Food chopper

• US 7,191,691 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progressive International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Progressive International Corporation
• Inventors: Kaposi, Sascha
• Primary Examiner(s): Ashley; Boyer D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANDRUM, EDWARD F
• Application Number:
  US11/033,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20060090352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 302/99, 301/24, D22/134, 220/523, 220/527, 220/625, 220/575, 220/579, 73/17.3, 73/17.4, 734/26, 73427-429, 831/67, 835/64, 835/97, 835/99, 834/661, 836/511, 835/221.1, 83856-858, 994/67, 996/46.C, 241/84.3, 215/DIG.8, 229/117.13, 229/117.14, 229/117.15, D8D/IG.1, 294/144, 294/172
• US Class Current: 83/167
• 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, the sidewalls having a top end and a bottom end, the reservoir 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 defining an interior region inside an area defined by the sidewalls of the reservoir, the tray having a plurality of blades arranged in a first plane and a first surface devoid of blades on a first side of the plurality of blades, the first surface being parallel with the first plane and within the interior region and including a bore formed in the first surface;

a lid pivotally movable 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, the lid further including a flange formed around a portion of a perimeter of the lid, the flange surrounding an outer surface of the reservoir within the flange when the lid is rotated downward against the reservoir; and

one or more volumetric indicators arranged on the device to indicate a volume of a portion of the reservoir between a first one of the plurality of sidewalls and a top surface of a mound of items within the reservoir when the device is oriented such that the bottom of the mound is resting on the first one of the plurality of sidewalls of the reservoir.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the tray is removably secured to the reservoir.

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

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

5. A food processing device, comprising:

a reservoir having a bottom and a plurality of upwardly extending sidewalls, the sidewalls having a top end and a bottom end, the reservoir 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 defining an interior region inside an area defined by the sidewalls of the reservoir, the tray having a plurality of blades;

a lid pivotally attached to the reservoir 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, the lid further including a flange formed around at least a portion of a perimeter of the lid, the flange receiving an outer surface of the reservoir within the flange when the lid is rotated downward against the reservoir; and

one or more volumetric indicators arranged on the device to indicate a volume of a portion of the reservoir between a first one of the plurality of sidewalls and a top surface of a mound of items within the reservoir when the device is oriented such that the bottom of the mound is resting on the first one of the plurality of sidewalls of the reservoir.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein each of the blades within the plurality of blades is parallel to one another.

7. The device of claim 5, 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.

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

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the bottom of the reservoir is removably secured to the bottom end of the reservoir sidewalls.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the reservoir bottom further comprises a non-skid surface.

11. The device of claim 5, 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.

12. The device of claim 5, wherein the reservoir is substantially transparent.

13. The device of claim 5 wherein the first one of the plurality of sidewalls is adjacent to a point of pivotal attachment of the lid to the reservoir.

14. The device of claim 5, wherein the one or more volumetric indicators are substantially orthogonal to the tray.