Juicer accessory, juicer and method of using the same

Abstract

A juicer accessory (100) for a handheld kitchen appliance having a motorized drive system is provided. The juicer accessory includes a food-chopping member (102) arranged to be rotated by the motorized drive system. The juicer accessory also includes a feed tube (104) in which food can be received. The feed tube can be engaged with the handheld kitchen appliance, e.g., can be attached to the handheld kitchen appliance, such that the feed tube can be moved with the handheld kitchen appliance. Food can be delivered through the feed tube toward the food-chopping member. The juicer accessory also includes a food support (106) that can be received in the feed tube to support the food. The feed tube can be moved relative to the food support such that, when the handheld kitchen appliance having the feed tube engaged with the handheld kitchen appliance is moved to bring the food-chopping member toward the food support, the food in the feed tube is pressed against the food-chopping member by the food support to release juice from the food. A juicer including the juicer accessory is also provided, as is a method of juicing using such a juicer accessory.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a juicer accessory for a handheld kitchen appliance with a motorized drive system, and to a juicer comprising the juicer accessory and the handheld kitchen appliance. The invention also relates to a method of juicing using such a juicer accessory. Background Technology

[0002] The term "five servings a day" promotes healthy nutrition, meaning that people should consume five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

[0003] Making juice from fruits and / or vegetables can provide consumers with a direct way to help them consume their '5 servings a day'.

[0004] Consumers may prefer to drink clear juices or smoothies with suspended fiber particles. For those who dislike smoothies and / or prefer so-called 'power drinks,' screening can be a crucial step. Power drinks are healthy juices containing relatively small amounts of ginger, curcumin, and / or turmeric. These ingredients can include hard fiber, which is generally expected to be removed before consuming the juice.

[0005] To prepare clear juices and smoothies, consumers often need to place multiple devices on their work surfaces, such as juicers, blenders, and citrus juicers, which makes storage very difficult.

[0006] The goal is to find a way that allows consumers to prepare fresh fruit and vegetable beverages, such as relatively small quantities, in a simple and low-cost manner for on-the-go consumption, minimizing the need to add new equipment to consumers' kitchen pantry. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention is defined by the claims.

[0008] According to an example of one aspect of the invention, a juicer accessory for a handheld kitchen appliance having a motorized drive system is provided, the juicer accessory comprising: a food chopping member arranged to be rotated by the motorized drive system; a feed tube in which food can be received, the feed tube cooperating with the handheld kitchen appliance such that the feed tube can move with the handheld kitchen appliance, and the food can be delivered through the feed tube toward the food chopping member; and a food support member received in the feed tube to support the food, wherein the feed tube is movable relative to the food support member such that when the handheld kitchen appliance having the feed tube cooperating with the handheld kitchen appliance is moved to bring the food chopping member toward the food support member, the food in the feed tube is pressed against the food chopping member by the food support member to release juice from the food.

[0009] Juicer accessories enable juicing using handheld kitchen appliances. Handheld kitchen appliances are relatively compact and, depending on the chosen accessory that rotates via a motorized drive system, offer a variety of food processing functions. Juicer accessories can help increase juicing capabilities while minimizing the loss of kitchen storage space.

[0010] By using the feed tube in conjunction with a handheld kitchen appliance, for example by attaching the feed tube to the handheld kitchen appliance, the handheld kitchen appliance can move together with the feed tube toward a food support (e.g., a statically mounted food support).

[0011] This can be seen as a contrast to the method used in conventional juicers, where a pusher is used to press the food in the feed tube against a statically mounted chopping component that is rotated by a drive system included in a non-handheld base unit.

[0012] In at least some embodiments, the handheld kitchen utensil can advance downward toward the food support along with the feed tube. Therefore, the weight of the handheld kitchen utensil can help press the food against the food chopping component.

[0013] It should be noted that the mobility of the feed tube relative to the food support can be achieved by the food support being slidably received in the feed tube.

[0014] The feed tube can have any suitable capacity. In some non-limiting examples, the feed tube has a capacity of at least 200 mL, such as 200 mL to 300 mL, like about 250 mL.

[0015] This type of feed tube capacity allows juicer accessories to be used to provide so-called "juicy beverages" from a single fill of the feed tube.

[0016] In some embodiments, the juicer accessory includes a juice-permeable wall that extends around the food chopping member to receive the juice thereon, the juice-permeable wall including a filter.

[0017] In such embodiments, the juice-permeable wall can be arranged to rotate by a motorized drive system to facilitate the passage of juice contained thereon through the filter.

[0018] Therefore, centrifugal juicing function can be provided by juicer accessories.

[0019] A fixed minimum distance can be defined between the feed tube and the food chopping component to allow juice and pulp to reach the juice-permeable wall.

[0020] In some embodiments, the food chopping component and the juice-permeable wall are integrated into a single part.

[0021] This makes it easier to assemble / disassemble juicer accessories.

[0022] In other embodiments, the food chopping component and the juice-permeable wall can be different parts of the juicer accessory.

[0023] In some embodiments, the juicer accessory includes a drive transmission assembly configured to connect a motorized drive system to a food chopping component and a juice-permeable wall to enable independent control of the rotation of the food chopping component and the rotation of the juice-permeable wall.

[0024] Such independent control, for example, can cause the food chopping component to rotate at a speed different from that of the juice-permeable wall.

[0025] Alternatively or additionally, the food chopping components and juice-permeable walls can rotate at different times.

[0026] For example, the food chopping component can rotate in the first step to chop the food, while the juice permeable wall is not rotated in a controlled manner. The juice permeable wall then rotates in the second step to filter the juice, while the food chopping component is not rotated in a controlled manner.

[0027] Such independent control can be implemented in any suitable manner, for example through a drive transmission assembly including gears and / or clutch components, through which torque from the motorized drive system can be transmitted to the food chopping component and / or juice-permeable wall.

[0028] In some embodiments, the juicer accessory includes a pulp receiving wall arranged to extend around the outer surface of the feed tube, wherein the arrangement of the pulp receiving wall adjacent to the juice permeable wall defines a pulp receiving space defined by the outer surface of the feed tube, the inner surface of the pulp receiving wall, and the inner surface of the juice permeable wall.

[0029] Therefore, the pulp from which the juice is separated by the filter through the juice-permeable wall can be collected in the pulp receiving space.

[0030] The pulp receiving space can have a volume of 350mL to 500mL, such as about 370mL.

[0031] When combined with a 200mL to 300mL feed tube, this volume allows for multiple juice extractions without emptying the pulp receiving space.

[0032] In some embodiments, the juice-permeable wall and the pulp-receiving wall cooperate with each other such that the pulp-receiving wall can rotate together with the juice-permeable wall.

[0033] In some embodiments, the juicer accessory includes a vessel having a bottom portion and sidewalls, with the feed tube and sidewalls extending from the bottom portion to define a space between the sidewalls and the feed tube.

[0034] This vessel provides a convenient way to install a feed tube. For example, the vessel can be installed in a container, such as in another vessel and / or a juice collection container.

[0035] In some embodiments, a pulp receiving wall may be arranged in the space between a sidewall and a feed tube, wherein the gap allowing juice to pass through is defined between the outer surface of the pulp receiving wall and the inner surface of the sidewall.

[0036] Therefore, the pulp can be collected in the pulp receiving space, while the filtered juice can be collected in the gap between the outer surface of the pulp receiving wall and the inner surface of the side wall of the vessel.

[0037] In some embodiments, one or more holes may be provided in the vessel to allow juice contained in the gaps to flow out of the vessel, for example, to another vessel and / or a juice collection container.

[0038] Alternatively or additionally, the gap defined between the outer surface of the pulp-containing wall and the inner surface of the sidewall can help prevent the pulp-containing wall from rotating and being transferred to the vessel along with the juice-permeable wall.

[0039] In some embodiments, the sidewalls can be detached from the feed tube.

[0040] This can help with cleaning the container. In this type of embodiment, the aforementioned pulp-containing wall can be omitted, for example.

[0041] For example, a first portion of the bottom section extending from the sidewall is detachably connected to a second portion of the bottom section extending from the feed tube.

[0042] Therefore, the sidewalls and the feed tube can be detachably connected to each other via a detachable connector between the first and second parts of the bottom portion of the vessel.

[0043] In some embodiments, the juicer accessory includes an extension member on which a food support is supported. The extension member can be mounted on a tabletop such that it stands upright away from the tabletop to support the food support above the tabletop.

[0044] Therefore, the handheld kitchen utensil can move downward toward the food support along with the feed tube, where the weight of the handheld kitchen utensil helps to press the food against the food chopping component.

[0045] In some embodiments, the feed tube has a hollow cylindrical shape, wherein the outer and inner surfaces of the feed tube have circular cross-sections.

[0046] In such embodiments, the food support may also be circular so that it can slide along the cylindrical interior of the feed tube, thereby pressing the food onto the food chopping component.

[0047] Nevertheless, it should be noted that other suitable cross-sectional shapes for the feed tube and food support can be envisioned, such as polygons, for example squares, pentagons, hexagons, etc.

[0048] This type of polygonal cross-sectional shape can help minimize or prevent accidental rotation of juicer parts relative to each other.

[0049] More generally, polygonal or non-rotationally symmetrical components (one or more) and / or rotational locking coupling systems (one or more) included in a juicer accessory can help minimize or prevent unintentional rotation of the components of the juicer accessory relative to each other.

[0050] In some embodiments, the food support is pushed into the feed tube.

[0051] This type of push-in fit allows food to be loaded into the feed tube and onto the food support without the feed tube moving relative to the food support during loading, such as sliding.

[0052] In some embodiments, the juicer accessory includes an additional vessel having a bottom portion and a side portion, wherein an elongated member and the side portion extend from the bottom portion to define a recess between the elongated member and the side portion.

[0053] This additional vessel provides a convenient way to install the extension components.

[0054] For example, the bottom of another vessel can be used to place another vessel on a table.

[0055] In other examples, the additional vessel may be mounted in a container, such as a juice collection container, which has a base that allows the container to be placed on a tabletop.

[0056] In some embodiments, the elongated member protrudes beyond the upper end of the side portion of another vessel to support the food support.

[0057] This makes it easier to position the food support in the feed tube.

[0058] In some embodiments, when the food chopping member is moved toward the food support, the feed tube and the vessel may be received in a recess between the elongated member and the side portion.

[0059] In embodiments where the pulp receiving wall is included in the juicer fitting, the feed tube, container, and pulp receiving wall can be received together in the recess as the food chopping component is moved toward the food support.

[0060] In some embodiments, juicer accessories include a juice collection container, such as a cup or bottle, for collecting juice.

[0061] One or more holes may be provided in another vessel to allow the juice received in the recess to enter the juice collection container.

[0062] In other embodiments, the juice is collected in a separate container, and the juicer accessory does not include an additional juice collection container.

[0063] In an alternative embodiment, the juice collection container is included in the juicer accessory, but no other containers are included.

[0064] In this type of embodiment, the food support can be attached to the juice collection container.

[0065] The food support can be installed into the juice collection container in any suitable manner, for example by being received in and engaging with an upright protrusion extending from the base of the juice collection container in a recess located at the end of the elongated member opposite to the end where the food support is located.

[0066] In some embodiments, the juicer accessory includes a housing surrounding a food chopping component, wherein the feed tube can be engaged with a handheld kitchen appliance via the housing.

[0067] The housing helps protect the user from injury by the rotating food-chopping components, and also helps retain juice within the juicer accessory. In some embodiments, the housing may also extend around a juice-permeable wall.

[0068] In some embodiments, the housing and sidewalls contact each other to transmit movement of the handheld kitchen appliance to the feed tube.

[0069] The housing may include an interface arranged to mate with a handheld kitchen appliance, such as with at least a portion of the housing of the handheld kitchen appliance.

[0070] Since the outer shell of a handheld kitchen appliance cannot be rotated by a motorized drive system installed inside the shell, the fit between the shells can be interpreted as the shell not being able to rotate by a motorized drive system.

[0071] The engagement of the motorized drive system with the food chopping component, and in some embodiments with the juice-permeable wall, can mean that the food chopping component rotates (once or multiple times) within a non-rotatable housing, and may, depending on the circumstances, be both the food chopping component and the juice-permeable wall.

[0072] Therefore, the motor drive system cannot rotate the housing, and the gap defined between the outer surface of the pulp receiving wall and the inner surface of the sidewall also means that rotation of the pulp receiving wall and the juice-permeable wall together will not be transmitted to the container. For example, this can be combined with the aforementioned polygonal or non-rotationally symmetrical components (one or more) and / or rotation-locking coupling systems (one or more) to minimize or prevent accidental rotation of the juicer accessories relative to each other.

[0073] According to another aspect, a juicer is provided that includes a handheld kitchen appliance with a motorized drive system, and a juicer accessory according to any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0074] In some embodiments, the juicer accessory and / or the juicer includes a safety mechanism arranged to prevent the food chopping component from rotating when the sidewalls of the housing and the container are not in contact with each other.

[0075] According to another aspect, a method of juicing using a juicer accessory having a food chopping component, a feed tube, and a food support is provided. The method includes: receiving food in the feed tube; engaging the feed tube with a handheld kitchen utensil; rotating the food chopping component using the handheld kitchen utensil; and moving the handheld kitchen utensil together with the feed tube toward the food support, such that the food received in the feed tube is pressed against the rotating food chopping component by the food support to release juice from the food.

[0076] Juicer accessories may be made according to any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0077] The embodiments related to the method described herein can be applied to juicer accessories and juicers, and the embodiments related to juicer accessories or juicers described herein can be applied to the method.

[0078] These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent and will be explained with reference to one or more embodiments described below. Attached Figure Description

[0079] To better understand the invention and to more clearly illustrate how to implement it, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings by way of example only, wherein:

[0080] Figure 1A cross-sectional view of a juicer accessory based on an example is provided;

[0081] Figure 2 Provided Figure 1 An exploded view of the juicer components shown;

[0082] Figure 3A and Figure 3B Provided included Figure 1 and Figure 2 A view of the food chopping component and the juice-permeable wall in the juicer accessory shown;

[0083] Figure 4 It shows Figure 1 and Figure 2 The container shown is for the juicer accessory;

[0084] Figure 5A and Figure 5B Provided Figure 1 and Figure 2 A view of the pulp receiving wall of the juicer accessory shown;

[0085] Figure 6A and Figure 6B Provided to be accepted in Figure 4 The vessel shown Figure 5A and Figure 5B A view of the wall of the fruit pulp container shown;

[0086] Figure 7A and Figure 7B Provided Figure 1 and Figure 2 View of another vessel from the juicer accessory shown;

[0087] Figure 8 The other vessel shown in Figure 7 is received in the juice collection container;

[0088] Figure 9 Another vessel is shown based on another example;

[0089] Figure 10 A juice collection container according to another example is shown;

[0090] Figure 11 It shows Figure 1 and Figure 2 The housing of the juicer accessory shown;

[0091] Figure 12 It shows the relationship with Figure 11 The shown is a handheld kitchen appliance with a docking shell.

[0092] Figure 13 and Figure 14 It schematically depicts including Figure 1 and Figure 2 The juicer accessories shown illustrate the operation of the juicer;

[0093] Figure 15 A juicer based on an example is shown;

[0094] Figure 16 Depicting the use Figure 15 The juicer shown is used for juicing; and

[0095] Figure 17 A flowchart based on the example method is provided. Detailed Implementation

[0096] The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0097] It should be understood that while the detailed description and specific examples indicate exemplary embodiments of the apparatus, system, and method, they are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus, system, and method of the present invention will become better understood from the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are merely schematic and are not drawn to scale. It should also be understood that in all the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts.

[0098] A juicer accessory for a handheld kitchen appliance with a motorized drive system is provided. The juicer accessory includes a food chopping component arranged to rotate by the motorized drive system. The juicer accessory also includes a feed tube in which food can be received. The feed tube can mate with the handheld kitchen appliance, for example, it can be attached to the handheld kitchen appliance such that the feed tube can move with the handheld kitchen appliance. Food can be delivered through the feed tube toward the food chopping component. The juicer accessory also includes a food support member received in the feed tube to support the food. The feed tube is movable relative to the food support member such that when the handheld kitchen appliance having the mateable feed tube is moved to bring the food chopping component toward the food support member, the food in the feed tube is pressed against the food chopping component by the food support member to release juice from the food. A juicer including the juicer accessory is also provided, as well as a method of juicing using such a juicer accessory.

[0099] Figure 1 and Figure 2 A view of a juicer accessory 100 according to an example is provided. Juicer accessory 100 includes a food chopping component 102, which is arranged to be driven by a motorized drive system of a handheld kitchen appliance (in... Figure 1 and Figure 2 (Invisible in the middle) Rotation.

[0100] Juicer accessory 100 includes feed tube 104, food (in) Figure 1 and Figure 2 (Not visible in the middle) can be received in the feed tube 104. The feed tube 104 can cooperate with the handheld kitchen utensil so that when the user moves the handheld kitchen utensil, for example, moving it downward in the direction of the kitchen countertop, the feed tube 104 also moves with the handheld kitchen utensil.

[0101] The feed tube 104 can have any suitable capacity, as long as it can be moved by the user along with the handheld kitchen utensil when full of food.

[0102] In some embodiments, the feed tube 104 has a capacity of at least 200 mL, such as 200 mL to 300 mL, like about 250 mL.

[0103] The capacity of this type of feed tube 104 enables the juicer accessory 100 to provide a so-called "juice beverage" from a single fill of the feed tube 104.

[0104] Juicer accessory 100 also includes a food support 106 for supporting food when it is located within the feed tube 104. The feed tube 104 is movable relative to the food support 106 such that when the user moves the handheld kitchen appliance and the feed tube 104 in the direction of the food supported on the food support 106, for example by moving the handheld kitchen appliance downward in the direction of the food and the kitchen countertop, the food supported by the food support 106 and received within the feed tube 104 can come closer to and then into contact with the rotating food chopping member 102.

[0105] In this way, juice can be released from the food within the feed tube 104, which is squeezed between the food support 106 and the rotating food chopping member 102.

[0106] This juice release method can be considered a contrast to the method used in conventional juicers, in which a pusher is used to squeeze food in the feed tube onto a statically mounted chopping component, which is rotated by a drive system included in a non-handheld base unit.

[0107] The downward movement of the handheld kitchen appliance along with the feed tube 104 toward the food support 106 facilitates juicing, as the weight of the handheld kitchen appliance helps to press the food against the food chopping component 102.

[0108] Juicer accessory 100 can add juicing functionality to existing handheld kitchen appliances, thereby minimizing the loss of kitchen storage space.

[0109] It should be noted that the food chopping component 102 is preferably detachable from the motorized drive system.

[0110] The food chopping component 102 can be disassembled by attaching alternative rotatable tools (one or more), enabling the handheld kitchen appliance to provide one or more different food processing functions, such as blending, chopping, etc. Alternatively or additionally, such disassembly of the food chopping component 102 can facilitate cleaning of the food chopping component 102 after juicing.

[0111] In at least some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the food support 106 is slidably received in the feed tube 104.

[0112] This facilitates the movement of the feed tube 104 relative to the food support 106.

[0113] In some embodiments, the food support 106 is pushed into the feed tube 104.

[0114] This type of push-in fit allows food to be loaded into the feed tube 104 and onto the food support 106 without the feed tube 104 moving relative to the food support 106 during this loading process, for example, by sliding.

[0115] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the feed tube 104 has a hollow cylindrical shape, wherein the outer surface 104A and the inner surface 104B of the feed tube 104 have circular cross-sections.

[0116] In such embodiments, the food support 106 may also be circular so that it can slide along the cylindrical interior of the feed tube 104, thereby pressing the food onto the food chopping member 102.

[0117] Nevertheless, it should be noted that other suitable cross-sectional shapes for the feed tube 104 and the food support 106 can be envisioned, such as polygons, for example, squares, pentagons, hexagons, etc.

[0118] This type of polygonal cross-sectional shape can help minimize or prevent unintentional rotation of the parts of the juicer accessory 100 relative to each other.

[0119] In addition, other rotational stops are also possible, such as fins protruding from the cylindrical feed tube 104.

[0120] More generally, the polygonal or non-rotationally symmetrical components (one or more) and / or rotational locking coupling systems (one or more) included in the juicer accessory 100 can help minimize or prevent the components of the juicer accessory 100 from unintentionally rotating relative to each other.

[0121] In at least some embodiments, the food support 106 is statically mounted.

[0122] In other words, the food support 106 does not move while the food is pressed onto the rotating food chopping member 102.

[0123] The food chopping component 102 can have any suitable design, as long as it is capable of cutting, grinding and / or chopping the food pressed against it in order to release juices from the food, especially when the food chopping component 102 is rotated by the motorized drive system of the handheld kitchen appliance.

[0124] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B In the embodiment shown, the food chopping member 102 includes a support plate, such as a circular support plate, having a food contact surface 102A, from which a plurality of protrusions 102B protrude, wherein the protrusions 102B are arranged to chop food when the support plate is rotated by a motorized drive system of a handheld kitchen appliance.

[0125] Multiple protrusions 102B can be arranged on the food contact surface 102A in any suitable manner, such as in the form of concentric rings of protrusions 102B. An example of this is... Figure 3B It is shown in the middle.

[0126] The food chopping component 102, including, for example, a support plate and a protrusion 102B, can be made of any suitable material, such as plastic, metal and / or metal alloy.

[0127] In some embodiments, the food chopping component 102 is made of stainless steel.

[0128] Stainless steel can be a suitable and sturdy material for chopping different types of food, and it is also relatively corrosion-resistant, especially considering the relatively acidic environment caused by the release of juices.

[0129] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 3B In the embodiment shown, the juicer accessory 100 includes a juice-permeable wall 108 that extends around the food chopping member 102 to receive juice released from the food thereon, in other words, on the inner surface 108A of the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0130] During the rotation of the food chopping component 102, juice and pulp can be thrown toward the juice-permeable wall 108, in other words, they are thrown toward the juice-permeable wall by centrifugal force.

[0131] For this purpose, the juice-permeable wall 108 can extend circumferentially around the food chopping member 102.

[0132] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 3B In the embodiment shown, the juice-permeable wall 108 extends circumferentially around the support plate of the food chopping member 108 and away from the food contact surface 102A, so as to define a cavity 109 defined by the food contact surface 102A of the food chopping member 102 and the inner surface 108A of the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0133] A fixed minimum distance can be defined between the feed tube 104 and the food chopping member 102 to allow juice and pulp to reach the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0134] The juice-permeable wall 108 includes a filter and is arranged to rotate by a motorized drive system to facilitate the passage of juice received on the inner surface 108A of the juice-permeable wall 108 through the filter, leaving any pulp and uncut, unground and / or unchopped food on the inner surface 108A of the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0135] Therefore, the centrifugal juicing function can be provided by the juicer accessory 100.

[0136] Any suitable type of filter can be considered as long as the juice-permeable wall 108 is capable of filtering juice. For example, the juice-permeable wall 108 may include one or more mesh / sieve portions, or be defined by one or more mesh / sieve portions.

[0137] The juice-permeable wall 108 can be made of any suitable material, such as plastic, metal and / or metal alloy.

[0138] In some embodiments, the juice-permeable wall 108 is made of stainless steel, for example, such that the juice-permeable wall 108 takes the form of a stainless steel sieve.

[0139] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 3B In the illustrated embodiment, the food chopping component 102 and the juice-permeable wall 108 are integrated into a single part, such as a single stainless steel part. This facilitates the assembly / disassembly of the juicer accessory 100.

[0140] In other embodiments, the food chopping component 102 and the juice-permeable wall 108 are different parts of the juicer accessory 100, or at least detachable from each other.

[0141] This facilitates the cleaning of the food chopping component 102 and the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0142] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 3B In the embodiment shown, the food chopping component 102 and the juice-permeable wall 108 are connected to each other and arranged to rotate at the same speed by a motorized drive system.

[0143] In such embodiments, the motorized drive system can be configured to rotate the food chopping component 102 and the juice-permeable wall 108 at a speed between 10,000 and 40,000 revolutions per minute, preferably between 20,000 and 30,000 revolutions per minute.

[0144] This type of rotation speed can provide efficient cutting, grinding and / or chopping of food to release juices, and the juices can be centrifuged through the permeable wall 108 to separate the juices.

[0145] It should be noted that the rotation speed can depend at least in part on the diameter of the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0146] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 3B In the embodiment shown, the diameter of the juice-permeable wall 108 is 50 mm to 100 mm.

[0147] For example, this type of diameter is particularly suitable for disposable juicers / juicers driven by manual blenders.

[0148] The diameter can be measured from a point on the outer surface 108C of the juice-permeable wall 108 to a relative point on the outer surface 108C of the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0149] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 3B In the embodiment shown, the juice-permeable wall 108 has a truncated conical shape.

[0150] In such embodiments, and more generally, when the juice-permeable wall 108 does not have a single uniform diameter, the diameter of the juice-permeable wall 108 may be the average of the maximum and minimum measured diameters.

[0151] In some embodiments, the juicer accessory 100 includes a drive transmission assembly (not visible) configured to connect a motorized drive system to the food chopping member 102 and the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0152] For example, the drive transmission assembly can be arranged such that the food chopping member 102 rotates together with the juice-permeable wall 108 at a speed of 10,000 to 40,000 revolutions per minute, preferably between 20,000 and 30,000 revolutions per minute.

[0153] In an alternative embodiment, the drive transmission component is configured to independently control the rotation of the food chopping member 102 and the rotation of the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0154] This type of independent control can, for example, enable the food chopping component 102 to rotate at a speed different from that of the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0155] Alternatively or additionally, the food chopping component 102 and the juice-permeable wall 108 can rotate at different times.

[0156] For example, the food chopping component 102 can rotate in the first step to chop the food, while the juice permeable wall 108 is not controlled to rotate, wherein the juice permeable wall 108 then rotates in the second step to filter the juice, while the food chopping component 102 is not controlled to rotate.

[0157] Such independent control can be implemented in any suitable manner, for example through a drive transmission assembly including suitable gears and / or clutch components, through which torque from the motorized drive system can be transmitted to the food chopping member 102 and / or the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0158] In embodiments where the rotation of the food chopping component 102 and the juice-permeable wall 108 is independently controlled, the motorized drive system and drive transmission assembly are configured to rotate the juice-permeable wall 108 at a speed of 500 to 5000 revolutions per minute, preferably between 3000 and 4000 revolutions per minute.

[0159] This type of rotation speed can provide effective filtration of juice through the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0160] In such embodiments, the motorized drive system and drive transmission components can be configured to rotate the food chopping component 102 at a speed of 8,000 to 20,000 revolutions per minute, preferably between 9,000 and 12,000 revolutions per minute.

[0161] This type of rotation speed can provide efficient cutting, grinding, and / or chopping of food to release juices.

[0162] In some embodiments, the drive transmission component includes a planetary gear assembly.

[0163] This type of planetary gear assembly can provide a simple and efficient way to rotate the juice-permeable wall 108, while also allowing the food-chopping component 102 to rotate, for example, at different rotational speeds relative to each other.

[0164] In some embodiments, the drive transmission assembly includes a planetary gear assembly and a connector releasably engaged with the planetary gear assembly, wherein when the connector is engaged with the planetary gear assembly, the connector is arranged to transmit drive from the planetary gear assembly to the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0165] In such embodiments, the planetary gear assembly can rotate about a drive shaft, which can be driven by a motorized drive system.

[0166] In such embodiments, the coupler is releasably engaged via a planetary gear assembly, for example, by moving relative to the coupler along the axis of rotation of the drive shaft about its rotation.

[0167] In the first configuration, the planetary gear assembly is separated from the connector, so that the connector is not engaged by the planetary gear assembly. In this first configuration, the juice-permeable wall 108 is not rotated by the motorized drive system via the drive transmission assembly, but the food chopping member 102 is rotated by the motorized drive system via the drive transmission assembly.

[0168] In the second configuration, the connector engages with the planetary gear assembly, and the juice-permeable wall 108 is rotated by the motorized drive system via the drive transmission assembly.

[0169] In some embodiments, when the planetary gear assembly transmits drive to the juice-permeable wall 108, such as when the connector is engaged by the planetary gear assembly, the gear ratio of the planetary gear assembly causes the juice-permeable wall 108 to rotate slower than the drive shaft.

[0170] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the connection between the motorized drive system and the juice-permeable wall 108 and / or the food chopping member 102 is achieved via a magnetic connection.

[0171] The clutch function can also be achieved by an overrunning clutch, which is arranged such that when the motor of the motorized drive system rotates in a first direction, only the drive shaft with the food chopping member 102 rotates at a first rotational speed, and when the motor of the motorized drive system rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the planetary gear assembly and thus the juice-permeable wall 108 rotate at a second rotational speed lower than the first rotational speed.

[0172] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 6B In the embodiment shown, the juicer accessory 100 includes a pulp receiving wall 110 arranged to extend around the outer surface 104A of the feed tube 104.

[0173] In some embodiments, and as Figure 5BAs best shown, the pulp receiving wall 110 is an annular pulp receiving wall 110 that extends around the periphery of the outer surface 104A of the feed tube 104, which is a circular periphery in this non-limiting example.

[0174] The pulp receiving wall 110 can define an opening OP through which the feed pipe 104 can pass, so that the pulp receiving wall 110 is arranged around the outer surface 104A of the feed pipe 104.

[0175] In such embodiments, and as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As best shown, the arrangement of the pulp receiving wall 110 adjacent to the juice-permeable wall 108 defines a pulp receiving space 111 defined by the outer surface 104A of the feed tube 104, the food contact surface 102A of the food chopping member 102, the inner surface 110A of the pulp receiving wall 110, and the inner surface 108A of the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0176] Therefore, any pulp and uncut, unground and / or unchopped food that has had its juice separated by the filter of the juice-permeable wall 108 can be collected in the pulp receiving space 111.

[0177] The pulp receiving space 111 can have a volume of 350 to 500 mL, such as about 370 mL.

[0178] Combined with a feed tube 104 with a capacity of 200 mL to 300 mL, this type of volume allows for multiple juice extractions without emptying the pulp receiving space 111.

[0179] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 6B In the embodiment shown, the pulp-receiving wall 110 extends to an edge 110C, which is configured, for example, to engage with the end 108B of the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0180] In some embodiments, the engagement between the edge 110C and the end 108B causes the pulp-receiving wall 110 to rotate together with the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0181] Alternatively or additionally, this type of combination can help keep any pulp and uncut, unground and / or unchopped food within the pulp receiving space 111.

[0182] For example, edge 110C and end 108B have complementary shapes such that end 108B mates with edge 110C and engages the edge.

[0183] In other, more preferred embodiments, the pulp-receiving wall 110 is statically positioned, in other words, it does not rotate together with the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0184] The space between the juice-permeable wall 108 and the pulp-containing wall 110 can be as small as possible, and it is constructed in such a way that there is no or only a negligible amount of pulp that would contaminate the juice.

[0185] The pulp-containing wall 110 can be formed from any suitable material, such as plastic.

[0186] Making the pulp-receiving wall 110 out of plastic can help make this part of the juicer accessory 100 lighter, making it easier to move with a handheld kitchen appliance to squeeze the food between the food support 106 and the food chopping member 102.

[0187] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the plastic pulp receiving wall 110 may help compensate for the increased weight of the juicer accessory 100 due to the inclusion of the stainless steel food chopping component 102 and / or the stainless steel juice permeable wall 108.

[0188] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 6B In the embodiment shown, the juicer accessory 100 includes a vessel 112 having a bottom portion 114 and a sidewall 116, with a feed tube 104 and a sidewall 116 extending from the bottom portion 114 to define a space 118 between the feed tube 104 and the sidewall 116.

[0189] In such embodiments, the feed tube 104 may be included in the vessel 112, for example, integrated with the vessel.

[0190] In particular, and as Figure 4 As best shown, space 118 is defined by at least a portion of the inner surface 116A of sidewall 116 and the outer surface 104A of feed tube 104.

[0191] The vessel 112 provides a convenient way to install the feed tube 104.

[0192] The vessel 112 and the feed tube 104 can be formed of any suitable material. In some embodiments, the vessel 112 and / or the feed tube 104 are made of plastic.

[0193] Manufacturing the vessel 112 in plastic, such as including the feed tube 104, can help make such components (one or more) lighter, making them easier to move with a handheld kitchen utensil to squeeze food between the food support 106 and the food chopping member 102, and can compensate for the increased weight associated with, for example, the inclusion of the stainless steel food chopping member 102 and / or the stainless steel juice-permeable wall 108.

[0194] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 6BIn the embodiment shown, the pulp receiving wall 110 can be arranged in the space 118 between the side wall 116 and the feed tube 104, wherein the gap 120 allows juice to pass through, and the gap is defined between the outer surface 110B of the pulp receiving wall 110 and the inner surface 116A of the side wall 116.

[0195] Alternatively or additionally, the gap 120 defined between the outer surface 110B of the pulp-receiving wall 110 and the inner surface 116A of the sidewall 116 can help prevent the pulp-receiving wall 110 from rotating and being transferred to the vessel 112 along with the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0196] In some embodiments, the sidewall 116 may be detached from the feed tube 104. This facilitates cleaning of the container 112. In such embodiments, the aforementioned pulp-containing wall 110 may, for example, be omitted.

[0197] For example, a first portion of the bottom portion 114 extending from the sidewall 116 is detachably connected to a second portion of the bottom portion 114 extending from the feed tube 104. Thus, the sidewall 116 and the feed tube 104 can be detachably connected to each other via a detachable connector between the first and second portions of the bottom portion 114 of the vessel 112.

[0198] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3A The juice has passed through the filter of the juice-permeable wall 108 to the outer surface 108C of the juice-permeable wall 108, and can be centrifuged to the inner surface of the shell 136. From there, the juice can enter the gap 120 between the outer surface 110B of the pulp receiving wall 110 and the inner surface 116A of the side wall 116 of the vessel 112.

[0199] Any pulp and uncut, unground and / or unchopped food can be collected in the pulp receiving space 111, while filtered juice flows into the gap 120 outside the pulp receiving space 111.

[0200] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 6B In the illustrated embodiment, one or more holes 121 are provided in the vessel 112, in other words, defined by the vessel, to allow juice received in the gap 120 to flow out of the vessel 112, for example, to reach another vessel and / or juice collection container, which will be described in more detail below.

[0201] In some embodiments, and as Figure 4 As best shown, one or more holes 121 are provided in the bottom portion 114 of the vessel 112, in other words, defined by the bottom portion of the vessel.

[0202] Therefore, the filtered juice can flow out of the bottom part 114 of the container 112.

[0203] For details, please refer to the following: Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 8 Juicer accessory 100 may include an extension member 122 on which a food support member 106 is supported, for example, mounted.

[0204] The extension member 122 can be mounted on a tabletop or kitchen countertop, so that the extension member 122 stands upright away from the tabletop / countertop to support the food support 106 above the tabletop / countertop.

[0205] Therefore, the handheld kitchen appliance can move downward toward the food support 106 together with the feed tube 104, wherein the weight of the handheld kitchen appliance thus helps to press the food against the food chopping component 102 rotated by the motorized drive system of the kitchen appliance.

[0206] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 8 In the embodiment shown, the elongating member 122 is a cylindrical member 122, preferably a hollow cylindrical member 122 for weight reduction, wherein a food support 106 is defined in the circular base of the cylindrical member 122.

[0207] In such embodiments, the feed tube 104 may have the aforementioned circular cross-section in order to receive the cylindrical member 122.

[0208] Other shapes of the elongated member 122 are conceivable, such as the polygonal cross-sectional shape described above, provided that the elongated member 122 and the food support 106 can be accommodated within the feed tube 104.

[0209] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 8 In the embodiment shown, the juicer accessory 100 includes an additional vessel 124 having a bottom portion 126 and a side portion 128, wherein an extension member 122 and a side portion 128 extend from the bottom portion 126 to define a recess 130 between the side portion 128 and the extension member 122.

[0210] In particular, and as Figure 7A As best shown, the recess 130 is defined by at least a portion of the inner surface 128A of the side portion 128 and the outer surface 122A of the elongation member 122.

[0211] The additional vessel 124 can provide a convenient way to install the extension member 122, which will be explained in more detail below.

[0212] In such embodiments, the elongating member 122 may be included in another vessel 124, for example, integrated with the other vessel.

[0213] The additional vessel 124 and the elongating member 122 can be formed of any suitable material. In some embodiments, the additional vessel 124 and / or the elongating member 122 are made of plastic.

[0214] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 8 In the embodiment shown, the elongated member 122 protrudes beyond the upper end 128B of the side portion 128 of the other vessel 124 to support the food support 106.

[0215] This makes it easier to position the food support 106 in the feed tube 104.

[0216] In some embodiments, and with reference to Figure 1 When the food grinding member 102 moves toward the food support member 106 to press the food supported by the food support member 106 against the food grinding member 102, the feed tube 104 and the container 112 can be received in the recess 130 between the elongated member 122 and the side portion 128.

[0217] In such Figures 1 to 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the pulp receiving wall 110 is included in the juicer accessory 100, and the feed tube 104, the container 112, and the pulp receiving wall 110 can be received together in the recess 130 when the food chopping member 102 is moved toward the food support member 106.

[0218] In such embodiments, it is desirable that the feed tube 104, the container 112, and the pulp receiving wall 110 are all made of plastic.

[0219] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 8 In the embodiment shown, the juicer accessory 100 includes a juice collection container 132, such as a cup or bottle, for collecting juice.

[0220] In embodiments where an additional vessel 124 is included in the juicer accessory 100, the additional vessel 124 may be installed in such a juice collection container 132.

[0221] The juice collection container 132 may have a base 132A configured to allow the juice collection container 132 to rest on a tabletop / workbench surface, for example, so that the elongated member 122 is upright away from the tabletop / workbench surface. An example of this is... Figure 8 It is best shown in the middle.

[0222] In some embodiments, the base 132A of the juice collection container 132 includes a mounting portion, such as an anti-slip portion (not visible), such as rubber feet, for contacting a kitchen countertop or table.

[0223] The other vessel 124 can be installed in the juice collection container 132 in any suitable manner.

[0224] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 8 In the embodiment shown, the juice collection container 132 has an edge 132B extending around the opening of the juice collection container 132, and the upper end 128B of the side portion 128 is defined by a lip that is arranged to engage with the edge 132B of the juice collection container 132, for example, against the edge of the juice collection container.

[0225] In embodiments where the juicer accessory 100 includes an additional vessel 124, one or more holes 134 may be provided in the additional vessel 124, in other words, defined by the additional vessel 124, for allowing juice received in the recess 130 to enter the juice collection container 132.

[0226] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 8 As best shown, one or more holes 134 are provided in the bottom portion 126 of another vessel 124, in other words, defined by the bottom portion of the other vessel.

[0227] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 8 In the illustrated embodiment, filtered juice flowing from gap 120 through one or more holes 121 into recess 130 can then flow out of recess 130 and enter juice collection container 132 through one or more holes 134.

[0228] refer to Figure 1 When another vessel 124 is installed in the juice collection container 132, the juice collection container 132 has a juice collection volume CV in which juice JU, such as filtered juice JU, can be collected.

[0229] In alternative embodiments, such as Figure 9 In the illustrated embodiment, the juice (e.g., filtered juice) is collected in a separate container 124, and the additional juice collection container is not included in the juicer accessory 100.

[0230] In such alternative embodiments, the bottom portion 126 of the additional vessel 124 may, for example, allow the additional vessel 124 to be placed on a tabletop / workbench, such that the elongated member 122 stands upright away from the tabletop / workbench.

[0231] In such embodiments, the bottom portion 126 of the additional vessel 124 may include a mounting portion, such as an anti-slip portion (not visible), such as rubber feet, for contact with a kitchen countertop or table.

[0232] In other embodiments, such as Figure 10 In the embodiment shown, the juice collection container 132 is included in the juicer accessory 100, but other containers are not included.

[0233] In this case, the food support 106 can be installed onto the juice collection container 132; in other words, it can be installed directly onto the juice collection container 132 without the need for an additional container 124 in between.

[0234] The food support 106 can be attached to the juice collection container 132 in any suitable manner.

[0235] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10 In the illustrated embodiment, the food support 106 is mounted to the juice collection container 132 via an upright protrusion 135A protruding from the base 132A of the juice collection container 132. The upright protrusion is received in and engages with a recess 135B provided at the end of the elongation member 122 opposite to the end where the food support 106 is located.

[0236] An alternative approach to mounting the food support 106 to the juice collection container 132 is conceivable, such as by means of an end including a protruding elongated member 122, the recessed portion being defined by the base 132A of the juice collection container 132.

[0237] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 11 In the embodiment shown, the juicer accessory 100 includes a housing 136 surrounding the food chopping member 102, wherein the feed tube 104 can be coupled to a handheld kitchen utensil via the housing 136.

[0238] The housing 136 can help protect the user from injury by the rotating food chopping component 102, and also helps to keep the juice within the juicer accessory 100 during juicing.

[0239] In embodiments of the juicer accessory 100 that include a juice-permeable wall 108, a housing 136 may extend around the juice-permeable wall 108 and around the food chopping member 102. Therefore, the housing 136 can capture / retain juice centrifuged through the juice-permeable wall 108. An example of this is... Figure 1 It is best shown in the middle.

[0240] Although not visible in the figure, housing 136 may accommodate at least a portion of the drive transmission assembly.

[0241] In some embodiments, and with reference to Figure 11 The housing 136 includes an interface 136A arranged to mate with a handheld kitchen appliance, for example, with at least a portion of the housing of the handheld kitchen appliance.

[0242] Interface 136A may include, or be defined by, a recess in housing 136 that receives at least a portion of the housing of a handheld kitchen appliance.

[0243] Figure 12 The housing 136 is shown engaging with the housing of a handheld kitchen appliance via interface 136A.

[0244] Since the outer shell of the handheld kitchen appliance cannot be rotated by the motorized drive system 202, the engagement of the housing 136 with the outer shell means that the housing 136 cannot be rotated by the motorized drive system 202.

[0245] The engagement of the motorized drive system 202 with the food chopping member 102, and in some embodiments with the juice-permeable wall 108, may refer to the food chopping member 102, and depending on the situation, may be the food chopping member 102 and the juice-permeable wall 108, rotating (once or multiple times) within the non-rotatable housing 136.

[0246] Therefore, the housing 136 may not be able to rotate via a motorized drive system, and the gap 120 defined between the outer surface 110B of the pulp receiving wall 110 and the inner surface 116A of the side wall 116 also implies that rotation of the pulp receiving wall 110 together with the juice-permeable wall 108 will not be transmitted to the container 112. For example, this can be combined with the aforementioned polygonal or non-rotationally symmetric components (one or more) and / or rotation-locking coupling systems (one or more) to minimize or prevent unintentional rotation of the components of the juicer accessory 100 relative to each other.

[0247] In some embodiments, the housing 136 and the sidewalls 116 of the vessel 112 contact each other to transmit movement (e.g., downward movement) of the handheld kitchen utensil to the feed tube 104.

[0248] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 12 In the embodiment shown, the sidewall 116 of the vessel 112 extends to an edge 116B that projects laterally in a direction away from the feed tube 104, and the edge 116B itself extends to an upright lip 116C that projects in a direction away from the bottom portion 114 of the vessel 112.

[0249] In such embodiments, the end 136B of the housing 136 engages with the edge 116B-upright lip 116C device, such that the housing 136 mates with the vessel 112, and in such cases is attached to the vessel 112.

[0250] In this way, the feed tube 104 engages with, and is particularly attached to, the handheld kitchen appliance via the vessel 112 and the housing 136. The handheld kitchen appliance itself can be attached to the housing 136 via engagement with a drive transmission assembly mounted on the housing 136 and / or engagement of the housing 136 with at least a portion of the outer shell of the handheld kitchen appliance.

[0251] This disclosure more generally envisions providing (e.g., supplying) the juicer accessory 100 together with a handheld kitchen appliance to the user. Therefore, reference... Figure 13 and Figure 14 One aspect of this disclosure provides a juicer 200, which includes a juicer accessory 100 and a handheld kitchen appliance.

[0252] In some embodiments, the motorized drive system 202 includes a DC motor, such as a brushless DC motor.

[0253] It has been found that the operation of such brushless DC motors is particularly effective in rotating the food chopping component 102, and in some embodiments, particularly effective in rotating the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0254] In at least some embodiments, the motorized drive system 202 of the handheld kitchen appliance is housed within an elongated housing, the outer surface of which includes a handle portion for the user to grip.

[0255] At least a portion of the elongated housing can mate with interface 136A of housing 136, for example by being received in a recess defined by housing 136, as previously described.

[0256] In some embodiments, the handheld kitchen appliance is in the form of a stick mixer.

[0257] In some embodiments, the juicer accessory 100 and / or the juicer 200 include a safety mechanism arranged to prevent the food chopping member 102 from rotating when the housing 136 and the sidewalls 116 of the container 112 are not in contact with each other.

[0258] Such safety mechanisms may include or be defined by microswitches (not visible) mounted on the sidewall 116, such as on the edge of the sidewall 116, like on edge 116B and / or upright lip 116C. When such microswitches are activated, they contact the housing 136, for example, engaging with the sidewall 116 of the vessel 112, such as becoming attached to the sidewall 116 of the vessel 112, allowing the food chopping member 102 to rotate.

[0259] Alternatively or additionally, the safety mechanism may include a mechanical bridge arranged to actuate a microswitch included in the motorized drive system 202 to allow the food chopping member 102 to rotate in response to contact between the housing 136 and the sidewall 116 of the dish 112 (e.g., engaging with the sidewall 116 of the dish 112, such as becoming attached to the sidewall 116 of the dish 112).

[0260] Figure 13 The juicer 200 shown can be operated, for example via a drive transmission assembly, by engaging the outer shell of the handheld kitchen appliance with the housing 136 and engaging the motorized drive system 202 of the handheld kitchen appliance with the food chopping component 102 and the juice-permeable wall 108.

[0261] In this example, the food support 106 is located within the juice collection container 132, such as a cup or bottle, and neither the food support 106 nor the juice collection container 132 is movable during juicing. In other words, in this example, the food support 106 is statically mounted.

[0262] The feed tube 104, together with the container 112 and the pulp receiving wall 110, can be loosely positioned on the food support 106, and the feed tube 104 (e.g., having a capacity of about 250 mL) can be filled with the food that the user desires for his / her juice beverage, such as a juice drink.

[0263] Then, the handheld kitchen utensil and the feed tube 104 can be fitted together, in such cases by positioning the housing 136 on the side wall 116 of the vessel 112 and securing the housing 136 to the side wall 116, for example, by engaging the housing 136 at its end 136B with the edge 116B-upright lip 116C of the side wall 116.

[0264] The safety mechanism ensures that when the housing 136 is positioned on the side wall 116 of the vessel 112 where the feed tube 104 is mounted, the handheld kitchen utensil can only rotate the food chopping component 102. The components of the juicer accessory 100 are designed so that they cannot rotate relative to each other, as previously described.

[0265] refer to Figure 14As indicated by arrow RO, the motorized drive system 202 of the handheld kitchen appliance is activated, in other words, turned on.

[0266] exist Figure 14 In the movement indicated by "1", a handheld kitchen appliance, such as a scouring pad, is pushed downwards. The movement indicated by "2" corresponds to the feed tube 104 being pushed downwards by the housing 136, particularly by the end 136B of the housing 136, as previously described.

[0267] The feed pipe 104 and the rotating chopping member 102 cooperate with each other and do not move axially relative to each other. Instead, the feed pipe 104 and the rotating chopping member 102 move axially toward the food support 106 at the same speed and in the same direction, as... Figure 14 As shown by "3" in the text.

[0268] In this example, the food support 106 is statically mounted in the juice collection container 132; in other words, it does not move. Figure 14 The anchor symbol LK is shown in the diagram. The spatial distance "A" between the food support 106 and the food chopping member 102 gradually decreases. For example, fruits and / or vegetables are correspondingly pushed by the food support 106 towards the rotating food chopping member 102, thereby releasing juice.

[0269] In this non-limiting example, the pulp is centrifuged by the rotation of the juice-permeable wall 108. The juice, aided by the rotation of the juice-permeable wall 108, passes through a filter and flows downwards to be collected in the juice collection container 132. The pulp, in other words, the dried pulp, can be collected by the pulp-containing wall 110.

[0270] For emptying and cleaning, the components can be separated from each other, for example, by rinsing under a tap. Since the pulp receiving wall 110 is relatively easy to clean once the feed pipe 104 has been separated from the pulp receiving wall 110, leaving a relatively large opening OP, the pulp receiving wall 110 can be cleaned relatively easily.

[0271] Figure 15 A juicer 200 is shown, wherein the feed tube 104 is filled with food FD and juice droplets enter from the vessel 112 (more specifically, from the gap 130) into another vessel 124.

[0272] Figure 16 The above steps involving the preparation of juice from a single fill of feed tube 104 are shown.

[0273] Since the capacity of the feed tube 104 can be at least 200 mL, for example 200 mL to 300 mL, such as about 250 mL, a single filling of the feed tube 104 can enable the user to prepare about 100 mL of juice.

[0274] Since the pulp receiving space 111 can have a volume of 350mL to 500mL, such as about 370mL, users can juice several times in a row without having to empty the pulp receiving space 111.

[0275] The handheld kitchen utensil can be released from the feed tube 104 by pulling upwards, for example, by including a vessel 112, and the feed tube 104 can be refilled with food so that the handheld kitchen utensil engages with the feed tube 104, and the juicing can be repeated several times.

[0276] Figure 17 A flowchart is provided for a method 300 of juicing using a juicer accessory having a food chopping component, a feed tube, and a food support. Method 300 can be implemented using a juicer accessory 100 according to any embodiment described herein.

[0277] Method 300 includes receiving food 302 in a feed tube, such as on a food support and inside the feed tube, engaging the feed tube with a handheld kitchen utensil 304, using the handheld kitchen utensil to rotate the food chopping component, and moving the handheld kitchen utensil together with the engaged feed tube toward the food support 308 such that the food received in the feed tube is pressed against the rotating food chopping component by the food support to release juice from the food.

[0278] Based on a study of the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, those skilled in the art can understand and implement variations of the disclosed embodiments in practicing the claimed invention. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality.

[0279] The fact that certain measures are referenced only in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously. If the term "suitable" is used in the claims or description, it should be noted that the term "suitable" is intended to be equivalent to the term "configured as." If the term "apparatus" is used in the claims or description, it should be noted that the term "apparatus" is intended to be equivalent to the term "system," and vice versa.

[0280] Any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A juicer accessory (100) for a handheld kitchen appliance with a motorized drive system, the juicer accessory comprising: A food chopping component (102) is arranged to rotate by the motorized drive system; The feed tube (104) is used to receive food. The feed tube is compatible with the handheld kitchen appliance so that the feed tube can move together with the handheld kitchen appliance and the food can be delivered through the feed tube toward the food chopping component. as well as A food support (106) is received in the feed tube to support the food, wherein the feed tube is movable relative to the food support such that when the handheld kitchen utensil cooperating with the feed tube is moved to bring the food chopping member toward the food support, the food in the feed tube is pressed against the food chopping member by the food support to release juice from the food; The juicer accessory also includes a juice-permeable wall (108) extending around the food chopping member (102) to receive the juice thereon, wherein the juice released from the food is configured to pass through the juice-permeable wall under the action of centrifugal force to separate the juice from the pulp of the food via the juice-permeable wall.

2. The juicer accessory (100) of claim 1, wherein the juice-permeable wall comprises a filter, wherein the juice-permeable wall is arranged to be rotated by the motorized drive system to facilitate the passage of the juice received thereon through the filter.

3. The juicer accessory (100) according to claim 2, the juicer accessory includes a drive transmission assembly configured to connect the motorized drive system to the food chopping member (102) and the juice-permeable wall (108) to achieve independent control of the rotation of the food chopping member and the rotation of the juice-permeable wall.

4. The juicer accessory (100) according to claim 2 or 3, the juicer accessory including a pulp receiving wall (110) arranged to extend around the outer surface of the feed tube (104), the arrangement of the pulp receiving wall adjacent to the juice permeable wall (108) defining a pulp receiving space (111) defined by the outer surface (104A) of the feed tube, the inner surface (110A) of the pulp receiving wall and the inner surface (108A) of the juice permeable wall.

5. The juicer accessory (100) according to claim 4, the juicer accessory includes a vessel (112) having a bottom portion (114) and a sidewall (116), the feed tube (104) and the sidewall extending from the bottom portion to define a space (118) between the sidewall and the feed tube.

6. The juicer accessory (100) according to claim 5, wherein the sidewall is detachable from the feed tube.

7. The juicer accessory (100) according to claim 5, wherein the pulp receiving wall (110) is disposed in the space (118) between the side wall (116) and the feed tube (104), and wherein the gap (120) allowing the juice to pass through is defined between the outer surface (110B) of the pulp receiving wall and the inner surface (116A) of the side wall.

8. The juicer accessory (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 5 to 7, wherein the juicer accessory includes an extension member (122), the food support (106) is supported on the extension member, the extension member being mountable on a tabletop such that the extension member is upright away from the tabletop to support the food support above the tabletop.

9. The juicer accessory (100) according to claim 8, wherein the juicer accessory includes an additional vessel (124) having a bottom (126) and a side portion (128), the elongating member (122) and the side portion extending from the bottom to define a recess (130) between the elongating member and the side portion.

10. The juicer accessory (100) of claim 9, wherein the juicer accessory includes a vessel (112) having a bottom portion (114) and a sidewall (116), the feed tube (104) and the sidewall extending from the bottom portion to define a space (118) between the sidewall and the feed tube, and wherein the feed tube (104) and the vessel (112) are receptacle in the recess (130) when the food chopping member (102) is moved toward the food support member (106).

11. The juicer accessory (100) according to claim 10, wherein the juicer accessory includes a juice collection container (132) for collecting the juice.

12. The juicer accessory (100) according to claim 11, wherein one or more holes (134) are provided in the additional vessel (124) for allowing juice received in the recess (130) to enter the juice collection container (132).

13. The juicer accessory (100) according to claim 10, the juicer accessory comprising a housing (136) surrounding the food chopping member (102), the feed tube (104) being capable of engaging with the handheld kitchen appliance via the housing.

14. The juicer accessory (100) according to claim 13, wherein the housing (136) and the sidewall (116) are in contact with each other to transmit movement of the handheld kitchen appliance to the feed tube (104).

15. A juicer (200), said juicer comprising: A handheld kitchen appliance having a motorized drive system (202). as well as Juicer accessory (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A method (300) for juicing using a juicer accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the method comprising: The food is received (302) in the feed tube; The feed tube is used in conjunction with a handheld kitchen utensil (304); Use the handheld kitchen appliance described in (306) to rotate the food chopping component; The handheld kitchen utensil, together with the feed tube that it is used with, is moved toward the food support (308) such that the food contained in the feed tube is pressed against the rotating food chopping member by the food support to release juice from the food. as well as The juice released from the food is made to pass through the juice-permeable wall by centrifugal force, so as to separate the juice from the pulp of the food through the juice-permeable wall (108).

Images