Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
3L2~75'~2
Food Processor Attachment and ApParatus Eor
Peelin~ Garlic or the like
Technical Field
This invention relates to food processing equipment and
more particularly to a Eood processor and food processor
accessory for facilitating the peeling of foodstuffs which
have a dry lluslc or outer covering.
':
Backqround of the Invention
Food processing appliances having a food product re-
ceptacle and a drive shaft extending into the receptacle for
rotating any of a varlety of interchangable food cutting
attachments have greatly facilitated the preparation of
meals both in commercial establishments and in the home~
Such appliances enable subdividing of food materials into
any of ~a variety~of configurations an/or mixing of materials
with a degree oE speed~and precision that cannot be realized
with knives or other manual tools.
; Food~processors have not heretofore been particularly
s:uited for peeling certain food products which are charac-
teri~zed~by a dry and sometimes brittle husk or other cover-
:
ing.~Garlic and some types of dried onion are examples of
such~food products which generally require peeling before
being~adde~d~into the~other constituents of a recipe.
Garli~c or~the like has heretoEore typically been peeled
manually with the aid of a knife or similar instrument. The
process is ~undesirably tedious and time consuming and re-
;:: ~: :
lZ87~Z
quires continuous careful at~ention on the part of the foodprepared. The odour of garlic tends to remain on the hands and
clothing of the food preparer. Volatile subs~ances re-released
during the peeling of onions can also be irritatincJ to the
eyes.
Preparation of meals which include foods of the above
described kinds could he accomplished more rapidly and with
much less difficulty if the peeling operations could be
accomplished with the aid of a food processor appliance.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one ;
or more of the problems discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION - :
In one aspect, the present invention provldes a
peeling attachment or a food processor whlch has a receptacle
for food products and a rotary drive shaft which extends up
; into sald receptacle to support and rotate any selected one of
a variety of food working attachments that may be engaged on
sald dri~ve shaft,~ said peeling attachment belng comprlsed of a
hollow hub whlch ls~flttable on the upper end of sald drlve
;~ 20 shaft in~coaxial relationshlp therewlth, means for constralning
sald~hub to rotate with~said drive shaf~, and a clrcular disk
ex~tendlng~outward from~a lower region of said hub in coaxial
relatlonshlp therewith, sald disk having an abrasive upper
su~rface~ s~a:ld surface having a:conflguratlon whereln all polnts
~ on sald~surface that~are~equldlstant fro= the center of said
t surface;are co-planar.
::
In~an~o~ther aspect the lnvention provldes a peeling
attachment~for~a~foo~d processor comprlslng a laminated disk
hav~lng~an~upper laminat~l~on of =aterial which has an abrasive
sur~ace~an~d~h~aving~a~relatively thick lower lamination to which
`~ said upper la=lnation is secured, said upper laminatlon having
, : : ~ : : ~
: . :
`. ' . ~ '
:lZ~7S~;2
a configura~ion wherein all points an said abrasive surface
that are equidistant from the center thereof are co-planar, and
a tubular hub extending through said disk at the center thereof
and being coaxial therewith and being inte~ral with said lower
lamination of said disk, wherein the hub
. ' .
-
"~;
,
:
~ ,
; : ,,
c
~ ~ 2a : -
`` B~ ~
:
~2~7S~2
has an axial passage oE non-circular cross ~ectional confiy-
uration which is shaped Eor receiving the drive output shaft
of the food processor.
In still another aspect, the invention provides a food
processor having a receptacle for holdiny edible articles
which are to be processed and having a drivé output shaEt
which extends upward into the receptacle for engaging and
rotating a Eood working attachment within the receptacle,
The food worklng attachment is a peeling attachment having a
disk disposed in coaxial relationship with the drive outp~t
shaft and which is engaged with the shaft for rotation
thereby. The upper surface of the disk has a coating of
abrasive grit.
The invention provides a rotating abrasive surface
within the food receptacle of a food processor which quickly
abrades away the dried and somewhat brittle outer covering
of garlic cloves or similar food items. Peeling is accom-
plished~ qulckly, easily and uithout the risks involved in
manual peeling with a kniEe. The food preparer is also less
exposed to~ the~ adverse eEfects;of volatile aromatic
components which can be released during the peeling of un-
cooked garlic or onions.
Brief Description of the Drawinqs
~FIG. l is a~perspective view of a food processor appli-
.
ance embodying the~inven~tion.
~ FIG.~2~is; a cross section view of the upper portion oEthe apparat~us of FIG. l taken along line II-II therof.
~ ~FIG.~3~is a perspectlve view of a food processor at-
tachment for~peeling garlic or the like shown removed from
,
the food processor;.
FIG. 4 is an elevation section view of the attachment
of FIG~. 3 taken along line III-III thereof.
-3-
' .: :
~2~37S'~Z
Detailed Description oE the PreEerred Embodiment
Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawings, food
processor 11 appliances oE the type to which the invention
is applicable may take a variety oE forms and in this par-
ticular example ~8 of the form having an upriyht body 12
supporting a cylindrical food receptacle 13. The receptacle
13 and a removable cover 14 of the receptacle are preEerably
formed oE transparent material to facilitate observation of
the progress of food processing operations. An electrical
motor 16 within body 12 drives the Eood processor 11.
Suitable detailed constructions for the above described
components of the food processor 11 are known to the art.
The present food processor 11 differs from the prior con-
structions in that the Eood working component wlthin recept,-
acle 13 is a peeling attachment 17. The peeling attachment
17 of this embodiment is removable f~rom the food processor
ll to enable other;operations to be performed with other
attachments although the peeling~attachment ~ay be a perman,-
ent component~in IDstances~where~the processor is to be used
exclusively for pe~eling~operations.
~: : : :
~ eferring now to FIG.~2, the drive output shaft 18 from
motor 16 is~ aligned in a vertical direction and is centered
wl~th~respect to the food receptacle 13. The dri.ve shaft 18,
which~haa~a~hexa~gonal~cross sectional configuration in this
type of food pro,ces~sor~ 11, extends upward into r~cep~acle 13
through~a~cylindrical sleeve 19 at the base of the receptac-
,
~le~.~ Shaft~ extends~above;the upper end of sleeve 19 to a~subs;tantially~higher~level~within receptacle 13.
Referring~jointly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the peeling attach-
ment~17~hàs~a;tubular hub ~21 proportioned to be fitted onto
the upper~por~t1~on oE~drive~shaft 18. An annular lip 22 at
: ,
, : :
: ~
., :, :: : ~ ~: .
-`` lZ~7S~2
the upper end oE hub 21 seats against the top of drive shaft
18 to hold the hub at an intermediate elevation within the
space enclosed by t~e receptacle 13 and cover 14. ~t that
location, the lower end of the hub 21 extends a short dis-
tance into the upper end of sleeve 19. This prevents entry
of peelings into the sleeve.
ReEerring now to FIGS. 2 and 4 in conjunction, the
axial passage 23 within hub 21 has a hexayonal cross section
conforming to that of the food processor drive shaft 18.
Thus the hub 18 is rotated by shaft 18 when motor 16 is aict-
uated.
Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, the peeling attachment
17 has a disk 24 portion which is coaxial with the hub 21
and which may be integrally formed with the hub. Disk 24
has a diameter conforming to the inside diameter of recept-
acle 13 and connects with hub 21 near the lower end of the
hub at a level immediately above the top of sleeve 19.
Disk~29 has an~abrasive upper surface 26 which abrades
or grinds away the dry brittle outer covering of garlic
cloves or the like that rest on the disk when the apparatus
is in operation. While the disk 24 can be formed of metal
havlng m1nute shar;p projections on the upper surface, the
present embodiment has an advantageous laminated construc-
tioniwith the~lower lamination 27 being hard plastic inte-
gral with the plastlc material of hub 21. The upper lamin-
ation~28 i9 ~abraslve~sheet materlal such as sandpaper which
is secured~to~ the lower lamination 27 with adhesive. The
sandpaper~is p~réferably of a grade having moderately coarse
: :
grlt~29 on~ the surface 26.
In operation, cover 14 of the food processor 11 is temp-
: ~ :
orarily removed and the garlic cloves or the like which are
: ::
.
-5-
. :: : ,
:
~;~8~
to be peeled are deposited on top of disk 24. The cover 14
is then replaced and n~otor 16 i8 actuated. Rotation of the
abrasive surface 26 then abrades away the outer coveriny oP
those portions oE the garlic cloves or the like that are in
contact with the surface. Rotation of the disk 24 also agi-
tates and turns the cloves or the like causing all outer
portions of the cloves to contact the disk and be peeled
within a short period of time. The food processor 11 is
then shut down to minimize abrasion of the inner portions of
the cloves which are to be used as a food ingredient. The ~--
The transparency of the receptacle 13 facilitates monitoring
of the peeling operations to enable prompt deactuation of the
motor 16 when the process has been completed. Cover 14 may
then be removed to recover the garlic cloves or the like and
the peelings may be removed by lifting the attachment 17 from
drive shaEt 18. The pee~ling operation proceeds very quickly
and without the difficulties and problems encountered in
manual peeling of such food items.
While the invention has been described with respect to
a single preferred embodiment, many modifications in the
construction are poseibl~e and it is not intended tp limit
the invention except as defined in the following claims.
:
`: :
-6-
:
