Self-contained automatic citric juice extracting and dispensing

#This invention deals with presenting a citric juice extracting system within the framework of a public dispensing machine.

#It is well-known that there exist citric juice extractors with electric-electronic control, ever since the appearance of the first domestic robots of small size which gave an axis the necessary rotational force to rub against the inside of the citric fruit, situated over the axis of a body which dealt with pressing and dragging as it turned the inside of the citric fruit which was held firm over the said body, straining the juice produced by the said action through the base of the said juice extracting unit. This mechanism was originally controlled by pushing a button, but later evolved to a system where it was only necessary to press the citrus fruit vertically upon the revolving extracting body, which had two stable positions, and upper stop position, and a lower one driving the axis.

#This type of domestic robot, had its parallel in industrial citric juice extracting machines, with subsequent packing for distribution and sales.

#To better understand the subject of this invention, a practical model of the invention has been proposed in the annexed drawings. In the drawings:

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram containing the mechanisms which form the machine of the invention.

#FIG. 2 is a flow chart referring to the sequence of operation of the machine of the invention.

#As illustrated in FIG. 1, the machine consists of a series of modules which, once assembled, allow, by the insertion of coins for its operation, having placed pieces of citric fruit in the corresponding internal stores, a cup of citric juice to be obtained from the machine.

#In the said FIG. 1, the module identified as (1) will be the money mechanism, which (1) allows the possibility of using the machine subject of this invention either by inserting coins into the device (1a) or by inserting the user's credit card into the device (1b). The acceptance of coins or credit cards will be supervised by an electronic controller (3), which, like the rest of the control devices, will consist of a PC-type computer, to be described below. The said electronic controller (3) will also control the electronic supply equipment which will supply the various devices contained within the system. The modules described up to now, form the control part of the system; we now move on to describe the physically operating modules which directly influence the result of the machine.

#Thus, there if a first, citric unit container module (4), which consists of a frame (41) of stainless steel with finishing surface treatment and plastic finishing, which bear an alternating grid of 48 tubes (42) manufactured in PVC, preferable of a diameter of 90 millimeters, with a preferably length of 640 millimeters, as can be seen in FIG. 4. The tubes are fixed together with contact adhesive (43), which avoids any relative displacement between them.