Variable hopper

Abstract

The present invention relates to a variable hopper. The variable hopper according to the present invention is a hopper of a juicer, is coupled to the upper portion of a juicing drum in which juicing is performed, and has a space for accommodating juicing ingredients. The hopper comprises: a first hopper which is coupled to the upper portion of the juicing drum and is open at the top; and a second hopper which is open at the bottom and in which the lower end overlaps with the upper end of the first hopper, wherein the size of the hopper can be selectively changed by adjusting the vertical position of the second hopper.

Description

Variable hopper

[0001] The present invention relates to a variable hopper, and more specifically, to a variable hopper in which the size of the hopper is adjustable, wherein the hopper is coupled to the upper part of a juicing drum that performs juicing by the rotation of a screw and supplies juicing material.

[0002] As the number of people making and consuming green juice or regular juice at home for health reasons increases, many devices are being introduced that allow for the simple extraction of juice from vegetables or fruits at home.

[0003] For example, blenders produce juice by crushing ingredients with high-speed rotating blades and using a centrifugal method. However, there are problems in that the high-speed crushing process can destroy the ingredients' natural flavors and nutrients; it is difficult to make green juice from vegetables with stems or leaves, and it is not only difficult to make juice from fruits with high viscosity like kiwi or strawberries, but it is also completely impossible to make soy milk from soybeans.

[0004] The juicer disclosed in Korean Registered Patent No. 10-0793852 has a method of pressing and grinding materials between a mesh drum and a screw rotating at a low speed, and has the effect of making soy milk by using the principle of grinding soybeans as if with a millstone and pressing them, and making juice by grating high-viscosity fruits such as tomatoes, kiwis, and strawberries and pressing them, thereby solving the problems of the aforementioned mixer.

[0005] However, even in this case, there was the inconvenience of having to cut the material into small pieces in advance before inserting it into the inlet, due to the size of the screw and the size of the inlet designed to allow the appropriate size of material to be fed in according to the screw size.

[0006] Accordingly, the juicer disclosed in Korean Registered Patent No. 10-0494287 was able to solve the problems of existing juicers by combining a hopper with a space for receiving juice material formed on the upper part of a juice drum that performs juice extraction by the rotation of a screw, and by pre-cutting the juice material by a cutting part rotating inside the hopper and supplying it into the juice drum even when large juice material, such as a pass-through, is fed into the hopper.

[0007] However, even in this case, the height of the hopper increases the size of the juicer, leading to problems such as occupying a large amount of space for storage and limiting the capacity of ingredients that can be fed at once to the hopper's designed height.

[0008] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to solve such conventional problems by providing a variable hopper configured to separate the hopper into an upper hopper and a lower hopper, allowing the height (size) of the hopper to be selectively changed by overlapping them or extending them upward, thereby enabling the size of the hopper to be reduced during storage and the capacity of the hopper to be variably increased or decreased.

[0009] The problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0010] The above objective can be achieved by a variable hopper according to the present invention, wherein the hopper of a juicer having a space for receiving juice material is coupled to the upper part of a juice drum for performing juice extraction and comprises: a first hopper coupled to the upper part of the juice drum and having an open top; and a second hopper having an open bottom and a bottom portion that overlaps with the upper portion of the first hopper, wherein the size of the hopper can be selectively changed by adjusting the vertical position of the second hopper.

[0011] Here, the first hopper may be located inside the second hopper.

[0012] Here, a protruding guide projection is formed on one of the overlapping surfaces of the first hopper and the second hopper, and a guide groove is formed on the remaining surface into which the guide projection is inserted to guide movement, so that the guide projection moves along the guide groove and the second hopper can move relative to the first hopper.

[0013] Here, the guide groove may be formed on the outer surface of the first hopper, and the guide projection may be formed on the inner surface of the second hopper.

[0014] Here, the guide groove may include a vertical movement guide groove connecting a lower first point and an upper second point in a straight line or curve, a lower horizontal guide groove extending horizontally from the first point, and an upper horizontal guide groove extending horizontally from the second point.

[0015] Here, a locking projection is formed at the end of the lower horizontal guide groove or the upper horizontal guide groove to secure the guide projection.

[0016] Here, the first hopper and the second hopper may be separable.

[0017] Here, an opening that is open upward is formed at one point of the guide groove, so that the guide projection can be moved out of the guide groove through the opening, thereby separating the first hopper and the second hopper.

[0018] Here, a circular ring-shaped waterproof packing can be fixed between the overlapping surfaces of the first hopper and the second hopper.

[0019] Here, a circular ring-shaped waterproof packing can be fixed to the outer surface of the upper part of the first hopper.

[0020] Here, the waterproof packing has a packing protrusion formed that protrudes radially, and a catch may be formed on the inner surface of the lower part of the second hopper so that the packing protrusion catches when the second hopper rises to the top.

[0021] Here, the height of the second hopper is higher than the height of the first hopper, so that when the second hopper moves downward, it can cover the upper part of the juice drum.

[0022] Here, the lid portion for opening and closing the upper opening surface of the second hopper is further included, the first hopper is further included with a first sensor guide that moves up and down within the first hopper, and the second hopper is further included with a second sensor guide that moves up and down within the second hopper, and when the lid portion is closed, a pressure projection protruding below the bottom surface of the lid portion can be moved downward by contacting the first sensor guide or the second sensor guide to detect whether the lid portion is opened or closed.

[0023] Here, the first hopper further includes a first sensor guide receiving portion formed to protrude vertically on one side of the outer surface in the circumferential direction to accommodate the first sensor guide and guide the vertical movement of the first sensor guide, and the second hopper further includes a second sensor guide receiving portion formed to protrude vertically on one side of the outer surface in the circumferential direction to accommodate the second sensor guide and guide the vertical movement of the second sensor guide, and when the second hopper moves upward, the first sensor guide receiving portion and the second sensor guide receiving portion are arranged in a single row, and when the second hopper moves downward, the second sensor guide receiving portion may be arranged on one side of the first sensor guide receiving portion.

[0024] Here, the pressure projection may include a first pressure projection that is inserted into the upper opening of the first sensor guide receiving portion when the lid portion is closed to pressure the first sensor guide, and a second pressure projection that is spaced apart from one side of the first pressure projection and is inserted into the upper opening of the second sensor guide receiving portion when the lid portion is closed to pressure the second sensor guide.

[0025] Here, the lower end of the second sensor guide receiving portion is open so that when the second sensor guide moves downward by being pressed by the second pressure projection, the second sensor guide can press the first sensor guide.

[0026] Here, the device further includes a lid portion that opens and closes the upper opening surface of the second hopper, and a sensor that detects contact is disposed between the upper part of the second hopper and the contact surface between the lid portion to detect whether the lid portion is opened or closed.

[0027] Here, during juicing, the second hopper can be moved up and down to pressurize the juicing material inside the hopper.

[0028] Herein, the apparatus further includes a lid portion hinged to the second hopper to open and close the upper opening of the second hopper; a first sensor guide that moves up and down within the first hopper; and a second sensor guide that rotates within the second hopper and is rotatably coupled at a position spaced apart from the hinge rotation axis of the lid portion. The upper portion of the first sensor guide and the lower portion of the second sensor guide can be coupled and separated by magnetic force. When the first hopper and the second hopper are in an overlapping state, the second sensor guide is positioned on one side of the first sensor guide and separated. When the first hopper and the second hopper are in an extended state and the lid portion is closed, the first sensor guide and the second sensor guide can be coupled by magnetic force and pressed downward.

[0029] Here, the first hopper further includes a first sensor guide receiving portion with an open top that is formed to protrude vertically on one side of the outer surface in the circumferential direction to accommodate the first sensor guide and guide the vertical movement of the first sensor guide, and the second hopper further includes a second sensor guide receiving portion with an open bottom that is formed to protrude vertically on one side of the outer surface in the circumferential direction to accommodate the second sensor guide, and the second sensor guide receiving portion can slide vertically on the outside or inside of the first sensor guide receiving portion.

[0030] Here, the second sensor guide may further include a rotational separation part that protrudes outside the second sensor guide receiving part and separates the first sensor guide and the second sensor guide, which are coupled by magnetic force, by rotating the second sensor guide by an external force.

[0031] Here, a separable protrusion is formed protruding from the inner surface of the first sensor guide receiving portion, and the separable protrusion restricts the upward movement of the first sensor guide by contacting the first sensor guide, so that the first sensor guide and the second sensor guide, which are coupled by magnetic force, can be separated while the lid portion is opened and rising.

[0032] Here, the device further includes a fixed belt portion that is movably coupled to the lower outer surface of the second hopper in a circumferential direction and has a guide projection formed on the inner surface, and a guide groove is vertically formed on the outer surface of the first hopper into which the guide projection is inserted to guide movement, and a fixed groove may be formed on one side of the upper end of the guide groove in which the fixed belt portion rotates to seat the guide projection.

[0033] Here, the fixed belt portion can be coupled in the form of a circular ring to surround the lower part of the outer surface of the second hopper.

[0034] Here, a cutting part may be further included that is supported on one side only on the bottom surface of the first hopper and rotates to pre-cut the juice material inside the hopper.

[0035] Here, the first hopper may further include an inner projection formed protruding from the inner surface and interacting with the cutting portion.

[0036] According to the variable hopper of the present invention as described above, there is an advantage in that the volume can be reduced when storing products by overlapping the upper hopper and the lower hopper, which are configured separately.

[0037] In addition, there is the advantage of being able to expand the hopper capacity by extending it.

[0038] In addition, it has the advantage of being able to safely operate the juicer by detecting whether the lid is open or closed, not only when extending the hopper but also when overlapping the hopper.

[0039] In addition, the upper and lower hoppers are detachable, which has the advantage of being easy to clean.

[0040] In addition, it has the advantage of being able to replace conventional pressure rods by moving the upper hopper up and down during juicing to pressurize the material inside the hopper.

[0041] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are exploded perspective views of a variable hopper according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an extended state in which the capacity of the hopper is expanded by extending the hopper configured separately in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a superimposed state in which the capacity of the hopper is reduced by superimposing the hoppers configured separately in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0044] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 3.

[0045] Figure 6 is a diagram explaining the operation of the sensor guide when the lid is opened in Figure 5.

[0046] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 4.

[0047] FIGS. 8 to 12 are drawings illustrating a lid opening / closing detection structure by a sensor guide according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 13 is a drawing illustrating a structure for detecting whether a lid is opened or closed according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] FIGS. 14 to 18 are drawings illustrating a fixed structure of a hopper configured separately according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] FIGS. 19 and 20 are drawings illustrating a structure that covers the upper part of a juicing drum when a hopper according to another embodiment of the present invention overlaps.

[0051] FIG. 21 is a drawing illustrating a modified example of the guide groove in FIG. 1.

[0052] Specific details of the embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0053] The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, like reference numerals refer to like components.

[0054] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings illustrating a variable hopper according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0055] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are separated perspective views of a variable hopper according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an extended state in which the capacity of the hopper is expanded by extending the hopper separated in FIGS. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an overlapping state in which the capacity of the hopper is reduced by overlapping the hopper separated in FIGS. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a drawing explaining the operation of the sensor guide when the lid part is opened in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

[0056] A hopper (100) according to the present invention is coupled to the upper part of a juice drum (300) of a juicer that separates and discharges the juice and remaining residue generated by crushing and compressing the juice material fed into the juice drum (300) by the rotation of a screw (not shown), and supplies the juice material into the juice drum (300). In particular, a rotating cutting part (not shown) is disposed inside the hopper (100) in which a space for receiving the juice material is formed, so that the juice material fed into the hopper (100) can be pre-cut into a size suitable for performing juice extraction and supplied into the juice drum (300) through an outlet (116) formed on the bottom surface of the hopper (100).

[0057] A variable hopper (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a first hopper (110) and a second hopper (160).

[0058] The first hopper (110) may be formed as a hollow cylindrical shape with an open top. As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom of the first hopper (110) has a bottom surface, and an outlet (116) may be formed through the bottom surface so that the juice material inside the hopper (100) can be supplied to the juice drum (300). In this embodiment, one outlet (116) is formed, but the number and size of the outlets (116) can be varied. Additionally, a penetrating connecting hole (114) may be formed in the center of the bottom surface of the hopper (100). Through the connecting hole (114), the upper rotating shaft of the screw located below the hopper (100) and the cutting part located above the bottom surface of the hopper (100) can be connected to transmit power.

[0059] Although not illustrated, a cutting section may be formed on the bottom surface of the first hopper (110) to receive rotational force from a screw through a connecting hole (114) and rotate. For example, the cutting section may be formed in the shape disclosed in Korean Registered Patent No. 10-0494287, but the shape of the cutting section is not necessarily limited thereto. However, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the cutting section be configured to rotate while being supported on only one side of the bottom surface of the hopper (first hopper (110)) (100).

[0060] The first hopper (110) can be coupled to the upper part of the juice extraction drum (300). On the outer surface of the lower part of the first hopper (110), a plurality of coupling protrusions (113) for coupling with the juice extraction drum (300) may be formed spaced apart along the circumferential direction.

[0061] At least one inner projection (111) that interacts with the cutting part may be formed protruding from the inner surface of the first hopper (110). The inner projection (111) may be formed to protrude downward in a vertical direction from the inner surface of the first hopper (110). The inner projection (111) interacts with the cutting part, and acts to catch and hold the juice material introduced into the hopper (100) by the inner projection (111), thereby improving the crushing efficiency by the cutting part. If there is no inner projection (111), a phenomenon may occur where the juice material rotates together with the cutting part and is not cut. However, if the cutting part is rotated while the juice material is supported in the rotational direction by the inner projection (111), the juice material can be easily crushed.

[0062] In the present invention, when the cutting portion is supported only on one side of the bottom surface of the first hopper (110), it is preferable that the upper height of the cutting portion be lower than the upper height of the first hopper (110). This is to prevent the upper end of the cutting portion from coming into contact with the lid portion (180) when the second hopper (160) descends as described later. Accordingly, the inner projection (111) interacting with the cutting portion may be formed only on the first hopper (110), but depending on the case, it may also be formed on one side of the inner surface of the second hopper (160) described later. However, the inner projection formed on the second hopper (160) must be designed so that interference with the first hopper (110) does not occur when the second hopper (160) descends.

[0063] Additionally, a comb-like projection (112) that protrudes inwardly in the longitudinal direction may be formed along the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the first hopper (110). This is to prevent light juicing materials, such as leafy vegetables, from absorbing moisture and sticking to the inner surface of the first hopper (110), and to allow them to be easily removed. At this time, it is preferable that the comb-like projection (112) be formed on the entire inner surface of the first hopper (110).

[0064] The second hopper (160) may be formed as a hollow cylinder with an open bottom. The bottom portion of the second hopper (160) overlaps with the top portion of the first hopper (110), so that the second hopper (160) can move up and down relative to the first hopper (110). Of course, it can also be understood that the first hopper (110) moves up and down relative to the second hopper (160). In the following description, the second hopper (160) moves up and down relative to the first hopper (110), and the state in which the second hopper (160) has moved to the top is referred to as the "extended state," and the state in which the second hopper (160) has moved to the bottom is referred to as the "overlapping state."

[0065] Accordingly, in the present invention, the size of the hopper (100) can be varied by adjusting the vertical position of the second hopper (160) relative to the first hopper (110). In this embodiment, the size of the hopper (100) is varied by a two-stage structure consisting of a first hopper (110) and a second hopper (160), but it may be modified and expanded into a three-stage or four-stage structure by increasing the number of separated hoppers.

[0066] The top of the second hopper (160) is open. A lid portion (180) that opens and closes the top opening may be formed on the top of the second hopper (160).

[0067] The first hopper (110) may be formed inside the second hopper (160) when overlapping with the second hopper (160). Accordingly, the outer diameter of the first hopper (110) may be designed to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the second hopper (160). Of course, the design may be modified so that the first hopper (110) is formed outside the second hopper (160).

[0068] The first hopper (110) and the second hopper (160) can be guided and moved by a guide groove (118) and a guide projection (161). A protruding guide projection (161) may be formed on one of the overlapping surfaces of the first hopper (110) and the second hopper (160), and a guide groove (118) into which the guide projection (161) is inserted may be formed on the remaining surface to guide movement. The second hopper (160) can move relative to the first hopper (110) as the guide projection (161) moves along the guide groove (118).

[0069] In this embodiment, a guide groove (118) is formed on the outer surface of the first hopper (110) and a guide projection (161) is formed on the inner surface of the second hopper (160); however, conversely, a guide projection may be formed on the outer surface of the first hopper (110) and a guide groove may be formed on the inner surface of the second hopper (160). Additionally, in this embodiment, the first hopper (110) is located inside the second hopper (160) so that a guide groove (118) or a guide projection (161) is formed on the outer surface of the first hopper (110) and the inner surface of the second hopper (160); however, when the first hopper (110) is formed outside the second hopper (160), a guide projection (161) or a guide groove (118) may be formed on the inner surface of the first hopper (110) and the outer surface of the second hopper (160).

[0070] In this embodiment, the guide groove (118) may be formed to include an up-and-down moving guide groove (1182, 1183) connecting a lower first point and an upper second point, a lower horizontal guide groove (1181) extending horizontally from the first point, and an upper horizontal guide groove (1184) extending horizontally from the second point. Since the guide projection (161) formed on the inner surface of the second hopper (160) moves along the guide groove (118) and the second hopper (160) moves, the movement trajectory of the second hopper (160) can be designed differently depending on the shape of the guide groove (118).

[0071] The vertical movement guide grooves (1182, 1183) connect the lower first point and the upper second point with a straight line or a curve to move the second hopper (160) up and down. If the vertical movement guide grooves (1182, 1183) are formed as vertical lines, the second hopper (160) can only move in the vertical direction. Additionally, if the vertical movement guide grooves (1182, 1183) are formed as inclined straight lines as shown in the illustration, the second hopper (160) can rotate in the circumferential direction simultaneously when moving up and down. In this embodiment, the vertical movement guide grooves (1182, 1183) are formed as a guide groove (1182) that is inclined upward in the right direction of the drawing from the first point, and a guide groove (1183) that is inclined upward in the opposite left direction from the end of the guide groove (1182) and leads to the second point. The vertical movement guide grooves (1182, 1183) may be formed as curves.

[0072] Since the lower horizontal guide groove (1181) and the upper horizontal guide groove (1184) are formed in a horizontal direction, when the guide projection (161) moves along the lower horizontal guide groove (1181) and the upper horizontal guide groove (1184), the second hopper (160) can only rotate in the circumferential direction.

[0073] As illustrated, the extension end point of the lower horizontal guide groove (1181) and the extension end point of the upper horizontal guide groove (1184) may have different circumferential positions. That is, when the guide projection (116) moves between both ends of the guide groove (118) and alternates between the extended state and the superimposed state, the axial rotational position of the second hopper (160) may differ. This is to prevent interference between the first sensor guide receiving part (115) and the second sensor guide receiving part (165), which will be described later, when the second hopper (160) changes its position to the extended state or the superimposed state. As illustrated in FIG. 3, in the extended state, the second sensor guide receiving part (165) may be arranged in a single row on the first sensor guide receiving part (115). For reference, a detailed description of the sensor guide receiving parts (115, 165) will be described later. In the extended state of FIG. 3, the second hopper (160) cannot be moved vertically downward due to contact between the first sensor guide receiving part (115) and the second sensor guide receiving part (165). Therefore, when lowering the second hopper (160), as shown in FIG. 4, the second hopper (160) is rotated horizontally (counterclockwise) and then lowered so that the second sensor guide receiving part (165) is positioned on one side (right side in the drawing) of the first sensor guide receiving part (115). Therefore, since the rotation angle of the second hopper is different in the extended state and the superimposed state, the extension end point of the lower horizontal guide groove (1181) and the extension end point of the upper horizontal guide groove (1184) must be designed to have different circumferential positions.

[0074] A pair of guide grooves (118) and guide projections (161) can be formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. For example, three pairs of guide grooves (118) and guide projections (161) can be formed at equal intervals to stably move the second hopper (160) while supported at three points.

[0075] As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 1, a stopper (119) may be formed at the end of the lower horizontal guide groove (1181) or the upper horizontal guide groove (1184). The stopper (119) is formed to protrude to a predetermined height on the inner surface of the guide groove (118), so that after the guide projection (161) passes over the stopper (119), the guide projection (161) is positioned between the two end points of the guide groove (118) and the stopper (119), thereby fixing the position between the first hopper (110) and the second hopper (160).

[0076] In this embodiment, when the guide projection (161) is positioned on the catch (119) formed at the end of the lower horizontal guide groove (1181) and the upper horizontal guide groove (1184), the height of the hopper (100) can be adjusted in two stages, either in an overlapping state or an extended state. Although not illustrated, if a horizontal guide groove (118) extending horizontally is additionally formed at a point in the middle of the vertical movement guide grooves (1182, 1183), the height of the hopper (100) can be adjusted in more than two stages.

[0077] The first hopper (110) and the second hopper (160) can be separated. Therefore, the separated first hopper (110) and second hopper (160) can be easily cleaned.

[0078] To this end, a separation opening (120) that is open upward may be formed at one point of the guide groove (118). Through the separation opening (120), the guide projection (161) can be moved out of the guide groove (118) to separate the first hopper (110) and the second hopper (160). In this embodiment, the separation opening (120) is formed on one side of the upper horizontal guide groove (1184). The separation opening (120) may extend vertically to the top of the first hopper (110).

[0079] Conversely, when connecting the second hopper (160) to the first hopper (110), the guide projection (161) can be positioned at the top of the separation opening (120), and then the guide projection (161) can be moved vertically downward along the separation opening (120) to connect to the guide groove (118).

[0080] To prevent leakage between the first hopper (110) and the second hopper (160), a waterproof packing (130) may be fixed between the overlapping surfaces. The waterproof packing (130) may be formed in the shape of a circular ring and placed along the circumference of the first hopper (110) or the second hopper (160).

[0081] As illustrated, in this embodiment, a circular ring-shaped waterproof packing (130) may be fixed to the outer surface of the upper part of the first hopper (110). The waterproof packing (130) may have a packing protrusion (132) formed that protrudes radially along the circumferential direction, and a packing catch (162) may be formed on the inner surface of the lower part of the second hopper (160) to catch the packing protrusion (132) when the second hopper (160) moves to the top.

[0082] In the following description, the opening and closing detection structure of the lid portion (180) will be explained.

[0083] As illustrated, the lid portion (180) opens and closes the upper opening of the second hopper (160). In this embodiment, the lid portion (180) may be hinge-connected to one side of the upper part of the second hopper (160) by a hinge pin (189) and formed integrally with the second hopper (160). However, the lid portion (180) may be detachably connected to the upper part of the second hopper (160).

[0084] A hook fastening portion (183) for securing the lid portion (180) to the second hopper (160) may be formed on the opposite edge of the hinge joint portion. The hook fastening portion (183) extends vertically downward from one side of the edge of the lid portion (180), and a fastening catch (1831) is formed on the inner side. Additionally, a fixing ledge (163) protruding radially is formed on the upper side of the second hopper (160), so that the fixing ledge (163) is inserted into the upper part of the fastening catch (1831) to secure the lid portion (180) to the second hopper (160).

[0085] An additional input port (182), which is a penetrating hole, may be formed in the center of the lid portion (180). When additional juice material of a relatively small size needs to be added during the juicing operation, the juice material can be supplied into the hopper (100) through the additional input port (182). Additionally, a push rod (not shown) may be inserted through the additional input port (182) to apply force so that the juice material inside the hopper (100) moves to the lower part of the hopper (100). Although not shown, a separate stopper may be formed to block the additional input port. Furthermore, the entire lid portion (180) may be formed in a closed state without the additional input port (182).

[0086] A safety guide portion (184) may be formed that protrudes vertically downward along the bottom edge of the lid portion (180) and is inserted into the upper inner side of the second hopper (160). The safety guide portion (184) prevents the user's hand from entering the hopper (100) when the lid portion (180) is opened at a certain angle.

[0087] As described below, the juicer according to the present invention detects the opening and closing of the lid portion (180) for safety, and does not operate when the lid portion (180) is open. However, if the juicer operates because the lid portion (180) is not detected to be slightly open due to a sensing error of the sensor detecting the opening and closing state of the lid portion (180), an unexpected safety accident may occur. At this time, the safety guide portion (184) prevents the user's hand from entering the hopper (100).

[0088] The safety guide portion (184) may be formed to protrude at a constant height along the edge of the bottom surface of the lid portion (180) so as to be inserted into the inside of the second hopper (160), but as shown in the illustration, the bottom surface may be formed to be inclined so that the protrusion height gradually decreases from the side far from the hinge joint portion toward the hinge joint portion.

[0089] Additionally, at least one radially protruding gripping portion (188) may be formed on one side of the circumferential direction of the lid portion (180). When extending or overlapping the hopper (100), the user can easily move the second hopper (160) by grasping the protruding gripping portion (188) with their hand. In order to prevent the lid portion (180) from opening easily when moving the second hopper (160) by grasping the gripping portion (188), it is preferable that the gripping portion (188) be formed around the hinge joint area opposite the hook fastening portion (183).

[0090] To detect whether the lid portion (180) is open or closed, a first sensor guide (140) is formed in the first hopper (110) and a second sensor guide (170) is formed in the second hopper (160). When the lid portion (180) is closed, a pressure projection (185, 186) protruding below the bottom surface of the lid portion (180) contacts the first sensor guide (140) or the second sensor guide (170) and applies pressure, causing the first sensor guide (140) or the second sensor guide (170) to move downward, and a sensor (not shown) detects this, thereby detecting that the lid portion (180) is closed.

[0091] As illustrated, a first sensor guide receiving portion (115) is formed on one side of the circumferential direction of the first hopper (110). The first sensor guide receiving portion (115) forms a separate space partitioned from the internal space on one side of the internal space where the juice material is received. A first sensor guide (140) is disposed inside the first sensor guide receiving portion (115), so that the first sensor guide (140) can be guided within the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) and move up and down. The first sensor guide receiving portion (115) is generally formed in the shape of a long rod, and the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) can also be formed to protrude vertically.

[0092] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) is supported only at the lower end of the outer surface of the first hopper (110), and the upper end is spaced apart. The second hopper (160) can be inserted and overlapped through the spaced gap.

[0093] The upper portion (142) of the first sensor guide has a reduced cross-sectional size to form a step, and the step contacts the inner upper surface of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) to restrict the upward movement of the first sensor guide (140). The upper portion (142) of the first sensor guide can be inserted into the upper opening of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115).

[0094] Additionally, the lower portion (141) of the first sensor guide also has a reduced cross-sectional size to form a step, and the step contacts the inner lower surface of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) to restrict the downward movement of the first sensor guide (140). The lower portion (141) of the first sensor guide can be inserted into the lower opening of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115). When the first sensor guide (140) moves downward within the first sensor guide receiving portion (115), the lower portion (141) of the first sensor guide can be exposed to the outside of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115). Additionally, when the first sensor guide (140) moves upward within the first sensor guide receiving portion (115), the lower portion (141) of the first sensor guide may not be exposed to the outside.

[0095] Additionally, as illustrated, a second sensor guide receiving portion (165) is formed on one side of the circumferential direction of the second hopper (160). The second sensor guide receiving portion (165) also forms a separate space partitioned from the internal space on one side of the internal space where the juice material is received. A second sensor guide (170) is disposed inside the second sensor guide receiving portion (165), so that the second sensor guide (170) can be guided within the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) and move up and down. The second sensor guide (170) is generally formed in the shape of a long rod, and the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) can also be formed to protrude vertically.

[0096] Additionally, the lower portion (171) of the second sensor guide has a reduced cross-sectional size to form a step, and the step contacts the inner lower surface of the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) to restrict the downward movement of the first sensor guide (140). The lower portion (171) of the second sensor guide can be inserted into the lower opening of the second sensor guide receiving portion (165). As shown in FIG. 5, the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) and the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) can be arranged in a single row in an extended state, and at this time, the lower opening of the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) and the upper opening of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) can be connected. When the second sensor guide (170) moves downward within the second sensor guide receiving portion (165), the lower end of the second sensor guide (170) comes into contact with the upper end of the first sensor guide (140) to press the first sensor guide (140) and move it downward.

[0097] Although not shown, the first sensor guide (140) and the second sensor guide (170) are elastically supported and are positioned at the top within the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) and the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) when there is no force applying pressure from top to bottom.

[0098] A pressure projection is formed on the underside of the bottom surface of the lid portion (180). In this embodiment, a first pressure projection (186) and a second pressure projection (185) are formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction on one side of the bottom edge of the lid portion (180).

[0099] The first pressure projection (186) presses the first sensor guide (140) by contacting the upper part of the first sensor guide (140) when the lid portion (180) is closed in the extended state, and the second pressure projection (185) presses the second sensor guide (170) by contacting the upper part of the second sensor guide (170) when the lid portion (180) is closed in the overlapping state.

[0100] The second pressure projection (185) may be formed below the hinge joint portion of the lid portion (180). An inclined surface (172) is formed on the upper side of the second sensor guide (170), so that when the lid portion (180) rotates around the hinge pin (189), the contact position between the second pressure projection (185) and the inclined surface (172) may change. Accordingly, when the lid portion (180) is fully opened as shown in FIG. 6, the elastically supported second sensor guide (170) moves to the uppermost position, and when the lid portion (180) is closed as shown in FIG. 5, the second pressure projection (185) presses the elastically supported second sensor guide (170) to move the second sensor guide (170) downward. When the second sensor guide (170) moves downward, the bottom of the second sensor guide (170) and the top of the first sensor guide (140) come into contact, and the second sensor guide (170) can move the first sensor guide (140) downward by applying pressure to the elastically supported first sensor guide (140). At this time, the bottom part (141) of the first sensor guide is exposed to the outside of the first sensor guide receiving part (115). When the bottom part (141) of the first sensor guide is exposed to the outside, this can be detected directly by a sensor, or by transmitting a downward signal to the juice drum (300) or the main body part (which is positioned below the juice drum (300) and has electronic components including a motor that drives a screw mounted inside) (not shown) placed below the juice drum (300) through the downward movement of the bottom part (141) of the first sensor guide, so that the lid part (180) can be detected that it is closed. Since a technology for determining whether the lid is open or closed by detecting the sensor guide moving up and down by physical contact according to the opening and closing of the lid portion (180) using magnetic force or an electrical signal is known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0101] Conversely, when the lid portion (180) is opened, the elastically supported first sensor guide (140) and second sensor guide (170) move upward, and the lower portion of the first sensor guide (140) also moves upward so as not to be exposed outside the first sensor guide receiving portion (115).

[0102] The first pressure projection (186) is formed on one side of the second pressure projection (185) and directly presses the first sensor guide (140) when the lid portion (180) is closed.

[0103] As described above, when the hopper (100) is in an extended state, the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) and the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) are arranged in a single row, and when the hopper (100) is in an overlapping state, the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) is arranged on one side of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115). When the hopper is in an extended state or an overlapping state, the axial rotation position of the second hopper is different, so when the hopper (100) is in an overlapping state, the first pressure projection (186) can be directly inserted into the upper opening of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115). Accordingly, when the lid portion (180) is closed in the overlapping state, the first pressure projection (186) is inserted into the upper part of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) and comes into contact with the upper part of the first sensor guide (140), thereby allowing the first sensor guide (140) to be moved directly downward. At this time, the lower portion (141) of the first sensor guide may be exposed to the outside of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115). Accordingly, as described above, the upward and downward movement of the first sensor guide (141) can be detected to determine whether the lid portion (180) is opened or closed.

[0104] Accordingly, in the present invention, the opening or closing of the lid can be detected even when the hopper (100) is in an extended state, and the opening or closing of the lid can be detected even when the hopper (100) is in an overlapping state, so the juicer can be operated not only when in an extended state but also when in an overlapping state.

[0105] In the following description, various modified embodiments of the aforementioned embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0106] FIGS. 8 to 12 are drawings illustrating a lid opening / closing detection structure by a sensor guide according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0107] In order to detect whether the lid portion (180) is opened or closed, a first sensor guide (240) and a second sensor guide (270) are also formed in this embodiment.

[0108] The first sensor guide (240) moves up and down within the first hopper (110). As illustrated, a first sensor guide receiving portion (115) is formed on one side of the circumferential direction of the first hopper (110). The first sensor guide receiving portion (115) forms a separate space partitioned from the internal space on one side of the internal space where the juice material is received. The first sensor guide (240) is placed inside the first sensor guide receiving portion (115), so that the first sensor guide (240) can be guided within the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) and move up and down. The first sensor guide (240) is generally formed in the shape of a long rod, and the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) can also be formed to protrude vertically. In addition, the upper end of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) is open and communicates with the lower end of the second sensor guide receiving portion (165).

[0109] The upper portion of the first sensor guide (240) has a larger cross-sectional area and forms a step on the radially outer side, and the step contacts the upper surface of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) to restrict the downward movement of the first sensor guide (240). The upper portion of the first sensor guide (240) may protrude above the upper portion of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115).

[0110] Additionally, the lower portion (241) of the first sensor guide has a reduced cross-sectional size and protrudes to form a step, and the step contacts the inner lower surface of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) to restrict the downward movement of the first sensor guide (240). The lower portion (241) of the first sensor guide can be inserted into the lower opening of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) and protrude outward. The first sensor guide (240) can move up and down by being guided by the first sensor guide receiving portion (115), but if there is no separate external force, it can be positioned in the lower part of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) due to its own weight.

[0111] It is preferable that the first sensor guide (240) be able to move only up and down through contact with the first sensor guide receiving part (115).

[0112] In this embodiment, as described above, one side of the lid portion (180) is hinge-coupled to the upper part of the second hopper (160) by a hinge pin (189) so that it can be opened and closed by being integrally coupled with the second hopper (160).

[0113] The second sensor guide (270) is rotatably coupled to a rotating axis (189) that rotates by hinge coupling with the lid portion (180) and rotates within the second hopper (160). The rotating axis (273) of the second sensor guide (270) and the rotating axis (189) of the lid portion (180) are parallel to each other but spaced apart. Therefore, when the lid portion (180) rotates, the vertical position of the rotating axis (273) of the second sensor guide (270) changes, and the vertical position of the second sensor guide (270) can also change. As shown in FIGS. 8 and FIGS. 12, when the lid portion (180) is open compared to when it is closed, the rotating axis (273) of the second sensor guide (270) moves upward, and the second sensor guide (270) can move upward.

[0114] Additionally, as illustrated, a second sensor guide receiving portion (165) is formed on one side of the circumferential direction of the second hopper (160). The second sensor guide receiving portion (165) also forms a separate space partitioned from the internal space on one side of the internal space where the juice material is received. A second sensor guide (270) is disposed inside the second sensor guide receiving portion (165), so that the second sensor guide (270) can rotate within a predetermined range within the second sensor guide receiving portion (165). The second sensor guide (270) is generally formed in the shape of a long rod, and the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) can also be formed to protrude vertically. Furthermore, the lower end of the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) is open and communicates with the upper end of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115).

[0115] In this embodiment, the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) may be positioned to slide up and down on the outside or inside of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115). In the drawing, the lower portion of the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) is formed to wrap around the outer surface of the upper portion of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115). Therefore, unlike the previously described embodiment, in this embodiment, when the hopper (100) is extended or overlapped, the second hopper (160) moves only up and down relative to the first hopper (110) and does not rotate in the axial direction.

[0116] A rotational separation part (272) protruding outside the second sensor guide receiving part (165) may be formed in the second sensor guide (270). As illustrated, the rotational separation part (272) may be formed in a shape that is bent vertically at the point where the rotation axis (273) of the second sensor guide (270) is located and protrudes outside the second sensor guide receiving part (165). Accordingly, a user can forcibly rotate the second sensor guide (270) by pressing down on the rotational separation part (272) protruding outside. The rotational separation part (272) is intended to release the magnetic coupling between the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270), and this will be described later.

[0117] The upper part of the first sensor guide (240) and the lower part of the second sensor guide (270) can be coupled and separated by magnetic force. As illustrated, magnets (245, 275) of opposite polarity may be placed on the inner side of the upper part of the first sensor guide (240) and the lower part of the second sensor guide (270). Therefore, when the upper part of the first sensor guide (240) and the lower part of the second sensor guide (270) are close together, the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270) can be coupled by magnetic force. In this embodiment, when the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270) are coupled, the upper surface of the first sensor guide (240) and the lower surface of the second sensor guide (270) come into contact and are coupled, so that when the second sensor guide (270) is pressed downward, the coupling is maintained and a force pressing downward is transmitted to the first sensor guide (240).

[0118] As illustrated in FIG. 8, when the hopper (100) is in an overlapping state, the second sensor guide (270) is arranged in parallel on one side of the first sensor guide (240). At this time, the first sensor guide (240) is positioned on the lower side within the first sensor guide receiving part (115) due to its own weight, but in addition to its own weight, it cannot transmit a downward pressing force to the hopper through the lower part (241) protruding below the first hopper (110). When the hopper (100) is separated from the juicing chamber (300), the first sensor guide (240) can be positioned at the bottom of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) by its own weight, and when the hopper (100) is coupled to the juicing chamber (300), the lower portion (241) of the first sensor guide (240) comes into contact with a sensor guide (not shown) that is elastically supported within the juicing chamber (300), and the first sensor guide (240) can move upward by elastic force than shown in FIG. 8.

[0119] As illustrated in FIG. 9, when the hopper (100) changes to an extended state, the second sensor guide receiving portion (165) is guided along the first sensor guide receiving portion (115), and the second hopper (160) moves only vertically upward. At this time, the upper portion of the first sensor guide (240) and the lower portion of the second sensor guide (270) come close together, and as illustrated in FIG. 10, the upper portion of the first sensor guide (240) and the lower portion of the second sensor guide (270) can be coupled by magnetic force by the aforementioned magnets (245, 275). At this time, during the coupling process by magnetic force, the second sensor guide (270) can rotate at a fine angle, and the first sensor guide (240) can move slightly upward.

[0120] As illustrated in FIG. 10, when the lid portion (180) is closed, the rotation axis (273) of the second sensor guide (270) is positioned relatively lower, so that the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270) can transmit a downward pressing force while magnetically coupled.

[0121] Conversely, as illustrated in FIG. 11, when the lid portion (180) is opened, the rotation axis (273) of the second sensor guide (270) moves relatively upward, so that the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270) move upward while combined, and then the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270) can be separated. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 12, a separation protrusion (1151) is formed protruding at a predetermined position on the inner surface of the first sensor guide receiving portion (115), and the separation protrusion (1151) restricts the upward movement of the first sensor guide (240) through contact with the first sensor guide (240). Accordingly, the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270), which are coupled by magnetic force, come into contact with the separation protrusion (1151) (Fig. 12 (b)) while the lid portion (180) is opened and the first sensor guide (240) is rising, thereby restricting the rising of the first sensor guide (240). Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 12 (c), if the lid portion (180) continues to open, the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270) are separated, causing the second sensor guide (270) to rise upward and the separated first sensor guide (240) to descend downward due to its own weight.

[0122] Even at this time, the first sensor guide (240) is positioned at the lower side within the first sensor guide receiving portion (115) due to its own weight, but in addition to its own weight, it cannot transmit a downward pressing force to the hopper (100) through the lower part (241) of the first sensor guide (240) protruding below the first hopper (110).

[0123] Accordingly, when the lid portion (180) is closed in the extended state, the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270) can transmit a downward pressing force to the bottom of the hopper (100) while coupled by magnetic force. By detecting this, it is possible to determine whether the lid portion (180) is open or closed.

[0124] Furthermore, in the state of FIG. 10, the magnetic coupling between the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270) can be released by pressing the rotational separation part (272) downward to forcibly rotate the second sensor guide (270). When changing the hopper (100) from an extended state to an overlapping state, the lid part (180) can be opened or the rotational separation part (272) can be pressed downward to release the magnetic coupling between the first sensor guide (240) and the second sensor guide (270), and then the second hopper (160) can be moved downward.

[0125] FIG. 13 is a drawing illustrating a structure for detecting whether a lid is opened or closed according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0126] As illustrated in FIG. 13, a sensor (190) that detects contact may be placed between the top of the second hopper (160) and the contact surface between the lid (180) to detect whether the lid (180) is open or closed. In the above-described embodiment, the opening or closing of the lid (180) is detected through the first sensor guide (140, 240) and the second sensor guide (170, 270). In this embodiment, the above-described configuration is omitted, and the sensor (190) that detects contact may be directly placed between the bottom surface of the lid (180) and the top of the second hopper (160) to detect whether the lid (180) is open or closed. In this embodiment, the opening or closing of the lid (180) can be detected whether the hopper (100) is in an extended state or an overlapping state. Additionally, the opening or closing of the lid (180) can be detected even while the second hopper (160) is moving up and down.

[0127] Accordingly, in this embodiment, the second hopper (160) can be moved up and down during juicing, and accordingly, the juicing material inside the hopper (100) can be pressurized without a separate pressure rod. In this case, it is preferable that the aforementioned up-and-down movement guide grooves (1182, 1183) be formed as straight lines in the vertical direction. In addition, as described later with reference to FIGS. 14 to 18, it is preferable that the second hopper (160) only move up and down in a straight line during the overlapping or extension process.

[0128] FIGS. 14 to 18 are drawings illustrating a fixed structure of a hopper configured separately according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0129] In this embodiment, a fixed belt portion (260) is formed at the lower outer surface of the second hopper (160) so as to be movable in the circumferential direction within a predetermined angle range. The fixed belt portion (260) may be formed in the shape of a circular ring that surrounds the lower outer surface of the second hopper (160).

[0130] A coupling groove (1601) may be formed at the lower outer surface of the second hopper (160), into which at least a portion of the fixed belt portion (260) is inserted in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, the fixed belt portion (260) is inserted into the coupling groove (1601), so that the fixed belt portion (260) is coupled to the second hopper (160) without being separated, and can be guided by the coupling groove (1601) to move in the circumferential direction within a predetermined angle range.

[0131] A guide projection (261) is formed protruding from the inner surface of the fixed belt portion (260). The guide projection (261) is inserted into a guide groove (118) formed on the outer surface of the first hopper (110) and can move along the guide groove (118). Multiple guide projections (261) and guide grooves (118) may be formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0132] A protruding gripping portion (262) may be formed on the outer surface of the fixed belt portion (260). Thus, a user can grasp the gripping portion (262) and rotate the fixed belt portion (260) left and right.

[0133] In order for the guide projection (261) to be inserted into the guide groove (118) formed on the outer surface of the first hopper (110), an open groove (1605) may be formed on one side of the lower portion of the second hopper (160) where the guide projection (261) is formed. Accordingly, an insertion portion (263) is formed that protrudes from the inner surface of the fixed belt portion (260) and is inserted into the open groove (1605), and the guide projection (261) may be formed to protrude inward from the insertion portion (263). The circumferential width of the open groove (1605) is greater than the circumferential width of the insertion portion (263), so that the fixed belt portion (260) can be moved left and right in the circumferential direction within the range in which the insertion portion (263) moves in the circumferential direction within the open groove (1191).

[0134] As illustrated in FIG. 16, a guide groove (118) may be formed on the outer surface of the first hopper (110) to guide the movement of the second hopper (160) by inserting the guide projection (261). In this embodiment, the guide groove (118) is formed vertically so that the second hopper (160) can only move up and down vertically.

[0135] On one side of the upper part of the guide groove (118), a fixed groove (1187) can be formed in which a guide projection (261) is seated by rotating the fixed belt portion (260).

[0136] Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 17 (a) and FIG. 18 (a), after moving the second hopper (160) to the top along the guide groove (118), if the fixing belt part (260) is rotated to the position where the fixing groove (1187) is formed, as shown in FIG. 17 (b) and FIG. 18 (b), the guide projection (261) is inserted into the fixing groove (1181), thereby preventing the second hopper (160) from moving downward due to its own weight. Thus, the first hopper (110) and the second hopper (160) can be fixed.

[0137] FIGS. 19 and 20 are drawings illustrating a structure that covers the upper part of a juicing drum when a hopper according to another embodiment of the present invention overlaps.

[0138] As illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, the height of the second hopper (160) is higher than the height of the first hopper (110), so that when the second hopper (160) moves downward and overlaps, the lower part of the second hopper (160) can be formed to cover the upper part of the juicing drum (300). In this case, when the hopper (100) is mounted on the juicing drum (300) for storage, the overall size can be further reduced. For reference, FIG. 19 illustrates the extended state of the hopper, and FIG. 20 illustrates the overlapped state of the hopper.

[0139] FIG. 21 is a drawing illustrating a modified example of the guide groove in FIG. 1.

[0140] As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, the guide projection (161) moves along the guide groove (118) and the second hopper (160) moves up and down. As shown in FIG. 21, the up-and-down movement guide groove (1185) may be formed in a shape that vertically connects the first point and the second point. As described above, the up-and-down movement guide groove can be varied in various ways, such as a straight line, a curve, or a combination of a straight line and a curve.

[0141]

[0142] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but may be implemented in various forms of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims. It is deemed that the scope of the claims of the present invention includes various modifications that are possible by anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the invention pertains, without departing from the essence of the invention claimed in the claims.

Claims

1. A hopper of a juicer coupled to the upper part of a juice drum that performs juicing, wherein a space for receiving juice material is formed, A first hopper coupled to the upper part of the above-mentioned juicing drum and having an open top; and It includes a second hopper with an open bottom and a bottom portion that overlaps with the top portion of the first hopper, and A variable hopper characterized by the ability to selectively change the size of the hopper by adjusting the vertical position of the second hopper.

2. In Paragraph 1, A variable hopper characterized in that the first hopper is located inside the second hopper.

3. In Paragraph 1, A variable hopper characterized in that a protruding guide projection is formed on one of the overlapping surfaces of the first hopper and the second hopper, and a guide groove is formed on the remaining surface into which the guide projection is inserted to guide movement, so that the guide projection moves along the guide groove and the second hopper moves relative to the first hopper.

4. In Paragraph 3, A variable hopper characterized by having the guide groove formed on the outer surface of the first hopper and the guide projection formed on the inner surface of the second hopper.

5. In Paragraph 3, The above guide groove is A variable hopper characterized by including a vertical movement guide groove connecting a lower first point and an upper second point in a straight line or curve, a lower horizontal guide groove extending horizontally from the first point, and an upper horizontal guide groove extending horizontally from the second point.

6. In Paragraph 5, A variable hopper characterized by having a stopper formed at the end of the lower horizontal guide groove or the upper horizontal guide groove to fix the guide projection.

7. In Paragraph 1, A variable hopper characterized in that the first hopper and the second hopper are separable.

8. In Paragraph 3, A variable hopper characterized by having an opening formed at one point of the guide groove that is open upward, and by moving the guide projection out of the guide groove through the opening so that the first hopper and the second hopper are separated.

9. In Paragraph 1, A variable hopper characterized by having a circular ring-shaped waterproof packing fixed between the overlapping surfaces of the first hopper and the second hopper.

10. In Paragraph 2, A variable hopper characterized by having a circular ring-shaped waterproof packing fixed to the outer surface of the upper part of the first hopper.

11. In Paragraph 10, The above waterproof packing has a packing protrusion formed that protrudes in the radial direction, and A variable hopper characterized by having a catch formed on the inner surface of the lower part of the second hopper, which catches the packing protrusion when the second hopper rises to the top.

12. In Paragraph 2, A variable hopper characterized in that the height of the second hopper is higher than the height of the first hopper, so that when the second hopper moves downward, it covers the upper part of the juice drum.

13. In Paragraph 1, It further includes a lid portion that opens and closes the upper opening surface of the second hopper, and The first hopper further includes a first sensor guide that moves up and down within the first hopper, and The second hopper further includes a second sensor guide that moves up and down within the second hopper, and A variable hopper characterized by detecting whether the lid is opened or closed when the lid is closed, wherein a pressure projection protruding below the bottom surface of the lid contacts the first sensor guide or the second sensor guide and moves downward.

14. In Paragraph 13, The first hopper further includes a first sensor guide receiving portion formed to protrude vertically on one side of the outer surface in the circumferential direction to accommodate the first sensor guide and guide the vertical movement of the first sensor guide. The second hopper further includes a second sensor guide receiving portion formed to protrude vertically on one side of the outer surface in the circumferential direction to accommodate the second sensor guide and guide the vertical movement of the second sensor guide. When the second hopper moves upward, the first sensor guide receiving part and the second sensor guide receiving part are arranged in a single row, and A variable hopper characterized in that when the second hopper moves downward, the second sensor guide receiving portion is positioned on one side of the first sensor guide receiving portion.

15. In Paragraph 14, A variable hopper characterized by comprising: a first pressure projection that is inserted into the upper opening of the first sensor guide receiving portion when the lid portion is closed and presses the first sensor guide; and a second pressure projection that is spaced apart from one side of the first pressure projection and is inserted into the upper opening of the second sensor guide receiving portion when the lid portion is closed and presses the second sensor guide.

16. In Paragraph 15, A variable hopper characterized in that the lower end of the second sensor guide receiving portion is open, and when the second sensor guide moves downward by being pressed by the second pressure projection, the second sensor guide presses the first sensor guide.

17. In Paragraph 1, It further includes a lid portion that opens and closes the upper opening surface of the second hopper, and A variable hopper characterized by having a sensor for detecting contact placed between the top of the second hopper and the contact surface between the lid portion and detecting whether the lid portion is opened or closed.

18. In Paragraph 1, A variable hopper characterized by moving the second hopper up and down during juicing to pressurize the juicing material inside the hopper.

19. In Paragraph 1, A lid portion hinged to the second hopper and opening and closing the upper opening surface of the second hopper; A first sensor guide that moves up and down within the first hopper; It further includes a second sensor guide that is rotatably coupled at a position spaced apart from the rotation axis of the lid portion and rotates within the second hopper. The upper part of the first sensor guide and the lower part of the second sensor guide can be coupled and separated by magnetic force, A variable hopper characterized in that when the first hopper and the second hopper are in an overlapping state, the second sensor guide is positioned on one side of the first sensor guide and separated, and when the lid portion is closed while the first hopper and the second hopper are in an extended state, the first sensor guide and the second sensor guide are coupled by magnetic force and pressed downward.

20. In Paragraph 19, The first hopper further includes a first sensor guide receiving portion with an open top that is formed to protrude vertically on one side of the outer surface in the circumferential direction to accommodate the first sensor guide and guide the vertical movement of the first sensor guide. The second hopper further includes a second sensor guide receiving portion that is formed to protrude vertically on one side of the outer surface in the circumferential direction to accommodate the second sensor guide and has an open bottom. A variable hopper characterized in that the second sensor guide receiving portion slides up and down on the outside or inside of the first sensor guide receiving portion.

21. In Paragraph 20, A variable hopper characterized by further including a rotation separation part that protrudes outside the second sensor guide receiving part and rotates the second sensor guide by an external force to separate the first sensor guide and the second sensor guide coupled by magnetic force.

22. In Paragraph 19, A variable hopper characterized in that a separable protrusion is formed protruding from the inner surface of the first sensor guide receiving portion, and the separable protrusion restricts the upward movement of the first sensor guide through contact with the first sensor guide, thereby separating the first sensor guide and the second sensor guide while the lid portion is opened and the first sensor guide and the second sensor guide are coupled by magnetic force.

23. In Paragraph 1, It further includes a fixed belt portion that is circumferentially movably coupled to the lower outer surface of the second hopper and has a guide projection formed on the inner surface. A guide groove is vertically formed on the outer surface of the first hopper to guide movement by inserting the guide projection, and A variable hopper characterized by having a fixed groove formed on one side of the upper portion of the guide groove, wherein the fixed belt portion rotates to accommodate the guide projection.

24. In Paragraph 23, A variable hopper characterized by the fixed belt portion surrounding the lower part of the outer surface of the second hopper in the shape of a circular ring.

25. In Paragraph 1, A variable hopper characterized by further including a cutting section that rotates while being supported only on one side of the bottom surface of the first hopper and pre-cuts the juice material inside the hopper.

26. In Paragraph 25, A variable hopper characterized in that the first hopper further includes an inner projection formed protruding from the inner surface and interacting with the cutting portion.

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