BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A mandoline slicer commonly includes a hand guard or pusher that is configured to slide along a ramp of the slicer toward a slicing blade. The ramp may be formed in two sections, including a proximal first section and a distal second section, in which a main slicing blade is positioned between the first section and the second section. A gap is defined between the two ramp portions to allow the two portions to be adjusted upward or downward with respect to one another. For example, the first section may be adjustable to varying heights below the level of the slicing blade in order to vary the thickness of the slices produced when the food item passes over the blade.

A pusher or hand guard is commonly used with such slicers in order to aid in pushing a food item along the slicer from the first section (or platen), across the blade, and down the second section (or runout plate). In some cases, the hand guard may optionally be formed with a wide flange surrounding a generally cylindrical upper grip or cap. A lower plate with teeth, or otherwise having a surface that can engage the food item, is provided on the bottom or a lower surface of the cap. In some cases, the lower plate is capable of retracting upwardly within the cap to accommodate larger food items.

The pusher or hand guard may include a central post connected to the lower plate, in which the central post extends through the cap so that a person may press downward on the post to force the lower plate downward, thereby pushing the food item against the mandoline. This hand-operated process may require a constant force by the user against the hand guard and the post. In one case, others have incorporated a spring into the hand guard to aid in the force of the plate against the food item. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,632, a spring surrounds the post and is trained between the top of the hand guard and the lower plate to provide such a downward force against the plate. The post, however, still extends through the top of the hand guard cap and is intended to require a user to press against the post. This can be awkward and difficult, particularly at the initial use of the hand guard as the post extends significantly above the cap. Some users may lack the dexterity or the length or strength of fingers or hands to easily manipulate the cap and the post extending through it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A slicer and pusher is intended for use with a mandoline slicer in which the slicer includes an upper ramp and a lower ramp with a slicing blade positioned between the upper ramp and the lower ramp. The pusher is operable to push a food item from the upper ramp to the lower ramp, whereby the food item is sliced by the slicing blade. Preferably, the pusher has a cap having an upper and a lower end, the cap defining an interior space.

A lower plate is attached to a pillar (which may be tubular), and preferably the lower plate is circular with a number of spikes for engaging a food item. The pillar defines a central axis, the pillar further being attached to a telescoping post (which may be tubular) wherein the pillar and telescoping post are telescopically moveable with respect to one another along the central axis.

In some versions, a guide is defined within the interior space. The combined pillar and telescoping post are mounted to the guide for movement of the pillar and telescoping post with respect to the guide along the central axis.

Preferably, the spring has a first end connected to the cap and a second end connected to the lower plate, the spring urging the lower plate away from the cap in a direction from the upper end toward the lower end.

In some examples, the upper end of the cap further comprises a central opening positioned about the central axis, the cap further having an upper abutment providing a stop to limit upward movement of the telescoping tube.

The guide may have a lower abutment providing a stop to limit downward movement of the telescoping tube.

Likewise, the upper abutment may positioned to prevent upward movement of the telescoping tube beyond the upper end of the cap.

In some versions, the telescoping post is configured as a tube, and in some examples the telescoping tube surrounds the pillar.

In some versions, the guide defines an interior channel and the telescoping post or tube and pillar are received within the interior channel.

Preferably, the telescoping tube further includes a lower seat configured to limit movement of the pillar.

