Chopping board

Abstract

The invention relates to a chopping board (20), comprising - a main board (22) on which material (26) to be chopped can be placed for chopping, and - connected to the main board (22), a support board (24) for the material (26) to be chopped. The support board (24) and the main board (22), when assembled, include an angle of approximately 70° to 120°, in particular approximately 90°.

Description

[0001] cutting board

[0002] The invention relates to a cutting board for simplifying the slicing of bread and other food to be cut.

[0003] Bread or a loaf of bread in particular is often cut by hand in the home using a knife. This can often make it difficult to cut the slices evenly and to a consistent thickness. This problem is particularly exacerbated when the bread to be sliced ​​is relatively small or when only a small leftover piece is to be cut. Similar problems arise with various types of fruit and vegetables, which also often cannot be sliced ​​straight and evenly. Below a certain size, slicing by hand is sometimes no longer possible at all. Particularly soft items, those with a hard crust / skin or those with a loose consistency that easily falls apart into smaller pieces, are also difficult to slice cleanly, straight and / or thinly. The softer the item, the more it deforms when cutting, which can make a straight cut difficult or even impossible.Very unwieldy, short or small items are often difficult or even impossible to cut by hand because they are difficult to hold while cutting.

[0004] Various state-of-the-art options are known to facilitate the slicing of food. For example, electric machines can be used, but these are expensive and often too large. Alternatively, various slicing aids are known, but these also do not achieve the desired results. In principle, all of these known slicing aids rely on the user guiding the knife. This is intended to ensure that a cut, for example, vertically downward or horizontally, always produces the desired, and in particular, consistent, thickness of the cut slices.

[0005] For example, document US 1 729 624 shows a slicing aid consisting of several interconnected arms that are pressed onto a loaf of bread from above, with the arrangement of the arms providing a guide for a knife. Document GB 2 452 608 A describes a slicing aid in which a base plate is provided with a knife guide. The cutting direction is horizontal, and a hinged stop is provided to hold the bread laterally in the desired position.

[0006] Further cutting aids are described, for example, in the documents US 2 043 175 A, GB 1 171 725 A, JP S 5 162 381 U, US 5 697 276 A, CN 102 310 424 A and GB 2 310 590 A.

[0007] A particular disadvantage of these known slicing aids is that the knife is guided throughout the entire cutting process. The slicing aid thus dictates the dimensions of the product to be cut; it cannot be influenced by the user during the cutting process. Furthermore, the knife slips out of the guide during normal cutting movements, restricting the knife's movement and complicating the cutting process.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a further slicing aid that enables the most flexible slicing of food. The slicing aid should be as simple as possible and intuitive to use.

[0009] The invention is achieved by a cutting board, comprising a support plate on which the material to be cut can be placed for the cutting process, a support plate for the material to be cut connected to the support plate, wherein the support plate and the support plate in the assembled state enclose an angle of 70° to 120°, in particular approximately 90°.

[0010] The invention is described below for use with a loaf of bread or a loaf of bread. The term "bread" is to be understood merely as a synonym for any suitable slicing material, including fruit or vegetables.

[0011] The cutting board according to the invention is extremely simple in design, yet offers significant advantages over the prior art. Using the cutting board, it is possible to slice a loaf of bread vertically. To do this, the loaf is placed on the support plate and pressed sideways against the upright support plate. Using a knife, the bread is then sliced ​​from top to bottom, with the upright support plate performing several functions:

[0012] 1. The lateral support stabilizes the bread, making slicing much easier. This minimizes or even eliminates the deformation of the bread during slicing, making a straight cut easier and even possible.

[0013] 2. The support plate serves as a reference for a straight cut.

[0014] 3. The bread is additionally held in place by the pressure applied to the support plate. This has two effects:

[0015] 3.1. The bread no longer needs to be held by one hand alone. This makes it easier to hold the bread. This is especially true for very awkward slices (e.g., those with rounded ends or that are very wide).

[0016] 3.2. Your fingers no longer need to grip the food as tightly. This, in turn, leads to two further advantages:

[0017] 3.2.1. Short and / or small items (e.g. the ends of bread) that cannot normally be cut by hand (because holding the knife would put the fingers where the cutting occurs) can be held and cut in this way.

[0018] 3.2.2. Cutting becomes safer because the fingers are further away from the knife.

[0019] It is important that the thickness or strength of the slice of bread to be cut can be freely chosen and can also be varied when cutting several slices of bread without having to make further adjustments to the cutting board.

[0020] Advantageously, the bread can also be pressed diagonally against the upright support plate, for example to slice the bread diagonally.

[0021] The support plate and the support plate can be permanently connected to each other, but in a particularly advantageous design, they are detachably connected. This allows for space-saving storage of the cutting board before and after use. The support plate preferably has a groove whose width essentially corresponds to the thickness of the support plate, so that the support plate can be quickly and easily inserted into the groove for use. The groove ensures that the support plate is positioned vertically, i.e., forms an angle of 90° with the support plate.

[0022] Advantageously, several grooves can also be provided, designed so that the inserted support plate forms an angle other than 90° with the support plate. The user can then choose whether, for example, straight slices should be cut or whether the bread or other product should be sliced ​​at an angle.

[0023] The cutting board can be made of any material, but wood or plastic has proven particularly suitable.

[0024] In a further advantageous embodiment, the cutting board has one or more magnets arranged and configured in such a way that they can hold one or more metal objects, in particular knives, to the cutting board. The magnet(s) can be attached to the side of the support plate, for example, but they are particularly preferably incorporated into the interior of the support plate for aesthetic reasons. Alternatively, the magnets can of course also be arranged elsewhere on the cutting board. Multiple magnets can also be provided at different locations.

[0025] If one or more magnets are located on or in the pressure plate, they also act on the side of the support plate facing the cutting area (hereinafter referred to as the cutting side). To minimize or completely eliminate this effect, the magnets can be shielded by using one or more metal inserts with high magnetic permeability (magnetic conductivity). These metal inserts are placed between the magnets and the cutting side. The metal inserts can be installed at a distance from the magnets or in contact with them. Likewise, two or more magnets can be connected to one another using one or more metal inserts.

[0026] Alternatively or additionally, the cutting board can also have one or more slots for inserting one or more objects, in particular knife blades. The slot thus acts as a knife sheath in which the knife can be held before and after use. It has been shown that the slot can preferably be arranged in the support plate, in particular in a front side wall of the support plate.

[0027] Alternatively, the cutting board can be designed so that the side wall of an integrated knife block serves as a support plate. The knife block can, for example, be designed with several slots for different knives, but other designs are also conceivable, such as a flexible insert for holding the knife blades.

[0028] To ensure safe slicing of the bread, the cutting board has anti-slip elements or feet on its underside. These increase the coefficient of friction on the surface, preventing or at least hindering the slipping of the cutting board during the slicing process. The feet can be made of a soft plastic, for example.

[0029] Since the cutting process when using the invention takes place directly in front of the support plate in most applications, a further variant of the invention features a cutting surface insert. The signs of wear caused by the use of a knife are thus concentrated in a visually distinct area, resulting in a better overall appearance despite signs of wear. Furthermore, the insert can be made of a harder material than the support plate so that fewer signs of wear are created. This material can, in particular, be a harder type of wood than that of the support plate, but can also be a completely different material, for example plastic. The cutting surface insert can be firmly connected to the support plate. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, it is designed so that it can be replaced.The cutting surface insert can be secured to the support plate by a positive connection, for example a tongue and groove system, to prevent it from slipping. In a particularly advantageous design, the cutting surface insert can adhere magnetically to the support plate. The geometry and size of the insert are not limited to the position immediately in front of the support plate; it can also be located elsewhere on the board. In another advantageous design variant, the support plate is slotted from below so that it can be elastically compressed in this area. In this way, it adapts like a spring to the width of the corresponding groove in the support plate, which may vary due to fluctuations in humidity and / or temperature.

[0030] To support this effect, the slot can be filled with a material (e.g., rubber or cork). The material can be particularly elastic. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the support plate expands (or shrinks) in the slotted area due to changes in humidity and / or temperature to the same or almost the same extent as the width of the corresponding groove changes. This ensures a consistent fit even with fluctuating temperature and / or humidity changes. The filling material can be permanently connected to the support plate or designed to be replaceable.

[0031] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the slot in the support plate does not extend to the ends or lateral edges of the support plate, so that it is not visible from the outside when plugged in. The support plate can be slightly narrower in the unprotected area and / or the groove in the support plate can be slightly wider at the corresponding points, so that the fit has greater clearance at these points.

[0032] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. These are not intended to be limiting, but merely show a preferred embodiment of the invention. In particular, the individual elements may also have other dimensions. They show:

[0033] Fig. 1 : a first embodiment of the invention in perspective view,

[0034] Fig. 2: the cutting board from Figure 1 in side view with bread placed on it,

[0035] Fig. 3: a second embodiment of the invention in perspective view, Fig. 4: the cutting board from Figure 3 in side view with bread placed on it,

[0036] Fig. 5: a variant of the invention with a T-shaped profile groove,

[0037] Fig. 6: an embodiment of the invention with replaceable cutting surface insert.

[0038] Fig. 7: another embodiment of the invention with replaceable cutting surface insert.

[0039] Fig. 8: the cutting board with integrated knife block, whose side wall facing the cutting surface takes over the function of the support plate,

[0040] Fig. 9: the support plate with a continuous slot on its underside to achieve a spring effect when plugging it together with the support plate.

[0041] Fig. 10: the support plate with a shorter slot.

[0042] The figures show two different cutting boards 20. Each consists of a support plate 22 that can be placed on a surface and a support plate 24 attached to it. The item 26 to be cut, for example, a loaf of bread, can be placed on the support plate 22 and pressed laterally against the support plate 24 (see Figures 2 and 4). A knife (not shown) is guided from top to bottom to cut the bread, with the support plate 24 providing lateral support for the bread on the one hand and serving as a reference for a straight cut on the other.

[0043] To ensure the desired straight cut, the support plate 24 and the support plate 22 form an angle of 90° in the embodiment shown.

[0044] The support plate 24 is held in a groove 28 which is formed in the support plate 22. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the support plate 22 and the support plate 24 are detachably connected to one another, but they can also be glued to one another. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the groove 28 is designed as a profile groove 28 with a T-shaped cross-section, into which the support plate 24 can be inserted laterally (see Fig. 5). For this purpose, the support plate 24 has a cross-section corresponding to the T-shaped groove 28, for example formed by two grooves (not shown) running parallel in the edge region of the support plate 24, into which projections 25 can be inserted, which project into the groove 28 and reduce the width of the groove. Instead of a T-shaped groove, other groove shapes can also be used to achieve the desired connection.

[0045] There are also other options for connecting the support plate 24 to the support plate 22, for example, via a screw or nail connection. In a particularly advantageous design variant, the connection is made via a folding hinge, which connects the two elements and allows for space-saving storage when folded down.

[0046] In the embodiment according to Figure 1, recesses 23 are made in an upper side facing the material 26 to be cut, which on the one hand serve to catch breadcrumbs, for example, and on the other hand also have a decorative effect.

[0047] Furthermore, the embodiments according to Figures 1 and 2 show a slot 30 in the support plate 24, into which a knife blade can preferably be inserted. The knife is thus always held ready for use in the same place. Alternatively or additionally, one or more magnets can be arranged on or in the support plate 24 (not shown, as they are incorporated into the support plate 24), which magnetically hold the knife via the metallic knife blade. In particular, a combination of the two variants is possible if, for example, several knives or objects are to be attached to the cutting board 20. Also not visible are metal inserts with high magnetic permeability (magnetic conductivity), which shield the magnets in the direction of the cutting side. These are mounted between the magnets and the cutting side. Fig.3 shows an additional hole 31 in the support plate 24, which on the one hand has a decorative effect, but also facilitates gripping the support plate 24, for example when separating it from the support plate 22.

[0048] Furthermore, Fig. 3 shows a cutting surface insert 40, which is arranged in the area immediately in front of the support plate 24. The use of the cutting surface insert 40, which can also be made of a more durable material than the rest of the cutting board 20, concentrates the wear and tear caused by the use of a knife on a visually distinct area, creating a better overall appearance despite the wear and tear.

[0049] The support plate has non-slip feet 36 on its underside, which make it difficult or impossible for the cutting board 20 to slip during the cutting process.

[0050] Fig. 6 shows an interchangeable version of the cutting surface insert 40 with a tongue and groove system. The cutting surface insert 40 can be inserted into a recess 42 in the support plate 22, so that a continuously flat surface or usable surface of the support plate 22 is formed when the cutting surface insert 40 is placed on it. The fixing of the cutting surface insert 40 against slipping is not limited to the shown retaining groove 44 and retaining spring 46, but can also be achieved with any other form-fitting elements. For example, a magnet and a metal element can be incorporated into or attached to the cutting surface insert 40 and the support plate 22 in order to cause the cutting surface insert 40 to adhere to the support plate 22. The magnet can be located either in the cutting surface insert 40 or in the support plate 22. Two magnets can also be used instead of a magnet and a metal element.Likewise, positive-locking elements, such as snap hooks and eyelets, can be used to prevent the cutting surface insert 40 from detaching from the support plate 22. All of these elements can also be used in combination.

[0051] Fig. 7 shows an alternative connection of the cutting surface insert 40 to the support plate 22. The cutting surface insert 40 and the support plate 22 are designed such that the cutting surface insert 40 can be inserted laterally into a recess 48 provided for this purpose. The geometry of the recess 46 in the support plate 22 and the cutting surface insert 40 ensures a positive connection and prevents them from becoming detached from one another. The geometry can also be designed differently than shown in the illustration.

[0052] Fig. 8 shows the cutting board 20 with integrated knife block 50 with slots 30, the side wall 52 of which facing the support plate 22 takes over the function of the support plate 24.

[0053] Fig. 9 shows the support plate 24 with a slot 54 on its underside to achieve a spring effect when mating with the support plate 22 in the groove 28. The slot 54 can be open or filled with a filler material. The slot 54 runs parallel to the longitudinal extent of the groove 28, can be continuous, or interrupted at one or more points, particularly at the ends. The unprotected areas 56 can be narrower than the slotted area and / or the corresponding areas of the groove 28 can be wider at these points.

[0054] Fig. 9 shows a variant with a slot 54 which extends continuously over the entire width of the support plate 24, Fig. 10 shows a variant with a slot 54 which is shorter than the width of the support plate 24.

[0055] The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown; in particular, the described features can also be combined with one another in any desired manner.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Cutting board (20), comprising - a support plate (22) on which a material to be cut (26) can be placed for the cutting process, - a support plate (24) for the material to be cut (26) connected to the support plate (22), wherein the support plate (24) and the support plate (22) in the assembled state enclose an angle of approximately 70° to 120°, in particular approximately 90°.

2. Cutting board (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that the support plate (22) and the support plate (24) are detachably connected to one another.

3. Cutting board (20) according to claim 2, characterized in that the support plate (22) has a groove (28) into which the support plate (24) can be inserted such that it is held in this groove during use of the cutting board (20).

4. Cutting board (20) according to claim 3, characterized in that the support plate (24) has, on its side facing the groove (28) in the assembled state, at least one slot (54) running parallel to the longitudinal extent of the groove (28).

5. Cutting board (20) according to claim 4, characterized in that the slot has at least in some regions a preferably elastic filling.

6. Cutting board (20) according to claim 5, characterized in that the filling is designed to be replaceable.

7. Cutting board (20) according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the support plate (24) has a smaller thickness in the slotted area than in the unprotected area (56) and / or the groove (28) in the When plugged together, the slotted area is wider than the unprotected area (56).

8. Cutting board (20) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cutting board (20) has at least one magnet (32) which is arranged and designed such that it holds a metallic object, in particular a knife, on the cutting board (20).

9. Cutting board (20) according to claim 8, characterized in that the magnet (32) is arranged on the support plate (24), in particular in the support plate (24).

10. Cutting board (20) according to claim 9, characterized in that the at least one magnet is shielded by means of a material of high magnetic permeability in contact with the cutting area of ​​the support plate (22) or at a distance.

11. Cutting board (20) according to claim 10, characterized in that two or more magnets are connected to one another by means of a material of high magnetic permeability on the side facing the cutting area of ​​the support plate (22).

12. Cutting board (20) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the cutting board (20) has at least one slot (30) for receiving an object, in particular a knife.

13. Cutting board (20) according to claim 12, characterized in that the slot (30) is arranged in the support plate (24), in particular in a front side wall (34) of the support plate (24).

14. Cutting board according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the support plate (22) has a cutting surface insert (40) which is made of a different material than the support plate (22).

15. Cutting board according to claim 14, characterized in that the cutting surface insert (40) is positively and replaceably connected to the support plate (22).

16. Cutting board (20) according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the support plate (24) is formed by a knife block (50), wherein a side wall (52) facing the support plate (22) takes over the function of the support plate (24)

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