GB2454673A - Domestic Appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for extracting juice from fruit or vegetables comprises a housing (12) surrounding a cavity (38) in which fruit or vegetables are received, an outlet (22) for dispensing juice from the housing, a first juice collection mechanism (70a; 70b; 70c) for receiving and collecting juice from the cavity and delivering the juice to the outlet, and a second juice collection mechanism (70d) for receiving and retaining juice from the cavity. The first and second juice collection mechanisms are interchangeably receivable in the housing in a position above the cavity. A valve (178) or other means is provided for inhibiting the return to the cavity (38) of juice retained by the second juice collection mechanism (70d).

Description

Domestic Appliance The invention relates to apparatus for extracting juice from fruits or vegetables.

Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to apparatus for extracting juice from a variety of fruits and vegetables. The invention is particularly relevant to a juice extractor for domestic use.

Juice extractors generally fall into one of several categories. One category is the citrus Juicer which operates in a maimer similar to a common lemon squeezer by applying a pressing force to a halved fruit placed on a ridged cone The cone may rotate so as to maximise Juice extraction. A second category is the centrifugal juicer which grates peeled and chopped fruit or vegetables into a mesh basket which spins so as to retain the pulp therein whilst allowing juice to be released through the basket walls. A further category of juicer is the masticating juicer which simply chops peeled fruit or vegetables very finely and separates the juice from any flesh or pulp. Finally, twin-gear juicers work by crushing and pressing the fruit or vegetables to extract juice therefrom.

A disadvantage of each of these types ofjuice extractor is that they can process only a limited variety of fruits or vegetables. In some cases, the extractor is suitable only for citrus fruits or fruits with a significant amount of rind or skin. In other cases, a considerable amount of preparation must be carried out before the juicing process can take place. None of these extractors is able to process fruits having a stone without a large amount of preparation being required.

Industrial juicers have been developed which are able to deal with whole citrus fruit without any need for preparation. Typically, an industrial juicer will press the fruit onto a stationary, tubular blade to cut an opening through the rind and then conipress the fruit in an axial direction to extract juice froni the fruit. The blade is withdrawn from the fruit during the compression step to allow the juice to be extracted. Examples of this type of industrial juicer are shown in GB 1,016,644, US 3,682,092 and US 3,831,515.

One of the disadvantages of industrial juicers of this type is that they are comparatively large and heavy and therefore unsuitable for domestic use. Another disadvantage of these prior art juicers is that they are designed to extract juice primarily from a single type of fruit of substantially the same size. They are thus insufficiently versatile to allow a domestic user to extract juice from different fruit or vegetable types according to taste and demand from a number of people.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus which operates effectively to extract juice from fruit or vegetables of a range of different varieties and sizes. It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus which is suitable for domestic use and adaptable for use with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

The invention provides apparatus for extracting juice from fruit or vegetables comprising a housing surrounding a cavity in which fruit or vegetables are received, an outlet for dispensing juice from the housing, a first juice collection mechanism for receiving and collecting juice from the cavity and delivering the juice to the outlet, a second juice collection mechanism for receiving and retaining juice from the cavity, the first and second juice collection mechanisms being interchangeably receivable in the housing in a position above the cavity, and means for inhibiting the return to the cavity ofjuice retained by the second juice collection mechanism.

This allows the user to interchange the juice collection mechanisms so as to extract juice from different varieties of fruit or vegetables as desired. The apparatus is then able to extract Juice from, for example, soft fruit or vegetables as well as the more commonly processed citrus fruits, and to extract juice from core fruits and stone fruits. This provides the user with greater versatility and choice using a single appliance which is beneficial in the domestic environment.

As the juice extracted from some stone fruits, such as mangos, may contain a significant amount of pulp which may block the outlet of the apparatus, the second juice collection mechanisiii is configured to retain the extracted juice without supplying the juice to the outlet. As the collection mechanisms are interchangeably located in a position above the cavity, meaiis are provided for inhibiting the return to the cavity ofjuice retained by the second juice collection mechanism. For example, a valve or other variable flow control device may be located between the reservoir of the second juice collection mechanism and the cavity to inhibit the return of juice to the cavity. The valve is preferably carried by the second juice collection mechanism. To allow juice to pass from the cavity to the reservoir, the valve is preferably moveable froni a closed position to an open position under the force of material passing from the cavity towards the reservoir. The valve may then move back from the open position to the closed position under the weight of the collected material once the pressing mechanism has been deactivated.

The apparatus preferably comprises a pressing mechanism for applying a pressing force to the fruit or vegetables in the cavity to extract juice therefrom.

The second juice collection mechanism preferably comprises a fixed cutter for contacting the fruit or vegetables within the cavity. The valve is preferably located between the cutter and the reservoir.

Preferably, the first juice collection mechanism comprises a cutter which, when the first juice collection mechanism is received in the housing, is moveable between a first position in which the cutter lies outside the cavity and a second position in which the cutter projects into the cavity. Advantageously, the first Juice collection mechanism comprises drive means for driving the cutter from the first position into the second position. This enables the apparatus to extract juice from fruit with a rind, such as citrus fruit.

Each juice collection mechanism is preferably removable from the housing as a single unit, and preferably in an upward direction. The housing preferably has an upper surface comprising an openable lid through which each juice collection mechanism is able to pass.

Each juice collection mechanism is preferably made entirely from materials which are capable of being washed in a dishwasher, thereby facilitating cleaning of the juice collection mechanism.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus for extracting juice from fruit or vegetables; Figure 2 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 1, of the apparatus with the spout extended and the door in an open position; Figure 3 is a section through the apparatus of Figure 1 showing the position of various 1 5 components at the start of the extracting process; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the component of the apparatus of Figure 1 which effects the application of a radial compressive force on the fruit or vegetables to be processed; Figure 5 is a section through the component of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a view showing the components of the apparatus of Figure 1 which apply a force to the component shown in Figure 4; Figure 7a is a view showing the juice collection mechanism forming part of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 7b is a view showing a first alternative juice collection mechanism which is receivable in the apparatus of Figure 1 in place of the juice collection mechanism of Figure 7a; Figure 7c is a view showing a second alternative juice collection mechanism which is receivable in the apparatus of Figure 1 in place of the juice collection mechanism of Figure 7a or Figure 7b; Figure 7d is a view showing a third alternative juice collection mechanism which is receivable in the apparatus of Figure 1 in place of the Juice collection mechanism of Figure 7a or Figure 7b or Figure 7c; Figure 8 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 3, showing the position of the various cornponentsat a second stage of the extracting process; Figure 9 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 3, showing the position of the various components at a third stage of the extracting process; Figure 10 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 3, showing the position of the various components at a fourth stage of the extracting process; Figure 11 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 4, of a first alternative component for use in the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 12 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 5, of a second alternative component for use in the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 13 is a side view of an alternative mechanism for applying a substantially radial compressive force to fruit or vegetables placed in the apparatus of Figure 1, the mechanism being shown in a first position; Figure 14 is a side view of the mechanism of Figure 12 shown in a second position.

An apparatus 10 for extracting juice froii fruit or Vegetables is shown in Figures 1 and 2. The apparatus 10 has a substantially box-shaped outer housing 12 having an upper surface 14, a front surface 16 and a side surface 18. The surfaces not visible in Figures 1 and 2 are planar and substantially featureless, save for an electrical connection provided in either the rear surface or the base to allow connection to a suitable mains supply. The upper surface 14 includes a hinged lid 20 to allow access to interior components when cleaning is required. The front surface includes a retractable and extendable spout 22 which is shown in the retracted position in Figure 1 and in the extended position in Figure 2. The side wall 18 incorporates a hinged door 24 which opens to allow the fruit or vegetables from which juice is to be extracted to be placed in the apparatus 10. The door 24 is shown in the closed position in Figure 1 and in the open position in Figure 2. Buttons 26 in the form of capacitive sensors are provided on the upper surface 14 close to the front surface 16. These can be located under and protected by the lid 20 or can be provided in any other location convenient for the user.

The buttons 26 are arranged to cause the spout 22 to extend and retract, to cause the door 24 to open and close, and to start the extraction process. Further buttons 26 can be provided to activate different processes or operations as necessary. One of the buttons provided will allow the user to select the type of fruit or vegetable from which juice or pulp is to be extracted. In this embodiment, the button will allow the user to select from the list of "citrus", "soft", "core", or "stone".

Figure 3 illustrates the interior components of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2. Part of the door 24 can be seen, along with a catch 28 for retaining the door 24 in the closed position. Secured to the interior face of the door 24 is a rigid cylindrical sleeve member 30. The cylindrical sleeve member 30, which is also visible in Figure 2, has an open upper end and an inwardly projecting lip 32 at its lower end. Seated on the lip 32 is a loose-fitting base 34 which is permitted to move upwardly inside and with respect to the cylindrical sleeve member 30. The cylindrical sleeve member 30, together with the base 34, is carried by the door 24 and moveable therewith on operation of the appropriate button 26 to release the catch 28.

Located inside the cylindrical sleeve member 30, and supported by the base 34, is a deformable member 36. The deformable member 36, which can also be seen in Figure 2, is externally dimensioned so as to fill the space delimited by the cylindrical sleeve member 30 and the base 34 leaving substantially no play. The wall of the cylindrical sleeve member 30 is thus positioned immediately radially outwardly of the deformable member 36 and the base 34 is positioned immediately beneath the deformable member 36. The deformable member 36 is made from a substantially incompressible material such as silicone and, preferably, has properties which allow the deformable member 36 to be washed in a dishwasher. For this application, the material must be of a standard which is suitable for use with foodstuffs. Additionally, the material from which the deformable member 36 is manufactured has a Shore A hardness of no more than 30, with a Shore A hardness of up to 10, preferably no more than 5, being preferred. The purpose of this property will be explained below.

Internally, the deformable member 36 delimits a generally cylindrical cavity 38 which is dimensioned so as to be capable of receiving fruits or vegetables of varying sizes. The cavity 38 has a longitudinal axis 40 about which the deformable member 36 is located.

The deformable member 36, which is shown more clearly in Figures 4 and 5, has a side wall 42 which, in use, surrounds the fruit or vegetables from which juice is to be extracted, and is shaped so as to form a plurality of lobes 44 which are circumferentially spaced about the longitudinal axis 40. In the embodiment shown, twelve equi-angularly spaced lobes 44 are provided however, as few as five or as many as twenty lobes can be provided with good effect. One of the purposes of the lobes 44 is to allow fruit or vegetables having a girth which is slightly bigger than the internal circumference of the cavity 38 to be accommodated by slight compression of the lobes. The deformable member 36 also has a base 46 which closes the lower end of the deformable member 36.

The base 46 is formed integrally with the side wall 42 so that the entire deformable member 36 can be manufactured in a single piece, although this is not essential. When the deforniable member 36 is placed inside the cylindrical sleeve member 30, the base 46 of the deformable member 36 rests on and is supported by the base 34.

When the deformable member 36 is located inside the cylindrical sleeve member 30 and the door 24 is in the closed position, a circular plate 48 is positioned immediately beneath the base 34. Below the plate 48, a pressing mechanism 50 is provided, all the components of which are contained within the housing 12. The pressing mechanism 50 is shown in detail in Figure 6 and comprises a motor 52 which is mounted so that the shaft 54 thereof extends generally downwards towards the base surface of the apparatus 10. The shaft 54 drives a belt 56 which in turn drives the pulley 58 of a shaft 60 which is rotatably mounted on the base surface. At the upper end of the shaft 60 is a first gear 62 which meshes with three further gears 64, each of which is rotatably supported at a 1 0 fixed distance above the base surface and surrounds a lead screw 66. Each lead screw 66 cooperates with the respective gear 64 by means of which, when the gear 64 rotates, the lead screw 66 is drawn through the centre of the gear 64 in a direction which depends upon the direction of rotation of the gear 64. Thus, in operation, when the motor 52 is driven in a particular direction, the gear 62 at the upper end of the shaft 60 1 5 causes the gears 64 to rotate which, in turn, causes the lead screws 66 to move in an upward direction.

The upper ends of the lead screws 66 are in contact with the underneath surface of the circular plate 48, as can be seen from Figure 3. Thus, when the lead screws 66 are moved in an upward direction, the circular plate 48 is also caused to move in an upward direction which, in turn, causes the base 34 to move in an upward direction. The operation of the apparatus will be described in more detail below.

A plate 68 is located immediately above the open upper end of the rigid cylindrical sleeve 30. This plate 68 does not restrict the ability of the cylindrical sleeve 30 and the cleformable member 36 to move with the door 24 between the open and closed positions, but it does ensure that the deformable member 36 may not move out of the cylindrical sleeve 30 to any significant extent when the door 24 is in the closed position.

The purpose of the plate 68 is to ensure that, when the plate 48 is raised, the deformable member 36 is compressed in the direction of the longitudinal axis 40. An aperture 69 is arranged in the plate 68 and is aligned with the longitudinal axis 40 of the cavity 38.

Located above the plate 68 is a juice collection mechanism 70a. The juice collection mechanism 70a is shown in more detail in Figure 7a and comprises a reservoir 72 which extends between the plate 68 and the upper surface 14 of the apparatus 10. The reservoir 72 is generally cylindrical in shape and has a conduit 74 leading from the interior of the reservoir 72 to the spout 22. The conduit 74 is in communication with the spout 22 and is shaped so that liquid collected in the reservoir 72 will run into the conduit 74 and thence to the spout 22 under the influence of gravity. A cylindrical sleeve 76 is mounted generally in the centre of the reservoir 72 and is rigidly connected to a circular cap 78 which fonns a lid to the reservoir 72. The cap 78 is mounted on the upper end of the wall of the reservoir 72 so as to be rotatable with respect thereto. The outer lip of the cap 78 carries gear teeth 80 which engage with gear arrangement 81 driven by a drive motor 81 a (see Figure 3) located in the upper portion of the apparatus 10 so that the cap 78 can be driven in a rotating manner with respect to the reservoir 72 by operation of the drive motor 8 Ia. The cylindrical sleeve 76 extends downwardly away from the circular cap 78 and into the aperture 69 in the plate 68. The cylindrical sleeve 76 does not project beyond the lower surface of the plate 68. When the circular cap 78 is rotated by the drive motor 8la, the cylindrical sleeve 76 will rotate together therewith.

The cylindrical sleeve 76 includes elongate slots to allow juice to pass from the interior of the sleeve 76 to the exterior thereof Located inside the cylindrical sleeve 76 is a plunger 82 which is slidably moveable inside the cylindrical sleeve 76. A spring 84 biases the plunger 82 into a position in which it lies at the lower end of the cylindrical sleeve 76 and substantially level with the lower surface of the plate 68. In this position, the plunger 82 lies immediately above the cavity 38 fomed in the deformable member 36 when the door 24 is in the closed position. The upper end of the spring 84 abuts against a stop 86 which forms the central portion of the cap 78. The stop 86 may rotate with the cap 78, depending upon the cormection between the cap 78 and the stop 86. The spring 84 may rotate with respect to the stop 86 and/or the plunger 82. It is immaterial whether any of the stop 86, the spring 84 and the plunger 82 are caused to rotate with respect to the cylindrical sleeve 76 when the cap 78 is rotated by the drive motor 81a.

A cutter sleeve 88 lies immediately outside the cylindrical sleeve 76. The cutter sleeve 88 includes at least one blade portion 90 located at the lowermost end thereof. The or each blade portion 90 is capable of cutting through the rind of a citrus fruit. The cutter sleeve 88 also comprises helical tongues 92 which interengage with grooves 94 formed in the lowermost portion of the cylindrical sleeve 76. The arrangement is designed to ensure that, when the cylindrical sleeve 76 is rotated by the drive motor 81a as described above, the cutter sleeve 88 is caused to move upward or downward (depending upon the direction of rotation of the cylindrical sleeve 76) by virtue of the relative rotation between the cylindrical sleeve 76 and the cutter sleeve 88 and the interaction between the tongues 92 and the grooves 94. Slots 96 are provided in the cutter sleeve 88 to allow pulp and juice to pass from the outside of the cutter sleeve 88 to the inside thereof.

The apparatus 10 also includes electronic circuitry 97 which controls the operation of the apparatus 10. The electronic circuitry 97 can be located in any suitable position within the outer housing 1 2 but is conveniently located in the upper portion of the apparatus 10, extending partially about the juice collection mechanism 70a to connect with and drive the drive motor 81a so as to rotate the cap 78 when required. The electronic circuitry 97 is also adapted and arranged to drive the motor 52 which causes the plate 48 to be raised and lowered, to drive a motor for extending and retracting the spout 22, and to sense whether the door 24 is open or closed. The electronic circuitry 97 is also connected to a sensor 98 located on the underside of the plate 68 at or adjacent the aperture 69. The sensor 98 could equally be provided on the lowermost extremity of a portion of the underside of the reservoir 72 which projects into the aperture 69 as shown in Figure 7a, and which connects electrically to the electronic circuitry 97 when the juice collector 70a is inserted in the apparatus 10. This sensor 98 is adapted to sense the presence of fruit or vegetables 100 which are being pressed against the underside of the plate 68.

Figure 7b shows a first alternative juice collection mechanism 70b which can be used in the apparatus 10 in place of the juice collection mechanisni 70a. The first alternative juice collection mechanism 70b includes all of the features described above in connection with the juice collection mechanism 70a, except that the cutter sleeve 88 is omitted. Instead, the cylindrical sleeve 76 of the first alternative juice collection mechanism 70b terminates in an inwardly projecting lip 76b at the lower end thereof.

This lip 76b forms a stop for the plunger 82 and delimits an opening in which a mesh or sieve 88b is located. The mesh or sieve 88b is designed and arranged to allow pulp and juice to enter the interior of the cylindrical sleeve 76 when the volume of the cavity is reduced.

Figure 7c shows a second alternative juice collection mechanism 70c which can be used in the apparatus 10 in place of either the juice collection mechanism 70a or the first alternative juice collection mechanism 70b. The second alternative juice collection mechanism 70c is similar to the first alternative juice collection mechanism 70b but omits the mesh or sieve 88b in favour of a circular blade 88c mounted on the lower face of the lip 76b. The circular blade 88c is fixedly mounted on the lower end of the cylindrical sleeve 88 and projects towards the cavity 38. In both the first and second alternative juice collection mechanisms 70b, 70c, the sensor 98 is located on the underside of the lip 76b.

Figure 7d shows a third alternative juice collection mechanism 70d which can be used in the apparatus 10 iii place of any one of the juice collection mechanism 70a, the first alternative juice collection mechanism 70b and the second alternative juice collection mechanism 70c. Similar to the juice collection mechanism 70a, the third alternative juice collection mechanism 70d comprises a reservoir 172 which extends between the plate 68 and the upper surface 14 of the apparatus 10. The reservoir 172 is generally cylindrical in shape and has a cylindncal sleeve 174 depending downwardly from the centre thereof. The circular end 176 of the sleeve 174 delimits an opening arranged to allow pulp and juice to enter the interior of the sleeve 174 when the volume of the cavity 38 is reduced. The end 176 of the sleeve 174 may be shaped to provide a blade or other sharp or rough surface for contacting the fruit or vegetables located in the cavity 38.

A valve 1 78 is located within the sleeve 1 74, preferably towards the end 176 of the sleeve 174. The valve 178 is nioveable between a closed position, as illustrated in Figure 7(1, for inhibiting the return to the cavity 38 of juice retained by the third alternative juice collection mechanism 70, and an open position for allowing pulp and juice to enter the reservoir 172 from the cavity 38. In this example the valve 178 comprises two substantially semi-circular flaps 180 each pivotally mounted to the sleeve 174 at diametrically opposing pivot points 182, one of which is shown in Figure 7d. The curved edge 184 of each flap 180 is shaped to contact and form a seal with an inwardly projecting lip 186 located at the end 176 of the sleeve 174.

Unlike any of the juice collection mechanism 70a, the first alternative juice collection mechanism 70b and the second alternative juice collection mechanism 70c, the third alternative juice collection mechanism 70d has no conduit for conveying collected liquid to the spout 22, and therefore is arranged to retain juice-bearing material, generally comprising both pulp and juice, received from the cavity 38. A lid 180 is detachably connected to the reservoir 172 using a connector 182 configured to permit pivotal movement of the lid 180 relative to the reservoir 172. This enables a user to view the contents of the reservoir 172 while the third alternative juice collection mechanism 70d is located within the apparatus 10 and without having to remove the lid 180.

A pressure plate 184 is connected to the lower surface of the lid 180 for movement within and relative to the reservoir 1 72 depending on the amount of juice-bearing material retained by the reservoir 172. A resilient element, in this example a coil spring, 186 is located between the lid 180 and the pressure plate 184, and has a first end connected to the lid 180 and a second end connected to the pressure plate 184. The resilient element 1 86 biases the pressure plate 184 away from the lid 180. The reservoir 172 is shaped to define a seat 188 upon which a downwardly depending lip 190 of the pressure plate 184 rests when the lid 180 is located on the reservoir 172 in the closed position illustrated in Figure 7d. A sensor (not shown) is located on the lower surface of the lid 180 for detecting movement of the pressure plate 184 relative to the lid 180.

The sensor is arranged to be connected electrically to the electronic circuitry 97 when the third alternative juice collection mechanism 70d is located within the apparatus 10.

For example, electrical connectors may be located on the third alternative juice collection mechanism 70d for contacting co-operating electrical connectors of the electronic circuitry 97. An air valve 192 extends between the lid 180 and the pressure plate 184 to allow air lobe displaced from the reservoir 172 as juice-bearing material is collected within the reservoir 1 72.

The operation of the apparatus 10 will now be described in detail. For simplicity, the items to be juiced will be referred to as fruit, although it will be understood that vegetables may also be juiced in the same way. Initially, the spout 22 is extended and the door 24 of the apparatus 10 is opened by pressing the appropriate button(s) 26 on the upper surface 14 of the outer casing 12. A receptacle such as a drinking glass is placed beneath the spout 22 and the fruit 100 from which juice is to be extracted is introduced to the interior of the deformable member 36 simply by dropping the fruit 100 into the cavity 38 so that the side wall 42 surrounds the fruit 100. The fruit 100 will often be some type of citrus fruit such as orange or grapefruit but the apparatus 10 is also able to extract juice from soft fruit such as raspberries, strawberries and cranberries, core fruit such as apples and pears, and stone fruit such as peaches, nectarines and mangoes by the selection of an appropriate Juice collection mechanism. The apparatus 10 described above is capable of extracting juice from single pieces of fruit (normally citrus, core or stone) having a height of anything between about 55mm and about 90mm, the upper limit being determined by the ability of the door 24 to be closed with the fruit placed inside the cavity 38. Since some fruit has a slightly flattened shape, as opposed to being truly spherical, fruit which has a height of no more than 90mm but a girth which is slightly larger than that which can easily be accommodated within the cavity may need to be pressed into the cavity 38 so as to deform slightly the irmer portions of the lobes 44. Once the fruit has been placed in the cavity 38, the button 26 by means of which the type of fruit is selected is used to make the necessary selection.

Selecting a particular type of fruit will determine the type ofjuice collection mechanism which should be used in the apparatus. If citrus fruit such as oranges or grapefruit are to be juiced and the extracted juice dispensed by the spout 22, the juice collection mechanism 70a shown in Figure 7a must be located in the apparatus 10 as shown in Figure 3. However, if soft fruit such as strawberries or raspberries are to be juiced and the extracted juice dispensed by the spout 22, the juice collection mechanism 70a must be replaced by the first altei-native juice collection mechanism 70b shown in Figure 7b.

Similarly, if stone fruit is to be juiced and the extracted juice dispensed by the spout 22, the juice collection mechanism 70c shown in Figure 7c would be more appropriate. If pulp and juice from fruit such as mangos, kiwi fruits and passion fruits is to be collected without dispensing from the spout 22, the juice collection mechanism illustrated in Figure 7d must be located in the apparatus 10. The manner in which the juice collection mechanism 70a may be received in the apparatus 10 and removed therefrom will described below: the first and second alternative Juice collection mechanisms 70b, 70c, 70d are received in and removed from the apparatus in the same manner.

The door 24 is closed either manually or by pressing the appropriate button 26. The apparatus lOis then in the position shown in Figure 3. The fruit 100 is in the cavity 38; the plate 48 is in its lowermost position; the deformable member 36 is substantially undeformed; the cutter sleeve 88 is in its uppermost position with the blade portions 90 lying within the aperture 69 and immediately above the cavity 38; the plunger 82 is in its lowermost position with its lowermost face lying immediately above the cavity 38, and the spring 84 is unstressed.

Pressing the appropriate button 26 will initiate the juice extraction process. The process used to extract juice from a piece of citrus fruit will be described in detail with variations for different fruit types also being described subsequently. Firstly, the electronic circuitry 97 will carry out a check to ensure that the door 24 is fully closed.

If it is not, there will be a risk that the cylindrical sleeve 30 will not be aligned properly with the plate 48 and further operation could damage the appliance. If an error is detected, a warning light, sound or message could be displayed. If the door 24 is correctly closed, the electronic circuitry 97 will drive the motor 52, activating the pressing mechanism 50 as described above and causing the plate 48 to be lifted towards the plate 68. The positioning of the plate 48 immediately beneath the base 34, and the fact that the base 34 is loose-fitting with respect to the cylindrical sleeve member 30, means that the lifting of the plate 48 causes the base 34 to be lifted as well. Since the cylindrical sleeve member 30 and the plate 68 are each rigidly fixed, the lifting of the base 34 causes the side wall 42 of the deformable member 36 to be deformed inwardly towards the axis 40. At the same time, the base 46 of the deformable member 36 is pressed upwardly towards the plate 68. Effectively, the volume of the cavity 38 is reduced. The physical properties of the deformable mefiTher 36, and in particular the Shore A hardness being close to 5, ensure that, when the axial force is applied by the pressing mechanism 50 to the deformable member 36, the deformable member 36 is able elastically to alter its shape but substantially maintain its volume. In this way, the axial force applied to the deformable member 36 is translated into a substantially radial compressive force.

There will come a point, as the plate 48 is raised towards the plate 68, when the fruit will come into contact with the plate 68. This position is shown in Figure 8. The sensor 98 detects this and communicates with the electronic circuitry 97 that this point has been reached. At this stage, the motor 52 is stopped and the time which has elapsed since the pressing mechanism 50 was first activated is recorded. The elapsed time is indicative of the size of the piece of fruit 100 from which juice is to be extracted. Using this information, a calculation is made of the distance into the fruit 100 which the cutter sleeve 88 will be pressed and the distance by which the plate 48 should then be raised beyond its present position to effect squeezing of the fruit 100. This calculation takes account of the size of the fruit 100 as calculated with reference to the time taken for the fruit 100 to be brought into contact with the plate 68. The larger the size of the fruit 100, the further the cutter sleeve 88 will be driven into the fruit 100. In this embodiment, when a piece of fruit 100 of maximum height (90mm) is to be juiced, the cutter sleeve 88 will be driven into the fruit 100 to a maximum distance of 40mm, or approximately 45% of the original height of the piece of fruit 100. When a piece of fruit 100 of minimum height (55mm) is to be juiced, the cutter sleeve 88 will be driven into the fruit 100 to a minimum distance of 35mm, or approximately 64% of the original height of tile piece of fruit 100. For fruit having a height between 55mm and 90mm, the cutter sleeve 88 will be driven into the fruit to a distance of between 35mm and 40mm using a directly linear relationship, so that the penetration of the cutter sleeve 88 into a piece of fruit having a height of 72.5mm will be 37.5mm, or approximately 52% of the original height of the fruit.

It will be appreciated that the distance to which the cutter sleeve 88 is driven into the fruit 100 can be varied by specifying that the penetration distance for the smallest fruit will have a value of anywhere between 25mm and 45mm and that the penetration distance for the largest fruit can have a value of anywhere between 35mm and 65mm, although it is expected that the penetration distance for larger fruit will always exceed that for smaller fruit. The variation of the penetration distance can be governed by any appropriate relationship and will be dependent upon the material and geometry of the deformable sleeve 36.

Before the cutter sleeve 88 is driven into the fruit 100, the motor 52 is driven again so as to raise the plate 48 by a predetermined distance (in this embodiment around 10mm) in order to ensure that the skin of the fruit 100 is pressed firmly against tile underside of the plate 68 to reduce tile risk of any premature leakage of juice into the interior of the cylindrical sleeve 76 and to reduce the risk of zest or peel oil from the fruit 100 contaminating the extracted juice. The drive motor Sla is then driven so that the cap 78 and the cylindrical sleeve 76 are rotated about the axis 40. This causes relative rotation between the cylindrical sleeve 76 and the cutter sleeve 88, thus moving the cutter sleeve 88 downwards. The cutter blades 90 pierce the rind of the fruit 100 and continued driving of the drive motor 81a forces the cutter sleeve 88 into the interior of the cavity 38 and thus into the interior of the fruit 100. The drive motor 81a is driven until the distance calculated by the electronic circuitry 97 as being the appropriate distance for the cutter sleeve 88 to travel is completed. The position achieved by the components at this stage is shown in Figure 9.

Once the cutter sleeve 88 has been driven into the fruit 100 to the correct distance, the motor 52 is operated once again. The plate 48 is pressed further upwards towards the plate 68 until it is positioned approximately 5mm below the lowermost end of the cutter sleeve 88. During this part of the operation, the deformable member 36 is deformed to such an extent that the volume of the cavity 38 is again greatly reduced. The constraints placed on the external dimensions of the deformable member 36 by the cylindrical sleeve 30 force the deformable member 36 to apply a very substantial force to the fruit in a substantially radial direction, i.e. substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 40. An axial force is also applied to the fruit 100 by virtue of the plate 48 continuing to be raised towards the plate 68. The lobes 44 of the deformable member are substantially equally spaced about the axis 40 and so support the skin of the fruit as the squeezing forces are applied and this helps to reduce the risk of the skin splitting and zest or juice oils contaminating the extracted juice. As this substantially radial squeezing process takes place, juice and pulp of the fruit 100 pass through the slots 96 in the cutter sleeve 88 into the interior of the cutter sleeve 88. Continued squeezing forces the pulp and juice to occupy some of the interior of the cylindrical sleeve 76 and the plunger 82 is forced to move upwardly against the biasing action of the spring 84. The pressing of the plunger 82 towards the fruit 100 compresses the pulp and squeezes Juice through the slots 96 in the cylindrical sleeve 76. The slots are designed to allow juice, but not pulp, to pass therethrough. (The slots 96 can be dimensioned to allow a small amount of pulp to pass therethrough if juice containing pulp is required.) The final position of the plate 48 is calculated by the electronic circuitry 97 and is dependent on the size of the fruit 100. It is essential that the final position of the plate 48 is below the lowermost end of the cutter sleeve 88 when it is in its lowered position.

However, in order to extract the maximum amount ofjuice from the fruit 100, the plate 48 should be relatively close to the lowermost end of the cutter sleeve 88 in its final position. The positions of the various components at this stage are shown in Figure 10.

As a result of the squeezing of the pulp and juice into the interior of the cutter sleeve 88 and the cylindrical sleeve 78, and the compression of the puip by the plunger 82, juice from the fruit 100 passes into the reservoir 72 and drains from there to the spout 22. It will be appreciated that the juice extracted from the fruit 100 is forced upwards out of the fruit -against the force of gravity -but this is achievable due to the large compression forces applied to the fruit 100 by the deformation of the deformable member 36. Forcing the extracted juice to travel upwards to the reservoir 72 allows the spout 22 to be positioned at an appropriate height for dispensing extracted juice into a drinking glass whilst still allowing the fruit 100 to occupy a position below the spout 22.

Once the squeezing operation has been completed, the cutter sleeve 88 is retracted from the fruit 100 by driving the drive motor in the reverse direction. This moves the cutter sleeve 88 upwardly and returns it to a position in which the cutter blades 90 are located above the cavity 38, externally of the fruit 100. The motor 52 is then driven in a reverse direction so that the plate 48 is lowered to its original position (as shown in Figure 3).

This releases the pressure on the deformable member 36 which then returns to its original shape as shown in Figures 4 and 5 so that the shape and volume of the cavity 38 returns to that shown in Figure 3. These steps can be carried out sequentially or simultaneously. Whilst the fruit 100 remains a fraction of its original volume, it is no longer under pressure so the spring 84 is able to press the plunger 82 downwards towards the fruit 100. This action pushes the majority of the pulp back into the interior of the fruit 100 and the circular disc of rind which was originally cut through by the cutter blades 90 will be pushed back towards its original position in the fruit 100. This means that the waste material to be discarded by the user is contained, to a very large extent, within the original skin of the fruit 100. Because the skin has been supported during the juice extraction process, the skin is not niessy and is easy and clean to dispose of.

When the plate 48 has been returned to its original position, the appropnate button 26 can be pressed to open the door 24, the fruit skin can be removed from the cavity 36 and discarded, and the apparatus 10 can either be used again immediately or cleaned in preparation for storage and future use.

The above process is suitable for extracting juice from citrus fruits using the apparatus 10. However, in the event that soft fruit is to be juiced, the first alternative juice collection mechanism 70b will be brought into operation. When the plate 48 is raised 1 0 towards the plate 68, the volume of the cavity 38 is reduced to virtually nothing in order to extract the maximum amount of juice from the soft fruit. The pulp and juice are strained through the mesh of sieve 88b before juice is collected in the reservoir 72.

Similarly, when core fruit or stone fruit having a skin is to be processed, the second alternative juice collection inechanisn-i 70c is used and, when the plate 48 is raised towards the plate 68, the fixed blade 88c will ensure that the skin is cut in a controlled way to allow the pulp and juice to enter the centre of the cylindrical sleeve 76. The juicing process will take place in the same way as that described above. Deformation of the deformable member 36 will reduce the volume of the cavity such that the pulp and juice of the fruit in the cavity will be forced upwardly so that juice can be collected in the reservoir 72 and passed from there to the spout 22. Sensors (not shown) can be provided on the underside of the plate 68 for detecting when the plate 48 has reached its uppermost position without damaging the stone of the fruit to be juiced.

When juice-bearing material is to be collected, the third alternative juice collection mechanism 70d is located in the apparatus 10. The electrical connection established between the electronic circuitry 97 of the apparatus 10 and the sensor located on the lid advises the electronic circuitry 97 of the presence of the third alternative juice collection mechanism 70d within the apparatus 10. In response, the electronic circuit may be arranged to not operate the motor 79 during the subsequent operation of the apparatus 10. Alternatively, or additionally, the electronic circuitry may be arranged to retract the spout 22 upon detecting the presence of the third alternative juice collection mechanism 70d within the apparatus 10 so as to alert a user that no juice will be dispensed from the spout 22 during the subsequent operation of the apparatus 10.

When the plate 48 is raised towards the plate 68, the sharp or rough surface of the end 176 of the sleeve 174 will ensure that the skin of the fruit or vegetables is pierced in a controlled way. The juicing process will take place in the same way as that described above. Deformation of the deformable member 36 will reduce the volume of the cavity such that the pulp and juice of the fruit in the cavity 38 will be forced upwardly, pushing the flaps 180 of the valve 178 upwardly to open the valve 178 to allow the juice-bearing material to enter the sleeve 174 and flow into the reservoir 172. When the extraction of pulp and juice has been completed, the flaps 180 are forced downwardly by the weight of the juice-bearing material to close the valve 178. In the event that the level of juice-bearing niaterial collected within the reservoir 172 rises to such a level as to contact the lower surface of the pressure plate 184 and move the pressure plate 184 towards the lid 1 80, this relative movement of the pressure plate 1 84 is detected by the sensor located on the lower surface of the lid 180. The sensor outputs a signal to alert the electronic circuitry 97 of the detection of this relative movement between the lid 180 and the pressure plate 184. In response to the reception of this signal, the electronic circuitry 97 deactivates the motor 52 to stop the supply of juice-bearing material to the reservoir 1 72. The electronic circuitry 97 may also generate an alert to notify a user that the juicing process has been stopped and that the reservoir 172 needs to be emptied.

Cleaning the apparatus 10 shown in Figures 1 to 10 is designed to be easy and quick.

The deformable member 36 can be lifted out of the cylindrical sleeve 30 and washed with ease, either by hand or using a dishwasher. The juice collection mechanism 70a can also be lifted out of the apparatus 10 via the opening created by lifting the hinged lid 20 and then washed to remove any residue from the juice extraction process. To achieve this, the opening created by lifting the hinged lid is located immediately above the juice collection mechanism 70a and is sufficiently large to allow the entire juice collection mechanism 70a to pass through the opening. Removal of the juice collection mechanism 70a is achieved simply by the user grasping the wall of the reservoir 72 and lifting the juice collection mechanism 70a in an upward direction. The lower end of the cylindrical sleeve 76 is slidably releasable from the aperture 69 in the plate 68 and lifting the juice collection mechanism 70a in an upwards direction disengages the cylindrical sleeve 76 from the aperture 69. The plate 68 carries or incorporates formations (not shown) with which shapings 72a formed on the base of the reservoir 72 engage. These formations and shapings 72a are non-symmetrical to ensure that the juice collection mechanism 70a is always replaced in the correct orientation after removal from the apparatus 10. This is important because the conduit 74 must be returned to the position in which it is in communication with the spout 22 after cleaning. An appropriate seal (not shown) can be provided between the conduit 74 and the spout 22 if desired.

It will be appreciated that the cutter sleeve 88 will normally be located in its retracted position around the cylindrical sleeve 76 (as in Figures 3 and 8) when the juice collection mechanism 70a is removed from the apparatus 10 for cleaning purposes.

However, it may be necessary to move the cutter sleeve 88 into the extended position (as in Figure 9) for cleaning in some instances. If this is necessary, the cap 78 can be rotated manually to bring the cutter sleeve 88 into the extended position for cleaning purposes but it is preferred that the cutter sleeve 88 be returned to the retracted position for replacement into the apparatus 10. It is also envisaged that the cap 78, together with the cylindrical sleeve 76 and the cutter sleeve 88, will be separable from the reservoir 72 during the cleaning process.

The fact that the juice collection mechanism 70a is located entirely above the plate 68, and thus in the upper portion of the apparatus 10, means that the removal of the juice collection mechanism 70a is very convenient for the user because access to the juice collection mechanism 70a is not inhibited by other components of the apparatus 10. The first, second and third alternative juice collection mechanisms 70b, 70c, 70d are received in and removed from the apparatus 10 in exactly the same way.

The defoniiable member 36 described above can be replaced by alternative designs of deformable member. A first alternative design of deformable member which could replace the deformable member 36 is shown in Figure 11. In this alternative design, the deformable member 36a is similarly configured with a generally cylindrical side wall 42a and a base (not shown) delimiting a generally cylindrical cavity 38a. The external dimensions of the side wall 42a are essentially the same as those of the side wall 42 of the deformable member 36 so that the alternative deformable member 36a will fit into the cylindrical sleeve member 30 without any substantial play. The main difference between the deformable member 36 and the alternative deformable member 36a is the number of lobes 44a provided on the side wall 42a In the embodiment of Figure 11, only six lobes 44a are provided. It has been found that any number of lobes between 5 and 20 can be provided to good effect.

A second alternative design of deformable member is shown in Figure 12. In this 1 5 alternative design, the deformable member 36b again has a general configuration which would allow it to fit into the cylindrical sleeve member 30 and to accept fruit or vegetables in a cavity 38b. However, the wall 42b of the deformable member 36b is manufactured so as to include an internal cavity 43b which is filled with an incompressible substance during the manufacturing process. The density of the incompressible substance (which may be water) is different from that of the material from which the wall 42b is manufactured. This can enhance the properties which allow the deforrnable member 36b to apply compressive forces to the fruit or vegetables during the juice extracting process. It can also have cost benefits and may also reduce the weight of the final product.

The deformable members 36, 36a, 36b described above are not the only means of applying a substantially radial force to the fruit or vegetables in the apparatus of Figures I to 10. Mechanical means can also be used to apply a similar force to the fruit or vegetables. An example of such mechanical means in the form of a mechanical press ring 110 is shown in Figures 13 and 14. As can be seen in Figure 13, the mechanical press ring 110 includes an upper ring structure 112 and a lower ring structure 114. The upper ring structure 112 and the lower ring structure 114 are connected by a series of linkages 116 on each of which is carried a pressing arm 118. The arrangement shown includes ten linkages 116 equi-spaced about a central axis 120 defined by the upper and lower ring structures 112, 114. There are, therefore, ten equi-spaced pressing arms 118 included in the structure. The linkages 116 are arranged so that, when the lower ring structure 114 is moved upwardly towards the upper ring structure 112, the pressing arms 118 are moved radially inwardly towards the axis 120 as shown in Figure 14.

The mechanical ring press 110 can be incorporated into the apparatus 10 shown in Figures 1 to 10 by removing the deformable member 36 and with some slight modifications to the plates 48, 68 and the pressing mechanism 50 to accommodate the pressing arms 118. However, it can readily be seen that a result similar to that described in detail above can be achieved using a mechanism shown in Figures 13 and 14 in place of the deformable member 36. Different numbers of pressing arms 118 can be used in the same way that the number of lobes 44 can be varied on the deformable member 36.

It is preferred that, when the mechanical press ring 110 is employed, a removable flexible sleeve (not shown) will be placed between the fruit or vegetables 100 and the pressing arms 118, partly to help to distribute the load applied to the fruit or vegetables and partly to enable the portion of the appliance in direct contact with the fruit or vegetables 100 to be removed for cleaning purposes. This arrangement is particularly suitable for extracting juice from stone fruit.

The invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described in detail above.

Various modifications can be made to the details of the appliance shown in the attached figures without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the outer housing need not be a simple box shape but could take any appropriate shape in order to house the internal components. For built-in designs, no outer housing need be provided at all. The door does not need to be arranged on the side wall but could be, for example, on the front surface. The spout could equally be located in either side wall and need not be retractable. A different user interface can be provided, and additional functionality could be built into the device. There are alternative ways of providing the axial compressing force to the deforrnable member, such as hydraulic systems, and any pressing mechanism which achieves the same effect can be used, either in the orientation described above or in another orientation, such as inverted. Furthermore, the distance between the plate 48 and the lowermost end of the cutter sleeve 88 need not be 5mm, but can be varied to any suitable value. Values of anywhere between 2mm and 1 0mm would be suitable for most applications.

The deformable members illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 11 and 12 can also be varied to include different numbers of lobes and/or different lobe profiles. Indeed, the lobes can 0 be dispensed with entirely if desired and the base 46 can be manufactured separately from the side wall and either connected thereto by any suitable means. Equally, the mechanical press ring illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 can take any one of a variety of forms which achieve the same result as that shown and described. The cylindrical sleeve member 30 could be made removable with the deformable member 36 by providing a releasable connection between the cylindrical sleeve member 30 and the door 24. The cutter sleeve may also be controlled so that it is pressed into the fruit or vegetables to one of a discrete number of predetermined distances depending upon the size of the fruit or vegetables. For example, the embodiment described above could be adapted so that, for fruit or vegetables having a height of 55mm to 70mm, the predetermined distance would be 35mm; for fruit or vegetables having a height of 71mm to 80mm, the predetermined distance would be 38mm; and for fruit or vegetables having a height of 81mm to 90mm, the predetermined distance would be 40mm.

Different configurations ofjuice collection mechanism can be provided for dealing with different types of fruit and vegetables.

It is also envisaged that a cover may be provided on the deformable member so that the cavity into which the fruit or vegetables are placed is substantially enclosed by the deforniable member. This may assist in ensuring that the appliance is easy to clean.

The cover may be movably fixed to the deformable member or simply alignable with the deforniable member so as to be removable therewith for cleaning purposes. This eliminates any need for the underneath surface of the plate located above the deformable member to be cleaned since any juice, pulp, zest or peel oil which finds its way into that area will be lodged on the cover and thus removed when the deformable member is removed for cleaning. The deformable member need not be made from silicone but can be made from any suitable material with the appropriate hardness characteristics, such as a thermoplastics material or polyeurythane.

Claims (13)

1. Apparatus for extracting juice from fruit or vegetables comprising a housing surrounding a cavity in which fruit or vegetables are received, an outlet for dispensing juice from the housing, a first juice collection mechanism for receiving and collecting juice froni the cavity and delivering the juice to the outlet, a second juice collection mechanism for receiving and retaining juice from the cavity, the first and second juice collection mechanisms being interchangeably receivable in the housing in a position above the cavity, and means for inhibiting the return to the cavity of juice retained by the second juice collection mechanism.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for inhibiting the return to the cavity ofjuice retained by the second juice collection mechanism comprises a valve.

3 Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the valve is carried by the second juice collection mechanism.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the valve is moveable from a closed position to an open position under the force of material passing from the cavity into the second juice collection mechanism.

Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second juice collection mechanism comprises a cutter for contacting the fruit or vegetables within the cavity.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first juice collection mechanism comprises a cutter which, when the first juice collection niechanisni is received in the housing, is rnoveable between a first position in which the cutter lies outside the cavity and a second position in which the cutter projects into the cavity.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first juice collection mechanism comprises drive means for driving the cutter from the first position into the second position.

8 Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each juice collection mechanism is removable from the housing as a single unit.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each juice collection mechanism is removable from the housing in an upward direction.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the housing has an upper surface comprising an openable lid through which each juice collection mechanism is able to pass.

1 5

11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each juice collection mechanism is made entirely from materials which are capable of being washed in a dishwasher.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus is suitable for domestic use.

13. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.