"ARRANGEMENT FOR A FRUIT PROCESSING DEVICE"
The present specification refers to a utility model
patent for a fruit processing device belonging to the field of the home
appliances, particularly intended to process citric fruits, more precisely
lemon, and which has been the object of an arrangement in order to come up
with something practical and efficient.
As it is known, the lemon is used either for the
preparation or as accompaniment of several drinks and dishes, either cut into
sections, squeezed or in the form of juice. The fact is that the means usually
employed to process this fruit is not completely satisfactory. One of the
problems found in the art is based on the fact that such means is either
formed by isolated all-purpose pieces, and for this reason it is not fully
appropriate, or such pieces are specific parts, which have to be used together
with other all-purpose pieces, and for this reason they are unable to achieve
an optimum performance. According to such context, in order to obtain
lemon sections for instance, the fruit has usually to be placed over a plate,
board or other similar instrument, and then cut with a regular knife, and the
quality of the sections will in great part depend upon the expertise of the
user handling the knife. In order to have the lemon squeezed, the fruit has to
be placed inside some regular cup, and crushed with an appropriate pestle,
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Thus, the objective of the present arrangement,
object of the present application for utility model patent is to provide a fruit
processing device capable of solving the above-mentioned problems.
Another objective is to provide a fruit processing
device, which despite of being able to solve the above problems the
construction and/or manufacture of the device is not too complex to the
extent of causing the utensil to become uninteresting from the standpoint of
the purpose to which it is intended.
Another objective is to provide an easy-to-use and
clean fruit processing device.
Another objective is to provide a fruit processing
device capable of keeping together all the means required for processing the
fruit, specially lemons, in the most common way such fruit is used: cut into
sections, squeezed and in the form of juice. Another objective is to provide a device, which can
be a decorative item when not in use.
Another objective is to provide a low-cost fruit
processing device.
Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned
disadvantages, with the purpose of overcoming them, and meeting the
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the present application for a utility model patent has been designed, whose
construction, working and advantages are described herein below on basis of
the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows the device as assembled and placed
at the appropriate position when not in use, at which time it actuates as a
decorative item;
Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of
the device, and the pestle, which is part to the device is shown both
dismounted and mounted; Figures 3 and 4 show the components of the device
used to cut the lemon into sections at two stages of use;
Figure 5 shows the processing device cover
working as a container for receiving the lemon sections;
Figure 6 shows the possibility of collecting the
juice obtained as a result of the fruit being cut;
Figure 7 shows the components of the device used
to obtain a squeezed lemon to be used for instance for the preparation of a
typical Brazilian drink known as "caipirinha"; and
Figure 8 shows means for obtaining the lemon
juice.
Assxdiαg tc what is s ow---: by t s above
mentioned figures, the processing device object of the present application
for utility model patent is intended to process fruits, particularly citric fruits,
more precisely lemon, so that this latter can be either cut into sections,
squeezed or used to prepare some juice; such processing device is a manual
apparatus, and comprises essentially: a bottom plate (board) 1, over which
the other parts are supported when the device is not in use; a tower 10,
which is supported over the plate 1 when the device is not in use; a casing
20-30, which when the device is not in use can either take the shape of a
fruit, preferably a lemon or pineapple, or others, or the shape of any other
object related with drinks, such as a bottle or others; such casing 20-30, at
the non-use position receives internally the tower 10, which is supported in a
portion thereof, and houses the other parts of the device: the cup 40 turned
downwards over the tower 10; the squeezer 50 coupled with the cup bottom;
and a dismounted pestle 60 whose pieces 61 are arranged in the space
between the cup 40 and the squeezer 50 each mounted over the other and
the casing wall 20-30.
According to further details, casing 20-30 is
formed by two portions: the lower 20 and the upper 30 portions. The lower
portion 20 features knife means for cutting the lemon into sections, and
comprises: a casing member 21 taking an external shape mateMng with the jest one wishes to -r@p-rgss--ιt w:th the easing, εs JOT n ^ose, a sg-απ-
spherical shape, when the casing is to take the shape of a lemon, according
to the attached drawings; said casing member 21 features a upper mouth 22
suitable to be coupled with the mouth of the upper casing portion 30; a
lower opening 23 suitable to receive the tower 10, and provided with
diametrically opposite guide-cuts (not shown); and a set of bent knives 24
arranged according to a dome configuration, said knives being regularly
spaced each in respect to the others, and featuring lower ends supported over
a surface around the lower opening 23, and upper ends connected to each
other, thus forming a tip above the lower opening 23, and a fastening pin 25
extending downwards from such tip and arranged in the inner space of the
knives 25.
The upper portion 30 is formed by a piece which
can function as both a cover and container, which when working as a
container receives the lemon sections, and whose outer surface matches the
shape of the object represented by the casing, for instance, when the casing
is to represent the shape of a lemon said cover-container 30 is semi-
spherical, according to the attached drawings, and feet 31 shaped according
to the object represented by the casing, such as leaves, as per the attached
drawings are provided on the outer surface of its bottom, said cover-
container 30 finrther provides a mouth 32 suitable to get coupled with a
mouth 22 oJ e Loweτ easing oτtcn 20, a τa ϋa-1 handle 33, and a pouring
nib 34 placed opposite to the handle arranged on the mouth 32.
When cutting the lemon into sections, the tower 10
works in cooperation with knives 24 set on the lower casing portion 20, and
essentially comprises: a bottom plate 11; the tower itself being a cylindrical
tower 12 extending from the plate, and suitable to insert into the lower
opening 23 of the lower casing portion 20, and provided at the free end with
a recess 13 for receiving the lemon to be cut, and said tower 12 provides
along its length longitudinal cuts 14 arranged correspondingly to the knives
24 of the lower casing section 20, and fit to receive said knives; said tower
10 further provides diametrically opposite guide-rods 15, extending from the
bottom plate 11, thereby a small space is kept in respect of the tower side
12, designed to extend beyond this latter' s free end, and fit to couple with
the guide-cuts of the lower casing portion 20 of the lower opening 23.
The cup 40 together with the pestle 60 is intended
to process the lemon to be smashed, so that the cup is turned downwards
over the tower 12, with its wall between the tower and the guide-rods 15.
The squeezer 50 is intended to process the lemon
in order to obtain its juice; it is a hollow piece and comprises an upper
dome-shaped section 51 provided with outer cutting, regularly spaced edges
52; said squeezer being further formed by a cylindrical lower section 53; and
openings S4. loea ed in the region between sections SI and S3 to drain the
fruit juice; said cylindrical lower section 53 having a lower mouth whose
diameter is suitable to get coupled either with the mouth (when the cup 40 is
in use) or the bottom (when the cup 40 is not in used).
The pestle 60 works in cooperation with the cup
40, and it is intended together with the cup to squeeze lemon sections; said
pestle 60 having enlarged ends 62 formed by two pieces 61 capable of being
either mounted for use, or dismounted to be kept inside the space between
the mounted cup 40 and squeezer 50 and the casing wall 20-30.
The processing device is made from an injected
thermoplastic material, except for the knives 24, which can be metallic.
Thus, the fruit processing device works as follows:
when said assembly is not in use (fig. 1), it consists of the plate 1 arranged
in the bottom; the tower 10 with its plate 11 supported over the bottom plate
1; the lower casing section 20 with its lower opening 23 applied to the tower
itself 12 of tower 10, the cup 40 coupled turned downwards over the tower
12, the squeezer 50 coupled with the cup bottom 40, the dismounted pestle
60 arranged around the cup 40 and squeezer 50 each mounted over the other,
and the cover-container 30 turned downwards and coupled with the upper
mouth 22 of the lower casing portion 20, and covering the tower 10, cup 40,
squeezer 50 and pestle 60. At this position, the assembly can have the shape
of any objeet as per the enter ecn-ngurations of sections 20 and 30, as for
instance the shape of a lemon, according to what is shown by the attached
figure 1.
In order to cut the lemon into sections with the
present assembly, its pieces are initially dismounted. The tower 10 is
supported, for instance, over a table and the lemon "L" to be cut into
sections is arranged in the upper recess 13 of said tower 10. Afterwards, the
lower casing portion 20 featuring knife means, has its lower opening 23, and
the guide-cuts thereof inserted into tower 12 and guide-rods 15, respectively
(fig. 3), and at this position said casing portion 20 is lowered down until its
middle pin 25 drills a hole and holds the lemon "L", and as its knives 24
continue with their movement they are introduced into the longitudinal
sections 14 of tower 12, and along such movement the knives cut the lemon
into sections (fig. 4). The lemon sections can be arranged over a cover-
container 30 placed at the position where it works as a container supported
over feet 31, and with the mouth 32 turned upwards (fig. 5). The lemon juice
flowing from the fruit being cut is collected inside the plate 11 of tower 10,
and then it can be poured into a container, as for instance a cup 40 (fig. 6).
The lemon sections can be smashed with the aid of
the cup 40 and pestle 60 to make a drink, for instance a typical Brazilian
drink known as "caip---inha", or other drinks (fig. 7).
The iemon '*---," ean be s nno-rted over the iate 1
and cut in the middle, and its halves are then subject to the action of the
squeezer 50 mounted over the cup 40 (fig. 8) to obtain a lemon juice.
The plate 1 can be further used to support the
lemon section so that the user may for instance either remove its core, or
perform other procedures.
Therefore, the present fruit processing device
contemplates to provide an extremely practical utensil to process fruits,
particularly lemon, whether cut into sections, squeezed or in the form of
juice, thus providing facilities over the usual means for achieving this kind
of processing result.
Another advantage provided by the present
processing device is that it is easy-to-use, and easy-to-clean after usage.
Another advantage of the present fruit processing
device is to keep together all the tools required for processing the fruits, i.e.
the pieces required for either cutting the lemon into sections, squeezing it or
preparing a juice.
Another advantage of the present fruit processing
device consists of the fact that when not in use it works as a decorative item.
In addition to the above-mentioned advantages, the
present processing device further shows appropriate construction,
niant-cae ire and eost in view of the irϋπ to vhieh it is intended.
According to the above-described basic
construction, the fruit processing device, object of the present patent for a
utility model may incorporate changes in terms of materials, dimensions,
construction details and/or functional and/or decorative configuration,
without departing from the scope of the protection as claimed.
In view of the foregoing, as previously mentioned
the casing portions 20 and 30 of the processing device can feature decorative
finishes in order to reproduce the figure of a fruit or other objects.