Patent Application
20160271821
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
This invention relates generally to an apparatus for the processing of foods, and more particularly to a novel powered vegetable cutting system that simultaneously utilizes a plurality of blades to efficiently and rapidly cut and slice vegetables into a desired size and shape with minimal effort.
In the commercial food processing and restaurant industries, it is often desirable or necessary to cut, slice or chop, i.e., process, vegetables into shapes and sizes for particular applications or packaging. For example, frozen mixed vegetables are often packaged as one-half to three-quarter inch cubes, a preferential size for consumption. Similarly, restaurants as well as vegetable producers will often process potatoes into a uniform size for purposes of, for example, preparing hash browns, mashing or use in soups. Further, in the restaurant industry it is often desirable to utilize freshly processed vegetables for daily food preparations. However, such relatively small-scale processing of fresh vegetables into desired shapes and sizes can be very time consuming.
Traditionally, small-scale processing of vegetables has been and continues to be performed by hand. One common method of automation to speed up this process is the use of a rotary drum that houses the vegetables. Centrifugal force or paddles in the drum force the vegetables against a fixed blade that slices portions off of the vegetables to fall outside the drum. Additional vegetables can be added as the volume of vegetables in the drum decreases. However, such rotary food process systems lack the ability to cut or slice the vegetables in more than one direction without multiple passes against the processor blade, such as when it is desired to process the vegetables into cubes or other such shapes.
It would therefore be desirable to have a rotary food processor for vegetables that could cut, chop and/or slice vegetables in more than one direction substantially simultaneously.
As will become evident in this disclosure, the present invention provides such benefits over the existing art.
The illustrative embodiments of the present invention are shown in the following drawings which form a part of the specification:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
While the invention will be described and disclosed here in connection with certain preferred embodiments, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described here, but rather the invention is intended to cover all alternative embodiments and modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims included herein as well as any equivalents of the disclosed and claimed invention.
In referring to the drawings, a first embodiment of the novel vegetable processor 10 of the present invention is shown generally in
More particularly, in
Referring again to
A set of three elongated and generally trapezoidal paddles 60, 62 and 64 (
The second end 50 has a circular inlet 66 to access the cavity 54. A gravity-feed scoop-shaped trough or chute 68 is attached to and extends away from the face of the second end 50. As can be appreciated the chute 68 funnels vegetables to be processed through the inlet 66 and into the cavity 54 during operation.
A rectangular opening 69 (see
On the opposite side of the opening 69, an adjustable thickness regulator plate 92 is rotatably secured to the outer surface of the cylindrical body 46 by a hinge 94. The regulator plate 92 is curved to substantially match the curvature of the cylindrical body 46, and has a width equal to the length of the opening 69 such that the plate 92 can be rotated into the opening 69 about the hinge 94. The regulator plate 92 extends from the hinge 94 partway across the opening 69 to a point approximately one inch from the side of the opening opposite the hinge 94. The regulator plate 92 thereby forms a smaller rectangular opening 70 into the cylindrical body 46 that has the length of the opening 69 and a width defined by the cutting edge 74 of the first blade 72 on one side and the edge of the regulator plate 92 opposite the hinge 94 on the other side. A spring-loaded brace 96 biases the regulator plate 92 toward the opening 69. Two knob screws 98 threaded into the brace 96 accurately adjust the extent to which the regulator plate 92 is allowed to push away from the opening 69 during operation.
In order to shield the operator from exposure to the blades 72 and 82 during operation, a removable blade cover 100 is positioned over the opening 69 above the blades 72 and 82. A piano hinge 102 rotatably attaches the blade cover 100 to the drum unit 14, such that the cover 100 can be rotated away from the opening 69 so as to allow ready access to the blades 72 and 82 as desired.
In operation, when vegetables are placed in the chute 68, gravity pulls those vegetables through the inlet 66 and into the basket 65 in the cavity 54. When an electric current is applied to the drive unit 12, the motor in the drive unit 12 rotates the flange 38, which in turn rotates the shaft 42, which in turn drives the gears in the gearbox 56 to rotate the basket 65 within the cavity 54. As the basket 65 rotates, the paddles 60, 62 and 64 stir the vegetables and, and in conjunction with centrifugal force, urge the vegetables against the cutting edges 74 and 84 of the first and second blades 72 and 82. As can be appreciated, although the vegetables first engage the cutting edges 84 of the second blade 82, and then engage the cutting edge 74 of the first blade 72 while rotating in the basket 65, the proximity of the blades in this arrangement result in a process in which the vegetables are cut or chopped in two differing directions at substantially the same time in a single pass.
While I have described in the detailed description several configurations that may be encompassed within the disclosed embodiments of this invention, numerous other alternative configurations, that would now be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, may be designed and constructed within the bounds of my invention as set forth in the claims. Moreover, the above-described novel mechanisms of the present invention, shown by way of example at 10 can be arranged in a number of other and related varieties of configurations without departing from or expanding beyond the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.
For example, the processor 10 and its component drive and drum units 12 and 14 can be configured and constructed of varying materials, shapes and sizes without departing from the teachings of this disclosure. It is also to be understood that the processor 10 can be configured such that the drum unit 14 is detachable from the drive unit 12, or the drum unit 14 can be an integral component of the entire processor 10 such that the drum unit 14 does not detach from the drive unit 12.
By way of further example, the processor 10 is not limited to a specific number of paddles in the basket 65 of the drum unit 14 such as the paddles 60, 62 and 64. Rather, the drum unit 14 can house virtually any number of paddles, from as few as one paddle to many more than the three paddles 60-64, so long as the paddles are sized to fit within the drum unit 14 and facilitate, or at least do not interfere with, the operation of the processor 10 as explained in this disclosure. Similarly, the processor 10 is not limited to a specific number of components to secure the paddles in the drum unit 14. For example, the paddles 60-64 can be secured within the drum unit 14 with a single ring or plate, or with multiple combinations of plates, rings or other components such as cross-braces.
The processor 10 can also be alternately configured with a wide variety of common devices, mechanisms and components to enable the adjustment of each of the blades 72 and 82 relative to the opening 69. In addition, the inlet 66 can be of any variety of shapes and sizes, and can be positioned at virtually any position on the drum unit 14, so long as the inlet 66 does not hinder the operation of the processor 10 and enables the operator to insert the vegetables into the cavity 54 of the drum unit 14 for processing. Likewise, the inlet 70 can be of any variety of shapes and sizes, and can be positioned at virtually any position on the drum unit 14, so long as the opening 69 is configured and positioned relative to the blades 72 and 82 so as to facilitate the proper operation of the processor 10 as described herein.
As a further example, the blades 72 and 82 need not be removable, replaceable or adjustable—all as described herein. Rather, by way of example, either or both of the blades 72 or 82 can be non-adjustable and/or fixed in place on the drum unit 14. In addition, each of the blades 72 and 82 can be configured with as few as one cutting edge or numerous cutting edges, and such multiple cutting edges can be associated with or secured to each blade by a variety of means or configurations, including for example a single component with multiple sharpened edges, or numerous components with one or more sharpened edges on each components and pressed against each other or screwed, soldered or welded together.
In addition, the processor 10 can be operated with just the blade 72. This can be accomplished by simply detaching the blade 82 from the processor 10, or adjusting the position of the blade 82 such that the cutting edges 84 do not engage the vegetables being processed. Likewise, the processor 10 can be operated with just the blade 82. This can be accomplished by simply detaching the blade 72 from the processor 10, or adjusting the position of the blade 72 such that the cutting edge 74 does not engage the vegetables being processed. Also, the processor 10 is not limited a single set of matched blades positioned together on the drum unit 12, such as 72 and 82. Rather, the processor 10 can be configured with multiple sets of two or more blades positioned at different locations on the drum unit 14. Moreover, any one or more of such multiple sets of blades may be configured with two or more blades.
The processor 10 can be configured with any of a wide variety of readily understood components and mechanisms to attach the drum unit 14 to the drive unit 12, and a wide variety of drive motors and associated gearing in the gearbox 56 can be used to rotate the paddles 60-64 in drum unit 14 at a desirable or predetermined rate of speed. Further, the drive unit 12 and drum unit 14 can incorporate components, such as a variable governor, changeable gears or a variable speed motor, to enable the operator to control and adjust the rotational speed and direction of the paddles 60-64 in the drum unit 14 about the axis X.
Of course, the processor 10 does not specifically require the use of an electric motor or drive such as the drive unit 12. Rather, the drive unit 12 can comprise any of a variety of powered drive devices, such as a combustion engine, or a water or steam driven mill, to rotate the paddles 60-64 in drum unit 12. Alternately, the drive unit 12 can be configured to be powered by manual operation.
The processor is also not limited to the use of paddles, such as the paddles 60-64, to stir or move the vegetables into communication with the cutting blades, such as the blades 72 and 82. Rather, alternate devices can be used to stir or move the vegetables within the drum unit 14, including for example, push rods, gears, baffles and pressurized air or other fluids. In addition, the processor 10 can be configured such that the drum unit 14, and consequently the blades 72 and 82, rotate about the axis X, while the vegetables are pressed against the blades by stationary baffles or paddles inside the drum unit 14.
Additional variations or modifications to the configuration of the novel mechanism of the present invention, shown by way of example at 10, may occur to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the subject matter of this invention. Such variations, if within the spirit of this disclosure, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of this invention. The description of the embodiments as set forth herein, and as shown in the drawings, is provided for illustrative purposes only and, unless otherwise expressly set forth, is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which set forth the metes and bounds of my invention. Accordingly, all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
When describing elements or features and/or embodiments thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements or features. The terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features beyond those specifically described.
