CHOPPING BOARD

Abstract

A chopping board for foodstuffs has a base and an upper part which can be arranged detachably on the base. A cutting surface on which foodstuff to be chopped can be arranged and cut is formed on an upper-part upper side. The upper part has connecting elements, by which the upper part is located on the base. The base of the chopping board has at least one bearing surface by which the chopping board sits on a supporting surface. The upper part has an optical element, by which electromagnetic radiation emitted and/or reflected by the cut foodstuff, in particular near-IR light, is propagated. At least one radiation sensor for detecting electromagnetic radiation, more particularly an interferometer, is arranged in a sensor area of the base assigned to the optical element, by which sensor the electromagnetic radiation is detected, so that characteristics of the foodstuff to be chopped can be determined.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A chopping board (1) for foodstuffs, comprising: a base (2) and at least one upper part (3) which can be arranged detachably on the base (2), wherein a cutting surface (5) on which foodstuff to be chopped (6) can be arranged and cut is formed on an upper-part upper side (4) facing away from the base (2) when the upper part (3) is arranged as intended on the base (2), wherein the upper part (3) comprises connecting elements (8), by which the upper part (3) is located on the base (2), on an upper-part lower side (7) opposite the cutting surface (5) and facing the base (2), wherein the base (2) of the chopping board (1) comprises at least one bearing surface on a base lower side facing away from the upper part (3), by which bearing surface the chopping board (1) sits on a supporting surface, wherein the upper part (3) comprises at least one optical element (10), by which electromagnetic radiation emitted and/or reflected by the cut foodstuff can be propagated through the upper part (3), and wherein at least one radiation sensor for detecting electromagnetic radiation is arranged in a sensor area of the base (2) assigned to the optical element (10), by which sensor the electromagnetic radiation can be detected, so that characteristics of the foodstuff to be chopped (6) can be determined.

14. The chopping board (1) according to claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is electromagnetic radiation in the near-infrared range, and wherein the radiation sensor is an interferometer (15).

15. The chopping board (1) according to claim 13, wherein the upper part (3) of the chopping board (1), with exception of the optical element (10), is produced from a material which is impermeable to visible light.

16. The chopping board (1) according to claim 13, wherein an electromagnetic radiation source is assigned to the radiation sensor, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is brought into an operative connection with the optical element (10) such that the foodstuff to be chopped (6) can be irradiated by the electromagnetic radiation source, and wherein propagation of the radiation emitted by the electromagnetic radiation source is adapted such that radiation reflected by the cut foodstuff is conducted to the radiation sensor by the optical element (10).

17. The chopping board (1) according to claim 16, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is a light source (16).

18. The chopping board (1) according to claim 13, wherein the base (2) comprises force sensors (9), wherein the upper part (3) is located on the force sensors (9) by the connecting elements (8), and wherein a weight force exerted by the upper part (3) and by a foodstuff to be chopped (6) arranged on the upper part (3) is introduced fully into the force sensors (9).

19. The chopping board (1) according to claim 13, wherein the base (2) comprises at least one holding device (17) for receiving a kitchen utensil.

20. The chopping board (1) according to claim 19, wherein the base (2) comprises at least one holding device (17) for receiving a container (18), wherein the holding device is adapted to the container such that the container when arranged as intended in the holding device (17) sits at least in portions with an edge (20) formed protruding in its opening region (19) on the holding device (17).

21. The chopping board (1) according to claim 18, wherein the chopping board (1) comprises a data processing device (21), wherein the radiation sensor and/or the force sensors (9) is connected in a signal-conducting manner to the data processing device (21), wherein signals generated by the sensors are evaluated and sensor data is generated by the data processing device (21).

22. The chopping board (1) according to claim 21, wherein an evaluation rule is stored in the data processing device (21), on the basis of which rule evaluation data is generated from the sensor data.

23. The chopping board (1) according to claim 22, wherein the data processing device (21) comprises a data memory (22) and/or is brought into an operative connection with a data memory (22) in which the sensor data and/or the evaluation data is stored.

24. The chopping board (1) according to claim 23, wherein sensor data sets and/or evaluation data sets are formed by the data processing device (21) from the sensor data and/or the evaluation data stored in the data memory (22), wherein the data sets formed are stored in the data memory (22).

25. The chopping board (1) according to claim 24, wherein the chopping board (1) comprises a display device (25), wherein the display device (25) is brought into an operative connection with the data processing device (21), and wherein the sensor data and/or the evaluation data and/or the sensor data sets and/or the evaluation data sets are visualized by the display device (25).

26. The chopping board (1) according to claim 24, wherein the chopping board (1) comprises a data transmission device (23), wherein the sensor data and/or the evaluation data and/or the sensor data sets and/or the evaluation data sets are transmitted by the data transmission device (23) to an external device (24).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 show schematic representations of embodiments of the chopping board, and

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a simplified schematic representation of the connections between electronic components of the chopping board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a chopping board 1 according to the invention for foodstuffs. The chopping board 1 illustrated has a base 2 and an upper part 3. The upper part 3 is placed on the base 2 and can be detached therefrom. A cutting surface 5 is formed on an upper-part upper side 4. In the embodiment of the chopping board 1 according to the invention illustrated, the complete upper-part upper side 4 is formed as a cutting surface 5. Foodstuff to be chopped 6 can be arranged and cut on the cutting surface 5.

[0032] The upper part 3 has connecting elements 8 on an upper-part lower side 7 opposite the cutting surface and facing the base. The upper part 3 is located on the base 2 by means of these connecting elements 8. In the embodiment of a chopping board 1 according to the invention illustrated, the connecting elements 8 are located on force sensors 9 in recesses (not designated) formed on the base 2. A weight force exerted by the upper part 3 and the foodstuff to be chopped 6 is introduced fully into the force sensors 9.

[0033] The upper part 3 of the embodiment of the chopping board 1 according to the invention illustrated has an optical element 10. The optical element 10 comprises a circular sensor recess 11 which completely penetrates the upper part 3, and also a transparent disc 12 which is arranged in the sensor recess 11 and which closes off flush with the cutting surface 5. By means of the disc 12 and the sensor recess 11, visible light emitted by the foodstuff to be chopped 6 can be propagated through the upper part 3.

[0034] In a sensor area 13 of the base 2 which is assigned to the optical element 10, an interferometer 15 is arranged in a sensor receptacle 14 adapted to the sensor recess 11, by means of which interferometer the electromagnetic radiation can be detected, so that characteristics of the foodstuff to be chopped 6 can be determined.

[0035] The chopping board 1 also has a light source 16 which is arranged adjacent to the interferometer 15 in the sensor receptacle 14. By means of the light source 16, the foodstuff to be chopped 6 can be irradiated with visible light through the optical element 10.

[0036] Unlike in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, in the embodiment of the chopping board 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 the base 2 comprises a holding device 17 for receiving a container 18, wherein an exemplified container 18 is shown in FIG. 2. The holding device 17 is adapted to the container 18 such that the container 18 sits in portions with an edge 20 formed protruding in its opening region 19 on the holding device 17.

[0037] The embodiment of the chopping board 1 illustrated also has a data processing device 21 which is brought into an operative connection with the force sensors 9 and the interferometer 15. Furthermore, the data processing device 21 has a data memory 22 and a data transmission device 23.

[0038] It is illustrated schematically in FIG. 3 how in the embodiment of the chopping board 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 the data processing device 21 is connected in a signal-conducting manner to the interferometer 15 and the force sensors 9. By means of the data processing device 21, the signals generated by the sensors 9, 15 can be evaluated and sensor data generated. An evaluation rule is also stored in the data processing device 21, on the basis of which rule evaluation data can be generated from the sensor data. The sensor data and the evaluation data can be stored in the data memory 22.

[0039] FIG. 3 also shows an external device 24 to which data are transmitted by the data processing device 21 by means of the data transmission device 23. Information about the foodstuff to be chopped can be acquired from the data by means of the external device 24.

[0040] The embodiment of the chopping board 1 according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 4 has an integrated display device 25 which is connected in a signal-conducting manner to the data processing device 21. The evaluation data acquired by the data processing device 21 can be visualized by means of the display device 25.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0041] 1. chopping board [0042] 2. base [0043] 3. upper part [0044] 4. upper-part upper side [0045] 5. cutting surface [0046] 6. foodstuff to be chopped [0047] 7. upper-part lower side [0048] 8. connecting element [0049] 9. force sensor [0050] 10. optical element [0051] 11. sensor recess [0052] 12. disc [0053] 13. sensor area [0054] 14. sensor receptacle [0055] 15. interferometer [0056] 16. light source [0057] 17. holding devices [0058] 18. container [0059] 19. opening region [0060] 20. edge [0061] 21. data processing device [0062] 22. data memory [0063] 23. data transmission device [0064] 24. external device [0065] 25. display device