Apparatus and method for processing a food stuff

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9770134-B2
Application number	US-201214239814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2012
Priority date	Sep 1, 2011
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

The present application relates to an apparatus for processing a food stuff. The apparatus has a housing ( 2 ), and a cutting tool ( 5 ) rotatably mounted in the housing ( 2 ) having a cutting edge ( 35 ) and a trailing edge ( 31 ). The cutting tool ( 5 ) is arranged to pass once per revolution through a processing region ( 43 ) in the housing in which a food stuff is receivable, and to pass through a recovery region ( 45 ). The recovery region is defined in the housing between the trailing edge passing from the processing region and the cutting edge passing into the processing region as the cutting tool rotates, and the cutting tool is free to rotate in the processing region without contacting the food stuff. Therefore, the cutting tool ( 5 ) acts on a food stuff as the cutting tool rotates through the processing region, and recovers the rotational speed lost due to acting on a food stuff in the processing region as the cutting tool ( 5 ) rotates through the recovery region. The present application also relates to a food processor and to a method of processing a food stuff.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing a food stuff comprising:
a housing, and
a cutting tool rotatably mounted in the housing, via a central mounting element, about a rotational axis, wherein the cutting tool comprises a single elongate cutting element having a cutting edge that forms a leading edge as the cutting tool is rotated and a trailing edge, parallel to the leading edge, on an opposite edge of the cutting tool, wherein the single elongate cutting element extends radially outward from the central mounting element, wherein the cutting tool further comprises a support element disposed at a distal end of the single elongate cutting element from the central mounting element, wherein the support element comprises an elongate arcuate member that extends perpendicular to the single elongate cutting element, the elongate arcuate member having a length in a circumferential direction on the order of a length in a radial direction of the single elongate cutting element,
the cutting tool being configured to pass once per revolution through a processing region in the housing in which a food stuff is receivable, and to pass through a recovery region in which the cutting tool is free to rotate without contacting the food stuff in the processing region,
wherein the recovery region is defined in the housing between the trailing edge passing from the processing region and the cutting edge passing into the processing region as the cutting tool rotates,
so that the cutting tool acts on a food stuff as the cutting tool rotates through the processing region, and recovers a rotational speed lost due to acting on a food stuff in the processing region as the cutting tool rotates through the recovery region.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recovery region is configured to extend about the rotational axis of the cutting tool by an angle which is sufficient for the cutting edge of the cutting tool to pass into the processing region at a same rotational speed on each revolution of the cutting tool.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the recovery region is configured to extend about the rotational axis of the cutting tool by an angle of at least 120 degrees.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a circumferentially extending slot formed by the housing, the circumferentially extending slot having interior plain bearing surfaces configured to slideably receive the support element, wherein the support element is configured to slide along the interior plain bearing surfaces of the slot as the cutting tool is rotated in the housing, but prevented from moving in an axial direction.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has first and second opposing faces between which the rotational path of the cutting tool is defined.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein an opening is defined in the first opposing face through which a food stuff is feedable into the processing region.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the processing region is defined between the second opposing face and the opening in the first opposing face.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a cutting die is received in the second opposing face.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the area of the cutting die is configured to encompass the processing region in an axial direction.

10. A food processor comprising an apparatus for processing a food stuff according to claim 1 .

11. The food processor according to claim 10 , further comprising a drive unit, wherein the drive unit is a hand-blender.

12. A method of processing a food stuff in an apparatus for processing a food stuff comprising a housing, and a cutting tool rotatably mounted in the housing, via a central mounting element, about a rotational axis, wherein the cutting tool comprises a single elongate cutting element having a cutting edge that forms a leading edge as the cutting tool is rotated and a trailing edge, parallel to the leading edge, on an opposite edge of the cutting tool, wherein the single elongate cutting element extends radially outward from the central mounting element, wherein the cutting tool further comprises a support element disposed at a distal end of the single elongate cutting element from the central mounting element, wherein the support element comprises an elongate arcuate member that extends perpendicular to the single elongate cutting element, the elongate arcuate member having a length in a circumferential direction on the order of a length in a radial direction of the single elongate cutting element,
the cutting tool passing once per revolution through a processing region in the housing in which a food stuff is receivable, and passing through a recovery region in which the cutting tool is free to rotate without contacting the food stuff in the processing region, wherein the recovery region is defined in the housing between the trailing edge passing from the processing region and the cutting edge passing into the processing region as the cutting tool rotates, so that the cutting tool acts on a food stuff as the cutting tool rotates through the processing region and recovers a rotational speed lost due to acting on a food stuff in the processing region as the cutting tool rotates through the recovery region.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus for processing the food stuff further comprises a circumferentially extending slot formed by the housing, the circumferentially extending slot having interior plain bearing surfaces configured to slideably receive the support element, wherein the support element is configured to slide along the interior plain bearing surfaces of the slot as the cutting tool is rotated in the housing, but prevented from moving in an axial direction.

Assignees

• Unteregger Johann
• Rosenwirth Christian
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Unteregger Johann
• Rosenwirth Christian

Classifications

• B26D3/22

  using rotating knives · CPC title

• B26D1/28

  and rotating continuously in one direction during cutting · CPC title

• B26D7/08

  Means for treating work or cutting member to facilitate cutting (tensioning band cutters B26D1/48) · CPC title

• A47J43/07 Primary

  Parts or details, e.g. mixing tools, whipping tools · CPC title

• A47J43/0711

  mixing, whipping or cutting tools · CPC title