Cutting blade

Technical background

The object of the invention is a cutting blade for cutting up foods and feed. The in- vention also relates to a method for the manufacture and use of such a cutting blade.

When chopping foods and feed, such as vegetables, cutting blades of various shapes and sizes are used. The cutting blade usually has to be both thin and mechanically strong at the same time. This often causes problems, because thin blades as such are not strong enough. Because of this, the objective is to attach cutting blades to each other e.g. by soldering or welding so that sufficiently good mechanical rigidity can be achieved. This again has the drawback that the service and change of blades becomes more difficult.

General description of the invention A cutting blade has now been invented for foods and feed, such as vegetables, which is structurally especially strong.

For achieving this objective, the invention is characterised in what is disclosed in the independent patent claims. The other patent claims disclose some advantageous embodiments of the invention. The cutting blade of the invention has two or several side sections at an angle in relation to each other, with cutting elements on the inner edges, and a middle section at the connecting point of the side sections, the side edge of which is at an angle to the inner edge of the relating inner section, the middle section and/or side section having one or several joint elements, such as joint slots or joint notches for dismountably connecting two or more cutting blades to each other. Joints according to the invention are, for example, slot joints, wedge joints, and pressed joints.

In this application, chopping refers to the cutting of foods into two or several parts. Chopping comprises e.g. the slicing, stripping, cubing, and splitting of foods. Foods again refer to products that can be used as food or from which food can be prepared. Foods comprise e.g. mushrooms, vegetables, cheese products, meat products, fish products, and dairy products. Vegetables again comprise e.g. vege-

tables, root crops, vegetable fruits and fruits. Feed refers to organic products used as nourishment for animals.

The cutting blade has blade sections that are at an angle and that make the structure steadier. The angle of the middle section locks the product efficiently in place during the cutting transaction, which advantageously makes the chopping more efficient and also improves the cutting quality. Advantageously, the inner edge of the middle section has- a cutting part/cutting parts for intensifying the cutting Such a blade is especially good e.g. when splitting vegetables.

The size of theblades of the invention can vary according to the product to be processed.

The shape of the blades of the invention can vary. According to the embodiment, the blade can be e.g. straight, curved, or undulated. The shape is determined according to the properties of the blade to be processed. Because of the dismount- ability, different blades can be used e.g. for different root crops in the same chop- ping device.

A dismountable structure is advantageous, because it is easy to service detachable blades. Used blades can be fast replaced with a new or a corresponding sharpened blade. Detachable blades can also be combined into different blade entities, depending on the use. Mechanical joining and dismounting can be per- formed either manually or by using tools.

The blade is advantageously manufactured from a uniform piece, e.g. by laser cutting. The cutting part is advantageously a uniform element, which rotates from the inner edge of the end of the side section to the inner edge of the end of the second side section through the inner surfaces of the middle section. In this case, the cut- ting blade has a blade that comprises the whole inner surface for chopping vegetables.

According to an object of the invention, the cutting blade is manufactured from temperable stainless steel. Such a blade is especially durable, and it withstands many kinds of corrosion. It also is advantageously mechanically strong. A laser-cut tempered blade can also be made advantageously sharp so that the cutting is efficient and the cutting track is clean.

According to an object of the invention, the side sections are at an angle of 30-90 degrees, preferably 50-70 degrees in relation to each other. Such a blade is struc-

turally strong, and also its cutting properties are advantageous. The angle of the side sections can be selected according to the food to be processed. Influencing factors, e.g. when processing vegetables, are the surface cutting force of the vegetable, its water content, and the mechanical strength of the inner section. For example, it is possible to manufacture a cutting blade, which is especially good for chopping soft foods. It is also possible to manufacture a cutting blade, which is a good general blade. It is also possible to manufacture a cutting blade, which is good for chopping hard foods.

According to an object of the invention, the inner edge of the middle section is at least partly at an acute angle with the related side section. Advantageously the inner edges of the middle section are at an angle of 30 - 70 degrees, such as at an angle of 40 - 60 degrees, with the inner edges of the adjacent side sections. In such a structure, an angle is formed to the middle section, which chops vegetables especially well. The parts at an acute angle in the cutting blade also make the structure more steady.

According to an object of the invention, its middle section, such as its outer edge, inner edge and/or inner section there is one or several joint slots for dismountably joining two or several cutting blades to each other.

According to an object of the invention, the side section has one or several joint elements for dismountably joining two or several cutting blades to each other. There can be joint elements in one, two or several side sections.

According to an object of the invention, the cutting blades are connected directly to each other. In this case it is possible to form structures, in which the cutting blades are interlacing in relation to each other. Such a blade is advantageously suitable e.g. for splitting vegetables.

According to an object of the invention, the cutting blades are connected directly to each other. In this case it is possible to form structures, in which the cutting blades are parallel or at an angle in relation to each other. Such a blade is advantageously suitable for e.g. slicing vegetables. According to an object of the invention, one or several fastening elements, such as fastening projections and/or fastening cavities are provided at the ends of the side sections. Such a blade can be easily connected to an actuator, because it has ready-made fastening elements. Fastening can preferably be performed in a dis- mountable manner. Fastening and dismounting can be done with tools or, in some

cases e.g. manually without tools. The fastening can be e.g. a screw, nut or lever fastening.

According to an object of the invention, the ends of side sections of two or several cutting blades are provided with one or several fastening elements, such as fas- tening projections and/or fastening cavities, to which one or several fastening circles are connected, the circles being provided with circular fastening elements corresponding to the fastening elements for the side sections of the cutting blades, such as circular cavities and/or circular projections.

The joint elements for the side sections of the cutting blade are advantageously such that the fastening circle/-s can be joined to them in a locking manner.

According to an object of the invention, two or several fastening circles, such as fastening rings, are dismountably attached to each other by means of fastening elements, such as fastening bolts and/or fastening levers.

According to an object of the invention, one or several fastening elements are at- tached to a splitting device for using the cutting blades to chop vegetables. Advantageously, the fastening of the fastening circles has been carried out dismountably so that the service and repair of the equipment is especially fast and effortless.

Detailed description of the invention

Some embodiments of the invention are next explained in more detail, referring to the enclosed drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates a cutting blade seen from the side;

Figure 2 illustrates a second cutting blade and a fastening circle seen from the side;

Figure 3 illustrates cutting blades attached to two fastening circles; Figure 4 illustrates the entity of Figure 3 seen from above; Figure 5 illustrates a fastening circle; Figure 6 illustrates a second fastening circle;

Figure 7 is a top view of parallel cutting blades attached to two fastening circles; and

Figure 8 illustrates a joint element for the cutting blades in the arrangement of Figure 7.

Figure 1 illustrates a cutting blade 1 , with two side sections 2 at an angle of approximately 60 degrees to each other, the inner edges 2s of the side sections comprising cutting parts, and with a middle section 3 at the connection point of the side sections 2, the inner edge 3s of the middle section being at an angle of approximately 50 degrees to the relating inner edge 2s of the side section; the inner edge 3s of the middle section 3 is provided with a cutting part/cutting parts, and the middle section 3 is provided with one joint slot 4 for dismountably connecting two or several cutting blades 1 to each other. At the ends 2p of the side sections there are fastening elements 5, by means of which the cutting blade is further attachable to other structures.

Figure 2 illustrates a cutting blade 1 , which has two side sections 2 at angle of approximately 60 degrees to each other, the inner edges 2s being provided with cut- ting parts, and a middle section 3 at the connection point of the side sections 2, the inner edge 3s being at an angle of approximately 50 degrees to the inner edge 2s of the relating side section; the inner edge 3s of the middle section 3 is provided with a cutting part/cutting parts, and the inner section 3 having three joint slots 4 for dismountably connecting two or several cutting blades 1 to each other. The ends 2p of the side sections are provided with fastening elements 5, by means of which the cutting blade is further attachable to other structures. Figure 2 also illustrates a fastening circle 6, which can be connected to the fastening elements 5, the fastening circle being provided with fastening elements 6b corresponding to the fastening elements 5 for the side sections. Figure 3 illustrates a cutting blade 1 , which has two side sections 2 at an angle of approximately 60 degrees to each other, the inner edges 2s being provided with cutting parts, and a middle section 3 at the connection point of the side sections 2, the inner edge 3s being at an angle of approximately 50 degrees to the inner edge 2s of the relating side section, and the middle part 3 having three joint slots 4 for dismountably joining two or several cutting blades 1 to each other. The ends 2p of the side sections are provided with fastening elements 5, by means of which the cutting blade is further attachable to other structures. Figure 3 also illustrates two fastening circles 6 connected to the fastening elements 5.

Figure 4 illustrates two cutting blades 1 in accordance with Figure 3, connected to two fastening circles 6 provided with circular fastening elements 6a, 6b. The fas-

tening circles 6 are dismountably attached to each other by means of fastening elements 7, here fastening bolts.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate two circular fastening rings 6, with circular fastening elements 6a, 6b on opposite edges, to which the cutting blades of Figures 1 - 3 can be attached dismoubtably from the fastening elements 5. The circular fastening rings 6 have uniform fastening openings 7r for attaching the fastening rings 6 to each other by means of the fastening elements 7. The fastening circles 6 according to Figures 5 and 6 lock the cutting blades 1 of Figures 1 - 3 dismountably and steadily to each other, because the opposite circular fastening elements 6a, 6b lock the fastening elements at the ends of the cutting blades 1.

Figure 7 illustrates two (the topmost on view) fastening circles 6, to which parallel cutting blades 1 are attaches, the cutting blades being indirectly connected to each other by means of the joint element 12. The fastening circles 6 are dismountably attached to each other by means of fastening elements 7, here fastening bolts. The fastening circles 6 have circular fastening elements 6a, 6b for attaching the cutting blades 1.

Figure 8 illustrates the joint element 12 for the cutting blades of the arrangement of Figure 7, in which joint element cavities are provided for dismountably joining the cutting blades 1 of Figure 7 indirectly to each other. From the joint element 12 it can be seen that in the outer cutting blades 1 the joint slots are on the inner surface 3a of the middle section 3 and respectively, in the inner cutting blades 1 , on the outer surface 3u of the middle section 3.