WO2023154978A1

WO2023154978A1 - Juicer

Info

Publication number: WO2023154978A1
Application number: PCT/AU2023/050100
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stephen John Mcclean; Duncan Bruce HELLMERS; Johnson Thie
Original assignee: Breville Pty Limited
Priority date: 2022-02-15
Filing date: 2023-02-15
Publication date: 2023-08-24

Abstract

A juicer (10) with a juicing assembly (14) that includes an auger (31) and a filter unit (30) with a screen (32) against which foodstuff is crushed by the auger (31), wherein the juicer (10) further includes blade structure (35) to cut or macerate the foodstuff as the foodstuff is moved through the filter unit (30) by the auger (31).

Description

JUICER

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims convention priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2022900320, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference thereto.

FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a juicer.

BACKGROUND

[0003] A slow juicer 1 is shown in Figure 1. The juicer 1 operates by crushing foodstuff against a mesh cone 2 using an auger 3 to extract juice from a collection spout 4. Residual pulp is migrated through a pulp chute 5 to an external bin 6. The auger 3 is driven at slow speeds in the order of 60 to 100 RPM and a driving motor 7 needs to be relatively large to manage the force load and torque required to crush the foodstuff through the mesh cone 2. The pulp chute 5 needs to be relatively long to reach the external bin 6 which presents cleaning and clogging problems.

OBJECT

[0004] The present invention seeks to ameliorate one or more of the above discussed problems or at least provide a useful alternative to the above-mentioned juicer.

SUMMARY

[0005] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a juicer with a juicing assembly that includes an auger and a filter unit with a screen against which foodstuff is crushed by the auger, wherein the juicer further includes blade structure to process the foodstuff as the foodstuff is moved through the filter unit by the auger.

[0006] In one embodiment, the blade structure is a static blade array, fixed in relation to the filter unit.

[0007] In one embodiment, the blade structure is a blade array extending inwardly from a wall of the filter unit. [0008] In one embodiment, the blade array is a radially arranged series of vertically oriented teeth. In another embodiment, the blade array is a radially arranged series of teeth oriented in a diagonal/helical configuration, in a counter-rotation direction relative to the rotation direction of the auger.

[0009] In one embodiment, the filter unit further includes guide sections to assist in directing foodstuff toward a base of the unit.

[0010] In one embodiment, the teeth have cutting edges that are angled in opposition to a direction of rotation of the auger.

[0011] In one embodiment, the juicer further includes a pulp chute projecting from an underside of the juicer assembly.

[0012] In one embodiment, the pulp chute is integrally formed with a base of the filter unit.

[0013] In one embodiment, the pulp chute is a vertical chute.

[0014] In one embodiment, the juicer includes a removable pulp bin positioned underneath the juicer assembly.

[0015] In one embodiment, the juicer includes a motor for driving the auger, the motor being housed in a chassis of the juicer, wherein the pulp bin, motor and chassis fit within a footprint of a body of the juicer.

[0016] In another aspect, there is provided a slow juicer with a juicing assembly arranged over a motor housed in a chassis of the juicer, the juicing assembly having a pulp chute to transfer pulp out of the juicing assembly and into a pulp bin beneath the assembly, wherein the pulp bin and motor are located within a footprint of a body of the juicer.

[0017] In one embodiment, the pulp chute is a vertical chute.

[0018] In one embodiment, the pulp chute is integrally formed with a filter unit positioned inside the juicing assembly. [0019] In another aspect, there is provided a filter unit for a juicer, with a screen against which foodstuff is crushed by an auger, wherein the filter unit includes blade structure to process the foodstuff as the foodstuff is moved through the filter unit by the auger.

[0020] In one embodiment, the blade structure is fixed relative to an inner wall of the filter unit.

[0021] In one embodiment, the blade structure is an array of blades extending between a base and a top of the filter unit.

[0022] In one embodiment, the array of blades is a series of vertically oriented teeth.

[0023] In one embodiment, the array of blades is series of teeth arranged in a helical configuration, in a counter-rotation direction relative to the rotation direction of the auger.

[0024] In one embodiment, the filter unit further includes guide sections to assist in directing foodstuff toward the base of the unit.

[0025] In one embodiment, the filter unit further includes a pulp chute.

[0026] In one embodiment, the pulp chute is integrally formed with the base of the filter unit.

[0027] In one embodiment, the pulp chute is a vertical chute.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The invention is more fully described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0029] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art slow juicer;

[0030] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a juicer;

[0031] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the juicer;

[0032] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the juicer; [0033] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a filter unit of the juicer;

[0034] Figure 6 is a side view of the filter unit;

[0035] Figure 7 is a perspective view of another filter unit;

[0036] Figure 8a is a cross-sectional view of a prior art slow juicer, the same as Figure 1; and

[0037] Figure 8b is a cross-sectional view of the juicer of Figure 4, for comparison with Figure 8a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Figure 2 shows a juicer 10 which includes a body 11 with a chassis 12, a motor 13 and a juicing assembly 14.

[0039] The juicing assembly 14 has a lid 15 with a feed chute 16 for delivering foodstuff into a hopper 17 and a juice collector 18 with an extraction spout 19. A pulp chute 20 projects down from the juicing assembly 14.

[0040] A pulp bin 21 is removably inserted beneath the juicing assembly 14. The pulp bin 21 has an internal curved wall 22 which sits against the motor 13 when the bin 21 is fitted in place. An opening 23 in the wall 22 allows the bin 21 to be inserted without obstruction from the pulp chute 20.

[0041] The pulp bin 21 sits within a footprint or envelope of the body 11 of the juicer 10 when fitted in place to capture pulp exiting the pulp chute 20.

[0042] Figure 3 shows the juicing assembly 10 in more detail as including a substantially cylindrical filter unit 30, which is located within the hopper 17. An auger 31 is arranged to sit inside the filter unit 30. The auger 31 is driven by the motor 13 to rotate and move foodstuff from the feed chute 16 down into the filter unit 30 where the foodstuff is crushed against a screen 32 of the filter unit 30, as the foodstuff is moved from a top 33 of the unit 20 to a base 34 via auger 31. [0043] The pulp chute 20 projects down from the base 34 of the unit 30 and is preferably integrally formed with the filter unit 30 to allow for easy cleaning by simply removing and cleaning the entire filter unit 30.

[0044] A plurality of blade structures 35 are provided on an inside wall 36 of the filter unit 30 to assist in processing the foodstuff as it is moved through the juicing assembly 14 by the auger 31.

[0045] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the juicer 10. The juicing assembly 14 is more clearly shown as including the auger 31 positioned centrally of the filter unit 30 which includes a frame 37 supporting a screen 32. The unit 30 acts as a filter cone 39. The blade structure 35 projects from the wall 36 inwardly of the screen 32. The blade structure 35 is in the form of a static blade array 40 that includes a radially arranged series of teeth 41 that cut/shear/crush or macerate foodstuff as flights 42 of the auger 31 move the foodstuff past the filter unit 30. As the auger 31 compresses the foodstuff toward a base 34, juice is extracted through the screen 32 and exits the assembly 14 through the spout 19 while pulp is forced out the pulp chute 20 directly into the bin 21 positioned below the chute 20. The number of the radially arranged series of teeth 41 will vary depending on the dimensions of the filter unit 30.

[0046] The foodstuff is processed by the blade array 40 as the auger 31 operates in the sense the foodstuff is cut/sheared/grated or macerated, which reduces the work needed by the motor 13. The motor 13 would otherwise be subject to a full load and the required torque to crush the foodstuff through the screen 32. As a result, the size of the motor can be reduced, which means extra space 43 is available to receive the pulp bin 21 within the body 11 and thereby the footprint of the juicer 10.

[0047] The teeth have cutting edges 44 that are angled in opposition to the auger flights 42 and the direction of rotation of the auger 31.

[0048] Figure 5 shows one embodiment of the filter unit 30. The filter unit 30 as a central opening 38 in the base 34 to allow for driving connection between the motor 13 and auger 31 (shown in Figure 4) and the series of teeth 41 of the blade array 40 are in a static or fixed position within the filter unit 30, in a vertical orientation so as to extend between the base 34 and the top 33 of the filter unit 30. The teeth 41 project from vertical struts 45 of the frame 37. Alternatively, the teeth 41 may be stamped from the material of the screen 32 or may instead be separately formed and fixed to the inside wall 36 of the filter unit 30, such as by adhesive or clip-in structure (not shown).

[0049] Guide sections 46 also extend between the base 34 and the top 33 of the filter unit 30. The guide sections 46 are preferably in a helical arrangement. The guide sections 46 assist in guiding the foodstuff toward the base 34 of the filter unit 30 during operation.

[0050] Figure 6 more clearly illustrates the relative orientation of the guide sections 46 and flights 42 of the auger 31 are more clearly shown in Figure 6. The guide sections 46 run in a counter-rotation direction, as compared to the flights 42 of the auger 31. Figure 6 also shows the pulp chute 20 projecting down from the base 34 of the filter unit 30, in a vertical direction.

[0051] Figure 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the filter unit 30, where like parts to those described above are denoted with like reference numerals. In this case, the guide sections 46 are provided by the vertical struts 45 and the blade array 40 is formed of a static or fixed series of teeth 41 in a diagonal/helical arrangement, along arcuate strips 48 between the guide sections 46.

[0052] Figures 8a and 8b show a comparison of the prior art juicer 1 and the juicer 10. The juicer 1 has a relatively long horizontal pulp chute 5, separate from the mesh cone 2. The pulp chute 5 is difficult to clean and an external pulp bin 6 is needed. The motor 7 is also relatively large as the motor 7 is subject to the full load of needing to crush pulp against to the mesh cone 2 in order to extract juice.

[0053] The juicer 10, on the other hand, includes blade structure 35 which helps process the foodstuff before is crushed against the filter unit 30 by the auger 31, which means the motor 13 can be of a reduced size compared to the motor 7 of Figure 8a. Among other space saving advantages, this also means the overall height dimension of the juicer 10 can be reduced. The smaller motor 13 also allows the pulp bin 21 to be fitted into the extra space 43 provided in the body 11, within the footprint of the juicer 10, beneath the pulp chute 20 which projects directly down from the juicing assembly 14. This makes for a cleaner appearance and smaller footprint of the juicer 10, and removal of the external, horizontal ‘pulp chute’ of Figure 8a greatly improves ease of cleanability for the user. [0054] The pulp chute 20 is also of a reduced length as pulp simply needs to be dropped into the bin 21 directly below the juicing assembly 14, which makes it easier to clean compared to the relatively long horizontal chute 5 of Figure 8a. Since the pulp chute 20 is preferably integral with the fdter unit 30, the cleaning operation is further simplified as the pulp chute 20 and filter unit 30 can be readily removed as a single item and cleaned once the auger 31 is lifted clear of the juicing assembly 14.

[0055] As may be appreciated from the above, the blade structure 35 in the juicer 10 performs ‘pre-processing’ of the foodstuff, which may be fruit/vegetable/nuts, by cutting, shearing, grating or crushing (masticating) the foodstuff before the foodstuff is crushed against the screen 32 by the auger 31, which reduces the load and toque on the motor 13 to thereby allow a smaller motor to be used, as mentioned above.

[0056] Another benefit of ‘pre-processing’ the foodstuff prior to reaching the auger is the yield can be improved. By reducing the particle size via the blade cutting, more juice can be extracted by the crushing action of the auger and drier pulp can be released.

[0057] Since the foodstuff is pre-processed by the blade structure, the compaction height of the auger 31 can be reduced, while the diameter of the auger can be increased. This in turn means the auger 31 can have a lower profile compared to the auger 3, as shown, which further decreases the height of the juicer 10 compared to the prior art juicer 1.

[0058] The cutting edges of the blade array 40 can take the form of either smooth or serrated cutting edges, with varying dimensions in terms of length and depth. Generally, the blade array 40 may protrude towards the middle of the filter cone 39 by about 3 -5mm. The blades may be pressed out of the same perforated sheet as the filter screen 32 to make an integrated part, or the blade array 40 may be made of separate parts that are held in the correct position by the frame 37 that holds the filter screen 32.

[0059] The blade structure 35 may also be of any other suitable form or location provided the blade structure 35 serves to process the foodstuff in the juicer in at least some capacity as the foodstuff is moved through the filter unit 30, prior to the auger 31 crushing the foodstuff against the screen 32.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A juicer with a juicing assembly that includes an auger and a filter unit with a screen against which foodstuff is crushed by the auger, wherein the juicer further includes blade structure to process the foodstuff as the foodstuff is moved through the filter unit by the auger.

2. The juicer of claim 1, wherein the blade structure includes a static blade array, fixed in relation to the filter unit.

3. The juicer of claim 1 or 2, wherein the blade structure includes a blade array extending inwardly from a wall of the filter unit.

4. The juicer of claim 2 or 3, wherein the blade array includes a radially arranged series of vertically oriented teeth.

5. The juicer of claim 1 or 2, wherein the blade array includes radially arranged series of teeth oriented in a helical configuration, in a counter-rotation direction relative to a rotation direction of the auger.

6. The juicer of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the filter unit further includes guide sections to assist in directing foodstuff toward a base of the unit.

7. The juicer of any one of claims 1 to 6, further including a pulp chute projecting underneath the hopper.

8. The juicer of claim 7, wherein the pulp chute is integrally formed with a base of the filter unit.

9. The juicer of claim 7 or 8, wherein the pulp chute includes a vertical chute.

10. The juicer of any one of claims 1 to 9, further including a removable pulp bin positioned underneath the hopper.

11. The juicer of claim 10, further including a motor for driving the auger, the motor being housed in a chassis of the juicer, wherein the pulp bin is received adjacent the chassis, within a footprint of a body of the juicer.

12. A slow juicer with a juicing assembly arranged over a motor housed in a chassis of the juicer, the juicing assembly having a pulp chute to transfer pulp out of the juicing assembly and into a pulp bin beneath the assembly, wherein the pulp bin and motor are located within a footprint of a body of the juicer.

13. The slow juicer of claim 12, wherein the pulp chute includes a vertical chute.

14. The slow juicer of claim 12 or 13, wherein the pulp chute is integrally formed with a fdter unit positioned inside the juicing assembly.

15. A filter unit for a juicer, with a screen against which foodstuff is crushed by an auger, wherein the filter unit includes blade structure to process the foodstuff as the foodstuff is moved through the filter unit by the auger.

16. The filter unit of claim 15, wherein the blade structure is provided on an inner wall of the filter unit.

17. The filter unit of claim 15 or 16, wherein the blade structure includes an array of blades extending between a base and a top of the filter unit.

18. The filter unit of claim 17 wherein the array of blades includes a series of vertically oriented teeth.

19. The filter unit of claim 17, wherein the array of blades includes series of teeth arranged in a helical configuration, in a counter-rotation direction relative to a rotation direction of the auger.

20. The filter unit of any one of claims 15 to 19, further including guide sections to assist in directing foodstuff toward the base of the unit.

21. The filter unit of any one of claims 15 to 20, further including a pulp chute .

22. The filter unit of claim 21, wherein the pulp chute is integrally formed with the base of the filter unit.

23. The filter unit of any one of claims 21 to 22, wherein the pulp chute includes a vertical chute.