HK1098421B - Device for cutting fruit and vegetables - Google Patents

Description

Device for cutting fruits and vegetables

Technical Field

The invention relates to a device for cutting fruits and vegetables, in particular onions, having a cutter with a plurality of blades and a counterpart against which the cutter is pressed for cutting the material to be cut, wherein the counterpart has a punch which presses the material to be cut through the cutter or its blades.

Background

One such onion chopper is disclosed in international patent publication No. WO 02064331a1, which has a plate-like cutter and a counterpart, also plate-like, which accommodates the onion to be cut. To cut the onion, the cutter is pivoted upward from a counterpart resting on the underlying support, and the onion to be cut is placed on a punch located on the counterpart. Thereafter, the cutting member is pivoted back onto the counter member, applying pressure until the blade cuts into the corresponding recess on the punch. In this process, the onion is cut by the cutting grid of the cutter and is pressed all the way through the cutting grid by the punch. Once the cutting member rests on the counterpart, the cut material is located on the top side of the cutting member and can be removed from the cutting member, for example by means of a knife.

A disadvantage of this device is that the cut onion pieces may inadvertently fall off the top side of the cutter, for example onto the floor. This often occurs when cutting onions because onions are oval and tend to separate after cutting.

Another disadvantage of this device is that the essential oil from the onion is free to emanate after cutting, creating a known irritation to the user's eyes. It is necessary to remove the cut onions from the top side of the cutter while cutting additional onions.

In addition, cleaning the punch is difficult because the onion essence oil accumulates in the grooves in the punch and the counterpart can only be cleaned together with the punch.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for cutting fruits and vegetables, in particular onions, having the characteristics initially described, which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and improves the operation of the device.

The object of the invention is achieved by a device having the features of the initially defined introduction, wherein a container is detachably arranged on the cutting member on its side remote from the counter member and in the region of the cutting blade for accommodating the cutting material.

By means of the invention, the advantage is obtained that the cut onions, for example after cutting, can be accommodated in a container and are guaranteed not to fall out. In addition, the essential oils of cut onions do not, for example, have an eye-irritating effect, since they are locked by the container and do not escape into the environment. In addition, the container according to the invention has the advantage that a plurality of materials can be cut in sequence without the need to remove the cut materials from the device and place them in separate containers. Once the desired amount of vegetables, onions, etc. has been cut, the device of the invention is simply turned over so that the receptacle is located under the cutter. The container is then released from the apparatus whereby the cut material is retained in the container and may be retained for further processing. To reduce the irritation of essential oils in cut onions, a separate cup may be provided for covering the container as soon as it is removed from the device. The cut material may then be stored in a container in an airtight manner until further processing.

In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the container is removably retained on the cutter by a bayonet mount. But alternatively a screw cap (screw closure) or bayonet connection may be used. All these measures ensure a quick and simple removal of the container from the cutter and its connection to the cutter.

In order to monitor the filling level in the container, in one embodiment of the invention the container comprises a transparent material.

In another aspect of the invention, the punch is removably retained on the mating member so that after use the punch may be removed from the mating member and separately subjected to sufficient cleaning, which is particularly useful when the cut material releases eye-irritating essential oils that may stick to the punch.

In this respect, it is simple to provide the punch on the counterpart detachably via a bayonet mount in order to quickly remove the punch from the counterpart and to fix the punch to the counterpart. But a screw cap, in particular a bayonet connection, is preferably used.

In order to prevent the punch from being accidentally detached from the counterpart due to the pressure exerted on the material to be cut during the cutting of the material to be cut, in particular when using a bayonet connection between the punch and the material, the punch can be arranged on the counterpart in a captive manner by means of a fastener.

It has proven to be advantageous if the fastening element has at least one clamping device which can be fixed to the counterpart and the punch by means of bolts and similar fastening means.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the blades form a cutting grid, as a result of which the material to be cut is cut into pieces in the shape of small pieces which, for example in the case of cutting onions, are divided into more or fewer onion pieces or cubes because of their shell-like structure. In this respect, only one cutting operation is required to obtain as small a cut material as possible. In this case, the punches on the counterpart should have a grid-like groove structure that cooperates with the cutting grid.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the cutting member and the counter member are pivotally supported with respect to each other. Because the cutter acts as a lever, the cutting forces involved are greatly reduced.

In order to ensure a simple and complete cleaning of the individual components of the device according to the invention, the cutting member and the counter member are likewise detachably connected together.

In a further aspect of the invention, both the counterpart and the cutting member are plate-like, which simplifies the operation of the device.

In addition, the blade is held in a frame detachably provided on the cutter, with the result that the blade can be easily detached from the cutter and subjected to complete cleaning. The blade may also be easily replaced if it becomes dull after prolonged use.

Drawings

Further features, advantages, embodiments and possible applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. All features described and/or shown in the drawings, individually or in combination, are claimed as the invention, which features are summarized in the claims.

Fig. 1 shows a possible embodiment of the device according to the invention, in which the cutting member and the counter member are pivotable in cooperation with each other.

FIG. 2 is a view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the cutting element resting on the counter element;

FIG. 3 is a view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 after the material to be cut has been cut and before the container containing the cut vegetables or onions has been removed;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the device shown in FIGS. 1-3 with a removable punch;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the device shown in FIGS. 1-3 with a cutting grid retained in a removable frame;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the device with an additional fastener for the punch;

fig. 7 is a plan view of the underside of a counterpart to the device of fig. 6, in which the punch is arranged in a captive manner with a fastener.

Detailed Description

The device shown in the figures generally comprises a cutter 3 and a counterpart 4, as shown. In selected embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, the cutter 3 and the counterpart 4 are pivotably supported relative to each other by means of a pivot connection 10.

A plurality of blades 2 combined into a grid are integrally formed in the cutter 3.

On the side of the cutting member 3 remote from the counterpart 4, in the region of the cutting grid, a container 6 is detachably held by means of a bayonet mount 7.

The counterpart 4 has a base 9 for placing the device on a work surface (not shown). The seat 9 is arranged on the side of the counterpart 4 remote from the cutter 3. On the side of the counter part 4 facing the cutting member 3, there is a punch 5, on which punch 5 an onion or similar material 1 to be cut is placed.

The punch 5 has a recess 8 which corresponds to the section 2 of the cutting member 3 and into which the blade 2 cuts when the cutting member 3 rests on the counterpart 4. The depth of the groove 8 is greater than the height of the blade 2 in order to always press the onion through the blade 2.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the punch 5 is detachably held on the counterpart 4 by means of a bayonet connection.

The blade 2 in fig. 5 is likewise held in a frame 13, which is in turn detachably arranged on the cutter 3.

In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 6 and 7, the punch 5 is arranged on the counterpart 4 in a captive manner by means of a fastener. The fastener is formed by a clamping device 16 which is held on the punch 5 by means of a bolt 15. For this purpose, each clamping device 16 has an oblong slot 18 for the bolt 15, as a result of which the clamping device 16 is held displaceably on the upper side of the punch 5. The clamping means 16 can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the oblong slot 18 so that the clamping means 16 extends partly through the opening 17 in the counterpart 4. If during cutting of the material 1 to be cut a high pressure is exerted on the punch 5, a fastening means in the form of a clamping device 16 with a bolt 15 holds the punch 5 captive on the counterpart 4.

Before the cutting operation, the counterpart 3 is pivoted upwards relative to the counterpart 4 and the material to be cut is placed on the punch 5. In this position, the receptacle 6 is located on the top side of the cutter 3. The cutter 3 is now pressed down onto the counterpart 4, so that the blade 2 cuts the material to be cut into pieces of rectangular cross-section. Once the cutting member 3 rests on the counterpart 4, the material to be cut is pressed by the punch 5 into the receptacle 6 by means of the blade 2 located in the cutting grid.

The blades 2 in the cutting grid are arranged to prevent cut material from falling out of the container through the cutting grid when the cutter 3 is pivoted again to cut other onions. The amount of cut material can be checked because the container 6 is transparent.

As soon as the container 6 has the required amount of cut material in it, the device is turned over to the position shown in fig. 3, in which the cut material is located on the bottom 11 of the container 6. The container 6 can now be detached from the cutter 3 and optionally closed with a lid if the cut vegetables are not to be treated immediately.

For cleaning the device, its individual components, such as the cutter 3, the counterpart 4, the punch 5, the container 6, the blade 2, and the frame 13, can be separated from each other.

List of reference numbers

1 Material to be cut

2 blade

3 cutting member

4 mating parts

5 punch

6 container

7 bayonet type mounting seat

8 grooves

9 base

10 pivotal connection

11 bottom part

12 bayonet connection

13 frame

15 bolt

16 clamping device

17 opening

18 oval groove

Claims (13)

1. A device for cutting fruits and vegetables, with a cutting member (3) and a counter member (4) which is located below the cutting member (3) in the position of use, which cutting member has a plurality of blades (2), against which cutting member (3) is pressed for cutting material to be cut (1), wherein the counter member (4) has a punch (5) which presses the material to be cut (1) through the cutting member (3) or its blades (2), wherein the cutting member (3) and the counter member (4) are pivotably supported relative to one another, and the counter member (4) has a base (9) on its side remote from the cutting member (3), characterized in that, for accommodating the material to be cut (1), a receptacle (6) is detachably arranged on the cutting member (3) on its side remote from the counter member (4) in the region of the blades (2), the container is in the position of use with the bottom (11) facing upwards, the container (6) being detachably held on the cutter (3) by means of a bayonet mount (7), the bayonet mount (7) comprising two protrusions provided on the container (6), and the cutter (3) having a bearing surface around the blade in contact with the opening of the container (6).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the container (6) comprises a transparent material.

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the punch (5) is detachably arranged on the counterpart (4).

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the punch (5) is detachably held on the counterpart (4) by means of a bayonet connection (12).

5. Device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the punch (5) is arranged captively on the counterpart (4) by means of a fastener, so that during cutting of the material to be cut (1), the punch (5) is held on the counterpart (4) against the pressure exerted downwards on the material to be cut (1).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the fastening element has at least one clamping device (16) which can be fixed to the counterpart (4) and the punch (5) with a bolt (15).

7. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the counterpart (4) is configured as a grid in the area provided for the punch (5), which grid corresponds to the recess of the punch.

8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the blade (2) forms a cutting grid.

9. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the depth of the recess (8) is greater than the height of the blade (2).

10. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting member (3) and the counter member (4) are detachably connected to each other.

11. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting member (3) and the counter member (4) are embodied plate-like.

12. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the blade (2) is held in a frame (13) which is detachably arranged on the cutting member (3).

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is used to cut onions.