US 5,207,152 A · Compact juice machine

Abstract

A compact juice machine (10) of simplified design, the individual elements being simplified to a bare minimum in an easily cleanable package. The machine includes a frame having spaced apart side walls (14, 16) which support front and intermediate rigid platen walls (18, 20) and an upper wall (22) to the rear of the intermediate wall. A press chamber (24) is defined by the forward portion of the side walls and the platen walls. A shredder assembly (36) including a rotatable disk (44) is mounted above the upper wall and a drive motor (48) is mounted below the upper wall, the drive motor having a drive shaft (54) coupled to the shredder disk. A hopper (34) is mounted on the upper wall above the shredder disk. A press chamber cover (38) extends over the press chamber, the cover being provided with a discharge chute (112, 114, 116) on its lower surface to direct shredded material from the shredder disk to the press chamber. A moveable platen (28) is disposed within the press chamber, and a pair of hydraulic cylinder assemblies (142, 144) are connected to the moveable platen. A filter bag assembly (32) is used having first and second spaced apart pulp receiving portions (162, 164) and an intermediate saddle portion (166) capable of being supported by the upper surface (126) of the movable platen. A filter assembly (40) is carried by the frame below the press chamber for additionally filtering juice. The compact juice machine further includes an electrical controller (42) for controlling the operation of the hydraulic cylinder assembly and the shredder.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A compact juice machine capable of shredding fruits or vegetables, pressing the shred pulp to extract juice therefrom, and filtering the extracted juice, the apparatus comprising:

a hopper;
shredder means in communication with the hopper for shredding vegetable or fruit received from the hopper;
press means capable of continuously pressing the vegetable or fruit pulp received from the shredder means, the press means including
a press chamber having two spaced apart generally vertically extending platen walls, and a pair of fixed side walls extending between the platen walls,
a movable platen structure disposed within the press chamber between the fixed platens and the side walls, the movable platen structure including opposed side to side extending platen surfaces and an upper surface extending between the opposed platen surfaces,
platen moving means for reciprocating the movable platen structure towards and away from the platen walls of the press chamber, and
a filter bag assembly having first and second spaced apart pulp receiving pockets and an intermediate saddle portion capable of being supported by the upper surface of the movable platen, each pocket being disposable between a fixed platen surface of the press chamber and an associated platen surface of the movable platen structure;
and
filter means disposed below the press means for filtering juice from any large size pieces of pulp which may have been discharged with the juice from the press means.

6 more elements

A compact juice machine which may be mounted on a mobile stand for movement between locations in a retail establishment and which may be powered from a grounded 115 v. 15 A. circuit;

the juice machine comprising:
a frame including a pair of opposed generally vertically extending sidewalls, front and intermediate generally vertically extending fixed platen walls extending between the sidewalls, the forward portion of the sidewalls and the fixed platen walls defining a press chamber, and an upper wall extending between the sidewalls to the rear of the intermediate platen;
a shredder assembly including a rotatable shredder disk carried for rotation above the upper wall, and a drive motor mounted below the upper wall, the motor having a drive shaft which extends through a bearing seal in the upper wall for driving the shredder disk;
a hopper mounted on the upper wall above the shredder disk;
a cover extending above the press chamber, the cover being provided with a discharge chute on its lower surface to direct shredded material from the shredder disk to the press chamber;
a pair of hydraulic cylinder assemblies mounted below the upper wall of the frame, each of which includes a rod which extends through a rod bearing and seal in the intermediate platen wall;
a movable platen structure disposed within the press chamber, the structure being secured to the ends of the rods for movement therewith, the movable platen structure including opposed side to side extending platen surfaces and an upper surface extending between the opposed platen surfaces;
a filter assembly carried by the frame below the press chamber for filtering juice from any large size pieces of pulp which may have been discharged with the juice from the press means;
and
control means mounted within the frame for controlling the operation of the cylinder assemblies during operation of the shredder.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Compact juice machine

Life of this patent

Compact juice machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16