Devices and systems for cutting food and products originally in block form

• US 7,318,558 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 01/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dalter Alimentari SpA
• Original Assignee: Dalter Alimentari SpA
• Inventors: Canegallo, PierOttavio
• Primary Examiner(s): Francis; Faye
• Application Number:
  US11/003,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20050160894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 241/169.1, 241/168, 241/273.1, 241/273.2, 241/86, 241/88, 241/88.1, 241/91, 241/92, 241/273.3, 241/89.4, 241/95, 222/391, 425/313, 834/351.5, 834/351.9, 834/371, 834/377, 831/691, 831/68, 832/731, 832/732, 83/86, 83/88, 83/881, 83/91, 83/92, 832/733
• US Class Current: 241/95
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/14 hand driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/255 with grating discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7834 With means to effect axial pressure on pair

Abstract

A refillable cutting container device is described for whole block food products to be dispensed in the grated, shredded or flake form, of the type comprising: a container body suitable for receiving a food product in the form of one or more whole blocks; a cutting means of the product coupled to the container body in correspondence with the mouth thereof; and a thrusting plate of the product against the cutting tool, integral in rotation with the container body, which is suitable for engaging by screwing by means of a central hole or nut screw on an axial threaded stem being integral with the cutting tool, so as to move forward along the stem by screwing when the container body and the cutting tool are placed in relative rotation with respect to each other, by continuously pressing the product against the tool up to the substantial exhaustion thereof. The thrusting plate can have at least one slot which extends radially from the central hole so as to define an opening nut screw.

Claims

1. A refillable cutting container device for blocks of food products to be dispensed in a grated, shredded or flake form, comprising:

a container body suitable for receiving the food product in the form of one or more blocks;

cutting means for the food product, coupled to the container body in correspondence with a mouth thereof;

thrusting means for the food product, including a plate having a geometric shape complementary to a transverse cross-section of said container body and being arranged so as to rotate as a unit with said container body, the plate being provided with a threaded central opening; and

a threaded stem for threaded engagement with the threaded central opening in the plate, the threaded stem being configured to rotate as a unit with said cutting means and to be axially oriented within the container body,

said plate being capable of moving toward or away from the cutting means by threadedly translating with respect to the threaded stem when the container body and the cutting means are placed in relative rotation with respect to each other, thereby continuously pressing the food product against said cutting means up to a substantial exhaustion thereof, and

characterised in that said plate has at least one slot which radially extends outward from the threaded central opening so as to allow an expansion of the threaded central opening for removing the threaded stem from the plate after use or engaging the threaded stem with the threaded central opening prior to use.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the plate comprises a pair of slots which radially extend from the threaded central opening so as to define at least two elastically approaching and opening wide apart parts of the plate, whereby the plate is susceptible of taking a shut configuration wherein the threaded central opening in the plate is engaged on the threaded stem so as move along the threaded stem when the plate is roated with respect thereto, or a wide apart configuration along the slots in such an extent as to widen said threaded central opening resulting in disengagement from the threaded stem allowing the free unthreading of the threaded stem from the threaded central opening and thus the separation of said cutting means from the plate.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein interfering means are provided between said thrusting plate and said container body, suitable for thrusting the parts of the plate in to the shut configuration, the plate taking the wide apart configuration in a rest condition.

4. The device according to claim 3 wherein said interfering means between the thrusting plate and the container body include at least one pair of baffles inside the container body, each of them having a transverse extension reduced for a short longitudinal section near the mouth of the container body, and a respective pair of notches made in the thrusting plate, suitable for receiving said baffles,

whereby, in an intermediate forwarding position of the plate along the threaded stem, the introduction of the baffles in the corresponding notches determines the mutual approaching of the parts of the plate in the shut configuration, whereas in a stroke end position the introduction of the baffle sections with transverse extension reduced in the corresponding notches determines the widening apart of the parts of the plate in the rest configuration.

5. The device according to claim 4 wherein said baffles have a pair of retaining tabs in the plane of the mouth of the container body, protruding with respect to the transverse extension of the baffle.

6. The device according to claim 3 wherein said interfering means between the thrusting plate and the container body include at least a pair of teeth projecting from the peripheral edge of the plate and a pair of corresponding openings made on opposite walls of the container body near the mouth thereof, suitable for receiving said teeth,

whereby in an intermediate forwarding position of the plate along the threaded stem the interference of the teeth with the walls of the container body determines the mutual approaching of the walls of the plate in the shut configuration, whereas in a stroke end position the introduction of the teeth in the corresponding openings determines the widening apart of the parts of the plate in the rest configuration.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein said cutting means include one of a cutting tool and a carving tool of the product housed within the container body, and supporting means of said tool which can be coupled in a removable way from the container body.

8. The device according to claim 7 wherein said supporting means comprise an annular frame suitable for receiving said cutting tool or carving tool of the product, which has tied a pair of coupling oscillating tabs having projections suitable for engaging on a corresponding flange integrally formed with the container body.

9. The device according to claim 7 wherein said cutting tool or carving tool of the product is a grater.

10. The device according to claim 7 wherein said cutting tool or carving tool of the product comprises at least one radial blade.

11. The device according to claim 1 wherein the plate comprises a single slot.

12. The device according to claim 11 wherein the slot is passing on a side of the thrusting plate from its peripheral edge up to the threaded central opening for dividing the plate into more than one parts.

13. The device according to claim 12 wherein the thrusting plate, in a side opposite with respect to the slot, comprises a slit.

14. The device according to claim 13 wherein the slit extends from a peripheral edge up to the threaded central opening so as to define two driving tines.

15. The device according to claim 14 wherein a soft small bridge is placed in correspondence with the threaded central opening.

16. The device according to claim 13 wherein the slit and the slot are aligned with one another.

17. The device according to claim 14 wherein the threaded central opening is expandable between a first state and a second state by an activation of the driving tines, wherein in the first state, the threaded central opening comprises a substantially arcuate cross-sectional shape for being engaged with to the threaded stem, and in the second state, the threaded central opening comprises a cross-sectional shape having a substantially “

C”

-shaped concavity.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein in the second state, the threaded central opening comprises a cross-sectional shape having a substantially “

U”

-shaped concavity.

19. The device according to claim 14 wherein the slit is reamed, for helping a mutual approaching of the driving tines.

20. The device according to claim 14 wherein the driving tines comprise two bevels.

21. A refillable cutting container coupled to a cutting mechanism fixedly coupled with respect to a threaded stem to rotate as a unit therewith and configured for cutting blocks of food products thrust by a plate, the plate comprising:

a geometric shape configured to be placed complementary to a transverse cross-section of the container and configured to rotate as a unit with the container;

a threaded central opening for threaded engagement with the threaded stem, the plate being configured to translate with respect to the threaded stem toward or away from the cutting mechanism when the container and the cutting mechanism are placed in relative rotation with respect to each other, thereby continuously pressing the blocks of food against the cutting mechanism when in use; and

at least one slot that radially extends outward from the threaded central opening so as to allow an expansion of the threaded central opening for removing the threaded stem from the plate after use or engaging the threaded stem with the threaded central opening prior to use.

22. The plate according to claim 21, further comprising a pair of slots which radially extend from the threaded central opening so as to define at least two elastically approaching and opening wide apart parts of the plate, wherein the plate can form a shut configuration allowing the plate to move along the threaded stem when the plate is rotated with respect thereto, or the plate can form a wide apart configuration along the slots whereby the threaded central opening can be widened and the cutting mechanism can be separated from the plate.