RU2791908C2 - Device and method for juice extraction from food ingredients - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: household appliances.

SUBSTANCE: device (100) for juice extraction from food ingredients is proposed. The device contains container (102) for reception of food ingredients, wherein the container contains juice tap (110). A grinding instrument is located inside the container, which blends food ingredients. Drive system (109) actuates the grinding instrument for blending and rotates the container to provide exit of juice released from food ingredients during blending from the container, through the juice tap. The drive system provides independent control of a drive of the grinding instrument and rotation of the container, respectively. In addition, a method for juice extraction from food ingredients is proposed.

EFFECT: obtainment of a device and a method for juice extraction from food ingredients.

16 cl, 9 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention relates to the extraction of juice from food ingredients.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The well-equipped kitchen now has several appliances for making juices and smoothies. Such appliances are essential for convenient daily consumption of highly nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs.

Centrifugal juicers are available that are optimal for extracting liquids such as juice from food ingredients such as hard fruits and vegetables. Such centrifugal juicers typically comprise a drum with a cutting portion located within the drum. The food ingredients are pushed into the drum and onto the cutting portion while the drum is rotating. The rotation of the drum not only helps to extract the juice from the food ingredients, but also moves the juice towards the walls of the drum. The wall typically includes a filter with holes sized to allow juice to exit the drum while preventing the remaining food ingredients, such as fruit pulp, from passing through the filter. Little attention has been paid to the consistency of the food ingredients remaining inside the drum, which is often treated as a by-product for later disposal.

Blenders such as jar blenders or bar blenders are commonly used to prepare fruit and vegetable blends, in particular smoothies. Such devices typically include a chopping tool, such as a rotating knife, which cuts the food ingredients into relatively small pieces and at the same time releases the juice from the food ingredients. The texture or consistency of the resulting mixture is important because it is meant to be consumed. However, the scope for adjusting the consistency of the mixture is limited because traditional blenders do not provide the ability to separate the juice from the rest of the blended food ingredients.

While it is in principle possible to move the blended food ingredients into the drum of a centrifugal juicer to effect at least partial separation of the juice from the rest of the mixture, such movement would be inconvenient and would inevitably generate some food waste, e.g. ingredients remaining in the bowl or jug in which those ingredients were blended. What's more, the requirement that the kitchen be equipped with both a blender and a centrifugal juicer means that the available space on the kitchen counter and/or cupboards is reduced accordingly.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The invention is defined by the claims.

According to one aspect, a device is provided for extracting juice from food ingredients, the device comprising: a container having a cavity for receiving food ingredients and a wall that extends around the cavity; a grinding tool in the cavity for cutting and/or rubbing and/or grinding the food ingredients to thereby release the juice from the food ingredients; a drive system for driving the grinding tool and rotating the container so as to move the specified juice to the wall, and the drive system provides independent control of the drive of the grinding tool and the rotation of the container; and a sap collector included in the wall to allow the juice to flow out of the cavity.

The present invention is based on the understanding that the respective functions of a blender and a centrifugal juicer can be combined in one device by placing a grinding tool inside a container that can be rotated by a drive system. The drive system provides the possibility of independent control of the drive of the grinding tool and container. Thus, you can choose only blending, only juicing, or a combination of both.

The crushing tool releases juice from food ingredients without the need to rotate the container. The chopping tool may, for example, comprise a rotating knife. After blending, the container can be rotated to assist in the release of juice from the sap. Providing both a blending function and a centrifuge function allows more precise adjustment of the consistency of the juice coming out of the juicer or blended food ingredients in the cavity than can be achieved with a single blender or a single centrifugal juicer. In addition, the desired consistency can be achieved without the need to transfer the blended food ingredients to the centrifugal juicer, thus avoiding food waste associated with such transfer.

The device may include a control mechanism configured to control the flow of juice from the sap drawer. When blending without removing juice is required, a control mechanism can be used to limit or prevent juice from escaping from the sap. On the other hand, the control mechanism may allow at least some of the juice to pass through the juice outlet so as to control the consistency of the blended food ingredients. In addition, the passage of juice through the juicer means that the device can work as a centrifugal juicer.

The device may include a collection reservoir for receiving juice from the cavity, and the container is located inside the collection reservoir. The collection tank can facilitate the operation of the device as a centrifugal juicer, since the juice exiting the cavity through the juicer can be conveniently collected in the collection tank. In addition, the collection tank can be used, for example, to collect the juice removed from the cavity in the process of adjusting the consistency of blended food ingredients.

The control mechanism may be configured to hold the juice in the cavity when the container is not rotating. In an alternative or additional embodiment, the control mechanism may be configured in such a way as to allow the juice to exit from the sap drawer when the container is rotated. Thus, the control provided by the control mechanism may be automatic due to the rotation of the container. In the case of blending only, i.e. when the container is not rotating, the control mechanism can keep the juice inside the cavity.

The control mechanism may be configured to allow juice to exit the sump after a predetermined period of container rotation. For example, the control mechanism may be triggered by a suitable control signal to allow juice to exit the scupper after a predetermined, eg, user-entered, rotation period has elapsed. In an alternative or additional embodiment, the control mechanism may be configured to ensure that the juice exits the sap drawer when a certain speed of rotation of the container is reached.

The juice outlet may include a filtering part. The filter portion may provide further control of the consistency of the blended food ingredients or juice exiting the cavity due to food particles that are too large to pass through the openings of the filter portion are retained within the cavity. The filtering part may, for example, comprise a wire mesh or a perforated plate. The filter portion may, for example, be detachable from the wall, which may allow switching between finer and coarser mesh filters depending on the desired consistency of the filtered juice or blended food ingredients.

The control mechanism may include a blocking element for controlled closing or opening of the filter part, wherein the blocking element is movable relative to the filter part. Thus, the flow of juice from the cavity can be controlled using a blocking element that can be displaced relative to the filter portion so as to control the flow of juice through it. The device may comprise a plurality of blocking elements for appropriately closing the filter portions spaced at intervals around the perimeter of the wall, for example at evenly spaced intervals around the circumference of the wall. For example, the device may comprise a pair of blocking elements for correspondingly closing a pair of filter portions that are positioned opposite each other across the cavity.

The device may include an insert that contains a blocking element or a plurality, for example a pair, of blocking elements and is installed with the possibility of rotation in the container. Thus, pivoting the insert within the container can provide a convenient means of shifting the blocking member(s) relative to the filter portion(s). The insert may comprise a base that extends across the cavity and carries a blocking element or a plurality, such as a pair, of blocking elements; and a flow interruption member which is mounted on the periphery of the base and protrudes into the cavity. The rotation of the container and/or the release of juice by the grinding tool may result in a circular flow of food ingredients within the cavity. The flow interruption element may facilitate rotation of the insert using this flow of food ingredients. Thus, the displacement of the blocking element(s) relative to the corresponding filtering part(s) and, accordingly, the control of the flow of juice from the cavity through the filtering part can be carried out by rotating the container and/or operating the grinding tool.

The device may include a rotation limiter configured to limit the rotation of the insert between an aligned orientation, in which the respective filter portion is closed by the blocking element, and an open orientation, in which the insert is rotated so as to at least partially open the respective filter portion. The device may include a biasing mechanism configured to push the insert into an aligned orientation. Thus, the biasing mechanism can facilitate the adoption of an aligned configuration, for example, when it is desired to cover the filter portion during blending. The rotation of the container may, for example, overcome the displacement of the biasing mechanism so that an open orientation is assumed and juice can exit the cavity through the filter portion during rotation.

The drive system may be configured to rotate the container at a speed of 1500 to 4000 rpm. Such container rotation speeds can assist in the efficient extraction of juice from food ingredients. The drive system may comprise a motor, i. e. one motor to rotate the grinding tool and rotate the container.

According to another aspect, a method is provided for extracting juice from food ingredients, including: receiving food ingredients inside a container containing a grinding tool and a juice outlet; actuating a grinding tool to release juice from food ingredients by cutting and/or rubbing and/or grinding food ingredients; and rotating the container so that the juice is discharged from the container through the juice outlet, the actuation and rotation being controlled independently of each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following describes embodiments of the present invention in more detail, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows the component parts of a device according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows the components shown in FIG. 1, assembled;

Fig. 3 schematically shows the rotation of an insert included in a device according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 schematically shows the rotation of the insert shown in FIG. 3, in response to blending food ingredients;

Fig. 5 schematically shows the rotation of the insert shown in FIG. 4, in response to the rotation of the container;

Fig. 6 shows views of a device incorporating a turn limiter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 shows views of a device incorporating a turn limiter in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 8 shows a device according to an embodiment of the invention; And

Fig. 9 is a flow diagram of a method for extracting juice from food ingredients in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described with reference to the figures of the drawings.

It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples indicating exemplary embodiments of devices, systems, and methods are provided for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus, systems, and methods of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the Figures are only schematic and are not drawn to scale. In addition, it is to be understood that the same reference numerals are used throughout the Figures to refer to the same or similar parts.

A device for extracting juice from food ingredients is proposed. The device contains a container for receiving food ingredients, and the container has a juice outlet. Inside the container is a grinding tool that blends food ingredients. The drive system drives, for example rotates, the grinding tool for blending and rotates the container to ensure that the juice released from the food ingredients during blending exits the container through the juice outlet. The drive system provides independent drive control, such as rotation, of the grinding tool and rotation of the container, respectively.

The present invention is based on the understanding that the respective functions of a blender and a centrifugal juicer can be combined in one device by placing a grinding tool inside a container that can be rotated by a drive system. The drive system allows for independent drive control, such as rotation, of the grinding tool and container. Thus, you can choose only blending, only juicing, or a combination of both.

Providing both a blending function and a centrifuge function allows more precise adjustment of the consistency of the juice coming out of the juicer or blended food ingredients in the cavity than can be achieved with a single blender or a single centrifugal juicer. In addition, the desired consistency can be achieved without the need to transfer the blended food ingredients to the centrifugal juicer, thus avoiding food waste associated with such transfer.

The device thus provides the user with the ability to prepare smoothies as well as clear juices from food ingredients including fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs. The blending function makes it possible to prepare smoothies with a fine texture and a coarse texture, vegetable mousses, creams and pastes with this device. In addition, combining the respective functions of a blender, i.e., a jug blender, and a centrifugal juicer in one device may provide more efficient use of a kitchen counter and/or storage space than would be the case if the blender and centrifugal juicer were provided separately.

On FIG. 1 shows the component parts of a device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. On the left in Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of each of the component parts, while on the right in FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the respective parts. The device 100 includes a container 102 having a cavity 104 for receiving food ingredients (not shown in FIG. 1). A wall 106 extends around cavity 104. Although not shown in FIG. 1, wall 106 may further include a detachable lid that can be removed when food ingredients are to be placed inside container 102 and reattached prior to blending. The lid may, for example, be completely detachable from the container 102, or may be attached to the container 102 by a hinge or the like.

Although the container 102 shown in the drawings is cup-shaped with a cavity 104 having a circular cross section, as shown, for example, on the right side of FIG. 1, this is not a limitation. Container 102 may be of any suitable shape, although the circular or elliptical cross-section of cavity 104 may assist in efficient blending and escaping of juice from cavity 104 during rotation of container 102. Container 102 may, for example, alternatively be referred to as a "drum". The container 102 may be made of any suitable material such as polymer, metal, or a metal alloy. Stainless steel is preferred due to its resistance to corrosion, in particular due to the corrosive nature of the acidic fruit juices to which the device 100 may be regularly exposed.

A drive system (not shown in FIG. 1) rotates container 102, for example, at 1500-4000 rpm to ensure efficient extraction of juice from the food ingredients. The drive system may, for example, include an electric motor that drives the container 102 through a suitable drive shaft that interacts with the container 102.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower portion of the wall 106 may define a hole 107 through which an axle 109 may pass to engage and rotate the grinding tool 108. Thus, the grinding tool 108 can be located in the center of the container 102, although other positions are possible. The axle 109 can be driven by a suitable electric motor.

In one embodiment, the same motor can be used to rotate the grind tool 108 and rotate the container 102. Using the same motor to rotate the grind tool 108 and rotate the container 102 can simplify the device 100 and make it cheaper to manufacture, i. compared to the device 100 containing separate electric motors for rotating the grinding tool 108 and rotating the container 102, respectively.

The drive system provides independent control of the rotation of the grinding tool 108 and the rotation of the container 102, respectively. When a single motor is used, for example, a clutch device can be used to switch from the rotation of the grinding tool 108 to the rotation of the container 102. The clutch device may include an overrunning clutch or a freewheel that responds to a change in the direction of rotation of the engine. Alternatively or additionally, a suitable gearbox may be used, for example, containing a planetary gear train.

The grinding tool 108 may, for example, be rotated at 8,000-20,000 rpm to effectively blend the food ingredients in the cavity 104. Although the main factor in determining the particle size and therefore the consistency of the blended food ingredients is the blending time, in the sense that more a long blending period results in finer particles and a more uniform consistency, the rotational speed of the grinding tool 108 can also be an important factor. Higher rotational speeds of the grinding tool 108 can result in blended food ingredients containing a higher proportion of finer particles. The blending functionality can, for example, allow plant foods to be ground to particle sizes of less than 200 micrometers.

Any suitable chopping tool 108 may be used, such as a rotary knife. Such a rotary knife may, for example, comprise one or more blade portions made of metal or a metal alloy, such as stainless steel. Although the rotary knife shown in FIG. 1 contains four blade portions, this is not a limitation. Equally possible is a rotating knife containing one, two, three, five or more blade sections. As shown in FIG. 1, the blade portions may be spaced apart from each other about axis 109 and extend in different planes relative to each other. Other suitable blade arrangements will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Wall 106 of container 102 includes sap 110 through which juice can exit cavity 104. Portions of wall 106 that do not contain sap 110 can be considered as areas that are impervious to juice. The sap drawer 110 can accordingly be considered as a juice permeable area. Accordingly, most of the juice, or preferably all of the juice that exits the cavity 104, exits the cavity 104 through the sap 110.

Juice drawer 110 may include a filter portion that may provide additional consistency control for blended food ingredients or juice exiting the cavity due to food particles that are too large to pass through the openings of the filter portion are retained within the cavity. From now on, the same reference numeral is used for the sap drawer and the filter part, i.e. 110.

The filter portion 110 may, for example, comprise a wire mesh or a perforated plate. In one embodiment, filter portion 100 is detachable from wall 106, which may allow switching between finer and coarser filters, i. with correspondingly smaller and larger holes. The size, eg diameter, of the opening may, for example, be between 0.3 and 0.6 mm, depending on the desired fiber content of the filtered juice.

When consistency adjustment is required, the filter portion 110 may be detached, such as detached, from the wall 106, and another filter portion 110 may be attached to, such as attached to, the wall 106. The wall 106 may, for example, include a groove into which the filter portion 110 may be inserted and removed after use. Other means of releasably connecting the filter portion 110 to the wall 106 are also apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, another means is provided for adjusting the desired consistency of the filtered juice or blended food ingredients produced by the device 100. Alternatively or additionally, the size of the openings of the filter portion 110 can be adjustable so that the size of the filter portion 110 can be adjusted without the need to install another filter portion 110 having a different hole size.

Thus, consistency control of blended food ingredients can be achieved by using, in order of decreasing effect on texture, one or more of blending time, rotation speed of grinding tool 108, and opening size of filter portion 110. When the opening size of filter portion 100 is fixed , the consistency of the blended food ingredients or filtered juice can be adjusted by changing the blending duration and/or the rotational speed of the grinding tool 108, as previously described. Greater control over the consistency of blended food ingredients or filtered juice can be exercised by using different filter portions 110 having different aperture sizes relative to each other.

When the food ingredients are blended into a fine paste, the filtered juice exiting the cavity 104 may have a relatively thick consistency, like a smoothie or mousse, due to more fibrous material passing through the filter portion 110. On the other hand, when the food ingredients are relatively roughly blended, the filtered juice may contain a relatively small amount of fibrous material so that a relatively clear juice can pass through the filter portion 110. Accordingly, improved texture control of the filtered juice can be provided by the combined blending and filtering capability of the apparatus 100.

The device 100 may include a control mechanism 112 configured to control the flow of juice from the juicer 110. When blending is desired without removing the juice, the control mechanism 112 may be used to limit or prevent the juice from flowing out of the juicer 110. On the other hand, the control mechanism 112 may provide allowing at least some of the juice to pass through the juice outlet 110 so as to control the consistency of the blended food ingredients.

The control mechanism 112 may be configured to retain the juice in the cavity 104 when the container 102 is not rotating, and to allow the juice to exit the juicer 110 when the container 102 rotates. Thus, the control provided by the control mechanism 112 may be automatic due to rotation containers 102. Thus, in the case of blending only, i.e. when the container is not rotating, the control mechanism 112 can keep the juice inside the cavity. The control mechanism 112 may include any suitable stop to control the passage of juice through the sump 110, such as, for example, a valve, a gate slidably cooperating with the wall 106 and sliding back and forth so as to close and open the sap 110, etc. P.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the control mechanism 112 includes a blocking element for controlled closing or opening of the filter portion 110, wherein the blocking element 112 is movable relative to the filter portion 110. From now on, the same reference numeral is used for the control mechanism and the blocking element, i.e. . 112. The blocking element 112 may be movable relative to the filter portion 110 so as to control the flow of juice through it. The device 100 may include a pair of blocking elements 112 for appropriately closing a pair of filter portions 110 that are located opposite each other through the cavity 104. A plurality of filter portions 110 may increase the efficiency of juice filtration compared to a single filter portion 110.

A blocking element 112 or a pair of blocking elements 112 may be included in an insert 114 that is pivotally mounted in the container 102. Thus, rotation of the insert 114 within the container 102 may provide a convenient means of biasing the blocking element(s) 112 relative to the filter portion(s). ee) 110. Insert 114 may, for example, be mounted on a suitable hinged support at the center of container 102. In a non-limiting example, insert 114 may be manually rotated by a user to close or open filter portion 110. In an alternative or additional embodiment, insert 114 may be rotated using an electric motor or through the flow of food ingredients in the cavity 104 resulting from the rotation of the container 102 and/or blending using the grinding tool 108, as described further below.

The insert 114 may be made from any suitable material such as a polymer, metal, or metal alloy. Preferably, the insert is made from a polymer such as polypropylene so that the insert 114 is lightweight. The lightweight insert 114 may be particularly suitable for rotating the flow of food ingredients in the cavity 104 resulting from the rotation of the container 102 and/or blending using the grinding tool 108, as described in more detail below. The insert 114 may be dimensioned such that the blocking element is close enough to the wall 106 to limit or prevent leakage of juice through the corresponding filter portion 110 when it is closed by the blocking element 112. In this regard, the blocking element 112 may, for example, further comprise a collar or a gasket extending around the periphery of the blocking element 112 to ensure that the filter portion 110 is sealed by the blocking element 112.

As shown in FIG. 1 and 2, device 100 can be assembled by pivotally mounting insert 114 and chopping tool 108 within container 102, as previously described. The double-sided arrows shown in Fig. 3 schematically depict the rotation of the insert 114 within the container 102. The rectangular blocks show the respective positions of the insert when the filter portions 110 are closed 111A by the blocking elements 112 and when the filter portions 110 are fully open 111B. Thus, insert 114 is rotatable between these orientations 111A and 111B.

In one embodiment, the insert 114 includes a base 116 that extends through the cavity 104 and carries a blocking element 112 or a pair of blocking elements 112. As shown in the drawings, the insert 114 may include two opposite wing-shaped sections that respectively carry each of the blocking elements 112. filter portions 110 may be diametrically opposed to each other through cavity 104, and blocking elements 112 may be mounted on diametrically opposed portions of base 116. Thus, rotation of insert 114 allows the pair of filter portions 110 to close/open simultaneously.

In one embodiment, a flow interruption element 118 is mounted on the periphery of base 116 and protrudes into cavity 104. In the non-limiting example shown in the drawings, insert 114 includes two flow interruption elements 118 that are positioned opposite each other across the cavity. In addition, there are three, four or more elements 118 interrupt flow.

The flow interruption element 118 may, for example, protrude into the cavity 104 from the inner surface of the blocking element 112. As shown in FIG. 4 and 5, the rotation of the container 102 and/or the release of the juice by the grinding tool 108 may result in a circular flow of food ingredients within the cavity 104. The circulating food ingredients may contact the flow interruption element 118 and cause the insert 114 to rotate. blocking element(s) 112 relative to the respective filter portion(s) 110 can be accomplished by rotating the container 102 and/or operating the grinding tool 104. Disruption of the flow of food ingredients by the flow interruption element 118 can also help provide more uniform blending of the food ingredients, since larger particles can be diverted by the flow interruption element 118 from the periphery of the cavity 104 to the grinding tool 108 where they can be subjected to further grinding. In this regard, the device 100 may include additional flow interruption elements (not shown in the drawings) installed, for example, on the wall 106.

Although the flow interruption element 118 shown in the drawings is wedge-shaped, the shape of the flow interruption element 118 is not particularly limited as long as it protrudes into the cavity 104 sufficiently such that contact with circulating food ingredients causes insert 114 to rotate. For example, element 118 interruption of flow can be smoothly curved into the cavity 104 from the periphery of the insert 114.

On FIG. 4 schematically shows the blending of food ingredients 121 using a grinding tool 108. Anchor 119 means that the container 102 does not rotate during the blending process. Blending the food ingredients 121 using the chopping tool 108 results in a circular flow of food ingredients 121. By meeting the flow of food ingredients 121 with flow interruption elements 118, insert 114 can be rotated from the orientation shown in FIG. 3, in which the filter portions 110 are fully open, to the orientation shown in FIG. 4, in which the filter portions 110 are completely covered by the blocking elements 112. Thus, the device 100 shown in FIG. 4 may be considered as adopting a blending configuration in which the blocking elements 112 prevent juice from escaping from the cavity 104 through the filter portions 110.

As shown in FIG. 5, after blending, i.e. after the food ingredients have been blended to the desired consistency, the container 102 may be rotated. This can be thought of as a centrifugal juicing configuration. Switching from blending to centrifugation can be manual, i. the user can turn off the rotation of the grinding tool through a suitable user interface and turn on the rotation of the container through another user interface. Such user interfaces may include buttons, knobs, dials, a touch screen, and the like. Alternatively or additionally, the switching may be performed automatically by the device 100, for example in accordance with a preset blending and centrifugation procedure that can be stored in the memory of the device 100, selected and run using an additional user interface of the type mentioned above.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rotation of the container 102, indicated by the arrows, may cause the insert 114 to rotate so as to expose the filter portions 110. Thus, juice may exit the cavity 104 through the filter portions 110. Rotation of the insert 114 from the orientation shown in FIG. 4 to the orientation shown in FIG. 5 may be due to the inertial force acting on the insert 114 when the container 102 begins to rotate in the direction shown in FIG. 5.

As shown in more detail in FIG. 6 and 7, the device 100 may include a rotation limiter 120 that limits the rotation of the insert 114 between an aligned orientation, in which the corresponding filter portion 110 is covered by the blocking element 112, and an open orientation, in which the insert 114 is rotated up to 90° with respect to the aligned orientation, so as to at least partially open the corresponding filter portion 110. As shown in FIG. 6, rotation stop 120 may include pins that protrude from the bottom of wall 106 into cavity 104 and that, when engaged with base 116, prevent further rotation of insert 114. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the rotation stop 120 may include ribs that protrude from the side of the wall 106 into the cavity 104 and which, when in contact with the blocking element 112, prevent further rotation of the insert 114. The ribs may, for example, additionally serve to interrupt the flow of food ingredients to obtain more uniform blends. food ingredients since larger particles can be deflected by the fins from the periphery of the cavity 104 to the grinding tool 108 where they can be further ground.

While switching between the respective aligned and open orientations can be accomplished by rotating the chopping tool 108 and/or rotating the container 102, or by manual adjustment by the user, the device 100 can further comprise a biasing mechanism that moves the insert 114 toward the aligned orientation. In other words, the natural position of the insert 114 may be such that the blocking elements 112 cover the filter portions 110.

A biasing mechanism may, for example, be included in the spring-loaded pivot support to mount the insert 114 in the container 102. The inertia of the insert 114 when the container 102 begins to rotate can overcome the bias so that the insert 114 rotates to assume an open orientation. During such rotation of the insert 114, the spring in the pivot support may stretch, and once the rotation stops, the spring may pull the insert 114 back into its original aligned orientation. Other suitable biasing mechanisms will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Thus, manual intervention may not be required from the user to switch between the aligned and open orientations of the insert 114. Thus, the bias mechanism may assist in adopting the aligned configuration, such as when it is desired to cover the filter portion 110 during blending. The rotation of the container 102 may, for example, overcome the displacement of the biasing mechanism so that an open orientation is assumed and the juice can exit the cavity 104 through the filter portion 110 during the rotation.

As shown in FIG. 8, the apparatus 100 may include a collection reservoir 122 for receiving juice from the cavity, with the reservoir 102 located within the collection reservoir 122. The collection reservoir 122 may assist the operation of the apparatus 100 as a centrifugal juicer, since the juice exiting the cavity 104 through the juice outlet 110 may be conveniently assembled in a collection tank 122. The collection tank may be made of any suitable material such as glass, polymer, metal or metal alloy. In addition, the collection reservoir 122 can be used, for example, to collect the juice removed from the cavity 104 in the process of adjusting the consistency of the blended food ingredients. Collector tank 122 may include a removable lid 124 that can be removed by placing food ingredients in cavity 104 and removing, such as pouring, filtered juice and blended food ingredients from collector tank 122 and container 102, respectively. Cap 124 may be replaced before blending or centrifugation.

In addition, in FIG. 8 shows the external view of the drive system 109 which rotates the container 102 and the grinding tool 108. The collection tank 122 can be detachable from the drive system 109 and thus facilitate, for example, pouring filtered juice into another receiving container. In addition, the collection tank 122, which is detachable from the drive system 109, can facilitate cleaning of the collection tank 122, tank 102, etc. In addition, the collection tank 122 may include a handle 126 to assist in lifting the collection tank 122 from the drive system 109. The device 100 may include a user interface 128 to control the grinding tool 108 and the rotation of the tank 102, as previously described.

On FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a method 200 for extracting juice from food ingredients in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The method 200 begins at step 210. At step 220, food ingredients, such as fruits and/or vegetables, are received in a container containing a chopping tool and a juice outlet. In step 230, the grinding tool is actuated, such as rotated, to release juice from the food ingredients. At step 240, the container is rotated so that the juice exits the container through the juice outlet. Drive 230 and rotation 240 are controlled independently of each other. Method 200 ends at step 250.

Other variations of the disclosed embodiments of the invention can be understood and implemented by experts in the art in the implementation of the present invention in practice based on the study of the drawings, the text of the description and the accompanying claims. In claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and singular grammatical means do not exclude plurals. The mere fact that certain measures are set forth in different dependent claims does not mean that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. No reference positions in the claims are to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims (23)

1. A device (100) for extracting juice from food ingredients, the device comprising: a container (102) having a cavity (104) for receiving food ingredients and a wall (106) that extends around the cavity; a grinding tool (108) in the cavity for cutting and/or rubbing and/or grinding food ingredients, thereby releasing juice from the food ingredients; a drive system (109) for driving the grinding tool and rotating the container so as to move the specified juice to the wall, and the drive system provides independent control of the drive of the grinding tool and the rotation of the container; and a juice outlet (110) included in the wall to allow the juice to exit the cavity. 2. The device according to claim 1, comprising a control mechanism (112) configured to control the flow of juice from the juice outlet (110). 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control mechanism (112) is configured to hold the juice in the cavity (104) when the container (102) is not rotating. 4. The device according to claim 2 or 3, in which the control mechanism (112) is designed in such a way as to allow the juice to exit from the juice outlet (110) when the container (102) rotates. 5. The device according to claim. 2 or 3, in which the control mechanism is configured to ensure the release of juice from the juice outlet after a predetermined period of rotation of the container and / or upon reaching a predetermined speed of rotation of the container. 6. The device (100) according to any one of paragraphs. 2-5, in which the juice drawer (110) contains a filter part, and the control mechanism (112) contains a blocking element for controlled closing or opening of the filter part, and the blocking element is movable relative to the filter part. 7. The device (100) according to claim 6, containing a plurality of blocking elements (112) for appropriate closing of the filter parts (110) spaced apart at intervals along the perimeter of the wall (106). 8. The device (100) according to claim 6 or 7, containing an insert (114) that contains a blocking element or a plurality of blocking elements (112) and is installed with the possibility of rotation in the container (102). 9. The device (100) according to claim 8, in which the insert (114) contains: a base (116) that extends across the cavity (104) and carries a blocking element or a plurality of blocking elements (112); And flow interruption element (118), which is installed on the periphery of the base and protrudes into the cavity. 10. The device (100) according to claim 8 or 9, comprising a rotation limiter (120) configured to limit the rotation of the insert (114) between an aligned orientation in which the corresponding filter portion (110) is closed by the blocking element (112) and open an orientation in which the insert is rotated so as to at least partially open the respective filter portion. 11. The device (100) of claim 10, comprising a biasing mechanism configured to push the insert (114) toward an aligned orientation. 12. The device (100) according to any one of paragraphs. 1-11, containing a collection tank (122) for receiving juice from the cavity (104), and the tank (102) is located inside the collection tank. 13. The device (100) according to any one of paragraphs. 1-12, in which the drive system (109) is configured to rotate the container (102) at a speed of 1500 to 4000 rpm. 14. The device (100) according to any one of paragraphs. 1-13, in which the chopping tool (108) contains a rotating knife. 15. The device (100) according to any one of paragraphs. 1-14, in which the drive system (109) contains a motor for rotating the grinding tool (108) and rotating the container (102). 16. A method (200) for extracting juice from food ingredients, the method comprising: receiving (220) food ingredients into a container containing a grinding tool and a juice outlet; actuating (230) a grinding tool to release juice from food ingredients by cutting and/or rubbing and/or grinding food ingredients; and rotating (240) the container so that the juice exits the container through the sump, the actuation and rotation being controlled independently of each other.

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