GB2273650A - Food slicer - Google Patents

Abstract

The food slicer, for example for the slicing of meat for the preparation of doner kebabs, comprises a handle (10) containing an electric motor (14) and a cutter head assembly containing a circular blade (16) drivably connected to the motor (14). A chordal segment of the blade (16) protrudes through an opening in a housing (22) attached, e.g. by a screwthread or bayonet fitting, to the handle (10), adjacent to which is provided a guide plate (48) for directing meat which has been cut. <IMAGE>

Description

FOOD SLICER The invention relates to a food slicer, in particular though not exclusively to a slicer for the slicing of meat for the preparation of doner kebabs.

Food slicers are known which include a hand held cutter head containing a rotatable blade, the cutter head being able to be used for the paring of slices of meat from a fixed joint. However, slicers of this kind have generally been connected to a remotely located motor by means of a flexible drive means connected to the rotatable blade.

According to the invention, a food slicer comprises a handle containing an electric motor and a cutter head assembly containing a circular (or substantially circular) blade drivably connected to said motor. The cutter head assembly may include a housing having a generally cylindrical cavity within which said circular blade is located, said blade preferably being secured to a stub shaft located in a bearing in said housing and being slidably splined to a drive shaft of the motor. An open front of the cavity in the housing may be closed by a front cover slideably located in inclined guides whereby a straight lower edge of said cover abuts against an outer surface of the blade to locate it in position.The cover may be secured in place by any suitable means, for example, one or more detent catches or clips or, more preferably, by one or more screwthread elements such as a screw or bolt.

A guide plate will preferably be spaced from a plane containing the cutting edge of the circular blade, said guide plate being adjustable in position to adjust the thickness of slices of meat being removed by said blade.

The guide plate may be provided with a pair of slotted lugs clamped against surfaces at the underside of the housing by respective screws.

The housing containing the blade is preferably secured to the handle by screwthread or bayonet elements whereby a part of a turn of the housing relative to the handle will unite the two together. Such a connection also makes it particularly easy to remove the housing from the handle for the purpose of cleaning or replacing the blade, for example. In some embodiments, the connection between the housing and the handle may be via an adaptor plate mounted on the handle.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a part sectional side view of a first embodiment of a food slicer according to the invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a cutter head assembly forming part of the slicer; Figure 3 is an exploded view illustrating means connecting the cutter head assembly to a handle forming part of the slicer; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a blade being removed from the cutter head assembly; and Figure 5 is a part sectional side view of a second embodiment of the food slicer of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the food slicer there illustrated includes a handle 10 connected to a cutter head assembly generally indicated as 12-. The handle 10 contains an electric motor 14 drivably connected to a circular blade 16 forming part of the cutter head assembly.

A flexible electric cable 18 is connected to the electric motor and can be connected to an electric power supply. An ON-OFF switch 20 is provided for switching the slicer into and out of operation.

The cutter head assembly comprises a housing 22 mounted on a front end of the handle 10, said housing having in a front portion a generally cylindrical cavity 24 within which the circular blade 16 is located. The width of said cavity reduces from top to bottom as shown in Figure 1 and the underside of said cavity is open where it coincides with a planar surface 26 at the underside of the housing. A part, i.e. a chordal segment, of the circular blade 16 projects out of the housing and below said planar surface.

The open front of the cavity 24 in the housing is closed, when the slicer is in use, by front cover 25 which is slidably located in inclined guides 28 (Figure 2). When the cover has been fitted in position, a straight lower edge 30 thereof is closely spaced from a lower edge of the housing to define a narrow slot 32 through which the projecting portion of the cylindrical blade extends.

The inclined guides 28 are formed in a lower part of the housing. When the cover has been fitted in position, a detent catch 34 formed on its inner surface engages within an upper portion of the cylindrical cavity of the housing to locate said cover in position. When it is desired to remove said cover for cleaning or replacement of the blade 16, an upwardly projecting lug 36 can be used to deflect the upper portion of the cover away from the housing and to disengage the detent catch, whereupon said cover can be slidably removed.

A curved guide plate generally indicated as 48 has a curved operative surface 50 spaced from a plane containing the cutting edge of the blade 16, said guide plate being adjustable in position to adjust the thickness of slices of meat. The guide plate 48 is provided with a pair of slotted lugs 52 which are clamped against the planar surface 26 at the underside of the housing 22 by respective screws 54 with knurled heads. When the screws are slackened, the guide plate can be adjusted in position, towards or away from the plane containing the cutting edge of the blade 16, within the range of movement permitted by the slots 56 in the lugs 52.

As shown in Figure 3, the housing 22 is very easily removable from an adaptor plate 58 connected to the handle 10 by screws 59. The housing 22 and its associated parts can therefore be cleaned from time to time, for example by being immersed in water, without any risk of water entering the electric motor. The housing 22 and adaptor plate 58 are able to be connected together very quickly and easily by oppositely disposed screwthread elements 60 and 62 formed respectively on a spigot portion of the adaptor plate and within a cylindrical cavity at the rear of said housing (see Figure 4). When said spigot portion has been entered into said cavity, a quarter turn of the housing relative to the adaptor plate will re-unite the two together.

The circular blade 16 of the cutter head assembly is secured on a stub shaft 38 which is mounted in a needle roller bearing 40 located in the housing 22.

An end of the stub shaft is formed with a splined portion 42 which is received in an aperture of complementary shape formed in a driving sleeve 44 secured to the drive shaft 46 of the electric motor 14. The arrangement is such that when the front cover 25 has been removed, the blade 16 and stub shaft 38 by which it is carried can be shaken out (or extracted by gripping a domed nut 46 for securing the blade to said stub shaft) for cleaning or for replacement by another blade and stub shaft. In Figure 4 the blade 16 is shown being shaken out from within the housing 22 after the latter has been removed from the handle for cleaning.

In Figure 5, there is shown a second embodiment of the food slicer of the invention, in which the housing 22 connects directly to the handle 10 via a bayonet type fitting, and the cover 25 is securable to the housing 22 using a cover retaining screw 70, which engages threads 71 in the cover 25. The motor 14 is retained within the handle 10 by a motor retaining screw 78. The cable 18 passes through a cable clamp 77 on an end cap 76 secured to the handle 10. A washer 75 lies between a blade retaining screw 74 and the blade 16.

When energised, the motor 14 turns the drive spindle 79, to which the blade 16 is secured, via a coupling 81, which includes roll pin 80 and grub screw 82. The coupled rotation of the motor drive shaft and the drive spindle 79 is achieved via bearing 84, which in this embodiment comprises steel ball bearings, retained by external and internal circlips 72,73.

Thus there is provided a food slicer which can be very easily kept clean and the cylindrical blade of which can very easily be replaced or removed for sharpening or other repairs. However, various modifications may be made. For example, the guide plate 48 need not necessarily be adjustable in the manner described; it could if preferred be hingedly secured to the housing 22 and be capable of being pivotally adjustable towards or away from the plane containing the cutting edge of the blade. The blade 16 could have a serrated cutting edge and it could be apertured to reduce its weight if desired. Instead of the screwthreaded connection between the housing 22 and the adaptor plate 58 there could be provided a bayonet type fitting, as already described.

Claims (12)

CLAIMS:

1. A food slicer comprising a handle containing an electric motor and a cutter head assembly containing a substantially circular blade drivably connected to said motor.

2. A food slicer according to claim 1, in which said cutter head assembly includes a housing having a substantially cylindrical cavity within which said blade is located.

3. A food slicer according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which said blade is secured to a stub shaft located in a bearing in said housing.

4. A food slicer according to claim 3, in which said stub shaft is slidably splined to a drive shaft of said motor.

5. A food slicer according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in which said housing is closed by a front cover being detachably secured to said housing.

6. A food slicer according to claim 5, in which said front cover is slidably positioned in inclined guides located on said housing.

7. A food slicer according to claim 5 or claim 6, in which said front cover has a straight edge abutting an outer surface of said blade, to locate said blade in position in said cavity.

8. A food slicer according to any preceding claim, further comprising a guide plate spaced from a plane containing the cutting edge of said blade, said guide plate being adjustable in position to adjust the thickness of slices of food cut by said blade.

9. A food slicer according to claim 8, in which said guide plate is provided with one or more lugs clamped against surfaces at the underside of said housing or handle by a or a respective screw.

10. A food slicer according to any one of claims 2 to 9, in which said housing is secured to said handle by one or more screwthread or-bayonet elements, whereby a part of a turn of the housing relative to the handle will unite the two together.

11. A food slicer according to claim 10, in which the connection between said housing and said handle is via an adaptor plate secured to said handle and on which said screwthread or bayonet element(s) are located.

12. A food slicer substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.