FOOD CUTTING MACHINE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting machine for food according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] A cutting machine of the aforementioned type is known from DE 299 16 777 U1. The cutting machine described therein comprises a manual feed mechanism, a machine housing, a rotating circular blade, and a carriage with a material support that can be moved back and forth parallel to the cutting plane of the circular blade. The cutting machine further comprises a material holder that is slidably mounted on the carriage transversely to its direction of movement and pivotably mounted in the direction of movement of the carriage. A pusher guard plate with a food holder plate for feeding the material is pivotably attached to the free end of the pusher guard plate, with its axis of rotation running perpendicular to the cutting plane. The food holder plate and the pusher guard plate are held together by magnetic force in a way that allows for easy detachment and are secured against slippage in the direction of movement of the carriage by a positive interlocking mechanism with the pusher guard plate.

[0003] Another cutting machine is known from WO 2008 / 135 235 A1. The cutting machine described therein comprises a rotatable, motor-driven cutting blade and a carriage with a support surface for the material to be cut, which is moved back and forth relative to the cutting blade to feed the material. The cutting machine further comprises a food holder having a plurality of holding elements arranged side by side at intervals in the direction of movement of the carriage, the holding elements bearing against the material on the side of the material facing away from the cutting blade during the cutting process. The cutting machine also includes a guide rail designed to bear against material being cut on the support surface of the carriage.The retaining elements can be moved together in the direction of movement of the carriage so that when the retaining elements are lowered, the guide rail is engaged between two adjacent retaining elements.

[0004] A disadvantage of this design is that, particularly when the holding elements are made of a very hard material such as stainless steel, the guide rail can be damaged by the holding elements sliding past it laterally. Therefore, with this type of design, the guide rail must also be made of a very hard material such as stainless steel. This results in a very expensive design for both the retainer and the guide rail.

[0005] The problem underlying the present invention is the creation of a cutting machine of the type mentioned at the outset, which can be manufactured at least partially more cost-effectively and in which, in particular, damage to the support strip by the holding elements is reduced or avoided.

[0006] According to the invention, this is achieved by a cutting machine of the type mentioned at the outset, having the characterizing features of claim 1. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0007] According to claim 1, the cutting machine comprises a guide rail which is designed to bear against material being cut on the support surface of the carriage, wherein the residue holder is designed to be applied to the guide rail from above in such a way that the guide rail is arranged between two spaced-apart parts of the holding element or between two adjacent holding elements.

[0008] A retaining element made of or comprising plastic can be manufactured cost-effectively, particularly using an injection molding process. Furthermore, by using at least one retaining element that is at least partially made of plastic, damage to the mounting strip caused by the retaining element can be reduced or avoided. Another advantage is that a retaining element made at least partially of plastic is lighter.

[0009] The guide rail may be made of or comprise a material other than steel, in particular aluminum. Due to the retaining elements being at least partially made of plastic, the guide rail can be manufactured from a less hard material, in particular at least partially from a cost-effective material such as aluminum. This further reduces the manufacturing costs of the cutting machine.

[0010] It is possible that the guide bar is movable in the direction of movement of the carriage and / or that the guide bar extends perpendicular to the cutting plane of the cutting blade. This movable position allows the guide bar to be adjusted to the thickness of the material being cut.

[0011] The retainer may be designed to have a plurality of retaining elements arranged side by side, spaced apart from each other in the direction of movement of the carriage, and in particular, the spacing between the retaining elements may be adjustable in the direction of movement of the carriage. The retainer may be configured to be applied to the guide rail from above such that the guide rail is positioned between two adjacent retaining elements, and that the spacing between these two adjacent retaining elements is increased in the direction of movement of the carriage when the retainer is applied to the guide rail. The ability to adjust the spacing of the retaining elements in the direction of movement of the carriage thus facilitates the passage of the two adjacent retaining elements along the guide rail. This further reduces the risk of damaging the guide rail.

[0012] The retainer may have a rod to which at least one retaining element is slidably attached in the direction of movement of the slide. The retainer may also be provided with at least one spring mounted on the rod, allowing the retaining element to be moved along the rod against the force of the spring. This allows the distance between the retaining elements to be changed in the direction of movement of the slide using simple means, with the spring returning the separated retaining elements to their original position after they have been pulled away from the guide rail.

[0013] It is possible that the retaining element has several points at its lower end when in use, or that each retaining element has a single point at its lower end when in use. This design also facilitates the sliding of the two spaced-apart parts of the retaining element, or the two adjacent retaining elements, past the guide rail.

[0014] It can be provided that the at least one retaining element extends perpendicular to the support surface in the operating position of the food holder. Furthermore, the spaced-apart parts of the retaining element or the retaining elements themselves can be arranged parallel to each other. Preferably, the spaced-apart parts of the retaining element or the retaining elements within the food holder can be arranged in a comb-like structure that is open towards the support surface in the operating position of the food holder.

[0015] The food holder can be moved from its first position, corresponding to its operating position, to a second position in which it is positioned further away from the support surface to allow larger pieces of food to be placed on it. The food holder can be pivoted from the first to the second position by a swivel arm around an axis that extends perpendicular to the cutting plane. Pivoting the food holder away from the support surface not only allows for the placement of larger pieces of food but also facilitates cleaning of the support surface.

[0016] The cutting machine may include a stop plate for the material being cut, the distance of which from the cutting plane determines the thickness of the sliced ​​material. Instead of an adjustable stop plate, a simple protective plate or bar may be used to shield the cutting blade from access. This protective plate or bar could then be positioned at a fixed distance from the blade, allowing for the cutting of slices. A material feeder would then continuously feed the material to the cutting plane at the desired thickness.

[0017] Further features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are used for identical or similar parts and for parts with identical or similar functions. The drawings show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cutting machine according to the invention; Fig. 2 a view opposite Fig. 1 rotated perspective view of the cutting machine according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 a side view of the cutting machine according to Fig. 1 with the food holder in a first position; Fig. 4 Fig. 4 corresponding side view of the cutting machine according to Fig. 1 with the food holder in a second position; Fig. 5 a top view of the carriage and the food holder of the cutting machine according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 6 a side view of the remainder holder of the cutting machine according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 7a opposite Fig. 6 Side view of the food holder of the cutting machine rotated by 90° according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 8 a perspective view of the remainder holder of the cutting machine according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 9a opposite Fig. 8 Rotated perspective view of the cutting machine's remainder holder according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 10 a side view of the residue holder attached to the carriage of the cutting machine according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 11a opposite Fig. 10 Side view of the retaining elements of the food holder of the cutting machine, rotated by 180° according to Fig. 1 ; Fig. 12 a side view of the carriage, the guide rail and the residual holder of the cutting machine according to Fig. 1 , wherein the retaining elements end in the upper edge region of the mounting strip; Fig. 13 Fig. 12 corresponding side view of the carriage, the mounting rail and the holding elements of the residual holder of the cutting machine according to Fig. 1 , wherein the holding elements end on the support surface of the carriage; Fig. 14 a side view of a holding element of a food holder of a second embodiment of a cutting machine according to the invention; Fig. 15 a perspective view of the holding element of the cutting machine according to Fig. 14 .

[0018] It is not necessary for a device according to the invention to have all the features described below. It is also possible for a device according to the invention to have only individual features of the embodiments described below.

[0019] The embodiment of a food cutting machine shown in the figures comprises a rotatable cutting blade 1 which rotates in a cutting plane during operation of the cutting machine and cuts slices from a material not shown in a cutting area (see Fig. 1 bis Fig. 3 The cutting machine further comprises a housing 2, designed in particular as a motor housing, in which a motor (not shown) is arranged that drives the cutting blade 1 (see Fig. 2 The housing 2 can alternatively also be designed as a machine housing.

[0020] The cutting machine further comprises a carriage 3 with a support surface 4 for the material to be cut, which can be moved back and forth relative to the cutting blade 1. The carriage 3 can be moved manually, semi-automatically, and / or automatically. A food holder 5 is arranged on the carriage 3, which can be used to hold the material to be cut during the cutting process (see Fig. 1 ).

[0021] The cutting machine also includes a stop plate 6 for the material being cut, which can be moved parallel to the axis of the cutting blade 1. The thickness of the cut material can be determined by changing the distance of the stop plate 6 from the cutting plane of the cutting blade 1.

[0022] Instead of an adjustable stop plate 6, a simple protective plate or guard can also be provided to cover the cutting blade 1 against access. This protective plate or guard could then be positioned at a fixed distance from the blade, allowing slices to be cut. A material feeder would then continuously feed or pre-index the material to the cutting plane at the desired thickness.

[0023] The cutting machine further includes a knife guard ring 7, which partially surrounds the outer edge of the cutting knife 1 at least above the top of the cutting knife 1.

[0024] The cutting machine further comprises a chain frame 8 with at least one chain 9, in particular a plurality of chains 9 parallel to each other, for transporting cut material discs from the cutting plane, wherein the chains 9 rotate about two axes of rotation 10, 11 (see Fig. 2 For example, points are attached to the chains 9 which can partially penetrate a cut-off slice of material to hold it in place so that the slices of material can be transported away from the chains 9.

[0025] The cutting machine also includes a (not shown) discharge beater which can reach through the various parallel chains 9 and detach the cutting discs from the tips, so that the cutting discs can be placed in a controlled manner on a storage surface 12 (see Fig. 2 ).

[0026] The sled 3 has a U-shaped cross-section with a first, in Fig. 5 and Fig. 13 left boundary wall 13, serving as a fixed structure for the material to be cut, and a second, in Fig. 5 and Fig. 13 right boundary wall 14. The boundary walls 13, 14 extend upwards from the support surface 4 and approximately in the direction of the axis of the cutting blade 1 or perpendicular to the cutting plane.

[0027] It is entirely possible to provide a sled with an L-shaped cross-section instead of a sled 3 with a U-shaped cross-section.

[0028] The cutting machine also has a movable support strip 15, which extends above the support surface 4 between the boundary walls 13, 14 and parallel to them (see Fig. 1 , Fig. 4 , Fig. 12 und Fig. 13 The mounting rail 15 is movable in the direction of movement of the carriage 3 due to a bracket 17 that is movable on a rod 16 (see Fig. 4 A workpiece can be held between the boundary wall 13 and the support strip 15. For example, the figure shows Fig. 3 the mounting bar 15 is in a position shifted relatively far to the left, in which it can hold a relatively small cutting material, whereas in Fig. 1 The mounting bar 15 is shifted relatively far to the right, so that it can hold a relatively large amount of material to be cut.

[0029] The food holder 5 has a plurality of holding elements 18 which are made of or comprise plastic (see, for example, Fig. 6 bis Fig. 11 These retaining elements 18 are arranged side by side, spaced apart from each other in the direction of movement of the slide 3. In the operating position of the food holder 5, the retaining elements 18 extend perpendicular to the support surface 4. Furthermore, the retaining elements 18 are arranged parallel to each other. The lower ends of the retaining elements 18 form a comb-like structure that is open towards the support surface 4 in the operating position of the food holder 5. Each retaining element 18 has a point 19 at its lower end in the operating position.

[0030] The holding elements 18 are designed to bear against the material being cut on the side facing away from the cutting blade 1 during the cutting process. For this purpose, a plurality of points 20 are arranged on the side of each holding element 18 facing the cutting plane, which can partially penetrate the material being cut (see Fig. 7 ). There can also be 18 points 20 arranged on the undersides of the retaining elements.

[0031] The food holder 5 comprises a rod 22 on which the holding elements 18 are slidably mounted in the longitudinal direction of the rod 22 (see, for example, Fig. 8 und Fig. 9 ). In the end regions of the rod 22, a spring 23 is arranged on the rod 22, so that the retaining elements 18 can be displaced against the force of the springs 23 on the rod 22.

[0032] The food holder 5 also has a receptacle 24 in which the retaining elements 18 are partially received. Furthermore, the rod 22 is held in the receptacle 24 (see, for example, [reference]). Fig. 7 ).

[0033] The cutting machine further comprises a swivel arm 25 to which the food holder 5 is pivotably attached. The food holder 5 can be moved from the swivel arm 25 from a first position in which the holding elements 18 rest with their tips 19 on the support surface 4 (see Fig. 2 ), to be moved into a second position in which the food holder 5 is swung away from the support surface 4 (see Fig. 4 The swivel arm 25 is pivotable about an axis that extends parallel to the movable support strip 15 or perpendicular to the cutting plane.

[0034] The food holder 5, together with the swivel arm 25, is parallel to the support rail 15 or along a Fig. 5 The visible rod 26 is movable. This allows the food holder 5 to be moved towards the food being cut.

[0035] When the retaining clip 5 moves downwards towards the support surface 4, two adjacent retaining elements 18 can be pushed apart by the guide bar 15 so that the two adjacent retaining elements 18 can slide past the guide bar 15 to the left and right. The guide bar 15 has a chamfer 27 on its upper surface (see Fig. 12 ), which facilitates the pivoting or sliding of the retaining elements 18 from above.

[0036] Fig. 12 shows the retainer 5 in a position in which one of the retaining elements 18 is just touching the chamfer 27 of the mounting strip 15 with a flank 28 of its tip 20. Fig. 13 Figure 1 shows the retainer 5 in a fully lowered position. In this position, the guide bar 15 has pushed the two retaining elements 18 apart in the direction of the slide feed, i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the rod 22. This has increased the distance 29 between these two retaining elements 18 so that the retaining elements 18 can slide smoothly past the guide bar 15.

[0037] The second embodiment of the cutting machine comprises a food holder 5 with a single holding element 18, which replaces the multiple holding elements 18 of the first embodiment of the cutting machine (see Fig. 14 und Fig. 15 ).

[0038] The holding element 18 has a flat part 18a in its upper region, which is formed from a continuous plastic surface. In its lower region, the holding element 18 has several parts 18b spaced apart from one another in the direction of movement of the slide 3, each of which is connected to the flat part 18a in the upper region. The parts 18b run parallel to one another and each has a lower point 19. As in the first embodiment, the spaced-apart parts 18b of the holding element 18 in the second embodiment are also arranged in the food holder 5 in a comb-like structure, which is open towards the support surface 4 when the food holder 5 is in its operating position.

[0039] As in the first embodiment, a plurality of points 20 are arranged on the side of the holding element 18 facing the cutting plane, which can partially penetrate the material being cut (see Fig. 15 The points 20 are provided both on the flat part 18a and on the spaced-apart parts 18b. Furthermore, points 20 can also be arranged on the undersides of the several spaced-apart parts 18b of the retaining element 18.

[0040] The unillustrated food holder 5 of the second embodiment of the cutting machine also has a rod on which the holding element 18 can be displaced in the direction of movement of the carriage 3 or in the longitudinal direction of the rod, preferably against the force of at least one spring.

Claims

1. Cutting machine for food, comprising - a rotatable cutting blade (1), which is configured during operation of the cutting machine to rotate in a cutting plane and in a cutting region to cut slices from a material to be cut, - a sliding member (3) having a support face (4) for the material to be cut which is configured to be moved back and forth relative to the cutting blade (1), - a motor which is configured to drive the cutting blade (1), - a remainder holder (5) which has at least one retention element (18) which is configured during the cutting operation at the side, facing away from the cutting blade (1), of the material to be cut to rest on the material to be cut, wherein the at least one retention element (18) comprises plastics material or contains plastics material, wherein the cutting machine comprises an abutment bar (15) which is configured to bear on material to be cut located on the support face (4) of the sliding member (3), characterized in that the remainder holder (5) is configured to be applied to the abutment bar (15) from above in such a manner that the abutment bar (15) is arranged between two mutually spaced-apart portions (18b) of the retention element (18) or between two adjacent retention elements (18).

2. Cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the abutment bar (15) comprises a material which is different from steel or comprises a material which is different from steel, in particular wherein the abutment bar (15) comprises aluminum or consists of aluminum.

3. Cutting machine according to either claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the abutment bar (15) can be displaced in the movement direction of the sliding member (3), and / or in that the abutment bar (15) extends perpendicularly to the cutting plane of the cutting blade (1).

4. Cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the remainder holder (5) has a plurality of retention elements (18) which are arranged beside each other with spacing from each other in the movement direction of the sliding member (3), in particular wherein the spacing (29) of the retention elements (18) can be changed with respect to each other in the movement direction of the sliding member (3).

5. Cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the remainder holder (5) is configured to be applied from above to the abutment bar (15) in such a manner that the abutment bar (15) is arranged between two adjacent retention elements (18) and in that when the remainder holder (5) is applied to the abutment bar (15) the spacing (29) of these two adjacent retention elements (18) with respect to each other is increased in the movement direction of the sliding member (3).

6. Cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the remainder holder (5) has a rod (22) to which the at least one retention element (18) is fitted so as to be able to be displaced in the movement direction of the sliding member (3).

7. Cutting machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the remainder holder (5) has at least one spring (23) which is arranged on the rod (22) and is configured so that the at least one retention element (18) can be displaced on the rod (22) counter to the force of the at least one spring (23).

8. Cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the retention element (18) has at the lower end thereof in the position for use multiple tips (19) or in that the retention elements (18) in each case have a tip (19) at the lower end thereof in the position for use.

9. Cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the at least one retention element (18) extends in the position for use of the remainder holder (5) perpendicularly to the support face (4).

10. Cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the mutually spaced-apart portions (18b) of the retention element (18) or the retention elements (18) are arranged parallel with each other.

11. Cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the mutually spaced-apart portions (18b) of the retention element (18) or the retention elements (18) are arranged in the remainder holder (5) in a comb-like structure which in the position for use of the remainder holder (5) is open in the direction towards the support face (4).

12. Cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the remainder holder (5) can be moved from a first position which corresponds to the position for use into a second position in which it is so far away from the support face (4) that larger material to be cut can be placed on the support face (4).

13. Cutting machine according to claim 12, characterized in that the remainder holder (5) can be pivoted by a pivot arm (25) about an axis from the first position into the second position, wherein the axis extends in particular perpendicularly to the cutting plane.

14. Cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the cutting machine comprises a stop plate (6) for the material to be cut, as a result of the spacing of which from the cutting plane the thickness of the cut-off slices of material to be cut is predetermined.