GB2374522A - Juicer arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to juicer arrangements of the kind in which an annular receptacle is surmounted by a dished cover plate comprising an annular boss surrounded by a plurality of radial slots which collectively act as a filter, permitting juice to flow into the receptacle whilst retaining debris such as pith. In order to reduce problems associated with the unwanted retention of juice in the cover plate, due to the debris clogging the slots, an active juicing element 11, or reamer, which is mounted above the cover plate and is adapted to be rotated, relative to the plate, when a user applies pressure to it by pressing down on a product to be juiced, is formed with a pair of diametrically opposed blade-like members (13, 14) disposed to wipe across the slots as the active element rotates.

Description

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JUICER ARRANGEMENT This invention relates to juicer arrangements, and particularly to such juicing devices as are intended for the domestic market and comprise an annularly shaped juice receptacle, having a central passage, surrounded by an upstanding portion of the receptacle, through which an electrically driven and axially spring-loaded drive shaft can pass. The annular receptacle is typically surmounted by a dished cover plate which is formed with an annular boss to fit over the aforementioned upstand; the boss being surrounded by a plurality of slots which collectively act as a filter, permitting juice to flow into the receptacle whilst retaining solid materials such as pith.

As is well known, the drive shaft which passes through the central upstand of the receptacle and through the boss of the cover plate, is configured to engage with and, when pressed axially against its spring-loading, to drive in rotation, an active juicing element, or reamer, which is generally semielliptical in shape, concave downwards to receive the drive shaft; the outer surface having upstanding ribs or projections. Produce to be juiced is suitably prepared (for example, an orange may be cut in half) and it is then pressed against the active juicing element, thus overcoming the springloading of the drive shaft and thereby energising the drive motor, causing the reamer to rotate relative to the product being juiced; the ribs or projections on the reamer's outer surface helping to effect the extraction of juice from the produce in question.

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The internal surface of the active juicing element (reamer) is configured to co-operate with a shaped drive spigot, typically hexagonal in crosssection, on the top of the driven shaft, in order to permit the element to be positively driven by the shaft. The general arrangement is well established, can be economically manufactured and works quite well. Difficulties arise however in ensuring, on the one hand, that sufficient volumes of the juice can flow into the receptacle sufficiently rapidly to avoid the build-up and possible overflow of liquid from the dished cover plate and, on the other hand, that most of the residue materials created during the juicing process are retained atop the dished cover plate.

It is an object of this invention to provide a juicing arrangement in which the above-mentioned difficulty is reduced or overcome.

According to the invention there is provided a juicer arrangement comprising an annular receptacle having a central aperture to accommodate a drive shaft, a dished plate member intended to support material to be juiced and intended to act, in operation of the arrangement, as a cover for the receptacle; the plate member having a central aperture aligned with that of the receptacle and being provided with slots, surrounding said aperture, through which juice can pass to enter the receptacle; an active juicing element, adapted to be rotationally driven by said drive shaft, whereby, in operation, a user is intended to apply pressure by way of a product to be juiced, to the active element, and wherein the said active element is cupped and concave toward said drive shaft; the internal surface of the cupped active element being formed with a pair of diametrically opposed blade-like members disposed to wipe across said

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slots as the active element rotates relative to the dished cover member. In this way, the slots in the dished cover member, which are intended to filter the juice on its way through to the receptacle, are prevented from being blocked by debris. Indeed, it is found in practice that the slots are kept sufficiently clean to allow the juice to flow freely into the receptacle, without any significant damming effect, and that the residual debris resulting from the juicing operation is, in most instances, confined to a pair of small nodules, each associated with a respective one of the blade-like members formed on the internal surface of the cupped active element.

This usefully renders cleaning of the active juicing element a simple and non-messy procedure.

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 exploded perspective view, the essential components of a juicer arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, and Figure 2 shows a perspective view, from a direction opposing that of Figure 1, of an active juicing element, or reamer, forming part of the arrangement shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly, at the outset, to Figure 1, the arrangement comprises an annular receptacle 1. The receptacle 1 is formed of plastics material and its central component comprises an

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upstanding circular wall 2, through the centre of which a drive shaft (not shown) driven by an electric motor provided in a suitable base moulding (also not shown) is intended to pass.

In conventional manner, the drive shaft is spring loaded along its axis so that it is normally urged away from an operating switch that applies power to the electric motor. When sufficient pressure is applied axially to the shaft to overcome the spring-loading, the switch is operated mechanically by means of a finger, flange or some other kind of actuator carried by the shaft, thereby energising the motor and causing the shaft to rotate. When the pressure is removed, the rotation stops.

Returning now to the description of the components shown in the drawing, the annular receptacle 1 also has an outer wall 3, of somewhat greater axial extent than the wall 2, the top surface 4 of which is shaped to form a pouring lip 5. The outer wall 3 is also shaped, as shown at 6, to form a key which assists in preventing unwanted rotation of various components of the juicer. In this respect, it will be appreciated that the base of the receptacle I is preferably configured to sit firmly upon, and be restrained against rotational movement by, the aforementioned base moulding (not shown).

In any event, the capacity of the annular cavity formed between the two upstanding walls 2 and 3 of the receptacle 1 is chosen to be sufficient to accommodate a predetermined amount of liquid extracted from fruit or vegetable produce during the juicing process.

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A dished, plate-like cover member 7 is configured to sit atop the receptacle 1 so as to act, in operation of the juicer, as a lid for the receptacle. The member 7 is formed with an outer surface 8 to match the top surface 4 of the outer wall 3 of receptacle 1, and with an inner boss 9 dimensioned to fit accurately upon the inner wall 3 of the receptacle 1. The boss 9 is, of course, apertured to accommodate the aforementioned drive shaft. It is, moreover, surrounded by a plurality of radial slots such as 10 configured and dimensioned to retain upon the top surface of the member 7 solid and other debris resulting from the juicing process; thus permitting only liquid juice and fine debris to flow into the receptacle 1.

The active element of the juicer is constituted by an inverted, cupped member 11, sometimes called a reamer. The internal surface of the cupped member 11 is formed with a centrally located drive component in the form of a hexagonally shaped recess 12 (see figure 2) adapted to cooperate with a complementary shaping formed at the facing end of the aforementioned drive shaft, whereby the member 11 can be positively driven to rotate relative to the receptacle 1 and the member 7. The internal surface of the member 11 is also formed with a pair of diametrically opposed blade-like components 13 and 14 (see Figure 2), extending inwardly towards the drive shaft and configured and dimensioned to overlie the slots such as 10 in the plate-like member 7.

The outer surface of the active element 11 is formed, as mentioned previously, with upstanding ribs or projections such as 15 which are shaped and configured so as to assist in the extraction of juice from a product pressed against the element 11.

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A dust cover member 16, disposed to overlie the active element 11, is preferably provided to aid in keeping the juicer clean when out of use. It is domed to accommodate the generally cup-like shape of the member 11 and keyed at 17 to match the keying of the plate-like member 7 and the receptacle 1.

In operation of the juicer, the cover 16 is removed, and a user presses material to be juiced (for example, the cut surface of half an orange) against the active element 11, thus to exert pressure in a direction axially of the drive shaft sufficient to overcome the spring-loading applied to the shaft and energise the juicer's drive motor as previously described. In this way, when the product to be juiced is pressed against the element 11 (reamer), the element rotates and extracts juice from the product in question.

The rotation of element 11, together with the pressure applied manually by the user, is thus effective to extract juice, which flows through the slots such as 10 into the receptacle 1. Importantly, the blade-like components 13 and 14, formed on the internal surface of the cupped member 11, are effective to wipe over the slots 10 and keep them free from debris which otherwise can build up over the slots, blocking them and causing a damming effect which can cause the juice to be retained in the dished plate-like member 7. If this happens, spillage is likely to occur, as the member 7 does not have sufficient capacity to accommodate juice in the quantities likely to be extracted by a juicing operation in which, for example, several oranges may be used. The expedient of wiping over the

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slots 10 with the blade like components 13, 14 carried internally of the cupped surface of the active element 11 is surprisingly effective in keeping the slot apertures clear. Furthermore, an additional and unexpected benefit has been found in practice, namely that the blade members 13, 14 tend to form the debris wiped from the slots into balls or nodules which are pushed ahead of the blade-like members as they rotate and are readily removed when the juicing operation is finished, thus considerably facilitating the operation of cleaning the apparatus.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the blade-like members 13, 14 are formed by suitably moulding the internal surface of the cupped member 11 to form a pair of diametrically-opposed protrusions of relatively small circumferential extent and, whilst the portions that wipe across the slots such as 10 need to be shaped so as to conform quite closely to the surface of the dished plate-like member 11, the protrusions may, for ease of moulding and to ensure adequate strength, be formed additionally with parts of significant axial extent, along the cupped internal surface, as shown in Figure 2 at 18.

Alternatively, the blade-like members 13, 14 may be produced separately from the cupped member 11, and be attached thereto in any suitable manner, such as by adhesion and/or by forcing an attachment to the blade into a suitable aperture in the cupped member 11.

In any event, however, it is preferred that the blades 13, 14 are more than merely flat members and have some significant axial extent along the internal, cupped surface of the member 11, as indicated at 18 in Figure 2,

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since this promotes the aforementioned beneficial action of the blade-like members 13,14 in forming the debris into balls or nodules.

Claims (5)

1. CLAIMS : 1. A juicer arrangement comprising an annular receptacle having a central aperture to accommodate a drive shaft, a dished plate member intended to support material to be juiced and intended to act, in operation of the arrangement, as a cover for the receptacle; the plate member having a central aperture aligned with that of the receptacle and being provided with slots, surrounding said aperture, through which juice can pass to enter the receptacle; an active juicing element, adapted to be rotationally driven by said drive shaft, whereby, in operation, a user is intended to apply pressure by way of a product to be juiced, to the active element, and wherein the said active element is cupped and concave toward said drive shaft; the internal surface of the cupped active element being formed with a pair of diametrically opposed blade-like members disposed to wipe across said slots as the active element rotates relative to the dished cover member.
2. 2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the blade-like members are formed by suitably moulding the internal surface of the cupped member to form a pair of diametrically-opposed protrusions of relatively small circumferential extent.
3. 3. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the blade-like members are produced separately from the cupped member and are attached thereto by adhesion and/or by forcing an attachment to the blade into a suitable aperture in the cupped member.

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4. 4. An arrangement according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the portions of said blade-like members that are intended to wipe across the slots are shaped so as to conform substantially to the surface of the dished plate-like member, and the protrusions are formed additionally with parts of significant axial extent along the cupped internal surface.
5. 5. A juicing arrangement substantially as herein described with

   reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawing.

   I e