Abstract:
A handheld fruit and vegetables slicing apparatus having a plurality of linked together rotatable knives connected to a frame. One of the knives being attached to a rotatable adjustment element on the frame, such that when the adjustment element is rotated the plurality of knives rotate from an original upright state to a flat state for rinsing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to fruit and vegetables slicing apparatuses, and more particularly, to a slicing apparatus having a rotatable knife angle. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     According to the prior art, to cut fruit and vegetables into strips, a person has to hold the fruit and vegetables by his or her hand and produce the strips one by one with a knife. The prior art has drawbacks, namely a time-consuming cutting process and inconsistent thickness of strips. Hence, there are commercially available knives dedicated to cutting fruit and vegetables. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a slicing apparatus  1  comprises a base  11 , a plurality of blades  12  disposed in the base  11 , and handles  13  extending outward from two sides of the base  11 , respectively. To cut fruit and vegetables, a user places the fruit and vegetables beneath the base  11 , grips the handles  13  by hands, and presses the base  11  to enable the blades  12  to cut the fruit and vegetables, thereby allowing the fruit and vegetables to be cut into a plurality of strips by the blades  12 . Hence, fruit and vegetables are cut into a plurality of strips, using the slicing apparatus  1 . With the blades  12  being equidistantly spaced apart from each other, the strips thus obtained are of the same thickness. The blades  12  are disposed in the base  11  and fixed thereto, and thus the blades  12  are not removable from the base  11 . The space between adjacent ones of the blades  12  is small. After the process of cutting fruit and vegetables has finished, residues or other foreign bodies are likely to remain on the blades  12 . As a result, it is necessary to insert another tool into the space between the blades  12  in order to remove the residues therefrom. Doing so, however, is not user-friendly. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Considering the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention proposes a slicing apparatus structure having a rotatable knife angle to achieve the following objective. 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide fruit and vegetables slicing apparatus structure comprising: a frame; a plurality of knives disposed in the frame; a linking mechanism for connecting the plurality of knives concurrently; and an adjusting element disposed on one side of the frame and configured to enable the linking mechanism to drive the knives to rotate concurrently by an angle upon completion of a cutting process performed by the knives, such that each of the knives switches from an original upright state to a flat state to thereby achieve the goal of the easy rinsing of the knives. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the prior art; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial schematic view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is the first diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is the second diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is the third diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is the first diagram of a further preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is the second diagram of the further preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is the third diagram of the further preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is the fourth diagram of the further preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 12  is the fifth diagram of the further preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to achieve the above and other objectives and benefits, the present invention is hereunder illustrated with preferred embodiments described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings with a view to enabling persons skilled in the art to implement the various objectives of the present invention. 
     First, referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , there are shown a perspective view, an exploded perspective view, a partial schematic view, and diagrams of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, respectively. As shown in the drawings, a slicing apparatus  2  comprises: 
     a frame  3  externally provided with at least one gripping portion  31 ; 
     a plurality of knives  4  disposed in the frame  3  and equidistantly spaced apart from each other; 
     a linking mechanism  41  disposed on one side of the knives  4  and configured to connect the plurality of knives  4 ; and 
     an adjusting element  42  disposed on one side of the frame  3  and connected to one of the knives  4 . 
     The at least one gripping portion  31  outwardly extended from the frame  3  is gripped by a user&#39;s hands. Fruit and vegetables to be sliced are position beneath a plurality of the knives  4 . The user&#39;s hands exert a downward force on the frame  3  to enable the plurality of the knives  4  to cut the fruit and vegetables into a plurality of strips. After the fruit and vegetables have been cut, residues or juice of fruit and vegetables remain on the surfaces of the knives  4 . The adjusting element  42  disposed on one side of the frame  3  can be tuned, so as to drive the plurality of the knives  4  to rotate accordingly and switch from an original upright state to a flat state, such that the surfaces of the knives  4  face outward. In so doing, the knives  4  can be rinsed to remove residues or juice therefrom easily. Tuning the adjusting element  42  actually causes the knife  4  connected thereto to rotate. Since each of the knives  4  is connected to the linking mechanism  41 , rotation of the knife  4  connected to the adjusting element  42  drives all the other ones of the knives  4  to rotate, and in consequence all the knives  4  switch from the original upright state to the flat state. 
     The problem solved by the present invention is described below. Blades disposed in a conventional fruit and vegetables slicing apparatus are fixed to a base and thus neither movable nor removable. Upon completion of the use of the slicing apparatus, it is difficult to rinse the blades. Hence, the present invention provides a fruit and vegetables slicing apparatus structure comprising the linking mechanism  41  and the adjusting element  42  whereby, after finishing the use of the slicing apparatus  2 , the user rotates the knives  4  to allow the knives  4  to enter a flat state, such that the user can rinse the surfaces of the knives  4  easily. In addition to the ease of rinsing, the present invention serves the purpose of user safety. The fruit and vegetables slicing apparatus structure of the present invention is safe to use, because the knives  4  are rotatable. Hence, the knives  4  can be rotated to enter a flat state when the slicing apparatus  2  is idle, such that the cutting ends of the knives  4  are no longer facing outward. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 ,  FIG. 9 ,  FIG. 10 ,  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12 , there are shown diagrams of a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, respectively. As shown in the drawings, a slicing apparatus  5  comprises: 
     a base  6 ; 
     a gripping portion  61  disposed on one side of the base  6 ; 
     a plurality of knives  7  disposed on one side of the base  6 ; 
     a linking mechanism  71  disposed on one side of the plurality of knives  7  and configured to connect the plurality of knives  7 ; and 
     an adjusting element  72  disposed on one side of the base  6  and connected to one of the plurality of knives  7 . 
     The user grips the gripping portion  61  disposed on one side of the base  6 , puts fruit and vegetables beneath the plurality of knives  7 , presses the base  6  to enable the plurality of knives  7  to cut the fruit and vegetables into a plurality of strips. Upon completion of the process of cutting the fruit and vegetables, residues or juice of the fruit and vegetables remain on the surfaces of the plurality of knives  7 . The adjusting element  72  disposed on one side of the base  6  is tuned, so as to rotate the plurality of knives  7 , thereby allowing the plurality of knives  7  to switch from an original upright state to a flat state; as a result, the surfaces of the plurality of knives  7  face outward. In so doing, the plurality of knives  7  can be rinsed to remove residues or juice therefrom easily. 
     In this embodiment, the gripping portion  61  is disposed at a different position (as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 12 ) to provide a different way of applying a force. Another essential feature of this embodiment is that the plurality of knives  7  are exposed to the outside; as a result, not only is it feasible to press the plurality of knives  7  in order to cut fruit and vegetables into a plurality of strips, but the plurality of knives  7  can be operated in a conventional way such that the user grips the gripping portion  61  and controls the cutting process of the plurality of knives  7  at different angles.