Food processing apparatus and sieve

Abstract

Described herein is a food processing apparatus (2) comprising: a container (4) having an interior; a sieve disposed within the interior of the container (4) and dividing the interior into a processing volume (14) and a collection volume (16); and a processing member (8) for processing food disposed within the processing volume. The sieve (7) comprises: a first separation member (10) comprising a set of first holes (32); and a second separation member (12) adjacent the first separation member and comprising a set of second holes (33) which are arranged such that they overlap the set of first holes to form a plurality of aligned openings (35) which pass through the first and second separation members (10, 12) for allowing food to pass from the processing volume (14) into the collection volume (16). The first and second separation members (10, 12) are movable relative to one other between a first position and a second position so as to vary the degree of overlap of the sets of first and second holes and to adjust the cross-sectional area of the aligned openings (35). Each aligned opening (35) is formed by two sides (82, 88) of one of the first holes (32) and either: one side of one of the second holes so as to define a triangular cross-sectional shape, or two sides (82′, 88′) of one of the second holes (33) so as to define a quadrilateral cross-sectional shape. In the second position, each aligned opening (35) is defined by portions of each of said sides (82, 88; 82′, 88′) of the first and second holes (32, 33) which are shorter than in the first position such that the aligned openings (35) have a smaller cross-sectional area when in the second position than the first position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.