along the bar on the first axis, wherein the indentation of the blade intercouples with the bar between the pair of grommets, wherein the pair of grommets stabilize movement of the blade along the first axis while the knife is rotating around the bar to cut the object.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the robotic limb further comprises:
one or more robotic fingers, wherein one or more of the robotic fingers is configured to intercouple with at least one of the one or more chambers of the handle when intercoupling the robotic limb to the handle of the knife.

15 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions executable by a processor to:
cause a robotic limb to be intercoupled with a handle of a knife, wherein the knife intercouples with a bar affixed to a cutting surface, the bar being disposed along a first axis, wherein the knife comprises:
the handle at a proximal end of the knife, wherein a proximal end of the handle is opposite a distal end of the handle that is connected to a blade, and wherein the proximal end of the handle comprises one or more chambers configured to intercouple with the robotic limb, at least one of the one or more chambers having an open

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Aumiller Curtis D
• Sadi Sajid Hassan
• Cho Jun Yeon
• Harms Brian

Classifications

• B26D1/0006

  Cutting members therefor · CPC title

• B26D2001/004

  not rotating · CPC title

• B26D5/08

  Means for actuating the cutting member to effect the cut · CPC title

• B25J15/08

  having finger members (B25J15/02, B25J15/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• B26D1/30

  with limited pivotal movement to effect cut · CPC title