FOOD-COMMINUTION DEVICE

• US 3,809,325 A
• Filed: 05/10/1972
• Issued: 05/07/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stone Brown Paper Incorporated A Corporation of
• Original Assignee: Paul Marrie
• Inventors: Marrie, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Custer, Jr., Granville Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goldberg, Howard N.
• Application Number:
  US05/251,970
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 241/280,277,282.1,282.2,199.12,46.17,278R 259/108,DIG.25,DIG.26
• US Class Current: 241/278.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/046 with tools driven from the bottom side
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0777 in which the activating element on the cover transmits a signal to a safety device in the base element via the mixing bowl removably seated on this base element, e.g. pin on the cover moves a pushrod in the bowl handle to operate safety switch in the base element
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/255 with grating discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 366/601 Motor control

Abstract

A food chopper has a power base from which a drive shaft extends upwardly. A receptacle provided with a lateral outlet opening is mounted on this base and forms an upwardly open cylindrical chamber around the shaft. A replaceable cutting unit fits within this chamber and has levels, e.g. for cutting the foodstuffs and ejecting the cut product centrifugally or for two cutting stages. A cover formed with a vertical feed well fits over this unit and closes a safety switch which permits the motor in the base to operate.

Claims

1. A food chopper comprising:

a base;

a drive shaft extending axially upwardly from said base;

means mounted on said base spacedly surrounding said shaft and defining a generally cylindrical upwardly open chamber therearound and forming a generally laterally opening outlet for said chamber;

a rotatable cutting element carried on said shaft at an upper region of said chamber;

a rotatable impeller element carried on said shaft at a lower region of said chamber;

means forming an inlet opening downwardly into said upper region generally parallel to said shaft and laterally offset therefrom;

drive means in said base for rotating said shaft and said elements, whereby a foodstuff inserted into said upper region through said inlet is sectioned by said cutting element and is thereafter ejected from said lower region through said outlet by said impeller element; and

a tubular body removably receivable in said chamber and formed with a partition spanning said chamber below said cutting element and above said impeller element, said partition being provided with a single orifice constituting the sole communication between said regions past said partition and laterally offset from both said inlet and said shaft.

2. The chopper defined in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a motor selectively operable at a relatively slow rate and at a relatively fast rate and switch means connected to said motor and engageable by said body for switching said motor from said slow rate to said fast rate on mounting of said body in said chamber.

3. The chopper defined in claim 1 wherein said impeller element is a cutting blade.

4. The chopper defined in claim 1 wherein said cutting element is angularly offset to said impeller element by substantially 90*.

5. The chopper defined in claim 1 wherein said impeller element includes a first blade rotatable in the upper part of said lower region and a second blade rotatable in the lower part of said lower region.

6. The chopper defined in claim 1 wherein said mEans forming said inlet is a removable cover formed with a well having a lower end constituting said inlet.

7. The chopper defined in claim 6 wherein said drive means includes electric motor and switch means connected in series with said motor and engageable by said cover for closing a circuit and only allowing operation of said motor with said removable cover in place.

8. The chopper defined in claim 1 wherein said elements are disks, said cutting element being formed with at least one sharp-edged perforation.