Abstract:
A slicer with which the thickness of sliced food can be varied includes a movable receiving part that receives sliding food and is subjected to downward pressure from the food, the movable receiving part not moving downward due to the pressure even if a means for securing the receiving part in place is not separately provided. An adjustment member for moving a vertically mobile first receiving part is mounted in a frame of the slicer so as to be forwardly and rearwardly movable. A means for moving the adjustment member is a worm that is provided on a drive shaft. A deflection mechanism is present between the adjustment member and the first receiving part which converts the forward and rearward motion of the adjustment member into vertical motion of the first receiving part.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a culinary slicer that can be used for household purposes or for professional purposes, and which allows the thickness of the food that is sliced to be adjusted. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Culinary slicers are configured so that, by sliding food forward from the top face of a first receiving part to the top face of a second receiving part, the food is sliced by a slicing blade that is mounted at the boundary between the first receiving part and the second receiving part. Next, in order to adjust the thickness of the food that is sliced, a configuration is adopted in which, for example, the first receiving part is movably mounted, and the height of the first receiving part is changed with respect to the slicing blade. In the slicer in Patent Document 1, in order to make the first receiving part movable, a bottom inclined face of a movable sliding plate, which is the first receiving part, and the inclined face of an adjustment body, which is an adjustment member, face each other so as to be able to slide on each other, and the movable sliding plate can be vertically translated by moving the adjustment body forward and rearward. This slicer is not provided with a securing means to prevent the movable adjustment body from being moved downward as a result of the pressure exerted by food during use. This is because, since the angle of inclination of the two facing inclined faces is small, the force that acts in the direction that would cause the two inclined faces to slide when subjected to pressure from the food is not great enough to overcome the friction between the inclined faces and cause sliding. Thus, an adjustment body securing means is not necessary for the slicer in Patent Document 1, but because the angle of inclination of the two facing inclined faces is small, the amount of a vertical movement of the movable sliding plate that can be brought about by the forward and rearward movement of the adjustment body is slight. Accordingly, the thickness of the sliced food can only be adjusted in a small range. If one wished to adjust the food thickness over a wide range, this would necessitate a great amount of forward and rearward movement of the adjustment body. Thus, in order to increase the travel of the adjustment body, the length of the slicer would have to be correspondingly increased, and the slicer would become unduly long. 
     In order to allow a wide range of adjustment for the thickness of the food, without increasing the length of the slicer in Patent Document 1, one could increase the angle of inclination of the two facing inclined faces, but without the securing means mentioned above, the first receiving part would move downward during use due to the pressure exerted by the food. Patent Document 2 describes a configuration in which the two facing inclined faces are at a large angle so that, without unduly increasing the length of the slicer, the adjustable receiving plate, which is the first receiving part, has a wide range of vertical movement, and thus the thickness of the food can be adjusted over a wide range. However, without a securing means, the adjustable receiving plate will move downward during use, and therefore the adjustable receiving plate is secured with a screw. If the adjustable receiving plate is secured with a screw in this manner, the screw must be loosened when one moves the adjustable receiving plate and the screw must be tightened in order to secure the adjustable receiving plate after moving it, so that each time that one changes the thickness of the food, the screw must be loosened and tightened, which makes work troublesome. 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Documents 
     Patent Document 1: JP-2595274-Y1 
     Patent Document 2: JP-01-35832-U 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a slicer with which the thickness of the food that is sliced can be varied, and with which, even if a means for securing a movable receiving part that receives the sliding food is not provided, when the movable receiving part is subjected to pressure from above, the receiving part does not move downward due to that pressure. 
     The invention relates to a culinary slicer capable of slicing, with a slicing blade, food that slides forward along the top face of a first receiving part to the top face of a second receiving part, and with which the thickness of the sliced food can be adjusted by way of moving at least one of the slicing blade and the first receiving part so as to change the relative heights thereof, the slicer being configured such that an adjustment member for moving a mobile first receiving part and/or the slicing blade is movably mounted in a slicer frame, and such that a means for moving the adjustment member is a worm provided on a drive part. 
     The invention is configured such that the first receiving part is mobile in a manner that varies the height thereof with respect to the slicing blade, and a deflection mechanism is present between the adjustment member and the first receiving part, which converts the motion of the adjustment member into motion that changes the height of the first receiving part with respect to the slicing blade. 
     The invention is configured such that the first receiving part is capable of vertical translation. 
     The invention is configured such that the adjustment member can move forward and rearward. 
     The invention is configured such that the worm extends in the longitudinal direction. 
     The invention is configured such that the deflection mechanism comprises inclined faces provided on the first receiving part and the adjustment member, which are inclined in the vertical direction, the inclined faces facing each other and being able to slide on each other. 
     The invention is a culinary slicer capable of slicing, with a slicing blade, food that slides forward along the top face of a first receiving part to the top face of a second receiving part, and with which the thickness of the sliced food can be adjusted by way of moving the first receiving part so as to change the relative heights of the first receiving part and slicing blade, configured such that an adjustment member for moving the first receiving part is movably mounted in a slicer frame; such that a means for moving the adjustment member is a worm provided on a drive part; and further such that a deflection mechanism is present between the adjustment member and the first receiving part, for converting the motion of the adjustment member into motion that changes the height of the first receiving part with respect to the slicing blade, the deflection mechanism comprising inclined faces provided on the first receiving part and the adjustment member, which are inclined in the vertical direction, the inclined faces facing each other and being able to slide on each other. 
     The invention is configured such that the deflection mechanism is a deflection mechanism combining: a deflection mechanism comprising inclined faces provided on the first receiving part and the adjustment member, which are inclined in the vertical direction, the inclined faces facing each other and being able to slide on each other; and a deflection mechanism wherein an inclined groove, which is inclined in the vertical direction, is formed on either one of the first receiving part or the adjustment member, and an engagement part that engages in the inclined groove is provided on the other of the first receiving member and the adjustment member. 
     An adjustment member for moving a mobile first receiving part and/or the slicing blade is movably mounted in a slicer frame, and the means for moving the adjustment member is a worm provided on a drive part. The worm is used as a mechanism component in a drive transmission mechanism, and has a self-locking function; the first receiving part or the slicing blade, which are movable members, can be moved from the driving side (worm) but, conversely, if one attempts to turn the worm from the movable member side, the worm will not turn. That is to say, the worm functions as both a drive transmission means and a securing means. Accordingly, when the movable member is subjected to downward pressure exerted by the food, the movable member will not move downward, even if a means for securing the movable member is not separately provided. Consequently, when changing the thickness of the sliced food, it suffices to turn the worm, without the need for tightening or loosening screws or the like that serve as means for securing the movable member, and thus adjusting the thickness of the sliced food is not bothersome. 
     The first receiving part is mobile in a manner that varies the height thereof with respect to the slicing blade, and a deflection mechanism is present between the adjustment member and the first receiving part, which converts the motion of the adjustment member into motion that changes the height of the first receiving part with respect to the slicing blade. Supposing that the configuration was such that the first receiving part was fixed in place and the slicing blade was moved so as to vary the height thereof, because it would be necessary for both the slicing blade and the second receiving part to be moved in the same manner, the configuration would be complex. With the configuration in which the first receiving part is moved, the slicing blade and the second receiving part are fixed in place and only one member is moved, which allows for a configuration that is simpler than a configuration in which the slicing blade is moved. 
     The first receiving part is capable of vertical translation. Supposing that the first receiving part were translated at an angle, it would be necessary for the frame of the slicer to be made correspondingly longer. If the first receiving part is made capable of vertical translation, there is no displacement of the first receiving part in the forward or rearward direction, and therefore there is no need for the frame to be made unduly long. 
     The adjustment member can move forward and rearward. The configuration that allows for forward and rearward movement of the adjustment member when the adjustment member is mounted in the frame is the simplest configuration. 
     The worm extends in the longitudinal direction. The slicer frame is formed so as to be longer in the forward-rearward direction than in the crosswise direction. Accordingly, even if the drive part that includes the worm is long, this can easily be mounted in the frame. 
     The deflection mechanism comprises inclined faces provided on the first receiving part and the adjustment member, which are inclined in the vertical direction, the inclined faces facing each other and being able to slide on each other. With this deflection mechanism, by moving the adjustment member, the first receiving part can be moved so as to change the height of the first receiving part with respect to the slicing blade. 
     An adjustment member for moving the first receiving part is movably mounted in a slicer frame; a means for moving the adjustment member is a worm provided on a drive part; and further, a deflection mechanism is present between the adjustment member and the first receiving part, for converting the motion of the adjustment member into motion that changes the height of the first receiving part with respect to the slicing blade, the deflection mechanism comprising inclined faces provided on the first receiving part and the adjustment member, which are inclined in the vertical direction, the inclined faces facing each other and being able to slide on each other. By virtue of this configuration, the adjustment member is moved by way of turning the worm by operating a drive part, and the movement of the adjustment member is converted into a movement that changes the height of the first receiving part with respect to the slicing blade, whereby the thickness of the sliced food can be adjusted. 
     The deflection mechanism is a deflection mechanism combining: a deflection mechanism comprising inclined faces provided on the first receiving part and the adjustment member, which are inclined in the vertical direction, the inclined faces facing each other and being able to slide on each other; and a deflection mechanism wherein an inclined groove, which is inclined in the vertical direction, is formed on either one of the first receiving part or the adjustment member, and an engagement part that engages in the inclined groove is provided on the other of the first receiving member and the adjustment member. If a configuration is adopted for the deflection mechanism wherein the first receiving part and the adjustment member simply have inclined faces that are inclined in the vertical direction and these inclined faces face each other and are able to slide on each other, it is possible that the movement of the first receiving part will not be smooth. That is to say, when the first receiving part is raised, the bottom inclined face of the facing inclined faces pushes on the top inclined face so that the top inclined face is raised by the force that pushes it. However, when the first receiving part is lowered, the bottom inclined face moves in a direction that separates it from the top inclined face and therefore, if it does not move downward spontaneously, the first receiving part will be left behind. In this case, there is the bothersome necessity of pushing down on the first receiving part so as to forcibly move it downward. Here, when the deflection mechanism combines a deflection mechanism using an engagement part that engages in an inclined grove, the first receiving part can reliably be moved downward by the combined deflection mechanism. With the combined deflection mechanism, the first receiving part can be reliably raised and lowered, but with a deflection mechanism consisting only of the engagement of the inclined groove and the engagement part, there would be a risk of damage when raising the first receiving part due to the inferior strength of the engagement part. Here, by combining a deflection mechanism in which the inclined faces face each other and are able to slide on each other, the deflection mechanisms can mutually compensate for these disadvantages. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a longitudinal sectional view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the present invention seen from the bottom side. 
         FIG. 5  is a view of the manner in which the present invention is used. 
         FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view showing the connection between the side wall of the frame and the first receiving part. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view showing the connection between the side wall of the frame and the first receiving part. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view seen from the underside of the base member. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view seen from the top side of the adjusting member. 
         FIG. 10  is a side view showing the relationship between the base member and the adjusting member. 
         FIG. 11  is a side view showing the relationship between the base member and the adjusting member. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the comb-tooth unit. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a portion of the slicer where the slicing blade and the comb-tooth unit are mounted. 
         FIG. 14  is a exploded view of the portion of the slicer where the slicing blade and the comb-tooth unit are mounted. 
         FIG. 15  is a partial perspective view showing the situation in which the slicing blade and the comb-tooth unit have been mounted. 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view showing the situation in which a vegetable holder is used. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention will be described. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the slicer  1  of the present invention comprises a frame  2 , a first receiving part  3  and a second receiving part  4 . The frame  2  and the second receiving part  4  are made from stainless steel sheets. The first receiving part  3  comprises a base member  12  made from plastic and a top plate  5  made from a stainless steel sheet. The first receiving part  3  is capable of perpendicular translation in the vertical direction, which allows the thickness of the sliced food to be adjusted. The second receiving part  4  is secured to the frame  2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , a stand  7  is turnably mounted on the frame  2 , and is kept closed when not in use by way of engagement on an engagement protrusion  8 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , when in use, the stand  7  is opened by way of turning it and, with this maintained at a prescribed angle of opening by way of a stopper  9 , the slicer  1  can be used in an inclined state. Furthermore, contact parts  79 ,  79  are provided at the forward end of the frame  2  and an anti-slip part  80  is provided on the crosswise-extending contact part of the stand  7 , so that stable slicing operations can be performed by virtue of these contact parts  79 ,  79  and the anti-slip part  80 . Furthermore, the slicer  1  comprises a flat slicing blade  10 . The slicing blade  10  is detachably mounted so that the blade edge  11  is oriented rearward, which is to say in the direction of the adjustment knob  48 . The food to be sliced is sliced by the slicing blade  10  as a result of sliding forward on the top face of the receiving part  3 , which is to say in the direction opposite to the adjustment knob  48 , whereafter a single slice operation is completed by sliding forward on the top face of the second receiving part  4 . By repeating this slicing operation, food can be produced that has been sliced into many slices. 
     Next, a description will be given of the deflecting mechanism, which converts the horizontal movement of the adjustment member  30 , which is the driving body, to perpendicular vertical movement of the first receiving part  3 , which is the follower. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the first receiving part  3  is such that a top plate  5  is secured to the top face of a plastic base member  12 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the top plate  5  is integrally provided with two sidewalls  13 ,  13  between which the base member  12  is to be positioned, in addition to which a separate guide plate  15  is mounted extending perpendicular thereto. Furthermore, pinholes  17 ,  17  are provided in the two side walls  13 ,  13  for fastening the base member  12 , which is positioned therebetween, and pinholes  18 ,  18  are provided in the guide plate  15 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the base member  12  fits into a space formed between the two side walls  13 ,  13  and the guide plate  15 , and the two side walls  13 ,  13  and the base member  12  are joined by pins  14 , which pass through the pinholes  17 ,  17  while the guide plate  15  and the base member  12  are joined by pins  16 ,  16 , which pass through the pinholes  18 ,  18 . 
     The guide plate  15  is provided with a pair of bolt holes (not shown) through which bolts  22  are inserted, exterior to the pinholes  18 ,  18 . Furthermore, a pair of brackets  20  (one of which is not shown), which are formed with an L-shaped bend, are secured to the inner faces of two side walls  54 ,  54  of the frame  2 . The brackets  20  are provided with vertically extending slots  21 . These slots  21  define the maximum range of motion of the first receiving part  3 . The bolts  22 ,  22  are inserted through the bolt holes in the guide plate  15  and the slots  21  in the brackets  20 , and the bolts  22 ,  22  are prevented from coming out of the bolt holes and the slots  21  by way of passing through washers and being screwed into nuts  23 ,  23 . Note that the nuts  23 ,  23  are not completely tightened, but rather are tightened so as to allow movement of the bolts  22 ,  22  in the slots  21 . The first receiving part  3  moves vertically with respect to the frame  2  by way of the vertical movement of the bolts  22 ,  22  in the slots  21 . Additionally, forward and rearward movement of the first receiving part  3  is restricted by surface contact between the brackets  20  and the guide plate  15 . This configuration is essential for allowing vertical perpendicular translation of the base member  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , two front and rear pairs of follower parts  24 ,  24 ,  25 ,  25  are integrally provided on the two sides of the bottom face of the base member  12 . Furthermore, each of the follower parts  24 ,  24 ,  25 ,  25  has follower inclined faces  26 ,  26 ,  27 ,  27  on the respective bottom faces thereof. The follower inclined faces  26 ,  26 ,  27 ,  27  are formed as inclined faces that rise from the rear to the front of the slicer  1 . Moreover, each of the follower parts  24 ,  24 ,  25 ,  25  has follower inclined grooves  28 ,  29  on the respective inner faces thereof, which are parallel to the follower inclined faces  26 ,  26 ,  27 ,  27 . 
     Moreover, the slicer  1  has an adjustment member  30 , which is the driving body that applies the force that moves the base member  12  described above. As shown in  FIG. 9 , two front and rear pairs of driving parts  31 ,  31 ,  32 ,  32  are integrally provided on the two sides of the top face of the adjustment member  30 . Furthermore, each of the driving parts  31 ,  31 ,  32 ,  32  has a driving inclined face  33 ,  33 ,  34 ,  34  on the respective top face thereof. These driving inclined faces  33 ,  33 ,  34 ,  34  are formed as inclined faces that rise from the rear to the front of the slicer  1 , at the same angle as the follower inclined faces  26 ,  26 ,  27 ,  27  described above. When the first receiving part  3  and the adjustment member  30  are arranged in the frame  2 , the driving inclined faces  33 ,  33 ,  34 ,  34  and the follower inclined faces  26 ,  26 ,  27 ,  27  face each other and can slide on each other. 
     Furthermore, projecting pieces  35 ,  35 ,  36 ,  36  stand upright from the driver pieces  31 ,  31 ,  32 ,  32  of the adjustment member  30  and driving engagement projections  37 ,  37 ,  38 ,  38  are formed at the top of these projecting pieces  35 ,  35 ,  36 ,  36  so as to project above the driving inclined faces  33 ,  33 ,  34 ,  34 . When the first receiving part  3  and the adjustment member  30  are arranged in the frame  2 , with the driving inclined faces  33 ,  33 ,  34 ,  34  in contact with the follower inclined faces  26 ,  26 ,  27 ,  27 , the driving engagement protrusions  37 ,  37 ,  38 ,  38  engage in the two front and rear pairs of follower inclined grooves  28 ,  29  in the base member  12 . 
     Furthermore, guide parts  40  made from stainless steel sheet (one of which is not illustrated) are secured by way of welding to the inner faces of the two side walls  54 ,  54  of the frame  2 , and serve to guide the forward and rearward movement of the adjustment member  30 , while supporting the adjustment member  30 . A guide groove  50  is configured in the guide part  40 , in cooperation with the side wall  54  of the frame  2 . Elongate protrusions  39 ,  39 , which extend in the longitudinal direction and engage in the guide grooves  50 , are formed on the two sides of the bottom face of the adjustment member  30 . When the adjustment member  30  is arranged in the frame  2 , the elongate protrusions  39 ,  39  of the adjustment member  30  engage in the guide grooves  50  so that the forward and rearward movement of the adjustment member  30  is guided by the guide groove  50 . 
     Furthermore, a worm  43  that forms a helical groove  45  provided on a drive shaft  42 , which is a drive part, is inserted into an engagement hole  44  provided in a rear wall  41  of the adjustment member  30  so as to be rotatable around the axis of the same. Next, a pin  46  that has been inserted via the top face of the back wall  41  engages in the groove  45  of the worm  43 . The worm  43  can be turned with the pin  46  and the groove  45  engaged. The drive shaft  42 , which comprises the worm  43 , is inserted into a shaft hole  19  that is provided in a rear end wall  6  of the frame  2 , and supported so as to be immobile in the forward and rearward directions. The worm  43  can be turned by turning the adjustment knob  48  that is provided at the rear end of the drive shaft  42 . Because the worm  43  is supported so as to be immobile in the forward and rearward directions, only the adjustment member  30  moves in the forward and rearward directions with respect to the frame  2  as a result of the worm  43  being turned. 
     Next, the method of moving the first receiving part  3  perpendicularly upward will be described with reference to  FIG. 10 . Starting from the situation in  FIG. 10 , if the drive shaft  42  is turned in the clockwise direction around the axis thereof, the adjustment member  30  moves rearward (to the right). At this time, the driving inclined faces  33 ,  34  press on the follower inclined faces  26 ,  27 , whereby not only is a lifting force applied to the base member  12  of the first receiving part  3 , but a rearward moving force is also applied. However, as shown in  FIG. 6 , due to the surface contact between the guide plate  15  of the first receiving part  3  and the brackets  20  that are provided on the inner faces of the two side walls  54 ,  54  of the frame  2 , forward and rearward movement of the base member  12  is prevented so that the first receiving part  3  does not move rearward. Accordingly, the first receiving part  3  rises only perpendicularly while the driving inclined faces  33 ,  34  and the follower inclined faces  26 ,  27  slide against each other. Furthermore, because the forward follower part  24  and the rearward follower part  25  have the same shape, and the forward driving part  31  and the rearward driving part  32  have the same shape, the forward and rearward lifting of the base member  12  are equal, so that the first receiving part  3  translates perpendicularly. Furthermore, as differs from a screw, with the worm  43 , the spacing on the normal line between grooves is large, so that the adjusting member  30  can be rapidly moved with minimal turning of the worm  43 . Furthermore, when the first receiving part  3  reaches a prescribed height, in the present invention there is no locking mechanism for maintaining the first receiving part  3  at that height. This is because the worm has a self-locking function so that even if pressure is applied to the first receiving part  3  from above, the worm will not turn in reverse, and thus the first receiving part  3  will not move downward. Accordingly, in the present invention, a locking mechanism for maintaining the first receiving part  3  at a predetermined height is unnecessary. 
     Next, the method of moving the first receiving part  3  perpendicularly downward is described with reference to  FIG. 11 . Starting from the situation in  FIG. 11 , if the drive shaft  42  is turned counterclockwise around the axis thereof, the adjustment member  30  moves forward (to the left). Consequently, the driving inclined faces  33 ,  34  of the adjustment member  30  move in the direction that gradually decreases the heights at which the follower inclined faces  26 ,  27  of the base member  12  are maintained. Together with this movement, the driving engagement protrusions  37 ,  38  of the driving part  31 ,  32 , which are engaged in the follower inclined grooves  28 ,  29  of the follower parts  24 ,  25 , press against the lower inner faces of the follower inclined grooves  28 ,  29  and force downward the first receiving part  3 , the motion of which in the forward and rearward directions is prevented. Supposing that the driving engagement protrusions  37 ,  38  and the follower inclined grooves  28 ,  29  were not engaged, when the driving inclined faces  33 ,  34  of the adjustment member  30  moved in the direction that gradually decreases the height at which the follower inclined faces  26 ,  27  of the base member  12  are maintained, even if the first receiving part  3  were able to move downward spontaneously under its own weight, when there is a large amount of friction between the frame  2  and the first receiving part  3 , there is a risk that the first receiving part  3  would be left behind without spontaneously moving downward. Thus, in this embodiment, two deflection mechanisms are provided in combination for moving the first receiving part  3 , which is the follower body, upward and downward as a result of moving the adjustment member  30 , which is the driving body, forward and rearward, these being a deflection mechanism wherein the inclined faces that are provided on the first receiving part  3  and the adjustment member  30  are able to slide against each other, and a deflection mechanism wherein the driving engagement protrusions  37 ,  38  that are provided on the adjustment member  30  and the follower inclined grooves  28 ,  29  that are provided in the first receiving part  3  engage. These mechanisms thus allow reliable vertical movement of the first receiving part  3  in keeping with the turning of the adjustment knob  48  and the forward and rearward movement of the adjustment member  30 . Furthermore, when the first receiving part  3  is moved to the highest position, the top face of the first receiving part  3  is set higher than the slicing blade  10 , which is safe in that there is no risk of fingers or the like being hurt by the slicing blade  10 , and damage to the blade can also be prevented. Moreover, by virtue of the engagement of the driving engagement protrusions  37 ,  38  and the follower inclined grooves  28 ,  29 , the driving inclined faces  33 ,  34  and the follower inclined faces  26 ,  27  will not separate, which makes it possible to prevent the end of the first receiving part  3  from floating or jumping up during use. 
     In this embodiment, food can be sliced by the slicing blade  10 , but by detachably mounting a comb-tooth unit  49  shown in  FIG. 12  in the frame  2 , the food can be julienned. The comb-tooth unit  49  is configured by aligning a multiplicity of comb teeth  52  on a bar shaped base  51 . Stop protrusions  53 ,  53  are formed at the two ends of the base  51 . Moreover, a step  72  is formed by providing a height differential along the longitudinal direction of the base  51 . This step  72  determines the lower boundary of the first receiving part  3 . That is to say, the height differential of the step  72  is equal to the thickness of the top plate  5  of the first receiving part  3 . Thus, when the first receiving part  3  is lowered, the forward end  78  of the top plate  5  strikes against the step  72  of the comb-tooth unit  49 , so that the first receiving part  3  is prevented from lowering any further. When food is julienned in this state, the thickness of the slices and the pitch between the comb teeth are the same, so that the cross-section of the julienned food is square. When julienning with the first receiving part  3  raised higher than this, the cross-section of the food will be rectangular. Furthermore, by providing a plurality of comb-tooth units  49 , in which the heights and pitches of the comb teeth  52  are different, it is possible to julienne at different sizes. 
     Next, the configuration for detachably mounting the slicing blade  10  and the comb-tooth unit  49  in the frame  2  is described. As shown in  FIG. 14 , the slicing blade  10  has horizontal plates  66 ,  66  at the two ends thereof for detachable mounting in the frame  2 . The horizontal plates  66 ,  66  have extended portions  71  which protrude beyond the blade edge  11  of the slicing blade  10 . Furthermore, elongate engagement protrusions  68 ,  68  are formed to the interior of the bottom face of the horizontal plates  66 ,  66 . The elongate engagement protrusions  68 ,  68  are formed so that, when mounted in the frame  2 , the slicing blade  10  is prevented from moving in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 15 , locking members  55 ,  55 , which serve to prevent the slicing blade  10  and the comb-tooth unit  49  that have been mounted in the frame  2  from coming out, are mounted near the center of the outer faces of the two side walls  54 ,  54  of the frame  2 . Moreover, on the outer faces of the two side walls  54 ,  54  of the frame  2 , to the fore and to the rear of the locking members  55 ,  55 , first outer walls  56 ,  56  are mounted, which are made from plastic and extend in the longitudinal direction to the fore thereof, and second outer walls  57 ,  57  are mounted, which are made from plastic and extend in the longitudinal direction to the rear thereof. Note that, with regard to the frame  2 ,  2 , the locking members  55 ,  55  and the like, as these are symmetrically present on the two sides of the frame  2 , hereafter, only one side will be described. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 13 to 15 , the locking member  55  comprises a base part  58  and a cover  59 . As shown in  FIG. 6  or  FIG. 7 , cutaways  60  are provided in the two side walls  54  of the frame  2 , and the base parts  58  of the locking members  55  are mounted in the side walls  54  so as to close these cutaways  60 . Furthermore, a receiving groove  61  is formed in the base part  58  for mounting the comb-tooth unit  49 . Moreover, one lock pin  62  is mounted in the base part  58  so as to maintain the cover  59  in the closed state. 
     The cover  59  of the locking member  55  is pivotably mounted on the base part  58  by a hinge  63 . A hold-down part  64  is integrally formed at the top of the cover  59  so as to project inwardly, in order to prevent the slicing blade  10  and the comb-tooth unit  49  that have been mounted in the frame  2  from coming out. Furthermore, clasp parts  65 ,  65  are provided in the cover  59  so as to maintain the closed state when the cover  59  has been closed by way of clasping a lock pin  62  therein. That is to say, a single locking pin  62  is clasped by these two clasp parts  65 ,  65 . 
     When both the slicing blade  10  and the comb-tooth unit  49  are to be fitted in the frame  2 , first, the covers  59  of the two locking members  55  are opened. Next, the comb-tooth unit  49  is fitted before the slicing blade  10 . If the slicing blade  10  is fitted first, it is not possible to subsequently fit the comb-tooth unit  49 . When fitting the comb-tooth unit  49  in the frame  2 , it suffices to push the retainer protrusions  53  on the comb-tooth unit  49  into the receiving groove  61 . At this time, the top face  69  of the retainer protrusion  53  will be flush with the top face  70  of the base part  58  of the locking member  55 . Next, the horizontal plate  66  of the slicing blade  10  is placed on the top faces  70  of the base parts  58  so that the slicing blade  10  bridges the base parts  58  of the two locking members  55 . At this time, the extended portions  71  of the horizontal plate  66  are placed on the top face  69  of the retainer protrusions  53 . Next, when the covers  59  of both locking members  55  are closed, the hold-down parts  64  thereof hold the horizontal plates  66  of the slicing blade  10  from above, thus reliably locking the slicing blade  10  and the comb-tooth unit  49 . When only the slicing blade  10  is mounted, the slicing blade  10  may be locked so as to bridge the base parts  58  of the two locking members  55 . 
     When the slicing blade  10  and the comb-tooth unit  49  are removed, first the covers  59  of the two locking members  55  are opened. At this point, by placing a fingertip in a recess  67  that is formed on the first outer wall  56 , the fingertip can be engaged with a finger engagement part  47  of the cover  59 , whereby the cover  59  can easily be opened. Next, the slicing blade  10  is removed. The comb-tooth unit  49  cannot be removed unless the slicing blade  10  is removed first. Furthermore, when the first receiving part  3  is in the most lowered state, the front end  78  of the top plate  5  of the first receiving part  3  strikes the step  72  of the comb-tooth unit  49 , and presses on the comb-tooth unit  49  from above, so that the forward end  78  of the top plate  5  blocks the comb-tooth unit  48  so that it cannot be removed. Accordingly, when the comb-tooth unit  49  is to be removed, this is preferably performed after raising the first receiving part  3  to the highest position. 
     Next, the sizes in the present mode of embodiment will be described. The overall length of the slicer  1 , including the adjustment knob  48 , is approximately 425 mm. The width of the slicer  1 , not including the stand  7  and the locking members  55 , is approximately 117 mm. The height of the slicer  1 , not including the stand  7 , is approximately 65 mm. The size is as described above, but it is a matter of course that the present invention is not limited to these numerical values. 
     Note that the present invention can be embodied in various different modes based on the configuration described above. For example, the materials for the frame  2 , the second receiving part  4 , the base material  12  of the first receiving part  3  and the top plate  5  are not limited to those described above, and it suffices that these be materials with which implementation is possible. Furthermore the present invention can perform slicing using a vegetable holder  73 , as shown in  FIG. 16 . The vegetable holder  73  is provided with a cylindrical portion  75  for inserting vegetables at the center of a base plate  74 , and a vegetable insertion hole  76  is provided in this cylindrical portion  75 . When a vegetable is sliced, the vegetable is inserted into this vegetable insertion hole  76  and the vegetable holder  73  is slid forward and rearward while pressing down on the vegetable with a pressing member  77 . It is possible to prevent harming fingers with the slicing blade  10  or the like by using the vegetable holder  73 . Furthermore, this can be used with the stand  7  removed from the frame  2 , by way of stretching the stand  7  to the left and the right. Furthermore, the present invention is such that the slicing blade  10  can be vertically mobile by way of securing the slicing blade  10  to the top plate  5  of the first receiving part  3 . In this case, the configuration is such that the comb-tooth unit  49  cannot be fitted. If the slicing blade  10  is secured to the top plate  5 , the food can be sliced by sliding the food from the top face of the second receiving part to the top face of the first receiving part. In this case, the food first slides across the top face of the second receiving part, and then slides across the top face of the first receiving part. Accordingly, forward and rearward are the reverse of that in the embodiment. Furthermore, in addition to mounting the slicing blade  10  and the comb-tooth unit  49  perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal direction of the frame  2  as in the embodiment, these may be mounted at an inclination with respect to the longitudinal direction of the frame  2 . 
     The slicer is such that force, which is applied to a mobile first receiving part and/or an adjustment member for moving a slicing blade, is transmitted by the worm of a drive part that is turned, whereby the height of the first receiving part and/or the slicing blade is quickly changed, and even if the food is pressed down during use, the first receiving part and/or the slicing blade will not be lowered. 
     EXPLANATION OF THE SYMBOLS 
       1  slicer 
       2  frame 
       3  first receiving part 
       4  second receiving part 
       5  top plate 
       6  rear end wall of slicer 
       7  stand 
       8  engagement protrusion 
       9  stopper 
       10  slicing blade 
       11  blade edge 
       12  base member 
       13  side wall 
       14  pin 
       15  guide plate 
       16  pin 
       17  pin hole 
       18  pin hole 
       19  insertion hole 
       20  bracket 
       21  slot 
       22  bolt 
       23  nut 
       24  follower part 
       25  follower part 
       26  follower inclined face 
       27  follower inclined face 
       28  follower inclined groove 
       29  follower inclined groove 
       30  adjustment member 
       31  driver part 
       32  driver part 
       33  driver inclined face 
       34  driver inclined face 
       35  protruding piece 
       36  protruding piece 
       37  driver engagement protrusion 
       38  driver engagement protrusion 
       39  elongate protrusion 
       40  guide part 
       41  rear wall 
       42  drive shaft 
       43  worm 
       44  engagement hole 
       45  groove 
       46  pin 
       47  finger engagement part 
       48  adjustment knob 
       49  comb-tooth unit 
       50  guide groove 
       51  base 
       52  comb tooth 
       53  stop protrusion 
       54  frame sidewall 
       55  locking member 
       56  first outer wall 
       57  second outer wall 
       58  base part 
       59  cover 
       60  cut away 
       61  receiving groove 
       62  locking pin 
       63  hinge 
       64  hold-down part 
       65  clasp part 
       66  horizontal plate 
       67  recess 
       68  elongate engagement protrusion 
       69  top face of retainer protrusion 
       70  top face of base part 
       71  extended portion 
       72  step 
       73  vegetable holder 
       74  baseplate 
       75  cylinder 
       76  vegetable insertion hole 
       77  pressing member 
       78  front edge of top plate 
       79  contact part 
       80  anti-slip part