Hopper Cutting Juicer for Whole Fruit Screw Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional juicers destroy the unique taste and nutrients of materials during high-speed processing, and struggle with extracting juice from vegetables with stems or leaves, fruits like kiwis and strawberries, and cannot process soy milk effectively due to size limitations and the need for pre-cutting materials.

Innovation Solution

A juice extractor with a hopper-mounted cutting part that rotates inside the hopper, supported only on the lower end, allowing whole fruits to be cut before being fed into the juice extracting drum, featuring a dual structure cutting part with a chopping blade and slicing blade, and a design that prevents reverse rotation release during use.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If material is pre-cut before insertion into the juicer inlet, then the juicer can process the material effectively, but user convenience deteriorates due to the additional preparation step

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejuice extraction efficiencyVSAvoiduser convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting part performs preliminary cutting action on the material within the hopper before it enters the juice extracting drum. This eliminates the need for users to pre-cut materials, as the cutting function is integrated into the juicer's processing flow, automatically preparing the material for extraction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting function and juice extraction function are merged into a single integrated system. The cutting part is positioned within the hopper and works in conjunction with the juice extracting drum, combining two separate operations (cutting and extraction) into one continuous process that improves both productivity and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Volume of moving object

If the inlet size is reduced to match the screw size, then the juicer structure becomes more compact, but the inability to process whole fruits deteriorates user convenience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinlet sizeVSAvoidconvenience of processing whole fruits
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting part performs preliminary size reduction of whole fruits within the hopper before they reach the screw. This allows the inlet to remain small while still accepting whole fruits, as the cutting action prepares them for processing by the compact screw mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting part divides whole fruits into smaller segments within the hopper. This segmentation occurs before the material enters the juice extracting drum, allowing the compact screw to process the divided pieces effectively while maintaining the ability to accept whole fruits through the smaller inlet.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Speed

If high-speed blades are used to crush material, then juice extraction speed increases, but the unique taste and nutrients of the material are destroyed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrushing speedVSAvoidpreservation of taste and nutrients
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses dynamic control of the cutting and extraction processes. The cutting part operates at controlled speeds to size-reduce material without excessive heat generation, and the screw extraction process dynamically adjusts to preserve nutrients while maintaining efficient juice extraction, avoiding the destructive high-speed crushing of conventional blenders.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The conventional high-speed blade crushing mechanism is replaced with a low-speed screw extrusion system. Instead of using rapid mechanical impact to break down material, the system uses gradual mechanical compression and friction from the rotating screw, which extracts juice while preserving the chemical integrity of nutrients and natural flavors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

Enables efficient cutting and processing of large fruits and vegetables within the hopper, improving user convenience by eliminating pre-cutting needs, enhancing juice extraction efficiency, and ensuring secure operation by preventing accidental release during use.

Implementation Method 1

a method of compressing and crushing the material between a mandrel and a screw rotating at a low speed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 2

a cutting part capable of rotating inside the hopper and cutting the material for juice extraction put inside the hopper

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP4049559B1juicer
Publication Date: 2024.07.24 HUROM CO LTD
  • EP4049559B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4049559B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4049559B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to juice extractor comprising a cutting part for cutting a material for juice extraction beforehand by rotation above a screw, wherein the cutting part is formed in a dual structure of a core body and an outer shell covering the outer side of the core body with a material different from the core body.