Patent ID: 6389944
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: B26D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A hand held holder for a food item to be sliced comprising a generally U-shaped frame having a top wall with a longitudinal length and depending generally parallel flexible side walls, said flexible side walls being spaced apart a selected distance and having an opening at one end of the holder opposite from the top wall to receive the food item therebetween, and a knife guide mounted adjacent the top wall, said knife guide comprising spaced guide side walls defining a knife guide slot centered between the depending generally parallel flexible side walls, a pair of holder walls perpendicular to the flexible side walls and integral therewith and extending inwardly from the flexible side walls to the guide side walls, the holder walls having narrow edges that face each other and which are spaced apart to receive the food item, the knife guide slot being open at a first end thereof adjacent to and facing the top wall, the knife guide spaced guide side walls having end edge surfaces facing the opening at the end of the holder opposite the top wall to engage a food item periphery, the flexible side walls being compressible together such that the holder walls engage sides of the food item seated against the end edge surfaces, the end edge surfaces being spaced from the top wall to define a space between the top wall and the periphery of the food item seated against the end edge surfaces of the knife guide spaced guide side walls, the space between the top wall and the periphery of the food item permitting a knife to be inserted between the food item seated on the end edge surfaces of the knife guide and the top wall so that the knife inserted in the space and moved into the knife guide enters the knife guide slot at the opening of the knife guide slot adjacent to the top wall and engages the food item and as the knife is moved away from the top wall slices the food item held in the holder as the knife is moved away from the top wall.