Cooking preparation device and appliance for spirally cutting fruits or vegetables

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooking preparation device (12) for spiral cutting of fruits or vegetables, said device (12) comprising a cutting tool (34) carried by a carriage (36) driven by a double spiral drive screw (38) in alternating movement translation. According to the invention, the device (12) comprises a mechanical diverter (68) having at least an advanced state and a return state to determine, for the same given rotational orientation of the drive screw (38), an advanced orientation or a return orientation of the alternating movement of the carriage (36). The invention also relates to a motorized appliance comprising such a device (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a cooking preparation device for spiral cutting fruits or vegetables, and a motorized appliance provided with the device.

[0002] By spiral cutting the fruit or vegetable, it is possible to ensure, for example, that the fruit or vegetable is peeled, i.e., to remove the outer skin, such as the skin or epidermis of the fruit or vegetable, from the fruit or vegetable, preferably on a larger portion of the fruit or vegetable, and preferably on a continuous portion of the outer surface of the fruit or vegetable, according to the cutting tool used and the cutting depth. However, spiral cutting can not only be implemented to remove a thin outer skin, so as to peel the fruit or vegetable, but also, for example, to remove a spiral that also includes the flesh of the fruit or vegetable, or even several spirals, so as to cut the fruit or vegetable. This cutting of the flesh of the fruit or vegetable will then be essentially spiral. Depending on the thickness of the flesh removed, these cuttings may form a "pasta shape" exactly, or may form a spiral exactly, when removing a larger portion of the thickness. Such a spiral can be unfolded. This spiral cutting removes very little or almost no material. Such spiral cuts in the flesh of a fruit or vegetable allow, for example, obtaining an original appearance of the fruit or vegetable for cooking purposes, or using some cooking or soaking fruit or vegetable techniques that allow the cooking or soaking to penetrate better into the depth of the flesh of the fruit or vegetable.

[0003] According to the invention, the device is designed to form, together with a motorized base, a motorized culinary preparation appliance for spiral cutting of fruits or vegetables. For example, the device can take the form of a removable accessory that can be easily mounted and disassembled by the user on the motorized base, the motor of the motorized base allowing the operation of the device to be ensured. However, the device can also take the form of an integrated, non-detachable part of an appliance that also includes such a motorized base. In the sense of the present patent, such assembly or mounting or fixing is considered to be removable or detachable when it is intended to be carried out without difficulty by the user of the culinary preparation appliance, i.e. a person who usually engages in culinary preparation activities, without the use of any specific tools or with the use of particularly simple tools that allow, for example, facilitating the loosening or unlocking of a safety lock. Background Art

[0004] Document CN206777199-U describes an example of a device that is an integrated part of a motorized cooking preparation device for peeling pineapples. The device includes a support, which is also the chassis of the device and is therefore fixed during the operation of the device and the device. The device includes a main drive configured to carry fruits or vegetables and drive the fruits or vegetables to rotate around the main axis relative to the support. The device includes a tool holder configured to carry a cutting tool and is carried by a slide. The tool holder is hinged and provided with an elastic return member that tends to press the cutting tool against the outer surface of the pineapple placed on the main drive. The slide is driven to translate relative to the support by a double-helical drive screw having a screw axis parallel to the main axis, with alternating movement of the forward direction and the return direction of the translation direction of the slide parallel to the main axis. The drive screw can rotate relative to the support around its screw axis. The drive screw comprises a forward thread and a reverse thread, both of which extend at least over the length of a common section of the drive screw, the length of the common section being greater than or equal to the maximum stroke of the carriage. The carriage cooperates with the forward thread of the drive screw so that the carriage translates in a forward direction along the direction of translation of the carriage, and cooperates with the reverse thread of the drive screw so that the carriage translates in a return direction along the direction of translation of the carriage. The device ensures that the main drive (and therefore the pineapple placed thereon) and the drive screw are driven in rotation simultaneously. In this way, while the pineapple rotates, the displacement of the drive axis simultaneously causes the displacement of the carriage, thereby causing the displacement of the cutting tool. Due to this relative movement, when the fruit rotates and the cutting tool translates in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the fruit, the cutting tool ensures that the pineapple is peeled by spirally cutting a strip of the peel.

[0005] The use of a double helical drive screw allows forward movement, such as from top to bottom, and return movement, such as from bottom to top, to be ensured without changing the rotational orientation of the motor or the relative rotational orientation between the drive screw and the main drive.

[0006] In document CN206777199-U, it is specified that the ends of the forward and reverse threads of the double helical drive screw meet at the end of a common section on the drive screw. Thus, when the carriage reaches the end of one of the threads, due to the continuity between the two threads, the carriage automatically transitions from its forward-directed movement to its return-directed movement. This arrangement makes the travel of the carriage (and therefore the travel of the cutting tool) between the two turning points, i.e. between the two reversal points of the movement direction, fixed and always the same.

[0007] However, in the case of household devices and appliances, it seems particularly desirable that such devices or appliances are not only suitable for a single type of fruit or vegetable, let alone for fruits or vegetables of a single size. However, since the stroke of the carriage is fixed, the disadvantage of the device of document CN206777199-U is that, if it is used to peel a small-sized pineapple, the size of which is much smaller than the maximum pineapple size for which the appliance is designed, a large part of the stroke of the reciprocating movement of the carriage is useless because it does not correspond to the peeling work of the fruit. This useless stroke can lead to useless operating time, during which no peeling work is performed. However, this useless stroke cannot be reduced in any way. In general, because the stroke of the carriage is fixed, the stroke of the cutting tool is fixed, which no longer allows to ensure that spiral cutting is performed on the preferred part of the height of the fruit or vegetable. This fixed stroke stems from the fact that the end of the stroke, i.e. the reversal point to which the movement of the carriage is directed, is determined in a fixed and unchangeable manner by the geometry of the forward and reverse threads of the drive screw.

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a device and an apparatus in which at least one reversal point of the movement direction of the slide can be displaced in the translational displacement direction to avoid or limit useless travel of the slide and thus of the cutting tool. Summary of the invention

[0009] To this end, the present invention proposes a cooking preparation device for spiral cutting of fruits or vegetables, wherein:

[0010] - the device comprises a support which is fixed during operation of the device;

[0011] The device comprises a main drive configured to carry the fruit or vegetable and to drive the fruit or vegetable in rotation relative to the support about a main axis.

[0012] - the device comprises a cutting tool carried by a carriage;

[0013] - driving the carriage in translation relative to the support with alternating movements in forward and return directions along a translation direction of the carriage parallel to the main axis, by means of a double-helical drive screw having a screw axis parallel to the main axis;

[0014] - the drive screw is rotatable about its screw axis relative to the support;

[0015] -The drive screw includes a forward thread and a reverse thread;

[0016] The carriage cooperates with the positive thread of the drive screw to cause a translation of the carriage in a forward direction along the carriage translation direction, and cooperates with the reverse thread of the drive screw to cause a translation of the carriage in a return direction along the carriage translation direction.

[0017] The device is characterized in that it comprises a mechanical commutator having at least an advancing state and a returning state for determining, for a same given rotational direction of the drive screw, the advancing direction or the returning direction of the alternating movement of the carriage.

[0018] Such an apparatus may have any of the following optional features.

[0019] In some embodiments, in its forward state, the mechanical reverser ensures that the carriage cooperates with the forward threads of the drive screw, and in its return state, the mechanical reverser ensures that the carriage cooperates with the reverse threads of the drive screw.

[0020] In some embodiments, the mechanical commutator has an intermediate disengaged state, in which the slide neither cooperates with the forward thread of the drive screw nor with the reverse thread of the drive screw, so that rotation of the drive screw does not cause translation of the slide along the slide translation direction.

[0021] In some embodiments, the mechanical commutator is carried by the carriage.

[0022] In some embodiments, the mechanical reverser switches from its forward state to its return state by mechanical cooperation with a first switching control surface of the device.

[0023] In some embodiments configured to assume an intermediate disengaged state, the mechanical diverter is switched toward its intermediate disengaged state by mechanical cooperation with a disengagement control surface.

[0024] In some embodiments, the device allows manual switching of the mechanical reverser to either of its forward state and its return state. In some versions of this embodiment, the device may include a manual selector that allows manual switching of the mechanical reverser to either of its forward state and its return state.

[0025] In some embodiments, the mechanical commutator includes a complementary positive thread having a shape complementary to the shape of the positive thread of the drive screw, and a complementary reverse thread having a shape complementary to the shape of the reverse thread of the drive screw. In some versions of this embodiment, the mechanical commutator, in its forward state, only drives its complementary positive thread to mechanically cooperate with the positive thread of the drive screw, and in its return state, only drives its complementary reverse thread to mechanically cooperate with the reverse thread of the drive screw. In some variations of this type, a mechanical commutator can be provided including a double-threaded nut, which includes a screw channel, which is a hole that passes through the double-threaded nut along the direction of the screw axis, but whose lateral dimension is larger than the lateral dimension of the driving screw, and the screw channel has a side wall divided into two parts, which are spaced apart on one side of the screw axis, one of which is provided with a complementary positive thread that is complementary to the positive thread of the driving screw, and the other part opposite to the first part relative to the screw axis is provided with a complementary reverse thread that is complementary to the reverse thread of the driving screw, and the double-threaded nut can be provided to be movable perpendicular to the screw axis between an advance position corresponding to the advance state of the mechanical commutator and a return position corresponding to the return state of the mechanical commutator, so that in the advance state of the mechanical commutator, only the complementary positive thread belonging to the double-threaded nut cooperates with the positive thread of the driving screw, and in the return state of the mechanical commutator, only the complementary reverse thread belonging to the double-threaded nut cooperates with the reverse thread of the driving screw. In some such variations, the double-threaded nut is switched by a first switching control surface or by a disengagement control surface, thereby achieving switching of the mechanical commutator, wherein an elastic member can be provided to switch the double-threaded nut by a first switching control surface or by a disengagement control surface.

[0026] In some of the above variations, the mechanical commutator, in its forward state, drives only its complementary positive thread to mechanically cooperate with the positive thread of the drive screw, and in its return state, drives only its complementary reverse thread to mechanically cooperate with the reverse thread of the drive screw, and in the above variations, the mechanical commutator can be provided to include a main body, which can be moved perpendicularly to the screw axis between an advanced position corresponding to the forward state of the mechanical commutator and a return position corresponding to the return state of the mechanical commutator, and the complementary positive thread and the complementary reverse thread belonging to the mechanical commutator can be installed to be movable on the main body, wherein an elastic member is inserted perpendicularly to the screw axis, so that in the forward state of the mechanical commutator, the complementary positive thread belonging to the mechanical commutator is supported on the drive screw perpendicularly to the screw axis, and in the return state of the mechanical commutator, the complementary reverse thread belonging to the mechanical commutator is supported on the drive screw perpendicularly to the screw axis. Thus, the main body of the mechanical commutator is installed to be pivotable on the carriage between its forward position and its return position about an axis parallel to the screw axis but different from the screw axis.

[0027] In some of the above-mentioned variations, the switching of the mechanical commutator is achieved by switching the double-threaded nut through the first switching control surface or by disengaging the control surface. In this variation, especially in the variation where the switching is achieved through an elastic member, the main body of the mechanical commutator can also be set as a nut seat, and a double-threaded nut can be set, including complementary forward threads and complementary reverse threads belonging to the mechanical commutator, installed on the nut seat, wherein an elastic member is inserted perpendicular to the screw axis.

[0028] In some of the above-mentioned variations, the switching of the mechanical commutator is achieved by switching the double-threaded nut through the first switching control surface or through the disengagement control surface with the help of an elastic component. The double-threaded nut can also be set to include a switching contact, which is elastic relative to the double-threaded nut.

[0029] In some embodiments, the support comprises a hollow column, which is cylindrical, extends along the screw axis around the screw axis and has a closed transverse profile, but there is an axial slot, which extends parallel to the screw axis along an axial dimension at least equal to the maximum stroke of the carriage, the drive screw is accommodated in the hollow column of the support, and the carriage comprises an inner part accommodated inside the hollow column, an outer part arranged outside the hollow column, and a connecting part connecting the inner part and the outer part, which passes in the axial slot of the hollow column during the alternating movement of the carriage in the forward direction and the return direction. In some versions of this embodiment, the manual selector is arranged outside the hollow column and cooperates with the mechanical commutator through the axial slot of the hollow column. In some variants of these versions, the axial dimension of the manual selector is at least equal to the dimension of the axial slot, the manual selector is fixed relative to the support along the direction of the axial slot, and the manual selector cooperates with the mechanical commutator through a slideway oriented along the main axis. In some such variations, the manual selector obscures the axial slot.

[0030] In some embodiments, the mechanical commutator switches from its forward state to its return state by mechanical cooperation with a first switching control surface of the device. In these embodiments, the position of the first switching control surface relative to the support member along the translation direction of the slide is fixed during operation, but is adjustable.

[0031] In some embodiments, the mechanical commutator is switched from its return state to its forward state by a second switching control surface of the device.The position of the second switching control surface along the carriage translation direction and relative to the support may then be fixed during operation, but adjustable.

[0032] In some embodiments, the device includes a tailstock arranged along the main axis and arranged to contact the fruit or vegetable to stabilize the rotation of the fruit or vegetable about the main axis; the tailstock is axially movable relative to the support between a retreated position and a fruit or vegetable holding position; and the tailstock is provided with a detachable coupling member detachably coupled to the carriage, so that in a first forward or return trajectory, the carriage drives the tailstock from its retreated position to its fruit or vegetable holding position, and beyond this position, the detachable coupling member is separated to allow the carriage to continue to move in the forward or return direction. The presence of such a tailstock can be envisaged independently of the presence of a mechanical commutator. In some versions of this embodiment, when the tailstock reaches its fruit or vegetable holding position, the detachable coupling member automatically detaches under the action of the force generated by the continued movement of the carriage in the forward or return direction. In some versions of this embodiment, including in some versions in which the detachable coupling member automatically detaches, the detachable coupling member includes a magnet.

[0033] In some embodiments, the forward threads of the drive screw and the reverse threads of the drive screw have different pitches.

[0034] The invention also relates to a motorised appliance comprising a device having any of the aforementioned features, wherein the motorised appliance comprises a motorised base having a base comprising a drive motor, the device being fixed to the base of the motorised base, the drive motor ensuring that the drive screw is driven in rotation about its screw axis relative to the support.

[0035] In some embodiments of the apparatus, the device is a removable device that is removably secured to a base of a motorized base of the apparatus.

[0036] In some embodiments where the device is a removable device, the base of the motorized mount includes a fixing claw for fixing the device and a coupling driven to rotate by a drive motor, and:

[0037] - the support of the removable device comprises fixing claws complementary to the fixing claws of the base to ensure the removable fixing of the removable device to the base of the motorized seat;

[0038] The removable device comprises a further coupling element which is complementary to the coupling element of the base and which is rotatably connected to the main drive on the one hand and to the drive screw on the other hand, the coupling element of the base and the further coupling element of the removable device being rotatably connected when the removable device is fixed to the base. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an appliance comprising a removable culinary preparation device for spiralizing fruit or vegetables according to the present invention.

[0040] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A sectional stereoscopic view of the device along a plane containing the main axis and the screw axis.

[0041] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 and Figure 2 Exploded perspective view of the different components of the device.

[0042] Figure 4 Is equipped with a mechanical commutator Figures 1 to 3 A front perspective view of a carriage of the device.

[0043] Figure 5 yes Figures 1 to 3 A front perspective view of a cross-section of a carriage equipped with a mechanical commutator along a plane perpendicular to the screw axis of the device, also showing a manual selector for causing manual switching of the mechanical commutator.

[0044] Figure 6 is a rear perspective view showing a mechanical commutator and a manual selector for causing manual switching of the mechanical commutator.

[0045] Figure 7 is a perspective rear view in section along a plane perpendicular to the screw axis showing a mechanical commutator and a manual selector for causing manual switching of the mechanical commutator.

[0046] Figure 8 yes Figures 1 to 7 A sectional perspective view of a double-threaded nut of a device along a plane containing the main axis and the screw axis.

[0047] Fig. 9 yes Figures 1 to 8 A low angle front perspective view of a carriage of an apparatus equipped with a mechanical commutator, also showing a first switching control surface for causing automatic switching of the mechanical commutator to its return state.

[0048] Fig.10 yes Figures 1 to 9 A front perspective view of the carriage and column of the device, also showing the disengagement control surface for causing the mechanical commutator to automatically switch to its disengaged state.

[0049] Fig.11 are schematic diagrams in different schematic forms, each schematic diagram showing the basis for the different positions and displacement directions of the nut seat and the double threaded nut Figures 1 to 10 The state of the mechanical commutator of the device.

[0050] Fig.12are schematic diagrams in different schematic forms, each showing the different positions and displacement directions of the tailstock, carriage and cutting tool. Figures 1 to 10 The configuration of the device.

[0051] Fig.13 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a culinary preparation device for spiral cutting fruits or vegetables according to the present invention.

[0052] Fig.14 yes Fig.13 An exploded perspective view of the different components of the device.

[0053] Fig.15 It shows Fig.13 and Fig.14 A front perspective view of a mechanical commutator of the device.

[0054] Fig.16 is a cross-sectional view along a plane containing the screw axis, showing Figures 13 to 15 The device is assembled on a column and around a driving screw, a carriage, a mechanical commutator and a switching control surface, wherein the mechanical commutator is in a forward state.

[0055] Fig.17 is along Fig.16 The section XVII-XVII is shown Fig.16 A cross-sectional view of an element of FIG. 1 with the mechanical commutator in the forward position.

[0056] Fig.18 is with Fig.16 A similar view with the mechanical commutator in the return position.

[0057] Fig.19 is along Fig.18 The section XIX-XIX shown Fig.18 A cross-sectional view of an element of FIG. 1 with the mechanical commutator in its return state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] Figures 1 to 12 A first embodiment of a motorized appliance 10 is shown, comprising a culinary preparation device 12 for spiralizing fruit or vegetables. Figures 13 to 19 A second embodiment of a culinary preparation device 12 for spiral cutting of fruit or vegetables is shown in more detail in FIG.

[0059] More specifically in Figure 1As can be seen in the figure, the motorized appliance 10 comprises a motorized base 14 having a base 16 comprising a drive motor (not shown, here inside the base 16), for example a rotary electric motor. A culinary preparation device 12 for spiralizing fruits or vegetables is fixed to the base 16 of the motorized base 14. The drive motor ensures a mechanism for driving the device 12, by which the device 12 can spiralize fruits or vegetables.

[0060] In some embodiments, the motorized appliance 10 may be a one-piece appliance in which the device 12 and the motorized base 14 are non-removably integrated within the motorized appliance 10 .

[0061] In other embodiments, for example Figure 1 In the embodiment schematically shown in FIG. 1 , the device 12 is a removable device that is removably fixed to the base 16 of the motorized base 14 of the motorized appliance 10. In this case, the base 16 of the motorized base 14 can advantageously include a fixing claw 18 for fixing the device 12 and a coupling 20 driven in rotation by the drive motor. Similarly, the device 12 can include a support 22, which can also include a fixing claw (not shown) that is complementary to the fixing claw 18 of the base 16 of the motorized base 14 to ensure that the removable device 12 is removably fixed to the base 16 of the motorized base. The removable device 12 can also include a coupling (not shown) that is complementary to the coupling of the base 16 and is rotationally connected to the mechanism of the device 12 to ensure its driving. The base 16 of the motorized base 14 and the complementary fixing claws of the device 12 can take different forms, such as the form of a bayonet hook, the form of one or more catch hooks, the form of a pitch, or simply have a complementary chimeric form, etc. Similarly, the complementary couplings of the motorized base 14 and the device 12 may, for example, comprise a male square and a female square that complement each other, or any other mechanical coupling that allows the transmission of a rotational torque. Preferably, the two couplings allow their coupling by a simple engagement of complementary shapes, without the intervention of tools. In this example, the fixing claw 18 and the coupling 20 are clearly separated from each other. However, it is conceivable that these two elements and the two functions they ensure are realized by the same set of complementary parts. In general, a person skilled in the art of cooking preparation appliances will be able to implement any fixing claw and coupling member for appliances comprising accessories that are removable relative to the motorized base that are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0062] Whether or not the device 12 is removable relative to the motorized base 14, the support 22 of the device 12 is fixed during operation of the device 12. Of course, in the case of an integrated appliance, the support 22 of the device 12 may only form a single-part assembly integral with the base 16 of the motorized base 14.

[0063] In all cases, the device 12 comprises a main drive 24 configured to carry the fruit or vegetable and to drive the fruit or vegetable in rotation about the main axis A1 relative to the support 22. In the example to be described, it will be considered that the main axis A1 is a vertical axis, ie oriented in the direction of the Earth's gravity. However, other orientations are also possible.

[0064] exist Figures 1 to 3 In the example shown, the main drive 24 is in the form of a disc mounted to rotate about the main axis A1 relative to the support 22. The upper surface of the main drive 24 has pins on which the fruit or vegetable to be processed can be erected so as to drive the fruit or vegetable to rotate about the main axis A1. Fig.13 and Fig.14 In the example shown, the main drive 24 has a similar structure, but with a smaller diameter disc and a reduced number of pins. Optionally, a removable main drive 24 can be provided, so that the device 12 can be used, for example, with different types of main drives, the geometry of which can vary from one type to another, for example optimized for a specific type of fruit or vegetable. In this case, the main drive can be removably fixed to the support, for example by magnetic fixing.

[0065] In the example shown, the device 12 is also provided with a tailstock 26, which is arranged on the main axis A1, opposite the main drive 24. The tailstock 26 is designed to come into contact with the fruit or vegetable to stabilize the rotation of the fruit or vegetable around the main axis A1. The tailstock 26 has a single point arranged along the main axis A1 (in particular, Figure 2 As shown), or arranged at multiple points on the barrel rotating around the main axis A1 (especially as Fig.13 The tailstock 26 may be provided with a device for driving rotation to drive the fruit or vegetable to be processed to rotate. However, in the example shown, the tailstock 26 is free to rotate around the main axis A1.

[0066] In the following description, it will be considered that the tailstock 26 is arranged above the main drive 24. Therefore, it will be considered that the main drive 24 receives the lower end of the fruit or vegetable to be processed and the tailstock 26 is in contact with the upper end of the fruit or vegetable.

[0067] The position of the tailstock 26 is preferably adjustable along the main axis A1 to adapt the spacing between the main drive 24 and the tailstock 26 according to the size of the fruit or vegetable to be processed. In this case, the tailstock 26 is therefore axially movable relative to the support 22 between at least a retracted position and a fruit or vegetable holding position.

[0068] In the two examples shown, the device 12 comprises a column 28 extending vertically from the support 22, parallel to the main axis A1, but laterally offset relative to this axis A1, so as to leave a free working space above the main drive 24, in which the fruit or vegetable to be processed can be placed. In this case, the tailstock 26 can be integral with a cross arm 30 mounted on the column 28 so as to be guided in translation on the column 28 along an axis parallel to the main axis A1. The cross arm 30 for supporting the tailstock 26 can therefore have a guide portion 29, which surrounds the column 28, so as to ensure the guidance of the cross arm 30 in translation.

[0069] Optionally, a removable tailstock 26 may be provided so that the device 12 can be used, for example, with different types of tailstocks, the geometry of which may vary from one type to another, for example, being optimized for a particular type of fruit or vegetable. In this case, the tailstock 26 may be removably fixed to a support, in this example to the cross arm 30, for example, by magnetic fixing.

[0070] In some embodiments, the position of the tailstock 26 along the main axis A1 can be manually adjusted by the user. Figures 1 to 12 In the embodiment of the present invention, the tailstock 26 is simply guided on the column 28 by friction, so that the tailstock 26 is kept in the appropriate position along the main axis A1 by friction alone. Fig.14 It can be seen that a manual clamping mechanism 31 may be provided, the user being guided to release the mechanism to allow translational displacement of the tailstock 26 in the direction of the main axis A1 towards a desired position, and to clamp the mechanism to fix the position of the tailstock 26 once the desired position has been reached.

[0071] The device 12 comprises a cutting tool 34 which ensures a spiral cut and which is carried by a carriage 36 which is driven in translation relative to the support 22 with an alternating movement directed forward and backward along a direction of translation of the carriage parallel to the main axis A1. Thus, the cutting tool 34 is displaced relative to the support 22 by the carriage 36 and also draws an alternating movement directed forward and backward along the direction of translation of the carriage. It is this translational movement, combined with the synchronous rotation of the fruit or vegetable driven by the main drive 24, that creates a relative spiral trajectory between the cutting tool 34 and the fruit or vegetable. The geometry of the cutting tool 34 is adapted to the desired type of spiral cut. It is possible to provide the device 12 so that it can operate with different types of cutting tools 34, each of which is adapted, for example, to the type of spiral cut to be performed, and / or to the type of fruit or vegetable to be processed. The cutting tool 34 can be removably mounted, for example, at the free end of a tool holder 32, which itself is carried by a carriage 36, so that the cutting tool 34 in this case remains mounted on the carriage 36, here indirectly, so as to follow its alternating movements in the forward and return directions along the direction of translation of the carriage.

[0072] from Figure 2 and Figure 3 as well as Figure 5 or related to the second embodiment Figures 13 to 18 As can be seen more particularly in FIG. 3 , the translation of the drive carriage 36 is ensured by a double-helical drive screw 38 , the screw axis A2 of which is parallel to the main axis A1 .

[0073] The drive screw 38 is rotatable about its screw axis A2 relative to the support 22. The device 12 and the motorized implement 10 are designed so that the drive motor of the motorized implement 10 ensures the driving of the drive screw 38 in rotation about its screw axis A2 relative to the support 22. Figure 3As can be seen more specifically in FIG. 1 , the drive screw 38 is driven in rotation, for example, by a gear system 40, which includes an input gear train 42 driven in rotation by the electric motor of the device 10. In the case of a removable device 12, this driving of the input gear train 42 is ensured, for example, by a coupling of the device 12, which coupling can be directly connected, for example, to a drive pinion (not shown), which meshes with the input gear train 42 to drive the gear system 40 in rotation. The input gear train 42 drives a pinion 44 via a first gear cascade, which is used to drive the drive screw 38. In the example shown, the same input gear train 42 drives a pinion 46 via a second gear cascade, which is used to drive the main drive 24 in rotation. With this system, the main drive 24 and the drive screw 38 are then driven in rotation simultaneously by the same electric motor. Preferably, the first gear cascade and the second gear cascade of the gear system 40 do not have the same reduction ratio. For example, for a given drive motor speed, the rotation speed of the drive screw 38 around its screw axis A2 can be greater than the rotation speed of the main drive 24 around the main axis A1. Of course, other drive systems are possible.

[0074] In this way, in the case where the device 12 is removable relative to the motorized base 14 , the coupling of the device 12 is advantageously directly or indirectly coupled in rotation to the main drive 24 on the one hand and to the drive screw 38 on the other hand.

[0075] In the example shown, the carriage 36 is guided by the column 28 for translation in the direction of the screw axis A2. The column 28 extends parallel to the screw axis A2. In the example shown, the drive screw 38 is arranged inside the column 28, in these examples the column 28 is then a cylindrical and tubular hollow column around the screw axis A2. In addition to the presence of an axial slot 50, the column 28 also has a closed transverse profile, which extends parallel to the screw axis A2 along an axial dimension at least equal to the maximum stroke of the carriage 36. Note that the transverse profile of the column 28 is not necessarily circular, but can be circular, and the screw axis A2 is not necessarily the axis of symmetry of the column 28, but can be its axis of symmetry. In this example, the column 28 therefore has a column body 48 that is tubular along the screw axis A2. The column body 48 has side walls, which are therefore generally parallel to the screw axis A2, and has an axial slot 50, which extends over the entire height of the column body 48. In the first embodiment, from Figures 1 to 3 As can be seen more specifically in FIG. 1 , the axial slot 50 is arranged on one side of the column 28, which side can be arbitrarily referred to as the front side, and is arranged between the screw axis A2 and the main axis A1. However, from the second embodiment Fig.14 As can be seen more specifically in FIG. 5 , the axial slot 50 may be on the rear side of the post 28 , opposite the main axis A1 relative to the screw axis A2 , or even on the side of the post 28 .

[0076] In the two examples shown, from Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Fig. 9 As can be seen more specifically in the drawings, the carriage 36 has an inner body 52 and an outer body 54 connected to each other by a connecting bridge 56. In the first embodiment, the cross section of the inner body 52 along a plane perpendicular to the screw axis A2 has a cross section that substantially corresponds to the inner cross section of the post body 48. In all cases, the cross section of the inner body 52 is contained within the inner cross section of the post body 48. In both embodiments, the outer body 54 has an inner guide surface 58 that has a shape complementary to the outer surface of the side wall of the post body 48 in a cross section perpendicular to the screw axis A2. The connecting bridge 56 connects the inner body 52 of the carriage 36 to the outer body 54, the connecting bridge 56 being designed to extend through the axial slot 50 of the post body 48. It can therefore be understood that the carriage 36 can slide longitudinally in the direction of the screw axis A2, guided by the post body 48, which prevents any significant rotation of the carriage 36 about the screw axis A2. Therefore, more generally, the slide 36 includes an inner part, an outer part and a connecting part, the inner part here is an inner body 52 accommodated inside the hollow column 28, the outer part here is an outer body 54 arranged outside the hollow column, and the connecting part here is a connecting bridge 56 connecting the inner part and the outer part, which passes in the axial groove 50 of the hollow column 28 during the alternating movement of the slide 36 in the forward direction and the return direction.

[0077] In the first embodiment, the tool holder 32 more specifically includes a clamp 60, which more specifically Figure 3 , the clamp 60 has here a U-shaped shape in a plane perpendicular to the screw axis A2 and is designed in this example to engage from the front on a lateral slide 62 arranged on the outer body 54 of the carriage 36. The tool holder 32 also comprises a tool holder arm 64 which is fixed to the clamp 60 by its proximal end and can be pivoted about an arm pivot axis A3 which in this example is parallel to the screw axis A2 and therefore also to the main axis A1. In this example, the cutting tool 34 is fixed to the distal end of the arm 64 of the tool holder by means of an adapter 66. In a second embodiment, for example in Fig.14 It can be seen that the arm 64 of the tool holder is directly mounted on the plate 61 of the carriage 36, which plate protrudes laterally on the outer side of the outer body 54 of the carriage 36, and the arm of the tool holder can also be pivoted about the arm pivot axis A3.

[0078] The drive screw 38 includes a forward thread and a reverse thread, both of which are helical, but have opposite winding directions around the screw axis A2. Thus, one of the forward and reverse threads has a "left-hand pitch", while the other of the forward and reverse threads has a "right-hand pitch". Due to these two opposite winding directions, for the same screw rotation direction, the nut that cooperates with the forward thread and will be locked to prevent rotation around the screw axis A2 will be displaced along the screw axis A2 in a first direction, while the other nut that cooperates with the reverse thread and will be locked to prevent rotation around the screw axis A2 will be displaced along the screw axis A2 in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The aliases "forward" and "reverse" here are arbitrary. Both the forward thread and the reverse thread extend at least over a common segment length of the drive screw 38, which is greater than or equal to the maximum stroke of the carriage 36 along the screw axis A2 along the drive screw 38. By design, the forward and reverse threads of the drive screw 38 intersect at regular intervals along the drive screw 38. The forward and reverse threads of the drive screw 38 are realized, for example, in the form of a spiral groove recessed relative to the outer surface of the drive screw 38, whose envelope surface is a cylinder of revolution around the screw axis A2.

[0079] Generally speaking, the slide 36 cooperates with the positive thread of the drive screw 38 to cause the slide 36 to translate in the forward direction along the slide translation direction, that is, the direction of the screw axis A2, and cooperates with the reverse thread of the drive screw 38 to cause the slide 36 to translate in the return direction along the slide translation direction.

[0080] In order to determine which of the forward and reverse threads of the drive screw the carriage 36 is to cooperate with, the device includes a mechanical commutator 68 having at least an advance state and a return state to determine the advance direction or the return direction of the alternating movement of the carriage 36 for the same given rotation direction of the drive screw. Such a mechanical commutator allows the determination of the translation direction of the carriage 36 along the translation direction of the carriage 36 according to the position of the drive screw 38, in particular the switching from one translation direction to another translation direction, the position of the drive screw 38 is not necessarily determined by the geometry of the thread of the drive screw 38, and of course it is not necessary to reverse the rotation direction of the drive motor of the drive screw 38, which allows the interface with the drive motor control not to be required, thereby contributing to reducing costs and simplifying the design.

[0081] In its forward state, the mechanical reverser 68 ensures that the carriage 36 cooperates with the forward thread of the drive screw 38. In its return state, the mechanical reverser 68 ensures that the carriage 36 cooperates with the reverse thread of the drive screw 38.

[0082] In the example described below, the mechanical commutator 68 is carried by the carriage 36 and comprises a complementary positive thread 70 a of a shape complementary to the positive thread of the drive screw 38 , and a complementary reverse thread 70 b of a shape complementary to the reverse thread of the drive screw 38 .

[0083] In its forward state, the mechanical reverser 68 drives only its complementary positive thread 70a to mechanically cooperate with the positive thread of the drive screw 38, while the complementary reverse thread 70b does not cooperate with the reverse thread of the drive screw 38. In its return state, the mechanical reverser 68 drives only its complementary reverse thread 70b to mechanically cooperate with the reverse thread of the drive screw 38, while the complementary positive thread 70a does not cooperate with the positive thread of the drive screw 38.

[0084] In the example shown, the forward and reverse threads of the drive screw 38, and therefore the complementary forward threads 70a and the complementary reverse threads 70b belonging to the mechanical commutator 68, have the same pitch. In this way, for a given speed of the drive motor, the carriage 36 is displaced at the same speed in the forward direction and the return direction. However, it is also possible to provide the forward thread of the drive screw and the reverse thread of the drive screw with different pitches, so that for a given speed of the drive motor, the carriage 36 is displaced at different speeds, depending on whether it follows the forward thread or the reverse thread. Of course, in this case, since the mechanical commutator 68 itself includes a complementary forward thread and a complementary reverse thread, both of which are complementary to the forward thread and the reverse thread of the drive screw 38, respectively, they will also have different pitches.

[0085] In the two examples shown, see more specifically Figures 4 to 9 , the mechanical commutator 68 comprises a double-threaded nut 70, and therefore comprises a screw channel 72, which is an orifice penetrating the double-threaded nut 70 in the direction of the screw axis A2, but whose transverse dimension is greater than the transverse dimension of the drive screw 38. The screw channel 72 has a concave side wall divided into two parts, each part being located on one side of the screw axis A2, one part being provided with a complementary positive thread 70a complementary to the positive thread of the drive screw 38, and the other part opposite to the first part with respect to the screw axis A2 being provided with a complementary reverse thread 70b complementary to the reverse thread of the drive screw 38.

[0086] As shown, the double-threaded nut 70 is movable perpendicularly to the screw axis A2 between an advanced position corresponding to the advanced state of the mechanical commutator and a return position corresponding to the return state of the mechanical commutator. The transverse dimensions of the screw channel 72 and the arrangement of the complementary positive threads 70a and the complementary reverse threads 70b on the opposite parts of the side walls of the screw channel 72 are such that in the advanced state of the mechanical commutator, only the complementary positive threads 70a belonging to the double-threaded nut 70 cooperate with the positive threads of the drive screw 38, and in the return state of the mechanical commutator 68, only the complementary reverse threads 70b belonging to the double-threaded nut 70 cooperate with the reverse threads of the drive screw 38. The complementary positive threads 70a and the complementary reverse threads 70b belonging to the double-threaded nut 70 are, for example, in the form of helical track segments formed in protrusion on corresponding parts of the concave side walls of the screw channel 72, each of which has an envelope surface that is an angular sector of a circular cylinder of revolution.

[0087] In both embodiments, the switching of the mechanical commutator 68 is achieved by direct or indirect switching of the double threaded nut 70 between its different positions, by direct or indirect cooperation of the double threaded nut 70 with a switching control surface or with a disengagement control surface. This allows automatic switching to be achieved without having to act on the rotational orientation of the drive screw, i.e. without having to act on the motor control, which allows cost savings and / or makes the device adaptable to motorized bases that do not allow such actions on the drive motor.

[0088] In these examples, a switching or disengaging control surface refers to a surface that has a fixed axial position relative to the support 22 in the direction of the screw axis A2 during operation, that is, in particular when the drive screw 38 drives the carriage 36 in translational displacement. However, it will be seen that the axial position of one or another of these control surfaces in the direction of the screw axis A2 can be adjusted outside the operating cycle of the device 12, that is, in particular outside the cycle of the carriage 36 driven by the drive screw 38 for translational displacement, and even preferably outside the cycle of the drive screw 38 driven in rotation. This possibility of adjustment allows, for example, to adjust the working stroke of the cutting tool according to the type or size of the fruit or vegetable, or even according to the nature of the cut that is to be performed. More interestingly, in combination with the implementation of the mechanical commutator described, the adjustment of the axial position of any of these control surfaces does not particularly depend on the geometry of the thread of the drive screw. In other words, the axial position of any of these control surfaces in the direction of the screw axis A2 can be adjusted to any intermediate position, or will not be fixed in all cases due to the design of the drive screw 38.

[0089] It can also be seen that switching the double-threaded nut 70 by switching the control surface or disengaging the control surface can be achieved by means of an elastic member, thereby allowing the impossibility of the complementary thread belonging to the double-threaded nut 70 to cooperate with the corresponding thread of the drive screw 38 to be temporarily eliminated, in particular because of the "tooth-to-tooth" situation.

[0090] However, it should be noted that the solution of having two threads, positive and negative, of the mechanical commutator on the same part, although allowing a compact and economical design, is only one of the possible solutions. It is possible to provide a commutator with two single-threaded "nuts", each having a screw channel with a transverse dimension greater than that of the drive screw 38, and each of which carries, respectively, one complementary positive thread and one complementary negative thread belonging to the mechanical commutator. In such a version (not shown), each nut would be movable perpendicularly to the screw axis A2, and the two nuts could each be controlled separately by a control surface.

[0091] In the first embodiment, more specifically, Figures 4 to 9 It can be seen that the double-threaded nut 70 is mounted so as to be movable in the nut seat 74 of the mechanical commutator 68. It can be seen that the two-piece design of the mechanical commutator in which the double-threaded nut 70 is movable in the nut seat 74 is a first design that allows the mechanical commutator 68 to be switched to either of the forward and return states even if the complementary threads belonging to the double-threaded nut 70 are not arranged exactly facing the corresponding threads of the drive screw 38 in a complementary manner for a given position. However, it will be seen later in conjunction with the second embodiment that the mechanical commutator 68 can also be made in one piece, which is equivalent to the double-threaded nut 70 and the nut seat 74 being fixed relative to each other with respect to the first embodiment.

[0092] from Figures 4 to 9 It can be seen more specifically that the nut seat 74 is mounted to be movable on the inner body 52 of the carriage 36 between two positions, one of which corresponds to the forward position of the nut seat, i.e. the forward state of the mechanical commutator 68, and the other corresponds to the return position of the nut seat, i.e. the return state of the mechanical commutator 68. In this example, the nut seat 74 is mounted to pivot rotationally on the inner body 52 of the carriage 36 (in this example, through the rear end) about the pivot axis A4. The pivot axis A4 is parallel to the screw axis A2, but different from the screw axis A2. Figures 4 to 9 In the example shown, the nut seat 74 is perforated with a clearance hole 76 that allows the drive screw 38 to pass through the nut seat 74, preferably without contact between the nut seat 74 and the drive screw 38 for any position of the nut seat 74 from the advanced position corresponding to the advanced state of the mechanical commutator 68 to the return position corresponding to the return state of the mechanical commutator 68. Figure 6As can be seen more particularly in FIG. 1 , an indexing member 78 can be provided which tends to retain the nut seat 74 in its advanced position or in its returned position.

[0093] In the first embodiment, the indexing member 78 also allows the nut seat 74 to be maintained in an intermediate disengaged position, in which position the mechanical commutator 68 will be seen disengaged relative to the drive screw 38 .

[0094] In this example, the indexing member 78 is a resilient member, which may, for example, include a ball or a tip biased by a resilient member 80 (e.g., a spring), which is mounted in the inner body 52 of the carriage 36 so as to press the ball or the tip against a face of the nut seat 74 perpendicular to the pivot axis A4 of the nut seat 74 on the carriage 36. This face has recessed indexes 82 for each position that is desired to be maintained. By the pivoting of the nut seat 74, when the nut seat 74 is in one of the positions, one of the recessed indexes 82 corresponding to one of the positions is located opposite the tip or the ball of the indexing member 78, thereby allowing the tip or the ball to engage therein to maintain the nut seat 74 in the position corresponding to the recessed index 82. However, in the event that an external force is applied to the nut seat 74 to force it to pivot about the pivot axis A4, the indexing member 78 is designed to allow the nut seat 74 to be released, and the nut seat 74 can be switched toward its other position under the action of such force.

[0095] In a first embodiment, the double-threaded nut 70 itself is mounted so as to be movable relative to the nut seat 74, in particular in order to temporarily eliminate situations such as "tooth against tooth". In the example shown, the double-threaded nut 70 is mounted so as to pivot about a pivot axis A4, both relative to the nut seat 74 and relative to the carriage 36. Note that in this particular example, the double-threaded nut 70 and the nut seat 74 are movable relative to the carriage 36 about the same axis, but this is not essential. The mobility of the double-threaded nut 70 relative to the nut seat 74 is achieved in the same translation displacement direction as that existing between the nut seat 74 and the drive screw 38. An elastic member is provided for elastically returning the double-threaded nut 70 to an intermediate position relative to the nut seat 74, the double-threaded nut 70 being laterally movable relative to the intermediate position towards either of two retracted positions relative to the nut seat 74. Here, the elastic member is realized in the form of two springs 84, which are inserted between the double-threaded nut 70 and the nut seat 74 and each act in one direction in a direction perpendicular to the screw axis A2. When the double-threaded nut 70 is in its middle position relative to the nut seat 74, the effects of the two springs 84 are eliminated.

[0096] In summary, the mechanical commutator 68 comprises a main body, in this case realized in the form of a nut seat 74, which is movable perpendicularly to the main axis A1 and therefore also movable relative to the screw axis A2 between an advanced position corresponding to the advanced state and a return position corresponding to the return state. In addition, the complementary positive thread 70a and the complementary reverse thread 70b (here carried by the double-threaded nut 70 and therefore belonging to the mechanical commutator 68) are mounted to be movable on the main body (here the nut seat 74), and the elastic member (here the spring 84) is inserted perpendicularly to the main axis A1 and perpendicularly to the screw axis A2, so that in the advanced state of the mechanical commutator 68, the complementary positive thread 70a belonging to the mechanical commutator 68 is supported on the drive screw 38 perpendicularly to the screw axis A2, and in the return state of the mechanical commutator, the complementary reverse thread 70b belonging to the mechanical commutator is supported on the drive screw 38 perpendicularly to the screw axis A2.

[0097] exist Fig.11 In the different schematic diagrams (11A), (11B), (11C), (11D) and (11E), different possible configurations of the double-threaded nut 70 and the nut seat 74 are shown depending on the different states of the mechanical commutator 68 and whether the complementary threads of the double-threaded nut 70 and the drive screw 38 can engage with each other.

[0098] Fig.11 First, a configuration (11A) corresponding to an optional intermediate state of the mechanical commutator 68 is shown. This state corresponds to an intermediate position of the nut seat 74 between its advanced and return positions and to an intermediate position of the double-threaded nut relative to the nut seat 74, the intermediate position being defined by an elastic return member, such as a spring 84. In this configuration, neither of the two threads belonging to the complementary positive thread 70a and the complementary reverse thread 70b of the mechanical commutator 68 cooperates with the corresponding thread of the drive screw 38. In this configuration (11A), the mechanical commutator ensures the disengagement between the drive screw 38 and the carriage 36. The rotation of the drive screw 38 about its screw axis A2 does not cause any translational displacement of the carriage 36.

[0099] Fig.11A configuration (11B) is then shown in which the nut seat 74 has been displaced towards its advanced position. It is held there, for example, by an indexing member 78. In this position, the elastic member (here in the form of two springs 84) between the nut seat 74 and the double-threaded nut 70 causes the double-threaded nut 70 to be supported on the drive screw 38 in a direction perpendicular to the screw axis A2. Configuration (11B) corresponds to a situation in which the rotational position of the drive screw 38 about its screw axis A2 and the axial position of the double-threaded nut 70 along this same axis do not allow the complementary threads to engage with each other. This then results in a "tooth-on-tooth" situation. It can be seen that, as a result, the double-threaded nut 70 deviates from its intermediate position relative to the nut seat 74 to one of its retracted positions, in which it remains pressed against the drive screw 38 while being strongly biased by one of the two springs 84. The double-threaded nut 70 has not yet reached its own advanced position, but is elastically biased towards it. In this state, this configuration (11C) is achieved simply by displacing the double-threaded nut 70 under the action of one of the two springs 84, as long as the rotation of the drive screw about its screw axis A2 allows the two complementary positive threads to engage with each other. This configuration (11C) corresponds to the advanced state of the mechanical commutator 68, in which both the nut seat 74 and the double-threaded nut 70 have reached their advanced positions at the same time. In this configuration corresponding to the advanced state of the mechanical commutator 68, in particular, once the "tooth-to-tooth" situation disappears, the rotation of the drive screw 38 about its screw axis A2 in a predetermined direction immediately causes a translational displacement of the carriage 36 in the advanced direction along the direction of the screw axis A2.

[0100] Configurations (11D) and (11E) are respectively symmetrical configurations of configurations (11B) and (11C) of the double-threaded nut 70 through the nut seat 74, but correspond to the reset state of the mechanical commutator 68, in which the double-threaded nut 70 is first in a retracted position relative to the nut seat 74 in a "tooth-to-tooth" situation, and then in an engagement position of two complementary reset threads belonging to the double-threaded nut 70 and the drive screw 38, respectively. Configuration (11E) corresponds to the return state of the mechanical commutator 68, in which the nut seat 74 and the double-threaded nut 70 have both reached their return positions at the same time. In this state, the rotation of the drive screw 38 about its screw axis A2 in a predetermined direction causes a translation displacement of the carriage 36 in the return direction along the direction of the screw axis A2.

[0101] Various means will now be described which allow the mechanical commutator to be switched from its forward state to its return state, or even to an intermediate state if such intermediate states are provided.

[0102] First, a means for allowing the mechanical reverser 68 to be ensured to be manually switched to either of its forward state and return state will be described.

[0103] so, Figures 1 to 11 The first embodiment of the device 12 shown includes a manual selector 86 that allows the mechanical commutator 68 to be manually switched to either its forward state or its return state. In the example shown, the manual selector 86 is arranged on the outside of the column 28 and cooperates with the mechanical commutator 68 through the axial slot 50 of the column 28. In practice, from Figure 5 and Figure 7 As can be seen more specifically in FIG. 1 , the nut housing 74 comprises a coupling pin 88 extending in a radial direction relative to the pivot axis A4 about which the nut housing 74 is mounted to pivot in the carriage 36. The coupling pin 88 of the nut housing 74 extends transversely to the exterior of the carriage 36 through a front window 90 arranged in the carriage 36. Note that this front window 90 radially passes through the coupling bridge 56 connecting the inner body 52 of the carriage 36 to the outer body 54. As a result, the coupling pin 88 of the nut housing 74 passes through the axial slot 50 of the hollow column 28, just like the coupling bridge 56 of the carriage 36. In this way, the coupling pin 88 can extend radially to the exterior of the hollow column 28 to interact with the manual selector 86. In particular, the coupling pin 88 allows the nut housing 74 arranged inside the hollow column 28 to be acted upon from the exterior of the hollow column 28. Therefore, the link pin 88 itself can be a manual selector, because it can easily let the user touch.Of course, it can be seen that the link pin can be moved in the axial direction together with the slide 36.

[0104] However, according to Figures 1 to 11 Another feature of the embodiment of the present invention is that the manual selector is fixed relative to the support along the axial direction of the front axial slot, that is, along the main axis A1 and the screw axis A2, while being movable in a transverse direction perpendicular to either of these two axes. Figure 3As can be seen, the manual selector 86 comprises means for ensuring its guidance on the support 22 about the screw axis A2. In practice, in this example, the manual selector 86 takes the form of a plate extending axially in the direction of the screw axis A2, the length of which corresponds at least to the stroke of the carriage 36 and preferably to the corresponding dimensions of the axial slot 50. Note that this geometry of the manual selector 86 also allows it to shield the axial slot 50, since it is located outside the hollow stud 28, just in front of it. In this way, in addition to the aesthetic advantages, this shielding also limits the risk of fruit or vegetable debris, such as peeling debris, penetrating into the interior of the hollow stud 28. The manual selector 86 in the form of a plate has two guide rings 92, respectively arranged at its lower and upper ends along this axial direction of the screw axis A2 and which allow it to be guided in rotation about the screw axis A2 relative to complementary shapes arranged on the support 22 and in an upper cover 94 closing the hollow stud 28 at the upper end. In this way, the manual selector 86 is articulated about the screw axis A2 between an advanced position and a return position corresponding to the advanced position and the return position of the nut seat 74, and it can of course be in any intermediate position, including an intermediate position corresponding to the intermediate disengaged position of the nut seat 74. The manual selector 86 in the form of a plate has a coupling groove 96 on the back side of the steering hollow column 28, which extends axially in the direction of the screw axis A2 and in which the front free end of the coupling pin 88 is received to ensure the coupling between the manual selector 86 and the coupling pin 88 in the transverse direction. The coupling pin 88 can slide freely in the coupling groove 96 in the axial direction of the screw axis A2 without a corresponding displacement of the manual selector, while maintaining the coupling with the manual selector 86 in the transverse direction. In fact, the coupling pin 88 and the coupling groove 96 form a slideway, which is oriented in the direction of the screw axis A2, and therefore also in the direction of the main axis A1, through which the manual selector 86 cooperates with the mechanical commutator 68, regardless of the position of the carriage 36. In this way, regardless of the position of the carriage 36 in the direction of the screw axis A2, and therefore regardless of the position of the coupling pin 88 in the direction of the screw axis A2, the coupling pin 88 remains connected to the manual selector 86, and the manual selector 86 does not shake the coupling pin 88 in this axial direction. On the other hand, regardless of the position of the carriage 36 in the direction of the screw axis A2, the position of the nut seat 74 can be switched to any of its advanced position, its return position and its intermediate position by the manual selector 86. In this way, the mechanical commutator 68 can be switched to any of its advanced or return state, or to its intermediate disengaged state.

[0105] The user may manually cause switching of the mechanical switch 68, thus allowing the user to determine the direction of displacement of the carriage, and therefore the cutting tool 34, regardless of the position of the carriage 36 at any given time.

[0106] It should be noted that, in the case where the mechanical commutator 68 is provided with an intermediate disengaged state, the disengaged state optionally allows the user to adjust the initial position of the carriage 36 along the screw axis A2 to avoid initial dead travel. Then, at any time, the user can decide the translation displacement direction of the carriage 36.

[0107] And in Figures 1 to 11 In the example shown, the device is also configured to allow the mechanical commutator 68 to switch automatically from its forward state to its return state, by mechanical cooperation with the first switching control surface of the device, so that no user intervention is required here. This allows an automatic, mechanically controlled switching to be achieved without having to act on the rotational orientation of the drive screw and therefore without having to act on the motor control, and this is independent of the thread geometry of the drive screw 38 and therefore independent of the axial position of the carriage 36 along the main axis A1, which is not fixed due to the geometry of the thread of the drive screw 38. Not having to act on the motor control allows the reversal of the translational displacement orientation of the carriage 36 and therefore of the cutting tool 34 to be achieved at low cost and / or using a motorized base that does not allow such an operation on the drive motor. It can be seen that it is thus possible to reverse the translation orientation purely mechanically, without the need to implement electrical / electronic components.

[0108] It should be noted here that the concepts of advance and return are arbitrary with respect to the actual displacement orientation of the carriage 36 (and therefore the cutting tool 34) relative to the device, in particular relative to the motorized base 14. In the following example, it is assumed (valid for this example) that the advance trajectory corresponds to a "downward" trajectory during which the carriage 36 and the cutting tool 34 approach the support 22 of the device and the motorized base 14. Conversely, the return trajectory corresponds to an "upward" trajectory during which the carriage 36 and the cutting tool 34 move away from the support 22 of the device and the motorized base 14, approaching the free upper end of the column 28.

[0109] Under this assumption, when the carriage 36 reaches the lower position during the downward translation displacement, the mechanical commutator switches from its forward state to its return state, so that after the mechanical commutator 68 automatically switches, the carriage 36 starts the upward return trajectory.

[0110] to this end, Fig. 9The presence of a switching pin 98 is shown, which is integral with the nut seat 74 and extends downwardly here through a hole 100 arranged in the connecting bridge 56 of the carriage 36. The switching pin 98 thus extends in a direction parallel to the screw axis A2 and, in the hypothetical case, protrudes below the lower surface of the carriage 36. Fig. 9 A first switching control surface is also shown, which is realized here in the form of a switching block 102, which is connected to the drive screw 38 in this example so as to rotate with it around the screw axis A2. Assuming that the first switching block 102 is used to control the switching between the downward forward displacement of the carriage 36 and the upward return displacement of the carriage 36, it is advantageous to set the switching block 102 at the part of the drive screw 38 below the carriage 36. In the example shown in the figure, the switching block 102 is arranged at the lower end of the drive screw 38.

[0111] In this example, the switching pin 102 is formed by a radial protrusion mounted on the periphery of a disk 104, which is arranged at the lower end of the drive screw 38. The switching pin 98 is arranged on the nut seat 74 at a distance from the screw axis A2 that is greater than the diameter of the disk 104. On the other hand, in the normal position, the switching pin 102 protrudes radially outwardly relative to the periphery of the disk 104 by a sufficient distance so that when the lower end of the switching pin 98 is arranged at the same height as the disk 104, the rotation of the disk 104 and the drive screw 38 drives the switching stop 102 to correspond to the switching pin 98 in angle, the switching stop contacts the lower end of the switching pin 98 and, when it rotates about the screw axis A2, drives the switching pin 98 and, therefore, the nut seat 74, so that it switches from its forward position to its return position.

[0112] Advantageously, means are provided that allow relative retraction between the switching pin 98 and the switching block 102 when the switching pin 98 reaches the return position of the nut seat 74 together with the nut seat 74. In the example shown, the switching block 102 is mounted on the disk 104 in a movable and retractable manner, and there is a return spring 106, which exerts an elastic action on the switching block 102 to force it to move towards its normal radially protruding position. However, under the action of force, the return spring 106 allows the switching block 102 to be folded radially inwards relative to the screw axis A2, for example, here into a recess arranged in the disk 104, until a retracted position is reached, in which the switching block 102 no longer interferes with the switching pin 98. In this way, any locking of the rotation of the drive screw 38 is avoided. It should be noted that the retraction means can be implemented in the form of the switching pin 98 and / or the switching block 102 made of flexible material. According to another variant, the retraction means can be produced by a specific geometry of the two parts. It should be noted, for example, that in the embodiment shown, the switch pin 98 is integral with a nut seat 74 that is movable about a pivot axis A4 that is parallel to, but different from, the screw axis A2 about which the switch block rotates. It can be seen from this that, even when in contact with each other, the switch pin 98 and the switch block 102 follow slightly different trajectories. It is therefore possible to design the geometries of the parts in contact that, according to this difference in trajectory, allow, in this example, a break in contact between the two parts when the switch pin reaches its return position, which is equivalent to a retraction of one of the two parts relative to the other.

[0113] In the example shown, the position of the first switching surface, here the position of the first switching stop 102 along the translation direction of the carriage 36, i.e. along the direction of the screw axis A2, is fixed relative to the support and cannot be adjusted here. In fact, in this example, the switching stop 102 has been chosen to be arranged so as to cause the carriage displacement to switch from a forward direction (downward in this example) to a return direction (upward in this example) at the lowest point of the carriage stroke. Usually, this lowest point will be chosen to correspond to the lowest part of the fruit or vegetable arranged on the main drive 24. In this case, it can be considered that the user always wants the spiral cutting operation of the fruit or vegetable to be carried out up to the lower end of the fruit or vegetable mounted on the main drive 24.

[0114] However, in some cases, it may be advantageous to provide that the position of the first switching surface, for example the position of the first switching stop 102 in the present example, is fixed during operation, i.e. during the displacement of the carriage 36 driven in rotation by the drive screw, but is adjustable, thereby providing the user with the possibility of adjusting the point in the stroke at which the switching occurs between the displacement of the cutting tool 34 in the forward direction and the displacement of the cutting tool 34 in the return direction. This adjustment possibility may be implemented, for example, when the drive screw 38 is in a stopped state.

[0115] In the first embodiment, the device 12 comprises a single switching control surface for switching the mechanical commutator 68 between its forward and return states. As will be seen below from a second exemplary embodiment, the device 12 can also comprise, in addition to the first switching control surface, a second switching control surface for automatically switching the mechanical commutator 68 in the opposite direction (i.e. from its return state to its forward state). In this case, the two switching control surfaces are respectively arranged at the two ends of the translation travel of the carriage 36 along the drive screw 38.

[0116] However, as has been seen above, this first embodiment includes a mechanical commutator 68 which, in addition to its forward state and its return state, also has an intermediate disengaged state in which it allows the carriage 36 to be disengaged relative to the drive screw 38, so that the rotation of the drive screw 38 does not cause any translational displacement of the carriage 36. This intermediate state can be used, for example, to cause a stop of the carriage displacement after a first round trip.

[0117] In this first embodiment, the device 12 is provided with a disengagement control surface 108, which in this example takes the form of a disengagement cam, such as Fig.10. Thus, the stopping of the displacement of the carriage 36 can be caused in a purely mechanical manner without the need for implementing electrical / electronic components. In this example, the disengagement control surface 108 is in a fixed position on the column 28 and is therefore fixed relative to the support 22, here relative to the upper end of the support. In this example, the disengagement control surface 108 is arranged inside the column 28. The disengagement control surface 108 can be designed to switch the mechanical commutator 68 to its intermediate disengagement state when the carriage 36 reaches the extreme return position, so as to cause the stopping of the translational displacement of the carriage, even if the drive screw 38 continues to rotate. In this example, the disengagement control surface 108 includes an inclined surface 109, which has an inclined angle relative to the axial direction of the displacement direction of the carriage 36, in particular the displacement direction of the nut seat 74. The inclined surface 109 is arranged to be directly supported (here supported on the nut seat 74) so ​​as to force the nut seat to move toward an intermediate position corresponding to the intermediate disengagement state of the mechanical commutator 68. It should be noted that, alternatively, the disengagement control surface may be arranged on the exterior of the column, for example interacting with the link pin 88 to switch the mechanical switch 68 to its intermediate disengaged state.

[0118] Thus, in an embodiment comprising both the above-mentioned first switching stop 102 and the disengagement control surface 108, the device 12 allows the carriage 36 and therefore the cutting tool 34 carried by it to automatically perform a single round trip, starting from a starting point (e.g., a high starting point), by performing a first displacement in the forward direction (e.g., downwards) until a switching point corresponding to the first switching stop 102, from which the carriage 36 starts to perform a return movement until the highest point determined by the disengagement control surface 108, where the carriage 36 stops all translational movements, without having to stop the rotation of the drive screw 38. Thus, this type of device allows a completely mechanical control of the switch from the forward direction to the return direction and the stop at the high point position, without having to control the motor, which can continue to drive the drive screw 38 in rotation throughout the sequence.

[0119] The disengagement control surface 108 may be carried, for example, by the column 28 and may be in a fixed position, for example, relative to the support 22 of the device. In this case, the disengagement control surface may therefore be fixed directly to the column in a non-adjustable manner, just like Fig.10Alternatively, the position of the disengagement control surface can advantageously be arranged to be fixed during operation, of course, but adjustable, in order to provide the user with the possibility of adjusting the point on the stroke at which the carriage 36 and the cutting tool 34 stop in the return direction. In the case of such a position-adjustable disengagement control surface, it can advantageously be arranged that the disengagement control surface is connected to the tailstock 26, for example by being carried by a cross arm 30 for supporting the tailstock 26, so that the positioning of the tailstock 26 also ensures the positioning of the disengagement control surface, which is designed to stand on the upper end of the fruit or vegetable to be processed. This ensures that the disengagement control surface is arranged in a position corresponding to the upper end of the fruit or vegetable.

[0120] In the two examples shown, both the carriage 36 and the cross arm 30 carrying the tailstock 26 are mounted on the same column 28. They are both axially displaceable along this column, the displacement of the carriage 36 being motorized by means of a drive screw 38. In these examples, the carriage 36 and the cross arm 30 are guided in translation on this column 28, but independently, since once the tailstock 26 has been positioned to bear on the upper end of the fruit or vegetable to be processed, the cross arm 30 supporting the tailstock 26 is no longer driven to displacement during the spiral cutting operation carried out by the cutting tool 34 carried by the carriage 36, which is displaced along the column 28 in this working sequence.

[0121] Fig.12 There are six main operating steps of the above-described apparatus 12. The step shown in the diagram (12A) shows the apparatus 12 in a position for loading fruit or vegetables onto the apparatus 12. In this loading position, both the carriage 36 and the cross arm 30 for supporting the tailstock 26 are in the uppermost position.

[0122] The step shown in the simplified diagram (12B) shows the device 12 in an initial working position, in which, on the one hand, the tailstock 26 is in its fruit or vegetable holding position, i.e. in contact with the upper end of the fruit or vegetable to be processed, and the slide 36 and the cutting tool 34 are in the high cutting position.

[0123] There are several possible solutions for the transfer from the loading position to the initial working position.

[0124] First, we are interested in transferring the carriage 36, and therefore the cutting tool 34, from the loading position to the initial working position.

[0125] According to the first possibility, the device 12 is designed so that the mechanical reversing device 68 has an intermediate disengaged state as described above. In this case, the operator can be allowed to manually drive the carriage 36 and the cutting tool 34 from the uppermost position to the initial working position.

[0126] According to a second possibility, the transfer of the carriage 36 and the cutting tool 34 from the highest position to the initial working position can be caused by switching on the electric motor of the appliance to drive the drive screw 38 in rotation and ensure the downward displacement of the carriage 36. To this end, the mechanical commutator 68 will switch to a state corresponding to the direction of the displacement, which is arbitrarily referred to as the forward state above. It should be noted that the switch to the forward state may have been manually caused by the user by acting on the manual selector 86. It will be seen that in some embodiments, such as the embodiment described below, when the carriage 36 has previously been driven to the high position, the switch to the forward state may have been automatically caused by the mechanical cooperation with the switching control surface.

[0127] If we are now interested in the transfer of the tailstock 26 from the loading position to the initial working position, here too, different variants are possible.

[0128] In a first variation, the cross arm 30 supporting the tailstock 26 may be manually actuated by a user to move from the loading position to the initial working position after the carriage 36 has reached its initial working position.

[0129] According to a second variant, the tailstock 26 is provided with a detachable coupling member detachably coupled to the carriage 36, so that in a first trajectory, here in a first part of the forward trajectory between the loading position and the initial working position, the carriage 36 moves the tailstock 26 together from its retreated position, here the loading position, towards its fruit or vegetable holding position, and beyond the fruit or vegetable holding position, the detachable coupling member is separated to allow the carriage 36 to continue to move, here the carriage 36 continues to move forward. In fact, when the tailstock reaches a state of contact with the fruit or vegetable, its displacement is locked. In this case, it can be advantageously provided that when the tailstock 26 reaches its fruit or vegetable holding position, the detachable coupling member automatically separates under the action of the force generated by the continued movement of the carriage 36, here in the forward direction upward. The separation force of the detachable coupling member generates a contact force of the tailstock 26 in the fruit or vegetable, thereby allowing the tailstock 26 to stand upright in the fruit or vegetable. This achieves automatic positioning of the tailstock 26 and automatic adjustment of its axial position along the direction of the main axis A1.

[0130] Various members can be implemented as disengageable coupling members. They can be implemented in the form of two mechanical elements of complementary shapes, which are respectively on the carriage 36 and on the cross arm 30 for supporting the tailstock 26, elastically fit together in a reversible manner, or are hooked together in a reversible manner. Alternatively, the disengageable coupling member can include at least one magnet carried by the carriage 36 or the cross arm 30 for supporting the tailstock 26, which is associated with at least one corresponding magnet or ferrous block on another one of the carriage 36 and the cross arm 30. The advantage of using magnets to realize the disengageable coupling member is that these members are less prone to wear than the mechanical elements of complementary shapes. Fig.12 Very schematically, the case is shown in which the carriage 36 comprises at least one magnet 110, which is preferably arranged near the upper surface of the carriage 36. The cross arm 30 supporting the tailstock 26 also has a magnet 112, which is preferably arranged near the lower surface of the guide portion of the cross arm 30 facing the magnet 110 of the carriage 36. Preferably, at least two magnets 110 will be provided on the carriage 36, symmetrically distributed on both sides of the axis of the column 28, and two corresponding magnets will be provided on the cross arm 30, also symmetrically distributed on both sides of the axis of the column 28 and facing the two magnets of the carriage 36 respectively. This allows the force exerted by the magnet of the carriage 36 on the cross arm 30 to be evenly distributed on both sides of the guide device to limit the phenomenon of jamming. Of course, a plurality of magnets distributed on the carriage 36 and the cross arm 30 around the axis of the column 28 can be provided to further improve the balance of the forces exerted on the cross arm 30 and further limit the risk of jamming. In an extreme case, this can be further improved by providing an annular magnet around the axis of the column 28. Of course, the above-described variants comprising two magnets, a plurality of magnets or an annular magnet on one of the carriage 36 or the cross arm 30 for supporting the tailstock 26 can be rejected due to the presence of two ferrous blocks, a plurality of ferrous blocks or an annular ferrous block facing the magnets on the other of the carriage 36 or the cross arm 30. In particular, a permanent magnet or an electromagnet can be used as the magnet.

[0131] Furthermore, it can be seen that, in the example shown, the carriage 36 comprises an inner body 52 displaced inside the side wall of the upright 28 and an outer body 54 displaced outside the side wall of the upright 28. The guide portion for guiding the cross arm 30 on the upright 28 can consist only of an outer body surrounding the side wall of the upright 28 from the outside, or can also consist of an inner body, similar to what has been seen for the carriage 36. If the carriage 36 and the cross arm 30 are provided with a detachable coupling member, this will preferably be provided in the same way on both the carriage 36 and the cross arm 30, for example on the respective outer body and / or on the respective inner body.

[0132] exist Fig.12In the diagram (12C), it is shown that, starting from the initial working position (in this case the high position), the carriage 36 and the cutting tool 34 continue their displacement in the forward direction, therefore here downward, until reaching the low position shown in the diagram (12D), which will be considered as the switching position. During the step of the diagram (12C), the cutting tool 34 is pressed against the fruit or vegetable by the tool holder 32 radially relative to the main axis A1 and, due to the combination of the rotational movement imparted to the fruit or vegetable by the main drive and the translational movement imparted to the cutting tool 34 by the carriage 36, the cutting tool 34 performs the desired spiral cut on the fruit or vegetable.

[0133] In both examples shown, the device 12 includes a member that causes automatic switching of the mechanical commutator 68 when the carriage 36 has reached a first switching position, which is shown as a low position by the diagram (12D). Once the mechanical commutator 68 is automatically switched, the carriage 36 reverses its rotational displacement direction along the direction of the main axis A1 and the screw axis A2. In this example, the carriage 36 therefore begins to move upward until it reaches a high working position, which is defined, for example, by the carriage 36 contacting the cross arm 30 for supporting the tailstock 26 (for example, a guide portion for guiding the cross arm 30 on the column 28). The high working position shown in the diagram (12E) can, for example, be the same as the initial working position shown in the diagram (12B). In the step of the diagram (12D), the cutting tool 34 can continue to perform the desired spiral cutting of the fruit or vegetable.

[0134] Optionally, when the forward and reverse threads have the same pitch, provision can be made, on the drive screw 38 and / or on the mechanical commutator 68, for the reverse thread to have an axial deviation relative to the forward thread, for example an axial deviation of half a pitch, so that the relative return trajectory of the cutting tool 34 on the surface of the fruit or vegetable deviates from the relative forward trajectory of the cutting tool 34 on the surface of the fruit or vegetable. For example, in the case of a peeling tool, such a deviation allows limiting a portion of the fruit or vegetable without the risk of peeling, which may occur if the working height of the tool is less than the pitch of the relative helical trajectory of the cutting tool 34 on the surface of the fruit or vegetable.

[0135] From this high working position, a wide range of possibilities are available.

[0136] With reference to the second embodiment, it can be seen from the following that, for example, in this high working position, provision can be made for the mechanical commutator to be switched from its return state to its forward state by means of a second switching control surface. In this case, the carriage 36 resumes its translational displacement in the forward direction, here downward, as shown in the diagram (12C), to reach the low position shown in the diagram (12D) again, and so on.

[0137] However, Figures 1 to 11 The device 12 shown is configured to perform a single reciprocating motion. As a result, when the carriage 36 reaches its high working position (in which position the carriage 36 is in contact with the cross arm 30), the carriage 36 continues its translational displacement in the return direction, here upwards, driving the cross arm 30 supporting the tailstock 26 upwards with it and thus towards its retreated position, as shown in the diagram (12F). Figures 1 to 11 In the example shown of the device 12 provided with the disengagement control surface 108, the movement continues until the carriage 36 reaches a position where the disengagement control surface 108 acts on the mechanical diverter 68 to drive it into its intermediate disengagement state. In the example shown, this position is the same as the loading position shown in Figure (12A).

[0138] However, it is alternatively possible to provide that the release control surface 108 is not directly carried by the column 28, such as Fig.10 As in the example shown, the cross arm 30 for supporting the tailstock 26 is carried, for example, by the guide portion of the cross arm 30. In this case, for example, once the high working position as shown in the schematic diagram (12E) is reached, the mechanical commutator 68 will switch to its intermediate disengaged state. In this case, the displacement of the carriage 36 and the cutting tool 34 will automatically stop when they return to this high working position for the first time. By this arrangement, it can be seen that the displacement of the carriage 36 and the cutting tool 34 will therefore stop in an adjustable position, which is achieved by the fruit or vegetable holding position defined by the fruit or vegetable for the cross arm 30 for supporting the tailstock 26. Under this assumption, the user can then manually bring the carriage 36 and the cross arm 30 back to the loading position shown in the schematic diagram (12A).

[0139] It should therefore be noted that the first embodiment, when it comprises a disengagement control surface 108 that stops the movement of the carriage after the return movement, determines that the alternating movement of the carriage 36 in the forward and return directions comprises a single alternation and therefore a single reciprocation.

[0140] Figures 13 to 18 A second embodiment of a device 12 according to the invention is shown. Only the significant differences from the first embodiment will be described here. In the drawings, elements that are the same or similar to those described in relation to the first embodiment will be indicated with the same reference numerals.

[0141] The essential difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment lies in the different implementation of the means for allowing the mechanical reversing device 68 to switch between its forward state and its return state. In addition, in this second embodiment, the mechanical reversing device 68 does not have an intermediate disengaged state.

[0142] Fig.15 Only the drive screw 38 and the mechanical commutator 68 are shown. Fig.16 and Fig.18 As can be seen, as in the first embodiment, the mechanical commutator 68 is carried by the carriage 36, in particular by the inner body 54 of the carriage 36 inside the column 28. As in the first embodiment, the mechanical commutator 68 comprises a double-threaded nut 70, which is provided with a first switching contact 114 and a second switching contact 116, which are respectively arranged to cooperate with a first switching control surface 118 and a second switching control surface 120, which are cam surfaces here. The double-threaded nut 70 is directly mounted on the carriage 36 and pivots about a pivot axis A4 parallel to the screw axis A2 but different from the screw axis A2. In this second example, the double-threaded nut 70 is pivoted in a bistable manner about the pivot axis A4 to Fig.16 and Fig.17 The forward position shown or Fig.18 and Fig.19 The bistable properties are ensured, for example, by an elastic indexing member 122 comprising a tip which is biased by the elastic member in radial direction towards the screw axis A2 and which thus bears radially on a rear side surface 124 of the double-threaded nut 70. The rear side surface 124 has a convex V-shaped profile, pointing radially rearwards with respect to the screw axis A2. Due to the configuration of the convex V-shaped profile and the direction of the force of the tip of the elastic indexing member 122, the elastic indexing member 122 acts on the double-threaded nut 70 so as to force it to move towards its forward position or towards its return position, with the possibility of switching from one position to the other, passing through an unstable intermediate position which forms an unstable "hard point" in the switching. The unstable intermediate position corresponds to the transition process in which the tip of the V-shaped profile of the rear side surface 124 comes into contact with the tip of the elastic indexing member 122.

[0143] In the forward position of the double-threaded nut 70 , the double-threaded nut 70 determines the forward state of the mechanical commutator 68 . In the return position of the double-threaded nut 70 , the double-threaded nut 70 determines the return state of the mechanical commutator 68 .

[0144] Each of the first switching contact 114 and the second switching contact 116 protrudes laterally relative to the double-threaded nut 70. Each of the first switching contact 114 and the second switching contact 116 is arranged on one side of an axial plane simultaneously containing the screw axis A2 and the pivot axis A4 of the double-threaded nut 70. Each of the first switching contact 114 and the second switching contact 116 is designed to cooperate with the first switching control surface 118 or with the corresponding second switching control surface 120 when the carriage 36 drives the double-threaded nut 70 and therefore one of the first switching contact 114 and the second switching contact 116 at the same height as the first switching control surface 118 or the corresponding second switching control surface 120 through its axial displacement. Each of the first switching control surface 118 and the corresponding second switching control surface 120 includes a plane inclined relative to an axial direction parallel to the screw axis A2, which is arranged to push the first switching contact 114 or the corresponding second switching contact 116 radially inwardly toward the screw axis A2 so as to cause switching of the double-threaded nut 70.

[0145] In this second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a member is also provided that allows the double-threaded nut 70 to be switched in a "tooth-to-tooth" situation. For this purpose, the first switching contact 114 and the second switching contact 116 are elastic relative to the double-threaded nut 70. It can be provided that the first switching contact 114 and the second switching contact 116 are made of a flexible, preferably elastic material. In the case shown, each of the first switching contact 114 and the second switching contact 116 is arranged at the end of an arm hinged around a pivot axis A4 parallel to the screw axis A2. Each of the first switching contact 114 and the second switching contact 116 is elastically biased outwards by an elastic member 115 inserted between the double-threaded nut 70 and the switching contact under consideration. Here each spring member 115 is a compression spring, but an angle-acting spring can also be provided.

[0146] Fig.16 and 17The configuration is shown during the upward displacement of the carriage 36 in the direction of the screw axis A2 in the advancing direction. The double-threaded nut 70 is switched to its advanced position so that its complementary positive thread 70a cooperates with the positive thread of the drive screw 38. In the advanced position, the first switching contact 114, after pivoting about the pivot axis A4, is in contact with or in close proximity to the inner side surface of the column 28. By the rotation of the drive screw 38, the double-threaded nut 70 is displaced upward in the advancing direction, here downward, driving the carriage 36 and thus the cutting tool 34 together. When reaching its low position, the contact is driven into contact with the inclined surface of the first switching control surface 118, which is arranged here in a radially inwardly protruding manner at the lower end of the inner surface of the side wall of the hollow column 28. The advancement of the double-threaded nut 70 in the advancing direction, here downward, causes the first switching contact 114 to switch the double-threaded nut 70 to its return position through the action of the first switching control surface 118 on the first switching contact. If, at the moment of this switching, the "tooth-to-tooth" situation temporarily prevents the complementary reverse thread 70b belonging to the double-threaded nut 70 from engaging with the reverse thread of the drive screw 38, thereby temporarily preventing the double-threaded nut 70 from reaching its return position, the elastic member 115 allows the positioning gap to be absorbed by compression without generating excessive forces between the first switching contact 114 and the corresponding first switching control surface 118. Once the drive screw 38 is sufficiently rotated about its axis to allow the complementary reverse thread 70b belonging to the double-threaded nut 70 to engage with the reverse thread of the drive screw 38, the elastic member 115 forces the double-threaded nut 70 to move to its return position.

[0147] The second switching contact 116 is inactive during the forward, upwardly directed displacement trajectory and during the switching operation from the forward state to the return state.

[0148] On the other hand, from Fig.18 and Fig.19It can be seen that when the double-threaded nut 70 is in its return position so that its reverse thread cooperates with the reverse thread of the drive screw 38, the second switching contact 116 is in contact with or in close proximity to the inner side surface of the column 28. Due to the rotation of the drive screw 38, the double-threaded nut 70 is displaced upward in the return direction, here upward, bringing the carriage 36 and therefore the cutting tool 34 together. When reaching its high position, the second switching contact 116 is driven into contact with the inclined surface of the second switching control surface 120, which is here arranged radially inwardly convexly relative to the inner surface of the side wall of the hollow column 28. In this example, the second switching control surface 120 is not carried directly by the column 28, but by the inner body 126 of the guide part 29 of the cross arm 30 for supporting the tailstock 26. In this example, the second switching control surface 120 extends axially downward from the inner body 126 of the guide part 29 of the cross arm 30. The advancement of the double-threaded nut 70 in the return direction (here upwards) causes the second switching contact 116 to switch the double-threaded nut 70 to its advanced position through the action of the second switching control surface 120 on the second switching contact 116. If, at the moment of this switching, the "tooth-to-tooth" situation temporarily prevents the complementary reverse thread 70a belonging to the double-threaded nut 70 from engaging with the forward thread of the drive screw 38, thereby temporarily preventing the double-threaded nut 70 from reaching its advanced position, the elastic member 115 allows the positioning gap to be absorbed by compression without generating excessive forces between the second switching contact 116 and the corresponding second switching control surface 120. Once the switching occurs, the carriage 36 can reverse its displacement direction and start moving again in the forward direction (here downwards).

[0149] It can therefore be understood that this second deviation, together with the two reverse switching control members, allows to give the carriage 36 and therefore the cutting tool 34 a continuous number of reciprocating movements between the high position and the low position, which are determined by the respective positions of the first switching control surface 118 and the second switching control surface 120. In this example, the axial position of the second control surface 120 and therefore the axial position of the switching point from the return direction to the forward direction can be adjusted by the displacement of the cross arm 30 used to support the tailstock 26.

[0150] In the example shown, after loading the fruit or vegetables, the user manually performs the displacement of the cross arm 30 supporting the tailstock 26 by driving the tailstock 26 into contact with the upper end of the fruit or vegetable. In the example shown, a manual clamping mechanism 31 is provided to lock the position of the cross arm 30 on the column 28, which has the advantage of locking the axial position of the second switching control surface 120, thereby preventing it from being displaced under the influence of the interaction with the control contact 116.

[0151] This second embodiment is particularly suitable for removing a spiral of fruit or vegetable flesh, which will be essentially spiral-shaped but can be expanded, for example, to form a "spaghetti shape" of fruit or vegetable flesh. In fact, by allowing the device 12 to perform multiple reciprocations automatically, without user intervention, this will allow the removal of the fruit or vegetable flesh with several deep passes in the radial direction, possibly until the center of the fruit or vegetable or its core is reached.

[0152] The advantages of the arrangement comprising a mechanical commutator 68 having at least an advance state and a return state for determining the advance direction or the return direction of the alternating movement of the carriage 36 for the same given rotational direction of the drive screw have been described above.

[0153] It is also described that the device 12 may include a tailstock 26, which is provided with a detachable coupling member for detachably coupling with the carriage 36, so that in a first forward or return trajectory, the carriage 36 moves the tailstock 26 with it from its retreated position to its fruit or vegetable holding position, beyond which the detachable coupling member disengages to allow the carriage to continue moving in the forward or return direction. This feature can be implemented in the device 12 regardless of the presence or absence of a mechanical commutator having at least a forward state and a return state for determining the forward direction or return direction of the alternating movement of the carriage for the same given rotational direction of the drive screw. This detachable coupling feature between the tailstock 26 and the carriage 36 is also independent of the presence of a double-helix drive screw, or even how the carriage is driven.

[0154] Thus, a culinary preparation device for spiral cutting of fruit or vegetables may advantageously be designed, wherein:

[0155] - the device 12 comprises a support 22 which is fixed during operation of the device;

[0156] - the device 12 comprises a main drive 24 configured to carry the fruit or vegetable and to drive the fruit or vegetable in rotation relative to the support 22 about a main axis (A1);

[0157] - the device 12 comprises a tool holder 32 configured to carry a cutting tool 34 and carried by a carriage 36;

[0158] - the carriage 36 is driven in translation relative to the support 22 along a movement of the carriage parallel to the main axis A1 ;

[0159] - the device 12 comprises a tailstock 26 arranged along the main axis A1 and designed to come into contact with the fruit or vegetable so as to stabilize the rotation of the fruit or vegetable about the main axis A1, the tailstock 26 being axially movable relative to the support 22 between a retreated position and a fruit or vegetable holding position,

[0160] This device is characterized in that the tailstock 26 is provided with a detachable member for detachably coupling with the carriage 36, so that in a first trajectory, the carriage 36 moves the tailstock 26 together from its retreated position to its fruit or vegetable holding position, beyond which the detachable coupling member is separated to allow the carriage to continue moving in the forward direction or the return direction.

[0161] As described above, it may be advantageous for the detachable coupling member to automatically disengage under the force generated by continued movement of the carriage 36 in either the forward or return direction when the tailstock 26 reaches its fruit or vegetable holding position.

[0162] Likewise, it may be advantageous for the detachable coupling member to include one or more magnets 110, 112. Each of the implemented (one or more) magnets may be realized in particular in the form of a permanent magnet or in the form of an electromagnet. However, as a supplement or alternative, such a detachable coupling member may include two mechanical elements of complementary shape, connected to the carriage 36 and the tailstock 26, respectively, which are reversibly elastically engaged together, or reversibly hooked together.

Claims

1. A cooking preparation device (12) for spiral cutting of fruits or vegetables, wherein: - the device (12) comprises a support (22) fixed during operation of the device (12); - the device (12) comprises a main drive (24) configured to carry the fruit or vegetable and to drive the fruit or vegetable in rotation relative to the support (22) about a main axis (A1); - the device (12) comprises a cutting tool (34) carried by a carriage (36); - the carriage (36) is driven in translation relative to the support (22) in alternating forward and return directions along a translation direction of the carriage parallel to the main axis (A1) by a double-helical drive screw (38), the double-helical drive screw having a screw axis (A2) parallel to the main axis (A1); - the drive screw (38) is rotatable about its screw axis (A2) relative to the support (22); - the drive screw (38) comprises a forward thread and a reverse thread; - the carriage (36) cooperates with the positive thread of the drive screw (38) so that the carriage (36) translates in a forward direction along the carriage translation direction, and cooperates with the reverse thread of the drive screw (38) so that the carriage translates in a return direction along the carriage translation direction; Characterized in that the device (12) includes a mechanical commutator (68), which has at least a forward state and a return state, and is used to determine the forward direction or the return direction of the alternating movement of the slide (36) for the same given rotation direction of the drive screw (38).

2. The device (12) according to claim 1, characterized in that In its forward state, the mechanical reverser (68) ensures that the slide is engaged with the positive thread of the drive screw (38), while in its return state, the mechanical reverser (68) ensures that the slide (36) is engaged with the reverse thread of the drive screw (38).

3. The device (12) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that The mechanical commutator (68) has an intermediate disengaged state, in which the slide (36) neither cooperates with the forward thread of the drive screw (38) nor with the reverse thread of the drive screw (38), so that the rotation of the drive screw (38) will not cause the slide (36) to translate along the slide translation direction.

4. The device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The mechanical commutator (68) is carried by the carriage (36).

5. The device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The mechanical reverser (68) switches from its forward state to its return state by mechanical cooperation with a first switching control surface (118) of the device (12).

6. The device (12) according to any of the preceding claims in combination with claim 3, characterized in that The mechanical commutator (68) switches to its intermediate disengaged state by mechanical cooperation with a disengagement control surface (108).

7. The device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device (12) allows the mechanical switch (68) to be manually switched to either its forward state or its return state.

8. The device (12) according to claim 7, characterized in that The device (12) includes a manual selector (86) that allows the mechanical reversing device (68) to be manually switched to either its forward state or its return state.

9. The device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The mechanical commutator (68) includes complementary positive threads (70a) having a shape complementary to that of the positive threads of the drive screw (38), and complementary reverse threads (70b) having a shape complementary to that of the reverse threads of the drive screw (38).

10. The device (12) according to claim 9, characterized in that The mechanical reversing device (68) in its forward state only drives its complementary positive thread (70a) to mechanically cooperate with the positive thread of the driving screw (38), and in its return state only drives its complementary reverse thread (70b) to mechanically cooperate with the reverse thread of the driving screw (38).

11. The device (12) according to claim 10, characterized in that The mechanical commutator (68) comprises a double-threaded nut (70) having a screw channel (72), the screw channel being an aperture penetrating the double-threaded nut (70) in the direction of the thread axis (A2), but having a transverse dimension greater than the transverse dimension of the drive thread (38), the screw channel (72) having a side wall divided into two parts, the two parts being spaced apart on one side of the screw axis (A2), one part being provided with the complementary positive thread (70a) complementary to the positive thread of the drive screw (38), and the other part being opposite to the first part with respect to the screw axis (A2) being provided with a reverse thread (70a) complementary to the reverse thread of the drive screw (38). The complementary reverse thread (70b), and the double-threaded nut (70) can move perpendicular to the screw axis (A2) between an advance position corresponding to the advance state of the mechanical commutator and a return position corresponding to the return state of the mechanical commutator (68), so that in the advance state of the mechanical commutator (68), only the complementary forward thread (70a) belonging to the double-threaded nut (70) cooperates with the forward thread of the drive screw (38), and in the return state of the mechanical commutator (68), only the complementary reverse thread (70b) belonging to the double-threaded nut (70) cooperates with the reverse thread of the drive screw (38).

12. The device (12) according to claim 11 in combination with any one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that The switching of the mechanical commutator (68) is achieved by switching the double-threaded nut (70) by the first switching control surface (118) or by the disengagement control surface (108).

13. The device (12) according to claim 12, characterized in that The switching of the double-threaded nut (70) by the first switching control surface (118) or by the disengagement control surface (108) is performed by an elastic member (115).

14. The device (12) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that The mechanical commutator (68) includes a main body, which can move perpendicularly to the screw axis (A2) between an advance position corresponding to the advance state of the mechanical commutator (68) and a return position corresponding to the return state of the mechanical commutator (68), and the complementary positive thread (70a) and the complementary reverse thread (70b) belonging to the mechanical commutator (68) are installed to be movable on the main body, and an elastic member is inserted perpendicularly to the screw axis (A2), so that in the advance state of the mechanical commutator (68), the complementary positive thread (70a) belonging to the mechanical commutator (68) is supported on the drive screw (38) perpendicularly to the screw axis (A2), and in the return state of the mechanical commutator (68), the complementary reverse thread (70b) belonging to the mechanical commutator (68) is supported on the drive screw (38) perpendicularly to the screw axis (A2).

15. The device (12) according to claim 14, characterized in that The main body of the mechanical commutator (68) is mounted to pivot on the carriage (36) between its advanced position and its return position about an axis (A4) parallel to but different from the screw axis (A2).

16. The device (12) according to any one of claims 12 or 13 in combination with claim 11, characterized in that The main body of the mechanical commutator (68) is a nut seat (74), and the double-threaded nut (70) including the complementary forward thread (70a) and the complementary reverse thread (70b) belonging to the mechanical commutator (68) is installed on the nut seat (74), and an elastic member is inserted perpendicular to the screw axis (A2).

17. The device (12) according to claim 13, characterized in that The double-threaded nut (70) comprises switching contacts (114, 116), which are elastic relative to the double-threaded nut (70).

18. The device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The support (22) comprises a hollow column (28) which is cylindrical, extends along the screw axis (A2) around the screw axis (A2) and has a closed transverse profile, except for the presence of an axial groove (50) which extends parallel to the screw axis (A2) along an axial dimension at least equal to the maximum stroke of the slide (36), the drive screw (38) being contained in the hollow column (28) of the support (22), and the slide (36) comprising an inner part contained in the interior of the hollow column (28), an outer part arranged outside the hollow column (28), and a connecting part connecting the inner part and the outer part, the connecting part passing in the axial groove (50) of the hollow column (28) during the alternating forward and return movements of the slide (36).

19. The device (12) according to claim 18 in combination with claim 8, characterized in that The manual selector (86) is arranged outside the hollow column (28) and cooperates with the mechanical commutator (68) through the axial slot (50) of the hollow column (28).

20. The device (12) according to claim 19, characterized in that The axial dimension of the manual selector (86) is at least equal to the axial dimension of the axial groove (50), and the manual selector (86) is fixed relative to the support member along the direction of the axial groove (50), and the manual selector (86) cooperates with the mechanical commutator (68) through a slideway oriented along the direction of the main axis (A1).

21. The device (12) according to claim 20, characterized in that The manual selector (86) conceals the axial slot (50).

22. The device (12) according to any of the preceding claims in combination with claim 5, characterized in that The position of the first switch control surface (118) relative to the support (22) along the carriage translation direction is fixed during operation but is adjustable.

23. The device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The mechanical commutator (68) is switched from its return state to its forward state by a second switching control surface (120) of the device (12).

24. The device (12) according to claim 23, characterized in that The position of the second switch control surface (120) along the translation direction of the carriage (36) and relative to the support (22) is fixed during operation but is adjustable.

25. The device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device (12) comprises a tailstock (26) arranged along the main axis (A1) and designed to be in contact with the fruit or vegetable so as to stabilize the rotation of the fruit or vegetable around the main axis (A1), the tailstock (26) being axially movable relative to the support (22) between a retreated position and a fruit or vegetable holding position, and the tailstock (26) being provided with a detachable coupling member for detachably coupling with the carriage (36), so that in a first forward or return trajectory, the carriage (36) moves the tailstock (26) together from its retreated position to its fruit or vegetable holding position, and beyond said position, the detachable coupling member is disengaged to allow continued movement of the carriage in the forward or return direction.

26. The device (12) according to claim 25, characterized in that When the tailstock (26) reaches its fruit or vegetable holding position, the detachable coupling member is automatically separated under the action of the force generated by the continued movement of the carriage (36) in the forward direction or the return direction.

27. The device (12) according to any one of claims 25 or 26, characterized in that The detachably coupling member includes a magnet (110, 112).

28. The device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The forward thread of the drive screw (38) and the reverse thread of the drive screw (38) have different pitches.

29. A motorized appliance (10) comprising a device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The motorized device (10) comprises a motorized base (14) having a pedestal (16) comprising a drive motor, the device (12) being fixed to the pedestal (16) of the motorized base (14), and the drive motor ensuring the driving of the drive screw (38) in rotation about its screw axis (A2) relative to the support (22).

30. The motorized device (10) according to claim 29, characterized in that The device (12) is a removable device that is removably secured to the base (16) of the motorized base (14) of the appliance (10).

31. The motorized device (10) according to claim 30, characterized in that The base (16) of the motorized base (14) comprises a fixing claw (18) for fixing the device (12) and a coupling member (20) driven to rotate by the drive motor, and - the support of the removable device (12) comprises fixing claws complementary to the fixing claws (18) of the base (16) so as to ensure the removable fixing of the removable device (12) to the base (16) of the motorized base (14); - The removable device (12) includes another connecting member complementary to the connecting member (20) of the base (16), which is rotationally connected to the main drive (24) on the one hand and to the drive screw (38) on the other hand. When the removable device (12) is fixed to the base (16), the connecting member (20) of the base and the other connecting member of the removable device (12) are rotationally connected.

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