Device for chopping food, in particular pieces of ice

#The present invention relates to a device for chopping food, in particular pieces of ice, said device including a container providing a bearing pin on its bottom and being divided into an upper processing zone and a lower collecting zone, said processing zone accommodating a chopping tool for reducing the food, said chopping tool being formed by a rotary cutting blade and comprising a tool spindle, and in the transition region from the processing zone to the collecting zone there being at least partially a sieve separating the processing zone from the collecting zone.

#Usually, the processing of food by e.g. kitchen appliances is based on a rotational movement of a tool. By rotating for example a blade, or a set of blades, or a disk with a set of blades, food is chopped, cut, grated, mixed, blended etc. To efficiently chop very hard food like nuts, spices, ice cubes or very hard vegetables or fruits, one can improve the tool by optimizing the number, geometry and sharpness of the blades. One can increase the speed of rotation. Or one can increase the time the food to be chopped is processed and continuously separate the readily chopped food from the food still to be chopped further.

#A device for chopping food, e.g. ice cubes, nuts, vegetables, and making use of the last possibility is described in EP 1 127 526 B1. The device's container body is divided into an upper processing one and a lower collecting zone. The processing zone accommodates a chopping tool for reducing the food. The chopping tool is formed by rotary blade. In the transition region between the processing zone and the collecting zone a sieve separates both zones. The chopping tool comprises a tool spindle having its lower end rotatably mounted on a bearing pin provided on the bottom of the sieve. Due to the sieve separating the processing zone form the collecting zone, the chopping tool processes every piece of food until it is small enough to fall through the sieve's openings.

#A detailed description of the invention is provided below. Said description is provided by way of a non-limiting example to be read with reference to the attached drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 shows a cut view of a first embodiment of the device according to the present invention;

#FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a second embodiment of the device according to the present invention;

#The present invention will be described further in detail taking the example of an ice crusher 1. The ice crusher 1 comprises a container 2 and a crushing tool 3 with rotary crushing blades 30 and a sieve 32.

#The container 2 has a handle 24 and stands on a full perimeter bottom ring 25 with a rubber sheath 26 to prevent slipping of the container 2. In the bottom 21 of the container 2, an anchor device 27 is integrated for fixing the bearing pin 20. In the present example, the bearing pin 20 is made of steel, as is the anchor device 27, whereas the container 2 is made of plastic material.

#The rim of the container's opening supports a ring 321 of rubber. This ring 321 holds the sieve 32. The rubber ring 321 improves the torque resistance of the ice crusher 1 and reduces the noise during ice crushing, as the sieve 32 will not flap against the container wall. In the particular example illustrated in FIG. 1, the ring 321 is further necessary, because the sieve is a part of the ice crusher 1 separate from the crushing tool 3. The sieve 32 is held only by the ring 321. If one wants to omit the ring 321, one should design the sieve 32 to engage in a form closure with opening of the container 2.