Efficient food slicer

• US 20050152795A1
• Filed: 11/02/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edgecraft Corporation (The Legacy Cos.)
• Original Assignee: Edgecraft Corporation (The Legacy Cos.)
• Inventors: Friel, Daniel D. Sr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,174,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/423.800
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/143 rotating about a stationary axis B26D1/20 - B26D1/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/08 Means for actuating the cutting member to effect the cut
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/086 Electric, magnetic, piezoelectric, electro-magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/08 Means for treating work or cutting member to facilitate cutting tensioning band cutters B26D1/48
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/222 With receptacle or support for cut product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6499 Work rectilinearly reciprocated through tool station
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6536 By carriage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7533 With biasing or counterbalancing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/768 Rotatable disc tool pair or tool and carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/929 Tool or tool with support

Abstract

A food slicer comprises a fan-cooled electrically powered motor driving a slicer blade. The motor is mounted within an enclosure which comprises at least one air intake port and at least one exhaust port on opposite sides of one nominally air-tight first partitioning wall within the enclosure to confine the flow of cooling air from the air intake port through the enclosure, then into intimate contact with the electrical windings and components within the frame of the motor. The motor frame is sealed into a closely conforming contacting aperture in the first partitioning wall. The fan is mounted immediately adjacent to a non-contacting aperture in a second partitioning wall within the enclosure juxtaposed the exhaust port.

Claims

1. A food slicer comprising a fan-cooled electrically powered motor driving a slicer blade, said motor mounted within an enclosure comprising at least one air intake port and at least one exhaust port on opposite sides of one nominally air-tight first partitioning wall within said enclosure that restricts the flow of cooling air from said air intake port through said enclosure on one side of said first partitioning wall, then into intimate contact with the electrical windings and components enclosed within the frame of said motor, said motor frame being sealed into a closely conforming contacting aperture in said first partitioning wall, and said fan being mounted immediately adjacent to a non-contacting aperture in a second partitioning wall within said enclosure juxtaposed said exhaust port of said enclosure.

2. A food slicer according to claim 1 where said second partitioning wall is an external wall of said enclosure, and said non-contacting aperture is the said exhaust port of said enclosure.

3. A food slicer comprising an electrically powered motor driving a slicer blade, said motor cooled by a fan mounted on its shaft, said motor mounted in an enclosure comprising at least one air intake port and at least one exhaust port and a first partitioning wall within said enclosure that directs the flow of cooling air into and through said enclosure and into intimate contact with the electrical windings and components enclosed within the frame of said motor frame sealed into a closely conforming aperture in said first partitioning wall, and said fan mounted on said shaft immediately adjacent to non-contacting aperture in a second said partitioning wall to direct said cooling air from the space between said first and second partitioning walls and to exhaust said air out said exhaust port.

4. A food slicer powered by a fan cooled enclosed frame motor mounted within an enclosure comprising at least one air intake port, at least one exhaust port and at least one nominally air tight wall partitioning said enclosure and forming an air tight seal around said enclosed motor frame to direct the flow of cooling air into and through said enclosed motor frame into intimate contact with the electrical windings and heated components within said motor frame, and wherein said air intake port is on one side of said wall and wherein said exhaust port and said fan are on the other side of said wall.

5. A food slicer powered by a fan cooled enclosed frame motor mounted within an enclosure comprising at least one air intake port, at least one exhaust port and a first nominally air tight wall partitioning said enclosure and forming an air tight seal around said enclosed motor frame to direct the flow of cooling air into and through said enclosed motor frame into intimate contact with the electrical winding and heated components within said motor frame, and a second nominally air tight wall partitioning said enclosure with a non-contacting aperture immediately adjacent one face or the circumference of said fan to direct said cooling air from the space between first and second partitioning walls and to exhaust said air out said exhaust port.

6. A food slicer comprising an enclosure, a fan-cooled enclosed-frame electrically powered motor within said enclosure, the fan mounted on a drive shaft of said motor, said enclosure comprising at least one intake port and at least one exhaust port, said motor mounted within a secondary surrounding walled structure that conforms air-tightly around said enclosed motor frame to direct said cooling air pulled by said fan into intimate contact with electrical windings and heated motor components within said motor frame and confines the air exiting from said motor frame within said surrounding walled structure until the air is exhausted from said walled structure through a non-contacting aperture adjacent said fan to said exhaust port in close proximity to said fan.

7. A food slicer, according to claim 6, where said air is exhausted into a walled compartment containing said exhaust port, said compartment sealed from other portions of said enclosure.

8. A food slicer comprising an outer enclosure, a fan-cooled enclosed-frame electrically powered motor in said enclosure with the fan mounted on a drive shaft of said motor, said outer enclosure comprising at least one air intake port to allow air into said enclosure and at least one exhaust port within a first interior compartment of said enclosure, and said motor frame being mounted within a closely conforming aperture in one wall of a second compartment, an aperture in one wall of said second compartment adjacent to, but out of contact with said cooling fan located at said aperture of said second compartment to move air over the electrical windings and heated motor components within said frame and to exhaust cooling air into said first interior compartment and out of said exhaust port within said first compartment.

9. A food slicer according to claim 8 where said first compartment and said second compartment share a common wall containing said fan aperture for said cooling fan.

10. A food slicer according to claim 8 where the perimeter of said cooling fan is in close proximity to, but out of contact with vents of said exhaust port within said first compartment.

11. A food slicer according to claim 10 where said exhaust port consists of multiple vents aligned within the 180°

solid hemispheric angle adjacent said fan aperture.

12. A food slicer according to claim 8 where at least two of the exterior walls of said interior compartment contain vents constituting said exhaust port.

13. A food slicer according to claim 8 where said exhaust port comprises multiple vents which have a total open exhaust area not less than the planer circular area of said fan aperture.

14. A food slicer according to claim 8 where the smallest dimension of the opening of any portal vent is greater than about 4 millimeters.

15. A food slicer according to claim 8 where the opening of said aperture adjacent said fan is slightly smaller than the diameter of said fan.

16. A food slicer according to claim 8 where said exhaust port consists of multiple vents, the closest of said vents being within one (1) centimeter of said fan.

17. A food slicer according to claim 8 where the opening of said aperture adjacent said fan opening is larger than said fan but larger by less than 4 millimeters.

18. A food slicer with a slicer blade, an enclosure comprising an electrical motor with electrical windings supported within a frame structure of said motor, a cooling fan, and a blade drive mechanism, said enclosure being nominally air tight except for at least one air intake port and one exhaust port, the perimeter of said motor frame sealed within the partitioning wall of a compartment within said enclosure, said compartment being nominally air tight except for at least one opening to allow direct passage of cooling air into intimate contact with said electrical windings of said motor and one non-contacting aperture immediately adjacent to said fan that exhausts heated air from said compartment and said enclosure.

19. A food slicer according to claim 18 where said fan exhausts heated air into a second compartment which is air tight except for said aperture adjacent said fan and an exhaust port comprising one or more vents to allow free passage of heated air to the outside of said enclosure.

20. A food slicer comprising an outer enclosure, an inner chamber, a fan-cooled enclosed frame electrically powered motor within said enclosure, said outer enclosure comprising at least one intake port to allow outside air to enter said enclosure, and where said motor frame is sealed nominally air-tight into an opening in the wall of said inner chamber and the fan is mounted adjacent a second opening in the wall of said inner chamber to move air from said outer enclosure through said enclosed frame into contact with the interior of said motor and into said inner chamber and to exhaust air to the exterior of said outer enclosure.

21. A food slicer comprising an outer enclosure, an inner chamber, a fan-cooled enclosed frame electrically powered motor, said outer enclosure comprising at least one exhaust port to allow air to exhaust from said enclosure, where said motor frame is sealed nominally air-tight into an opening in a wall of said inner chamber which is ducted to provide for the fan driven flow of outside air into said inner chamber through said enclosed motor frame into contact with the interior of said motor and into said outer enclosure and exhausting through at least one exhaust port, and said fan being mounted adjacent to an opening in the wall of said inner chamber to draw air from the outside to said inner chamber.