This invention relates to discoidal food processing plates utilised in food processors for slicing, shredding, chipping or otherwise comminuting food. Hereinafter, the terms "comminute", "comminution" or "comminuting" will be used to refer generally to any food processing operation such as those mentioned above, whether performed individually or in combination with another such function. The invention also encompasses a food processor incorporating such a plate.

The use of food processing arrangements comprising a discoidal plate located proximate the underside of the lid of a food processor bowl and rotated by means of a drive shaft extension, driven by a motor located beneath the bowl, to comminute foodstuffs introduced through the lid via a feed tube is well known and effective. However, difficulties arise in operation because the comminuted foodstuffs tend to preferentially collect and pile up in an area of the bowl directly underneath the feed tube. The resulting, highly localised build-up of foodstuffs can cause pressure to the underside of the plate, as well as limiting the capacity of the bowl.

This invention aims to reduce the above-mentioned difficulty, thereby providing an effective increase in the capacity of the food processor bowl and/or reducing up-lift pressure on the underside of the discoidal plate.

According to the invention from one aspect there is provided a discoidal plate having a first major surface configured to comminute foodstuffs in a food processor bowl, and wherein the a second major surface of the disc is formed with or supports at least one protrusion configured and located to re-distribute comminuted foodstuffs piled up in the bowl. It is known from DE3508818 to provide, in an industrial apparatus used to comminute mixed bakery left-overs, a heavy duty grinding and cutting disc which runs closely above and parallel to a screen or sieve and is provided on its underside with broad, downwardly-depending and curved radial blades intended to produce finer grindings by forcing the already- comminuted left-overs through the screen or sieve, and into a housing from which the finely ground material can be ejected via a discharge chute. The prior proposal does not address the problem addressed by the present invention and neither, of course, does it suggest any solution to that problem.

According to the invention from another aspect there is provided a food processor having a bowl in which foodstuffs are processed, a lid for the bowl having an aperture therein, a feed-tube through which foodstuffs to be processed can be introduced into the bowl; said feed-tube being carried by the lid and aligned with said aperture, a discoidal plate comprising first and second major surfaces, a drive shaft mountable in said bowl to support said plate for rotation therein near the underside of said lid, and a motor adapted to drive the shaft in rotation; wherein (a) the first major surface of said plate is disposed in operation to face said lid and bears comminuting means for processing foodstuffs introduced into said bowl via said feed-tube; (b) the plate is formed with apertures, associated with said comminuting means, through which foodstuffs processed by interaction with said comminuting means can pass into said bowl to accumulate therein; and (c) the second major surface of said plate is formed with or supports at least one protrusion configured and located to re-distribute around the bowl processed foodstuffs that have accumulated sufficiently to approach said second major surface.

By adding said at least one protrusion to the second major surface (i.e. in normal operation to the underside of the discoidal plate), the processed foodstuffs are swept from the top of the pile and redistributed throughout the rest of the bowl.

In some embodiments of the invention, the said at least one protrusion may be formed as one or more tabs stamped, punched or otherwise bent out of the plate itself. In other embodiments, the said at least one protrusion may be formed separately from the plate and may comprise metal parts intended to be fixed to the discoidal plate, by welding for example, or moulded plastics components intended to be pressed into retaining apertures preformed in the plate. In all embodiments, any number of said protrusions can be provided.

In some preferred embodiments, the protmsions comprise a plurality of discrete tab-like protmsions disposed at respective radial locations on the second major surface of the discoidal plate.

Typically, the protrusions extend below the second major surface of the plate a distance of approximately 3mm. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the first major surface of the plate is formed with an array of hood-like projections for comminuting said foodstuffs; each projection being associated and co-sited with a respective aperture through the plate through which comminuted foodstuffs are urged.

The precise processing function of the plate is immaterial; the invention can be applied with benefit whatever comminuting process (or combination of processes) the plate is intended for.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, one embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1 shows, in perspective and exploded diagrammatic form, certain elements of a food processor relevant to this invention; and

Figures 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c) show above perspective, side elevation and underside plan views respectively of a discoidal food processing plate in accordance with an example of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 , a food processor 10 in accordance with one example of this invention a food processor includes a bowl 20 in which foodstuffs can be processed. The bowl 20 is provided with a lid 21 having an aperture 22 therein, and carries a feed- tube 23, through which foodstuffs to be processed can be introduced into the bowl. The feed-tube 23 is located over said aperture 22, so that foodstuffs can be introduced into the bowl through the tube 23.

The bowl 20 is supported for operation upon an upper surface 31 of a base 30 which contains an electric motor (not shown) and presents a drive outlet 32, coupled to the motor, on its bowl-supporting surface 31. The speed of the motor and its mode of operation (e.g. continuous or pulsed) is, in this example, controllable by means of a rotatable knob 33 on one of the upright surfaces 34 of the base 30 but it will be appreciated that any convenient form of control can be used.

The base of the bowl 20 is centrally apertured, as shown at 24, allowing access to the drive outlet 32 on the base 30, and is further, in known manner, integrally formed with an internal chimney 25 centered on the aperture 24. A drive shaft 40 which, in use, engages and is driven by the drive outlet 32, extends through the chimney 25 and thus centrally of the bowl 20 to a location, close to the underside of the lid 21, where it supports a discoidal plate 50 (see Figure 2) that is designed and configured to process foodstuff urged against it by means of a pusher 60 inserted into the feed-tube 23.

As shown in Figure 2, the first major surface 51 of the plate 50 is intended in operation to face the lid 21 and bears comminuting means which, in this example and in known manner, take the form of raised hoods such as 52 for processing foodstuffs introduced into said bowl via said feed-tube. The sharp, open ends of the hoods such as 52 face in the direction of rotation of the plate 50 and each hood is associated with a respective aperture such as 53, through the plate 50, through which the processed foodstuffs are urged. The processed foodstuffs thus fall into the howl 20, and accumulate therein, However, as previously mentioned, the processed foodstuffs tend to preferentially collect and pile up in an area of the bowl 20 directly underneath the feed tube 23. The resulting, highly localised build-up of foodstuffs can cause undesirable upward pressure to the underside of the plate 50, as well as limiting the capacity of the bowl 20.

In accordance with this example of the invention therefore, the second major surface 54 of the plate 50 (its underside in use) is formed with or supports one or more protrusions configured to re-distribute around the bowl processed foodstuffs that have accumulated sufficiently to approach the underside 54 of the discoidal plate 50,

In this example, the protrusions are formed as tabs such as 55, each of which is bent downwardly and out of the plane of the plate. The tabs 55 are typically about 6mm wide individually, and are located at different radii in order to collectively sweep a relatively wide zone, (typically 35mm wide) beneath the plate. The tabs in this example were 3mm long, thus creating a swept volume beneath the plate of approximately 3mm in depth. Other tab locations and dimensions can of course be employed without departing from the scope of this invention.

The tabs such as 55 are located on the underside 54 of the plate 50 to avoid interference with the hoods such as 52 which are formed (in known manner) on the upper surface 51 of the discoidal plate 50 and which, in this example, perform the required food processing function. It will be appreciated that, depending upon the processing function that the plate 50 is intended to perform, other features, such as curved or straight knives, spiked protrusions and the like may be used instead of, or in addition to, the hoods 52,

In this example of the invention, the tabs such as 55 are formed by cutting or punching them out of or through the plate 50. This operation creates small apertures such as 56, one associated with each tab 55, and these apertures 56 are preferably made sufficiently small that they do not permit significant amounts of foodstuff to fall therethrough,

When the processed foodstuffs build up within the bowl 20 to a height sufficient to approach the underside 54 of the discoidal plate 50, the tabs such as 55 are effective to knock foodstuff material off the top of the pile and redistribute it more evenly within the bowl 20. In this respect, the bowl 20 may be of any usable size; typical dimensions being in the order of 10 cm or so in depth and 10 to 20 cm in diameter. Typical nominal capacities for such bowls lie in the range from 1 to 2 litres, though the invention is also applicable to bowls of other capacities and dimensions.

In operation, it has been found that the use of tabs such as 55 can more than double the effective capacity of the bowl for certain kinds of foodstuff, due to the more even redistribution of comminuted foodstuffs which would otherwise be inefficiently concentrated into a pile.