GB2158697A

GB2158697A - A juice extracting machine

Info

Publication number: GB2158697A
Application number: GB08511899A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Antony Morton Maskell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-05-16
Filing date: 1985-05-10
Publication date: 1985-11-20
Also published as: GB8511899D0; GB8412521D0

Abstract

A juice extracting machine comprises a flexible bag (2) positioned within a pressure vessel (1). Material (eg citrus fruit) from which the juice is to be extracted is placed in the bag (2) by removing lid (3). The lid (3) is then replaced and air, gas or hydraulic pressure is admitted to the space between the bag (2) and the pressure vessel (1) in order to expel the juice through perforated tube (4). Tube 4 may contain a sleeve of filter paper. The pressure vessel (1) may carry insulation (11). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A juice extracting machine This invention relates to a juice extracting machine.

There are many known forms of juice extracting machines, especially for use with citrus fruits. The known machines take the form of mechanical presses or rounded ribbed cones which rotate in relation to held fruit halves. Apart from industrial machinery, none of the known machines can deal with relatively large quanities of fruit at a time, and they are not suitable for storing the unpressed fruit until such time as the juice is required, for example in small amounts at a time.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a juice extracting machine in which the above problems are obviated or reduced.

Accordingly, this invention provides a juice extracting machine comprising a flexible bag positioned within a presssure vessel.

Relatively large quantities of fruit may be provided in the flexible bag. As will be explained in detail hereinbelow, the amount of juice extracted depends upon the pressure exerted on the flexible bag and it can provide juice as and when required simply by pressurising the pressure vessel to exert pressure on the flexible bag for the duration that juice is required.

The juice extracting machine may be especially useful in restaurants and stalls. The juice extracting machine may also be convenientlly used in the home, office and factory.

The flexible bag will usually be a waterproof bag.

The pressure vessel will usually include a lid through which the ingredients are loaded into the flexible bag. The ingredients may be fruit, ice, and any desired edible or drinkable material, for example a flavouring material.

The pressure vessel may be a rigid or non-rigid pressure vessel.

The juice extracting machine may include connection means to the pressure vessel so that air, gas or hydraulic pressure can be admitted to the juice extracting machine in a space between the pressure vessel and the flexible bag.

The juice extracting machine may include an apertured filter member against which the contents of the bag are pressed by virtue of pressure acting on the outside of the flexible bag, extracted juice passing through the apertures in the apertured filter member. The amount of juice extracted will be related to the amount of air, gas or liquid admitted to the space between the pressure vessel and the flexible bag.

The apertured filter member may be rigid or a perforated tube.

The juice extracting machine may be one in which the pressure vessel is substantially circular, in which the apertured filter memberis a perforated tube, and in which the perforated tube is actually positioned in the pressure vessel.

The apertured filter member may be associated with a fine filter medium.

The fine filter medium may be a filter paper.

Preferably, the juice extracting machine is portable. Thus, for example, the juice extracting machine may be approximately of the size of a football or slightly larger or smaller than the size of a football.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a diagrammatic vertical section through a juice extracting machine. The juice extracting machine comprises a pressure vessel 1 containing a bag 2.

The bag 2 is made of a flexible, partially elastic and waterproof material. The pressure vessel 1 is provided with a removable lid 3 which enables access to be gained to the inside of the bag 2. Fruit to be crushed, ice and any other desired material are placed in the bag 2 and the lid 3 is replaced and secured in position.

The drawing does not show a source of pressure for the juice extracting machine. Typically, this source of pressure may be air from a foot pump or carbon dioxide from a carbon dioxide cylinder.

Such carbon dioxide cylinders are already in common use in restaurants and bars for the purpose of pressurising beer and soft drinks.

When the bag 2 is subjected to presure by introducing pressured fluid into the space between the pressure vessel 1 and the bag 2, the fruit, ice and other material are pressed against an apertured filter member in the form of a perforated tube 4. The pressure is admitted to the pressure vessel 1 through a valve 5. Juice from the crushed fruit passes through the illustrated apertures in the tube 4 and out of the bottom of the juice extracting machine into a waiting cup (not shown). If desired, the perforated tube 4 may be provided with fine filter medium such as for example as a sleeve of filter paper.

The bag 2 may be typically made of food-grade silicon rubber. The bag 2 is retained at the base of the pressure vessel 1 by means of nuts 6 and 7.

The bag 2 is moulded to fit a specially shaped lip 8 of the pressure vessel 1. The bag is sealed by an O-ring 9 when the lid 3 is secured in position using a thumb screw 10. As illustrated in dotted lines, the thumb screw 10 may be provided with a cover imitating the top, stork or leaves of a fruit, for example, the fruit to be crushed in the juice extracting machine.

The juice extracting machine includes an insulating outer case 11. Preferably, this outer case 11 is also designed to look like a fruit, again usually the fruit to be crushed in the juice extracting machine.

In this connection, it is envisaged that there may be a series of the juice extracting machines in bars and restaurants, with each juice extracting machine being solely for extracting juice from a single type of fruit. Obviously, for small models in the home, a single juice extracting machine may often be employed for extracting juice from different fruits at different times.

As shown in the drawing, the juice extracting machine is mounted on a stand 12 so that drinking cups 2 (not shown) may be placed directly beneath the juice extracting machine for collecting the extracted juice as required.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the insulating outer case 11 may be dispensed with and the shape of the pressure vessel 1 may be other than the illustrated circular shape. Any desired and appropriate fruit may be crushed, for example oranges, grapefruit and lemons.

Claims

1. A juice extracting machine comprising a flexible bag positioned within a pressure vessel.

2. A juice extracting machine according to claim 1 in which the flexible bag is a waterproof bag.

3. A juice extracting machine according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the pressure vessel includes a lid through which ingredients are loaded into the flexible bag.

4. A juice extracting machine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the pressure vessel is a rigid or non-rigid pressure vessel.

5. A juice extracting machine according to any one of the preceding claims and including connection means to the pressure vessel so that air, gas or hydraulic pressure can be admitted to the juice extracting machine in a space between the pressure vessel and the flexible bag.

6. A juice extracting machine according to any one of the preceding claims and including an apertured filter member against which the contents of the bag are pressed by virtue of pressure acting on the outside of the flexible bag, extracted juice passing through the apertures in the apertured filter member.

7. A juice extracting machine according to claim 6 in which the apertured filter member is a grid or a perforated tube.

8. A juice extracting machine according to claim 7 in which the pressure vessel is substantially circular, in which the apertured filter member is a perforated tube, and in which the perforated tube is axially positioned in the pressure vessel.

9. A juice extracting machine according to any one of claims 6 to 8 and including a fine filter medium.

10. A juice extracting machine according to claim 9 in which the fine filter medium is filter paper.

11. A juice extracting machine according to any one of the preceding claims and which is portable.

12. A juice extracting machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.