Enlarged food pusher with clean-out windows in a feedtube protector

Abstract

An enlarged food pusher with clean-out windows is provided in a feedtube protector assembly utilized with a food processor. The feedtube protector includes an outer sleeve nestable around the exterior of an expanded feedtube which forms a first passageway for feeding food items through the cover into the bowl. A telescoping oval-shaped food pusher on the outer sleeve moves longitudinally in the expanded feedtube for pushing food items onto the rotary tool. A second passageway is provided by a tubular member extending through the food pusher which is adapted to receive a removable food pusher normally retained within the second passageway when the larger food pusher is being used. The oval-shaped food pusher has an enclosed bottom end extending from its periphery inwardly to the second food passageway. A pair of crescent-shaped cavities having four cusp regions defined between the oval-shaped pusher and the tubular member are open and may accumulate food which may be difficult to remove. To alleviate this problem L-shaped clean-out and drain ports are provided in the side wall of the captured food pusher adjacent the bottom thereof. One leg of each of these L-shaped ports communicate with a respective cusp region and the other leg is wider and extends vertically above the first leg thereby providing a means for cleaning the cavities within the interior of the oval-shaped food pusher.