A vacuum citrus juicer control method and device

By adopting the vacuum citrus juicer control method in the production of citrus juice, the problems of juice oxidation, pigment discoloration, flavor loss and high machine maintenance costs are solved, and the juice is better preserved and more efficient production process is achieved.

CN119472566BActive Publication Date: 2025-03-14SICHUAN AGRI UNIV
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510060672.X
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-01-15
Publication Date
2025-03-14
Estimated Expiration
2045-01-15

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing citrus juice production methods are degassed after the juice is filtered, resulting in vitamin C oxidation, discoloration of flavonoid pigments, loss of volatile flavor substances and high maintenance costs of machine.

Method used

The vacuum citrus juicer control method is used to make the citrus in vacuum during the cutting and filtration process, and the citrus is squeezed and processed using an automated control system.

Benefits of technology

Reduce oxidation reactions under vacuum, retain vitamin C and flavonoid pigments, reduce volatilization of flavor substances, reduce microbial contamination and machine maintenance frequency.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of citrus processing, and specifically to a vacuum citrus juicer control method and equipment, including: vacuum extraction of citrus containers, cutting containers and juicing containers, after receiving a vacuum extraction instruction, limiting the number of citrus, sending a constant pressure signal after pressure detection and constant pressure, cutting citrus after receiving the constant pressure signal, pushing citrus after cutting to send it into a juicing container for juicing, and arranging a liquid level sensor in a filtering container for detecting the water level and emitting a water level signal, if a water level signal is received, vacuum extraction ends, and citrus juice is released into a disinfection and sterilization container after pressure relief. The method allows citrus to be in a vacuum state during the cutting process and the filtering process, and directly uses an automated control method to squeeze citrus juice in a vacuum state, so that more flavor substances such as limonene and vitamin C can be retained in the juice, so that the juice has a richer and purer citrus flavor.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of citrus processing, and in particular to a control method and equipment for a vacuum citrus juicer. Background Art

[0002] When mass producing juice, the current industrial production process is generally: citrus raw materials → acceptance inspection → temporary storage → washing → fruit selection → whole fruit juice → juice → filtration → sterilization → original juice. The specific steps are as follows:

[0003] (1) Selection of raw materials and intermediate storage: When selecting raw materials, varieties that will not make citrus juice bitter during the manufacturing process should be used. During intermediate storage, injured and unsuitable fruits must be removed. In addition, sample tests should be carried out quickly to determine the quality of the juice made from these raw materials, and then the raw materials should be stored in an intermediate storage warehouse;

[0004] (2) Sorting and cleaning: It is best to use a roller sorting machine for sorting. 1% to 2% sodium hydroxide and disinfectant should be added to the clean water. The raw fruits should be soaked for a short time, then put into the rotating cleaning roller brush for cleaning, and sprayed with cleaning water. The cleaning water sprayed by the nozzle should be chlorinated water with a chlorine content of 10 to 30 mg / L. Finally, the fruits should be sprayed with clean water;

[0005] (3) Oil removal: After washing, the fruits are then put into a needle-type oil removal machine, where the peel is punctured and the oil in the peel escapes from the oil cells and flows away with the spray water. The orange oil is then separated from the emulsion of orange oil and water using a disc centrifuge. The residual liquid is then re-entered into the oil removal machine through a circulation pipeline and used as spray water.

[0006] (4) Juicing: At present, the machines used for citrus juicing include In-Line juicers, Brown juicers, and Anderson juicers. When juicing, try to prevent peel oil, white skin, and capsule from mixing into the juice. These substances entering the juice not only increase the bitterness, but also produce heating odor. Seed rupture should also be avoided.

[0007] (5) Removing pulp: The raw orange juice from the citrus juicer contains pulp. Use a pulper or other similar equipment to filter out larger pulp particles.

[0008] (6) Degassing: Citrus juice is very easy to oxidize, which will lead to changes in the color and taste of the beverage and loss of vitamin C content. Degassing is important for maintaining the quality of citrus juice. Degassing can be done by centrifugal spray, pressurized spray, thin film flow and other equipment;

[0009] (7) Sterilization: If the purpose is only to ensure the microbial stability of citrus juice, a sterilization temperature of 71-72°C and a corresponding residence time are sufficient. However, in order to inactivate pectin methylesterase and ensure the colloidal stability of citrus juice, a sterilization temperature of 86-99°C and a corresponding residence time should be selected.

[0010] (8) Concentration: Citrus juice concentrate is mainly concentrated by freeze concentration. Concentrate until the soluble solids reach 65%;

[0011] (9) Packaging and storage: After the citrus juice concentrate is frozen and concentrated at -5 to -8°C, it is packed into barrels coated with polyethylene and immediately placed in a cold storage at -25 to -30°C after being sealed. It no longer undergoes a sterilization process, and there is no problem of deterioration of the juice quality due to heating.

[0012] From the perspective of the existing juice production methods, degassing and anti-oxidation treatment are carried out after the juice is filtered, that is, oxidation begins as soon as the citrus is cut. From the cutting of the citrus to the degassing, the juice and pulp are exposed to the air. No anti-oxidation measures are taken during this period, resulting in the following deficiencies: (1) Vitamin C is a nutrient that is easily oxidized. In an aerobic environment, it will gradually be oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid, thereby losing its physiological activity and nutrients; (2) Due to the failure to take anti-oxidation measures in time, natural pigments such as flavonoids in citrus juice are prone to oxidation and discoloration, and the color of the juice will become darker and browner, and the quality will be reduced; (3) Limonene in citrus is an important volatile flavor substance. Such volatile esters and terpenoid compounds are easily volatilized and lost in an aerobic and open environment; (4) When industrial juicing and filtering, the amount of juice is large, and the machine wall will frequently accumulate more and more deteriorated juice and pulp, which needs to be cleaned regularly, resulting in high maintenance costs. It can be seen from this that if the entire processing is carried out under a vacuum state, bacteria will not grow inside the machine, and oxidation can be prevented directly from the source of citrus cutting. Summary of the invention

[0013] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vacuum citrus juicer control method and equipment, so that the citrus is in a vacuum state during the cutting process and the filtering process, and the citrus is directly juiced in a vacuum state by using an automatic control method. Flavor substances such as limonene and vitamin C can be retained in the juice to a greater extent, so that the juice has a richer and purer citrus flavor, and the technical problem that the machine needs to be constantly stopped for cleaning and maintenance can also be solved.

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0015] In a first aspect, a vacuum citrus juicer control method comprises:

[0016] Start the vacuum extraction instruction to perform vacuum extraction on the citrus container, the cutting container and the juicing container. The cutting container and the juicing container are connected. The citrus container is used to store citrus, the cutting container is used to cut the citrus in half, and the juicing container is used to separate the pulp and peel of the citrus and extract the juice.

[0017] After receiving the vacuum extraction instruction, the visual detector releases the citrus fruits according to the set quantity and releases the citrus fruits in the citrus container into the cutting container.

[0018] The pressure sensor detects the pressure in the cutting container and the juicing container, and sends a constant pressure signal when the pressure is constant. The cutting device cuts the citrus after receiving the constant pressure signal. After cutting, the citrus is pushed into the juicing container for juicing. The citrus juice falls into the filtering container below, and the citrus residue is transported to the solid container.

[0019] The filter container is provided with a liquid level sensor for detecting the water level and transmitting a water level signal. If the water level signal is received, the cutting container stops feeding the citrus fruits.

[0020] If the water level signal is received, the vacuum extraction ends, the stirring device in the filter container starts stirring, and the pressure relief valve of the juice extraction container starts to release pressure. The electric valve opens after receiving the normal pressure signal of the pressure sensor to release the liquid in the filter container into the sterilization container and release the citrus residue in the solid container.

[0021] The visual detector in the citrus container detects the citrus capacity. If a citrus capacity signal is received, the vacuum extraction ends, the citrus container is depressurized and a depressurization prompt message is displayed.

[0022] Further, the vacuum extraction instruction is started to vacuum extract the citrus container, the cutting container and the juicing container, including:

[0023] The sealing performance of the citrus container, the cutting container and the juicing container is analyzed and tested. If the sealing performance is correct, the vacuum pump is controlled to perform vacuum extraction on the citrus container, the cutting container and the juicing container respectively, and a vacuum extraction prompt and a vacuum negative pressure value are output on the controller.

[0024] Furthermore, after receiving the vacuum extraction instruction, the visual detector releases the citrus fruits in limited quantities and releases the corresponding number of citrus fruits into the cutting container, specifically including:

[0025] The number of citrus fruits released each time is determined by the set number or the capacity of the cutting container. The visual detector controls the divider so that the citrus fruits automatically roll into the cutting container along the conveyor belt. During this period, the vacuum pump continuously draws vacuum and outputs the number of citrus fruits in the cutting container on the controller.

[0026] Furthermore, a liquid level sensor is provided in the filtering container for detecting the water level and transmitting a water level signal. If the water level signal is received, the cutting container is closed and the citrus feeding is stopped, comprising:

[0027] When the liquid level sensor detects that the citrus liquid has reached the set water level, a prompt message is displayed on the controller, and the cutting container is controlled to close to stop the citrus feeding. If the cutting container detects that there are still citrus inside, the cutting action will continue to be completed and the citrus will be pushed into the juicing container. After the cutting is completed, the cutting instruction will stop and a prompt message will be displayed on the controller. If the juicing container detects that there are still citrus that have not been juiced, the juicing action will continue to be completed. After the juicing is completed, the juicing instruction will stop and a prompt message will be displayed on the controller.

[0028] Furthermore, the stirring device in the filtering container starts stirring, and at the same time, the pressure relief valve of the juice extraction container starts to release pressure, and the electric valve opens after receiving the normal pressure signal of the pressure sensor to release the liquid in the filtering container into the sterilization container, and further includes:

[0029] When the liquid level sensor detects that the citrus juice has reached the lowest water level, the filter container opens to clean out larger particles of pulp or seeds. After receiving the instruction that the cleaning is completed, the filter container and the juice extraction container are closed, and the pressure relief valve is also closed.

[0030] In another aspect, a vacuum juicer apparatus comprises:

[0031] One or more cutting containers placed side by side,

[0032] A citrus container shared by one or more cutting containers,

[0033] The conveyor belt, divider and visual detector installed between the cutting container and the citrus container. The visual detector is used to control the divider to release the citrus.

[0034] one or more side-by-side juicing vessels adjacent to the downstream end of the cutting vessel,

[0035] A filter container is installed below multiple cutting containers and juice extraction containers.

[0036] and a sealing cover covering the citrus container, the cutting container, the juicing container and the filtering container. The vacuum pump and the pressure relief valve are installed outside the sealing cover. The pressure relief valve is located above the top of the citrus container, the cutting container and the juicing container.

[0037] When the vacuum pump executes the vacuum command, the distributor, the visual detector, the cutting container, the juice extraction container and the filtering container complete the above-mentioned vacuum citrus juicer control method.

[0038] Furthermore, the divider and the visual detector are built on the conveyor belt, the visual detector is electrically connected to the divider, the divider is composed of a cylinder and a baffle, and the baffle is horizontally blocked on the conveyor belt for releasing and blocking citrus fruits.

[0039] Furthermore, a citrus rack, a cutting device and a pushing device are provided in the cutting container, the feeding end of the citrus rack is opposite to the downstream end of the conveyor belt, the gap between the two is smaller than the diameter of the citrus, and limit plates are provided on both sides of the conveying direction of the citrus rack, the distance between the limit plates is the size of an citrus, the cutting device is installed in the middle of the unloading end of the citrus rack, the feeding end of the juicing container is adjacent to the unloading end of the citrus rack, and the pushing device is telescopically and movably installed on the side direction of the feeding end of the citrus rack, and moves back and forth between the feeding end of the citrus rack and the cutting device.

[0040] Further, the juice extracting container comprises a juice extracting frame, a squeezing device, a solid container and a solid pushing device, the juice extracting frame is in a convex shape, a leakage hole is provided on the juice extracting frame, the juice extracting frame is divided into two parts, a left channel, a right channel and a middle raised block, and a squeezing device is provided on the outer side of the left and right channels to squeeze the raised block.

[0041] The solid pushing device is installed in the left and right channels along the length of the juice extraction rack for conveying solid citrus residues, and the solid container is installed at the discharge end of the solid pushing device.

[0042] Furthermore, the filtering container is placed below the juicing container, and the filtering container has an extension section, which is located at the lower end of the citrus rack. The filtering container is divided into an upper and lower layers, a stirring component is installed in the upper layer, a filtering drawer is installed between the upper and lower layers, and an external discharge pipe is also provided at the bottom of the lower layer of the filtering container, and the external discharge pipe is externally connected to an electric valve switch.

[0043] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: when squeezing citrus juice in batches, vacuum treatment is maintained from cutting to sterilization, and a large amount of citrus juice stays in a vacuum environment. Due to the lack of oxygen in a vacuum state, oxidation reaction hardly occurs, thus avoiding oxidation of citrus. Therefore:

[0044] (1) Vitamin C can maintain its original chemical structure, thus ensuring the nutritional value of the juice;

[0045] (2) Natural pigments such as flavonoids in citrus juice will not undergo oxidation and discoloration under vacuum conditions, and the color of the juice will not darken or turn brown. The juice can maintain the original bright color of citrus, has a high appearance, and is more likely to be favored by consumers;

[0046] (3) The entire citrus is cut, juiced, and stored under vacuum conditions to reduce microbial contamination (such as yeast, mold, etc.). These microorganisms can use the nutrients in the juice to accelerate their growth and reproduction in an aerobic environment, but in a vacuum state, their growth and reproduction are greatly inhibited, thereby reducing the risk of microbial contamination of the juice;

[0047] (4) The filter containers are stored in a centralized manner, which can maintain the flavor of the juice without adding any chemical agents, avoid oxidation of the attachments on the inner walls of the cutting container and the juicing container and the growth of microorganisms, reduce the number of times the machine is cleaned, and make it more efficient and centralized for juicing;

[0048] (5) The flavor substances in citrus (such as volatile esters, terpenoids, etc.) may be lost due to oxidation or volatilization under normal conditions. Under vacuum conditions, due to the relatively closed environment, these flavor substances are not easy to evaporate into the air, and thus can be better retained in the juice. Limonene in citrus is an important volatile flavor substance that easily evaporates in an aerobic and open environment. When juicing under vacuum conditions, more flavor substances such as limonene can be retained in the juice, making the juice have a richer and purer citrus flavor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Figure 1 It is a flow chart of an embodiment of a control method of a vacuum citrus juicer of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 2 It is a flowchart for implementing the specific operation process of the cutting device after encountering a fault signal;

[0051] Figure 3 A specific operation flow chart for the capacity detection of the filter container;

[0052] Figure 4 A specific operation flow chart for fault detection during juice extraction;

[0053] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a controller and a computer storage medium;

[0054] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the top view of the structure of a vacuum juicer device;

[0055] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a vacuum juicer device;

[0056] Figure 8 It is a left view structural schematic diagram of a cutting container;

[0057] Fig. 9 It is a left-side structural schematic diagram of the juice extraction container.

[0058] Figure numerals: 1. citrus container; 2. cutting container; 20. citrus rack; 201. limiting plate; 202. liquid guide groove; 21. cutting device; 22. pushing device; 220. pushing plate; 3. juice container; 30. juice rack; 31. solid container; 32. solid pushing device; 33. extrusion device; 4. controller; 5. conveyor belt; 6. distributor; 7. visual detector; 8. vacuum pump; 9. filter container; 90. filter drawer; 91. external discharge pipe; 10. pressure relief valve; 11. stirring device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] In order to make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects achieved by the present invention easy to understand, the present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0060] like Figure 1 to Figure 9 A vacuum citrus juicer control method is shown, comprising:

[0061] S1. Start the vacuum extraction instruction to perform vacuum extraction on the citrus container 1, the cutting container 2 and the juicing container 3. The citrus container 1 is used to store citrus, the cutting container 2 is used to cut the citrus in half, and the juicing container 3 is used to separate the pulp and peel of the citrus and extract the juice. The cutting container and the juicing container are connected. The sealing performance of the citrus container, the cutting container and the juicing container is analyzed and detected. If the sealing performance is correct, the vacuum pump is controlled to perform vacuum extraction on the citrus container, the cutting container and the juicing container respectively, and the vacuum extraction prompt and the vacuum negative pressure value are output on the controller.

[0062] The controller 4 is provided with a plurality of buttons, such as a vacuum start button, a vacuum stop button, a cutting button, a juicing button, a stirring button, etc., which can be controlled manually or automatically by a program.

[0063] In this embodiment, taking Ehime oranges from a certain place as an example, the orange cells are arranged closely. Generally speaking, the appropriate vacuum value for juicing oranges is about 50-80 mbar. Under this vacuum degree, the pulp cells can be fully broken, the juice yield can be increased, and the chance of air entering the juice can be reduced.

[0064] 0 When squeezing different citrus fruits, we can enter different vacuum degrees in the controller. The above vacuum parameters are not unique. The required vacuum degrees are pre-written into the controller and can be selected manually or the specific values ​​can be entered manually.

[0065] It should be noted that the citrus container stores selected Ehime oranges, which are all cleaned and disinfected and poured into the citrus container 1 according to capacity. The position of the citrus container 1 is higher than the cutting container 2. The citrus container 1 is provided with multiple outlets, and an automatic switch is provided at the outlet to continuously release the citrus to the transfer conveyor belt 5 for waiting. A divider 6 is provided on the transfer conveyor belt 5 to block the citrus.

[0066] S2. A divider 6 and a visual detector 7 are installed at the entrance of the cutting container. The visual detector 7 is used to control the divider 6 to release the citrus. The divider 6 limits the quantity of the citrus released. After receiving the vacuum extraction instruction, the visual detector 7 releases the corresponding number of citrus into the cutting container 2. The number of citrus released each time is determined by the set number or the capacity of the cutting container. The visual detector 7 controls the divider 6 so that the citrus automatically rolls into the cutting container 2 along the conveyor belt. During this period, the vacuum pump 8 continuously draws vacuum and outputs the number of citrus in the cutting container on the controller 4.

[0067] Specifically, a conveyor belt, a divider and a visual detector are installed between the cutting container 2 and the citrus container 1. The visual detector is used to control the divider to release the citrus. The divider and the visual detector are built on the conveyor belt. The visual detector is electrically connected to the divider. The divider is composed of a cylinder and a baffle. The baffle is horizontally blocked on the conveyor belt for releasing and blocking the citrus.

[0068] A citrus entrance facing the conveyor belt is provided on the cutting container 2. The citrus entrance is a sealed door the size of a citrus. A certain amount of citrus is put into the container for cutting and juicing each time. The citrus can be oranges, grapefruits, or tangerines. It is basically formulated according to the size of grapefruits to facilitate the entry of a variety of citrus.

[0069] In this embodiment, 10 Ehime oranges are grouped together, and a section of the conveyor belt close to the cutting container can be inclined. After the divider releases 10 oranges, the oranges will naturally roll into the citrus rack in the cutting container and be neatly arranged in order. A through-beam sensor can also be set on the citrus rack, close to one side of the conveyor belt. When it is detected that the citrus is accumulated at this position, the cutting command is activated to cut the citrus in half.

[0070] S3. The pressure sensor detects the pressure in the cutting container and the juicing container, and sends out a constant pressure signal after the pressure becomes constant. After receiving the constant pressure signal, the truss starts to push the citrus, and the cutting blade cuts the pushed citrus to complete the cutting of the citrus.

[0071] The cutting container is used to cut citrus in half. A citrus rack 20, a cutting device 21 and a pushing device 22 are provided in the cutting container 2. The feeding end of the citrus rack 20 is aligned with the downstream end of the conveyor belt 5. The gap between the two is smaller than the diameter of the citrus, and generally the gap is not less than 5 cm. Limiting plates 201 are provided on both sides of the conveying direction of the citrus rack 20. The limiting plates are mainly used to block the citrus to prevent it from falling from both sides. The cutting device 21 is installed in the middle of the feeding end of the citrus rack 20. The feeding end of the juicing container 3 is adjacent to the feeding end of the citrus rack 20. The pushing device 22 is telescopically and movably installed on the side of the feeding end of the citrus rack 20, and moves back and forth between the feeding end of the citrus rack and the cutting device.

[0072] It is equivalent to arranging 10 citrus fruits coming from the conveyor belt in sequence on the citrus rack in a straight line. The cutting device 21 is generally a detachable assembled cutting knife. The cutting knife blade faces the citrus fruits on the citrus rack 20. Under the squeezing action of the pushing device 22, the citrus fruits hit the cutting blade, so that the citrus fruits are pushed into the juice container 3 while being cut. In addition, the cutting blade can also play a separating role. After being cut in half, the citrus fruits will automatically flow to both sides of the juice rack and will not stick together.

[0073] The pushing device 22 generally adopts a mixed X-axis and Z-axis truss, on which a cylinder and a pushing plate 220 are mounted. The cylinder can be extended and retracted to move the pushing plate 220 to the upstream end of the citrus rack 20. The Z-axis of the truss can lift the cylinder and the pushing plate 220 to facilitate lowering or raising the pushing plate 220. In this way, the pushing plate 220 can be lowered to push the citrus, and can be raised to facilitate returning to the starting end from the cutting blade.

[0074] The citrus rack 20 is provided with a liquid guide groove 202 for collecting the juice flowing out when the citrus is cut, and the liquid guide groove 202 is used to guide the juice into the filtering container.

[0075] S4. After cutting, the citrus fruits are pushed into a juicing container for juicing. The citrus juice falls into a filtering container below, and the citrus residues are transported to a solid container.

[0076] The specific juicing process is as follows: the juicing container 3 is used for separating the pulp and peel of citrus and extracting juice. The juicing container 3 includes a juicing frame 30, a squeezing device 33, a solid container 31 and a solid pushing device 32. The juicing frame 30 is in a convex shape, and a leak hole is provided on the juicing frame 30. The juicing frame 30 is divided into two parts, a left channel, a right channel and a middle raised block. The outer sides of the left and right channels are provided with a squeezing device 33 that is directly squeezed against the raised block. The oranges coming from the citrus frame 20 are cut by the cutting blade and the oranges are separated into two halves. The two halves are arranged in the left and right channels respectively, and the pulp faces the middle raised block. The horizontally arranged squeezing device 33 is hydraulically driven and acts on the oranges, so that the oranges are squeezed against the middle raised block. If it is necessary to increase the squeezing effect, a number of conical thorns can be provided on the middle raised block. When squeezing, the conical thorns are inserted into the pulp to increase the squeezing effect.

[0077] The activation of the squeezing device 33 is generally controlled by the pushing device 22. A trigger switch is set at the downstream end of the truss of the pushing device 22. Once the truss moves to the right, it proves that the pushing plate is pushed to the bottom, and all the citrus on the citrus rack 20 are cut and pushed to the juice rack 30. At this time, the impact of the trigger switch starts the hydraulic squeezing device 33. The squeezing device 33 can also be set with fault detection, and send the unactivated fault signal to the controller for easy identification. Once this fault occurs, the cutting instruction and the material distribution instruction are stopped to prevent more citrus from entering the cutting container and causing blockage.

[0078] The solid pushing device 32 described above is installed in the left and right channels along the length of the juicer 30 for conveying solid citrus residues, and the solid container 31 is installed at the discharge end of the solid pushing device 32. The juicer 30 is provided with many leak holes, and when the citrus is squeezed, the citrus juice falls into the filter container from the leak holes. The juicing may carry the pulp, which will also fall into the filter container 9, and some of it will be caught by the solid pushing device 32 along with the citrus peel. The solid pushing device 32 is a motor-driven screw conveyor, which continuously stirs the orange peel and pushes it to the right side. A solid container 31 is provided on the right side. After the screw conveyor exceeds the range of the juicer 30, the citrus residue falls into the solid container 31 for storage.

[0079] S5. A liquid level sensor is provided in the filter container 9 for detecting the water level and transmitting a water level signal. Specifically, the specific value of the set water level is not unique and can be set according to actual needs. If the controller receives a water level signal, the cutting container is closed to stop feeding the citrus. When the liquid level sensor detects that the citrus liquid has reached the set water level, a prompt message is displayed on the controller, and the distributor is controlled to be closed to stop feeding the citrus. It can be understood that maintaining the water level at the set water level can be controlling the actual water level to be equal to the set water level, or making the difference between the actual water level and the set water level within a set error range.

[0080] If the cutting container 2 detects that there are still oranges inside, it continues the cutting action and pushes them into the juicing container 3. After the cutting is completed, the cutting instruction stops and a prompt message is displayed on the controller. If the juicing container 3 detects that there are still oranges that have not been juiced, it continues the juicing action. After the juicing is completed, the juicing instruction stops and a prompt message is displayed on the controller.

[0081] S6. If the water level signal is received, the vacuum pump 8 stops working and the vacuum extraction ends. It should be noted that the above-mentioned fault detector and the capacity detector of the solid container can generate signals and transmit them to the controller, thereby controlling the vacuum pump to stop working. If the fault detector displays a prompt message, the pressure relief valve 10 does not necessarily release pressure. At this time, the pressure relief needs to be manually operated, because it is necessary to manually judge whether it is necessary to open the inspection door for inspection. The truss of the pushing device 22 also has a single-control switch on the outside. If some of the citrus can be pushed open multiple times by starting the single-control switch, the fault can be cleared without pressure relief. When the fault is eliminated, other instructions resume the action. After the capacity detection signal and the water level signal are sent, the machine has reached the capacity limit in this round of juicing process, and needs to be processed before the next batch of citrus can be squeezed, so the vacuum pump and the pressure relief valve are generally triggered.

[0082] When the vacuum pump 8 stops working, the stirring device 11 in the filtering container 9 starts stirring, and at the same time, the pressure relief valve 10 of the juice extraction container 3 starts to be used for pressure relief. After receiving the normal pressure signal from the pressure sensor, the electric valve opens to release the liquid in the filtering container into the sterilization container.

[0083] Specifically, the vacuum extraction operation may be terminated after the vacuum extraction operation reaches a set time threshold, or when an extraction end instruction sent by the user or other instructions is received. A stirring button may also be set on the controller 4. After the vacuum extraction is completed, if the controller receives a stirring control instruction sent by the stirring button, the stirring device 11 is controlled to stir the material in the cup body.

[0084] The filter container 9 is placed below the juice extraction container 3, and the filter container 9 has an extension section, and the extension section is located at the lower end of the citrus rack 20. The filter container 9 is divided into an upper and lower layer, a stirring component is installed in the upper layer, and a filter drawer 90 is installed between the upper and lower layers. An external discharge pipe 91 is also provided at the bottom of the lower layer of the filter container 9, and the external discharge pipe 91 is externally connected to an electric valve switch.

[0085] Stirring means releasing the juice, and delayed stirring can also be set. When the juice level drops to a height lower than the filter tray 90, the stirring component starts stirring. The bottom of the stirring component has a scraper that fits the bottom layer of the filter tray. Stirring allows the juice to be filtered quickly, and also scrapes away the seeds or other pulp blockages at the bottom layer of the filter tray, so that all the liquid leaks down. On the other hand, when the filter container 9 is opened, the scraper of the stirring component is used to clean out larger particles of pulp or seeds. A hydraulic door can be set between the filter container and the solid container. When the liquid level in the filter container is lower than the filter tray, the hydraulic door is opened, and the scraper of the stirring shaft scrapes the filtered seeds into the solid container, and is processed and discharged together with the citrus peel.

[0086] S7. Finally, after receiving the instruction of cleaning completion, the filter container 9 and the juice extraction container 3 stop running, and the pressure relief valve 10 is also closed. At this time, the container can be cleaned, or the sealing cover can be opened to add Ehime oranges into the citrus container.

[0087] It should be noted that the citrus container 1, cutting container 2, juice extraction container 3 and filtering container 9 described above are installed in an integral sealed cover, the vacuum pump 8 and the pressure relief valve are installed outside the sealed cover, and the pressure relief valve is located above the top of the citrus container, cutting container and juice extraction container.

[0088] Since the present embodiment includes but is not limited to a plurality of cutting containers and juicing containers, when designing the capacity of each container, it is necessary to calculate how much juice can be squeezed from one Ehime orange, or how many liters of juice can be squeezed from each kilogram of Ehime orange, and how large a volume of container is needed to store the produced peels. Only then can we consider how many kilograms of oranges to pour into the citrus container each time the vacuum is drawn, so as to reduce the number of times the machine is paused and the number of times vacuum drawing and pressure relief are required.

[0089] In this embodiment, after experiments, generally fully mature Ehime oranges are full of juice, and nearly 0.4 liters of juice may be squeezed out per kilogram; while for less mature Ehime oranges, due to the relatively low water content in the pulp cells, the amount of juice squeezed may be only about 0.3 liters. The volume of the peel produced after squeezing juice per kilogram is about 0.1-0.15 liters. Therefore, when designing the capacity of the solid container, it can be equal to the capacity of the filtering container. When designing the capacity of the citrus container, it will be at least twice the capacity of the solid container and the filtering container.

[0090] .A plurality of inspection doors are arranged on the sealing cover. The inspection doors are air pressure doors or hydraulic doors. When the sealing performance is detected in S1, the sealing performance of the inspection doors is detected. A citrus pouring door is also arranged on the top of the citrus container. Once it is detected that the citrus in the citrus container is less than the set capacity, or the citrus capacity is zero, the controller sends a prompt message and closes the distributor.

[0091] In addition, it should be noted that a limit plate needs to be designed on the top of the juice extraction rack for juicing, and the limit plate can be adjusted in height to prevent the citrus fruits that are pushed over from being pushed out of the juicing range.

[0092] In the second embodiment, S3 also includes:

[0093] S30. In this solution, a fault detector is also provided on both sides of the cutting blade, and a photoelectric sensor or a pressure sensor is used to test whether citrus fruits are piled up there. If a pile-up signal is generated, it will be displayed on the panel of the controller. Once a fault occurs, the distributor 6 stops feeding to prevent more citrus fruits from coming in and piling up on the citrus rack.

[0094] S31. After the prompt information is generated, a single control button is also provided on the controller 4 to control the pushing device 22 to repeatedly push the citrus fruits, thereby eliminating the malfunction of the citrus fruits piling up and not running.

[0095] S32. If the fault is not eliminated, the emergency stop button is required. After the emergency stop button is pressed, the pressure relief valve starts to release pressure.

[0096] S33. When the normal pressure signal is issued, the corresponding inspection door can be opened manually to quickly inspect the fault manually.

[0097] In the third embodiment, S4 also includes:

[0098] S400, the solid container 31 is also provided with a capacity detector, and the highest storage position of the solid container is input into the controller 4. The storage position can be to control the actual capacity to be equal to the set capacity, or to make the difference between the actual capacity and the set capacity within the set error range. After the controller displays the capacity, the operation of other equipment is suspended.

[0099] S401, then the vacuum pump and other devices stop working, and after the remaining devices stop working, the pressure relief valve is triggered to release pressure.

[0100] In the fourth embodiment, based on the third embodiment, S4 further includes:

[0101] S410, the solid pushing device 32 can also be provided with a fault detector to detect whether there is excessive accumulation of citrus residues causing the screw conveyor to slow down or even get stuck, thereby generating a signal to be transmitted to the controller, and a prompt message is displayed on the controller.

[0102] S411. After the prompt information is generated, a single control button is also set on the controller 4 for adjusting the speed of the screw conveyor, so as to eliminate the fault by adjusting the speed without issuing other instructions. If the fault is not eliminated, an emergency stop button is required.

[0103] S412. After the emergency stop button is pressed, the pressure relief valve 10 starts to release pressure. When the normal pressure signal is sent, the corresponding inspection door can be opened manually to quickly and manually inspect the fault.

[0104] A person skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment method can be implemented by instructing related hardware through a computer program. The computer program can be read from a storage medium and completed by a controller, and prompt information is displayed on the panel of the controller.

[0105] The above is a detailed introduction to a vacuum citrus juicer control method and device provided by the present invention. The description of the specific embodiment is only used to help understand the method and its core idea of ​​the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, the present invention can also be improved and modified without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum citrus juicer control method, characterized in that: The vacuum extraction instruction is started to perform vacuum extraction on the citrus container (1), the cutting container (2) and the juice extraction container (3); the cutting container (2) and the juice extraction container (3) are connected; the citrus container (1) is used to store citrus; the cutting container (2) is used to cut the citrus in half; and the juice extraction container (3) is used to separate the pulp and peel of the citrus and extract the juice; After receiving the vacuum extraction instruction, the visual detector (7) releases the citrus fruits according to the quantity limit, and releases the citrus fruits in the citrus container (1) into the cutting container (2) according to the set quantity. Specifically, the quantity of citrus fruits released each time is determined by the set quantity or the capacity of the cutting container. The visual detector (7) controls the distributor (6) so that the citrus fruits automatically roll into the cutting container (2) along the conveyor belt (5), and outputs the quantity of citrus fruits in the cutting container (2) on the controller (4). The pressure sensor detects the pressure in the cutting container (2) and the juice extraction container (3), and sends a constant pressure signal when the pressure is constant. The cutting device (21) cuts the citrus after receiving the constant pressure signal, and pushes the citrus into the juice extraction container (3) for juicing after cutting. The citrus juice falls into the filtering container (9) below, and the citrus residue is transported to the solid container (31). A liquid level sensor is provided in the filtering container (9) for detecting the water level and transmitting a water level signal. If the water level signal is received, the cutting container (2) stops feeding citrus fruits. If the water level signal is received, the vacuum extraction ends, the stirring device (11) in the filtering container (9) starts stirring, and at the same time the pressure relief valve (10) of the juice extraction container (3) starts to be used for pressure relief. The electric valve opens after receiving the normal pressure signal of the pressure sensor to release the liquid in the filtering container into the sterilization container, and releases the citrus residue in the solid container. The visual detector in the citrus container (1) detects the capacity of the citrus. If the citrus receives the citrus capacity signal, the vacuum extraction ends, the citrus container (1) releases pressure and displays a pressure relief prompt message. When either or both of the water level signal and the citrus capacity signal are received, the vacuum extraction ends; The citrus container (1), cutting container (2), juice extraction container (3) and filtering container (9) are installed in an integral sealed cover, and the vacuum pump (8) and the pressure relief valve are installed outside the sealed cover. The pressure relief valve is located above the top of the citrus container, cutting container and juice extraction container.

2. A vacuum citrus juicer control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum extraction instruction is started to perform vacuum extraction on the citrus container (1), the cutting container (2) and the juice extraction container (3), including: The sealing performance of the citrus container (1), the cutting container (2) and the juice extraction container (3) is analyzed and detected. If the sealing performance is correct, the vacuum pump (8) is controlled to perform vacuum extraction on the citrus container, the cutting container and the juice extraction container respectively, and a vacuum extraction prompt and a vacuum negative pressure value are output on the controller (4).

3. A vacuum citrus juicer control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filtering container (9) is provided with a liquid level sensor for detecting the water level and transmitting a water level signal. If the water level signal is received, the cutting container is closed and the citrus feeding is stopped, comprising: When the liquid level sensor detects that the citrus liquid has reached the set water level, a prompt message is displayed on the controller (4), and the cutting container (2) is controlled to be permanently closed, thereby stopping the feeding of citrus. If the cutting container (2) detects that there are still citrus inside, the cutting action is continued to be completed and the citrus is pushed into the juicing container (3). After the cutting is completed, the cutting instruction stops and a prompt message is displayed on the controller (4). If the juicing container (3) detects that there are still citrus that have not been juiced, the juicing action is continued. After the juicing is completed, the juicing instruction stops and a prompt message is displayed on the controller.

4. A vacuum citrus juicer control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring device (11) in the filtering container (9) starts stirring, and at the same time, the pressure relief valve (10) of the juice extraction container (3) starts to release pressure. The electric valve opens after receiving a normal pressure signal from the pressure sensor to release the liquid in the filtering container into the sterilization container. The method further includes: When the liquid level sensor detects that the citrus juice has reached the lowest water level, the filter container (9) opens to clean out larger particles of pulp or seeds. After receiving an instruction indicating that the cleaning is complete, the filter container (9) and the juice extraction container (3) both stop running, and the pressure relief valve (10) is also closed.

5. A vacuum juicer, characterized in that: include: one or more side-by-side cutting containers (2), a citrus container (1) for use with one or more cutting containers, A conveyor belt (5), a distributor (6) and a visual detector (7) are installed between the cutting container (2) and the citrus container (1). The visual detector (7) is used to control the distributor (6) to release the citrus. One or more juicing containers (3) arranged side by side adjacent to the downstream end of the one or more cutting containers (2), A filtering container (9) installed below the plurality of cutting containers (2) and the juice extraction container (3), and a sealing cover covering the citrus container, the cutting container, the juice extraction container and the filtering container, wherein the vacuum pump (8) is installed outside the sealing cover. When the vacuum pump executes the vacuum command, the distributor (6), the visual detector (7), the cutting container (2), the juice extraction container (3) and the filtering container (9) complete the vacuum citrus juicer control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A vacuum juice extractor device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The divider (6) and the visual detector (7) are built on the conveyor belt (5), the visual detector (7) is electrically connected to the divider (6), the divider (6) is composed of a cylinder and a baffle, and the baffle is horizontally blocked on the conveyor belt for releasing and blocking citrus fruits.

7. A vacuum juice extractor according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cutting container (2) is provided with a citrus rack (20), a cutting device (21) and a pushing device (22); the loading end of the citrus rack (20) is directly opposite to the downstream end of the conveyor belt (5); the gap between the two is smaller than the diameter of the citrus; and limiting plates (201) are provided on both sides of the citrus rack (20) in the conveying direction. The cutting device (21) is installed in the middle of the feeding end of the citrus rack (20), and the feeding end of the juice extraction container (3) is adjacent to the feeding end of the citrus rack (20). The pushing device (22) is telescopically mounted on the side of the feeding end of the citrus rack (20), and moves back and forth between the feeding end of the citrus rack (20) and the cutting device (21).

8. A vacuum juice extractor according to claim 7, characterized in that: The juice extraction container (3) comprises a juice extraction frame (30), a squeezing device (33), a solid container (31) and a solid pushing device (32); the juice extraction frame (30) is in a convex shape; a leak hole is provided on the juice extraction frame (30); the juice extraction frame (30) is divided into two parts, namely, left and right channels and a raised block in the middle; a squeezing device (33) is provided on the outer sides of the left and right channels for squeezing the raised block. The solid pushing device (32) is installed in the left and right channels along the length of the juice extraction rack and is used to transport solid citrus residues. The solid container (31) is installed at the discharge end of the solid pushing device (32).

9. A vacuum juice extractor device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The filter container (9) is placed below the juice extraction container (3), and the filter container (9) has an extension section, wherein the extension section is located at the lower end of the citrus rack (20). The filtering container (9) is divided into two layers, an upper layer and an lower layer, wherein a stirring component is installed in the upper layer, and a filtering drawer (90) is installed between the upper and lower layers. An external discharge pipe (91) is also provided at the bottom of the lower layer of the filter container (9), and the external discharge pipe (91) is externally connected to an electric valve switch.

Citation Information

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