ES2379221T3 - Device for cutting a processed product, in particular for the formation of food product dice and cooking machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for cutting up processed goods, in particular for dicing foods, comprising a cutting tool (6) that rotates along a cutting grid (7) about a rotating axis, said tool being supported radially outward by way of at least one support device (21). According to the invention, the cutting tool (6) comprises at least one cutting blade (20) and a blade carrier provided near the outer periphery thereof that completely surrounds the blade, said carrier being for the purposes of abutting against the at least one radially outward-acting support device (21). The support device (21) preferably comprises hook-like latching elements (22) that are pivotably disposed at a housing section (5) and that sit against the upper axial surface (26) of an annular element (19) of the blade carrier in the latched position. This embodiment allows the support devices (21) and the device (1) as a whole to be very easy to hold, so that the device (1) is no longer reserved only for professional use. Also, the noise level during operation of the device can be reduced. Moreover, the device can also be cleaned easily, and can even be cleaned in the dishwasher with a suitable selection of materials.

Description

Device for cutting a processed product, in particular for the formation of food product dice, and cooking machine.

Background of the invention

The invention relates to a device for cutting a processed product, in particular for the formation of food product dies, with a rotating cutting tool along a cutting grid around a rotation axis, which is supported by means of at least one support installation radially out in axial direction. The invention also relates to a kitchen machine equipped with said device.

State of the art

A device of the type indicated at the beginning for the formation of food products, in particular fruits and vegetables, is known from the German utility model DE 203 14 247 U1. It is constituted by a grid of formation of dice arranged fixed stationary in the frame of the machine and by a rotating blade parallel to it. The processed product introduced into the device through a feed box is first sliced by the blade, which are then pressed by the blade through the die-forming grid. The blade is configured as a beam and has two blade blades, which are arranged in mirror symmetry with each other and are connected to the drive shaft of the device.

The blade blades form a wedge-shaped gap with the dice-forming grid that narrows during the rotation of the blade, by means of which the axial force necessary to cut the processed product in the dice-forming grid is generated. . The corresponding counter force is absorbed by a support installation in the form of two support rollers that conically narrow towards the dice-forming grid, which are arranged in the area of the dice-forming grid, first covered by the blade beam, at the height of the outer periphery of the blade. The outer periphery of each blade, which is formed in a complementary manner to the tapered support rollers, penetrates during the operation of the device in each revolution once in the roller, which absorbs the reaction forces directed outside the forming grid. of dice and that are directed out of the grid of formation of dice and drifts them to the frame of the machine. This avoids an inadmissible bending of the blade, which can lead to an irregular result of the processing and a contact of the blade with the feed box. The conical rollers can be adjusted in their axial position in relation to the machine frame.

In this device, it may be unfavorable that the blades of the blade march at each rotation against the conical wrapping surface of the support rollers, thereby raising the noise emission of the device. In addition, there is a danger that components of the processed product will enter during the entry of the blade blades into the support rollers between them and the outer periphery of the blade. In case of false adjustment of the support rollers, high wear or even damage to the blades or support device is not excluded.

German publication DE 1 156 267 describes a similar machine for cutting pieces essentially in the form of fruit dice into pieces or the like, in which the bar blade is shaped like a sickle. The radially externally arranged periphery of each blade is configured with a rectangular cross-sectioned cord. The cords are guided in an internal radial groove of the housing divided into the groove area. Therefore, in the case of a bending of the blade beyond a predetermined measure, there is a possibility that the cords will rest on the axial surface of the radial groove that moves away from the die-forming grid. The cords are also configured with front, beveled surfaces that, during the rotation of the blade, remove the processed product out of the radial groove.

Also in this embodiment there may be a danger of high wear, in particular in the case of a tight fit between the cords and the radial groove.

In the publication of the German utility model DE 203 14 246 U1 another device for the formation of fruit and vegetable dice is published, which has a fin blade and a static grid of dice. The device is not configured with a separate support installation for the blade connected to the drive motor shaft, so that the axial forces acting during operation on the blade must be fully derived on the motor bearing.

Gold principle of action is known from the publication of utility model DE 20 2006 017 087 U1. In this case, the processed product, for example meat, is driven by means of a press stamp through the grid knife installation. The grid knife installation is constituted by a first guide frame with several grid blades aligned parallel to each other, which move linearly in a reciprocating plane in a perpendicular plane in the direction of progress of the processed product, whereby the processed product is cut . The grid knife installation is also configured with a second guide frame, in which grid blades spaced parallel to each other are arranged in the same way. These move, rotated 90 ° with respect to the first grid blades, in a plane perpendicular to the direction of advance. The processed product is cut in the form of bars by the grid blades and then separated into dice by a rotating blade downstream of the grid blade parallel to it. The housing as well as the structure of the blade are not represented or only indicatively in this publication.

A similar dice cutter is described in patent publication DE 827 844. There it is arranged under the knife grid that dynamically acts a rotating blade on a disk-shaped support, made solid, which rests exclusively at its center by the drive shaft.

In the German publication DE 43 33 096 A1 a device for scraping and grating food products is published, which are loaded through a storage box after passing through a grid squeak on the front surface of a rotating tool in the form of disc, which is equipped with a plurality of scraping edges for shredding of the processed product. The relatively thin wall scraper disk is positioned to lift its resistance on a support wheel of the spoke wheel type, by means of which axial forces are transmitted, which act on the scraper disk not radially supported outside, on its drive shaft

Role on which the invention is based

The invention has the task of further developing a device of the type indicated at the beginning for cutting processed product, in such a way that also with an economic structure a safe function, a silent operation and a simple manipulation are possible, in particular for the formation of dice of less hard food products, for example fruits and vegetables. The device must be suitable in this case, in principle, also for use in kitchen machines intended for the domestic sector.

Solution according to the invention

The task on which the invention is based is solved in a device of the type mentioned at the beginning by means of the features of claim 1.

Since the support installation supports the surrounding outer periphery of the knife holder, a cyclic entry and prone to interference from the cutting tool in the support installation is not necessary. The cutting tool can be positioned rather in the corresponding housing of the device, thereby essentially fixing the position of the outer periphery of the knife holder relative to the at least one support installation. Through the invention it can be achieved that the outer periphery of the knife holder during the operation of the device circulates, in effect, along the support facility (s), but, in general, its position in front of these is not modified facilities, apart from the deviations of the shape and position conditioned by manufacturing as well as elastic deformations. In this way, the manipulation of the device can be simplified to a considerable extent, since, in general, an adjustment of the support facilities is not necessary or at least simplified to a considerable extent. As a result, the support facilities and the device can be kept, in general, simple in design, so that the device is not only suitable for professional use. The omission of the cyclic input in the support system can also reduce the noise level during device operation. In addition, it can be achieved that the device can be cleaned without problems and, with an appropriate selection of the material, also in the dishwasher.

Preferred configuration of the invention

Advantageous configurations and developments, which can be used individually or in combination with each other, are subject to the dependent claims.

In principle, it is possible to imitate the support, in spite of the surrounding outer periphery of the knife holder to the areas of the cutting tool, in which the cutting blades are arranged. This can be done, for example, by means of correspondingly arranged frontal thickening of the outer periphery. With advantage, the support between the knife holder and the support installation can be provided, however, continuously, so that the operation can be carried out in a particularly quiet and reliable manner.

With special advantage, the knife holder is provided in the area of the axis of rotation with a coupling installation for the introduction of a driving torque, which allows an effective and simple change of the rotary cutting tool. The construction structure and the manipulation of the coupling installation can be simplified especially because the axial forces are diverted, at least in part, through the support installation to the device housing.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, for the reduction of the material expense and the weight of the cutting tool, it is provided that the knife holder has, radially outwardly, a ring element provided for support in the installation of support, which configures the respective outer periphery. This ring element is advantageously connected through the cutter blade (s), which are necessary anyway, with the coupling installation, so that the structure of the cutting tool can be simplified again.

The support installation is provided in accordance with an especially advantageous configuration of the invention for axially sliding support with friction on the knife holder of the cutting tool. Because frictional rolling bodies have been dispensed with, the structure of the device is more economical and cleaning has been simplified. The sliding friction is kept reduced through the corresponding pairs of material between the knife holder and the support installation, for example through the use of plastics such as polyoxymethylene (POM) or polyamide (PA), which has a new impact reducing friction on juices of the processed product.

According to a preferred embodiment, at least one support installation is provided in a part of the housing, on which the cutting tool can be rotatably placed. The part of the housing can have, for example, a cylindrical shape, so that the knife holder rests with its outer periphery on the front side of this cylinder. In a part of the housing of this type, a cutting grid can also be inserted without special expense that can be removed for the purpose of replacement or cleaning.

With special advantage, the support installation has a plurality of removable latch elements, which are configured to surround the outer periphery of the cutting tool. The axial safety of the cutting tool can be carried out especially easily through this configuration. In addition, manipulation can be configured in this simpler and more intuitive way.

From the design point of view, an embodiment is preferred in this case, in which the outer periphery of the cutting tool is equipped on its axial surface away from the housing part with a circumferential cord, which is surrounded with retention effect by latch elements. For fixing the latch elements in their closed position, no other installations are necessary. This applies especially when the latch elements are configured in the form of a hook and are connected with the housing part pivotably tangentially to the periphery of the housing part. For the homogenization of the transmission of the load from the cutting tool to the associated housing part, in this case preferably four latch elements are arranged evenly distributed on the periphery of the housing part.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will now be explained in detail with the help of schematic drawings in two exemplary embodiments in more detail. In this case:

Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a device according to the invention with the cover (figure 1a) and without the cover (figure 1b) placed and the feed box.

Figure 2 shows a section through the device according to Figure 1a.

Figure 3 shows an exploded orderly representation of the upper part of the device housing according to Figures 1 and 2 as well as the associated components in an inclined view from above.

Figure 4 shows a comparable view tilted from below.

Figure 5 shows a perspective representation of part of the housing and the cutting tool in the locked state.

Figure 6 shows a view from above (figure 6c), views from below (figure 6a) and from the side (figure 6b) as well as different sections (section AA in figure 6d, section BB in figure 6e) of the components shown in figure 5.

Figure 7 shows a section through a device according to another configuration of the invention in the unlocked state (figure 7a) and in the locked state (figure 7b).

Detailed description of the invention with the help of two embodiments

The direction and position indications in the following description refer to the usual mounting and operating position of the device shown, among others, in Figure 2.

The device 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 for the formation of food product dice comprises a cylindrical tray 3, provided with handle 2, which is intended for placement on a non-shown cooking machine. The cooking machine has a tree. which is projected upwardly projecting, which runs through the tray 3 in the area of a central recess 4 in the form of a bushing.

On the upper edge of the tray 3 a housing part 5 is placed, which receives, on the one hand, the dynamic cutting tool 6 and, on the other hand, the static cutting grid 7. The housing part 5 can be close with a lid 8, which has a feed box 9 in the area of the cutting grid 7 that projects upwardly for cantilever of the processed product. The drive shaft not shown of the cooking machine is inserted in a manner known per se in the upper area of the recess 4 for the transmission of the positive torque in a coupling installation 10 of the cutting tool 6.

The part of the housing 6, as deduced from Figures 3 and 4, is configured in the form of a circular disk and is provided with an approximately rectangular rectangular opening 11, arranged for the passage of the processed product, which is conically narrows in the lower area. On support ribs 12, which are provided in the part of the opening that is conically narrowed, the cutting grid 7 can also be placed rectangularly flush on the surface with the upper side 13 of the housing part 5. In The part of the housing 5 is also located in the center of a vertical hole 14 in the operating position, essentially cylindrical, whose wrapping surface passes through sections to the opening 11. The cutting grid 7 therefore has an inlet 15 that follows the enveloping surface.

The hole 14 is provided for the accommodation of the coupling system 10 of the bushing type of the cutting tool 6, which is configured open downwards for placement on the drive shaft of the cooking machine. The cutting tool 6 is provided upwards in the area of the coupling installation 10 with a surrounding collar 16 and a pin 17 (see Figure 2), which are arranged coaxially with each other as well as with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft drive. The cutting tool 6 is housed radially rotatably, on the one hand, on the lower enveloping surface of the coupling installation 10 in the bore 14 and, on the other hand, by means of the collar 16 or the pin 17 in a projection ring 18 of the cover 8 projecting downwardly overhang.

The cutting tool 7 is also equipped with a ring element 19 coaxially aligned to the axis of rotation, completely surrounding in the area of its outer periphery, which is connected by means of two cutting blades 20 opposite each other, which is extend horizontally, with the top of the coupling installation

10. The ring element 10 and the coupling installation 10 thus, in common, form a knife holder for the cutting tool 6. The cutting blades 20 are usually arranged inclined in such a way that the processed product transversely cut into slices by the cutting tool 6 is driven during its rotation in the direction of the arrow A as a consequence of the wedge action through the cutting grid 7 and is cut there in the longitudinal direction.

Along the outer periphery there are evenly distributed in the part of the housing 5 support installations 21 in the form of latch elements 22 of the hook type, which are pivotable at their lower end, respectively, around an axis with vertical rotation 23, aligned tangentially to the outer periphery of the housing part 5. In figures 3 and 4, the latch elements 22 are reproduced in their unlocked position, while the following figures 5 and 6 show them in position blocked up.

During the start-up of the device 1 the coupling installation 10 is inserted in the hole 14, until the lower axial surface 24 of the ring element 19 rests on the upper side 13 of the housing part 5. They are then coupled the latch elements 22 opened through a joint, directed towards the center of the housing part 5, with its upper horizontal arm 25 on the upper axial surface 26 of the ring element 19 until they engage with each other. The latch elements 22 configure with the ring element 19 in this case a bistable system, which as a consequence of the elastic deformation of the latch elements 22 as well as of the rotation axes 23 displaced inside the housing part 5 in the locked state it generates a previous tension force in the blocking direction. During manual loosening, the latch elements 22 are driven after overcoming a deadlock with a counter force acting in the direction of their unlocked position.

During operation of a kitchen machine equipped with the device 1, as a result of the inclined position of the cutting blades 20 in connection with the resistance of the cutting grid 7, an upwardly directed axial force is produced, acting on the cutting tool 6 and which is derived from the support facilities 21 to the housing part 5. The latch elements 22 therefore not only serve for the retention of the cutting tool 6 and the part of the housing 5, but rather the ring element 19, the upper side 13 of the part of the housing 5 and the latch elements 22 form a silent, easy to handle and clean axial bearing for the cutting tool 6 .

In the embodiment according to FIG. 7, the upper axial surface 26 of the ring element 19 of the cutting tool 6 is provided on its outer periphery with a surrounding bead 27, which is surrounded with retention effect during the closure of the ring elements 22. The upper horizontal arm 25 of each latch element 22 is configured for this purpose with a bend 28 that receives the cord 27 in the locked position, The device is also associated with an ejection installation shown in Figure 3, which presents a complementary cross-section of the cutting grid 7 of projections 30 in the form of a parallelepiped as well as a gripping piece 31 and can be used for manual cleaning of the cutting grid 7.

The part of the housing 5, the cover 8 as well as the ring element 19 and the coupling installation 10 of the device are preferably manufactured through plastic injection molding, so that the wear and friction resistance of the sliding surfaces of each other are kept reduced through a suitable pair of the material. The cutting blades 20 can be made, for example, of metal and can be surrounded by injection radially outside and radially inside with the material of the ring element 19 and the coupling installation 10. Alternatively, it is conceivable to configure the tool for complete cut 76 as well as the cutting grid 7, respectively, in a single piece of plastic. The latch elements 22 can be cast by injection, for example, in the same manner as plastic or they can be bent from spring steel.

 List of reference signs

1 Device (for the formation of food products) 2 Handle 3 Tray 4 Notch 5 Housing part 6 Cutting tool 7 Cutting grid 8 Cover 9 Feed box 10 Coupling installation 11 Opening 12 Support rib 13 Upper side 14 Drill 15 Inlet 16 Collar 17 Pin 18 Annular projection 19 Ring element 20 Cutting blade 21 Support installation 22 Latch element 23 Rotation axis (of the latch element) 24 Axial surface (of the preset element, bottom) 25 Arm horizontal 26 Axial surface (of the latch element, upper) 27 Cord 28 Bending 29 Eject installation 30 Projection 31 Handle A Arrow (direction of rotation of the cutting tool)

Claims (12)

1.- Device (1) for cutting processed product, in particular for the formation of food product dice, with a rotating cutting tool (6) along a cutting grid (7) around an axis of rotation, whose cutting tool is supported by at least one radial support installation (21) outside in the axial direction, characterized in that the cutting tool (6) has at least one cutting blade (20) as well as a knife holder completely surrounding in the area of its outer periphery, intended for support in the at least one support installation (21) acting radially outside, because the at least one support installation (21) is provided in a part of the housing (5), on which the cutting tool (6) can be placed rotatably, and because the support installation (21) has a plurality of latch elements (22 ) removable, which are configured to surround the outer periphery of the cutting tool (6). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support between the knife holder and the support installation (21) is provided continuously. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the knife holder is provided in the area of the axis of rotation with a coupling installation (10) for the introduction of a driving torque. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the blade holder radially presents a ring element (19) provided for support in the support installation. 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the ring element (19) is connected through the cutting blade (20) with the coupling installation (10). 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support installation (21) is provided for the axial sliding support with friction on the knife holder of the cutting tool (6). 7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting grid (7) can be inserted into the housing part (5). 8. Device according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that the support installation (21) has a plurality of removable latch elements (22), which are configured to surround the outer periphery of the cutting tool (6) , in particular a ring element (19). 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the outer periphery of the cutting tool (6) is equipped on its axial surface (26) away from the housing part (5) with a surrounding cord (27) , which is surrounded with retention effect by the latch elements (22). 10. Device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the latch elements (22) are configured in the form of a hook and are tangentially connected to the periphery of the housing part (5) pivotably with it. 11. Device according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that preferably four latch elements (22) are arranged evenly distributed on the periphery of the housing part (5). 12.- Cooking machine with a device according to one of the preceding claims.