Patent Application
20220402157
This application claims benefit to European Patent Application No. 21 179 802.0, filed on Jun. 16, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The present disclosure relates to a whetting device for a slicer for slicing off slices from in particular a length of material to be sliced, preferably food.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,937 B1 (=reference [1]) relates to a slicing machine for food products, comprising a rotatable slicing blade. The slicing machine comprises a whetting instrument and an associated blade guard assembly having a guard element positioned such as to protect the edge of the blade when the whetting instrument is in its stand-by or non-sharpening state. During whetting, a part of the blade guard ring is opened in order for the whetting instrument to be able to touch the cutting edge of the blade. Opening the blade guard ring requires at least one joint in the blade guard ring. The slicing machine is thus relatively complex and also unhygienic during use.
DE 103 00 972 A1 (=reference [2]) discloses a whetting unit for rotationally driven circular blades of slicing units, comprising a whetting element that can rotate about an axis of each circular blade. The whetting unit comprises an adjustment means for determining the relative position between the circular blade and the whetting element, which adjustment means is movable in parallel with the axis of the whetting element and interacts with the housing of the circular blade or with a stop formed on the housing thereof.
DE 199 07 028 A1 (=reference [3]) discloses a whetting unit for a food slicing machine, comprising a rotatable circular blade and a carriage, the movement of the carriage allowing food located thereon to be fed to the circular blade. The whetting unit comprises a whetting element having a whetting surface, which can be fitted on the cutting edge of the circular blade, for whetting the circular blade, and a honing element having a honing surface, which can be fitted on the opposite side of the cutting edge of the circular blade, for removing the burrs produced during the whetting operation. The whetting unit further comprises a bearing surface which can be placed on the edge of the carriage of a slicing machine in such a way that the whetting unit rests at least in part on the carriage bearing surface for the material to be sliced, the whetting surface being able to come into contact with the cutting edge of the circular blade as a result of the carriage being moved.
EP 1 922 189 B1 (=reference [4]) relates to a food slicing unit comprising a rotating slicing blade and a sharpening mechanism for sharpening the slicing blade, the sharpening mechanism being releasably fastened to a portion of a product table in order to move together with the product table and provide sharpening of the slicing blade. The sharpening mechanism has a rotating sharpening element and a deburring element, the sharpening element and the deburring element being mounted independently of one another. The sharpening mechanism is detachably fastened in a cavity formed in a bottom portion of the food product table facing the blade.
The known whetting devices provide relatively little protection for users against cutting themselves on each circular blade of the slicer, particularly when the devices are mounted and removed.
In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides a whetting device that is for a slicer, which is for slicing off slices from a length of material to be sliced. The whetting device has: a whetstone configured to sharpen a circular blade of the slicer, the circular blade being configured to rotate or be movable in a circulating manner; a hone configured to deburr the circular blade; a handle configured to move the whetstone or the hone toward the circular blade; a mount configured to be fastened to a stop plate of the slicer, the mount having an insertion apparatus for being form-fittingly inserted into the stop plate, the mount having a U-shaped plate receptacle which has a gap for introducing the stop plate into the gap in a state where the whetting device is pushed onto the stop plate; a receptacle configured to form-fittingly engage around an end of a blade guard ring of the slicer, the receptacle being configured to engage around an end of the blade guard ring in a state where the stop plate is at least at a predetermined distance from the circular blade in a direction of an axis of rotation of the circular blade, and not to engage around the end of the blade guard ring in a state where the distance between the stop plate and the blade guard ring is shorter than the predetermined distance in the direction of the axis of rotation of the circular blade; and a frame configured to cover at least one portion of a cutting edge of the circular blade and to pivot the whetting device from an installation position into a working position.
Subject matter of the present disclosure will be described in even greater detail below based on the exemplary figures. All features described and/or illustrated herein can be used alone or combined in different combinations. The features and advantages of various embodiments will become apparent by reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate the following:
The present disclosure relates to a whetting device for a slicer for slicing off slices from in particular a length of material to be sliced, preferably food, the whetting device has a whetstone for sharpening a circular blade of the slicer, the circular blade rotating and/or being movable in a circulating manner, and a hone for deburring the circular blade. The whetting device has a handle for moving the whetstone and/or the hone toward the circular blade.
Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a slicing system comprising a whetting device of this kind and a slicer.
Conventional slicing machines, whether a vertical slicing machine or a gravity feed slicing machine, typically have a slicing blade having a cutting edge that needs to be sharpened regularly. The slicing blade is used for slicing off material to be sliced, and if the slicing machine is improperly operated, it poses a risk of injury for users if they, for example, touch the cutting edge of the slicing blade with their fingers.
The slicing blade can be covered by a blade guard ring, which is often C-shaped. The slicing machine further comprises a stop plate by which the slice thickness can be adjusted. If the stop plate is in the zero position, the slice thickness that can be generated is 0 mm, meaning that no slices are made. The stop plate covers the part of the slicing-blade cutting edge that is not covered by the blade guard ring. If the stop plate is opened, i.e., moved out of the zero position, the slicing machine can slice material to be sliced. In the region of the stop plate, the cutting edge is then freely accessible. Any user who, without due care, runs their finger over the stop plate toward the slicing blade could then touch the cutting edge and sustain an injury. For this reason, the slicing machine is in a safe state when the stop plate is closed and in a slicing state when the stop plate is open.
The cutting edge of the slicing blade is regularly resharpened once a particular operating time has passed. To sharpen the slicing blade, a whetting instrument is installed on the slicing machine. The whetting instrument comprises a whetstone, which in a first step touches the cutting edge from one side and sharpens the cutting edge. The whetting instrument comprises a hone, which in a second step touches the cutting edge from the other side and hones the blade, e.g., removes burrs. To ensure user safety during whetting, the whetting instrument should, as far as possible, be attached to the machine when the machine is in a safe state, i.e., when the cutting edge of the slicing blade is completely covered. To carry out the sharpening process, the slicing blade is opened at one location in order for the whetstone and hone to be able to touch the cutting edge.
Hitherto, the stop plate generally had to be opened. This exposes the cutting edge of the blade outside the C-shaped blade guard ring. The whetting instrument is then fastened to the stop plate. The blade can be whetted using the whetstone and the hone. The whetting instrument is lifted off and the blade is open again. The stop plate then has to be closed. This means that in the meantime there is an open stop plate having an unobstructed cutting edge, leading to a corresponding risk of injury for the operator.
Aspects of the present disclosure addresses the problem, which is relatively challenging when considered in detail, of providing a whetting device for hygienically whetting a circular blade, comprising structurally simple, space-saving, and reliable protection for users against cutting themselves on the circular blade of the slicer, in particular while the whetting device is being mounted and removed. Another problem addressed by an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a slicing system comprising a whetting device of this kind and a slicer.
Aspects of the present disclosure solve this problem in both a surprisingly simple and also effective way in that a generic whetting device of the type mentioned at the outset is provided with a mount for being fastened to a stop plate of the slicer, the mount having an insertion apparatus for being form-fittingly inserted into the stop plate, the mount having a U-shaped plate receptacle which has a gap for introducing the stop plate into the gap when the whetting device is pushed onto the stop plate, in that a receptacle of the whetting device is present for form-fittingly engaging around an end of a blade guard ring of the slicer, the receptacle being configured to engage around the end of the blade guard ring when the stop plate is at least at a predetermined distance from the circular blade in the direction of an axis of rotation of the circular blade, and not to engage around the end of the blade guard ring when the distance between the stop plate and the blade guard ring is shorter than the predetermined distance in the direction of the axis of rotation of the circular blade, and in that the whetting device has a frame for covering at least one portion of a cutting edge of the circular blade and for pivoting the whetting device from an installation position into a working position.
Consequently, the risk of injury, which has hitherto always been present to a certain extent, when the whetting device is being mounted and removed, and poor hygiene when the whetting device is in use, are now reliably avoided. The whetting device, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, can be fastened to the stop plate by means of the mount or detached from the stop plate when the distance between the stop plate and the blade guard ring is shorter than the predetermined distance in the direction of the axis of rotation of the circular blade, i.e., in particular when the stop plate is in a closed position.
In the closed position, the circular blade covered by the stop plate and the blade guard ring cannot be touched, so there is no risk of injury. As a result, the whetting device can advantageously be fitted on the stop plate as early as when it is still in the closed position and the slicer still poses no injury risk.
In other words, to ensure user safety during whetting, the whetting device is mounted on the slicer as early as when the slicer is in the safe state, i.e., when the slicing blade is completely covered. When in the closed position, the stop plate in particular covers a portion of the slicing-blade cutting edge that is not covered by the blade guard ring.
Once the whetting device according to an aspect of the present disclosure has been mounted, with the stop plate in the closed position, the stop plate is displaced out of the closed position in order to whet the circular blade, such that the stop plate is at least at a predetermined distance from the circular blade in the direction of an axis of rotation of the circular blade, i.e., the stop plate is in an open position. The whetting device is thus brought close to the now-accessible cutting edge of the circular blade.
When the stop plate is displaced, the end of the blade guard ring is introduced into the receptacle in the direction of the axis of rotation of the circular blade, which receptacle engages around the end of the blade guard ring when the stop plate is in the open position. In the process, the receptacle in particular has a guide for introducing the blade guard ring.
When the stop plate is open, the whetting device according to an aspect of the present disclosure interacts with the blade guard ring. Together with the whetting-device insertion apparatus, which is inserted into the stop plate, when the stop plate is in the open position the receptacle prevents the whetting device from being able to be demounted during whetting of the circular blade, which poses the risk of the user cutting themselves. In particular, when the stop plate is open, the whetting device cannot be demounted either in a direction along the stop plate or perpendicularly to that direction. By means of the receptacle in the whetting device for the blade guard ring, the blade guard ring secures the whetting device when the stop plate is open, but not when the stop plate is closed.
In other words, the whetting device according to an aspect of the present disclosure cannot be separated from the stop plate when the stop plate is open. The slicer therefore cannot be put into a slicing state during the whetting operation as a result of the whetting device demounting. By means of its frame, the whetting device in particular covers a cutting edge of the circular blade in a portion in which the cutting edge is not covered by the blade guard ring. The whetting device thus prevents the circular blade being touched by the user even though the stop plate is in an open position. To carry out the sharpening process, the slicing blade is safely made accessible in one portion of the slicing blade in order for the whetstone and hone to be able to touch the cutting edge.
The slicer can in particular be configured as a vertical slicing machine or a gravity feed slicing machine.
The blade guard ring is preferably C-shaped so as to cover the circular blade in a defined circumferential region.
In a first step, the whetstone of the whetting device in particular touches the cutting edge from one side and sharpens the cutting edge. In a second step, the hone of the whetting device in particular touches the cutting edge from the other side and hones the blade, removing burrs for example. In particular, the installation position is for mounting or removing the whetting device whereas the working position is used for the whetting of the circular blade by the whetting device.
The context of the present disclosure also includes a slicing system comprising a slicer for slicing off slices from in particular a length of material to be sliced, preferably food, comprising a slicer housing, which retains a drive motor and a circular blade that is driven by the drive motor and rotates and/or is movable in a circulating manner, a cutting edge of the circular blade being covered in a first portion by a blade guard ring, the slicer comprising a stop plate and a displaceably arranged carriage, by means of which the material to be sliced is fed to the circular blade, the stop plate being movable in the direction of the axis of rotation of the circular blade, the slicing system having a whetting device for whetting the circular blade, the whetting device having a whetstone for sharpening the circular blade and a hone for deburring the circular blade, the whetting device having a handle for moving the whetstone and/or the hone toward the circular blade.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, this slicing system is characterized in that the whetting device has a mount for being fastened to the stop plate, the mount having an insertion apparatus for being form-fittingly inserted into the stop plate, the mount having an in particular U-shaped plate receptacle which has a gap for introducing the stop plate into the gap when the whetting device is pushed onto the stop plate, in that a receptacle of the whetting device is present for form-fittingly engaging around an end of the blade guard ring, the receptacle being configured to engage around the end of the blade guard ring when the stop plate is at a predetermined distance from the circular blade in the direction of an axis of rotation of the circular blade, and the receptacle being configured not to engage around the end of the blade guard ring when the distance between the stop plate and the blade guard ring is shorter than the predetermined distance in the direction of the axis of rotation of the circular blade, and in that the whetting device has a frame for covering a second portion of a cutting edge of the circular blade and for pivoting the whetting device from an installation position into a working position.
In the slicing system according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the whetting device covers the second portion of the circular blade in particular when the stop plate is in the aforementioned open or closed position. Consequently, the circular blade can be whetted while both the whetting device and the blade guard ring protect the user against cutting themselves by touching the circular blade. When the whetting device is used, no relatively complex components such as joints need to be used, so the whetting device can also be used hygienically. Accidental detaching of the whetting device from the slicer during the whetting process is prevented first by the whetting device being fastened to the blade guard ring by way of the receptacle, and second by the whetting device being fastened to the stop plate by way of the mount having the plate receptacle and the insertion apparatus.
One category of advantageous embodiments of the whetting device according to the present disclosure is characterized in that the insertion apparatus has at least one lug, preferably two lugs, for engaging in an associated recess in the stop plate, the at least one lug in particular being configured to engage in a recess on a rear face of the stop plate, and the rear face of the stop plate facing away from a carriage of the slicer in the direction of the axis of rotation of the circular blade. The lugs are secured by being inserted into the recesses, the recesses thereby forming form-fitting receptacles for the lugs. Once inserted into the recesses, the lugs prevent the whetting device from being displaced along the stop plate.
Also preferred are embodiments of the whetting device according to the present disclosure that are characterized in that the receptacle is formed as a cut-out for introducing the end of the blade guard ring. The receptacle engages around the end of the blade guard ring, thereby providing a secure hold for the whetting device on the end of the blade guard ring. Forming the receptacle as a cut-out is also material-efficient.
In advantageous configurations of the whetting device, the frame of the whetting device comprises cover plates for covering the cutting edge of the circular blade, the whetstone and the hone in particular being arranged between the cover plates. Due to their extent, the cover plates protect users against cutting themselves on the cutting edge while the stop plate is in motion. The cover plates, the whetstone, and the hone are in particular arranged in the circumferential direction of the circular blade, the whetstone and the hone being positioned between the cover plates.
Further configurations of the whetting device are characterized by a latching mechanism for locking the whetting device in the working position and/or in the installation position. As a result, the whetting device is held in each position in a stable but manually releasable manner. By way of example, the latching mechanism is formed by a latching pin and resilient elements on the whetting device.
A preferred variant of the whetting device is characterized by a pivot mechanism for pivoting the whetting device from the working position into the installation position. Preferably, the pivot mechanism has a guide groove and/or a guide rail for guiding the whetting device during pivoting, and/or a rotating pin about which the whetting device can pivot in its entirety or in part. Particularly preferably, the aforementioned latching pin engages in the guide groove and/or is guided along the guide rail, whereby the whetting device can be pivoted between the latching positions from the working position into the installation position.
A development of this variant of the present disclosure is characterized by a stop for the pivot mechanism. The stop brakes the pivoting in a stable manner and acts as a buffer to protect the whetting device from mechanical damage resulting from the pivoting.
Also advantageous are embodiments of the whetting device according to the present disclosure in which the mount for fastening the whetting device to a stop plate of the slicer has a threaded spindle for clamping the stop plate. Owing to the threaded spindle, the stop plate can be connected to the whetting device in a stable but manually releasable manner. In particular, the threaded spindle is located on one side of the gap of the U-shaped plate receptacle, so as to press the stop plate against the opposite side of the U-shaped plate receptacle and thus firmly clamp the whetting device on the stop plate.
Also preferred are embodiments of the whetting device according to the present disclosure that are characterized in that the insertion apparatus is formed on the inner surface of the gap of the plate receptacle. In particular, the stop plate is guided along the inner surface of the gap when inserted into the gap. The insertion apparatus is in particular formed on the inner surface of the gap in the form of the aforementioned lugs. Whereas the plate receptacle engages around the stop plate during insertion so as to prevent the whetting device being displaced in the direction of the axis of rotation of the circular blade, the insertion apparatus on the inner surface of the gap prevents the whetting device being displaced along the stop plate as early as when the stop plate is inserted.
In further advantageous configurations of the whetting device according to the present disclosure, the insertion apparatus has a tapering shape, in particular a U shape, in a direction of the insertion. As a result, the insertion apparatus is centered when inserted into the receptacle in the stop plate, thereby simplifying insertion.
A further preferred embodiment of the whetting device according to the present disclosure is characterized in that the handle for moving the whetstone and/or the hone toward the circular blade of the slicer is formed as a wheel of the frame of the whetting device, the wheel being configured, when turned, to move the whetstone and/or the hone toward the circular blade, such that they can be arranged on the circular blade, and/or to move them away from the circular blade. Owing to the wheel and a rotary mechanism connected thereto, the whetstone and/or the hone can be shifted in a particularly space-saving manner.
An advantageous configuration of the above-described slicing system according to the present disclosure is characterized in that the stop plate of the slicer has at least one recess, in particular two recesses, for form-fittingly receiving the insertion apparatus of the whetting device, the recess preferably being formed on a rear face of the stop plate, the rear face facing away from a carriage of the slicer in the direction of the axis of rotation of the circular blade. The recesses are for form-fittingly receiving associated protrusions on the insertion apparatus, in particular in the form of lugs, in order to prevent the whetting device from being displaced along the stop plate.
A further embodiment of the slicing system is characterized in that the width of the frame in the direction of the axis of rotation of the circular blade is such that the frame always covers the cutting edge of the circular blade while the stop plate is in motion. As a result, while the stop plate is being moved from the closed position into the open position, the user is always protected against cutting themselves on the circular blade.
In a preferred embodiment of the slicing system, the stop plate of the slicer can be moved into a zero position in which the stop plate and the blade guard ring together fully cover the cutting edge of the circular blade such that the circular blade does not slice the material to be sliced. In the zero position, the stop plate is aligned with the circular blade. The stop plate thus prevents slicing of the material to be sliced and protects users against cutting themselves. In the zero position, the whetting device can be mounted on the stop plate in a risk-free way. In particular, the zero position coincides with the closed position of the stop plate.
Further advantages of the present disclosure become apparent from the description and the drawings. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the aforementioned features and those yet to be stated can likewise each be used either in isolation or together in any combinations. The embodiments shown and described should not be taken to be an exhaustive list, but rather are intended as examples for outlining the present disclosure.
The slicer 10′ further comprises a stop plate 16 and a displaceably arranged carriage 17, by means of which material to be sliced is fed to the circular blade 13. In the process, the stop plate 16 can be moved in the direction of the axis of rotation RA (see
As an alternative to a gravity feed slicing machine 10′ according to
To whet the circular blade 13, which is mounted so as to be rotatable about the axis of rotation RA, the whetting device 22 is used, which is mounted in an installation position 23 (shown in
In particular, the installation position 23 can be recognized in that a housing 26 for protecting the operating mechanism of the whetting device 22 is pivoted away from the circular blade 13, whereas in a working position (see
The pivoting from the working position into the installation position 23 is carried out by means of a pivot mechanism 30. The pivot mechanism 30 has a guide 31 for guiding the whetting device 22 during the pivoting. The housing 26 is pivoted about a rotating pin 32 of the pivot mechanism. The pivoting motion of the whetting device 22 toward the installation position 23 is stopped by a stop 33 acting as a buffer.
The whetting device 22 has a handle 34 for moving a whetstone 39 and a hone 40 (see
By comparison with
To whet the circular blade 13, the whetting device 22 assumes a working position 38, which is shown in
The whetting device 22 has the whetstone 39 for sharpening the circular blade 13 (see
The receptacle 43 in the whetting device 22 is configured to form-fittingly engage around the end 20, which is formed as a projection, of the blade guard ring 15 (see
The mount 24 for fastening the whetting device 22 to the stop plate 16 (see
Two recesses 50a, 50b in the stop plate 16 (which are shown in
While subject matter of the present disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. Any statement made herein characterizing the invention is also to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive as the invention is defined by the claims. It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made, by those of ordinary skill in the art, within the scope of the following claims, which may include any combination of features from different embodiments described above.
The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “A and B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “at least one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C, regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B and/or C” or “at least one of A, B or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21179802.0 | Jun 2021 | EP | regional |
