Slicer

Abstract

To provide a slicer that can adjust settings of a slice thickness intuitively and also slice an article in a stable attitude.SOLUTION: The slicer comprises: a frame; a stationary top plate that defines a first slide surface; a slice blade positioned on a flat surface that is nearly the same as the first slide surface; a movable top plate that defines a second slide surface and can move in a height direction which is perpendicular to the second slide surface; a support plate that moves the movable top plate in the height direction in accordance with relative movement in a longitudinal direction thereof with respect to the movable top plate; and an operation dial configured to move the support plate step-by-step in the longitudinal direction by step-by-step rotation operation thereof. The support plate is configured to make a base end-side support part and a tip-side support part arranged separately from each other in the longitudinal direction support a lower surface of the movable top plate so as to restrict the movable top plate from tilting in the longitudinal direction. The step-by-step rotation operation of the operation dial enables a height position of the movable top plate to change step-by-step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a slicer for slicing articles including foods such as vegetables and fruits.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various slicers have been used to slice foods such as vegetables and fruits into slice pieces having a desired slice thickness by sliding them along the slicing direction.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a slicer configured to slice a material to be sliced into slices of any thickness. Hereinafter, in this paragraph, the reference numerals of Patent Document 1 are indicated in parentheses. The slicer (1) includes a frame (10), a slicing blade (20) for slicing the material to be sliced, a fixed support plate (30) disposed in front of the slicing blade (20), a movable support plate (40) disposed behind the slicing blade (20), a replaceable replacement blade (50), and a slicing width adjustment mechanism (100) for positioning the movable support plate (40) at an arbitrary position in the vertical direction with a slicing width adjustment dial (60). The slicer (1) slices the material to be sliced into slices having a thickness corresponding to the interval between the slicing blade (20) and the movable support plate (40) by the user rocking in the slicing direction (S) while pressing the material to be sliced against the movable support plate (40). The slices are discharged from the back side of the slicer (1). The slicing width adjustment dial (60) includes a hollow cylindrical main body portion (61), a screw portion (62) provided around the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion (61), and a handle (63) provided at the proximal end of the main body portion (61). On the back surface (40c) of the movable support plate (40), a first rib (45) is disposed so as to include a part of the flexible region (R) to improve the rigidity of the flexible region (R). The slicing width adjustment mechanism (100) can adjust the slicing width by relatively raising and lowering the movable support plate (40) with respect to the slicing blade (20) by operating the slicing width adjustment dial (60). Specifically, the slicing width adjustment mechanism (100) is composed of a screw receiving hole (13) of the frame (10), the first rib (45) of the movable support plate (40), and the slicing width adjustment dial (60). In the slicing width adjustment mechanism (100), the slicing width adjustment screw (60) is screwed into the screw receiving hole (13), and the first rib (45) of the movable support plate (40) is nested and stored in the main body portion (61) of the slicing width adjustment screw (60). Then, when the slicing width adjustment screw (60) is rotated and screwed in, the slicing width adjustment screw (60) rises relative to the screw receiving hole (13), and the top surface (61a) of the main body portion (61) abuts against the back surface (40c) of the movable support plate (40).At this time, the top surface (61a) of the main body portion (61) abuts between the first rib (45) and the second rib (46) of the back surface (40c) of the movable support plate (40). When the slice width adjustment screw (60) further advances, the slice width adjustment screw (60) raises the movable support plate (40). At this time, since the movable support plate (40) is supported by the entire surface of the top surface (61a) of the slice width adjustment screw (60), the movable support plate (40) rises stably. After raising the movable support plate (40) until the distance between the slicing blade (20) and the movable support plate (40) reaches the desired slice width, the rotation of the slice width adjustment screw (60) stops, and the movable support plate (40) is supported by the slice width adjustment screw (60) and positioned.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The slicer of Patent Document 1 positions the top surface of the slice width adjustment screw at an arbitrary position in the height direction according to the screwing state between the screw portion and the screw receiving hole by a continuous rotation operation of the slice width adjustment dial, thereby setting the slice thickness of the slice pieces. However, in the conventional slicer, when the user sets the slice thickness, it is difficult to intuitively grasp the set state of the slice thickness of the slice pieces according to the operation amount, and it is necessary to check visually each time, which is a problem in that the setting is time-consuming. Also, along with this, it was also difficult to accurately reproduce the slice thickness of the slice pieces to a predetermined thickness. Furthermore, the movable support plate is supported at one location on the circular top surface of the slice width adjustment screw at approximately the center thereof. Therefore, when the user slides the article on the surface of the movable support plate, if a load is applied to a location other than the top surface of the slice width adjustment screw of the movable support plate, the movable support plate may bend or tilt, causing the posture of the article to become unstable, and there is a risk of problems such as the user accidentally cutting their hand or the thickness of the slice pieces becoming uneven.

[0006] The present invention was made to solve at least one of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a slicer that can intuitively adjust the setting of the slice thickness and can slice an article in a stable posture.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] A slicer according to one embodiment of the present invention is a slicer for slicing an article to a desired slice thickness by sliding the article along the slicing direction, comprising: a frame extending longitudinally from the proximal end side to the distal end side along the slicing direction; a fixed top plate fixed to the distal end side in the longitudinal direction of the frame and defining a first slide surface on the upper surface for sliding the article along the slicing direction; a slicing blade continuously provided on the proximal end side of the fixed top plate such that the cutting edge faces the proximal end side and fixed to at least one of the frame and the fixed top plate so as to be located on substantially the same plane as the first slide surface; A movable top plate that is disposed on the proximal end side in the longitudinal direction with respect to the cutting edge of the slicing blade and defines a second sliding surface on the upper surface for sliding the article along the slicing direction. The movable top plate is movable in the height direction perpendicular to the second sliding surface, the first sliding surface and the second sliding surface are parallel, and the slicing thickness of the article is determined based on the height difference between the first sliding surface and the second sliding surface. A movable top plate, A support plate that abuts against the movable top plate from the lower surface side and moves the movable top plate in the height direction in accordance with the relative movement in the longitudinal direction with respect to the movable top plate, An operation dial configured to move the support plate stepwise in the longitudinal direction by a stepwise rotation operation, and comprising, The support plate is configured to support the lower surface of the movable top plate by a proximal end side support portion and a distal end side support portion that are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction so as to restrict the tilting of the movable top plate in the longitudinal direction, The height position of the movable top plate can be changed stepwise by the stepwise rotation operation of the operation dial.

[0008] According to the slicer of one embodiment of the present invention, the height position of the movable top plate can be changed step by step by moving the support plate step by step (non - continuously) in the longitudinal direction by a rotational operation of the operation dial. Thereby, the user can intuitively adjust the height position of the movable top plate based on the slice thickness of a desired article by grasping in advance the amount of movement of the movable top plate in the height direction for one - step rotation amount of the operation dial. Further, the support plate is configured to support the lower surface of the movable top plate by a proximal - end - side support portion and a distal - end - side support portion that are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction so as to contact the movable top plate from the lower surface side and restrict the tilting of the movable top plate in the longitudinal direction. That is, when sliding an article on the second slide surface of the movable top plate, at least two support portions in the longitudinal direction of the support plate support the movable top plate, thereby suppressing the tilting of the movable top plate due to the load and enabling the article to be sliced in a stable posture. Therefore, the slicer of the present invention can intuitively adjust the height of the movable top plate related to the setting of the slice thickness and enables the article to be slid on the movable top plate in a stable posture.

[0009] The slicer of a further embodiment of the present invention is characterized by further comprising a click mechanism that generates a click feeling step by step by an equal amount of rotation of the operation dial. That is, the user can grasp the step - by - step rotational operation of the operation dial according to the click feeling, and can more intuitively adjust the setting of the slice thickness.

[0010] The slicer of a further embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the frame is provided with a bottom wall that movably supports the support plate from the lower surface side, and a straight - strip portion formed on the upper surface of the bottom wall and extending along the longitudinal direction so as to guide the linear movement of the support plate. That is, the support plate is supported from the lower surface side by the bottom wall of the frame, and its linear movement is guided by the straight - strip portion, so that the accurate linear movement of the support plate becomes possible, and the height adjustment of the movable top plate can be stably performed.

[0011] In a further form of the slicer of the present invention, the operation dial is attached to the lower surface side of the bottom wall, and the click mechanism is formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall and includes an annular uneven portion with continuous unevenness at the same pitch and an engaging claw formed on the surface of the operation dial facing the lower surface of the bottom wall and elastically engaging with the uneven portion, and a clicking sensation is generated each time the engaging claw moves between the concave portions of the adjacent uneven portions. That is, it is possible to provide an operation dial and a click mechanism while maintaining the slicer in a compact size.

[0012] In a further form of the slicer of the present invention, the support plate is configured to support the movable top plate at at least two locations, namely, the tip position and the base end position of the support plate in the longitudinal direction. That is, it is possible to more stably support the movable top plate by the tip side support portion and the base end side support portion located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the support plate.

[0013] In a further form of the slicer of the present invention, the sum of the relatively movable distance of the support plate and the length of the support plate in the longitudinal direction is substantially equal to the length of the movable top plate in the longitudinal direction, and the length of the support plate in the longitudinal direction is at least half of the length of the movable top plate in the longitudinal direction. That is, the support plate is arranged so as not to protrude from the movable top plate in the longitudinal direction, and by supporting the movable top plate by at least two support portions spaced apart by at least approximately half of the length of the movable top plate in the longitudinal direction, it is possible to more stably support the movable top plate by the support plate.

[0014] In a further form of the slicer of the present invention, the frame includes a pair of side walls that hold the fixed top plate and the movable top plate inside in the width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and guide portions that regulate the movement of the movable top plate in the longitudinal direction and guide the movement in the height direction are provided on the inner surfaces of the pair of side walls. That is, it is possible to move the movable top plate in the height direction according to the movement of the support plate in the longitudinal direction.

[0015] In a further form of the slicer of the present invention, a plurality of rib-shaped inclined pieces are formed on the lower surface of the movable top plate, which extend along the longitudinal direction and form an inclined surface inclined in the longitudinal direction. At least two of the plurality of inclined pieces are respectively arranged at the base end position and the tip end position so as to be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction. When the support plate moves relative to the movable top plate in the longitudinal direction, the base end side support portion and the tip end side support portion slide on the inclined surfaces of the plurality of inclined pieces respectively, so that the movable top plate moves in the height direction. That is, by forming a plurality of rib-shaped inclined pieces on the lower surface of the movable top plate, the movable top plate is reinforced and suppressed from being bent and deformed by the load. In addition, the two inclined pieces formed at the base end position and the tip end position are respectively supported by the base end side support portion and the tip end side support portion, so that the movable top plate can be supported on the support plate in a stable posture. Then, when the support plate is relatively moved in the longitudinal direction with respect to the movable top plate by the rotation operation of the operation dial, the base end side support portion and the tip end side support portion (as the driving joints) slide on the inclined surfaces of the respective inclined pieces (as the driven joints), so that the height position of the movable top plate can be adjusted.

[0016] In a further form of the slicer of the present invention, the first slide surface and the second slide surface are characterized in that they form an inclined surface such that the base end side is located vertically above the tip end side. That is, the user can slice the article to a desired slice thickness by sliding the article obliquely from vertically above downward.

[0017] In a further form of the slicer of the present invention, the rotation of the operation dial is converted into the movement of the support plate in the longitudinal direction by the engagement between the pinion gear portion formed on the operation dial and the rack gear portion formed on the support plate. That is, it is possible to provide a transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the operation dial to the support plate while maintaining the slicer in a compact size.

Effects of the Invention

[0018] The slicer of the present invention can intuitively adjust the setting of the slice thickness and can slice an article in a stable posture.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the shapes of the respective figures referred to in the following description are conceptual diagrams or schematic diagrams for explaining suitable shapes, and the dimensional ratios and the like do not necessarily match the actual dimensional ratios. That is, the present invention is not limited to the dimensional ratios in the drawings. Also, the up-down, left-right directions may be interpreted by mutually swapping them.

[0021] The slicer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device for slicing an article, which is mainly a food such as vegetables and fruits, into slice pieces with a desired slice thickness by sliding the article along the slicing direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, the slicer 100 includes a frame 101, a fixed top plate 106, a slicing blade 108, a movable top plate 111, a support plate 121, and an operation dial 131. Here, the sliding surfaces 107 and 112 of the slicer 100 form inclined surfaces whose proximal ends incline downward from vertically upward toward the distal ends. In this specification, the side toward which the sliding surfaces 107 and 112 face is defined as the upper surface or upward, and the opposite side is defined as the lower surface or downward. Further, the direction perpendicular to the sliding surfaces 107 and 112 (the normal direction) is defined as the height direction. Furthermore, the direction in which the frame 101 extends longitudinally is defined as the longitudinal direction, the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is defined as the width direction, and the direction from the proximal end to the distal end in the longitudinal direction is referred to as the slicing direction. In the present embodiment, a plurality of longitudinal grooves are formed on the sliding surfaces 107 and 112 as anti-slip processing in the width direction, but these may be omitted. Hereinafter, each component will be described.

[0022] The frame 101 extends longitudinally from the proximal end side toward the distal end side along the slice direction. The frame 101 includes a pair of side walls 102, 102 that hold the fixed top plate 106 and the movable top plate 111 inside in the width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and a bottom wall 103 that extends between the pair of side walls 102, 102 on the lower surface side. Further, a handle portion 104 that is gripped by the user is provided at the proximal end of the frame 101. Furthermore, a foldable leg portion 105 is provided at the proximal end of the frame 101 adjacent to the handle portion 104. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, guide portions 102a that regulate the longitudinal movement of the movable top plate 111 and guide the movement in the height direction are provided on the opposing inner surfaces of the pair of side walls 102, 102. This guide portion 102a is composed of a linear concave groove extending in the height direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, a regulating portion 102b for regulating the lifting of the support plate 121 is formed near the bottom wall 103 of the side wall 102. The regulating portion 102b is a plate piece protruding from the inner surface of the side wall 102, and forms a gap for a part (regulated portion 125) of the support plate 121 to pass between it and the bottom wall 103. And, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the bottom wall 103 extends in a partial region of the frame 101. A plurality of concave ridges (straight portions) 103a extending along the longitudinal direction are provided on the upper surface of the bottom wall 103 so as to guide the linear movement of the support plate 121. In the present embodiment, three concave ridges 103a at the center in the width direction and near both ends extend in parallel.

[0023] The fixed top plate 106 is integrally fixed to the distal end side region in the longitudinal direction of the frame 101. In particular, the fixed top plate 106 is made of a plate material that extends flatly between the pair of side walls 102 of the frame 101. The leading edge of the fixed top plate 106 is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and its trailing edge is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction. The fixed top plate 106 has a short side on one side in the width direction and a long side on the other side. And, the fixed top plate 106 defines a first slide surface 107 for sliding an article along the slide direction on the upper surface.

[0024] The slicing blade 108 is connected to the proximal end side of the fixed top plate 106 so that the cutting edge faces the proximal end side, and is fixed to the frame 101 (or the fixed top plate 106) so as to be located on substantially the same plane as the first slide surface 107. This slicing blade 108 is installed between a pair of side walls 102, 102. Specifically, the connecting portions at both ends of the slicing blade 108 are inserted into slits formed in the pair of side walls 102, 102 of the frame 101, and the connecting portions at both ends are respectively fixed to each side wall 102 with screws. Similar to the distal edge of the fixed top plate 106, the slicing blade 108 extends obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction, and its cutting edge is arranged on the proximal end side so as to slice an article that slides from the proximal end to the distal end. At this time, it is preferable that the upper surface and the cutting edge of the slicing blade 108 are arranged on the same plane as the first slide surface 107.

[0025] The movable top plate 111 is arranged in the region on the proximal end side of the frame 101 and is located on the proximal end side in the longitudinal direction from the cutting edge of the slicing blade 108. The movable top plate 111 is made of a plate material that extends in a planar shape across the pair of side walls 102 of the frame 101. The proximal edge of the movable top plate 111 is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and its distal edge is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction. The inclined distal edge of the movable top plate 111 is parallel to the cutting edge of the slicing blade 108 and the inclined proximal edge of the fixed top plate 106. The movable top plate 111 has a long side on one side in the width direction and a short side on the other side. And by aligning the fixed top plate 106, the slicing blade 108, and the movable top plate 111 in the longitudinal direction, a rectangular top plate is formed as a whole. In the present embodiment, the distal edge of the movable top plate 111 and the cutting edge of the slicing blade 108 are separated in the longitudinal direction. The gap between the distal edge of the movable top plate 111 and the cutting edge of the slicing blade 108 forms a discharge port for discharging the sliced pieces downward when slicing an article. And the movable top plate 111 defines a second slide surface 112 on the upper surface for sliding an article along the slicing direction. Here, the first slide surface 107 and the second slide surface 112 are parallel. The slicing thickness of the article is determined based on the height difference h between the first slide surface 107 and the second slide surface 112.

[0026] In addition, the movable top plate 111 is movable in the height direction perpendicular to the second slide surface 112. In other words, the movable top plate 111 is driven to move a desired distance in the height direction while maintaining the second slide surface 112 parallel by the rotation operation of the operation dial 131 by the user, and its height position is configured to be adjustable. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, on both side surfaces in the width direction of the movable top plate 111, the guided portions 116 are formed to protrude. That is, the guided portions 116 are protruding pieces configured to be inserted into the groove-shaped guiding portions 102a on the inner surface of the side wall 102 of the frame 101. By the action of the guiding portions 102a and the guided portions 116, the movable top plate 111 is supported by the frame 101 so that the movement in the longitudinal direction is restricted and the movement in the height direction is guided.

[0027] Furthermore, on the lower surface of the movable top plate 111, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of rib-shaped inclined pieces 113 are formed to protrude, which extend along the longitudinal direction and form an inclined surface inclined in the longitudinal direction. Each inclined piece 113 has a right-angled triangular cross-sectional shape as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, and the protruding amount increases from the tip to the base end. Each inclined piece 113 functions as a rib to reinforce the movable top plate 111 and suppress bending deformation, and also functions as a driven joint that acts on the support portion 123 of the support plate 121 that acts as a driving joint, as will be described later. Here, among the plurality of inclined pieces 113, a base-end side inclined piece 113a is arranged at the base-end position (the position adjacent to the base-end edge), and a tip-side inclined piece 113b is arranged at the tip position (the position adjacent to the base-end edge). In the present embodiment, the base-end side inclined piece 113a and the tip-side inclined piece 113b are arranged to be separated from each other in the longitudinal direction. Also, a plurality of rows of inclined pieces 113 are arranged at both ends and the central region in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 13, on the inclined pieces 113 in the columns at both ends in the width direction, connection hole portions 115 are formed as connection portions for assembling the support plate 121. The connection hole portions 115 are formed below the inclined surface of the inclined piece 113 and have a closed long hole extending parallel to the inclined surface.

[0028] The support plate 121 is configured to abut against the movable top plate 111 from the lower surface side and move the movable top plate 111 in the height direction in accordance with the relative movement in the longitudinal direction with respect to the movable top plate 111. The support plate 121 is disposed between a pair of side walls 102 of the frame 101 and is made of a plate material that extends in a planar shape on the lower surface side of the movable top plate 111. The base end edge of the support plate 121 is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and its tip edge is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction in parallel with the tip edge of the movable top plate 111. The size of the support plate 121 in its plane is equal to or less than the size of the movable top plate 111 in its plane and is arranged so as not to protrude from the movable top plate 111. The length of the support plate 121 in the longitudinal direction is preferably at least half of the length of the movable top plate 111 in the longitudinal direction, and more preferably at least 2 / 3. Also, the overall width of the support plate 121 is preferably approximately equal to or slightly smaller than the overall width of the movable top plate 111.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 15, the support plate 121 includes a plurality of support portions 123 for directly contacting the movable top plate 111 from the lower surface side to support the movable top plate 111. Each support portion 123 is configured to support the movable top plate 111 from below by contacting each inclined piece 113 of the movable top plate 111. Each support portion 123 is provided at a position below the inclined surface of each inclined piece 113. Here, among the plurality of support portions 123, a proximal-side support portion 123a is disposed at the proximal end position (the position adjacent to the proximal end edge) of the support plate 121, and a distal-side support portion 123b is disposed at the distal end position (the position adjacent to the distal end edge). In the present embodiment, the proximal-side support portion 123a and the support portion 123b are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the proximal-side inclined piece 113a is supported by the proximal-side support portion 123a, and the distal-side inclined piece 113b is supported by the distal-side support portion 123b. That is, the support plate 121 is configured to support the movable top plate 111 at at least two locations, i.e., the distal end position and the proximal end position of the support plate 121, in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the lower surface of the movable top plate 111 is supported by the proximal-side support portion 123a and the distal-side support portion 123b that are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction so as to restrict the tilting of the movable top plate 111 in the longitudinal direction. And the proximal-side support portion 123a and the distal-side support portion 123b are relatively slidable in the longitudinal direction on the inclined surfaces of the proximal-side inclined piece 113a and the distal-side inclined piece 113b (see FIGS. 17 and 18).

[0030] In addition, a plurality of support portions 123 are arranged at both ends and the central region in the width direction. The support portions 123 in the columns at both ends in the width direction are composed of connecting pieces 123c protruding from the side surfaces in the width direction of the support plate 121. As shown in FIG. 13, by inserting the connecting piece 123c into the connecting hole portion 115 of the movable top plate 111, the movable top plate 111 and the support plate 121 are integrally assembled. And the upper surface of the connecting piece 123c and the inclined surface of the inclined piece 113 are relatively slidable, and the connecting piece 123c can move relative to each other within the long hole-shaped connecting hole portion 115 (see FIG. 18). That is, the combination of the connecting hole portion 115 (inclined piece 113) and the connecting piece 123c not only serves as a combination of a driven joint and a driving joint, but also serves as a connecting portion and a connected portion for integrally connecting the movable top plate 111 and the support plate 121. Further, the connecting hole portion 115 functions to restrict the longitudinal movement range of the support plate 121 with respect to the movable top plate 111. By integrally assembling the movable top plate 111 and the support plate 121 in this way, the stability of the movable top plate 111 when receiving a load from above is further improved.

[0031] In addition, the support plate 121 is placed on the bottom wall 103 of the frame 101 and is configured to be slidable in the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of ridges 124 extending along the longitudinal direction are provided on the lower surface of the support plate 121. These plurality of ridges 124 are arranged in the groove 103a of the bottom wall 103. That is, the groove 103a and the ridge 124 guide the linear movement of the support plate 121 and enable the support plate 121 to surely slide linearly on the bottom wall 103. Further, a plate-like restricted portion 125 protrudes from the lower end portion of the side surface on one side (long side side) of the support plate 121. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 18, by arranging the restricted portion 125 below the restricting portion 102b of the frame 101, the support plate 121 is restricted from floating up from the bottom wall 103.

[0032] Further, in the central portion in the width direction of the support plate 121, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 15, a through hole 126 for installing the operation dial 131 and the transmission mechanism (pinion gear portion 134) is formed. This through hole 126 is an elongated hole so as to allow relative movement in the longitudinal direction with respect to the operation dial 131. And beside the through hole 126 on the upper surface of the support plate 121, a rack gear portion 127 that meshes with the pinion gear portion 134 is formed as a part of the transmission mechanism.

[0033] The operation dial 131 is configured to move the support plate 121 stepwise in the longitudinal direction by a stepwise rotation operation. That is, by the stepwise rotation operation of the operation dial 131, the height position of the movable top plate 111 can be changed stepwise. The operation dial 131 is attached to the lower surface side of the bottom wall 103 of the frame 101. As shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11, the operation dial 131 includes a dial main body portion 132 that is operated by a user and is disposed on the lower surface of the bottom wall 103, and a pinion gear portion 134 that is disposed so as to sandwich the support plate 121 and the bottom wall 103 through the through hole 103b of the bottom wall 103 and the through hole 126 of the support plate 121 in cooperation with the dial main body portion 132, and a rotation shaft 136 (composed of a screw and a nut) that connects the centers of the dial main body portion 132 and the pinion gear portion 134.

[0034] The dial main body portion 132 and the pinion gear portion 134 are configured to rotate synchronously about the rotation shaft 136. And as shown in FIG. 15, as a transmission mechanism, the pinion gear portion 134 meshes with the rack gear portion 127 of the support plate 121, so that the rotational force of the operation dial 131 is transmitted to the support plate 121. That is, by the meshing of the pinion gear portion 134 formed on the operation dial 131 and the rack gear portion 127 formed on the support plate 121, the rotation of the operation dial 131 is converted into the movement of the support plate 121 in the longitudinal direction.

[0035] Also, as shown in FIG. 14, the operation dial 131 has an indicating portion 135 that indicates the height position state (slice thickness of the obtained slice pieces) of the movable top plate 111 in the slicer 100 using the scale portion 103d on the lower surface of the bottom wall 103. In the present embodiment, the scale portion 103d is formed as two arcs with different line thicknesses, and the position where the arcs are interrupted is set as the reference position 103e. When this indicating portion 135 points to the reference position 103e, the heights of the first slide surface 107 of the fixed top plate 106 and the second slide surface 112 of the movable top plate 111 are the same (height difference h = 0), and the slice thickness of the obtained slice pieces is set to 0. The operation dial 131 can be rotated from this reference position 103e to both the left and right sides. As shown in the drawing, when the indicating portion 135 is located on the right side of the reference position 103e, the movable top plate 111 is at a position higher than the fixed top plate 106 (height difference h < 0). At this time, the article cannot be sliced, but the slicing blade 108 is safely accommodated. On the other hand, as the indicating portion 135 moves stepwise to the left side of the reference position 103e, the movable top plate 111 descends stepwise, and the height difference between the first slide surface 107 and the second slide surface 112 increases (height difference h > 0). That is, by rotating the operation dial 131, the slice thickness of the obtained slice pieces can be adjusted stepwise. In a preferred example of the present embodiment, the rotation amount per step of the operation dial 131 may be set to about 4 to 10 degrees, and the slice thickness (height position) may be changed by about 0.2 to 1.0 mm for each step. And the operation dial 131 may preferably be set to be capable of 10 to 30 steps in total.

[0036] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing the operation dial 131 and the scale portion 103d' of a modified example of the present invention. In the notation of this scale portion 103d', the reference position 103e' is represented as a circular mark. On the right side of the reference position 103e, a plurality of small circular marks are arranged in the arc direction. The plurality of small circular marks indicate that the movable top plate 111 is at a position higher than the fixed top plate 106 (height difference h < 0). On the other hand, on the left side of the reference position 103e, a plurality of rectangular marks of different sizes are arranged in the arc direction such that their sizes increase as they move away from the reference position 103e. As the indicator 135 moves stepwise to the left of the reference position 103e', the movable top plate 111 descends stepwise, and the height difference between the first slide surface 107 and the second slide surface 112 increases (height difference h > 0). That is, the user can more easily imagine the setting of the slice thickness of the slice.

[0037] Furthermore, the slicer 100 is further provided with a click mechanism that generates a clicking feeling by an equal amount and stepwise rotation operation of the operation dial 131. That is, the user can feel a clicking sensation every time the operation dial 131 is rotated by one step, and can intuitively grasp the amount of rotation operation of the operation dial 131. The click mechanism is formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall 103, and is composed of an annular uneven shape portion 103c in which unevenness is continuous at the same pitch, and an engaging claw 133 formed on the surface facing the lower surface of the bottom wall 103 of the dial main body portion 132 and elastically engaging with the uneven shape portion 103c. The engaging claw 133 is biased toward the uneven shape portion 103c by its own elastic restoring force, thereby causing resistance to move from the concave portion to the convex portion of the uneven shape portion 103c. That is, the click mechanism generates a clicking feeling every time the engaging claw 133 moves between adjacent concave portions of the uneven shape portion 103c.

[0038] Next, with reference to FIGS. 16 to 18, the lowering operation of the movable top plate 111 of the slicer 100 will be described. The user can set the slicer 100 to a desired slice thickness by performing a multi-step rotational operation of the operation dial 131 to the left side of the reference position 103e, thereby gradually lowering the movable top plate 111. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, when the operation dial 131 rotates, the synchronously rotating pinion gear portion 134 acts on the rack gear portion 127, and the support plate 121 slides longitudinally from the initial position (see FIG. 11) on the tip side (of the movable top plate 111) to the base end side. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, when the support plate 121 moves relative to the movable top plate 111 in the longitudinal direction, the base end side support portion 123a and the tip side support portion 123b slide on the inclined surfaces of the base end side inclined piece 113a and the tip side inclined piece 113b, respectively, so that the movable top plate 111 moves downward along the height direction. As a result, a height difference h is formed between the slicing blade 108 (first slide surface 107) and the second slide surface 112. By sliding the article along the slicing direction due to this height difference h, the article can be sliced into slice pieces having a predetermined slice thickness (= h). Further, in both the forms before and after the adjustment of the height difference h of the slicer 100, the support plate 121 supports the lower surface of the movable top plate 111 by the base end side support portion 123a and the tip side support portion 123b that are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction so as to regulate the tilting of the movable top plate 111 in the longitudinal direction. That is, when the user slides the article on the second slide surface 112 of the movable top plate 111, at least two support portions 123 in the longitudinal direction of the support plate 121 support the movable top plate 111, so that the tilting of the movable top plate 111 due to the load is suppressed, and the article can be sliced in a stable posture.

[0039] Therefore, the slicer 100 of the present embodiment can intuitively adjust the height of the movable top plate 111 related to the setting of the slice thickness, and can slide the article on the movable top plate 111 in a stable posture.

[0040] FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of use of the slicer 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, the slicer 100 may include a holder 141 for fixing and holding an article. The user can fix the article to the holder 141 and then slide the article in the slicing direction obliquely from vertically above downward. By arbitrarily using the holder 141 in this way, it is possible to prevent an accident in which the user accidentally cuts a finger. Further, as shown in FIG. 20, the slicer 100 is configured such that the holder 141 can be stored in the space on the lower surface side of the frame 101 when not in use. In this way, by folding the legs 105 and fitting the holder 141 under the frame 101, the slicer 100 can be made into a compact form when not in use.

[0041] FIG. 21 is a schematic perspective view showing a further example of use of the slicer 100 according to the present embodiment. The slicer 100 may be configured to attach a vertical blade 151 for mincing to the proximal end side of the slicing blade 108 so that the article can be minced. That is, the slicer 100 may be provided with additional parts such as the vertical blade 151 for mincing and a replacement blade in order to add additional functions. As shown in FIG. 22, the vertical blade 151 for mincing can be easily attached from the lower surface side of the frame 101 by using pins.

[0042] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be implemented in various modes as long as it belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Signs

[0043] 100 Slicer 101 Frame 102 Side wall 102a Guide part 102b Regulation part 103 Bottom wall 103a Concave stripe (straight stripe part) 103b Through hole 103c Concavo-convex shape part (click mechanism) 103d Scale portion 103e Reference position 104 Handle portion 105 Leg portion 106 Fixed top plate 107 First slide surface 108 Slicing blade 111 Movable top plate 112 Second slide surface 113 Tilt piece (driven joint) 113a Base-end side tilt piece 113b Tip-end side tilt piece 115 Connecting hole portion (connecting portion) 116 Guided portion (height-direction protrusion) 121 Support plate 123 Support portion (driving joint) 123a Base-end side support portion 123b Tip-end side support portion 123c Connecting piece (support portion, connected portion) 124 Ridge 125 Restricted portion 126 Through hole 127 Rack gear portion 131 Operation dial 132 Dial main body portion 133 Engaging claw (click mechanism) 134 Pinion gear portion 135 Indicator portion 136 Rotation shaft 141 Holder 151 Vertical blade for chopping

Claims

1. A slicer for slicing an article to a desired slice thickness by sliding the article along a slicing direction, comprising: a frame extending longitudinally from a proximal end side to a distal end side along the slicing direction; a fixed top plate fixed to the distal end side in the longitudinal direction of the frame and defining a first sliding surface on the upper surface for sliding the article along the slicing direction; a slicing blade connected to the proximal end side of the fixed top plate such that the cutting edge faces the proximal end side and fixed to at least one of the frame and the fixed top plate so as to be located on substantially the same plane as the first sliding surface; a movable top plate disposed on the proximal end side in the longitudinal direction relative to the cutting edge of the slicing blade and defining a second sliding surface on the upper surface for sliding the article along the slicing direction, the movable top plate being movable in a height direction perpendicular to the second sliding surface, the first sliding surface and the second sliding surface being parallel, and the slice thickness of the article being determined based on the height difference between the first sliding surface and the second sliding surface; a support plate contacting the movable top plate from the lower surface side and moving the movable top plate in the height direction according to a relative movement in the longitudinal direction with respect to the movable top plate; an operation dial configured to move the support plate stepwise in the longitudinal direction by a stepwise rotation operation; and the support plate is configured to support the lower surface of the movable top plate by a proximal end side support portion and a distal end side support portion spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction so as to restrict tilting of the movable top plate in the longitudinal direction; A slicer, characterized in that the height position of the movable top plate can be changed stepwise by a stepwise rotation operation of the operation dial.

2. The slicer according to claim 1, further comprising a click mechanism that generates a click feeling by an equal amount and stepwise rotation operation of the operation dial.

3. The slicer according to claim 2, wherein the frame is provided with a bottom wall that movably supports the support plate from the lower surface side, and a straight portion formed on the upper surface of the bottom wall and extending along the longitudinal direction to guide the linear movement of the support plate.

4. The operation dial is attached to the lower surface side of the bottom wall. The slicer of claim 3, characterized in that the click mechanism is composed of a circular uneven portion formed on the underside of the bottom wall and having a series of unevennesses at the same pitch, and an engaging claw formed on the surface of the operating dial facing the underside of the bottom wall and elastically engaging with the uneven portion, producing a clicking sensation each time the engaging claw moves between adjacent recesses in the uneven portion.

5. 4. The slicer according to claim 3, wherein the support plate is configured to support the movable top plate at at least two locations in the longitudinal direction, the distal end and the proximal end of the support plate.

6. The slicer of claim 5, wherein the sum of the relative movement distance of the support plate and the longitudinal length of the support plate is approximately equal to the longitudinal length of the movable top plate, and the longitudinal length of the support plate is at least half the longitudinal length of the movable top plate.

7. A slicer as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the frame has a pair of side walls on the inside in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction that hold the fixed top plate and the movable top plate, and the inner surfaces of the pair of side walls are provided with guide portions that restrict longitudinal movement of the movable top plate and guide vertical movement.

8. A plurality of rib-like inclined pieces are formed on the lower surface of the movable top plate so as to protrude, the inclined pieces extending along the longitudinal direction and forming an inclined surface inclined in the longitudinal direction, and at least two of the plurality of inclined pieces are arranged at a base end position and a tip end position so as to be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction, A slicer as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that when the support plate moves relative to the movable top plate in the longitudinal direction, the base end support portion and the tip end support portion slide along the inclined surfaces of the multiple inclined pieces, thereby moving the movable top plate in the vertical direction.

9. The slicer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first slide surface and the second slide surface are inclined such that the base end side is positioned vertically higher than the tip end side.

10. A slicer as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that rotation of the operating dial is converted into longitudinal movement of the support plate by meshing between a pinion gear portion formed on the operating dial and a rack gear portion formed on the support plate.

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