GB2041727A - Juice extractor - Google Patents

Abstract

A battery powered juice extractor comprises a body (2) in which is located an electric motor and power supply batteries. The motor drives two co-axial output shafts (5, 6) via a gear box such that the inner shaft (5) rotates continuously and the outer shaft (6) performs rotary oscillating motion. A juice collection trough (8) is detachably mounted on the body (2). A juice filter (13) and extraction head (17) are nested within the trough (8) with the filter (13) in driving engagement with the outer shaft (6) and the extraction head (17) in driving engagement with the inner shaft (5). In use, the oscillating motion of the filter helps to dislodge solid matter from the perforate base (15) of the filter, and the solid matter builds up against the sidewall (14) of the filter by centrifugal action. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Juice extractor This invention relates to juice extractors.

According to the present invention there is provided a juice extractor comprising: a body housing motor means and having a rotary drive output means; a juice extraction head coupled to the rotary drive output means and operative, upon activation of the motor means to extract juice from a fruit fed to the head; a juice collection trough for collecting juice extracted by the extractor head: and filter means interposed in the passage of juice from the extraction head to the collection trough to filter the juice before it enters the collection trough, the filter means being connected to the rotary drive output means such that upon activation of the motor means the filter means is driven in rotary oscillating motion to reduce the tendency of the filter to be clogged by material filtered from the juice.

According to another feature of the present invention there is provided a juice extractor having a juice collection trough provided with an output spout closable by a valve member, the valve member comprising an obturating member and means mounting the obturating member on the juice collection trough for movement between a first stable position in which it sealingly engages the end of spout to close the spout to fluid flow and a second stable position in which it is spaced from the end of the spout to open the spout to fluid flow.

Preferably, the drive output means comprises two co-axial drive shafts, the inner of which is coupled to the extraction head and performs continuous rotation upon activation of the motor means, and the outer of which is coupled to the filter and performs rotary oscillatory motion upon activation of the motor means. The juice collection trough and filter means are preferably generally cylindrical in shape and are nested one within the other. The collection trough includes a solid side wall and solid base for holding fruit juice, whilst the filter has a solid side wall and a perforated base to retain matter removed from the fruit juice as it passes downwardly through the filter.The oscillatory motion of the filter tends to free particles of pith and fruit which would otherwise clog the filter perforations, and the centrifugal forces created by the rotary nature of the oscillatory motion tend to move such particles to the outer edge of the filter.

The mounting means of the valve member preferably comprises an elastically deformable tongue one end of which is rigidly secured to the collection trough and the other end of which carries the obturating member. Detent means are preferably provided between the mounting means and the trough in order to define the first and second stable positions of the obturating member.

The above and further features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a juice extractor; FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the juice extractor of Figure 1; and FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the collection trough of the juice extractor of Figures 1 and 2.

The juice extractor 1 shown in the drawings comprises a body 2 housing an electric motor having a rotary output shaft. The electric motor may be battery operated, in which case the body defines a battery chamber for accommodating batteries to drive the motor. Preferably, the battery chamber is defined around the periphery of the body and is accessible by removing a panel 3 normally forming part of the side wall of the bdy.

However, it will be understood that the electric motor may be driven from an external power source, e.g. mains electricity, if desired.

A rotary drive output means 4 extends from the top of the body and comprises two co-axial shafts 5 and 6. Both shafts are non-circular in transverse cross section so that they can each form a rotary drive connection with a respective complementary member. In the embodiment shown the inner shaft 5 is hexagonal in transverse cross section, and the outer shaft 6 includes a key 7. Both shafts 5 and 6 are driven from the electric motor housed within the body via a gearbox which provides continuous rotary motion to the inner shaft 5 and rotary oscillatory motion to the outer shaft 6 upon activation of the motor.

A juice collection trough 8 is mounted on top of the body 2 and includes pins 9 which engage in respective sockets 10 in the body to prevent relative rotation of the collection trough and the body. The collection trough includes a central aperture 11 through which both shafts 5 and 6 pass. The collection trough is generally cylindrical in shape and includes a solid bottom wall sloping towards an outlet spout 12.

A filter 13 of generally cylindrical shape having a solid side wall a 14 and a perforate base 15 is nested within the collection trough 8. The filter 13 has a cenral hollow boss 1 6 the interior profile of which is complementary to that of the shaft 6 whereby a rotary drive connection is formed between the filter and the shaft 6. The shaft 5 extends through the central aperture in the boss 16 and supports a juice extraction head 1 7 for rotation therewith. The juice extraction head is provided with a plurality of ridges joined by concave surfaces whereby it will extract juice from for example half an orange when the half is thrust downwardlv onto the head.

Juice extracted by the head 17 flows into the filter 13, and is then filtered so that juice substantially free from particles of pith and fruit enters the collection trough 8. At all times when the motor is activated to rotate the extraction head 1 7 the filter is performing rotary oscillatory motion, and this motion tends to prevent clogging of the perforations in the base of the filter by pith and fruit extracted by the head 17. The oscillatory motion of the filter tend to dislodge particles of pith etc. from the perforations whilst the rotary motion of the head tends to move such particles towards the outer edge of the base 1 5, where they accumulate against the side wall 14.

The outlet spout 12 of the collection trough is provided with a valve member 1 8 for controlling the flow of juice from the collection trough. In the embodiment shown the outlet spout 12 is circular in transverse cross section and the valve member 18 comprises an obturating member in the form of a hemi-spherical ball 1 9. The ball 19 is mounted on an outlet chute 20 which is in the form of an integral plastic moulding including a tab 21 the end of which is rigidly secured at 22 to the base of the collection trough, as by welding. The outer surfaces of the side walls 23 of the chute 20 are provided with projections which engage in respective upper and lower recesses in the adjacent walls of the collection trough to define two stable positions of the valve member 1 8.In the first such position the ball 1 9 firmly engages the lower end of the spout to close the spout to fluid flow, whilst in the second position, as illustrated in Figure 2, the ball 1 9 is spaced from the spout and permits juice contained in the collection trough to flow out through the spout on to the chute 20 and into a vessel placed beneath the chute. Movement of the chute between the first and second stable positions is accommodated by elastic deformation of the tab 21.Preferably, the projections on the side wall 23 engage sloping cam surfaces defined on the adjacent walls of the collection trough so that as the valve member is moved from its first stable position to its second stable position the side walls 23 are flexed inwardly as the projections ride up the cam surfaces and are then permitted to flex outwardly again as the projections ride down the cam surfaces as the valve member approaches its second stable position. With such a configuration the valve member will be biased into either its first or second stable position, and will have no stable position intermediate its first and second stable positions.

The casing of the body, the collection trough, the filter, and the extraction head are all preferably formed of plastics material and are preferably readily dis-assembliable as shown in Figure 1 in order to facilitate cleaning of the juice extractor.

Claims (12)

1. A juice extractor comprising: a body housing motor means and having a rotary drive output means; a juice extraction head coupled to the rotary drive output means and operative, upon activation of the motor means to extract juice from a fruit fed to the head; a juice collection trough for collecting juice extracted by the extractor head; and filter means interposed in the passage of juice from the extraction head to the collection trough to filter the juice before it enters the collection trough, the filter means being connected to the rotary drive output means such that upon activation of the motor means the filter means is driven in rotary oscillating motion to reduce the tendency of the filter to be clogged by material filtered from the juice.

2. A juice extractor according to claim 1 wherein the drive output means comprises two co-axial drive shafts, the inner of which is coupled to the extraction head and the outer of which is coupled to the filter.

3. A juice extractor according to claim 2 wherein the motor means comprises a single electric motor coupled to both drive shafts via a gear box whereby upon activation of the motor the inner drive shaft performs continuous rotary motion and the outer drive shaft performs oscillatory rotary motion.

4. A juice extractor according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the collection trough has a generally cylindrical side wall, is open at the top, and is closed at the bottom by a base having a central aperture through which the drive output means extends.

5. A juice extractor according to claim 4 wherein the filter means has a generally cylindrical solid side wall, is open at the top, has a perforate base for filtering the juice, and nests within the collection trough in its operative position.

6. A juice extractor according to any preceding claim wherein the collection trough is detachably mounted on top of a body in which is housed the motor means.

7. A juice extractor according to claim 6 wherein the body also houses a battery for providing power to operate the motor means.

8. A juice extractor according to any preceding claim wherein the collection trough has an output spout through which juice entering the collection trough may drain into a container located adjacent the juice extractor.

9. A juice extractor according to claim 8 wherein the output spout is closable by a valve comprising an obturating member and means mounting the obturating member on the collection trough for movement between a first stable position in which it sealingly engages the end of the spout to close the spout to fluid flow and a second stable position in which it is spaced from the end of the spout to open the spout to fluid flow.

10. A juice extractor according to claim 9 wherein the mounting means comprises a chute which is hingedly connected to the trough and upon which the obturating member is mounted, the chute being positioned to direct juice from the spout away from the juice extractor.

1 A juice extractor according to claim 10 wherein the chute includes side walls provided with projections which engage recesses in the collection trough to define the first and second stable positions of the obturating member.

12. A juice extractor, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.