CA1098424A - Receptacle for motor-driven food processor - Google Patents

Abstract

IMPROVED RECEPTACLE FOR MOTOR-DRIVEN
FOOD PROCESSOR

Abstract of the Disclosure The specification discloses a tilt preventing element for use in a food processor comprising a power unit having a drive shaft, a removable receptacle including a container and a lid having a feed chute communicatable to the interior of the receptacle when mounted on the container, and a rotary treating element rotatable within the receptacle together with the drive shaft. The tilt preventing element prevents food material inserted into the feed chute from being tilted sideways, and comprises an elastic retainer member including a number of long elastic tines and a corresponding number of short elastic tines.
The long and short tines are so curved that, when the elastic retainer member is removably mounted on the open end of the feed chute opposite to the container, they can extend downwardly in the feed chute and diverge outwardly from the surrounding wall defining the feed chute. By this means, the food material can be treated quite uniformly by the rotary treating element.

Description

1~8424 The present invention generally relates to a motor-driven food processor for household use for processing, for example, chopping, mixing, blending, shredding, slicing, grinding or grating, food material depending upon the type of a removable rotary treating element used and, more particularly, to an improvement in a removable receptacle employed in combination with the food processor.
The type of food processor to which the present invention pertains is well known and currently commercially available. Except for food processors of the type capable only of, for example, peeling vegetables like potatoes such as disclosed in the United States Patent No. 3,848,524, food processors generally have a power unit including an electric motor and a drive shaft, a receptacle including a container and a lid, and a rotary treating element rotatable within the receptacle by the drive shaft at a high speed, all of which are separable and removable from each other.
The rotary treating elements are currently available in many different types, for example, a cutting disc, shredding disc, slicing disc, grating disc, mixing blade and peeling disc. A particular type of rotary treating element is not necessarily limited in its use and, for example, a cutting disc may be used not only for chopping or grinding food material, but also for grating, shredding or slicing, and a mixing blade may be used not only for mixing, but also for smashing or blending.
The present invention is specifically directed to an improvement in the removable receptacle specifically used in combination with the food processor and, more particularly, to a food holder adapted to be removably 10~8424 mounted on a feed chute, formed on the lid of the receptacle, for pxeventing the food material being processed from undesirably tilting sideways in the feed chute.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 40-24699, published on August 21, 1965, discloses a food processor wherein the feed chute includes means for preventing the food material being processed from undesirably tilting sideways in the feed chute. The tilt preventing means disclosed therein comprises a pair of substantially rectangular elastic retainers each being of a construction having a plurality of elongated elastic tines connected at one end together by means of a transversely extendiny strip to provide a substantially comb-like shape. The tines of each of the elastic retainers are so bent that, when these retainers are installed inside the feed chute with the respective strips secured to or embedded in a wall defining the feed chute in opposite relation to each other, the bent areas of the tines of one elastic retainer protrude outwards towards the bent areas of the tines of the other elastic retainer with the passage in the feed chute consequently adjustably constricted.
In this arrangement disclosed in the Utility Model Publication No. 40-24699, the tilt preventing means, that is, the elastic retainers, is not removable relative to the feed chute.
An improved version wherein the tilt preventing means comprises the only elastic retainer similar in con-struction to that described above, but has a clip element -formed in the strip joining the tines together so that the elastic retainer can removably be mounted on an inlet open end of the feed chute with the tines protruding into ,A

lQ"84Z4 the inside of the feed chute is disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 40-28225, published on September 28, 1965. Except for the provision of the clip element, the retainer disclosed in the second mentioned publication differs from that disclosed in the first mentioned publication in that the tines are curved like a bow in contrast to the bent areas of the tines of the first mentioned publication.
None of these publications specifically mentions the lengths of the elastic tines, but the drawings attached thereto suggest that they are of equal length and equally bent or curved in the same direction.
The tilt preventing means disclosed in any one of the above mentioned publications appears to be sa*isfactory, but the effectiveness for it to hold the food material rela-tively firmly in position within the feed chute appears to allow room for improvement.
Accordingly, the present invention has for its essential object to provide an improved removable tilt preventing means for use in a food processor of the type discussed above, which is effective to hold the food material firmly in position within the feed chute.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved removable tilt preventing means of the type referred to above, which supports the food material being processed at two different levels spaced from the plane of rotation of the rotary treating element.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved removable tilt preventing means, which is easy to handle and can readily be manufactured without requiring the increased manufacturing cost and a complicated manufacturing procedure.

1~8424 According to the present invention, the tilt preventing means comprises an elastic retainer member including a plurality of long elastic tines separated from each other and a corresponding number of short elastic tines separated from each other. These long and short tines are so curved that, when the elastic retainer member is mounted on the open end of the feed chute opposite to the container, they can extend downwardly in the feed chute and diverge outwardly from the surrounding wall defining the feed chute. Because of the difference in length between the long and short tines, the food material inserted in the feed chute can be supported at two different levels spaced from the plane of rotation of the rotary treating element thereby assuredly avoiding the possibility of tilt.
More specifically, because of the difference in length between the long and short tines, the free ends of the long tines contact a portion of the food material in the chute adjacent the rotary treating element while the free ends of the short tines contact another portion of the food material remote from the rotary treating element. Therefore, as compared with the prior art tilt preventing means which supports the food material in the feed chute at one level spaced from the plane of rotation of the rotary treating element, the present invention is such that the food material in the feed chute can be supported at two levels and, consequently, can be assuredly retained in position within the feed chute.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with preferred embodiments ., ~84Z4 thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a food processor with only a lid removed;
Fig. 2(a) is a schematic perspective view showing a rotary grating disc which may be used in the food processor shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 2(b) is a cross sectional view showing the details of one of grating openings defined in the grating disc shown in Fig. 2(a);
Fig. 3(a) is a view similar to Fig. 2(a), showing a rotary cutting disc which may be used in the food processor shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 3(b) is a view similar to Fig. 2(b), showing the details of a cutting blade defined in the cutting disc shown in Fig. 3la);
Fig. 4 is a side sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a receptacle having a feed chute to which a tilt preventing means according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied, with a pusher inserted in the feed chute;
Fig. 5 is a side sectional view of the feed chute shown in Fig. 4, with the pusher removed;
Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Fig. S, showing second and third preferred embodiments of the present invention;
Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7;
Figs. 9 to 11 are views similar to Fig. 5, showing fourth, fifth and sixth preferred embodiments of the present invention;

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1~8424 Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the feed chute with the tilt preventing means according to a seventll preferred embodiment of the present invention mounted thereon;
Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the tilt preventing means shown in Fig. 12;
Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the tilt preventing means according to an eighth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 15 is a top plan view of Fig. 14;
Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the ninth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 17 is a top plan view of Fig. 16;
Fig. 18 is a front elevational view of the tilt preventing means according to a tenth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 19 is a side elevational view of Fig. 18;
Fig. 20 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the tilt preventing means according to an eleventh preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 21 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the twelfth preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Before the description of the present invention proceeds, it is to be noted that like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the accompanying drawings.
Referring first to Fig. 1, a food processor comprises a power unit, a rotary treating element and a receptacle, which are generally identified by PU, DA and R, respectively.
The power unit PU comprises a substantially L-shaped molded housing H of synthetic material having a base ' ~ -6-~q84Z~

compartment BC and an upright compartment UC both defined therein. A drive motor M having a drive shaft Ma is rigidly mounted on a chassis S secured to the housing in any suitable manner, for example, by the use of a plurality of set screws threaded to respective support pillars molded together with the housing H, only one of the set screws and one of the support pillars being shown respectively by 10 and 11.
The chassis S has one end portion positioned within the base compartment BC and the opposite end portion positioned within the upright compartment UC, the opposite end portion of said chassis S carrying the drive motor M thereon with the drive shaft Ma loosely extending therethrough and terminating at a position inwardly spaced from a base lid L. The base lid L may be a metallic plate and is used to close the opening at the bottom of the housing H, said base lid L having its exterior surface provided with a plurality of spacer legs 12 (e.g. four spacer legs) which may be made of an elastic synthetic material.
The drive shaft Ma of the drive motor M has a fan 13 and a drive pulley 14 both rigidly mounted thereon for rotation together therewith, said fan 13 being used to cause the ambient air to flow towards the drive motor M to cool the latter during the rotation of the motor M. This drive pulley 14 is operatively coupled to a driven pulley 15 by means of an endless belt 16 to drive said driven pulley 15 in one direction, said driven pulley 15 being positioned within the base compartment BC and rigidly mounted on a main shaft 17 for rotation together therewith.
The main shaft 17 extends vertically through a bearing structure, generally identified by BS and rigidly carried by the chassis S in a manner as will be described later, 10~84Z~

and terminates outside the housing 1l after having loosely extended through a raised top wall Ha of the housing H
immediately above the base compartment BC.
The bearing structure BS comprises upper and lower flanged sleeves 18a and 18b flanged together and rigidly mounted on the chassis S, and upper and lower perforated bearing members l9a and l9b pressure-fitted into the respective upper and lower sleeves 18a and 18b, it being understood that the bearing structure BS is so designed as to support the main shaft 17 rotatably, but not axially movable. Positioned between the driven pulley 15 and the perforated bearing member l9b is an assembly 20 of at least one washer and at least one thrust bearing preferably made of an elastic material so that relative axial movement of the main shaft 17 can be absorbed.
The free end portion of the main shaft 17 which is situated exteriorly of the base compartment BC has a splined groove 17a for a purpose to be described later.
The portion of the main shaft 17 between the upper bearing member l9a and its end extremity remote from the driven pulley 15 is tightly sheathed within a protective covering 21 of a construction as will subsequently be described in order to protect the main shaft 17 from, for example, corrosion caused by corrosive materials which may occur when the main shaft 17 is made of a ferrous metallic material.
The protective covering 21 is in the form of a sheath having one end closed and held in contact with the top of the main shaft 17, a substantially intermediate portion of said protective covering 21 being integrally formed with an annular cap 21a overhanging an annular projection Hb in-tegrally formed with the raised top wall Ha in coaxial ~' 1~98424 relation to an opening in the top wall Ha. The annular projection Hb has an inner diameter equal to or substantially equal to the outer diameter of the main shaft 17 plus the thickness of the surrounding wall portion of the protective covering 21 such that no liquid medium can leak from the outside of the housing H into the base compartment BC, which would occur if there were a gap between the main shaft 17 and the annular projection Hb. Positioned on the main shaft 17 and surrounding the boundary between the protective covering 21 and the upper bearing member l9a is an annular cushioning member 22 employed for absorbing vibrations and echos caused by the movement of the various movable parts within the housing H.
For enabling the food processor to be steadily placed on, for example, a table via the support legs 12, a balance weight 23, consisting of one or more metal sheets or any other suitable heavy material, is secured to the undersurface of the top wall Ha by means of a plurality of set screws 24 extending through the balance weight 23 and threaded to respective spacer legs Hc integral with and downwardly extending from the undersurface of the top wall Ha.
The housing H has a switch panel 26 with push-button switches 27 for selective graduated speed control, which switch panel 26 is defined at a lateral wall Hd of the housing H laterally of the base compartment BC and opposed to the upright compartment UC.
A safety switch SW is located within the upright compartment UC above the drive motor M. This safety switch SW is stationarily supported by the wall forming the upright compartment UC by means of a fixture plate 28 and has an _9_ ~8424 actuator coupled to a push rod 29. The push rod 29 is axially slidably supported by the wall forming the uprightt compartment UC for movement between retracted and projected positions in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the main shaft 17, and is normally biased to the projected position by a biasing spring (not shown), it being to be understood that the safety switch SW is switched off when the push-rod 29 is held in the projected position as biased by the biasing spring. It is to be noted that, unless the safety switch SW is switched on in a manner as will be described later, switching on of any one of the switches 27 on the switch panel 26 does not allow the supply of an electric power from a commercial power source to the drive motor M. In other words, only when the safety switch SW is turned on is any one of the push-button switches 27 effective to drive the drive motor M.
The food processor so far described above, and particularly the power unit having a drive shaft represented by the main shaft 17, is well known to those skilled in the art and, therefore, the details thereof are herein omitted for the sake of brevity.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, the receptacle R
comprises a removable container 30 with a bottom wall 31 at one end thereof and a lid 32 (the lid is not shown in Fig. 1, but see Fig. 4). The container 30 may be made of either a transparent or semi-transparent synthetic material or an opaque synthetic material wheras the lid 32 may be made of either a transparent synthetic material or an opaque -material. Around the upper edge 33 of the container 30 outward offsets are provided to serve as bayonet fastener lugs 34 to rotationally hold the lid 32 thereon in cooperation 10~8424 with bayonet members 35 integrally formed with the lid 32 at the peripheral edge of the lid 32. As best shown in Fig. 4, one of the bayonet members 35 has a substantially triangular cam projection 36 adapted to engage the push rod 29 when the container 30 is mounted on the power unit PU
and when the lid 32 is mounted on the container with the bayonet members 35 fastened to the bayonet lugs 34, in order to move the push rod from the projected position towards the retracted position against the biasing spring, thereby to turn on the safety switch SW.
The container 30 has a handle 37 for enabling a user of the food processor to carry one or both of the container 30 and the lid 32. This container 30 also has an elongated annular wall 38 protruding from the bottom wall 31 inwardly of the container 30 in coaxial relation to an opening defined in the bottom wall 31, the function of said annular wall 38 being described later.
As shown in Fig. 4, the lid 32 has an upright feed chute 39 generally extending from a portion of the lid 32 adjacent its perimeter at right angles to the lid in a direction opposite to the container 30. This feed chute 39 has one end which communicates with the container 30, when mounted on the container 30, and an opposite end adapted to receive a food material to be processed and, therefore, serving as a feed inlet 40. The upright feed chute 39 preferably has a feed passage of substantially oval shape having a long axis extending generally parallel to the direction of rotation of the rotary treating element DA.
Removably inserted in the feed chute 39 is a pusher rod 41 of a length greater than the length of the feed passage in the feed chute 39 and having one end enlarged A

~0~84Z4 at 41a to provide a head portion which, when the pusher rod 41 is completely inserted in the feed chute 39 with the other end thereof spaced a slight distance from the plane of rotation of the rotary treating element DA as shown in Fig. 4, rests on the free end of the feed chute 39. For this purpose, the enlarged head portion 41a of the pusher rod 41 has a cross sectional area larger than the surface area of the feed inlet 40. It is to be noted that the pusher rod 41 may be either hollow, such as shown, or solid.
The rotary treating element DA so far shown in Figs. 1 and 4 is shown in the form of a cutting disc assembly 42, the details of which are shown in Figs. 3(a) and 3(b). The cutting disc assembly 42 comprises a disc 43 rigidly mounted on a sleeve 44 in coaxial relation to each other, said sleeve 44 being adapted to receive the drive shaft, that is, the main shaft 17, for rotation together therewith as shown in Fig. 1. The disc 43 has a slit 45 defined therein which may be either curved, as shown, or straight in a radial direction of the disc 43. One side edge of the slit 45, which is located on the trailing side with respect to the direction of rotation of the disc assembly 42 shown by the arrow in Fig. 3(a), is upwardly raised to provide a cutting blade 46 as best shown in Fig. 3(b) Shown in Figs. 2(a) and 2(b) is another type of rotary treating element which is shown in the form of a grating disc assembly 42' comprising a disc 43' rigidly mounted on a sleeve 44' in coaxial relation to each other, said sleeve 44' being adapted to receive the drive shaft 17 for rotation together therewith in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 1. The disc 43' has a plurality of openings 45' defined therein. An edge portion of each of the ~' `` 10~8~Z~
openings 45'~ on the trailing side with respect to the direction of rotation of the disc assembly 42' shown by the arrow in Fig. 2(a), is upwardly raised to provide a blade edge 46' as best shown in Fig. 2(b).
These disc assemblies 42 and 42' are examples selected from the various types of rotary treating elements now commercially available merely for the purpose of illustra-tion.
In the construction so far described, when the food material, for example a cucumber, is desired to be cut into round sllces, the container 30 is first mounted on the raised top wall Ha of the housing H in coaxial relation to the drive shaft 17 to allow the latter to project into the interior of the container 30. Therafter, and prior to the lid 32 being mounted on and fastened to the container 30 by means of the bayonet fasteners, the rotary treating element DA, that is, the rotary cutting disc assembly 42, is placed in position with the sleeve 44 mounted on the drive shaft 17 for rotation together with said shaft 17.
It is to be noted that, when the container 30 is mounted on the raised top wall Ha in the manner as herein-above described, the annular cap 21a on the protective covering 21 is rotatably held in liquid tight contact with one end of the annular wall 38 adjacent the opening in the bottom wall 31 of the container 30.
The lid 32 is then mounted on and fastened to the container 30. When the lid 32 is fastened on the container 30 by means of the bayonet fastener by rotating the lid 32 through a certain angle about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 17, the push rod 29 is moved from the projected position towards the retracted position in contact with the b.; ' ,',\ 13--lQq8424 cam projection 36 and, therefore, the safety switch SW is turned on. sy so doing, the food processor is ready to operate.
After or subsequent to insertion of the cucumber into the feed chute 39, one of the push-button switches 27 on the switch panel 26 is depressed. Upon depression of the switch 27 while the switch SW is turned on as has h_reinabove been described, the drive motor M is caused to operate, the rotational force of said drive motor M being transmitted through the endless belt 15 to the main shaft 17 whereby the rotary cutting disc assembly 42 is rotated at a high speed together with the main shaft 17.
As the cucumber in the feed chute 39 is pushed by the aid of the pusher rod 41 in a direction towards the cutting disc 43 then being rotated about the shaft 17, the cucumber is cut into round slices. Should the cucumber being pushed in the manner described above tilt sideways within the feed chute 39, the resultant round slices of the cucumber will vary in thickness and, in order to avoid this possibility, means for preventing the cucumber from tilting sideways within the feed chute are utilized, said tilt preventing means being generally identified by T and being described in detail hereinafter.
Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, the tilt preventing means T according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises first and second elastic retainers 47 and 47' of generally rectangular shape made of a metallic or synthetic material having a suitable elasticity. Each of the first and second elastic retainers 30 47 and 47' has a plurality of tines 48 or 48' connected at one end in spaced relation to each other to a connecting lO"Y424 strip 49 or 49' which extends transversely of the longitudinal direction of each of the tines 48 or 48'. The tines 48 of the first elastic retainer 47 are longer in length than the tines 48' of the second elastic retainer 47'.
These elastic retainers 47 and 47' are retained in position in opposed relation to each other by means of a holder 50 with the respective connecting strips 49 and 49' rigidly connected to, or otherwise non-removably embedded in, the holder 50, said holder 50 having an opening similar to the opening at the feed inlet 40 of the feed chute 39.
The long and short tines 48 and 48' of the respective first and second elastic retainers 47 and 47' are curved and are so designed that, when the tilt preventing means T is mounted on the feed chute 39 with the holder 50 resting on the open end of the feed chute 39 at the feed inlet 40 as best shown in Fig. 5, they extend downwardly towards the cutting disc 43 while diverging outwardly from the surrounding wall defining the feed chute 39.
In operation, as the cucumber having a cross section considerably smaller than the cross sectional area of the feed passage in the feed chute 39 is cut into round slices, the length of the uncut section of the cucumber eventually becomes smaller than the length of the feed chute 39, so the user of the food processor can no longer hold the cucumber at a position externally of the feed chute 39. The problem associated with the tilting sideways of the cucumber in the feed chute 39 may arise during the continued slicing of the shortened cucumber aided by the pusher rod 41 pushing down on the shortened cucumber. However, since the shortened cucumber is supported at two different levels of height spaced from the plane of rotation of the cutting blade 46 of the rotary cutting disc 43 with the tips of the short and long tines 48' and 48 contacting different portions of the cucumber in the feed chute 39, the problem can substantially be obviated.
That is, the possibility of undesirable tilt of the cucumber in the feed chute 39 can advantageously be minimized.
Although the first and second elastic retainers 47 and 47' have been described as secured to the holder 50 in opposed relation to each other in the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the second embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 6 is such that, while the holder 50 such as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is not utilized, the first and second elastic retainers 47 and 47' are utilized in overlapped relation to each other as mounted on the open end of the feed chute 39 with the long and short tines 48 and 48' extending downwardly into the feed chute 39. For this purpose, one side edge portion of each of the connecting strips 49 and 49' of the respective elastic retainers 47 and 47' is bent to assume a substantially inverted U-shape to provide a corresponding elastic clip 51 or Sl' by means of which the elastic retainer 47 or 47' is removably clipped on to the open end of the feed chute 39 in a manner as shown in Fig. 6.
It is to be noted that, in use, the second elastic retainer 47' having the short tines 48' is positioned above the first elastic retainer 47 having the long tines 48.

In the third embodiment sho~n in Figs. 7 and 8, the tilt preventing means T shown therein comprises a single elastic retainer 147 of generally rectangular shape made of a metallic or synthetic material having a suitable elasticity. This single elastic retainer 147 has a plurality of long tines 48 and an equal number of short tines 48', both of said long and short tines 48 and 48' being so connected toqether in spaced relation to each other to a common connecting strip 149 that, as best shown in Fig. 8, the long and short tines 48 and 48' are alternately positioned with respect to each other. The connecting strip 149 has one side edge portion, opposite to the long and short tines 48 and 48', which is bent to assume a substantially inverted U-shape to provide an elastic clip 149a by which the elastic retainer 147 can be removab~y clipped onto the open end of the ~eed chute 39.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 9, the first and second elastic retainers 47 and 47' which were clipped on the open end of the feed chute 39 in overlapped relation to each other in the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, are clipped on the open end of the feed chute 39 in opposed relation to each other without utilizing a holder such as that employed in the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, the first elastic retainer 47 is mounted on the open end of the feed chute 39 at a position radially outwardly of the lid 32 while the second retainer 47' is mounted on the open end of the feed chute 39 at a position radially inwardly of the lid 32. The manner of mounting the tilt preventing means T
shown in Fig. 10 is advantageous in that, since the cucumber being sliced tends to be pulled in a direction radially outwardly of the cutting disc 43 with an upper portion of the cucumber tending to tilt in a direction radially inwardly of the cutting disc 43, this possibility can substantially be eliminated. In other words, since the tips of the long tines 43 apply biasing forces to a lower portion of the , ~,,~f'~,l , a8424 cucumber in the feed chute 39 in a direction radially in-wardly of the cutting disc 43, while the tips of the short tines 48' apply biasing forces to an upper portion of the same cucumber in a direction radially outwardly of the cutting disc 43, the tendency of the lower portion of the cucumber in the feed chute to be radially outwardly displaced by the cutting disc 43 can advantageously be eliminated.
This is particularly true when the cutting blade 46 is located on the trailing side with respect to the direction of rotation of the cutting disc 43, e.g. as shown in Figs. 3(a) and 3(b).
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 11, the elastic retainer 147 of the construction which has been described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8 is removably mounted on the open end of the feed chute 39 at a position radially inwardly of the lid 32. The purpose of this arrangement is substantially the same as that of the arrangement shown in Fig. 10 and is advantageous in that the cucumber in the feed chute 39 is forced to contact a radially outward wall portion of the feed chute 39 without being tilted.
Referring now to Figs. 12 and 13, the tilt preventing means T comprises fixst and second elastic retainers 147' and 147" each being of the same construction as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. These first and second elastic retainers 147' and 147" are clipped on the open end of the feed chute 39 in opposed relation to each other. The cucumber can thus be held in position within the feed chute 39 without contacting any one of the opposed portions of the wall defining the feed chute 39.
The embodiment shown in Figs. 14 and 15 is similar to that shown in Figs. 12 and 13 except that the long and ~-short tines 48 and 48' of any one of the first and second .'~,, .

109~424 elastic retainers 147' and 147" shown in Figs. 14 and 15 are each longer than those shown in Figs. 12 and 13.
Therefore, in use, the first and second elastic retainers 147' and 147" are mounted on the open end of the feed chute 39 in such a manner that the long tines 48 of any one of the first and second elastic retainers 147' and 147" extend underneath the short tines 48' of the first and second elastic retainers 147' and 147". The arrangement shown in Figs. 14 and 15 is advantageous in that, not only can the cucumber be supported at the two different levels, but also the possibility of tilting of the cucumber in a direction generally parallel to the direction of rotation of the cutting disc 43 can be avoided.
The embodiment shown in Figs. 16 and 17 is similar to that shown in Figs. 14 and 15, but is different therefrom in the manner of mounting the first and second elastic retainers 147' and 147" relative to the direction of rotation of the cutting disc 43. In the arrangement shown in Figs.
16 and 17, the first and second elastic retainers 147' and 20 147" are mounted on the open end of the feed chute 39 in opposed relation to each other at respective positions radially inwardly and outwardly of the lid 32 so that the outermost one of the long tines 48 of the first elastic retainer 147' and the outermost one of the long tines 48 - of the second elastic retainer 147" can be respectively located on the trailing and leading sides with respect to the direction of rotation of the cutting disc 43 as shown by the arrow in Fig. 17. Since the cucumber inserted in the feed chute 39 tends to tilt with its lower portion dragged by the rotating cutting disc 43 and its upper portion displaced in the opposite direction, the arrangment shown ` ,~
.~

- ~0~8~Z4 in Figs. 16 and 17 substantially eliminates this tendency.
The tilt preventing means T according to the present invention can be manufactured by the use of any known press work from a sheet of metal having suitable elasticity or by the use of any known plastic molding technique. If the raw material for the tilt preventing means has uniform elasticity, the elasticity of any one of the short tines is higher than that of any one of the long tines. If it is undesirable to employ an elastic retainer or retainers wherein the long and short tines vary in elasticity, it is preferable to make the short tines 48' of a width smaller than that of the long tines 48, such as shown in Figs. 18 and 19.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 20, each of the long tines 48 has a straight portion 48a and a curved portion 48b, the straight portion 48a being such that, when the tilt preventing means T is positioned in place on the open end of the feed chute 39 as shown, it can be held flat against the wall defining the feed chute 39. This is advantageous in that any possible decrease of the elasticity of the long tines 48, which would occur when the long tines 48 are repeatedly pushed backwards by the pusher rod 41, can be substantially eliminated.
In addition, in any one of the foregoing embodiments of the present invention, the tip of any one of the long and short tines 48 and 48l may preferably be bent inwardly at 48c or 48'c of Fig. 21 to avoid the possibility that the cucumber once inserted into the feed chute 39 cannot be removed by the reason that the tips of the long and short tines 48 and 48' pierce the cucumber.
Although the present invention has fully been described in connection with the various preferred embodiments , -20-lQ98424 thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that numerous changes and modifications are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the true scope of the present invention in accordance with the followinq claims.

, r ~ ' .

Claims (11)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN
EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS
FOLLOWS:

1. For use in a food processor of a type comprising a power unit including an electric motor and a drive shaft, a removable receptacle including a container and a lid, said lid having a feed chute communicatable to the interior of the receptacle when mounted on the container, and a rotary treating element rotatable within the receptacle by the drive shaft at a high speed, a tilt preventing means which comprises an elastic retainer member including a plurality of long elastic tines separated from each other and a corresponding number of short elastic tines separated from each other, said long and short tines being so curved that, when the elastic retainer member is removably mounted on the open end of the feed chute opposite to the container, they can extend downwardly in the feed chute and diverge outwardly from the surrounding wall defining the feed chute.

2. A tilt preventing means as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the elastic retainer member comprises first and second elastic retainers, the first elastic retainer having the long tines and the second elastic retainer having the short tines.

3. A tilt preventing means as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the elastic retainer member comprises a single elastic retainer having both of the long and short tines which are alternately positioned relative to each other.
. 4. A tilt preventing means as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the first elastic retainer is adapted to be mounted on the open end of the feed chute at a position radially outwardly of the rotary treating element.

22

5. A tilt preventing means as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the elastic retainer is adapted to be mounted on the open end of the feed chute at a position radially inwardly of the rotary treating element.

6. A tilt preventing means as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the elastic retainer member comprises first and second elastic retainers each having the long and short tines alternately positioned with each other, said first and second elastic retainers being adapted to be mounted on the open end of the feed chute in opposed relation to each other.

7. A tilt preventing means as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the long tines of one of the first and second elastic retainers which is adapted to be mounted on the open end of the feed chute at a position radially outwardly of the rotary treating element are positioned on the trailing side of the long tines of the other of the first and second elastic retainers with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotary treating element.

8. A tilt preventing means as claimed in Claim 2, wherein any one of the short tines has a width smaller than that of the long tines.

9. A tilt preventing means as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each of the long tines is constituted by a straight portion and a curved portion, said straight portion contact-ing the surrounding wall defining the feed chute when the tilt preventing means is placed in position on the open end of the feed chute.

10. A tilt preventing means as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the free end of each of the long and short tines is inwardly bent such that, when the tilt preventing means is placed in position on the open end of the feed chute, each of said long and short tines extends so as to diverge from the surrounding wall defining the feed chute and then bend inwardly towards the surrounding wall.

11. A tilt preventing means as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the elastic retainer member further includes a holder having an opening similar to the opening of the feed chute, said long and short tines being retained by said holder, said holder being adapted to be mounted on the open end of the feed chute.