Abstract:
A rotary mandolin assembly for processing food comprises a container, a lid, and an operating handle. The container has a base and a sidewall that connects to and protrudes upwardly from the base. The sidewall terminates at a flange. The lid contacts the flange of the sidewall of the container. The lid has a cover, a retractable door, and a blade carrier. The cover has an opening formed therein. The retractable door is disposed above the opening of the cover. The retractable door is adapted to be positioned in one of a first position and a second position. The blade carrier has a plurality of blades attached thereto. The blade carrier is disposed beneath both the cover and the retractable door. The operating handle removably connects to the blade carrier.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a mandolin for processing food, and more particularly, to a rotary mandolin with a removable handle and plurality of cutting blades as well as a retractable blade cover. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When preparing certain foods, it is sometimes necessary to utilize a mandolin to slice a food item. For instance, when preparing a potato for use in various recipes, it is often necessary to cut the potato into slices. If slicing the potato with a knife, sometimes a user does not obtain uniform slices. In addition to obtaining uniform slices, preventing a user from easily being cut is also beneficial. Previous rotary mandolins may be awkward for some users, as the item to be cut is typically pushed away from a user at a downward angle, such that a user is pushing their hand in the direction of a blade on the mandolin. Further, in some instances it may be desired to provide a plurality of types of cut, such as a crinkled cut, also referred to as a waved cut, while also obtaining uniform slices, without having to disassemble a kitchen device to choose a blade. However, many past rotary mandolins required a user to replace a blade to provide a different type of cut, as they often only have a single blade mounted to the rotary mandolin. 
     Thus, it would be useful to provide a rotary mandolin having a plurality of selectable blades such that a user may select a particular type of cut without having to replace blades in the rotary mandolin. Further, it would be useful to provide a rotary mandolin with a retractable door that moves to an open position that allows the blades to contact food, and to a closed position that prevents the blades from being contacted. Therefore, a need exists for a rotary mandolin with a plurality of selectable blades and a retractable blade cover. 
     The present invention is provided to solve the problems discussed above and other problems, and to provide advantages and aspects not previously provided. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one embodiment, a rotary mandolin assembly for processing food comprises a container, a lid, and an operating handle. The container has a base and a sidewall that connects to and protrudes upwardly from the base. The sidewall terminates at a flange. The lid contacts the flange of the sidewall of the container. The lid has a cover, a retractable door, and a blade carrier. The cover has an opening formed therein. The retractable door is disposed above the opening of the cover. The retractable door is adapted to be positioned in one of a first position and a second position. The blade carrier has a plurality of blades attached thereto. The blade carrier is disposed beneath both the cover and the retractable door. The operating handle removably connects to the blade carrier. 
     According to another embodiment, a lid for a rotary mandolin assembly for processing food comprises a cover, a retractable door, a rotatable blade carrier, and an operating handle. The cover has a threaded protrusion extending downward from the cover. The cover has an opening formed therein. The retractable door is disposed above the opening of the cover. The retractable door has a first position and a second position. The retractable door has an opening disposed around the threaded protrusion of the cover. The rotatable blade carrier is disposed below the cover. The rotatable blade carrier has a plurality of blades attached. The rotatable blade carrier being moveable to a processing position wherein at least one of the plurality of blades is positioned below the opening of the cover. The operating handle is removably attached to the blade carrier. 
     According to a further embodiment, a rotatable blade carrier for a rotary mandolin assembly for processing food comprises a plurality of cutting blades, a plurality of operating handle receiving portions, and a plurality of operating handle securing portions. The plurality of operating handle receiving portions are disposed at a periphery of the blade carrier. The plurality of operating handle securing portions are disposed at the periphery of the blade carrier. The plurality of operating handle securing portions are further disposed adjacent the operating handle receiving portions of the blade carrier. Wherein one of the plurality of operating handle receiving portions and one of the plurality of operating handle securing portions is associated with one of the plurality of cutting blades. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a rotary mandolin having a retractable blade cover in an open position according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the rotary mandolin of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front sectional view of the rotary mandolin of  FIG. 1  taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side sectional view of the rotary mandolin of  FIG. 1  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a lid of a rotary mandolin; 
         FIG. 6  is a front sectional view of the lid of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the lid of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is bottom view of a blade carrier of the rotary mandolin of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of the blade carrier of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the lid of the rotary mandolin of  FIG. 1  with the blade carrier removed; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an operating handle of the rotary mandolin of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional view of the operating handle of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While this invention is susceptible to embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , a rotary mandolin  10  for processing food is provided. The rotary mandolin  10  comprises a lid  12  and a container  14 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the container  14  is a bowl, however, it is contemplated that other container types may be utilized. The container  14  has a base  18  and a continuous sidewall  20  connected to the base  18  and protruding upward from the base  18 . The sidewall  20  terminates at a flange  22  that forms a periphery of the container  14 . 
     The lid  12  removably attaches to the flange  22  of the container  14 . The lid  12  comprises a cover  16  disposed over the base  18  of the container  14 , to prevent materials from entering or exiting the container  14 . The lid  12  has a periphery  24  that has a generally complimentary shape to the periphery  22  of the container  14 . The lid  12  additionally comprises a retractable door  26 . The retractable door  26  has a cover handle  28 . The cover handle  28  allows a user to more easily position the retractable door  26  to a retracted position, as shown in  FIG. 1 , from a deployed position as shown in  FIG. 2 . The retractable door  26  is disposed over an opening  30  formed in the cover  16  of the lid  12  when positioned in the deployed position. 
     With the retractable door  26  in the retracted position, a rotatable blade carrier  32  may be accessed. The rotatable blade carrier  32  contains a plurality of blades used for cutting food with the rotary mandolin  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the rotatable blade carrier  32  has a first blade  34 , a second blade  36 , and a third blade  38 . The first blade  34  is positioned for use in  FIG. 1 . It is contemplated that the first blade  34 , second blade  36 , and third blade  38  will provide different types of cutting surfaces, such as a thick cut, a crinkle cut, a thin cut, or other known blade varieties. 
     An operating handle  40  removably attaches to the rotatable blade carrier  32 . The operating handle  40  rotates the rotatable blade carrier  32  about a central axis C ( FIG. 4 ) such that one of the blades  34 ,  36 ,  38  may be utilized to cut food. The operating handle  40  has a release activator  42  that, when activated, allows the handle  40  to be removed from the rotatable blade carrier  32 . Additional details of the operating handle  40  may be observed with respect to  FIGS. 11 and 12 . The handle  40  may be removed from the rotatable blade carrier  32  in order to select a different blade, such as the second blade  36 , for use with the rotary mandolin  10 , or the handle  40  may be removed for cleaning or storage purposes. 
     The operating handle  40  moves along a handle track  44  formed within the lid  12 . The handle track  44  is disposed along a portion of the periphery  24  of the cover  16 . The handle track  44  is disposed about a sufficient length of the periphery  24  to allow the operating handle  40  to allow the rotatable blade carrier  32  to move a sufficient distance to cut food. The handle track  44  additionally allows a portion of the rotatable blade carrier  32  to be exposed to the opening  30  such that a user may remove the operating handle  40  and rotate the rotatable blade carrier  32  a further amount to select a different blade. The operating handle  40  may then be reattached to the rotatable blade carrier  32  and the newly selected blade may be utilized. 
     The rotary mandolin  10  may additionally be provided with a food pusher  45 . The food pusher  45  allows user to hold food in place while the rotary mandolin is being utilized. The food pusher  45  may be useful with certain foods that are difficult to grasp, might cause a stain, such as a beet, or may produce a strong odor, such as onions and garlic. The food pusher  45  may additionally reduce any chance of the user accidentally contacting one of the blades  34 ,  36 ,  38  while utilizing the rotary mandolin  10 . 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 5-7 , the lid  12  is shown in additional detail. The lid  12  includes a securing nut  46  that holds the rotatable blade carrier  32  and the retractable door  26  to a threaded protrusion  48 . The securing nut  46  and the threaded protrusion  48  cooperate to prevent the rotatable blade carrier  32  and the retractable door  26  from moving laterally along the axis C, but do allow the rotatable blade carrier  32  and the retractable door  26  to rotate about the axis C. The securing nut  46  may have a plurality of grip portions  47  to allow a user to more easily grasp the securing nut  46  to tighten it about the threaded protrusion  48 . 
     The lid  12  additionally comprises a bearing structure  50 . The bearing structure  50  supports the rotatable blade carrier  32  near the opening  30  of the lid  12 . The bearing structure  50  enhances the structural stability of the lid  12 , particularly near the periphery  24 , near the opening  30 . The bearing structure  50  generally runs from one end of the handle track  44  to another end of the handle track  44 . The bearing structure  50  is adapted to resist displacement of the rotatable blade carrier  32  towards the container  14  when the rotary mandolin  10  is being utilized. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show the rotatable blade carrier  32  removed from the lid  12 . The rotatable blade carrier  32  has a central opening  33  adapted to be positioned around the threaded protrusion  48 . As best viewed in  FIG. 8 , the rotatable blade carrier  32  additionally comprises an operating handle receiving portion  52   a - 52   c  and an operating handle securing portion  54   a - 54   c  disposed adjacent the respective first blade  34 , second blade  36 , and third blade  38 . Each of the operating handle receiving portions  52   a - 52   c  is adapted to receive a handle protrusion  56  ( FIGS. 11 and 12 ) of the operating handle  40  to allow a user to utilize the operating handle  40  to turn the rotatable blade carrier  32  within the rotary mandolin  10  when using one of the blades  34 ,  36 ,  38 . The operating handle securing portion  54   a - 54   c  allows the operating handle  40  to be removably secured to the rotatable blade carrier  32  by receiving a locking portion  58  ( FIGS. 11 and 12 ) of the operating handle  40 . The operating handle securing portions  54   a - 54   c  each have a ledge  55  that is adapted to interact with a tab  60  ( FIGS. 11 and 12 ) of the locking portion  58  of the operating handle  40 . 
     In order to remove the operating handle  40  from the rotatable blade carrier  32 , the release activator  42  of the operating handle is depressed by a user. The force against the release activator compresses a spring  62  allowing the locking portion  58  to be displaced. The displacement of the locking portion  58  positions the tab  60  away form the ledge  55  of the particular operating handle securing portion  54   a - 54   c  of the rotatable blade carrier  32  so that the operating handle  40  may be removed from the rotatable blade carrier  32 . 
     To place the operating handle  40  into a different one of the operating handle receiving portions  52   a - 52   c  and operating handle securing portions  54   a - 54   c , a user retracts the retractable door  26  and rotates the rotatable blade carrier  32  such that the desired blade  34 ,  36 ,  38  is positioned within the opening  30 . The user then positions the operating handle  40  such that the handle protrusion  56  aligns with one of the operating handle receiving portions  52   a - 52   c  and the locking portion  58  aligns with one of the operating handle securing portions  54   a - 54   c . The user then inserts the handle protrusion  56  into one of the operating handle receiving portions  52   a - 52   c  while the locking portion  58  inserts into one of the operating handle securing portions  54   a - 54   c  such that the tab  60  interacts with the ledge  55  to secure the operating handle  40  to the rotatable blade carrier  32 . 
       FIG. 10  depicts the lid  12  with the rotatable blade carrier  32  having been removed. The retractable door  26  has an opening  64  that is positioned around the threaded protrusion  48 . It is contemplated that a biasing member, such as torsional spring, may be provided between the cover  16  and the retractable door  26 , such that the retractable door  26  is closed unless a force acts on the retractable door  26  to overcome a force of the biasing member. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the threaded protrusion  48  has internal threads  66 . The internal threads  66  interact with the securing nut  46  to hold the retractable door  26  and the rotatable blade carrier  32  to the cover  16  to form the lid  12  of the rotary mandolin  10 . 
     To use the rotary mandolin  10 , the user selects the desired blade  34 ,  36 ,  38  and positions the operating handle  40  accordingly. The user then moves the retractable door  26  to the retracted position and places an item to be cut within the opening  30 , such that the item to be cut contacts the rotatable blade carrier  32 . The user then moves the operating handle  40  along the handle track  44 . The blade  34 ,  36 ,  38  contacts the item to be cut and slices fall into the container  14  of the rotary mandolin. It is contemplated that the user may use the food pusher  45  to apply pressure to the item to be cut while moving the operating handle  40  to ensure that the blade  34 ,  36 ,  38  cuts the item as desired. It is also contemplated that a user may apply pressure using a hand to the item to be cut. When a sufficient quantity of the item to be cut is obtained, the user removes any remaining portion of the item to be cut from the opening  30 , and the retractable door  26  returns to the deployed position, such that the blade  34 ,  36 ,  38  is covered by the retractable door  26 . 
     While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.