Automated Juice Extractor

• US 20100058941A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adrian Rivera
• Original Assignee: Adrian Rivera
• Inventors: Rivera, Adrian
• Granted Patent: US 8,511,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/513
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 1/00 Machines or apparatus for extracting juice preparation of non-alcoholic beverages, e.g. by adding ingredients to fruit or vegetable juices, A23L2/00; apparatus for making beverages A47J31/00 ; centrifuges B04B; extracting presses B30B
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 19/023 including a pressing cone or reamer

Abstract

An automatic juicer turns and pushes an upward facing juicing cone into a fruit for releasing and collecting juice. The juicer includes a base containing a motor, gear and shaft assembly which rises as a unit with the juicing cone. A fixed guide extends upward from the base and inner and outer shafts reside inside the fixed guide and are driven by the motor and gear assembly to rotate and advance the juicing cone into the fruit. The juicing cone, strainer and a bowl release and catch the juice. The outer shaft includes threads to vertically advance and retreat the outer and inner shafts when the outer shaft turns. The inner shaft rises with the outer shaft and lifts and rotates the juicing cone, thereby releasing juice from the fruit. The bowl is fixed to the base.

Claims

1. An automatic juicer comprising:

a lid openable to allow fruit to be placed in the juicer;

a base containing a motor;

a center column assembly attached to the base;

a collet fixed to the base;

a shaft assembly connected to the motor and threadably engaging the collet to vertically advance and retreat when turned by the motor;

a bowl attached to the base; and

a juicing cone above the bowl and attached to the shaft assembly and rotating and advancing vertically with the shaft assembly, the juicing cone rotating and pushing into a fruit for releasing juice from the fruit to be caught in the bowl.

2. The juicer of claim 1, wherein the shaft assembly comprises:

an outer shaft threadably engaging the collet to vertically advance and retreat when turned by the motor;

an inner shaft rotating inside the outer shaft and advancing and retreating vertically with the outer shaft, the juicing cone attached to the inner shaft and rotating and advancing vertically with the inner shaft, for rotating and pushing into a fruit for releasing juice from the fruit to be caught in the bowl.

3. The juicer of claim 1, wherein the inner shaft rotates at a higher speed than the outer shaft.

4. The juicer of claim 1, further including a strainer between the bowl and the juicing cone.

5. The juicer of claim 4, wherein, the strainer advances vertically with the juicing cone.

6. The juicer of claim 5, wherein the strainer rotates with the juicing cone.

7. The juicer of claim 4, wherein:

the strainer does not rotate; and

the juicing cone includes knife edges on a bottom surface for clearing pulp blocking the strainer.

8. The juicer of claim 7, wherein the strainer includes a key and at least one of the bowl and the lid includes a key way for cooperation with the key to prevent rotation of the strainer.

9. The juicer of claim 1, wherein:

the shaft assembly comprises an outer shaft and an inner shaft rotatably attached to a mounting plate;

the mounting plate moves vertically with the outer and inner shafts;

the motor moves vertically with the mounting plate and is connected to the outer and inner shafts through a gear set.

10. The juicer of claim 9, wherein the gear set reduces the rotating speed of the outer and inner shafts with respect to the motor.

11. The juicer of claim 10, wherein inner shaft rotates at a same speed as the outer shaft.

12. The juicer of claim 10, wherein the motor runs in two directions to either vertically advance or vertically retreat the juicing cone.

13. The juicer of claim 12, wherein the direction of the motor is initially to advance the juicing cone into the fruit, and after a period of time the direction of the motor reverses to vertically retreat the juicing cone from the fruit.

14. The juicer of claim 12, wherein the direction of the motor is initially to advance the juicing cone into the fruit, and after a preset resistance to advancing the juicing cone into the fruit is experienced, the direction of the motor reverses to vertically retreat the juicing cone from the fruit.

15. The juicer of claim 12, wherein the vertical advancing of the juicing cone is limited to prevent the juicing cone from cutting into a rind of the fruit.

16. The juicer of claim 12, wherein the inner shaft is vertically supported by a spring to limit the force of the juicing cone against the fruit.

17. The juicer of claim 12, wherein collet is vertically supported by a spring to limit the force of the juicing cone against the fruit.

18. The juicer of claim 12, wherein a fruit holder resides above the juicing cone for holding the fruit and a spring above the fruit holder allows the fruit holder to rise to limit the force of the juicing cone against the fruit.

19. An automatic juicer comprising:

a base;

a lid attached to the base and openable to allow fruit to be placed in the juicer;

a center column assembly attached to the base and including a collet fixed to the base and having internal threads;

a motor, gear and shaft mechanism inside the juicer and advancing and retreating vertically as a unit and comprising;

a motor in the base;

a gear set in the base and engaging the motor; and

a shaft assembly extending above the base and including;

an outer shaft turned by the motor through the gear set and threadably engaging the collet for vertically advancing and retreating; and

an inner shaft rotating with the outer shaft and coupled to advance and retreat vertically with the outer shaft;

a bowl attached to the base; and

an upward facing juicing cone attached to the inner shaft and rotating and advancing vertically with the inner shaft, for rotating and pushing into a fruit for releasing juice from the fruit to be caught in the bowl, wherein the inner shaft is moveable downward with respect to the outer shaft to limit a force of the juicing cone against the fruit.

20. An automatic juicer comprising:

a base containing a motor;

a lid openable to allow fruit to be placed in the juicer;

a gear set in the base and engaging the motor;

a center column assembly attached to the base and including a collet fixed to the base;

an outer shaft threadably engaging the collet vertically advancing and retreating when turned by the motor through the gear set; and

an inner shaft rotating inside the outer shaft and advancing and retreating vertically with the outer shaft and rotating at a higher speed than the outer shaft when turned by the motor through the gear set;

a bowl attached to the base;

a juicing cone attached to the inner shaft and rotating and advancing vertically with the inner shaft, for rotating and pushing into a fruit for releasing juice from the fruit to be caught in the bowl;

a non-rotating strainer advancing and retreating vertically with the juicing cone; and

knife edges on a bottom surface of the juicing cone for clearing pulp blocking the strainer.