DE8621596U1 - Cutting insert for a work bowl of a food processor - Google Patents

Description

BOSCH-SIEMENS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES GMBH 8 Munich 80, 06.08.1986

Hochstrasse 17

TZP 86/509 Vei/Si

Cutting insert for a work bowl of a food processor.

D ^; The invention relates to a cutting insert according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

1 Such a cutting insert is known from the German published patent application

I 34 33 008. It is left open how the adjustment device for cutting width

I position. With such a cutting insert for a work container

I the problem is that the plate essentially has a smooth surface

1, which must be present when feeding the rotating circular knife to the cutting

J guides the cutting material well and keeps it at the right height. An adjustment device for

I Cutting width adjustment must therefore be arranged below the setting plate

I and should be as flat as possible to allow for the largest possible height range of the

TSP 86/509

work container remains free to hold the cut material. The area under the |

The adjustment device arranged on the adjustment plate is difficult to access for adjustment once the cutting insert is inserted into the work container, whereby the adjustment plate essentially completely closes the top-side opening of the work container.

Based on this, the invention is based on the object of creating a cutting insert according to the preamble of claim I, the adjusting device of which is simple and reliable.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.

This solution has the advantage of providing a simple and reliable control device with a low overall height. It is convenient and safe to use and, in particular, easy to clean, which is why it can be designed to be completely dismantled. The manufacturing effort is low due to the simplicity of the control device and, in particular, its easy assembly.

The adjusting slide can have a support cam, which supports the positioning plate against the knife carrier, for example in the form of a preferably stepped wedge, and is preferably guided on the positioning plate. Due to the round shape of the positioning plate and its knife cutout, a slide that can be moved on a circular path can be accommodated particularly advantageously, whereby the adjusting slide can be moved particularly advantageously on a circular path around the rotation axis of the circular knife, particularly when the knife gap is used as an actuating opening for the actuating element to engage.

In addition to an actuating element that reaches through the plane of the adjustment plate, an actuating handle arranged under the adjustment plate can be present on the adjustment device. This has the advantage that, even if the removable actuating element is not accessible at the moment, adjustment can be carried out after removing the insert from the work container and this actuation

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The operating handle can be permanently connected to the cutting insert, as it does not interfere with the underside of the adjustment plate. The adjustment plate can also be transparent so that the setting of the adjustment device can be seen through it, whereby the operating handle located on the underside can serve as an indicator for the setting, even if the setting is made from above using the removable operating element.

The actuating device can be designed as a locking device that locks the positioning plate and the knife carrier together in an easily detachable manner. In this case, it is particularly advantageous to use an actuating element that also serves as a knife protective cap, as this allows the knife carrier and the knife to be unlocked and removed from the positioning plate at the same time, while protecting the knife. Finally, a fastening device for the knife on the knife carrier can be released and the knife carrier can be removed from the circular knife with the axis attached to it, whereby the knife can still be kept protected by the actuating element designed as a protective cap. As already mentioned, the knife can finally be rinsed together with the protective cap and reassembled, whereby the knife edge always remains protected.

The actuating element can penetrate the top-side level of the attachment plate and be very small on its own and can therefore be arranged in an area of the attachment plate where it does not cause interference. For example, the actuating element can penetrate the attachment plate in an area that lies outside the area that passes under the filling shaft of the lid of the food processor. The actuating opening can be arranged in an outer edge area of the attachment plate or in the area above its hub. The latter arrangement is particularly possible if the filling shaft is arranged relatively narrowly and at a relatively large distance from the axis of the drive shaft of the food processor. The size of the knife also plays a role in this case. It should have such a diameter and such an arrangement that it does not cover the entire area above the hub. The opening in the attachment plate that accommodates the circular knife or the gap surrounding the knife between the circular knife and the attachment is particularly useful.

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adjustment plate for the passage of an actuating element. Since the gap is always present, no additional opening is created or the gap is only slightly widened in some areas.

With a non-removable actuating element that protrudes above the positioning plate, there is a certain risk that parts torn off the material to be cut will get into the path of the actuating element and, in the event of an unfortunate collision, activate the actuating device. For this reason in particular, it is expedient to design the actuating element so that it can be removed from the cutting insert. This design has the advantage that the top of the positioning plate is essentially completely free of obstacles. With regard to the arrangement of the actuating opening through which the removable actuating element interacts with the actuating device arranged under the positioning plate, the above statements on expedient arrangements of the actuating element apply. In this way, it is avoided that the material to be cut is pressed directly onto the actuating opening and can block it. The combination of the removable actuating element with the use of the knife gap as the actuating opening is particularly advantageous. The knife gap must be present during operation, as the cut-off material falls through it from the top of the plate into the lower part of the work bowl. The removable operating element is expediently designed so that it prevents cutting in its operating position. For this purpose, it is preferably designed so large that it is not possible to properly put the lid of the work bowl on without first removing the operating element from the cutting insert. For this purpose, it can protrude particularly high, e.g. about 5 to 50 mm, preferably 5 to 30 mm and in particular 5 to 15 mm, above the plane of the knife edge, which should also be the case when the cutting thickness is set to maximum. These measures are particularly effective with kitchen appliances, in which the properly locked lid activates a safety switch in the motor circuit.

The actuating element can be connected to the circular knife or the knife carrier and can be removed together with it from the support plate. This has the

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Advantage that the actuating element simultaneously serves as a handle for handling the knife when dismantling the device, thereby reducing the risk of injury from the cutting edge of the knife. Injuries to the cutting edge or injuries to the cutting edge can be further avoided by designing the actuating element as a blade protection cap. The blade protection cap lies over the knife and extends a little way over its cutting edge radially outwards and preferably has an adjoining axial section which reaches past the cutting edge and is dimensioned such that it can engage in the blade gap surrounding the circular knife or the cutout in the attachment plate which accommodates the circular knife. The blade protection cap can have openings for the flow of rinsing water so that the circular knife can be washed together with the protection cap, for example in a dishwasher, thereby further reducing the risk of injury to the knife or the knife. The attachment of the actuating element to the circular knife has the further advantage that it is rotatably mounted around the knife shaft, especially when it reaches through the knife gap, which makes handling easier.

The adjusting slide can be guided on the positioning plate, preferably on the outside of a stiffening wall extending downwards from the opening for the circular knife. By using this stiffening wall for guidance, the manufacturing effort is kept low. The stiffening wall extends concentrically to the knife shaft, so that it is ideally suited to guiding an adjusting slide that can be moved around the knife shaft, which in turn is particularly suited to being actuated by an actuating element that can be mounted on the circular knife. The stiffening wall preferably has a window in which the adjusting cam is arranged so that it can be moved, with the adjusting slide in its operating positions completely overlapping the window in the circumferential direction in order to be reliably guided with two end sections. The adjusting slide is preferably made of an elastic material and has a locking cam that can be elastically locked in and out with various locking recesses on the positioning plate, preferably the underside of the actual positioning plate. The adjustment plate can also have end stops to limit the operating positions that can be set by the adjustment movements.

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of the control slide, whereby one of the end stops can be driven over by elastic bending of the control slide in order to make an end section of the control slide displaceable into the area of the window. This end section of the control slide can then be pushed out inwards through the window and the entire control slide can be tilted out into the opening for receiving the circular knife and pulled out of its guide.

In the area of the window, the adjusting plate can have an outer guide wall that is concentric with the knife shaft and that interacts with an outer surface of the adjusting slide that faces away from the adjusting cam. In addition to or instead of this guide wall, stiffening ribs formed on the underside of the adjusting plate can overlap the movement path of the adjusting slide and include openings through which the adjusting slide extends and in which it is guided. In at least one circumferential end section of the window, there is no outer guide wall behind the window, i.e. any outer guide wall that may be present ends before the end of the window. This makes it possible to tilt the adjusting slide out of its guides when dismantling the adjusting slide from the adjusting plate in order to be able to dismantle it more easily together with its handle. In its middle area, the outer guide wall can have a window through which the adjusting handle of the adjusting slide protrudes.

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{lh following embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail using schematic drawings

It shows:

Fig. 1 shows a cutting insert in connection with a knife- &fy nl 4 ^** Xf OI^ fl^^ O 1 tO &idiagr;&Ugr;^&Lgr; r\t 1 /&igr;^&lgr; ^£fcf) r^CffÖ &Idigr;&Iacgr; CYl lf\ fY C^& | ^a ITfI 0&Pgr; f* Till* fw% ^^

Actuating device in the insertion position, in an axial section substantially along the line M in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cutting insert according to Fig. ₁ with a part of the blade protection cap broken away;

Fig. 3 shows a section corresponding to that in Fig. 1 of the cutting insert when inserted into the work bowl of the food processor, whereby the adjusting device is set to the maximum cutting width, in contrast to Fig. 1, and the actuating element is removed;

Fig. 4 is a view from below of the positioning plate in connection with the adjusting device, with parts broken away in order to make the adjusting device fully visible;

Fig. 5 in a developed view from the left in Fig. 4, the adjusting slide of the adjusting device in connection with the support nose of the knife carrier;

Fig. 6 shows a section corresponding to that of Figs. 1 and 3 of a modified embodiment and

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Fig. 7 in a section corresponding to that of Figs. 1 and 3, a further opposite embodiment.

The material to be cut shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is designed to be used in a work container of a food processor, only partially shown in Fig. 3. The work container 4 is locked to a base housing (not shown) of the food processor and has a rotationally symmetrical outer wall and a base (not shown) which, in its middle area, merges into an upwardly projecting tube extension 14, so that it is similar to a ring cake mold. The tube extension 14 extends over approximately two thirds of the work container 4. The work container 4 can also be closed by a lid 18 which has a laterally offset, vertically extending feed shaft 20 for the feed of material to be processed. The lid activates safety devices (not shown) which prevent the device from being put into operation when the lid is not in place and prevent the lid from being removed as long as the device is in operation. The area of the

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The base housing has a chimney-like pipe extension 22 in its middle area, which extends inside the pipe extension 14 of the working container 4 up to approximately the middle height of the working container 4. Two concentric drive shafts protrude vertically upwards through the pipe extension 14, whereby the slower, outer drive shaft shown in the top view carries a coupling sleeve with an oblique coupling toothing 54 arranged directly above the upper end of the pipe extension 22 of the working container 4. Directly above the coupling

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sleeve 52, a coupling sleeve 34 is arranged on an upper end of a fast drive shaft 32 that passes through it. The coupling sleeve 34 has a coupling toothing 36 distributed around its outer circumference, which is designed as a gear toothing. The pipe extension 14 of the working container 4 extends upwards over the largest part of the slow coupling sleeve 52.

The cutting device 2 has a blade carrier 60 which is attached to the slow, lower coupling sleeve 52 with a hub 62; an inner coupling toothing 55 comes into engagement with the coupling toothing 54. The hub 62 is also supported downwards in the axial direction on the coupling sleeve 52. The hub 62 extends further upwards along the upper, faster coupling hub 34 and has a lateral support projection 64 on which a circular blade assembly 66 is mounted. The circular knife assembly 66 has a horizontally arranged, essentially flat circular knife 68 with a cutting edge 70 describing a circle. The diameter of the circular knife 68 is so large that in the position closest to the filling shaft 20 shown in Fig. 3, the outer area of the cutting edge extends a little beyond the radially outer boundary of the filling shaft 20 and its opposite area covers the coupling sleeves 34 and 52 and the hub 62 of the knife carrier 60 and protrudes a little beyond them. A vertically running, short knife shaft 72 is riveted to the circular knife 68, and at the same time a pot-shaped, downwardly open, externally toothed gear 74 is attached to the circular knife 68 by means of this rivet connection. The gear 74 has an external toothing 76 in its lower outer area, which is in engagement with the gear-like coupling toothing 36 of the upper fast coupling sleeve 34. The support projection 64 of the knife carrier 60 is tapered downwards in the shape of a truncated cone, whereby this truncated cone penetrates the cylindrical hub and the hub 62 and the support projection 64 are open at the top. The approximately conical side wall 78 of the support projection 64 is concave and slightly curved inwards, creating a toroidal surface which serves as a drop curve for guiding the separated material to be cut downwards. The support projection 60 is closed at the bottom by a base 80.

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from which a bearing projection 82 with a vertical through-hole 84 extends upwards into the cup-shaped gear 74. The shaft 72 of the circular blade 68 passes vertically through the bearing projection 82, with a central hub of the hollow gear 74 resting on the bearing projection 82 in order to axially support the circular blade 68. However, the outer upper edge of the conical side wall 78 of the support projection 64 is of such a height that the underside of the circular blade rubs lightly against it and rests against it even under low load. This means that the circular blade can be made thin and therefore inexpensive without any disadvantages. On the underside of the base 80 of the support projection 64, sliding guides J&4" and 86 are formed, in which a locking slide 88 made from a sheet metal strip is guided so as to be displaceable radially to the hub 62. The knife carrier 60 is made from an elastic plastic material and a spring arm 90 projects downwards from the upper end of the bearing projection 82 for the knife shaft 72 and interacts with the inner P end of the locking slide 88 in order to hold it in its illustrated |

locking position. The other end of the locking slide 88 is J

designed as an operating handle 92, which is angled downwards and by means of I

the locking slide 88 moves axially against the action of the spring 90 |

The locking slide 88 has a keyhole-like opening 94 which, under the action of the spring 90, is pressed with its narrower part into engagement with a circumferential groove 96 in a lower end section of the knife shaft 72.

A rotating table referred to as a positioning plate 100 has a central, vertically extending hub 102 which surrounds the hub 62 of the knife carrier 60 and is guided on it in an axially displaceable but rotationally fixed manner. For this purpose, the hub 102 has grooves 104 which interact with axial guide ribs 106 on the outside of the hub 62 of the knife carrier 60. The hub 102 is made in one piece from plastic with an actual positioning plate 108. The actual positioning plate 108 has a circumferential stiffening edge 110 which projects slightly downwards from its outer end. The actual positioning plate 108 also has opposite lateral gripping recesses 112 and 114, in the area of which the stiffening edge 110 runs slightly set back from the outer edge and

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essentially circular opening 120 for receiving the circular blade 68. The opening 120 extends outwards to the stiffening edge 110 and inwards a small distance over the entire hub 102. Starting from the stiffening edge 110, a stiffening edge 122 adjoins the edge of the opening 120 downwards, which extends over the entire area advancing in the direction of rotation of the positioning plate and past the hub over approximately two thirds of the circumference of the opening 120 and is continued in the radially outer area by the stiffening edge 110 of the actual positioning plate 108, so that three quarters of the circumference of the opening 120 has a stiffening edge extending vertically downwards a little way. In the remaining quarter of the circumference of the opening 120, the actual positioning plate 108 remains unreinforced on its edge that lags behind during operation, so as not to impede the downward flow of the cut material by a stiffening edge. The stiffening edge 122 is followed at the bottom by a guide edge 124 for the material to be cut, which tapers downwards with the average conicity of the support attachment 64 of the knife carrier 60, which leads slightly further downwards than the outer stiffening edge 110 of the actual positioning plate 108 and connects the stiffening edge 122 of the opening 120 to the hub 102 in the area near the hub. The hub 102, the stiffening edge 122, the guide edge 124, the underside of the actual positioning plate 108 and its outer stiffening edge 110 are connected to one another by two vertical stiffening ribs 126 and 128, which in their outer region have the height of the stiffening edge 110 and whose lower edge runs diagonally downwards to a height that is slightly below the lower edge of the guide edge 124. The stiffening ribs 126 and 128 open approximately tangentially into the hub 102 and enclose an angle of approximately 70° between them, with their planes intersecting approximately in the region of the blade axis 72. Between the opening 120 of the actual positioning plate 108 and the cutting edge 70 of the circular knife 68, a knife gap 130 remains when viewed from above, as can best be seen in Fig. 2.

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The positioning plate 100 has an adjusting device 140 for adjusting the cutting thickness or cutting width of the slice cut from the material to be cut. The adjusting device has a slide 142 which extends in a circular arc around the blade axis 72 and is guided so as to be displaceable along the outside of the stiffening rib 122 of the opening 120 and on the underside of the actual positioning plate 108 around the blade axis 72. The stiffening ribs 126 and 128 have openings 146 and 148 through which the adjusting slide 142 extends. These through-openings 146 and 148 are open in the direction of the knife axis 72, since the reinforcing edge 122 of the opening 120, starting from the through-opening 146 in the reinforcing rib 126 and extending beyond the through-opening 148 in the reinforcing rib 128 a little way out into the area of the opening 120 that runs forward in the direction of rotation, has a window 144 corresponding to the greatest vertical extension of the adjusting slide 142. Starting from the lower edge of the window 144, a support rib 150 projects from the reinforcing edge 122 horizontally and radially to the knife axis 72 a little way beyond the adjusting slide 142, on which the adjusting slide 142 rests. Starting from the through openings 146 and 148 in the stiffening ribs 126 and 128, a small section of vertical connecting walls 152 and 154 extend from one stiffening rib to the other between the actual positioning plate 108 and the support rib 150.

An outer window 156 remains between the connecting walls 152 and 154, through which a handle 158 of the adjusting slide 142 extends, which is designed as a rib aligned radially to the knife shaft 72. The handle 158 also serves as an indicator for the set cutting width. The guide plate 100 is made of a transparent plastic material and has setting markings 160 on its underside in the form of flat recesses, which extend in the same direction as the handle 158 and point to pictogram-like representations located radially further out. A double arrow 162 indicates the position of the handle 158 at which the knife carrier 60 and the positioning plate can be separated from one another. A circle 164 indicates the zero position, where the cutting edge 70 of the knife 68 is flush with the surface of the actual positioning plate 108 or is a little below it. A staircase 166 extending over the next four marking lines 160 shows various adjustable

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Cutting thicknesses.

The adjusting slide 142 is made of an elastic plastic and has a main body 168 which mainly takes over the guide and which, when viewed from above, is curved in the shape of an arc corresponding to the stiffening edge 122 and has a rectangular cross-section in a section transverse to it. An end section 170 of the main body 168 is designed to taper in height from the bottom and has a locking lug 172 on its upper side which interacts with locking recesses (not shown) on the underside of the actual adjusting plate 108. When the adjusting slide 142 is adjusted in the direction of the arrows 174, the locking lug 172 is pressed out of a locking recess with elastic bending of the end section and noticeably engages in the next locking recess and holds the adjusting slide 142 in the settings defined thereby. The free end of the end section 170, in the outermost or removal position, additionally interacts with a stop 176 on the underside of the actual positioning plate 108 and the outside of the reinforcing edge 122. From the middle region of the length of the main body 168, the handle 158 extends radially outward through the outer window 156, while adjusting projections 178 and 180 protrude inward into the inner window from the main body 168 by a distance that is slightly greater than the radial thickness of the stiffening edge 122 in which the inner window is formed. The actual positioning plate 108 has a region between the stiffening ribs 126 and 128, not shown in the drawings, which is recessed or thinned from the underside above the adjusting slide 142, in which the raised middle region of the main body 168 can be moved. Furthermore, over a central part of this area, the opening 120 receiving the knife has an edge recess 182 with a diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the stiffening edge 122 partially surrounding the opening 120 and allows the insertion from above of an actuating element for the adjusting device 140, which will be described later. On the hub 62 of the knife carrier 60, on the side facing away from the carrier projection 64, an approximately radially projecting support nose 184 is also formed, ^which can be inserted into the window 144 through this recess 82 when the knife carrier 60 is inserted into the setting plate 100. The support projections 178 and 180 have two mutually facing,

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vertical wafer steps 186 and 188 extending over the entire height of the main body 168 in this area, between which a vertical groove 190 remains free, through which the support nose 184 can be introduced into the position shown in Fig. 1 under the adjusting slide 142. The adjusting slide 142 is in the disassembly position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By rotating it by one locking position clockwise in the top view according to Fig. 2 or anti-clockwise in the view from below according to Fig. 4, the adjusting slide 142 can be brought into the zero position shown in Fig. 4, the support nose 184 being caught under the vertical guide wall 186 of the adjusting projection 178. The adjusting projection 178 has, as seen from above, a recess 192 from below in an anti-clockwise direction next to the vertical guide wall 186, the upper edge 194 of which cooperates with the support nose 184 and slopes away from the vertical guide wall 186 in a stepped manner, the outermost step 196 being slightly higher than the lower end of the vertical guide wall 186 and resulting in the narrowest cutting thickness setting when the adjusting slide 142 is rotated clockwise as far as the stop as seen from above, with the handle 158 striking the connecting wall 152. The knife carrier 60 and the positioning plate 100 are - as described - guided against one another in a non-rotatable but axially displaceable manner and the lower guide wall 150 for the adjusting slide 142 has a recess or niche 200 for receiving the support lug 184 in the maximally lowered position, as shown in Fig. 1. In the zero position and the various stepped cutting width settings, the support lug 184 is more or less tightly caught between this niche 200 and the adjusting projection 178, with the positioning plate 100 being supported on the knife carrier 60 at different adjustable heights via the adjusting slide 142 and the support lug 184. In conjunction with the developed representation of the adjusting slide 142 in Fig. 5, the locking lug is shown in solid lines in a medium cutting width setting and in broken lines in the zero position. Fig. 3 shows the cutting device 2 in the setting with the maximum cutting width.

In Fig. 1 and 2, the cutting device 2 is provided with an associated removable

actuating element 300. The actuating element has a blade protection

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cap 302 with a cover wall 304 that completely covers the circular blade 68 and extends parallel to it and a cylindrical outer wall section 306* that extends from its outer edge downwards past the blade edge 70 into the blade gap 130. A ring-shaped permanent magnet 308 is attached to the underside of the cover wall 304, which holds the actuating element 300 on the circular blade 68 and vice versa. The remaining areas of the cover walls 304 have openings 310 and 312 for the flow of rinsing water. A gripping rib 314 is formed in one piece with the cover wall 304, which extends in a plane laid through the axis of rotation of the circular blade 68 over the entire diameter of the cover wall 304 and extends radially beyond the cover wall 304 and the peripheral wall section 306 on the side adjacent to the hubs 55 and 62, thereby forming an indicator 316. An adjusting projection 318 extends vertically downwards from the underside of the indicator 316 along the outside of the peripheral wall section 306 and also in one piece with it. The adjusting projection 318 has a rectangular cross-section when viewed from above and reaches downwards partly through the blade gap 130 and partly through its extension in the form of the edge recess 182 into the groove 190 of the adjusting slide 142 and ends at the lower end of the groove 190.

In contrast to the support lug 184 of the knife carrier 60, which is non-rotatable relative to the setting plate 100, the actuating element 300 can be rotated together with the circular knife 68 relative to the setting plate 100, with the adjusting lug 318 moving on a circumferential path in the knife gap 130 or its extension 182 and taking the adjusting slide 142 with its lower part into its various positions in order to adjust the cutting width. The cutting insert 2 can be inserted into the work container 4 of the food processor, as shown in Fig. 3, although the lid 18 of the work container 4 must be removed, since the actuating element 300 with its high grip rib 314 has no space under the lid 18. In this way, the food processor or the cutting insert 2 cannot be put into operation as long as the actuating element 300 is on the circular blade 68 and the lid 18 cannot be closed. This is particularly the case if the lid 18 is not properly locked in a manner not shown.

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In the correct position, a safety switch on the food processor closes which, when open, interrupts the motor circuit. This also prevents the jig blade cover from remaining in the appliance, the lid being put on and the appliance being put into operation, which could cause the blade cover to hit the feed shaft 20 and block the appliance and possibly damage it. Because the setting plate 100 is made of transparent material, the setting markings 160 to 166 on the underside of the actual setting plate 108 can be seen from above and the pointer 316 of the actuating element 300 can be set to them. At the same time, the additional handle 158 can be seen through the actual setting plate 108 as an extension of the pointer 316, which makes operating the appliance clear and easy to handle. If the pointer 318 is set to the removal position _t shown in Fig. 1 and 2, which is marked by the double arrow 162, the knife carrier 60 can be lifted out of the table-like support plate 100 when the cutting device 2 is removed from the food processor. The knife carrier can be washed together with the mounted knife and the actuating element 300 adhering to it with the knife cover 302, for example in a dishwasher. By actuating the locking slide 88 on the underside of the carrier attachment 64, however, the knife shaft 72 can be freed and the circular knife 68 can be released together with the knife shaft 72 and the hollow gear 74 from the knife carrier 60, whereby the knife protection cap 302 can remain on the circular knife 68 and prevent injuries to both the user and the knife edge 70. With the aid of the actuating element 300, the cutting device 2 can be reassembled in reverse order, whereby the device is brought into its storage position by turning the pointer to the zero position indicated by the circle 164.

The arrangement of the adjusting slide 142 on the circumference of the opening 120 of the positioning plate 100 that accommodates the circular knife 68 has the advantage that after the knife carrier 60 and positioning plate 100 have been separated, the adjusting projections 178 and 180 of the adjusting slide 142 are optimally accessible for cleaning through the large opening 120. The assembly of the adjusting slide 142 on the positioning plate 100 can also be carried out

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through the opening 120 and the window 144 with a slight elastic bending of the main body 168 of the adjusting slide 142. This keeps the manufacturing effort low. Overall, the cutting insert has the advantage of consisting of a few parts that are relatively easy to manufacture as injection molded parts and of being easy and thorough to clean in the home because it can be dismantled. The adjusting device can, if the removed actuating element

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handle 158 can be adjusted.

The handle recesses 112 and 116 of the positioning plate 100 are each arranged offset by 90" from the point at which the circular blade 68 comes closest to the outer circumference of the positioning plate 100. The handle recesses 112 and 116 are therefore located in areas in which there is the least risk of injury from the circular blade 68 if it is inserted into the work container \ without the blade cover 304. Moreover, in contrast to the operating position in this installation,

the knife carrier 60 is supported by the attachment plate 100, whereby the support lug 184 rests in the recess 200, which corresponds to the zero position of the cutting width setting, whereby the risk of injury is also low. Only when the cutting device 2 is pressed onto the coupling sleeve 52 does the latter take on the supporting function and the attachment plate 100 is lowered so far that the set cutting width is achieved. The cutting insert 2 is very user-friendly as a result of this and the adjustability using the actuating element 300 from above and the ability to mount and rinse the knife together with the knife protection cap 302. When the cutting insert 2 is inserted, coupling ribs 55 arranged in the hub 62 of the knife carrier 60 interact with the coupling ribs 54 of the coupling sleeve 52 of the food processor.

In the opposite embodiment according to Fig. 6, the knife carrier 60 with its support nose 184, the circular knife 68 and the positioning plate 100 are unchanged

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as in the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 5. An adjusting slide 642 has all the features of the adjusting slide 142 of the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 4. In addition, an upwardly projecting adjusting projection 643 is formed essentially as an extension of the vertical guide wall 186, which projects upwards past the knife 68 through the knife gap 130 or the recess 182 adjoining it to the outside and is so high that it projects over the circular knife 68 including a flat knife cover (not shown) placed on top of it in all settings or ends approximately at the height of the upper edge of the knife cover. The adjusting projection 643, which serves as an actuating element, extends flatly in the direction of the knife gap 130 like a shield and has a vertical, outwardly projecting grip rib 644 in its middle extension. It is essential that the size of the circular knife 68 and the position and size of the feed shaft of the working container 4 are coordinated so that the adjusting projection 643 is always outside the area of the cutting device that passes under the inner opening of the feed shaft 20.

In the further, opposite embodiment according to Fig. 7, the knife carrier 60, the circular knife 68 and the support nose 184 correspond to the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 4. An adjusting slide 742 has all the features of the adjusting slide 142 of this embodiment. In addition, the adjusting slide has, as a modification of the handle 158, an adjusting lever 858 extending into the outer edge area of an adjusting plate 800. An actual adjusting plate 808 has a stiffening edge 810 projecting downwards from its outer circumference. Across the adjusting area of the adjusting lever 858 extends along the inside of the ':

stiffening edge 810 a breakthrough through the actual adjustment plate 808, through \

which an upwardly bent end section 900 of the adjusting lever 858 projects. Since the ;

Since the adjusting slide 742 does not rotate around the drive shaft 32 but rather around the knife shaft 72 during adjustment, the opening through which the end section 900 reaches upwards does not extend completely parallel to the stiffening edge 810. However, the deviation is small. If the adjusting slide is guided on a circular path around the axis of the drive shaft of the food processor, the steep opening 882 can also extend along the stiffening edge 110. The

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TZP36/509

The part of the adjusting lever 858 that protrudes above the surface of the setting plate 800 as an actuating element does not need to protrude high above the surface. It is important in this embodiment that the setting plate 800 extends outwards under the filling shaft so that the end section 900 of the adjusting lever 858 that serves as the actuating element is located in an area that moves past the outside of the filling shaft and thus does not normally come into contact with the material being cut.

In the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 5, for easy assembly or disassembly of the adjusting slide 146, the end section 170 of the main body 168, which has the shape of a curved, rectangular, elongated rod, can be bent downwards or radially outwards so that it can be pushed past the rectangular stop projection 176. The other end of the main body 168 then enters the inner window 144 of the positioning plate and the adjusting slide 146 can be pulled out inwards through this. In a modification of the embodiment shown, the stop and/or the end section 170 can have an inclined surface extending transversely to the direction of movement of the adjusting slide 146 in this area, which causes the end section 170 to be pushed to the side when increased pressure is applied by means of the actuating element 300 or the handle 158 and to pass over the stop and can be easily dismantled by the user for occasional thorough cleaning.

In a modification of the embodiment shown, the blade protection cap can additionally have a mechanical locking device for locking onto the circular blade 168, which, for example, automatically engages under the blade edge 70 when it is put on and must be actuated by the user in the unlocking direction to release it. This can further increase safety, as it prevents the blade protection cap from coming loose from the circular blade 68 when it is knocked.

Due to the inclination of the drive ribs 54 of the coupling sleeve 52 of the food processor, the cutting device 2 is pulled downwards during operation and prevents the device from deflecting the material to be cut downwards into

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TZP85/509

the opposite direction is lifted upwards. In the event that the material to be cut is lifted under extreme conditions, e.g. a downwardly projecting support knob 400 is formed in the middle of the cover 18, against which the circular blade 68 runs and which prevents further lifting.

Regarding the possible modifications of the blade protection cap, it should be added that an opening corresponding to the opening 120 of the actual positioning plate 108 that accommodates the circular blade 68 can have an extension opening in its trailing area during operation - similar to the opening 182 but over a smaller part of the circumference - through which a hook formed on the blade protection cap engages to lock it to the circular blade 68. Such an edge recess in the opening is less of a problem in the trailing area than in the leading area, in which the material to be cut must be guided at the correct height for the approaching blade. It is also conceivable to elastically deform an edge of the protection cap that surrounds the circular blade, e.g. by applying pressure to two points on the circumference, in order to disengage the locking hooks that are engaged on the circular blade.

Claims (1)

: y . &igr; .j _: - j j.· &ggr;&zgr;&rgr; 86/509 Expectations 1. Cutting insert for a working container of a food processor, wherein the working container has a central drive shaft and a lid with a filling shaft eccentric to the drive shaft and the cutting insert has a setting plate extending transversely to the axis of the drive shaft with an eccentric opening for receiving a rotating drive ! Circular knife with cutting edge parallel to the setting plate and one with the drive shaft and preferably axially supported on the drive shaft and the axial distance between the positioning plate and the cutting edge of the circular knife can be adjusted by means of an adjusting device in order to change the cutting thickness, characterized in that the adjusting device (140) has an adjusting slide (142) which can be moved approximately parallel to the top-side plane of the positioning plate (100). 2. Cutting insert according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjusting slide (K2: 642; 742) has a preferably stepped support cam (178). 3. Cutting insert according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adjusting slide (142; 642; 742) is guided on the setting plate (100) so as to be displaceable on a circular path, preferably about the axis of rotation of the circular knife (68). 4. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the adjusting slide (142) has an actuating handle (158) arranged under the positioning plate (100). 5. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the setting plate (100) is transparent and the setting of the setting slide (142) is visible through it. 6. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the actuating handle (158) arranged under the setting plate serves as an indicator for the setting. Ii * * i · * # * * * III 2 - TSP 86/509 7. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the adjusting slide (142; 642; 742) is designed as a locking device which easily releasably locks the positioning plate (100; 800) and the knife carrier (60) together. 8. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the knife carrier (60) has a support nose (184) which, in the locked position by the adjusting slide (142; 642; 742), is preferably caught between the adjusting slide (142) and a part of the positioning plate (100; 800). 9. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a knife carrier (100; 800) carrying the circular knife (68) has a hub (62) which can be brought into coupling engagement with the drive shaft (52) of the food processor and is supported axially on the drive shaft (52) and the setting plate (100; 800) is supported on the knife carrier (60) via the adjusting device (140; 642; 742). 10. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the positioning plate (100; 800) has a hub (102) which is axially displaceable on the hub (62) of the knife carrier (60) but is guided in a rotationally fixed manner. 11. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the adjusting slide (142; 642; 742) has an actuating element (300; 644; 900) penetrating the top-side plane of the positioning plate (10G; 800). 12. Cutting insert according to claim 11, characterized in that the actuating element (300; 644; 900) penetrates the cover-side plane of the attachment plate (100; 800) in an area which lies outside the area of the attachment plate which passes under the filling shaft (20) of the lid (18) of the food processor. ti ti ti » · * * * It &igr; lit · . 1. . «II il * it · · atf * im § t 4 t * * * 4 · ■ I I ■ * « i t » Il I , , ·>· il ill Official file no. G 86 21 596.5 T2P 86/509 13, Cutting insert according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the actuating element (300; 644; 900) engages through an actuating opening (130, 182; 882) of the positioning plate (100; 800), 14, Cutting insert according to claim 1 or 13, characterized in that the actuating opening (882) is arranged in an outer edge region of the positioning plate (800). 15, Cutting insert according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the actuating opening (130, 182) is arranged in the region above the hub (102) of the positioning plate (100). 16. Cutting insert according to one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that a gap (130) between the circular blade (68) and the opening (120) of the contact plate (100) receiving the circular blade serves as the actuating opening, 17. Cutting insert according to claim 16, characterized in that the actuating opening (130, 182) is arranged in the region of the opening (120) closest to the axis of rotation of the positioning plate (100). 18. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the actuating element (300) is designed to be removable. 19. Cutting insert according to claim 18, characterized in that the removable actuating element (300) is so large that in its operating position it prevents the lid (18) of the working container (4) of the food processor from being placed on top, for which purpose it rises, for example, more than about 5 mm, preferably about 5 to 50 mm and in particular about 5 to 30 mm above the plane of the knife edge. 20. Cutting insert according to one of claims 11 to 19, characterized in that the actuating element (300) can be connected to the circular blade (68) or a blade carrier and preferably has a pointer (316) for displaying the cutting thickness, which can be designed as a handle (314) of the actuating element (300). ( t I I X » · &igr; I T2P86/508 Jl ₄ Cutting insert according to one of claims 11 to 20 ₍ characterized in that the actuating element (300) is designed as a blade protection cap or has a blade protection cap (302)* 22. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the adjusting slide (142; 642; 742) is guided on the positioning plate (100; 800). 23. Cutting insert according to claim 22, characterized in that the adjusting slide (142; 642; 742) is guided on the outside of a stiffening wall (122) extending downwards from the opening (120) for the circular blade (68). 24. Cutting insert according to claim 23, characterized in that the stiffening wall (122) has a window (144) in which the adjusting cam (178) is slidably arranged, the adjusting slide (142) in its operating positions completely overlapping the window (144) in the circumferential direction. 25. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the adjusting slide (142) consists of an elastic material and has a locking cam (172) which engages and disengages with various locking recesses on the adjusting plate (100) during the adjusting movements in order to define preferred operating positions. 26. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 25, characterized in that the positioning plate has at least one end stop (176) for limiting the adjustment movements of the adjusting slide (142) and an end stop (176) can be traversed by elastic bending of the adjusting slide (142) to such an extent that an end section of the adjusting slide (142) reaches the area of the window (144). &ogr; " &bgr; · * f &bgr; .· · ■&diams; W O · · &igr; t TSP 86/509 27* Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that the setting plate (100) has an outer guide wall (152, 154) concentric with the knife shaft (72) in the area of the window (144), which outer guide wall cooperates with an outer surface of the setting slide (142) which is remote from the setting cam (178)* Cutting insert according to claim 27, characterized in that the outer guide wall (152, 154) has a window (156) through which the lower adjusting handle (158) of the adjusting slide (142) projects. 29. Cutting insert according to one of claims 1 to 28, characterized in that stiffening ribs (126, 128) formed on the underside of the positioning plate (100) overlap the path of movement of the adjusting slide (142) and provide openings (146, 148) through which the adjusting slide extends.