Food slicer with support element

A food product cutting machine comprising:

• a driveable cutting knife defining a cutting plane;
• a receiving device for a product to be cut, the receiving device comprising an orthogonal rest face that extends substantially perpendicular to the cutting plane for supporting the product to be cut, wherein an end of the orthogonal rest face closest to the cutting plane defines an end plane that is parallel to the cutting plane;
• a height adjustment device operatively connected to the receiving device, wherein the height adjustment device adjusts a height position of the orthogonal rest face relative to the cutting knife for adjusting a height position of the product to be cut relative to the cutting knife, the orthogonal rest face remaining orthogonal to the cutting plane during the adjusting of the height position of the orthogonal rest face;
• a carriage displaceable relative to the cutting knife and having the receiving device arranged thereat;
• and
• in addition to the carriage, a support device arranged to support the product to be cut, the support device having a plurality of support elements that are movable relative to one another, each support element having a corresponding support face, each support element being moveable between a non-effective position and an effective position, and each support element, when located in the effective position, being located between the cutting plane and the end plane so as to be capable of supporting the product to be cut on the corresponding support face as the product is cut, the corresponding support face defining a counter-bearing during a cutting operation, and each support element, when located in the non-effective position, being not capable of supporting the product to be cut on the corresponding support face as the product is cut;
• wherein the support device is coupled with the height adjustment device, and in dependence of the height position of the orthogonal rest face of the receiving device, a corresponding one of the plurality of support elements is located in the effective position, wherein the corresponding support face of said corresponding one of the plurality of support elements is at the same height or at a slightly lower height than the orthogonal rest face.