BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a food slicer and, more particularly, to a slicing device particularly designed to store, cut and serve food slices of various configurations.

The use of wire-type food slicers to cut food products, such as cheese, eggs, etc., is known. However, such devices have inherent limitations as their structure are not designed to store and/or serve the resulting sliced pieces. Moreover, it is also desirable to slice the food products into various configurations by changing the configuration of the cutting blade.

In response thereto I have invented a food slicer which generally comprises a food reservoir/serving container with a cutting blade housing releasably attached thereto. The housing releasably receives wire cutting blades of various designs. A top lid is swingably connected thereto and includes a depending planar surface. Upon placement of the food product atop the cutting blade, swingable movement of the top lid to a closed position urges the food product through the cutting blade proper. The resulting sliced pieces are then deposited into the lower reservoir. The above elements are releasably detached from the lower reservoir enabling the reservoir to be used as a serving or baking dish.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a food slicer for cutting food products into variously configured slices by variously configured cutting blades.

Another object of this invention is to provide a food slicer, as aforesaid, the cutting blades being releasably engageable with a cutting blade housing.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a food slicer, as aforesaid, having a top lid swingably connected to the cutting blade housing, the top lid presenting a depending surface for urging the food product through the cutting blade.

A further object of this invention is to provide a food slicer, as aforesaid, having a storage reservoir releasably connected to the cutting blade housing, the storage reservoir functioning as a serving/baking dish.

Another further object of this invention is to provide a food slicer, as aforesaid, the top lid, cutting blade housing and storage reservoir releasably connected among each other.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a food slicer, as aforesaid, which is easily maintained and is adaptable for use with food products of various configurations.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the food slicer;

FIG. 2 is an exploded, rear elevation view, on an enlarged scale, of the food slicer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the top lid of the food slicer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the cutting blade housing of the food slicer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the storage reservoir/serving dish of the food slicer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view of one cutting blade utilized with the food slicer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an alternate cutting blade utilized with the food slicer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 shows the pivotability of the parts relative to one another.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the food slicer 100 as generally comprising a lower storage reservoir 120, an intermediate cutting blade housing 220, cutting blade 250 and a top lid 320. The cutting blade housing 220 is pivotally connected and latched to the storage reservoir 120 with the top lid 320 being pivotally connected to the cutting blade housing 220.

The top lid 320 (FIG. 3) is generally rectangular in configuration and presents rounded corners. The top lid 320 comprises an exterior cover 322 with wall 324 depending therefrom, the wall 324 being of a reduced perimetrical configuration relative to the perimeter of the cover 322. The depending wall 324 presents a free planar surface 326 which is generally parallel to the cutting blade 250 upon closure of lid 320. The relatively reduced configuration of the depending wall 324 enables the wall 324 to fit within the confines of the underlying cutting blade housing 220.

The cutting blade housing 220 presents a generally rectangular configuration including a rear wall 222, front wall 224 and longitudinally opposed side walls 226, 228. The configuration of the cutting blade housing 220 enables the depending wall 324 to be received therein. Positioned at each corner of the cutting blade housing 220 is a horizontally extending flange 230 having a clamp 232 upwardly extending therefrom. Extending from the rear wall 222 of the cutting blade housing 220 are first and second lower hinges 240, 242 designed to engage complementary hinges 140, 142 found on the rear wall 22 of lower storage reservoir 120. Upper hinges 244, 246 on rear wall 222 are designed to engage complementary hinges 344, 46 found at the rear of the cover 322 of top lid 320. These hinge combinations enable the cutting blade housing 220 to be releasably engaged with the lower storage reservoir 120 with the top lid 320 being further swingably engaged to the cutting blade housing 220. Along the front wall of the cutting blade housing 220 is latch 221 designed to snap into aperture 121 found in the lower storage reservoir 120.

The storage reservoir 120 presents a housing with open top, the housing 120 having the perimetrical configuration of the cutting blade housing 220. As stated, hinges 140, 142 on the rear wall 122 of the housing 120 releasably engage the lower hinges 240, 242 found on the cutting blade housing. The lower surface 124 of the storage reservoir 120 is designed to rest on an underlying support surface, such as a table or the like, without wobbling, tipping, etc. The depth of the storage reservoir housing 120, as formed by the height of the housing 120 walls, is preferably greater than that of the cutting blade housing 220. Further located on the front wall 126 of the lower storage reservoir 120 is aperture 121 which engages a complementary clasp or latch member 221 found on the front wall of the cutting blade housing 220 in a locking relationship therebetween.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the cutting blades 250, 250' present a frame 256, 256' with a plurality of thin cutting wires 258, 258' spanning the frame 256, 256' in a desired configuration. The frame 256 or 256' releasably engages the clamps 232 upwardly extending from each horizontal corner flange 230 found in the cutting blade housing 220.

The overall configuration of the food slicer 100 is chosen so as to accommodate the food product to be sliced therein. For example, the housing 100 as shown may be used to slice bananas, hot dogs and similarly configured food products. In use a hot dog is placed on the cutting blade 250 within housing 220. Upon the lid 320 being swung from an open position to a closed position downward pressure is exerted by the free planar surface 326 of the top lid 320 on the hot dog. The hot dog is thus forced through the open cutting blade 250 and sliced by the interior wires 258 thereof. The resulting slices are deposited into the lower storage reservoir 120. Subsequently, the cutting blade housing 220 with top lid 320 thereon may be removed from this lower storage reservoir 120 by disengaging the hinges 240, 242 from hinges 140, 142 and unlocking latch 221. This lower storage reservoir 120 can then be used for baking or serving the sliced hot dog pieces therein. The resulting configuration of the food product slices may be changed by releasing blade 250 from clamps 232 and substituting blade 250' therefor.

Upon cleaning the food slicer 100 the top lid 320, cutting blade housing 220 and lower storage reservoir 120 may be disengaged at the hinges with the cutting blade 250 being releasably removed from the clamps 232.

It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.