Automatic cover latch and pressure relief system for a dough divider

A food press comprising:

• a hopper with a lid, the lid having an open position and a closed position;
• a latch assembly adapted to maintain the lid in the closed position when activated and to discontinue maintaining the lid in the closed position when deactivated;
• a press plate vertically slidable within the hopper;
• the hopper being adapted to accept food between the lid and the press plate;
• the press plate adapted to be driven towards the lid in order to compress the food between the press plate and the lid within the hopper;
• wherein when a drive for the press plate is deactuated, the latch assembly automatically deactivates to discontinue maintaining the lid in the closed position after the food has been compressed within the hopper.

A food press comprising:

• a hopper with a lid, the lid having an open position and a closed position;
• a closure mechanism comprising a first member on the lid and a second member on the hopper configured to interact to maintain the lid in the closed position when the closure mechanism is activated and to discontinue maintaining the lid in the closed position when the closure mechanism is deactivated;
• a press plate vertically slidable within the hopper;
• the hopper being adapted to accept food between the lid and the press plate;
• the press plate adapted to be driven towards the lid in order to compress the food between the press plate and the lid within the hopper;
• wherein when a drive for the press plate is actuated, the closure mechanism automatically activates to maintain the lid in the closed position while the press plate is being driven towards the lid.

A food press comprising:

• a hopper with a lid, the lid having an open position and a closed position;
• a closure mechanism comprising a first member on the lid and a second member on the hopper configured to interact to maintain the lid in the closed position when the closure mechanism is activated and to discontinue maintaining the lid in the closed position when the closure mechanism is deactivated;
• a press plate vertically slidable within the hopper;
• the hopper being adapted to accept food between the lid and the press plate;
• the press plate adapted to be driven towards the lid in order to compress the food between the press plate and the lid within the hopper;
• wherein when a drive for the press plate is deactuated, the closure mechanism automatically deactivates to discontinue maintaining the lid in the closed position after the food has been compressed within the hopper.

A food press comprising:

• a hopper with a lid, the lid having an open position and a closed position;
• means for maintaining the lid in the closed position when the means for maintaining is activated and to discontinue maintaining the lid in the closed position when the means for maintaining is deactivated;
• a press plate vertically slidable within the hopper;
• the hopper being adapted to accept food between the lid and the press plate;
• the press plate adapted to be driven towards the lid in order to compress the food between the press plate and the lid within the hopper;
• wherein when a drive for the press plate is actuated, the means for maintaining automatically activates to maintain the lid in the closed position while the press plate is being driven towards the lid.

A food press comprising:

• a hopper with a lid, the lid having an open position and a closed position;
• means for maintaining the lid in the closed position when the means for maintaining is activated and to discontinue maintaining the lid in the closed position when the means for maintaining is deactivated;
• a press plate vertically slidable within the hopper;
• the hopper being adapted to accept food between the lid and the press plate;
• the press plate adapted to be driven towards the lid in order to compress the food between the press plate and the lid within the hopper;
• wherein when a drive for the press plate is deactuated, the means for maintaining automatically deactivates to discontinue maintaining the lid in the closed position after the food has been compressed within the hopper.