Flexible Slideways in Citrus Fruit Presses to Prevent Fruit Tipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fruit presses face challenges in ensuring proper squeezing of smaller citrus fruits, as they tend to tip over during the pressing process due to inadequate support from sliding guides, leading to inefficient juice extraction.
Innovation Solution
The integration of flexible slideways that protrude into the area of action of the stamps, allowing fruit halves to be guided and supported effectively, preventing tipping and ensuring proper alignment for pressing, while being designed for easy replacement as wearing parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sliding guides are used to guide fruit halves, then fruit halves can be guided along the pressing path, but smaller citrus fruits tip over when pushed off the sliding guides before being supported by stamps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible slideways that extend into the effective area of stamps. These flexible slideways are bent out by the stamps during pressing, allowing them to protrude into the stamp area without causing fruit halves to tip over. The flexibility allows the slideways to adapt to the pressing motion while maintaining support for small fruit halves throughout the pressing stroke.
2Reliability
If flexible slideways protrude into the area of action of stamps, then fruit halves are supported effectively, but the slideways are exposed to compressive forces and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent treats the flexible slideways as replaceable wearing parts. Since the slideways are exposed to compressive forces and wear from protruding into the stamp area, they are designed to be exchangeable components that can be replaced when worn, rather than attempting to make them permanently durable.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible slideways dynamically adapt to the pressing process by being bent out into the receiving matrices during the pressing stroke. This dynamic behavior allows them to protrude into the stamp area only when needed for support, while accommodating the compressive forces through their flexibility.
3Area of stationary object
If receiving matrices are pivoted between receiving and pressing positions, then overall width is reduced, but smaller fruits cannot be properly supported during the transition
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible slideways serve multiple functions: they guide fruit halves during the pivoting motion of the receiving matrices, provide continuous support for both small and large fruit halves, and extend into the stamp area to prevent tipping. This universal component handles different fruit sizes effectively while the receiving matrices maintain their compact pivoting motion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures that fruit halves are consistently pressed into the receiving matrices without tipping, regardless of their size, enhancing the efficiency of the pressing process and minimizing wear on the flexible slideways, which can be easily replaced.
Implementation Method 1
the slideways (14) are designed to be flexible and are bent out into the receiving matrices (4) by the punches (13)
Data Source
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AI summary
A citrus fruit press is described, comprising a press head (3) performing a pressing stroke. The press head includes two receiving dies (4) arranged on either side of a knife (8), which are pivotable in opposite directions via parallel shafts (5) between an upper receiving position and a lower pressing position. These receiving dies are each for one fruit half (12). The press head (3) also includes two sliding guides (11) for the fruit halves (12), which extend on either side of the knife (8) and follow the outer orbit of the receiving dies (4). The press head (3) is further described with associated plungers (13) that interact with the receiving dies (4) in the lower pressing position of the press head (3). To ensure advantageous pressing conditions, it is proposed that the sliding guides (11) have flexible sliding tracks (14) projecting into the area of action of the plungers (13). These sliding tracks can be deflected into the receiving dies (4) during the pressing stroke by the plungers (13).