Mounting means for cutting blade of food-cutting apparatus

This is a food-cutting apparatus wherein: a cutting blade is disposed on a back surface of a cutting plate so as to protrude its front tip from an opening provided in the cutting plate; the cutting plate is disconnectably mounted on a mounting plate having a saddlelike engaging recess at its middle portion; the mounting plate engages at its engaging recess rotatably with a supporting rod interposed between a pair of arms provided on the supporting plate which is provided in a back side of the cutting plate; a width of the cutting blade is shorter in dimension than a length of an interval between the pair of arms; and, interposed between a rear portion of the mounting plate and the supporting plate are a spring and an adjusting means for adjusting a protruding amount of the front tip of the cutting blade.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a mounting means for a cutting blade of a 
food-cutting apparatus for solid foods such as an ice block, frozen fruits 
and the like. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
An outlne of a typical food-cutting apparatus to which a mounting means for 
a cutting blade according to the present invention is applied is shown in 
FIG. 1, the detail of which apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent 
application No. 33994/1984 filed Feb. 24, 1984 by an assignee of the 
present application, and will briefly be described hereinbelow with 
reference to the drawings in which like reference characters or numerals 
designates like parts, in which: the numeral 1 designates an upper frame; 
2 designates a boss provided in a central portion of a back surface of the 
frame 1; 3 designates a cylindrical shaft housing; 4 designates a rotary 
shaft; 5 designates a pulley fixed to a lower end of the rotary shaft 4; 6 
designates a supporting arm; 7 designates a driving electric motor; 8 
designates a pulley mounted on a shaft of the electric motor 7; 9 
designates a belt running under tension round the pulleys 5 and 8; 11 
designates a cutting plate; 12 designates an opening provided in the 
cutting plate 11; 13 designates a cutting blade provided so as to protrude 
its front tip from the opening 12; 15 designates a transfer rotor; 16 
designates a boss; 17 designates a bush; 18 designates a nut; 20 
designates a hopper; 21 designates an anti-scatter cover disposed over the 
hopper 20; 22 designates a head cover disposed above the anti-scatter 
cover 21; 23 designates an opening provided at a top portion of the head 
cover 22; 24 designates a lid for covering the opening 23; 26 designates a 
safety switch; 27 designates a main switch; 28 designates a discharge 
chute; and 29 designates a cover. 
The above-mentioned food-cutting apparatas is so constructed that, when its 
food-cutting operation is finished, it is possible to wash out a residue 
of cut foods adhered to the transfer rotor 15 and the cutting plate 11 by 
opening the lid 24, removing in turn the head cover 22 and the 
anti-scatter cover 21, and then dismounting the transfer rotor 15 and the 
cutting plate 11 from the frame 1. 
On the other hand, FIG. 2 shows a conventional mounting means 32 for the 
cutting blade 13, with the use of which mounting means 32 the cutting 
blade 13 is mounted on the food-cutting apparatus. Namely, the supporting 
plate 34 is fixed to a back surface of the cutting plate 11 near the 
opening 12 through mounts 33 by means of bolts 35, and a pair of arms 36 
are provided on a reverse side surface of the supporting plate 34 with 
respect to the cutting plate 11, a supporting rod 37 is interposed and 
axially supported between the front ends of the arms 36. The supporting 
rod 37 is interposed in a metal boss portion 39 of a mounting plate 38 for 
the cutting blade 13. The cutting blade is fixed to a front bent portion 
of the plate 38 by means of bolts 40. Another bolt 42 is so provided that 
a threaded front portion thereof engages with a female screw ( not shown ) 
of an adjusting knob 45 through an opening 43 provided in a rear portion 
of the mounting plate 38 to adjust a protruding amount of the front tip of 
the cutting blade 13 from the opening 12 by rotating the adjusting knob 45 
to slightly rotate the mounting plate 38 for the cutting blade 13 around 
the supporting rod 37 acting as a center for the rotation. The reference 
numeral 46 designates a spring interposed between the supporting plate 34 
and the mounting plate 38 for the cutting blade 13 around the bolt 42. 
It is possible to dismount the thus constructed conventional mounting means 
32 for the cutting blade 13 together with the cutting plate 11 when the 
cutting plate 11 is dismounted in the above-mentioned manner. After that, 
though it is preferable to wash out adhered substances such as fruit 
juices, dust and the like adhered to the opposite inner surfaces of the 
mounting plate 38 for the cutting blade 13 and the supporting plate 34 
after both of these members 38, 34 are disassembled. It is not possible to 
disassemble these two members 38, 34 due to a construction of the 
supporting rod 37 interposed and axially supported between the pair of 
arms 36. This leads to an incomplete wash-out of the substances adhered to 
both of the members 38, 34 causing unsanitary conditions for foods in the 
conventional food-cutting apparatus. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Consequently, an object of the present invention is to provide a mounting 
means for a cutting blade of a food-cutting apparatus for solid foods, 
which mounting means enables a mounting plate for the cutting blade and a 
supporting plate to be disassembled from the apparatus so as to wash out 
substances adhered to both of the above-mentioned members completely to 
resolve the the trouble inherent in the conventional food-cutting 
apparatus. 
For accomplishing the object of the present invention, according to the 
present invention, a food-cutting apparatus is so constructed and 
characterized in that: the supporting plate is fixed to a back surface of 
a cutting plate near an opening thereof; a pair of arms are provided on a 
reverse side surface of the supporting plate with respect to the cutting 
plate; between the pair of arms a supporting rod is interposed and axially 
supported; an engaging recess formed in a middle portion of a mounting 
plate for the cutting blade is rotatably mounted on the supporting rod in 
a saddling-up manner at a side of the supporting rod opposite to the 
supporting plate; in a front portion of the mounting plate for the cutting 
blade the cutting blade is disconnectably connected; a length of the 
mounting plate for the cutting blade between opposite ends of the mounting 
plate is shorter than that of an interval between the pair of arms; a 
spring means is interposed between the mounting plate for the cutting 
blade and the supporting plate behind the engaging recess; and an 
adjusting means for adjusting a protruding amount of a front tip of the 
cutting blade is disconnectably connected between a rear portion of the 
mounting plate for the cutting blade and the supporting plate. 
Namely, according to the present invention, since the supporting rod is 
engaged at its side facing the supporting plate with the engaging recess 
formed in the middle portion of the mounting plate and the length of the 
mounting plate is shorter than that of the interval between the pair of 
arms to enable the mounting plate to be pulled out of the food-cutting 
apparatus, it is possible to disassemble the mounting plate from the 
supporting plate after the cutting plate is removed and the adjusting 
means for adjusting the protruding amount of the front tip of the cutting 
blade into the opening of the cutting plate is also removed to pull out 
easily the mounting plate which engages with the supporting rod at its 
engaging recess. Consequently, it is possible to completely wash out the 
adhered substances adhered to the opposite inner sides of the mounting 
plate and the supporting plate and the like when the cutting blade is 
washed out. This enables the food-cutting apparatus of the present 
invention to provide sanitary cut foods and to be assembled and 
disassembled in a easy manner in a brief time to enhance a workability of 
the apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the reference numeral 50 designates a mounting 
means for a cutting blade 13, in which means 50 includes a supporting 
plate 52 fixed to a back surface of a cutting plate 11 near an opening 12 
thereof through mounts 51 by means of bolts 53. A pair of arms 55 are 
fixed to a reverse side surface of the supporting plate 52 with respect to 
the cutting plate 11 by means of other bolts 54, between which pair of 
arms 55 a supporting rod 56 is axially supported by inserting its opposite 
ends into holes provided in inner surfaces of front ends of the pair of 
arms 55. A circular arc-shape engaging recess 59 formed in a middle 
portion of a mounting plate 58 for the cutting blade 13 is mounted on the 
supporting rod 56 in a saddling-up manner at a side of the supporting rod 
56 opposite to the supporting plate 52. Plate 58 rotates around the 
supporting rod 56. As shown in FIG. 5, since a length l of the mounting 
plate 58 between opposite ends thereof is shorter than that l' of an 
interval between the pair of arms 55, it is possible to pull out the 
engaging recess 59 forward (leftward in FIG. 5 ) from a position between 
the pair of arms 55 by disengaging the recess 59 from the supporting rod 
56. 
To a front bent portion of the mounting plate 58 the cutting blade 13 is 
disconnectably connected by means of bolts 60. The supporting plate 52 is 
provided with a bolt 61 having a threaded front portion which engages a 
female screw 66 of a sleeve 65 inserted into an end bore of an adjusting 
knob 63 through a notch 62 provided in a rear portion of the mounting 
plate 58 for the cutting blade 13. The reference numeral 67 designates a 
spring which is interposed between the supporting plate 52 and the 
mounting plate 58 to urge the mounting plate 58 to the supporting rod 56. 
When a washing of opposite inner surfaces of the mounting plate 58 and the 
supporting plate 52 for removing the substances adhered to the 
above-mentioned inner surfaces and the like is required in the 
food-cutting apparatus, the bolts 60 are first removed to dismount the 
cutting blade 13 from the mounting plate 58 therefor, and then the 
adjusting knob 63 is turned in a releasing direction thereof to disengage 
the threadable connection between the threaded portion of the bolt 61 and 
the female screw 66 of the sleeve 65. After that, when the spring 67 is 
removed, it is realized that the engaging recess 59 is simply placed on 
the supporting rod 56. As a result, it is possible to pull out the 
mounting plate 58 forward from a position between the pair of arms 55 to 
separate the mounting plate 58 from the supporting plate 52. Incidentally, 
if it is also desirable to dismount the supporting plate 52, it is enough 
to release the bolts 53 to dismount the supporting plate 52 from the 
mounts 51. The thus separated mounting plate 58 and supporting plate 52 
are then washed to remove the adhered substances adhered thereto. After 
completion of the washing thereof, the apparatus can be assembled in 
reverse sequence with respect to the above-mentioned disassembling 
sequence thereof. Incidentally, each member of the mounting means 50 for 
the cutting blade 13 subjected to the washing action is made of a 
stainless steel in order to prevent an occurrence of rust therein. 
FIG. 6 shows an example of another type of a conventional food-cutting 
apparatus to which the mounting means 50 for the cutting blade 13 of the 
present invention is to be applied. In the food-cutting apparatus 
incorporated with the mounting means 50 of the present invention, the 
reference numeral 17 designates a base; 72 designates a supporting frame; 
73 designates an upper frame; 74 designates a rotary shaft; 75 designates 
a bearing for the rotary shaft 74; 76 designates a pulley fixed to an 
upper end of the rotary shaft 74; 77 designates a driving electric motor; 
78 designates a pulley mounted on a shaft of the electric motor 77; 79 
designates a belt running under tension round the pulleys 76, 78; 80 
designates a head cover; 81 designates a switch; 83 designates a worm 
wheel engaging with a worm 84 provided on an outer peripheral surface of 
the rotary shaft 74; 85 designates a handle for manually moving the rotary 
shaft 74 up and down, which handle 85 is mounted on an axle of the worm 
wheel 83; 86 designates an ice holder fixed to a lower end of the rotary 
shaft 74; 87 designates a receiver for a cutting plate 88 which is 
supported by the receiver 87 which is attached to the supporting frame 72; 
91 designates an opening provided in the cutting plate 88; and 92 
designates a tray. 
The cutting plate 88 of the food-cutting apparatus as mentioned above is 
different from the reverse conical-shape cutting plate 11 in that it has a 
flat-plate shape. As for such cutting plate 88, it is possible to employ 
the mounting means for the cutting blade of the present invention. FIG. 7 
shows this mounting means 50a for the cutting blade, a construction of 
which mounting means 50a is substantially the same as that of the 
above-mentioned mounting means 50, and therefore it is enough for a 
description thereof to add a suffix "a" to like reference numerals which 
designates like parts corresponding to those of the mounting means 50. 
Although a particular preferred embodiment of the present invention has 
been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized 
that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the 
rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present invention.