GB2177289A

GB2177289A - Food processor container

Info

Publication number: GB2177289A
Application number: GB08516182A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eleanor A Bast; Thomas P Mullen
Original assignee: John Zink Co
Current assignee: Zinklahoma Inc
Priority date: 1984-07-10
Filing date: 1985-06-26
Publication date: 1987-01-21
Also published as: AU4471585A; GB8516182D0

Abstract

A food process container (22) and cutter (52) combination comprises a downwardly and inwardly inclined wall section (66) defining a horizontal section of an inverted cone provided between the bottom wall (32) and the cylindrical sidewall (30) of the container. The cutter (52) has a pair of diametrically opposite blades (60,62) which are vertically spaced apart a distance which is approximately equal to the vertical dimension of the inclined wall section, the upper blade being generally horizontally aligned with the upper edge of the inclined wall section. The container construction eliminates packing of food against the lower portion of the sidewall (30). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Food processor container This invention relates to a food processor container for use with most food processors of the type presently known in the art. Food processor containers presently well known in the art are characterized by generally cylindrical sidewalls which join generally planar bottom walls at right angles or normal thereto.

It has been determined that this known food processor container design results in an undesirable packing of processed food against the lower portion of the sidewall of the container, thus reducing the efficiency of the processing operation. This problem has been substantially eliminated by the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved food processor container.

Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a food processor container having a generally flat circular bottom wall and a generally vertical cylindrical side wall and being of the type which is adapted to be supported on a food processor base and which has a central opening in the bottom wall through which a drive shaft may project for rotatably driving a cutter disposed in the container and having vertically spaced blades; said container including a downwardly and inwardly inclined wall section between said cylindrical side wall and said bottom wall.

Preferably, the inclined wall section defines a horizontal slice of an inverted cone. As processed food is centrifugally thrown outwardly as it passes through the cutting blades, it is directed upwardly by the inclined wall section for repeat processing passage through the cutter blades. The cutter may be of the type having two, vertically spaced, diametrically opposite blades. In accordance with a preferred feature of the present invention, the blades have a maximum radius which is approximately one millimeter less than the radial dimension of the bottom wall where it meets the lower edge of the inclined wall section and preferably the blades have a vertical spacing whereby the upper blade is generally horizontally aligned with the upper edge of the inclined wall section.Further testing has shown that for maximum processing efficiency, there should preferably be no curvature of the inclined wall section in a vertical direction and that it should preferably define a true conical (inverted) surface.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a food processor having a container embodying the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the food processor of Fig. 1 with the container shown generally in vertical section; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the container and cutter with the cover removed; and Figure 4 is a further enlarged view of the lower portion of the container in vertical section.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a food processor 10 having a tower portion 12 in which is supported a drive motor 14 having a vertically disposed drive shaft 16, a control panel 18 being provided on the tower portion 12 for controlling operation of the motor 14 in a manner previously disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,325,643.

A platform portion 20 of the food processor 10 is adapted to support a food processor container 22 having a handle 24 and a cover 26 having a feed tube 28.

The container 22, which is rotatably secured on the platform portion 20 in a known manner, is characterized by a generally cylindrical, disposed sidewall 30 and a generally horizontal bottom wall 32 having a central opening provided therein and defined by an upstanding sleeve portion 34 which is open at its upper end. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a vertically disposed drive member 36 extends upwardly into the sleeve portion 34 and is rotatably supported in a bushing 38 mounted in an adapter 40 non-rotatably mounted in the platform portion 20.

To rotate the drive member 36, a coupler 42 secured on the lower end thereof is drivingly engaged with a timing gear 44 rotatably supported in the platform portion 20 and drivingly connected to a gear 46 secured on the motor drive shaft 16 by a timing belt 48, a fan 50 also being provided on the motor drive shaft 16.

A cutter 52 for processing foods in the container 22 is characterized by a hub portion 54 having a downwardly opening annular groove 56 adapted to facilitate telescopically assembling the cutter 52 over the sleeve portion 34 upstanding from the bottom wall 32 of the container 22. The hub portion 54 is also provided with a downwardly opening axial drive recess or bore 58 which is adapted to drivingly receive the upwardly extending drive member 36.

The hub portion 54 of the cutter 52 carries a pair of vertically spaced diametrically opposite curved blades 60 and 62 having extremely sharp cutting edges 60a and 62a, the lower blade 62 being adapted to be rotated very close to the bottom wall 32 of the container 22.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the bottom wall 32 of the container 22 is spaced somewhat above the lower edge 64 of the generally cylindrical sidewall 30 and is connected to the sidewall 30 by an integrally formed downwardly and inwardly inclined wall section 66 defining a horizontal slice or section of an inverted cone.

As illustrated, there is no curvature of the inclined wall section 66 in a vertical direction.

The radial dimension of the bottom wall 32 adjacent the lower edge of the inclined wall section 66 is preferably approximately one millimeter greater than the maximum radius of the lower blade 62. The vertical spacing between the two blades 60 and 62 is approximately equal to the vertical height of the inclined wall section 66 whereby the upper blade 60 is generally horizontally aligned with the upper edge of the inclined wall section 66. In the illustrated embodiment, the acute angle of taper between the inclined wall section 66 and the cylindrical side wall 30 is approximately 30". Other angles of incline are also effective as long as the vertical height of the inclined section 66 is approximately equal to the vertical spacing of the blades 60 and 62. Also in the illustrated embodiment, the portion of the cylindrical sidewall extending below the bottom wall 32 defines a depending skirt portion 68.

With the inclined wall processing container 22 and the cutter 52 combination disclosed herein, food being processed is centrifugally thrown outwardly as it passes through the blades 60 and 62 and against the inclined wall section 66 whereby it is deflected upwardly as shown by the arrows in Fig. 4 for repeat processing passage through the cutter blades 60 and 62, thereby solving the problem of processed food packing itself against the lower portion of the container sidewall 30 and thus greatly increasing the efficiency of the food processing operation. Further testing indicated that a curved surface between the bottom wall 32 and the cylindrical sidewall 30 did not provide the same results as the inclined wall section 66.

Claims

1. A food processor container having a generally flat circular bottom wall and a generally vertical cylindrical side wall and being of the type which is adapted to be supported on a food processor base and which has a central opening in the bottom wall through which a drive shaft may project for rotatably driving a cutter disposed in the container and having vertically spaced blades; said container including a downwardly and inwardly inclined wall section between said cylindrical side wall and said bottom wall.

2. A food processor container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said inclined wall section is of an inverted conical configuration without any curvature in a vertical direction.

3. A food processor container as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the acute angle of taper between said inclined wall section and said cylindrical side wall is approximately 30".

4. A food processor container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the radial dimension of said bottom wall at the intersection thereof with said inclined wall section is approximately one millimeter greater than the maximum radius of the lower one of the vertically spaced blades of the rotatably drivable cutter blade.

5. A food processor container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the upper one of said vertically spaced blades of said cutter blade is substantially horizontally aligned with the upper edge of said inclined wall section.

6. A food processor container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said inclined wall section defines a horizontal slice of an inverted cone, the height of which is substantially equal to the vertical spacing between the vertically spaced blades of said cutter blade.

7. A food processor container having a generally flat circular bottom wall and a generally vertical cylindrical side wall and being of the type which is adapted to be supported on a food processor base and which has a central opening in the bottom wall through which a drive shaft may project for rotatably driving a cutter disposed in the container and having vertically spaced blades; said container including a downwardly and inwardly inclined wall section between said cylindrical side wall and said bottom wall with the upper edge thereof being substantially horizontally aligned with the upper one of said vertically spaced blades of said cutter blade and with the lower edge thereof having a radial dimension approximately one millimeter greater than the maximum radius of the lower one of said vertically spaced blades.

8. A food processor container as claimed in claim 7 wherein said inclined wall section defines a horizontal slice of an inverted cone.

9. A food processor container as claimed in claim 7 or 8 wherein the acute angle of taper between said inclined wall section and said cylindrical side wall is approximately 30".

10. A food processor container substantially as herein described and with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

11. A food processor including a container as claimed in any preceding claim.