GB2091085A

GB2091085A - Slicing cutter for kitchen food-cutting appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2091085A
Application number: GB8200669A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 1981-01-15
Filing date: 1982-01-11
Publication date: 1982-07-28
Also published as: GB2091085B; ES262552Y; JPS57131298U; FR2497712B1; DE3200453A1; ATA13081A; ES262552U; JPS6228396Y2; AT371044B; IT8219058A0; FR2497712A1; CA1173332A; IT1149435B

Abstract

A rotary slicing cutter for a kitchen food-cutting appliance comprises a disc (4) formed on one side with raised portions (15), for example in the form of ridges, which provide a surface for supporting and positioning the food during operation of the cutter, the surface lying in a first plane (16) perpendicular to the central axis of the disc. Fixed on the same side of the disc over an opening (7) therein, and on an unraised portion of the disc, is a cutter blade (3), the cutting edge (9) of which lies in a second plane (17) perpendicular to the central axis of the disc. There may be a plurality of such blades. The distance between the two planes determines the thickness of the slices cut by the blade or blades. Different slice thicknesses can be obtained by the use of a set of interchangeable cutters of the above construction which differ from one another only in the height of the raised portions on the disc of each cutter and therefore in the distance between the first and second planes. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Slicing cutter for a kitchen food-cutting appliance The invention relates to a slicing cutter for a kitchen food-cutting appliance ofthe kind (hereinafter referred to as "the kind described") comprising a loading hopper and a disc-type rotary cutter which is adapted to be mounted beneath the hopper in engagement with a driving shaft of the appliance for rotation thereby.

A known cutter for such an appliance comprises a disc zap carrying on one side thereof at least one cutter blade which is disposed over an opening in the disc and the cutting edge of which is spaced from the surface of the disc by a distance which determines the thickness of the slices cut by the blade. Such a cutter is known from AT-PS 214,093. The use of such cutters presents, interalia, two problems. One problem is that it is frequently desirable to vary the slice thickness according to the food to be sliced. Forthis purpose it has been proposed to provide adjustable cutter blades on a cutter or, in the case of the said AT-PS 214,093, to provide differently shaped cutter blades on a cutter.However, this gives rise to the other problem that the cutting edge, regardless of the slice thickness, should always be spaced at a constant predetermined distance from the underside of the loading hopper of the kitchen appliance in order to ensure a correct slicing action at all times. If the slice thickness is changed by altering the position ofthe cutting edge relative to the surface of the cutter disc, steps must be taken to ensure that the cutting edge again occupies the desired position relative to the loading hopper. In the said AT-PS 214,093 the level of the supporting surface of the cutter on the drive shaft of the kitchen appliance is therefore adjusted to suit the selected cutter blade.

However, such a cutter is not easy to manufacture or to operate.

According to the invention there is provided a slicing cutter for a kitchen food-cutting appliance ofthe kind described, the cutter comprising a disc connected centrally to a supporting member for mounting the cutter in the appliance and coupling it to the driving shaft thereof, and a cutter blade or blades fixed on a side of the disc over an opening or openings in the disc, the latter providing on said side thereof a surface for supporting and positioning the food during operation of the cutter, which surface lies in a first place perpendicular to the central axis of the disc, and the blade or blades having a cutting edge or edges which lies or lie in a second plane perpendicular to said axis, the distance between the two planes determining the slice thickness, wherein the surface for supporting and positioning the food is formed by raised portions on said side of the disc, the blade or each blade being mounted on a portion of said side of the disc which is not raised.

The invention further provides a set of interchangeable cutters of the construction defined in the preceding paragraph for a food-cutting appliance of the kind described, wherein the cutters differ from one another in the height ofthe raised portions on the disc of each cutter and therefore in the distance between the first and second planes. By making the cutters of the set identical to one another with the exception of the height of the raised portions on the disc of each cutter, it can be ensured that regardless of which of the cutters is fitted in the appliance, the distance of the cutting edge or edges of the blade or blades of the cutter from the bottom of the loading hopper is always the same. The set of forming of the raised portions on The disc of each cutter, the same tools and machinery can be used in the manufacture of all the cutters of the set.

The raised portions on the disc of a cutter according to the invention are preferably formed as ridges on said side of the disc.

In one embodiment the ridges each have an arcuate shape and are arranged concentrically relative to each other and to the central axis of the disc.

In another embodiment the ridges each extend radially of the disc.

In yet another embodiment the ridges each extend spirally of the disc.

The ridges may have flat tops and sloping flanks, the tops ofthe ridges lying in said first plane and forming the surface for supporting and positioning the food.

Instead of having the form of ridges the raised portions on the disc of a cutter according to the inven iicn may each have a circular cross-section in a plane parallel to said first and second planes.

These circular raised portions may be of frustoconical form with flat tops which lie in said first plane and form the surface for supporting and positioning the food.

It is preferable to have flat tops on the raised portions on the disc of the cutter since flat tops provide a more effective surface for supporting and positioning the food to be sliced. Alternatively, however, the raised portions may each have an arcuale crosssection in a plane perpendicularto the first and second planes, giving them rounded tops.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are an axial sectional view and a plan view respectively of a cutter according to a first embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 being taken on the line I-I in Fig. 2, and Figs. 3,4 and 5 are plan views of cutters according to three further embodiments of the invention.

The cutter 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a central supporting member 2 and a disc 4 carrying a cutter blade 3. The supporting member 2 is sleeveshaped in the present case and is provided with a rigid internal web 5. By means ofthis supporting member the cutter 1 can be mounted in the kitchen appliance in engagement with the drive shaft thereof, the web 5 of the supporting member 2 engaging with a corresponding slot in the drive shaft, so that the cutter is driven when the drive shaft rotates. This coupling may have a different construction form that shown; any convenient form of coupling may be used.

In the present embodiment the disc4 carries a single cutter blade 3 on its upper side 6, the blade being disposed over an opening 7 in the disc and being secured to the disc 4 by means of rivets 8, for example. The blade 3 is slightly curved but extends in a substantially tangential direction with respect to the central axis 4a of the disc 4. The blade has a cutting edge 9 which lies in a plane 17 perpendicular to the axis 4a. For stiffening purposes the disc 4 has a cylindrical rim 10 at its outer periphery, which rim projects from the lowerside of the disc, i.e., the side opposite to that on which the cutter blade 3 is located.

For connecting the disc 4 to the supporting member 2 the disc 4 has a central opening which is surrounded by an inner peripheral rim 11 on the disc 4. The disc is fitted on the supporting member 2 with the lower side of the disc engaging an annular positioning surface 12 on the supporting member 2 and with the inner rim 11 of the disc engaging a cylindrical positioning surface 13 on the supporting member 2 to centre the disc on the supporting member. In order to ensure a reliable connection between the disc 4 and the supporting member 2 in the present embodiment, a retaining cap 14 is fitted after the disc 4 has been pressed onto the supporting member 2, so that the supporting member 2, the disc 4 and the retaining cap 14 constitute a unitary assembly.If the supporting member 2 and the retaining cap 14 are made of a plastics, they may be joined to one another and connected to the disc 4 by, for example, an ultrasonic welding process. In the case of a plastics supporting member 2 the disc 4 may alternatively be directly embedded in the supporting member 2 during the moulding of this member and in this way be connected to the member 2. Obviously, the connection between the disc 4 and the supporting member 2 should be a rigid connection in order to ensure that the disc 4 is driven with the supporting member.This may be achieved by means of, for example, interengaging portions on the disc 4 and on the supporting member 2 or the retaining cap 14. it is alternatively possible to shape the rim 11 surrounding the central opening ofthe disc 4, and the positioning surface 13 on the supporting member 2 which cooperates with said rim 11, in such a way that a rigid connection is obtained between the supporting member 2 and the disc 4.

When the cutter 1 is fitted in the kitchen appliance the supporting member 2 bears axially against the free end of the drive shaft of the appliance, thereby defining a plane in which the disc 4 rotates when driven. After the cutter 1 has been fitted a cover is placed on the receptacle ofthe kitchen appliance, which cover carries a loading hopper into which the food to be sliced is introduced. The lower rim of said hopper then faces the cutter 1 and lies in a plane 18 which is situated at a predetermined distance from the disc 4 of the cutter and thus from the cutting edge 9 of the cutter blade 3 on the disc 4. This distance between the cutting edge 9 and the lower rim of the hopper should have a specific predetermined value, which should not be too great in order to ensure that the food inserted into the hopper is always uniformly and correctly sliced.

By means of the single cutter blade 3 on the disc 4 the food in the hopper is cut into slices in known vnanner, which slices then drop into the receptacle through the opening 1 in the disc 4. Frequently it is desirable to vary the thickness of the slices according to the food to be sliced. For this purpose, a set of interchangeable cutters 1 constructed to give different slice thicknesses is supplied with such a kitchen appliance, which cutters can be selectively fitted in the appliance by the user.In order to ensure that after such a replacement of the cutter 1 the distance between the cutting edge 9 ofthe blade of the cutter and the lower rim of the loading hopper remains constant, the discs 4 of all the cutters have the same major dimensions and the supporting members 2 are all fully identical so that the plane in which the cutting edge 9 of the cutter blade 3 rotates is always the same. For obtaining different slice thicknesses the disc 4 of each cutter is formed on its upper side 6 with a plurality of separate raised portions Shaving a height which is constant for each cutter but which varies from cutter to cutter.The tops of al! the raised portions of each cutter disc thus lie in one plane 16 which is perpendicular to the central axis 4a of the disc, and therefore parallel to the plane 17 containing the cutting edge 9 of the blade 3 on the disc, and the tops ofthe raised portionstogetherform a surface in the plane 16 for supporting and positioning the food during operation of the cutter. The distance between the two planes 16 and 17 determines the slice thickness. The food introduced into the hopper drops down the hopper until it rests on the tops of the raised portions 15 on the disc 4. Thus, the height of the raised portions determines the slice thickness, since this thickness is determined by the distance between the plane 16 containing the tops of the raised portions 15 and the plane 17 in which the cutting edge 9 of the cutter blade 3 lies.The blade 3 of each cutter of the set of cutters is mounted on a portion of the upper side of the disc 4 of the cutter which is not raised. Hence, by giving the raised portions on the disc of each cutter a height different from that of the raised portions on the discs of the other cutters, different slice thicknesses can be obtained. A maximum slice thickness can be obtained by using a cutter having a disc without any raised portions. The use of a set of cutters as described above ensures that the distance between the cutting edge 9 of the blade 3 of the selected cutter and the lower rim of the loading hopper is always the same. Since the cutters of the set are identical except for the height of the raised portions on the discs of the cutters, apart from the forming of these raised portions the same tools and machinery can be used in the manufacture of the cutters. Thus, the manufacture of a set of cutters is simple and cheap.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 the raised portions 15 on the disc 4 are formed as arcuate ridges on the upper side of the disc, the ridges being arranged concentrically relative to each other and to the central axis 4a of the disc. Thus, the raised portions 15 extend in the direction of rotation of the disc, which always ensures a particularly effective and correct positioning of the food on the disc during operation of the cutter. As can be seen in Figure 1,the raised portions 15 are formed as flat-topped ridges with sloping flanks, giving them a trapezoidal cross-section. The flat tops of the ridges form the surface for supporting and positioning the food to be sliced, which also promotes a correct positioning of the food on the disc and thus a correct slicing action.

The disc 4 is preferably made of metal, suitably a chrome-steel which can be deep-drawn. The raised portions 15 can then be pressed from the disc so that the manufacture ofthe disc is very simple. The disc could be made of a different material, such as, for example, a glass-fibre reinforced plastics. The disc 4 shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be additionally provided with further raised portions (not shown) in the form of radially extending ridges arranged between the arcuate raised portions 15. Such radially extending raised portions increase the rigidity of the disc 4 and at the same time enlarge the area of the surface for supporting and positioning are required only to increase the rigidity of the disc 4 they may be formed on the lower side of the disc, i.e., the opposite to the raised portions 15.If no radially extending raised portions are required, the raised portions 15 may each extend through a complete circle instead of just an arc of a circle. As can also be seen in Figure 2, the raised portions 15 located near the opening 7 in the disc 4 extending right to the edge ofthe opening 7, so that the food to be sliced which is supported on said raised portions is kept at the desired height relative to the cutting edge 9 of the blade 3, which height determines the slice thickness, thus ensuring an arcuate slicing action.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3 the disc 4 carrying the cutter blade 3 is provided on its upper side 6 with separate raised portions 19 in the form of ridges which have a similar cross-section to the ridges forming the raised portions 15 in Figure 1 but which extend radially of the disc. The tops of these raised portions 19 again form a surface for supporting and positioning the food to be sliced, which surface lies in a plane perpendicular to the central axis 4a of the disc 4. The distance between this plane and the plane containing the cutting edge 9 of the blade 3 again determines the slice thickness. The radial raised portions 19 also impart a very high rigidity to the disc 4. As the raised portions 19, viewed in the direction of rotation of the disc 4, are arranged very closely to each other, this ensures a correct positioning of the food to be sliced.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4 separate raised portions 20 are provided on the upper side 6 of the disc 4 in the form of ridges which have a similar cross-section to the ridges forming the raised portions 15 in Figure 1 but which extend spirally of the disc. The raised portions 20 thus extend both in the direction of rotation of the disc to some extent and also across the disc, so that they provide both a correct positioning of the food to be sliced and an increased rigidity of the disc 4. If desired, further raised portions with a small area may be formed on the disc in the areas between the raised portions 20.

Also, the raised portions may be widened towards the circumference ofthe disc 4, or the spirally extending raised portions may, in addition, have a serpentine shape.

Figure 5 shows an embodiment of a cutter according to the invention which has six blades 21 arranged in three pairs spaced evenly around the central axis 4a of the disc 4, the two blades of each pair being spaced radially of the disc. The blades 21 are constituted by tongues bent out of the disc 4, which tongues have cutting edges 9 at their free ends. The cutting edges 9 of all the blades 21 lie in one plane which is perpendicular to the central axis of the disc 4. Each cutter blade 21 is disposed over an associated opening 22 in the disc 4. Raised portions 23 in the form of small, frusto-conical protrusions are provided on the upper side 6 of the disc 4 to form with their fiat tops a surface for supporting and positioning the food to be sliced.The distance between the plane containing this surface and the plane containing the cutting edges 9 of the cutter blades 21 determines the thickness of the narrow slices or strips cut by the blades 21. The raised portions 23 are substantially uniformly distributed over the entire upper side of the disc 4 in an arbitrary pa ern and ensure a correct positioning of the food to be sliced.

This cutter also is very simple to ma:-:facturn.

Further modifications of the above embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. This applies in particular to the shape and arrangement of the raised portions on the disc. With the exception of these raised portions, in any g h en set of interchangeable cutters it is essential that the discs of all the cutters and also the supporting members of all the cutters are identical, so that whichever cutter is filied in the kitchen appliance the distance from the cling or edges of the blade or blades of the cutter edge to the lower rim of the loading hopper is always the same.

Claims

1. A slicing cutter for a kitchenfood-cutting appliance of the kind described, the cuttarcompris- ing a disc connected centrally to a supporting member for mounting the cutter in the appliance and coupling it to the driving shaft thereof, and a cutter blade or blades fixed on a side ofthe disc over an opening or openings in the disc, the latter providing on said side thereof a surface for supporting and positioning the food during operation of the cutter, which surface lies in a first plane perpendicular to the central axis of the disc, and the blade or blades having a cutting edge or edges which lies or lie in a second plane perpendicular to said axis, the distance between the two planes determining the slice thickness, wherein the surface for supporting and positioning the food is formed by raised portions on said side of the disc, the blade or each blade being mounted on a portion of said side ofthe disc which is not raised.

2. A cutter as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the raised portions are formed as ridges on said side of the disc.

3. A cutter as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the ridges each have an arcuate shape and are arranged concentrically relative to each other and to the central axis of the disc.

4. A cutter as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the ridges each extend radially of the disc.

5. A cutter as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the ridges each extend spirally of the disc.

6. A cutter as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the raised portions each have a circular cross-section in a plane parallel to said first and second planes

7. A cutter as claimed in Claim 2,3,4 or 5, wherein the ridges have flat tops and sloping flanks, the tops of the ridges lying in said first plane and forming the surface for supporting and positioning the food.

8. A cutter as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the raised portions are of frusto-conical form with flat tops which lie in said first plane and form the surface for supporting and positioning thefood.

9. A cutter as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the disc is made of metal and the raised portions are pressed from the disc.

10. A slicing cutter substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3,4 or 5 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A set of interchangeable cutters ofthe construction claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10 for a kitchen food-cutting appliance of the kind described, wherein the cutters differfrom one another in the height of the raised portions on the disc of each cutter and therefore in the distance between the first and second planes.