Claims
- 1. A food slicing rack device comprising:
- a base with a top surface and a bottom;
- two rows of spaced apart fingers defining knife guide slots extending from the base to top ends, each finger tapered at the top end, the two rows of fingers spaced from each other to receive a food item for slicing on the top surface of the base between the two rows of fingers, the fingers of one row aligned with the fingers of the other row to define guide pairs on opposite sides of the knife guide slots, each guide pair provided with a visual indicator different from a visual indicator of an adjacent pair, a portion of the space between the fingers being sufficiently large to permit electric knife blades and an electric knife blade rivet of an electric knife to pass within the portion, the top surface of the base including grooves aligned with the knife guide slots and extending between the knife guide slots, the base further including raised portions between the grooves;
- a backstop integrally formed with two of the fingers adjacent to a first end of each row of fingers, and a second end of each row of fingers defining an open end, the backstop defining a central slot for food removal from the food slicing rack device after slicing, the base, the fingers, and the backstop being constructed of a plastic material; and
- at least one rubber stop mounted to the bottom of the base.
- 2. The food slicing rack device of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the base including the at least one rubber stop defines a plane for supporting the base on a horizontal surface, the top surface of the base at an angle relative to the plane, wherein the top surface slopes downwardly in a direction from the open end toward the backstop when the base is positioned on the horizontal surface.
- 3. A food slicing rack device comprising:
- a base with a top surface, the base having a support for supporting the base on a horizontal surface, the support defining a plane parallel to the horizontal surface;
- two rows of spaced apart fingers defining knife guide slots extending from the base, the two rows of fingers spaced from each other to receive a food item for slicing on the top surface of the base between the two rows of fingers; and
- a backstop positioned adjacent to a first end of each row of fingers to define a closed end of the food slicing rack device, a second end of each row of fingers defining an open end of the food slicing rack device, the top surface of the base at an angle relative to the plane defined by the support of the base, wherein the top surface of the base slopes downwardly in a direction from the open end toward the closed end when the support of the food slicing rack device is positioned on a horizontal surface.
- 4. The food slicing rack device of claim 3, wherein a plurality of the fingers of each row include an electric knife rivet recess adjacent to an end of the respective fingers near the base, wherein a distance between two adjacent fingers in the same row is greater at the electric knife rivet recess relative to a distance between the two adjacent fingers at a region disposed away from the electric knife rivet recess.
- 5. The food slicing rack device of claim 4, further comprising a knife clip extending from the base sized for snap fittingly receiving a body of an electric knife between the clip and the base.
- 6. The food slicing rack device of claim 3, wherein the fingers of one row are aligned with the fingers of the other row to define guide pairs, each guide pair comprising one finger from each row, with guide pairs being disposed on opposite sides of each knife guide slot, each finger of each guide pair being provided with a visual indicator different from a visual indicator of an adjacent guide pair, each finger of each guide pair having the same visual indicator.
- 7. The food slicing rack device of claim 6, wherein the visual indicators include different colors associated with each guide pair relative to the adjacent guide pair.
- 8. The food slicing rack of claim 6, wherein the visual indicators include different relative heights for each guide pair relative to the adjacent guide pair, wherein each guide pair has an alternating height relative to the adjacent guide pair relative to the top surface of the base, wherein the heights of the guide pairs alternate so that every other guide is of equal height relative to the top surface of the base.
- 9. The food slicing rack device of claim 6, wherein the base and the two rows of spaced apart fingers are constructed from a plurality of separate U-shaped members with an aperture through each member, and a rod member positioned in the aperture of each member to join the U-shaped members together.
- 10. The food slicing rack device of claim 9, wherein the U-shaped members comprise plastic wherein adjacent U-shaped members are provided with a different color.
- 11. The food slicing rack device of claim 9, further comprising an interlock arrangement between each adjacent U-shaped member.
- 12. The food slicing rack device of claim 9, wherein a first of the U-shaped members adjacent to the open end includes two supporting legs, and a second of the U-shaped members adjacent to the backstop includes two supporting legs, wherein the supporting legs on the first U-shaped member are longer than the supporting legs of the second U-shaped member.
- 13. The food slicing rack device of claim 12, wherein the first U-shaped member includes a knife clip and a cord clip.
- 14. The food slicing rack device of claim 3, wherein the backstop defines a three-sided central slot for food removal from the food slicing rack device after slicing.
- 15. The food slicing rack device of claim 3, further comprising a knife clip extending from the base sized for snap fittingly holding a handle of a knife between the clip and the base.
- 16. The food slicing rack device of claim 15, further comprising a cord clip extending from the base.
- 17. The food slicing rack of claim 3, wherein the base and the two rows of spaced apart fingers are constructed from a plurality of separate U-shaped members with an aperture through each member, and a rod member positioned in the aperture of each member to join the U-shaped members together, and further comprising an interlock arrangement between each adjacent U-shaped member.
- 18. A bread slicing rack device for slicing a loaf of bread having a bottom and an end comprising:
- a base with a top surface for supporting the bottom of the loaf of bread;
- two rows of spaced apart fingers defining knife guide slots extending from the base, the two rows of fingers spaced from each other to receive the loaf of bread for slicing on the top surface of the base between the two rows of fingers, each row of fingers having two ends, wherein the fingers are spaced apart a sufficient distance to permit electric knife blades of an electric knife to pass within the space between adjacent fingers, wherein at least a portion of the space between the fingers is sufficiently large to permit the electric knife blades and an electric knife blade rivet of the electric knife to pass within the portion; and
- a backstop having two sides, each side interconnected to an end finger at one end of each row of fingers, the backstop further having a bottom member interconnected to the base, wherein the backstop supports the loaf of bread on three sides of the end of the loaf of bread, and wherein the backstop further defines a central slot for bread removal from the bread slicing rack device after slicing.
- 19. The bread slicing rack device of claim 18, further comprising:
- a loaf of bread positioned on the top surface of the base between the two rows of fingers, the loaf of bread further positioned adjacent to the backstop, the loaf of bread having a height relative to the top surface of the base, the fingers and the sides of the backstop each having a top portion each of which is positioned at a height from the top surface of the base greater than the height of the loaf of bread, the central slot extending from the top portions of the sides of the backstop to a lowermost portion defined by a top portion of the bottom member, the lowermost portion of the central slot positioned below the top surface of the loaf of bread, and also above the top surface of the base, whereby the sides and the bottom member of the backstop support the loaf of bread on three sides of the end of the loaf of bread.
- 20. The bread slicing rack device of claim 18, wherein the sides and the bottom member of the backstop form an integral, one-piece U-shaped backstop.
- 21. The bread slicing rack device of claim 18, wherein the top surface of the base includes grooves aligned with the knife guide slots and extending between the knife guide slots, the base further including raised portions between the grooves.
- 22. A bread slicing rack device for slicing a loaf of bread having a bottom and an end comprising:
- a base with a top surface for supporting the bottom of the loaf of bread;
- two rows of spaced apart fingers defining knife guide slots extending from the base, the two rows of fingers spaced from each other to receive the loaf of bread for slicing on the top surface of the base between the two rows of fingers, each row of fingers having two ends, the top surface of the base including grooves aligned with the knife guide slots and extending between the knife guide slots, the base further including raised portions between the grooves;
- a backstop having two sides, each side projecting inwardly from an end finger at one end of each row of fingers, the backstop further having a bottom member projecting upwardly relative to the base, wherein the backstop restricts the movement of the loaf of bread on three sides of the end of the loaf of bread when the loaf of bread is in a slicing position, and wherein the backstop further defines a central slot for bread removal from the bread slicing rack device after slicing.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/657,954, filed Jun. 4, 1996, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/241,623, filed May 12, 1994 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,759.
US Referenced Citations (38)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
80 24617 |
Nov 1980 |
FRX |
3408382 A1 |
Sep 1985 |
DEX |
366852 |
Feb 1932 |
GBX |
2 172 494 |
Sep 1986 |
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (8)
Entry |
Haupt Enterprises Instruction Sheet for Slice `n` Easy Bread Slicing Guide. |
Copy of Haupt Enterprises, Sunnyvale, CA product literature for "Slice `n` Easy.RTM., The Bread Slicing Guide," one page. |
Copy of Haupt Enterprises, Sunnyvale, CA instruction sheet for Slice `n` Easy.RTM., The Bread Slicing Guide, one page. |
Photos of a DAK slicing product, four pages. |
Copy of instructions for a DAK slicing product, three pages. |
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Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
657954 |
Jun 1996 |
|
Parent |
241623 |
May 1994 |
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