Food slicer

Abstract

Disclosed herein are apparatuses for and methods of slicing, cutting, and dicing food ingredients. The apparatuses are food slicers, and the methods use food slicers. The food slicers have knife guides and optionally platforms for the knife guides and the food ingredients to be sliced. A knife guide of such food slicer has a plurality of parallel slits, each slit for aligning a knife or knives to create slices in the food ingredient. As disclosed herein, embodiments of the invention can cube food ingredients by rotating the beginning ingredients about a single axis to improve the efficiency of the cutting process.

Description

[0001] FOOD SLICER

[0002] RELATED APPLICATION

[0003] This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of the Oct. 30, 2024 filing of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 713,753, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] A common task when preparing initial food ingredients for eventual consumption is cutting the ingredients to pre-specified sizes and / or dimensions. For example, a potato may be sliced multiple times at an angle, perhaps perpendicularly, to its long axis for approximate radial symmetry to produce multiple potato rounds (which resemble discs). This is desired for some recipes, but for other recipes the potato rounds are then each cut multiple times, each time in a direction parallel to the direction of the preceding cut, to produce a plurality of parallel cuts that are equidistant apart, thereby resulting in French fries (often referred to as “chips”). This also is desired for some recipes, but for other recipes the uncooked French fries are further diced normal to their long axes to produce cubes.

[0006] Slicing, cutting, and dicing as described above are often performed on other food ingredients. Non-limiting examples of such other ingredients are tomatoes, beets, onions, kohlrabi, apples, melons, and tofu.

[0007] The repetitive cutting of ingredients is quite time-consuming, so it is desirable to have an apparatus or method that accelerates the slicing, cutting, and / or dicing when preparing food and eases the food preparation. SUMMARY

[0008] The present inventor studied the process of cutting food ingredients in order to find a way to yield the same results more efficiently. He observed that, to dice for example potato cubes from a whole potato, a conventional method involved rotating the potato about multiple axes. That is, after a whole potato was sliced along its longest dimension oriented horizontally (the slices having a generally ovular shape), the sliced potato, with the slices still adjacent each other in the form of the original potato, was rotated 90 degrees about a horizontal axis (parallel / collinear to its longest dimension) and then cut again to achieve the French fry shapes. After that step, the French fry pieces, whether separately or all contacting each other in the shape of the whole potato, were rotated again 90 degrees to dice potato cubes (while the cutting plane remained substantially stationary), but this time the rotation was about a vertical axis. The inventor endeavored to invent apparatuses and methods that could yield potato cubes, and cubes of other food ingredients, by requiring a rotation only about a single axis, and thus the dicing process would be more efficient. For dicing large quantities of food, and especially using a machine to perform this process, the increased efficiency can save substantially with respect to effort, costs, and time.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention include apparatuses and methods that accelerate the slicing, cutting, and / or dicing often required when preparing food.

[0010] The apparatus embodiments are food slicers which have a knife guide and optionally a corresponding platform. The knife guide has a concave upper part and a predominantly- planar lower part. The upper part has a plurality of parallel slits such that each slit can align a knife located therein to create a slice in a food ingredient placed under the upper section, the slice being parallel to a slice that a knife can create when located in a different slit of the upper part. The embodiments of methods of slicing food include: placing a concave upper part of a knife guide over a food ingredient, the upper part of the knife guide having a plurality of parallel slits; moving a knife within one of the slits to create a first slice in the food ingredient; and moving a knife within another of the slits to create a second slice in the food ingredient, the second slice being parallel to the first slice.

[0011] An alternate method of slicing food, which embodies the invention, includes: moving at least one knife in a first plurality of parallel planes to create a first plurality of parallel slices in the food ingredient, each of the first plurality of parallel slices being at a first angle of between 10 degrees and 80 degrees to a base upon which the food ingredient rests; rotating the base and food ingredient thereon relative to the at least one knife a second angle about an axis normal to a surface of the base that supports the food ingredient; moving the at least one knife in a second plurality of parallel planes to create a second plurality of parallel slices in the food ingredient, each of the second plurality of parallel slices being at said first angle to the base; rotating the base and food ingredient thereon relative to the at least one knife a third angle about the axis; moving the at least one knife in a third plurality of parallel planes to create a third plurality of parallel slices in the food ingredient, each of the third plurality of parallel slices being at the first angle to the base.

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described as follows:

[0013] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The invention is described in more detail below and illustrated in the following drawings. The drawings are exemplary and not necessarily to scale.

[0015] Fig. 1 is an illustration of a perspective view of the invention embodied as a food slicer; Fig. 2 is a front view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 ;

[0016] Fig. 3 is a top view of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2;

[0017] Fig. 4 is a front view similar to that of Fig. 2 but with a food ingredient in the embodiment;

[0018] Fig. 5 is another front view of the same embodiment after its knife guide and platform have rotated slightly relative to each other, the rotation making visible protrusions extending downward from a knife guide;

[0019] Fig. 6 is a top view of the platform of the embodiment, which shows a raised surface and the placement of multiple recessions;

[0020] Fig. 7 is a front view of a knife guide illustrating an optimal angle of slits relative to the horizontal;

[0021] Fig. 8 is front view of the platform showing a raised surface for food ingredients to be sliced;

[0022] Figs. 9 and 10 show a platform with a food ingredient positioned thereon and sliced in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0023] Figs. 1 1 and 12 are a perspective view and a front view, respectively, illustrating an instant in the rotation of a knife guide relative to a platform in accordance with a step of another embodiment of the invention;

[0024] Figs. 13 and 14 show a platform with a food ingredient positioned thereon and cut in accordance with the embodiment of the invention of Figs. 1 1 and 12;

[0025] Figs. 15 and 16 show a platform with a food ingredient positioned thereon and diced in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention;

[0026] Fig 17 illustrates food slicer having a knife guide in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention;

[0027] Fig 18 illustrates yet another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 19 provides an isometric view of a food slicer in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention;

[0028] Figs. 20-23 provide exploded, front, side, and top views, respectively, of the food slicer of Fig. 19;

[0029] Figs. 24 and 25 provide cross-sectional isometric and cross-sectional side views, respectively, of the food slicer of Figs. 19-23; and

[0030] Figs. 26-32 provide illustrations of Figs. 19-25 in use.

[0031] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Described herein are embodiments of both apparatuses and methods for slicing food. Described first are the apparatuses, and described next are the methods that may be executed using the apparatuses.

[0033] A first embodiment of the invention, a food slicer 30, is described with reference initially to Figs. 1 -3. Fig. 1 provides a perspective view, Fig. 2 provides a front view, and Fig. 3 provides a top view of the food slicer 30.

[0034] The food slicer 30 has a knife guide 32 and a platform 34 upon which the knife guide 32 may be placed. In some alternate embodiments, the platform 34 is omitted. The knife guide 32 has an upper part 36 and a lower part 38. The upper part 36 has a concave shape, when viewed from the bottom looking upward. The lower part 38 has a predominantly-planar shape. Both the knife guide 32 and platform 34 are manufactured out of plastic using three-dimensional (3D) printing. In alternate embodiments the knife guide 32 and platform 34 are manufactured out of plastic that is molded into the desired shapes using technology known in the art. Embodiments of knife guides and platforms can be made of other materials, also, such as wood and metal, as non-limiting examples. The upper part 36 has a plurality of parallel slits 40 (not all labeled in the drawings) such that each slit 40 aligns a knife located therein (not shown for clarity) to create a slice in a food ingredient 42 placed under / within the concavely-shaped upper part 36. Fig. 4 provides a front view of the food slicer 30 with a food ingredient 42 placed under / within the upper part 36 of the knife guide 32. The food ingredient 42 has slices therein (not labeled for clarity). Because the slits 40 of the knife guide 32 are parallel to each other, the slices created by knives guided by the various slits 40 are also parallel to each other. In the present embodiment, the upper part 36 of the knife guide 32 is dome shaped, but alternate embodiment can have different shapes.

[0035] In this embodiment, the lower part 38 of the knife guide 32, when viewed from above or from below, resembles an equilateral triangle with a circular hole in the middle and the vertices cut off. The hole is at the bottom of the upper part 36 of the knife guide 32. Other shapes of the knife guide lower part are within the scope of the invention. In some alternate embodiments, the lower part may be simply a rim at the bottom of the knife guide 32 upper part 36, and that rim is nonetheless predominantly planar. As discussed in more detail below, when the knife guide 32 is placed on the platform 34 and aligned properly with the platform 34 for slicing, the lower part 38 of the knife guide 32 contacts the platform 34.

[0036] With reference to the front view of food slicer 30 in Fig. 5 and to the top view of the platform 34 of Fig. 6, in this embodiment the lower part 38 of the knife guide 32 has multiple protrusions 44 protruding downwardly, and the platform 34 has multiple recessions 46 with their openings oriented upwardly. Thus, in this embodiment neither the platform 34 nor the lower part 38 of the knife guide 32 is completely planar; both, however, are predominantly planar. Alternate embodiments may have the protrusions 44 on the platform 34 and the recessions 46 in the knife guide 32, and they are also predominantly planar. The protrusions 44 are sized and shaped to mate with the recessions 46 when the knife guide 32 is placed on the platform 34 and aligned properly with the platform 34 for slicing. In this embodiment, the protrusions 44 are somewhat hemispherical in shape. The mating of the protrusions 44 with the recessions 46 ensures the desired alignment of the knife guide 32 with the platform 34 for slicing, as discussed in more detail below.

[0037] As annotated in Fig. 7, the slits 40 of the knife guide 32 upper part 36 in this embodiment form a 54.7-degree angle with the knife guide 32 predominantly-planar lower part 38. Although other embodiments may have different angles, this angle enables cutting food ingredients so that an individual pieces has sides cut ninety-degree angles with each other. For example, a potato piece cut into a French-fry shape will have a square cross section, and diced potatoes will have cube shapes.

[0038] With reference to Fig. 8, the platform 34 of some embodiments of the invention includes a raised surface 48 that, when the knife guide 32 is placed on the platform 34, the concave upper part 36 of the knife guide 32 covers the raised surface 48 entirely. In some embodiments, the raised surface is textured to minimize sliding of the food ingredient place thereon while the ingredient is sliced. The texturing may include channels to allow for drainage of juices, such as from tomatoes and melons, while such ingredients are sliced. Fig. 8 provides a front view of the raised surface 48, while Fig. 6 provides a top view. In Fig. 1 , texturing of the raised surface 48 is somewhat visible through the slits 40 (not labeled for clarity).

[0039] The invention may also be embodied as a method of slicing food. If a platform such as that disclosed hereinabove is used to practice this method, a food ingredient to be sliced is placed thereon. If the platform has a raised surface, such as that illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8, the food ingredient is placed thereon. Regardless of whether such platform is used, an initial step of the method is to place over a food ingredient a knife guide concave upper part that has a plurality of parallel slits, and an example of such placement is shown in Fig 4. Any of the knife guides described above may be used. Although the angle between the slits and the ingredient platform need not be strictly 54.7 degrees, such is desired for optimally-cut shapes. In any case, minor variations from this angle are still within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0040] The next step is the move a knife within one of the slits in a lateral direction to create a first slice in the food ingredient. The next step is to move a knife within another of the slits to create a second slice in the food ingredient. The second slice will be parallel to the first slice. In this embodiment, all slices are planar. As non-limiting examples of the embodiment, the two slices may be made in succession with the same knife, or they can be made simultaneously with a pair of knives sharing a single handle and constrained so that the knife blades are parallel, separated by the same distance that the knife guide parallel slits are separated.

[0041] The above describes two slicing steps, but those executing this method will likely often want to slice the food ingredient may more times using every or nearly-every slit 40in the knife guide. The illustration in Fig. 4 shows that every slit 40 in the knife guide 32 was used except for the left-most slit. At this stage, the food ingredient may be as desired for some uses, such to make potato rounds or tomato slices, as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, showing the sliced ingredient 42 on top of a raised surface 48 of a platform 34. In these circumstances, the method of slicing food has ended. Fig. 9 shows the state of the sliced ingredient 42 just after the knife guide 32 is lifted off, and Fig. 10 shows the separation for the individual slices beginning.

[0042] For some uses, further slicing is desired, such as to cut French fries from potato rounds. Thus, the next step is to rotate the knife guide 120 degrees relative to the food ingredient. Reference is made to the perspective view of Fig. 11 and to the front view of Fig. 12 to illustrate the beginning of a rotation of a platform 34 relative to a knife guide 32. For clarity of drawings, the platform 34 is illustrated instead of the food ingredient, and it is understood that for the most part the food ingredient is stationary with respect to the platform 34.

[0043] Although initially it may seem easier to rotate the knife guide and to keep the food ingredient / platform stationary, the user will likely want to keep the knife guide stationary and the food ingredient / platform so that the slicing movements are still executed with at the same azimuthal angle, that is, the same angle of the knife guide about its vertical axis 50. Thus, the user may instead move the platform and keep the knife guide stationary. Of course, another option is to move the knife guide 120 degrees while keeping the platform stationary and then to move both the knife guide and the platform back 120 degrees to benefit from a more comfortable knife angle. What is important is just that the knife guide and the platform move 120 degrees relative to each other.

[0044] Fig. 12 shows that the knife guide’s protrusions 44 are not mated with the platform’s recessions 46 after the relative rotation of the knife guide 32 and the platform 34 begins but before the rotation reaches 120 degrees. A set of protrusions / recessions are arranged accordingly so that the protrusions 44 and recessions 46 mate only when the platform / food ingredient and the knife guide 32 are in the appropriate relative position for the desired slice angles. The protrusions 44 also cause the knife guide 32 to be raised slightly during the rotation, so any piece of the sliced food ingredient that might have fallen over to contact the knife guide 32 would be less likely to do move with the knife guide 32 during a rotation.

[0045] After the 120-degree rotation of the knife guide relative to the food ingredient / platform, the next step is to move a knife within one of the slits in a lateral direction to create in the food ingredient a slice, and this slice will be perpendicular to the slices created before the rotation. After that, the next step is to move a knife within another of the slits, and that creates in the food ingredient a slice, parallel to the preceding slice, but perpendicular to the slices created before the rotation. As with the slices made before the rotation of the knife guide relative to the platform / food ingredient, the two slices after the rotation may be made in succession with the same knife, or they can be made simultaneously with a pair of knives sharing a single handle and constrained so that the knife blades are parallel, separated by the same distance that the knife guide parallel slits are separated.

[0046] Also, as before with the slices made before the rotation of the knife guide relative to the platform / food ingredient, although the discussion above describes two slicing steps after the rotation, those executing this method will likely often want to slice the food ingredient may more times using every or nearly-every slit 40in the knife guide 32.

[0047] At this stage, the food ingredient may be sliced sufficiently as desired for some uses, such to make French fries from potatoes, as illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14, showing the cut food ingredient 42 on top of a raised surface 48 of a platform 34. In circumstances where this is the desired shape of the cut food ingredient 42, the method of slicing food has ended here. Fig. 13 shows the state of the cut ingredient just after the knife guide 32 is lifted off, and Fig. 14 shows the beginning of the separation of the individual pieces. As shown, the pieces made of the part of the original food ingredient that included part of the exterior surface still have the curve of the surface, but the newly-cut surfaces of the individual pieces are more planar.

[0048] As discussed above with reference to the embodiment of Fig. 3, when looking down from the top or up from the bottom, the lower part 38 of the knife guide 32 resembles an equilateral triangle with the vertices cut off. The platforms 34 of Figs. 9, 10, 13, and 14 have corresponding shapes, so a front view shows the platforms .34 with relatively small rectangular vertical faces. Such faces in Figs. 9 and 10 have the label “1 ”. Because the platforms 34 in Figs. 13 and 14 have been rotated 120 degrees, the surfaces in the front views of Figs. 9 and 10 are not visible, and the surfaces that are visible have the label “2”, corresponding the second set of slices, those after the 120-degree rotation.

[0049] For some uses of the apparatus embodiments disclosed above, further slicing of the food ingredient is desired in addition to the slicing discussed above already in the method embodiments. An example of such use is dicing potato cubes from potato pieces cut into the shape of French fries. Thus, the next step of a method embodiment is to rotate the knife guide another 120 degrees relative to the food ingredient.

[0050] After this second 120-degree rotation of the knife guide relative to the food ingredient / platform, the next step is to move a knife within one of the slits to create in the food ingredient a slice perpendicular to the slices created before both rotations and also perpendicular to the slices created after the first rotation and before the second rotation. After that, the next step is to move a knife within another of the slits, and that creates in the food ingredient a slice parallel to the immediately-preceding slice but perpendicular to the slices created before both rotations and also perpendicular to the slices created after the first rotation and before the second rotation. As with the slices made before the second rotation of the knife guide relative to the platform / food ingredient, the two slices after the two rotations may be made in succession with the same knife, or they can be made simultaneously with a pair of knives sharing a single handle and constrained so that the knife blades are parallel, separated by the same distance that the knife guide parallel slits are separated.

[0051] Also as before with the slices made before the second 120-degree rotation of the knife guide relative to the platform / food ingredient, although the discussion above describes two slicing steps after the two rotations, those executing this method will likely often want to slice the food ingredient may more times using every or nearly-every slit in the knife guide. At this stage, the food ingredient is diced into cubes or, at least for piece made from the exterior surface of the original food ingredient, nearly cubes. Figs. 15 and 16 show the diced food ingredient 42 on top of a raised surface 48 of a platform 34. This method of slicing food has ends here. Fig. 15 shows the state of the cut ingredient just after the knife guide is lifted off, and Fig. 16 shows the beginning of the separation of individual piece. Because the platform 34 has now rotated 240 degrees, neither the vertical face with the label “1 ” nor the vertical face with the label “2” is visible. Instead, a vertical face with the label “3” is visible.

[0052] Variations of the above embodiments are within the scope of the invention. For example, embodiments of the knife guide upper part 36 disclosed above have a dome shape, but other concave shapes are within the scope of the invention. Fig. 17, for example, shows an embodiment of a food slicer 52 having a knife guide 53 with an upper part 54 having a conical shape that is truncated at the top. The top at the truncation is planar, whether a ring / circle formed by the upper ends of the side or more like a disc with slits 56, the slits 56 aiding the positions of the knife / knives.

[0053] Another method of slicing food, which may embody the invention, begins with a food ingredient resting on a surface of a base. The base may be one of the platforms described above in reference to other embodiments of the invention.

[0054] A knife is then moved in a plane to create a slice in the food ingredient. After that, the knife, or a different knife, is moved to create a parallel slice in the food ingredient. Additional slices may also be created in a similar manner as desired. Alternatively, multiple knives, constrained so that their blades remain parallel, may be moved to simultaneously create a set of parallel slices in the food ingredient. Each of the slices are created at an angle of between 10 degrees and 80 degrees to the base upon which the food ingredient rests. In some implementations, the angle is 54.7 degrees. Then, the base, with the food ingredient thereon, is rotated relative to the knife / knives, or to the planes through which the knife / knives were moved, about an axis that is normal to the surface of the base, which supports the food ingredient. Another way of describing this is that the knife / knives is / are moved about the axis while the base and food ingredient remains stationary. Because, though, a user would probably prefer not to rotate the plane for cutting, the first way of describing the rotation, rotating the base and food ingredient, is a more natural way to think of the operation. The angle of rotation in this embodiment is 120 degrees.

[0055] After the rotation, a knife or set of knives is moved to create a second set of parallel planes to create a second set of parallel slices in the food ingredient. Each of the second set of parallel slices are at the same angle to the base as that of the first set of parallel slices. The second set of parallel planes may be the same as the first set of parallel planes.

[0056] Then, the base and the food ingredient thereon are both rotated again relative to the knife / knives, or to the planes through which the knife / knives were moved after the first rotation, about the same rotation axis about which the base and food ingredient were moved during the first rotation. This second rotation angle in this embodiment is also 120 degrees.

[0057] The following step is to move a knife or set of knives in a third set of parallel planes to create a third set plurality of parallel slices in the food ingredient. The slicing planes are chosen so that the third set of parallel slices are at the same angle to the base as the angles the first and second parallel slices make to the base.

[0058] With this method, the user can cut a food ingredient into cubes while moving the food ingredient about a single axis.

[0059] This principle of creating cubes in a food ingredient while rotating the food ingredient about a single axis can be implemented using the knife guide 58 of a food slicer 60, as illustrated in Fig. 18. The knife guide 58 has a generally cylindrical shape. The bottom third of the knife guide 58 has a plurality of parallel slits 62, which may be angled 54.7 degrees to the horizontal plane below, which is where the food ingredient would rest. As shown in the illustration, the knife would need to slice at a slant downwardly to use some of the slits 62 and to slice at a slant upwardly to use the other slits 62 in the bottom third of the knife guide.

[0060] The middle third and the top third have similar parallel slits 62, which are angled to the horizontal plane. Although the slits’ angles to the horizontal plane are the same as those of the slit angles in the bottom third of the knife guide 58, the first, second, and thirds sets of slits 62 are offset from each other by rotation about an axis normal to the horizontal plane.

[0061] To use the knife guide 52, a food ingredient may rest on a piston head at the horizontal plane, while a knife moves within each slit 62 in the lower third of the knife guide 58. The piston can then raise the food ingredient up to the middle third of the knife guide 58, and the knife can move in the slits 62 of middle third of the knife guide middle third. Note that knife does not need to be moved around the knife guide so much, if the knife guide 58 and food ingredient are rotated about the axis. The knife need only be moved to cut with the different slits 62. As a final cutting step, the piston then raises the food ingredient to the upper third of the knife guide 58, and the knife is then moved in the knife guide upper third’s slits 62.

[0062] This process creates cubes out of the food ingredient. The food ingredient is only rotated about one axis throughout the entire process.

[0063] Simple departures from the angle specified in the example embodiments above do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, both the cube and

[0064] French fry shapes described above have six rectangular sides, the cube having six rectangular sides that are square shaped, and the French fry having two rectangular sides that are square shaped. Rotating the knife guide relative to the food ingredient at an angle different from 120 degrees (or multiple thereof) can produce French fries and “cubes” that do not have rectangular sides. (The term “cube” is used to reference the shape after three rotations, even though the shape might not be exactly cubical.) Using a slit angle differing from 54.7 degrees might also produce French fries and “cubes” that do not have rectangular sides, but the shapes could still be desirable for some uses. Further rotating the knife guide twice relative to the food ingredient at angles that are multiples of 120 degrees, such as 240 degrees, would give the same result as if the two rotations were 120 degrees and thus be within the scope of the invention. Lastly, the pieces of the processed food ingredient that include what was the exterior surface of the food ingredient before processing will likely not have the perfect French fry or cubical shapes, like the pieces that do not include what was the exterior surface, but the presence the pieces including the exterior surfaces does not place the apparatus for producing the pieces and the method of its use outside the scope of the invention.

[0065] Another embodiment of the invention is the food slicer illustrated in Figs. 19-25. Figs. 19, 20, 21 , 22, 23, 24, and 25 provide isometric, exploded, front, side, top, cross- sectional isometric, and cross-sectional side views, respectively, of a food slicer 64.

[0066] As in previous embodiments, the food slicer 64 has a platform 66, a knife 68, and knife guide 70. However, the platform 66, knife 68, and knife guide 70 interact to process the food ingredient in a more automated way.

[0067] The knife 70 in this embodiment has a disc shape and is powered to rotate by electronics and circuitry known in the art, although alternate forms of knives are within the scope of the invention. As the automation process discussed below positions the knife 68 to cut the food ingredient as desired, the knife guide 70 with slits is not needed to ensure to proper positioning for the knife. Instead, for many food ingredients, the knife guide 70 is needed to constrain the food ingredient in place. In other circumstances, however, a sharpenough knife moving fast enough through a food ingredient that is soft enough would not need the knife guide 70 to constrain the food ingredient in place.

[0068] The food slicer 64 also includes a base 72 for the food ingredient. A first mechanism (not shown for clarity) is operative to rotate the platform 66 relative to the base 72 about an axis (represented as the vertical dash-dot line in Figs. 22 and 25) perpendicular to the plane of the base 72.

[0069] The food slicer 64 also has two first guides 74 affixed to the base 72 and second guide 76 slidingly affixed to both first guides 74. A second mechanism (not shown for clarity) is operative to move the second guide 74 along to the first guides 74 in a direction parallel to the plane of the platform 66 and perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the platform 66. In alternate embodiments, there may be only one first guide, if the food slicer of which it is a part is constructed suitably to support the second guide and all that is attached thereto.

[0070] The second guide 76 is also slidingly affixed to the knife 68 and constrains the knife 68 to move in a direction that is parallel to the platform 66 and perpendicular to both the axis of rotation of the platform 66 and the direction in which the second guide 76 moves along the first guide 74. A third mechanism (not shown for clarity) is operative to move the knife 68 along the second guide 76.

[0071] The first, second, and third mechanisms coordinate to move the knife 68 in and out of the slits of the knife guide 70. The mechanism may include known electronics, circuitry, servo motors, or equivalents thereof selected by one skilled in the art as determined by the specific needs of particular circumstances. Figs. 26-32 provide illustrations of the food slicer 64 in use. For clarity, some of the elements of the food slicer 64 are omitted from the drawings.

[0072] The illustrations show selected stages of the slicing process as follows: Fig. 26 shows a food ingredient 78 constrained in place on the platform 66 as the knife 68 begins the slicing process. Fig. 27 shows a food ingredient 78 after the knife 68 executed a set of parallel slices of the food ingredient 78. Then, the platform 66 is rotated 120 degrees with the sliced food ingredient rotating with it, as shown in Fig. 28. The knife 68 executes a second set of parallel slices of the food ingredient 78 (slicing step not shown), and the result is shown in Fig. 29. Fig. 30 shows the knife 68 executing a third set of parallel slices, and Fig. 31 shows the food ingredient 78 sliced accordingly. Fig. 32 shows the separation of some of the sliced pieces of food ingredient 78, the pieces having a generally cubical shape.

[0073] Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. For example, the disclosed slicers and methods can also be used to slice solid materials, which are not food ingredients. The present disclosure explains how to make and use such embodiments by merely substituting “solid materials” for “food ingredient.’ Alternations, modifications, and improvements of the disclosed invention, though not expressly described above, are nonetheless intended and implied to be within spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing discussion is intended to be illustrative only.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A food slicer comprising: a knife guide including a concave upper part and a predominantly-planar lower part, the upper part having a plurality of parallel slits such that each slit can align a knife located therein to create a slice in a food ingredient placed under the upper section, the slice being parallel to a slice that a knife can create when located in a different slit of the upper part.2 The food slicer of claim 1 , wherein the slits of the upper part form a 54.7-degree angle with the predominantly-planar lower part.3 The food slicer of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the upper part of the knife guide is dome shaped.4 The food slicer of any of claims 1 -3 further comprising: a platform upon which the knife guide may be placed such that the lower part of the knife guide contacts the platform.5 The food slicer of claim 4, wherein one of the platform and the lower part of the knife guide has multiple protrusions and the other of the platform and the lower part of the knife guide has multiple recessions such that the protrusions are sized and shaped to mate with the recessions when the knife guide is placed on the platform.6 The food slicer of claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the platform includes a raised surface that is covered entirely by the concave upper part of the knife guide.

7. The food slicer of any of claims 4-6 further comprising: the knife; a base; one for more first guides affixed to the base, a second guide slidingly affixed to the knife and constraining the knife to move in a first direction parallel to the platform, the second guide also slidingly affixed to the one or more first guides, which constrain the second guide to move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the platform; a first mechanism operative to rotate the platform relative to the base about an axis perpendicular to the first and the second directions; a second mechanism operative to move in the second direction the second guide relative to the one or more first guides; and a third mechanism operative to move in the first direction the knife along the second guide; wherein the first, second, and third mechanisms coordinate to move the knife in and out of the slits of the knife guide.8 A method of slicing food, the method comprising: placing a concave upper part of a knife guide over a food ingredient, the upper part of the knife guide having a plurality of parallel slits; moving a knife within one of the slits to create a first slice in the food ingredient; and moving a knife within another of the slits to create a second slice in the food ingredient, the second slice being parallel to the first slice.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the slits of the upper part of the knife guide form a 54.7-degree angle with a predominantly-planar lower part of the knife guide.

10. The method of claim 8 or claim 9 further comprising: rotating the knife guide 120 degrees relative to the food ingredient; moving a knife within one of the slits to create in the food ingredient a first slice perpendicular to the slices created before the rotation; and moving a knife within another of the slits to create in the food ingredient a second slice perpendicular to the slices created before the rotation.11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising: rotating the knife guide an additional 120 degrees relative to the food ingredient; moving a knife within one of the slits to create in the food ingredient a first slice perpendicular to the slices created before both rotations and also perpendicular to the slices created after the first rotation and before the second rotation; and moving a knife within another of the slits to create in the food ingredient a second slice perpendicular to the slices created before both rotations and also perpendicular to the slices created after the first rotation and before the second rotation.

12. A method of slicing food, the method comprising: moving at least one knife in a first plurality of parallel planes to create a first plurality of parallel slices in the food ingredient, each of said first plurality of parallel slices being at a first angle of between 10 degrees and 80 degrees to a base upon which the food ingredient rests;rotating the base and food ingredient thereon relative to the at least one knife a second angle about an axis normal to a surface of the base that supports the food ingredient; moving the at least one knife in a second plurality of parallel planes to create a second plurality of parallel slices in the food ingredient, each of said second plurality of parallel slices being at said first angle to the base; rotating the base and food ingredient thereon relative to the at least one knife a third angle about the axis; moving the at least one knife in a third plurality of parallel planes to create a third plurality of parallel slices in the food ingredient, each of said third plurality of parallel slices being at said first angle to the base.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first angle is 54.7 degrees.

14. The method of claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the second angle and the third angle are 120 degrees.

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