AU2012241163B2

AU2012241163B2 - Juicer Speed Control

Info

Publication number: AU2012241163B2
Application number: AU2012241163A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Keith James Hensel; Eddie Siu
Original assignee: Breville Pty Ltd; Breville R&D Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Breville Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-09-15
Filing date: 2012-10-17
Publication date: 2014-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 2027-09-13
Also published as: AU2012241163A1

Abstract

A variable speed selector for a juicer is user operable for selecting a speed from a speed range. The speed range is divisible into sub-ranges. A display 5 area is adapted to depict the selected sub-range. The display area further comprises a list of vegetables or fruit. The display area also comprises a moving indicator that moves according to the selected speed, and appears adjacent to the fruit or vegetable for which the selected speed is optimal.

Description

P00009 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: JUICER SPEED CONTROL This invention is described in the following statement:- JUICER SPEED CONTROL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to speed controls and more particularly to speed controls and display arrangements. 5 The invention has been developed primarily for use as a speed control and display arrangement for a fruit and vegetable juicer and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 10 Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field. Motorised fruit and vegetable juicers are well known. Most conventional domestic fruit and vegetable juicers are single speed machines although some 15 have two or three speeds. A motorised fruit and vegetable juicer is depicted in the applicant's PCT application PCT/AU2004/0007828. Multi-speed fruit and vegetable juicers have been developed because the rotating grater is more effective at higher speeds with harder fruits and vegetables and more effective at lower speeds with softer fruit and vegetables. 20 However, many consumers are unaware of the relationship between motor speed and fruit or vegetable hardness. Further, fruit and vegetable juicers known in the prior art have lacked displays which assist the user in selecting the appropriate motor speed. Motorised centrifugal juicers use a cutting disk with angled strainer basket for 25 continuous juicing. The plant material is pushed down against the cutting disk and then forced against the angled basket. The vegetable or fruit pulp hits the angled basket and centrifugal force pulls the juice out of the shredded plant material. In order to discharge pulp from the spinning basket effectively 1 (and for the processing of harder fruits and vegetables) this type of juicer needs to spin relatively quickly. Although high motor speeds reduce the effort for juicing hard fruits and vegetables, higher motor speeds are unnecessary for juicing softer fruits like 5 watermelon and citrus. Higher motor speeds are associated with increased airflow that results in leakage, as juice will tend to accompany air escaping through the gaps in the case of the juicer. In addition to leakage, increased motor speeds can also generate excess foam that sits on top of the juice and is also associated with increased noise levels. 10 OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative. It is an object of the invention in a preferred form to provide a display for a fruit and vegetable juicer that assists the user in selecting the appropriate 15 motor speed. It is another object of the invention in a preferred form to provide a display for a fruit and vegetable juicer that assists the user in selecting the appropriate motor speed and that indicates when the safety bar or other mechanical motor interlock device is enabled or disabled. 20 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to an aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for juicing fruit and vegetable, the apparatus having a safety bar comprising: an internal safety switch that cooperates with the safety bar, wherein the internal safety switch interrupts an operation of the apparatus unless the 25 safety bar is in a locked position; a display that presents a visual warning when the safety bar is not in the locked position. 2 Preferably, the apparatus comprises a logic circuit for determining the state of the internal safety switch that cooperates with the safety bar. More preferably, the logic circuit is coupled to the display; the logic circuit adapted to control the display to present a visual indicator indicative of the position of the safety 5 bar. Most preferably, the logic circuit adapted to control the display to present a visual warning when the safety bar is not in the locked position. Preferably, the display is adapted to depict a visual designation of a first vegetable or fruit from a pre-determined order; the visual designation comprises a graphic indication from a set of two or more fruits or vegetables. 10 Preferably, the apparatus comprises: a motor speed selector that is user operable for selecting a speed from within a speed range of a motor of the apparatus; the display being adapted to depict a visual designation of a first vegetable or fruit from a pre-established order; the order based on a motor speed associated with juicing each fruit or vegetable in the list; and the visual 15 designation being changeable in response to the operation of the motor speed selector. Preferably, the speed range is divisible into a series of sub-ranges, and the display further comprises an alpha numeric display, wherein the alpha numeric display is adapted to depict the sub-range. More preferably, the 20 order of visual designation depicted is user modifiable. Preferably, the visual designation comprises a graphic indication from a set of two or more fruits or vegetables. Preferably, the motor speed selector is a rotary controller. More preferably, the motor speed selector is provided with a tactile feedback. 25 Preferably, the apparatus further comprises: a logic circuit adapted to detect a position of the motor speed selector; and the logic circuit being adapted to control the motor. More preferably, the logic circuit interrupts operation of the motor when the safety bar is not in the locked position. Most preferably, the control over the motor is continuous control of the motor speed.

Preferably, the display comprises a list of foods and a moving designator that changes in accordance with a user selection. Preferably, the display also depicts an indicator apart from the designation that is related to an actual motor speed. 5 Preferably, the safety bar passes through a body of the apparatus close to the display. According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a variable speed control assembly for a juicer, comprising a motor speed selector. The selector is adapted to be user-operable for selecting a speed from within a continuous 10 speed range of a motor of the juicer. The assembly further comprises a logic circuit adapted to detect a position of the selector. The logic circuit is adapted to control the motor. The assembly further has a display adapted to depict the speed of the motor. According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a display assembly 15 for a juicer, comprising an alpha numeric display adapted to depict a selected speed of a motor of the juicer. The assembly comprises a list display adapted to depict a list of fruits or vegetables, and a graphic indicator adapted to appear adjacent to a fruit or vegetable in the list for which the selected speed is optimal. 20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES In order that the invention is better understood, reference is now made to the following drawing figures in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a fruit and vegetable juicer speed control, display and logic diagram; 25 FIG. 2 illustrates the variable speed motor controller and display in six different display modes; and FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of a display 4 BEST MODE AND OTHER EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The present technology provides a variable speed controller and display for a motorised fruit and vegetable juicer. The combination allows the user to select an optimal speed according to the hardness of fruit and vegetable being 5 juiced. In the examples provided, the speed controller is in the form of a rotary selector, dial or knob that can vary the motor's speed discretely or continuously between about 6,500 and 13,000 rpm. The controller is linked to a liquid crystal display (LCD) that provides, for example, a large numeric display indicating the selected speed range and also offering suggestions as to 10 fruits and vegetables that can be successfully juiced at a selected speed or indicated speed. Groups or sets of fruits and vegetables may be illuminated to indicate the different varieties that can be juiced at the selected speed thus providing the highest yield for each fruit type with minimum air flow, foam and noise. 15 It will be appreciated that the invention contributes to the utility of a juicer by providing a user with assistance regarding the selection of an optimal or at least useful motor speed for a given food substance. The invention also provides the user with useful feedback regarding a selected speed or machine state or intended outcome. Accordingly it will be understood that the 20 teachings of the present invention may be applied to a variety of motorised kitchen appliances such as mixers, food processors and blenders. Food stuffs other than fruits and vegetables can be included in or comprise the ordered lists, items and sets referred to in this specification. FIG. 1 illustrates a control and display 10 as might be found on the outer case 25 of a fruit and vegetable juicer of the type depicted in the aforementioned PCT application (incorporated here by reference). The display comprises an illuminated display area 11, a continuously variable speed controller 12 and an optional on-off button 13. In this particular example, the safety bar 14 of the juicer passes through the body of the juicer close to the control and display 30 area 10. When the safety bar 14 is in the upright and locked position, the juicer's motor can be operated by the user. When the safety bar 14 is in any other position, the motor is disabled and cannot be operated. .1 The illuminated display area 11 comprises three principle features. In this example, an optional large multi segment single digit alpha numeric display 15 or other symbolic representation is adapted to depict an indicator (or indication) related to the motor speed settings selected by the user. Another 5 area of the illuminated display 15 comprises a display area dedicated to show one or more items such as individual words or a list of items such as the names of fruits or vegetables 16 or other helpful text. In this example, the softest fruits or vegetables or the words e.g. "soft fruit" appear at the bottom of the list 17. The precise selection of words describing fruit or vegetable in the 10 list 16 is not material to the scope of the invention. The list provides the user with an indication of typically soft and typically hard vegetables and in this embodiment, the list is pre-established in its order and cannot be changed by the user. In other embodiments, the user may be able to select which fruits or vegetables appear in the listing 16. A third area of the display 18 comprises a 15 moving bar or other graphic indicator, pointer or designator. The moving indicator or designation changes in accordance with the position of the continuously variable speed control 12. The list in the display is ordered in accordance with the motor speed that produces the optimum juicing action. In general softer fruits and vegetables juice better at lower speeds than harder 20 ones. However, factors such as the propensity to froth, juice content, etc. may have a role in determining the display order, i.e. where on a list a particular fruit or vegetable will appear. The designation referred to above serves to identify one or a set of two or more adjacent items (foodstuffs, fruits or vegetables or descriptive term like "soft fruit" etc.) that have been placed into 25 a useful order, essentially by pointing. This graphic designation can also be achieved by graphically highlighting one or more items by making the designated item or items larger or brighter in the display. In preferred embodiments, the continuously variable speed controller 12 is a variable potentiometer that can be user adjusted from a minimum speed 30 position 19 to a maximum speed position 20. The speed control 12 may be provided with tactile feedback such as click stops which give the user some indication of the juicer motor's speed within the range of all speeds. The position of the continuously variable controller 12 is detected by a logic 6 circuit 21 that controls the juicer's motor 22. The logic circuit 21 also detects whether or not the juicer's internal safety or micro switch 23 is open or closed in accordance with the position of the safety bar 14. The logic circuitry 21 also supplies signals to the illuminated display area 16 as will be explained. 5 As shown in FIG. 2, the illuminated display area 11 changes in accordance with the position of the continuously variable speed controller 12. When the safety bar 14 is in a position other than the upright and locked position, the illuminated display area 11 displays an "L" 24 and, for example, the word "LOCKBAR" 25 may appear below the indicator 24. The presence of a 10 message such as the indicator "L" informs the user that the lockbar is not in a position for the motor to operate. Note that in this orientation, the continuously variable speed controller 12 is set at its minimum speed position 19 and yet the juicer's motor is not rotating. With the lock bar 14 in its upright position, and the variable speed controller 12 at its minimum 15 operational setting 19, the illuminated display area 11 displays the numeral "1" 26 and the graphic indicator 18 is adjacent to the softest fruit or vegetable in the list 16. In this example, the words "soft fruit" are used to indicate the lowest speed setting of the controller 12. As the continuously variable controller 12 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the motor speed 20 increases. The range of speeds in this example has been subdivided into five ranges and each range is indicated by a single digit numeral 26 being the numerals 1 through 5. As the speed increases, the graphic indicator 18 may cover a set of two or more adjacent fruits or vegetables from the list 16. Note that at arbitrary or default speed setting 2, the graphic indicator 18 is present 25 next to a default indicia, such as both "soft fruit" and "citrus". With further rotation of the continuously variable controller 12 the motor speed increases and the numeral "3" is displayed when the logic circuit 21 determines that the correct or optimal motor speed has been reached. Within this speed range, the graphic indicator 18 is adjacent to only the "citrus" text that appears in the 30 list 16. The location of the graphic indicator 18 correlates a fruit or vegetable and the optimal juicing speed for that fruit or vegetable. Note that at the highest speed setting designated as "5" the graphic indicator 18 is adjacent the hardest vegetable in the list 16. 7 Thus, in the example provided, five fruits or vegetables are depicted in the list 16. The continuously variable speed control 12 also has five click-stop or detent settings that correspond with each of the five speed ranges. However, it will be appreciated that the continuously variable controller 12 still operates 5 in between the detent settings so that the user, in effect, has a continuous range of motor speeds between the lowest setting 19 and the highest setting 20 of the controller. In other embodiments, many click stops (e.g. 50) provide tactile feedback without any particular reference to the actual numerical designation of speed setting. Different schemes may be used to indicate the 10 actual speed by utilising the moving graphic indicator 18 in the manner suggested by FIG. 2. Other schemes are also equally applicable to the teachings of the present invention. As shown in the example of FIG. 3, items in the pre-established order or list may also be designated by having them appear to the exclusion of other items. 15 In one embodiment all of the display area allocated to depict items in the list 31 is used to display only a single item (or perhaps two items) 34 to the exclusion of other items. This allows the visual size of the item to be as large as possible within the display. Operation of the selector 32 then causes a change in motor speed accompanied by a change in the single item depicted. An 20 optional symbol such as a numeral 33 or other indicator in a display area may be used to provide additional information about the motor setting or speed. While the present invention has been disclosed with reference to particular details of construction, these should be understood as having been provided by way of example and not as limitations to the scope or spirit of the 25 invention. It would be appreciated that, some of the embodiments are described herein as a method or combination of elements of a method that can be implemented by a processor of a computer system or by other means of carrying out the function. Thus, a processor with the necessary instructions for carrying out 30 such a method or element of a method forms a means for carrying out the method or element of a method. Furthermore, an element described herein of an apparatus embodiment is an example of a means for carrying out the 8 function performed by the element for the purpose of carrying out the invention. In alternative embodiments, the one or more processors operate as a standalone device or may be connected, e.g., networked to other processor(s), 5 in a networked deployment, the one or more processors may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer or distributed network environment. Thus, one embodiment of each of the methods described herein is in the form of a computer-readable carrier medium carrying a set of instructions, e.g., a 10 computer program that are for execution on one or more processors. Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as "processing", "computing", "calculating", "determining" or the like, can refer to the action and/or processes of a 15 computer or computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities into other data similarly represented as physical quantities. In a similar manner, the term "processor" may refer to any device or portion of a device that processes electronic data, e.g., from registers and/or memory 20 to transform that electronic data into other electronic data that, e.g., may be stored in registers and/or memory. A "computer" or a "computing machine" or a "computing platform" may include one or more processors. The methodologies described herein are, in one embodiment, performable by one or more processors that accept computer-readable (also called machine 25 readable) code containing a set of instructions that when executed by one or more of the processors carry out at least one of the methods described herein. Any processor capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken is included. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and 30 the claims, the words "comprise", "comprising", and the like are to be 9 construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to". Similarly, it is to be noticed that the term "coupled", when used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being limitative to direct connections only. The 5 terms "coupled" and "connected", along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Thus, the scope of the expression a device A coupled to a device B should not be limited to devices or systems wherein an output of device A is directly connected to an input of device B. It means that there exists a path 10 between an output of A and an input of B which may be a path including other devices or means. "Coupled" may mean that two or more elements are either in direct physical or electrical contact, or that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other but yet still co-operate or interact with each other. 15 As used herein, unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinal adjectives "first", "second", "third", etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner. 20 Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not 25 necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments. 30 Similarly it should be appreciated that in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description 10 thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each 5 claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention. 10 Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used 15 in any combination. In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not 20 to obscure an understanding of this description. Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms. It will be appreciated that an embodiment of the invention can consist 25 essentially of features disclosed herein. Alternatively, an embodiment of the invention can consist of features disclosed herein. The invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein. 11

Claims

1. A centrifugal fruit and vegetable juicer apparatus having lid with a feedtube, below which is a rotating grating disc, comprising: a safety that pivots into an upright and locked position for the purpose of 5 securing the lid; an internal safety switch that cooperates with the safety, wherein the internal safety switch interrupts an operation of the apparatus unless the safety is in a locked position; a display that presents a visual warning when the safety is not in the 10 locked position.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus comprising: a logic circuit for determining the state of the internal safety switch that cooperates with the safety.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: 15 the logic circuit is coupled to the display; the logic circuit adapted to control the display to present visually indicator indicative of the position of the safety.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: the logic circuit adapted to control the display to present the visually 20 warning when the safety is not in the locked position.

5. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: the display being adapted to depict a visual designation of a first vegetable or fruit from a pre-determined order; the visual designation comprises a graphic indication from a set of two or more fruits or vegetables. 25

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a motor speed selector that is user-operable for selecting a speed from within a speed range of a motor of the apparatus; 12 the display being adapted to depict a visual designation of a first vegetable or fruit from a pre-established order; the order based on a motor speed associated with juicing each fruit or vegetable in the list; the visual designation being changeable in response to the operation of 5 the motor speed selector.

7. The apparatus according claim 6, wherein: the visual designation comprises a graphic indication from a set of two or more fruits or vegetables.

8. The apparatus according claim 6 or claim 7, wherein: 10 the speed range is divisible into a series of sub-ranges, and the display further comprises an alpha numeric display, wherein the alpha numeric display is adapted to depict the sub-range.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein: the motor speed selector is a rotary controller. 15

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein: the motor speed selector is provided with a tactile feedback.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein: the order of visual designation depicted is user modifiable.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 11, the apparatus 20 further comprising: a logic circuit adapted to detect a position of the motor speed selector; the logic circuit being adapted to control the motor.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: the logic circuit interrupts operation of the motor when the safety is not in 25 the locked position. 13

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein: the control over the motor is continuous control of the motor speed.

15. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein; the display comprises a list of foods and a moving designator that changes 5 in accordance with a user selection.

16. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: the display also depicts an indication apart from the designation that is related to an actual motor speed.

17. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: 10 the safety passes through a body of the apparatus close to the display. 14