Abstract:
A toy food processor includes a housing and a bowl in the shape and appearance of a food processor. Various food items are provided which may be removably mounted in an accessible compartment of the bowl. Mounting of a particular food item within the compartment positions the item for slicing by the food processor. A manual crank rotates a cutter blade which successively slices segments from the bottom of the food item and discharges the slices through a chute on the front of the bowl.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to toys and more particularly to a toy food processor which may be manually operated to simulate the operation of a conventional food processor in slicing elongated vegetable products, such as carrots and cucumbers, into sliced segments. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a toy food processor of the character described which may be easily and safely operated by children. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a toy food processor of the character indicated which is of rugged low cost construction. 
     It is still another object of the invention to provide for use in a toy food processor of the character described, a single and easily manipulatable food slice module containing a plurality of simulated slices of food product, the slices of which may be readily released and expelled from the toy food processor. 
     The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present improved toy food processor with the module of simulated slices of food product disposed alongside the processor; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the toy food processor shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3--3 in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4--4 in FIG. 2. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, the present improved toy food processor is there shown as comprising a processor 10 and a separable sliced food module 11 which is adapted to be mounted within the processor 10 in the manner more fully explained below. The processor 10 comprises a two-part housing 12 consisting of a lower base housing 13 of substantially square configuration upon which is fixedly mounted a substantially cylindrical closed top upper housing 14. A discharge chute 15, parts of which are formed integrally with the housings 13 and 14, projects outwardly from the side of upper housing 14 and terminates in a discharge opening 15a which overlies the downwardly slanting front wall 13a of the base housing 13. This discharge opening is normally closed by a small door 16 which is pivotally supported along its upper edge between the sides of the chute 15 by means of a pivot pin 17 and is gravity based to its illustrated closed position. 
     Along the cylindrical side wall of the housing 14, this wall is provided with a parallel side vertically extending opening 18 therethrough which communicates at its upper end with a slot 19 extending inwardly from the outer edge of the top closure wall of the housing in the manner best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. The slot 19 is partially surrounded by an open topped cylindrical member 20 which simulates the food product input hopper of a conventional food processor and is fixedly mounted upon the top wall of the housing 14. As shown, the cylindrical member 20 is provided with a slot 20a throughout its height which overlies and is coincident with the slot 19. 
     For the purpose of closing the opening 18 when the processor 10 is in use, a door 21 is provided which is pivotally mounted on the housing 14 along the edge of the opening 18 by means of a pivot pin 22 and has a finger hole opening 21a therethrough to facilitate manual opening and closing of the door. This door functions as a carrier for the food slice module 11. To this end, it is provided at its upper end with a V-shaped laterally extending flange 21b which is adapted to underlie the top wall of the housing 14 when the door is closed and is provided with an inwardly extending V-shaped slot 21c which is adapted to receive the head end of the holding rod embodied in the module 11 in the manner more fully explained below. 
     As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawing, the food slice module 11 comprises a plurality of separable simulated food slices 11a formed of metal or a plastic material which are arranged in stacked relationship and are provided with aligned centrally disposed openings 11b extending therethrough. For the purpose of holding these slices in stacked relationship, a holding rod 23 is provided which extends through the openings 11b and the lower end of which is releasably connected to the bottom end slice 11c as best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. More specifically, the end slide 11c is provided with a centrally disposed bore 11d which is adapted to form a press fit relationship with the lower end of the rod 23 and thus hold the other slices 11a on the rod 23. When the module 11 is disengaged from the dispensing unit, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the holding rod 23 is equipped with a finger manipulatable knob 23a at the upper end thereof the lower end of which terminates in a laterally extending flange 23b which is displaced from the top surface of the uppermost slice 11a. A cam 24 is securely mounted on the underside of the top wall of the housing 14 to engage the upper edge of the uppermost slice 11a as the door 21 is closed and thus break the releasable connection between the lower end slice 11c and the lower end of the holding rod 23 in the manner more fully explained below. 
     In order to dispense the simulated food slices 11a from the processor 10, dispensing means are provided which comprises a pair of rotatable dispensing arms 25a and 25b fixedly mounted upon the upper end of a rotatable shaft 26. This shaft extends through a bearing opening in the top wall of the base housing 13 and is journalled for rotation in an upwardly directed bearing hole formed in the top of a bearing pedestal 27, the pedestal 27 being fixedly mounted on the bottom wall of the housing 13. During rotation, the dispensing arms 25a and 25b pass freely beneath a slice directing vane 28 which slants inward from the side wall of the housing 14 to the center of this housing in the manner best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. At its outer end adjacent the left side of the chute 15 as viewed in FIG. 2, this vane is rigidly connected to the side wall of the housing 14 and at its inner end it carries a bearing part 29 in which the top end of the shaft 26 is journalled. 
     For the purpose of imparting rotary movement to the shaft 26 and thus to the dispensing arms 25a and 25b, manually operable drive means are provided which comprises a bevel gear 29 fixedly mounted on the shaft 26, a meshing gear 30, a shaft 31 upon which the gear 30 is fixedly mounted and a manually operable crank 32 fixedly mounted on the outer end of the shaft 31. At its inner end, the shaft 31 is journalled in the bearing pedestal 27 and at its outer end this shaft is supported for rotation in a bearing opening through the side wall of the base housing 13. As will be noted, all moving parts of the processor are disposed within the two housings 13 and 14 thereby to obviate the possibility of small finger entanglement with these parts. 
     In order to enhance the attractiveness of the described toy processor to children, a noise maker is provided within the base housing 13. This noise maker comprises a leaf spring 33, the fixed end of which is pin mounted on the pedestal 27 and the free end of which is shaped to engage the teeth of the bevel gear 30. More specifically, the free end of the spring 33 is so shaped and positioned as to slide over the teeth of the bevel gear 30 and thus produce a clicking noise during rotation of this gear in one direction and to engage one of the teeth of the gear 30 to prevent rotation of the gear and the connected movable parts in the reverse direction. 
     The mode of operating the above-described toy food processor should be apparent from the foregoing description. Briefly summarized, however, use of the toy processor is initiated by assembling the simulated food slices 11a on the holding rod 23 and tapping the end slice 11c onto the end of this rod to complete the module assembly. The module 11 is then hung on the door 21 by inserting the upper end of the rod into the slot 21c allowing the knob flange 23b to come to rest on the top surface of the door flange 21b. With the module in place, the door 21 may be closed. As this door is moved from its open position illustrated in FIG. 2 to its closed position illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper edge of the uppermost simulated food slice 11a comes into engagement with the cam 24 and is forced downwardly to effect disengagement of the bottom slice 11c from the lower end of the rod 23. This slice 11c is thus forced from the holding rod 23 and is held in the path of rotation of the dispensing arms 25a and 25b by the top wall of the housing 13. The toy processor is now ready to dispense the simulated food slices from the interior of the housing 14. 
     To this end, the crank 32 is manually operated to rotate the shaft 3 and thus rotate the dispensing arms about the axis of rotation of the shaft 26 in an obvious manner. As the dispensing arms are thus rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2, the arm 25b, for example, engages the side of the end slice 11c and sweeps it around the inner surface of the housing 14 over the top wall of the housing 13 until it engages the vane 28. Further rotation of the dispensing arm 25b forces the food slice 11c down the slope of the vane 28, down the discharge chute 15 and out the mouth of the chute beneath the door 16. As the slice 11c is moved from beneath the next uppermost slice by the dispensing arm 25b, the next uppermost slice drops down to rest on the top wall of the housing 14 and the remaining slices of the stack drop down a corresponding amount. In this position, the next uppermost slice is picked up by the dispensing arm 25a and discharged from the housing 14 in the exact manner just explained by reference to dispensing of the slice 11c. Thus, as rotation of the arms 25a and 25b continues, the slices 11a are successively discharged from the housing 14 at the rate of two slices for each complete revolution of the shaft 26. In this connection, it is pointed out that clearance between the lower end of the holding rod 23 and the top wall of the housing 13 is such that only one slice 11a can drop free from the lower end of the rod 23 when the underlying slice is removed by one of the dispensing arms 25a and 25b. It is also pointed out that during rotation of the shaft 31 to effect the above-described slice dispensing operation, the end of the leaf spring 33 cooperates with the teeth of the bevel gear 30 to produce a clicking noise which is pleasing to children. It is also emphasized that reverse rotation of the dispensing arms 25a and 25b in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 is prevented through engagement of the end of the spring 33 with one of the teeth of the bevel gear 30. 
     After all of slices 11a have been dispensed from the toy processor in the manner just explained, the door 21 can be opened using the finger hole 21a for that purpose, following which the holding rod 23 can be removed from the slot 21c and the slices 11a reassembled thereon, all in a manner which will be fully apparent from the foregoing explanation. 
     While the best mode of practicing the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various modifications may be made in the illustrated embodiment of the invention which are within the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.