Apparatus for extracting juice and pulp from fruit or vegetables

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for processing fruit or vegetables in order to obtain a flowable mass, such as juice or puree and includes a receptacle, an extraction unit for mechanically extracting juice and pulp from the fruit or vegetables, the unit being located within the receptacle for discharging the juice and pulp into the receptacle, a motor unit, drivingly connected to the extraction unit, an outlet unit for collecting flowable mass from the receptacle.

1 . An apparatus for extracting juice and pulp from fruit or vegetables in order to obtain a flowable mass, such as juice or puree, comprising:
 a receptacle;   a cylindrical strainer located within the receptacle and rotatable about its axis of symmetry, the cylindrical strainer having a bottom and a perforated side wall;   a motor unit for rotating the cylindrical strainer about its axis of symmetry;   an inlet unit for introducing fruit or vegetables into the strainer;   an outlet unit for collecting flowable mass from the receptacle, and   a flexible element located within the strainer and urged against the inside surface of the perforated side wall.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible element and the inside surface of the perforated wall are in contact with each other along a line of contact. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein a surface of the flexible element faces the inside surface of the perforated wall and forms a wedge-shaped space with it which narrows towards the line of contact. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible element is a lip-shaped element. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the line of contact between the flexible element and the inside surface of the perforated wall extends in parallel to the axis of symmetry of the cylindrical strainer. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the flexible element is a cylindrical element having an outer diameter R 2  comprised between 1/10 and ½ the inner diameter R 1  of the cylindrical strainer. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the cylindrical element is a cylindrical roller rotatably supported along an axis extending in parallel to the axis of symmetry of the cylindrical strainer. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible element comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible element comprises a hard core material. and a soft cover fitted thereon. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the flexible element is secured to a rigid support element extending within the strainer towards the inside surface of the perforated side wall, and a second portion of the flexible element is urged against the imide surface of the perforated side wall. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein at least the second portion of the flexible element is a soft material. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the rigid support comprises a support formation and the first portion of the flexible element comprises a flexible element formation complementary to the support formation, for receiving the flexible element formation in the support formation in a form-locking and/or force-locking manner, 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a drive shaft operatively connected to the motor unit and having a drive shaft formation, wherein the bottom of the cylindrical strainer comprises a bottom formation complementary to the drive shaft formation, for receiving the drive shaft formation in a rotationally fixed manner, and wherein the drive shaft and the bottom can be removably fitted together. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical strainer comprises a bottom part and a perforated side all part which can be removably fitted together. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein both the bottom part and the perforated side wall part are made of a polymer material; or wherein the perforated side wall part comprises a perforated sheet made of stainless steel permanently fixed in a frame made of a polymer material; or wherein the perforated side all part is made of stainless steel. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for extracting juice and pulp from citrus fruit, comprising:
 a receptacle;   a strainer located within the receptacle and rotatable about a strainer axis, the strainer having a bottom and a perforated side wall;   a citrus mill rotatable about a citrus mill axis, the citrus mill having a citrus mill dome provided with protrusions, at its outer surface;   a motor unit for rotating the strainer about the strainer axis and or rotating the citrus mill about said the citrus mill axis;   an outlet unit for collecting juice and pulp from the receptacle, wherein   the citrus mill is located within the strainer;   the strainer is rotatably driven via a strainer power train operatively connected between the motor unit and the strainer;   the citrus mill is rotatably driven via a citrus mill power train operatively connected between the motor unit and the citrus mill.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the strainer power train has a strainer transmission ratio SR, defined, as strainer rpm divided, by motor rpm, and the citrus mill power train has a citrus null transmission ratio CR, defined as citrus mill rpm divided, by motor rpm, and wherein the ratio SR/CR between the strainer transmission ratio SR and the citrus mill transmission ration CR is comprised within 5/1 and 30/1. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein strainer has a strainer inner diameter Ri comprised between 10 cm and 30 cm. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the strainer is operated at a rotational speed comprised between 1000 rpm and 2000 rpm. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the hole diameter of the perforations of the perforated side wall is comprised between 0.5 mm and 2 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising a drive shaft operatively connected to the motor unit via the strainer power train and having a drive shaft formation, wherein the bottom of the strainer comprises a bottom formation complementary to the drive shaft formation, for receiving the drive shaft formation in a rotationally fixed manner, and wherein the drive shaft and the bottom can he removably fitted together. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the strainer comprises a bottom part and a perforated side wall part which can be removably fitted together. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein both the bottom part and the perforated side wall part are made of a polymer material; or wherein the perforated side wall part comprises a perforated sheet made of stainless steel permanently fixed in a frame made of a polymer material; or wherein the perforated side wall part i made of stainless steel. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus for processing fruit or vegetables in order to obtain a flowable mass, such as juice or puree, comprising:
 a receptacle;   an extraction unit for mechanically extracting juice and pulp from the fruit or vegetables, the unit being located within the receptacle for discharging the juice and pulp into the receptacle;   a motor unit drivingly connected to the extraction unit;   an outlet unit for collecting flowable mass from the receptacle, the outlet unit comprises:
 a spout duct associated to an opening at the bottom of the receptacle; and 
 a valve element for opening and closing the opening; 
 the spout duct and the valve element being coupled to each other; 
 the spout duct being pivotably supported about a horizontal axis and having an inner duct portion extending underneath the opening and an outer duct portion protruding from the apparatus; 
 the pivotable spout duct being pivotable between a first position where the spout duct forms a downward slope from its inner duct portion to its outer duct portion and where the valve element is in its opened position, and a second position where the spout duct forms an upward slope from its inner duct portion to its outer duct portion and where the valve element is in its closed position. 
   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the opening at the bottom of the receptacle opens into a spout duct chamber having a spout duct opening, in which chamber the spout duct is pivotably supported with its inner duct portion located inside the chamber and with its outer duct portion protruding through the spout duct opening. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the pivotable spout duct and/or the valve element each have a first stop and a second stop limiting their movement between the first position and the second position, respectively. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein the first stop and the second stop each have a latching function enabling the spout duct and/or the valve element to click (snap) into place when reaching the first stop or the second stop.