Food chopper

• US 20060090352A1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progressive International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Progressive International Corporation
• Inventors: Kaposi, Sascha
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 30/299
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 5/008 for performing several incisions simultaneously; for cutting cubes
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 3/185 Grid like cutters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/932 Edible
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/222 With receptacle or support for cut product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/849 With signal, scale, or indicator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8749 By pivotal motion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/9493 Stationary cutter

Abstract

A food chopping or slicing device preferably includes three primary components, including a lid, a blade tray, and a food reservoir. The lid and the food reservoir are pivotally connected to one another, with the blade tray being removably mounted within an upper rim of the reservoir. In some embodiments a reservoir bottom is removable and the device includes orthogonal volumetric markings.

Claims

1. A food processing device, comprising:

a reservoir having upwardly extending sidewalls when the reservoir is resting on a horizontal surface, the sidewalls having a top end and a bottom end;

a tray secured to the reservoir relatively closer to the top end of the reservoir than to the bottom end of the reservoir, the tray having a plurality of blades; and

a lid pivotally attached to the device for movement between a first position adjacent the tray and a second position relatively distant from the tray, the lid having a plurality of projections sized and configured to be received between the plurality of blades when the lid is adjacent the tray.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the blades within the plurality of blades is parallel to one another.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades further comprises a first plurality of parallel blades and a second plurality of parallel blades, the second plurality of parallel blades being generally orthogonal to the first plurality of parallel blades to define a plurality of substantially square openings, and further wherein each of the projections among the plurality of projections is configured to fit within one of the plurality of substantially square openings.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the tray is removably secured to the reservoir, and further wherein the tray comprises a bore to facilitate removal of the tray from the reservoir.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the lid is removably attached to the reservoir.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a reservoir bottom removably secured to the bottom end of the reservoir sidewalls.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir bottom further comprises a non-skid surface.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the second pivotable position of the lid forms an angle of at least 90 degrees with respect to the first pivotable position of the lid.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is substantially transparent.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one the device further comprises one or more volumetric indicators.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the device further comprises a horizontal axis when the device is resting on a horizontal surface, and further the one or more volumetric indicators are arranged to indicate a volume along the horizontal axis.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the device further comprises a horizontal plane when the device is resting on a horizontal surface, and further wherein the one or more volumetric indicators are arranged to indicate a volume of a top surface of items within the device that is non-parallel to the horizontal plane.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the device further comprises a horizontal axis when the device is resting on a horizontal surface, and further the one or more volumetric indicators are substantially orthogonal to the horizontal axis.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein means for urging comprises a lid that is removably attached to the reservoir.

17. The device of claim 1, further comprising a reservoir bottom removably secured to the bottom end of the reservoir sidewalls.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is substantially transparent.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one the device further comprises one or more volumetric indicators.

14. A food processing device, comprising:

a reservoir having upwardly extending sidewalls when the reservoir is resting on a horizontal surface, the sidewalls having a top end and a bottom end;

a tray secured to the reservoir relatively closer to the top end of the reservoir than to the bottom end of the reservoir, the tray having a means for slicing an object; and

a means for urging the object through the slicing means, the urging means being pivotally secured to the device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the tray is removably secured to the reservoir.