Hand Operated Food Cutting Apparatus Having a Self-Stabilizing Pusher-Arm Mechanism and a Food-Stabilizing Pusher-Arm Mechanism for a Food Cutting Apparatus

摘要

A thrust-type food cutting apparatus that includes a blade set, food product pusher, and a manually operated pusher arm having a self-stable resting-open position in which the food product pusher is spaced from the blade set to allow a user to load the cutting apparatus with food product to be cut. In an embodiment, the cutting apparatus includes a chassis and a pivoting link linking the pusher arm to the chassis to provide the pivot arm with a movable fulcrum pivot that enables the self-stable resting-open pusher arm position. A thrust-type food product cutting apparatus of the present disclosure may include a blade set, a food product pusher, and a retractable food product stabilizer that stabilizes food product loaded into the cutting apparatus and retracts as the food product pusher moves toward the blade set. Such a retractable food product stabilizer may be integrated with a self-stabilizing pusher arm mechanism.

主权项

1. A thrust-type food product cutting apparatus for cutting a food product, comprising:
a chassis designed and configured to engage a supporting structure so that the thrust-type food product cutting apparatus is stable during a cutting operation; a cutting thrust axis forming an angle of 0° to about 30° relative to vertical when said chassis is supported by the supporting structure; a blade set fixed relative to said chassis, said blade set having:
a plurality of blades spaced to define a plurality of food openings for receiving therethrough during the cutting operation of the thrust-type food product cutting apparatus; anda cutting edge side; a pusher head movable relative to said blade set toward and away from said blade set on said cutting edge side; a guide mechanism designed and configured to guide said pusher head along said cutting thrust axis during a cutting operation; a handle mechanism coupled to said chassis and engaged with said pusher head, said handle mechanism designed and configured to:
provide a self-stable food loading position in which the pusher head is spaced from said blade set; andallow a user to manually drive said pusher head from said self-stable food loading position along said cutting thrust axis toward said blade set with said guide mechanism guiding said pusher head along said cutting thrust axis.