Food processor and adjustable cutting assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9522399-B2
Application number	US-201313784987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2013
Priority date	Mar 9, 2012
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A food processor includes a bowl with a removable lid. Food items are advanced into the bowl through a feed tube formed in the lid where they are cut by a cutting assembly. The cutting assembly is positionable between a plurality of cutting positions to produce cut food items of varying thicknesses. The food processor includes an adjustment assembly operable to move the cutting assembly between the plurality of cutting positions. The adjustment assembly includes a user-operated control device that is secured to the cutting assembly. The user-operated control device extends through a slot defined in the removable lid such that an upper end of the user-operated control device is positioned outside of the processing chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cutting assembly for a food processing device, comprising:
a first disk member having a planar body portion with plurality of slots disposed therethrough and an upper surface;
a second disk member having a plurality of cutting teeth that extend through the plurality of slots defined in the first disk member, each cutting tooth having a cutting edge that defines an opening in the cutting tooth;
an adjustment assembly operably coupled to the first disk member for adjusting a vertical position of the first disk member relative to the second disk member; and
wherein (i) the cutting edge of each cutting tooth has a tip positioned above the upper surface of the first disk member, (ii) a distance is defined between the upper surface of the first disk member and the tip, and (iii) vertical movement of the first disk member adjusts the distance between the upper surface of the first disk member and the tip to produce cut food items of varying thicknesses.

2. The cutting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cutting edge of each cutting tooth includes a first section extending downwardly from the tip to define a first side of the opening and a second section extending downwardly from the tip to define a second side of the opening.

3. The cutting assembly of claim 2 , wherein the opening of each cutting tooth is a trapezoidal-shaped opening.

4. The cutting assembly of claim 2 , wherein the opening of each cutting tooth is a rectangular-shaped opening.

5. The cutting assembly of claim 1 , wherein each cutting tooth has an inner wall that extends inwardly from the opening to define a channel extending downwardly through the second disk member.

6. The cutting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cutting teeth are arranged in a number of staggered rows, each staggered row of cutting teeth being positioned along a radial line extending outwardly from the center of the second disk member.

7. The cutting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second disk member is removably coupled to the first disk member.

8. The cutting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hub secured to the first disk member, the hub having a base and a platform formed at an upper end of the base,
wherein the second disk member is positioned between the platform of the hub and the first disk member.

9. The cutting assembly of claim 1 , wherein each slot has an oblong-shaped opening in the upper surface of the first disk member.

10. A food processing device comprising:
a base having a motor positioned therein,
a removable bowl coupled to the base,
a removable lid coupled to the bowl so as to define a processing chamber, the lid having a feed tube that opens into the bowl,
a cutting assembly positioned in the processing chamber and driven by the motor to cut food items advanced through the feed tube, the cutting assembly including (i) a support disk having a plurality of cutting teeth, each cutting tooth having a tip, (ii) a planar disk disposed above the support disk and having a plurality of slots and an upper surface, the planar disk being upwardly and downwardly moveable relative to the cutting teeth of the support disk to adjust a distance defined between each tip of the cutting teeth and the upper surface of the planar disk to produce food items of varying thicknesses, wherein the cutting teeth of the support disk extend through the plurality of slots defined in the planar disk, and
an adjustment assembly including a lever extending outwardly from the base, the lever being operable to move one of the planar disk and the support disk relative to each other, wherein the cutting assembly is driven by the motor.

11. The food processing device of claim 10 , wherein each cutting tooth has a cutting edge that defines an opening in the cutting tooth.

12. The food processing device of claim 10 , further comprising a drive stem coupled to an output shaft of the motor and the support disk.

13. The food processing device of claim 12 , further comprising an adaptor removably coupled to the planar disk, wherein:
the adjustment assembly further comprises a drive assembly coupled to the adaptor and the lever,
movement of the lever in a first direction causes the drive assembly to move the planar disk downward relative to the cutting teeth, and
movement of the lever in a second direction causes the drive assembly to move the planar disk upward relative to the cutting teeth.

14. A food processing device comprising:
a base having a motor positioned therein,
a removable bowl coupled to the base,
a removable lid coupled to the bowl so as to define a processing chamber, the lid having a feed tube that opens into the bowl,
a cutting assembly positioned in the processing chamber and driven by the motor to cut food items advanced through the feed tube, the cutting assembly including (i) a planar disk having an upper surface with a plurality of slots disposed thereon, (ii) a support disk positioned below the planar disk, the support disk having a plurality of cutting teeth extending upwardly through the plurality of slots of the planar disk, and
an adjustment assembly coupled to the cutting assembly, the adjustment assembly including a user-operated control device positioned outside of the processing chamber for vertically moving the support disk relative to the planar disk,
wherein (i) each cutting tooth has a tip positioned above the upper surface of the planar disk, (ii) one of the support disk and the planar disk is moveable to adjust a distance defined between each tip of the cutting teeth and the upper surface of the planar disk to produce food items of varying thicknesses, and (iii) the user-operated control device is operable to move the one of the support disk and the planar disk while the cutting assembly is driven by the motor.

15. The food processing device of claim 14 , wherein the user-operated control device is a lever extending outwardly from the base, the lever being operable to move the support disk while the cutting assembly is driven by the motor.

16. The food processing device of claim 14 , wherein each cutting tooth has a cutting edge that defines an opening in the cutting tooth.

17. The food processing device of claim 16 , wherein:
the processing chamber has an upper compartment and a lower compartment, and
each cutting tooth has an inner wall that extends inwardly from the opening to define a channel extending downwardly through the support disk to advance food items cut by the cutting tooth from the upper compartment to the lower compartment.

18. The food processing device of claim 16 , wherein the opening of each cutting tooth is a trapezoidal-shaped opening.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Conti Michael P
• Gillette Thomas
• Gushwa David J
• Kobos Duane M
• Roberts Anthony
• Stuart nicholas

Classifications

• B02C7/14 Primary

  Adjusting, applying pressure to, or controlling distance between, discs · CPC title

• A47J43/255

  with grating discs or drums · CPC title

• A47J43/0722 Primary

  Mixing, whipping or cutting tools · CPC title