A FOOD PROCESSING APPARATUS

Abstract

A food processing apparatus for the cutting of foodstuff having a guide arrangement. A primary cutter is located at an open first end of the guide arrangement. A secondary cutter is located at or about a second end of the guide arrangement distal the first end. The guide arrangement guides foodstuff cut by the primary cutter towards and into contact with the secondary cutter for further cutting and/or processing by the secondary cutter.

Claims

1. A food processing apparatus for the cutting of foodstuff comprising: a guide having an open first end and a second end; a primary cutter located at or proximal the open first end of the guide and at least one secondary cutter located at or proximal the second end of the guide distal the first end; wherein the guide is configured to guide foodstuff cut by the primary cutter towards and into contact with the at least one secondary cutter for further cutting and/or processing by the at least one secondary cutter, wherein the secondary cutter is arranged to rotate relative to the primary cutter and wherein the secondary cutter is shaped to urge the cut food through the apparatus as it rotates.

2. A food processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the primary cutter is configured to cut the foodstuff such that it is sized to pass into the guide.

3. A food processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the primary cutter defines a cutting area and is configured to minimize wastage of the foodstuff and/or prevent clogging by aligning all parts of the foodstuff cut within the cutting area with at least a portion of the guide into which the cut foodstuff passes.

4. A food processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide comprises a plurality of guide members, each guide member having at least a portion of the primary cutter located at its first end.

5. A food processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the primary cutter is aligned with and projects from the periphery of the open first end of each guide member.

6. A food processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the primary cutter comprises a tessellated arrangement of cutting members.

7. A food processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of the guide members comprises a cutting member of the primary cutter projecting therefrom, the cutting members adjoining at least at a cutting end to form a tessellated cutting arrangement.

8. A food processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the primary cutter cuts the foodstuff such that it is a suitable size and/or shape for further cutting and/or processing by the rotatable secondary cutter.

9. A food processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the guide members each comprise a tube, pipe, or other such conduit suitable for conveying foodstuff.

10. A food processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each guide member comprises its own secondary cutter.

11. A food processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the respective secondary cutters are located within, attached to, or mounted on the second end of the guide members.

12. A food processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each secondary cutter is mounted within a mounting plate, the mounting plates forming a layered mounting plate arrangement.

13. A food processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary cutter means comprises a blade for cutting the foodstuff such that the foodstuff is shaped to a predetermined shape.

14. (canceled)

15. A food processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary cutter means comprises a cutting blade.

16. A food processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the at least one secondary cutter comprises a bearing, the cutting blade being operably mounted within the bearing, the bearing being configured to permit rotation of the cutting blade.

17. A food processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the cutting blade has a taper or sweep that encourages rotation of the cutting blade and/or the foodstuff processed by the food processing apparatus, and/or encourages the foodstuff to move through the cutter.

18. A food processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the guide members extend in a diverging manner from their first ends closest the primary cutter towards their second ends closest the secondary cutter such that at least a portion of the first ends of the guide members are adjoining and the second ends of the guide members are separated from each other.

19. A food processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein at least some of the guide members differ in length from each other.

20. A food processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the secondary cutter is rotatably driven by the foodstuff as the foodstuff is forced through the secondary cutting means.

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. A method of cutting a foodstuff comprising forcing the foodstuff through a primary cutter such that the cut foodstuff is sized for passing into a guide, encouraging the cut foodstuff to travel along the guide means and into contact with at least one secondary cutter such that the cut foodstuff is further cut and/or processed and/or shaped by the at least one secondary cutter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0077] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food processing apparatus according to the invention;

[0078] FIG. 2 is a side view of a food processing apparatus according to the invention;

[0079] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a guide means of a food processing apparatus according to the invention, showing the primary cutting means;

[0080] FIG. 4 is a side view of a guide means of a food processing apparatus according to the invention, showing the primary cutting means;

[0081] FIG. 5 is a view from a second end of a food processing apparatus according to the invention showing features internally of the guide means;

[0082] FIG. 6 is a sectional view through section G-G of FIG. 5;

[0083] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a secondary cutting means according to the invention showing a bearing;

[0084] FIG. 8 is a side view of a secondary cutting means according to the invention showing a bearing;

[0085] FIG. 9 is a top view of a secondary cutting means according to the invention showing a bearing;

[0086] FIG. 10 is a side view of a second embodiment of the invention showing a staggered arrangement at a second end of the food processing apparatus;

[0087] FIG. 11 is a top view of a variety of secondary cutting blades for a secondary cutting means according to the invention; and

[0088] FIG. 12 is a top view of a further variety of secondary cutting blades for a secondary cutting means according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0089] The present teaching will now be described with reference to an exemplary food processing apparatus for the cutting of foodstuff. It will be understood that the exemplary food processing apparatus is provided to assist in an understanding of the present teaching and are not to be construed as limiting in any fashion. Furthermore, elements or components that are described with reference to any one Figure may be interchanged with those of other Figures or other equivalent elements without departing from the spirit of the present teaching.

[0090] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a food processing apparatus for the cutting of foodstuff 10 having a guide arrangement 11. A primary cutter 12 is located at an open first end 13 of the guide arrangement 11. A secondary cutter 14 is located at or about a second end 15 of the guide arrangement 11 distal the first end 13. The guide arrangement 11 guides foodstuff (not shown) cut by the primary cutter 12 towards and into contact with the secondary cutter 14 for further cutting and/or processing by the secondary cutter 14. The primary cutter 12 cuts the foodstuff such that it is sized to pass into a portion of the guide arrangement 11, and such that it is a suitable size and/or shape for further cutting and/or processing by the secondary cutter.

[0091] The primary cutter 12 defines a cutting area 16 and is configured to minimize wastage of the foodstuff and/or prevent clogging by aligning all parts of the foodstuff cut within the cutting area 16 with at least a portion of the guide arrangement into which the cut foodstuff passes. As a result, all of the foodstuff cut within the cutting area passes into the guide arrangement 11 and is thereafter processed by the secondary cutter 14, resulting in minimal wastage and preventing cut portions of foodstuff clogging any portion of the apparatus 10.

[0092] The guide arrangement 11 has a plurality of guide tubes 17, each guide tube 17 having a portion 18 of the primary cutter 12 located at an open first end 13, the portion 18 of the primary cutter 12 defining an opening for allowing passage of cut foodstuff into the open end 13 of the guide tubes 17.

[0093] A portion 18 of the primary cutter 12 is aligned with and projects from the periphery of the first end 13 of each guide tube 17. As each guide tube 17 has a portion 18 of primary cutter 12 aligned around its periphery, any foodstuff forced towards the guide tube 17 will be cut by the portion 18 of the primary cutter 12 aligned therewith and will resultantly pass into the guide tube 17. The primary cutter 12 comprises a tessellated arrangement of cutting members 18, each cutting member forming the portion 18 of the overall primary cutter 12 aligned around each guide tube 17. In a preferred embodiment as shown in the drawings, the primary cutter 12 comprises a tessellated arrangement of hexagonal cutting members 18. It should be noted that a person skilled in art would be aware that a tessellated arrangement could be formed from any shape suitable for tessellation. Moreover, the shapes forming the tessellated arrangement can be uniformly shaped and sized, or of non-uniform shapes and sizes which combine to form a tessellated arrangement, or a combination of some uniform and some non-uniform shapes. The tessellated nature of the primary cutter 12 results in a cutting arrangement providing guide tube apertures 19 aligned with the opening of the guide tubes 17, but having no gaps between these guide tube apertures 19. As foodstuff is forced onto the primary cutter 12, all of the foodstuff is cut and passed into one or more of the guide tubes 17. As no gaps exist between the tessellated arrangement of cutting members 18, wastage and clogging is greatly reduced or eliminated.

[0094] Each of the guide tubes 17 comprises a cutting member 18 of the primary cutting means projecting therefrom. Some of the cutting members 18 have at least one shared wall 20 which is shared by at least one adjacent cutting member 18. The cutting members 18 have a cutting end 21 locatable distal the end of the cutting members 18 closest the guide tube 17, the cutting members 18 adjoining at their cutting end 21 to form the shared walls 20 and thus form a tessellated cutting arrangement.

[0095] In one embodiment of the invention, as shown in the drawings, the cutting members 18 are formed integrally of a portion 22 of the guide tubes 17. In an alternative embodiment, the cutting members 18 may be attached to the guide tubes 17.

[0096] Each guide tube 17 has its own secondary cutter 14, the secondary cutter 14 having a blade arrangement 23 for cutting the foodstuff such that the foodstuff is shaped to a predetermined shape. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, and referring particularly to FIGS. 8 and 10, the blade arrangement 23 is shaped to form a twisted rectangular cuboid from the foodstuff passed therethrough. However, it should be appreciated that the shape of the blade arrangement 23 of the secondary cutter 14 can be configured to create any shape from the foodstuff desired by a user. Examples of various shapes which the blade arrangement may take are illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. The secondary cutter 14 can also be an interchangeable secondary cutter such that different secondary cutters 14 can be removably attached to the apparatus 10 in order to create different predetermined shapes from the foodstuff.

[0097] The secondary cutter 14 is a rotatable cutter operably mounted within a bearing 24, the bearing 24 being configured to permit rotation of the secondary cutter 14. The bearing 24 and secondary cutter 14 are operably mountable within end plates 30. The end plates 30 are located at the second end of the guide tubes 17 and each bearing 24 is mountable within a throughbore 32 formed in an end plate 30, the multiple end plates forming a layered end plate arrangement. The mounting of the bearings 24 forms a staggered or misaligned mounting arrangement within the layered end plate arrangement, as best viewed in FIG. 6. The staggered nature or misalignment of the secondary cutters allows the bearings 24 and associated secondary cutters 14 to be positioned in their desired location given their diameter, the length of the guide tube 17, and the divergence of the guide tubes 17 from one another.

[0098] The guide tubes 17 diverge at an angle from their first ends 13 closest the primary cutter 12 towards their second ends 15 closest the secondary cutter. The first ends of the guide tubes 17 adjoin at the cutting end 21 of the primary cutter 12 and the second ends 15 of the guide tubes 17 are separated from each other. The divergence of the guide tubes 17 and resulting separation at their second ends 15 provides sufficient space between the guide tubes 17 at their second ends 15 such that a secondary cutter 14, with associated bearing 24, can be mounted to each guide tube 17. In addition, whilst the separation created by the divergence of the guide tubes 17 permits space for mounting the secondary cutter 14, with associated bearing 24, it also permits the apparatus to maintain a minimal overall size as at least the first end 13 can still have a compact cross-sectional area. In an alternative embodiment not shown in the drawings, the bearing and secondary cutting means may be locatable entirely within the guide tubes.

[0099] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the guide tubes 17 differ in length. The guide tubes 17 are generally aligned and adjoined at their first end 26, and any differences in length of the guide tubes 17 results in a staggered arrangement at the second ends 27 of the guide tubes 17. The length of each guide tube 17 and/or spacing between the guide tubes 17 at their second ends 27 is configured to accommodate the mounting of a bearing 24 thereto whilst maintaining a minimal cross-sectional area at the second end of the apparatus 10.

[0100] The secondary cutters 14 are driven by the foodstuff as the foodstuff is forced through the secondary cutting means. The secondary cutter 14 has a blade arrangement 23 having sweep and/or taper which encourages movement of the foodstuff through the cutting blade by encouraging rotation of the blade arrangement 23 as the foodstuff passes through the cutting blade. Alternatively or in combination, the sweep and/or taper of the blade arrangement 23 may encourage rotation of the foodstuff as the foodstuff passes through the cutting blade. In an alternative embodiment, the secondary cutters 14 are driven by a drive motor (not shown).

[0101] The apparatus 10 may be incorporated into a piece of food processing plant or machinery and form a step in a wider cutting and/or processing process.

[0102] In use, the foodstuff is forced onto the primary cutter 12 which cuts the foodstuff and transfers each cut section into a guide tube 17. As each portion of the primary cutter 12 is aligned with a guide tube 17 due to the tessellated arrangement of the primary cutter 12, all of the cut foodstuff will be transferred to a guide tube 17. The guide tube 17 guides the cut foodstuff towards and into contact with the secondary cutter 14. The cut foodstuff travels through the rotating secondary cutter 14 which cuts/shapes the foodstuff further to create a predefined shape and size.

[0103] A method of cutting a foodstuff comprises forcing the foodstuff through the primary cutter 12 such that the cut foodstuff is sized for passing into the guide tubes 17, encouraging the cut foodstuff to travel along the guide tubes 17 and into contact with a secondary cutter 14 such that the cut foodstuff is further cut and/or processed and/or shaped by the secondary cutter 14.

[0104] The invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.