CA1107170A - Food processor having vegetable peeler - Google Patents

Abstract

FOOD PROCESSOR HAVING VEGETABLE PEELER

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

The specification discloses a food processor having a vegetable peeler unit comprising a power unit including a drive shaft rotatable in one direction, a container removably mounted on the power unit, a driven shaft having one end adapted to engage the drive shaft when in use, and a concave peeler disc rigidly mounted on the other end of the driven shaft for rotation together therewith. The concave peeler disc is inclined a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the driven shaft so that, during the rotation of the drive shaft, the peeling disc can undergo a wobbling motion while simultaneously rotating about the drive shaft. The peeler disc has a plurality of scraping openings defined there-in, which openings scuff or scrape a thin surface layer of a vegetable, for example, a potato, during the rotation thereof.
In this way, very efficient peeling of the vegetable can be obtained.

Description

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The present invention relates generally to a food processor for household use and, more particularly, to a motor-driven food processor having a removable attachment installed therein for peeling or scraping a thin ~urface layer from a vegetable, for example, a potato, during the rotation of the vegetable peeling attachment.
United States Patent No. 3,&48,524, patènted on November 19, 1974, discloses a household appliance which is a vegetable peeler comprising a housing having a drive motor and a drive shaft, a container adapt~d to be removably mounted on the housing and having a upstanding cylindrical wall, said container further haviny its bottom wall journalling a driven shaft which is, when the container is mounted on the housing, operatively coupled to the drive shaft for rotation together therewith, and a horizontally disposed concave scraper disc mounted on the upper end of the driven shaft coaxially within ~ the container with the concavity disposed upwardly and having :~ . holes through the disc, which holes define scraping edges on the trailing walls of the holes~ This vegetable peeler is 50 : 20 designed that, during rotation of the concave scraper disc with one or some potatoes mounted thereon, the potatoes are Eorcibly retarded and tumbled on the cvncave scraper disc with rotational ~: inertia ~continually and progressively bringing different areas of each potato gravitationally ill contact with the scraper disc.
The size of the holes defined in the scraper disc is so selected as to permit a limited curved area of each pota~o ~mder its :
: weight to be scuffed or scraped by the abrasion of the trailing edges of the holes moving swiftly in contact with the potatoes being tumbLed on the scraper disc.
While the plane of rotation of the scraper disc lies ' .:

at right angles to the longitudinal axis of any one of the drive and driven shafts, this U.S. patent further discloses the employment of a tumbler means which is positioned above the scraper disc and circularly inclined upwardly in the direction of disc rotation along and inwardly spaced from a portion of the upstanding cylindrical wall to tumble the potatoes of various size located on the scraper disc. This tumbler m2ans serves both to lift and retard the side of each potato that contacts the tumbler means in a direction different to the bodily movement induced by the scraper disc being rotated. The tumbler means disclosed is in the form of either a helically inclined ramp integral with the upstanding cylindrical wall or a helically inclined, curved metal rod and extends approximately 90 around the scraper disc, starting at the level of the peripheral edge of the disc and inclined up-wardly in the direction of the disc rotation along a sub-stantially helicaL path to a position well above the disc a distance related to the radius of a large vegetable to be peeled.
-~0 Japanese Utility ~lodel Publication No. 5278, published for opposition on April 14, 1939, discloses a motor--driven potato peeler which comprises a substantia:Lly cylindrical container having a peeling disc rotatably mounted on its bottom wall. The interior surface of the cylindrical container is finely roughened and is formed with a plurality of substantially triangularly sectioned ridges extending in parallel relation to each other and also to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical container. One surface of the peeling disc facing the interior of the container is also finely roughened and is formed with substantially triangularly sectioned, long and .
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short straight ribs which are alternately disposed one after another and which extend substantially radially of the peeling disc.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 597, published for opposition on January 18, 1941, discloses a hand-operated potato peeler comprising a substantially ~ylin-drical container and a peeling disc both slmilar in construction to that of the first mentioned Japanese Utility Model publication. However, unlike the first mentioned Japanese Utility Model publication, the ridges on the interior surface of the cylindrical container are spaced a distance from each other and extend substantially helically from one end to the opposite end of the cylin-drical container and the ribs on the peeling disc ar~., while extending substantially radially of the peeling disc, curved outwardly in the direction of the disc rotation. .
The present invention has for its essential object to provide an improved food processor or vegetable peeler, which is more effective in peeling a thin surface layer from vegetables such as potatoes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved food processor of the type referred to above, wherein the peeling can be completed in a relatively short period of time.
According t.o the invent1on there is provided a food processor compr.ising: a power unit having a motor and a dr.ive shaEt which is driven in one direc~ion by said ::-, ; motor; container means removably mounted on said power 30~ unit;~ a driven sha~t~having first and second ends opposite : each other, said first end being for engaging said drive ~ 3 shaft for rotation together therewith when the container means is mounted on the power unit; and a concave peeler disc rigidly mounted on the second end of the driven shaft with its concave side facing upwards and away from the driven shaft, said peeler disc having a plurality of scraping openings defined therein and said openings being slots each having two edges/ a leading side edge and a trailing side edge, with respect to the direction of - rotation of said disc, each of said leading edges of each of said slots being spaced downwardly from the plane of rotation of said disc.
The driven shaft is preferably in the form of a sleeve so that it can receive the drive shaft therein for rota-tion together therewi.th, when the peeler disc is mounted together with the container means on the power unit.
Since the peeler disc undergoes a wobbling motion dur-ing the rotation thereof about the longitudinal axis oÇ the .

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' driven shaft within the container at a high speed, a vegetable to be peeled, for example a potato, can be positively retarded and tumbled, with resulting rotational inertias, continually and progressively bringing different local areas of the potato gravitionally in contact with the rotating peeler disc. Because of this, the potato can be effecti~ely peeled in a short period of t'me with a minimal amount of waste scraped from the potato.
The use of a tumbling element in combination with the inclined feature of the peeler disc is even more advan- .
tageous in facilitating the peeling of a thin surface layer of the potato. This is because the tumbling element serves both to lift and retard the side of the potato that contacts the tumbling element in directions different to the bodily movement of the potato induced by the rotating peeler disc. This tumbling element may be in the form of a helically inclined-bar . of substantially rectangula.r cross section integral or rigidly ~ secured to the interior surface of the container, or an elongated.projection extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of khe container and protruding inwardly oE the container.
In addition to the foregoing featu.res, in designing preferred embodiments of the Eood processor, care has been taken ..
to improve ease of handling of the household appliance, the .. :
: safety for the user, the ease of cleaning the component parts, and so on.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will ~ .
now be described with reference to the accompaning drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a food processor with a vegetable.peeler unit according to one embodiment of the present invention~

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Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line II-II of Fig~ l;
Fig. 3 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale and with a portion broken away, of the food processor of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a side sectional view, on a further enlarged scale, of the vegetable peeler unit shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of an upstanding cylindrical wall of a container showing the details of a tumbling element;
Fig. 6 is a partial cross sectional view taken along the line VI-VI shown in Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line VII-VII shown in E'ig. 6, showing details of each of the scraping openings defined in a peeler disc;
Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing a modified form of the scraping openings;
Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing a modi-eied form of the ~umbling element;
Fig. lO is a cross sectional view of a portion taken along the line ~-X in E'ig. 9;
Fig. ll is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing a further modified form of the tumbling element;
Fig. 12 is a cross sectional view o a portion taken along the line XII-XII in Fig. ll;
Fig~ 13 is a top sectional view oE a portion of the peeler unit, showing a modified form of the peeler disc;
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Fig. 14 is a top sectional view of a portion of the peeler unit,~showing a further modified form of the peeler disc:

- Fig.;lS ls a cross sec~ional view of a portion taken ;

along the line XV-XV in Fig. 13;

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Fig. 16 is a side sectional view of the peeler disc, showing a top construction of a driven shaft;
Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing a modified form of the top construction of the driven shaft;
Fig. 18 is a side sectional view of the peeler disc, showing the modified form of the top construction of the driven shaft shown in Fig. 17; and Fig. l9 is a graph showing the relationship between the angle of inclination of the peeler disc relative to the lO driven shaft and the time required for the peeler disc to com-plete its peeling operation with a potato.
Before the description of the present invention pro-ceeds, ît is to be noted that like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the accompanying drawings.
Referring first to Figs. l to 3, a food processor comprises a substantially L-shaped molded housing H of synthetic material having a base compartment BC and an upright compartment UC both deflned therein. A drive motor M having a drive shaft Ma is rigidly mounted on a chassis S secured to the housing in any suitable manner, for example, by the use oE a plurality of set screws threaded to respective support pillars molded together with the housing H, only one of the set screws with one of the support pillars being shown respectively by lO and ll.
~The chassis S s~ positioned within the housing H has one end portion positioned within the base compartment BC and the opposite end portion positioned within the upri~ht compartment UC, as best shown in Fig. l, the opposite end portion of said chassis 5 carrying the drive motor M thereon with the dri~e shaf~ Ma loosely extending therethrough and terminating at a position inwardly spaced from a base lid L. The base lid L may be a metallic plate and is used to close the opening at the bottom of the housiny H, said base lid L havlng its exterior surface provided with a plurality of, for example four, spacer legs 12 which may be made oE an elastic synthetic material.
The drive shat Ma of the drive motor M has a fan 13 and a drive pulley 14 both rigidly mounted thereon for rotation together therewith, said fan 13 being used to cause the ambient air to flow towards the drive motor M to cool the latter during the rotation of the motor M. This drive pulley 14 is operatively coupled to a driven pulley 15 by means of an endless belt 16 which causes said driven pulley 15 to rotate in one direction, said driven pulIey 15 being positioned within the base compart-ment BC and rigidly mounted on a main shaft 17 for rotation together therewith. The main shaft 17 extends vertically through a bearing structure, generally identified by BS and rigidly carried by the chassis S in a manner as will be described later, and terminates outside the housing H after having loosely extended through a raised top wall Ha of the ~ :
housing H lmmediately above the base compartment BC.
As best shown in Fig. 1, the bearing structure BS
comprises upper and lower flanged sleeves 18a and 18b flanged togethe~ and rigidly mounked on the chassis S, and upper and lower perforated bearing members l9a and L9b pressure-fitted into the respective upper and lower sleeves 18a and :L8b, it being understood that the bearing structure BS is so designed as to support the main shaft 17 rotatably, but not axially.
Positioned between the driven pulley 15 and the perforated bearin~ member l9b is an assembly 20 of at least one washer and at least one thrust bearing preferably made of an elastic ma~erial so~hat any relative axial movement of the main shaft I7 can be absorbed. -- ' ' ' .

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A free end portion of the main shaft 17 which is situated exteriorly of the base compartment sC has a splined groove 17a for the reason as will be described later. A
portion of the main shaft 17 between the upper bearing member l9a and the end extremity of the shaft remote from the driven pulley 15 is tightly sheathed with a protective covering 21, of a construction as will subsequently be described, for protecting the main shaft 17 from, for example, possible corrosion when in contact with a corrosive material, which may occur where the main shaft 17 is made of a ferrous.metallic material.
As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the protective covering 21 is in the form of a sheath having one end closed and held in contact with the top of the main shaft 17, a substantially intermediate portion of said protective covering 21 being integrally formed with an annular cap 21a overhanging ~.
an annular projection Hb integrally formed with the raised top ~: ~walL Ha in coaxial relation to an opening in the top wall Ha.
The annular projection ~b has an inner diameter equ~l to, or substantially equal to, the outex diameter of the main shaEt 17 plus the thickness of the surrounding wall portion oE the : .protective covering 21 such that no liquid medium may leak Erom outside the housing H into the base compartment BC, as would occur if a gap were prese.nt bekween the main shaft 17 and the annular projection Hb. Positioned on the main shaft 17 and surrounding the boundary between the protective covering 21 and ~ the upper bearing member l9a is an annular cushioning member 22 :~: provided for absorbing vibrations and echos caused by the ~ movement of the various movable parts within the housing H.
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For enabling the food processor embodying the present invention to be steadily placed on, for example, a table on the ~ . .. , : : .

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support legs 12, a balance weiyht 23 made of one or more metal sheets, or any other suitable heavy material, is secured to the undersurface of the top wall Ha by means of a plurality of set screws 24 extending through the balance weight 23 and threaded to resp~ctive spacer legs Hc integral with and downwardly ex-tending from the undersurface of the top wall Ha.
The housing H has a switch panel 26 with-push-button switches 27 for selective graduated speed control, which switch panel 26 is located at a lateral wall ~d of the housing H
laterally of the base compartment BC and opposed t~ the upright compartment UC, as best shown in Figs. L and 2.
A safety switch SW is provided within the upright compartment UC and above the drive motor M. This safety switch SW is stationarily supported by the wall forming the upright compartment UC by means of a fix-ture plate 28 and has an actuator SWa coupled to a push rod 29 as best shown in Fig. 3.
~he push rod 29 is axially slidably supported by the wall form-ing the upright compartment UC for movement between retracted and projected~positions in a direction towards and at right : 20 ancJles:to.the longitudinal axi.s of the main shaft 17 and is normally biased to the projected position by a biasing spring 30, it being to be understood that the safety switch SW is switched : off when the push-rod 29 is held in the projected position as biased by the biasing spring 30. It is to be noted that, unless the safety swi.tch SW is switched on in a manner as will be descri.bed later, switching on of any one of the switches 27 on the switch panel ~6 does not allow the. supply of electric power from a commercial power source to the drive motor M. In other words, only when the safety switch SW is turned on, is any one of the push-button switches 27 effective to drive the drive motor M wh~n turned on.
The food processor so far described above, and particularly the drive unit haviny a drive shaft represented by the main shaft 17, is well known to those skilled in the a~t and, therefore, the details thereof are herein omitted for the sake of brevity.
A vegetable peeler unit embodying one form of the present invention comprises a removable container C including a '' cylindxical barrel 40 with a bottom wall 41 at one end of said cylindrical barrel 40 and a cap 42 of a substantially inverted bowl-like shape. The cylindrical barrel 40 may be made of either a transparent or semi-transparent synthetic material or an opaque synthetic material whereas the cap 42 may be made of either a transparent synthetic material or an opaque synthetic material. Around the upper,edge 42 of the cylindrical barrel 40 outward o~fsets are provided'to serve as bayonet Eastener lugs 44 to rotationally ho]d the cap 42 thereon in cooperation with bayonet members 45 integrally formed,with the cap 42 at the peripheral edge of the cap 42. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, one o~ the bayonet members 45 has a substantially triangular cam projection 46 adapted to engage the push rod 29 to move the lat~ter from the projected position towards the retracted position against the biasing spring 30 thereby to turn the safety switch SW on.
The cylindrical barrel 40 has a handle 47 for enabling,a user of the food processor to carry one or both of :~ :
the cylindrical barrel 40 and the cap 42. This cylindrical ~ ~
barrel 40 also has an elongated annular wall 48 protruding ' '`
f~rom the bottom~wall 41 inwardly of the barrel 40 in coaxial relation to;an opening defined in the bottom wall 41, the ., :

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function of said elongated annular wall 48 being described later.
The vegeta~le peeler unit embodying the present invention further comprises a disc assembly generally iden-tified by DA, the details of which will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 6.
Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 6, the disc assembly DA comprises a concave peeler disc 49 having a plurality of peeling openings 50 defined therein. So far illustrated, these peeling openings 50 are in the form of slots each having-a palr of opposed edges 50a and 50b. The slots 50 may all be of equal si2e or of different sizes but in the embodiment as illustrated, the slots 50 are of equal size. The disc assembly DA further comprises a sleeve 51 having one end integrally formed with a support block 51a for the support of the concave peeler disc 40 in a manner as will be described in detail later, said~sleeve 51 serving as a driven shaft relative to the main shaft 17 which acts as a drive shaft.
The concave peeler disc 49 is rigidly moun-ted on the support block 51a of the sleeve 51 by means of a plurality of set screws 52 with its concavity Eacing generally upwards, that is, in a direction yenerally opposite to the direction of extension of the sleeve 51, but also with the peeler disc 49 being inclined by a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 51.
In the construction as hereinabove described, where the food processor is desired to be used as a vegetable peeling apparatus, the cylindrical barrel 40 is first mounted on the ` raised top wall Ha of the housing H in coaxial relation to the main shaft 17 to allow the latter to project into the interior ~ ', .' , ,1~

of the cylindrical barrel 40. Thereafter, and prior to the cap 42 being mounted on and fastened -to the cylindrical barrel 40 by means of the bayonet fasteners 45, the disc assembly DA is placed in position ~ith the sleeve 51 mounted on the main shaft 17 for rotation together with said shaft 17, and a vegetable, for example, a potato, is placed on the peeler disc 49, When the cap 42 is fastened on the cylindrical barrel 40 by means of the bayonet fasteners by rotating said cap 42 a certain angle about the longitudinal ax.is of the barFel, the safety switch SW is turned on by the engagement between the cam projection 46 and push rod 29 as best shown .in Fig. 3, and the vegetable peeling apparatus is ready to operate.
Subsequent depression of a selected one of the push-button switches 27 on the switch panel 26 anables the drive motor M to be driven in one direction, the rotational force of said drive motor M being transmitted through the endless belt 15 to the main shaft 17 whereby the peeler disc assembly DA is rotated at a high speed together with the main shaft 17. It is to be noted that, when the cylindrical barrel 40 is mounted on the raised top wall Ha in the manner as hereinbeEore described, the armular cap 21a on the protective covering 21 associated ~ :
with the main shaft 17 is :rotatably held in liquid t.ight con-tact with one end o the annular wall 48 adjacent the opening in the bottom,wall 41 of the cylindric.al barrel 40.
:~ Since the peeler disc 49 is secured to the sleeve ' 51 and inclined by the predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of any one of the main shaft 17.and the sleeve 51, it will readily be seen that the peeler d'isc 49 undergoes a wobb.ling motion during the rotation thereof. ,.
30. Because o~ the wobbling motion of the peeler disc 49 during . ~, , ~ .. . .

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the rotation thereof, the potato shown by the imaginary line X in Fig. 4 is not only retarded and tumbled on the rotated ~
peeler disc 49, but also popped up and down while swiveling around the axis of rotation of the peeler disc 49. During this complex movement of the potato on the rotating peeler disc 49, the potato can be scu~fed or scraped by the abrasion of the trailing edges 50b, in terms oE the direction of ro-tation of th~ peeler d.isc 49 as shown by the arrow, of the respective slots 50 moving swiftly in contact with the potato X. Therefore, the potato can be peeled effectively in a short period of time with a minimized amount of waste scraped there-~rom. It is.to be noted that the waste from the potato X being peeled on the rotating peeler disc 49 is centrifugally dis-carded through the slots 50 into the cylindrical barrel 40 and subsequen~ly fall onto the bottom wall 41 of the cylindrical barrel 40 gravitationally. .
This complex motion of the potato X, particularly, the lifting and tumbling, can be enhanced when a tumbling . :
: element generally identified by T is employed, the details of which will now be described.
.As best shown in Fiys. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, the ~ ~`
tumbling element T shown therein comprises a tumbling bar 53 of substantially re~tan~ular cross section having one side edge ~.
rigidly secured to, or otherwise formed integrally with, the :
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interior surface~of:the container C, for example, the cap 42 as illustra-ted. This tumbling bar 53 is so designed as to extend around the peeler disc 49j starting at the level of the . :
~: perimeter of the peeler disc 49 and inclined upwardly in the direc~ion of rotation of the peeler disc 49 along a substantially helical path to a position well above the peeler disc 49 and .

spaced a distance not larger th:an the minimum possible size of the potato to be peeled.
As shown in Figs. 9 and lO, the tumbling element T
may comprise an elonga~ed bar 53a rigidly secured to, or otherwise formed integrally with, the interior surface of the cap 42, protruding in a direction substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of the peeler disc 49 and extending vertically parallel to the axis of rota~ion of the peeler disc 49. Alternatively, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the tumbling element T may comprise an elonga-t~d projection 53b which may be formed by recessing a portion of the cylindrical wall of the cap 42 in a direction radially inwardly of the axis of the ~.
rotation of the peeler disc 49.
In particular, since the tumbling element T is:
integral with the contalner C, particularly the cap 42, the waste scraped from the potato into the cylindrical barrel 40 can readily be removed without being disturbed by the presence : o the tumbling element T, only by removing the peeler disc .
assembly DA from the main shaft 17~ Moreover, since the tumbling element T is provided adjacent the opening of the cap 42, not adjacent the bottom wall of the cylindrical barrel such as in prior art food processors, the cap 42 can easily be washed or cleaned separately from the cylindrical barrel 40.
The details of each of the slots 50 in the peeIer disc 4~ w.i.ll now be described with particular reference to Figs. 6 to a. Referring irst to Fig. 7 wherein only one of ~ ~ the slots 50 in the peeler disc 49 is shown in a cross : se.ctional representation as taken in a direction perpendicular to the longitudi~nal axis of the slot, that i~, along the.line VII-VII shown in Fig. 6, the leading edge 50a of the slot S0, in terms of the direction of rotation of the peeler disc 49 , . .
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shown by the arrow, is downwardly displaced relative to the -trailing edge 50b of the same slot 50 to provide a step between the respective levels of the leading and trailin~ edges 50a and 50b, with respect to the plane of rotation of the peeler disc 49.
The design of each of the slots 50 shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is particularly advantageous in that, since the leading edge 50a i5 downwardly displaced relative to the trailing edge 50b, there is no substantial possibility of excessive scraping of the potato or cutting of the potato, which results in a good ~-peeling effect.
However, as shown in Fig. 8, the trailin~ edg~ 50b of each of the slots 50 may be upwardly displaced relative to the associated leading edge 50a.
In any event, since there is a step between the lead-ing and trailing edges 50a and 50b of each oP the slots 50 defined in the peeler disc 49, as best shown in any one of the Figs. 7 and 8, the peeler disc assembly DA is substantially free -~ from such problems as are associated with possible reduction in physical strength of the peeler disc which results ~rom the formation in the peeler disc of slots of unnecessarily large size, and also excessive scraping oE potatoes oE relatively small size, the elimination of these problems ultimately improving the life time of the peeler disc 49. It is to be noted that, without the step formed between the respective levels oE the leading and trailing edges 50a and 50b oE the respective slots 50, the slots 50 must have a relatively large size in order to achieve eEfective and satisfactory scraping of the potato.

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Referring now to Figs. 13 and 14, the peeler disc 49 may have a plurality of radially extending ribs 54 (eOg. three ribs) defined on an upper surface of the disc 49, which ribs 54 ~' ~ ` ' " .

may be either straight as shown in Fi.g. 13 or curved as .shown in Fig. 14. The presence of the ribs 54 is advantageous in that the potato can readil~ be tumbled on the peeler disc 49 dur.ing the .rota-tion of the latter. In particular, where the ribs 54 are inwardly curved in the direction of rotation of the peeler disc 40 as shown in Fig. 14, the potato undergoing the cornplex motion as hereinbefore described can be positively moved radially outwardly while the curved ribs 54 concurrently asslsts the tumbling effect of the element T.
A central portion of the support block 51a of the ~ ~:
sleeve 51, which i5 coaxial with the axis of rotatîon of the peeler disc 49, may have a rounded projection 55 protruding ou-t-; wardly of the concavity of the peeler disc 49, such as shown in Fig. 16. In general, it is well known that the potato to be ; peeled can more readily be peeled at a portion adjacent the perimeter of the peeler disc than at a central portion of the same peeler disc.~ Accordingly, the provision of the rounded proje:ction ;5 located coaxially with the axis of rotation of the peeler disc 49 i5 advantageous in that the potato being peeled is forced to move towards the perimeter of the peeler disc 49. This radially outward movement of the potato can be enhanced if the rounded projection 55 i.s provided with a plur-ality of equally spaced fin members 56 (e.g. four such fin members) as shown in Figs~ 17 and 18.
It i~ to be noted that, although in Figs~ 13 to 13 the rounded projection 55 has been shown as integrally formed with ; the support block 51a of the sleeve 51, it ~ 5 possible to secure the rounded projectlon 55 on the central portion of the peeler disc 4g.and then to mount the peeler disc 49 with the rounded projection 55 on the support block 51a of the sleeve 51.

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As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for facilitating .
rotation of the container C, and particularly the cap 42, to cause engagement of the cam pro jection 46 and the push rod 29, the cap 42 may have a pair of spaced handles 42a.
A series of experiments conducted by the inventors has revealed a relationship between -the angle of inclinaticn of the peeler disc 49 relative to the longitudinal axis of the driven shaft 51 and the time re~uired for the peeler unit'to complete the peelin~ of potatoes of average size 8 cm in the long axis 10 and 6 cm in the short axis. In the graph of Fig. 19, curve A
was obtained by the use of a peeler unit having the peeler disc assembly of the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, whereas curve B was obtained by the use o~ a peeler Ulli t having the peeler disc assembly of the construction shown in Fig. 7.
' Although the present invention has fully been described.by reference to preferred embodiments and to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes ' :
and modi~ications will be apparent to those skilled in khe art.
By way of example, although in the foregoing embodiment the ; 20 peeler disc assembly DA has been described as removable from the container C, the peeler disc assembly DA may be non-removably ..
connected to the cylindrical barrel 40. In this case, the '. .
sleeve Sl is journalled by the annular wall 48 in a fluid tight manner and in non-removable relation to the cylindrical barrel 40. . .....
, In addition, although the cap 42 has been shown as having a relatively large depth and as being of a bowl-like shape, it may be of a dish-like or plate-like shape when the peeIer unit is exclusively used for peeling a thin surface layer of vegetables. In th,is case, the tumbling element T i5 provided . ~ 1 8 --:

a ~7~7~31 on the side of the cylindrical barrel 40.
Moreover, the tumbling element may have one end portion formed in the cylindrical barrel 40 and the other end portion formed in the cylindrical wall of the cap 42.
Furthermore, the Eood processor to which the present invention is directed is versatile device which may be used as a mixer, a slicer and a shredding device in addition to a peeling device. Where the food processo~ is desired to be used as a mixer, a slicer or a shredding device, the peeler disc assembly -DA should be replaced with a corresponding mixing disc, slicing disc or shredding disc, all of which are currently commercially available.
Such changes and modifications are accordingly to be understood as included withi~ the true scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.

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Claims (13)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A food processor comprising:
a power unit having a motor and a drive shaft which is driven in one direction by said motor;
container means removably mounted on said power unit;
a driven shaft having first and second ends opposite each other, said first end being for engaging said drive shaft for rotation together therewith when the container means is mounted on the power unit; and a concave peeler disc rigidly mounted on the second end of the driven shaft with its concave side facing upwards and away from the driven shaft, said peeler disc having a plurality of scraping openings defined therein and said openings being slots each having two edges, a leading side edge and a trailing side edge, with respect to the direction of rotation of said disc, each of said leading edges of each of said slots being spaced down-wardly from the plane of rotation of said disc.

2. A food processor as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said container means comprises a container having a bottom wall, which has said drive shaft rotatably extending therethrough when mounted on said power unit, and having a cap which comprises a circumferentially extending wall and a top wall closing off one end of said circumferen-tially extending wall, said cap being adapted for closing the opening of the container opposite to the bottom wall.

3. A food processor as claimed in Claim 2, further com-prising a tumbling element disposed outside the perimeter of the peeler disc and located on the interior surface of the container.

4. A food processor as claimed in Claim 2, further com-prising a tumbling element disposed outside the perimeter of the peeler disc and located on the interior surface of the cap.

5. A food processor as claimed in Claim 2, further comprising a tumbling element disposed outside the perimeter of the peeler disc and comprising two separate members provided respectively on the interior surfaces of the container and the cap, said two separate members being aligned with each other when the cap is held in position coaxially on the container.

6. A food processor as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said two separate members comprising said tumbling element are respectively integral with the container and the cap.

7. A food processor as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the trailing side edges of said slots with respect to the direction of rotation of the peeler disc are displaced upwardly relative to the plane of rotation of said disc.

8. A food processor as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said peeler disc and said peeler shaft are removable together relative to the container means.

9. A food processor as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said concave surface of said peeler disc has an upper surface having a plurality of radially extending ribs.

10. A food processor as claimed in Claim 9, wherein each of said radially extending ribs is curved inwardly in the direction of rotation of the peeler disc.

11. A food processor as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said peeler disc has a central portion having a round projec-tion protruding upwards in the direction opposite to and coaxial with the driven shaft.

12. A food processor as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said rounded projection has a plurality of equally spaced fin members.

13. A food processor as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the scraping openings located in the peeler disc are of varying sizes.