Juice extraction machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing commercial-scale fruit juice extraction machines face issues with waste disposal, as the waste-bin is located far from the extraction point, leading to random expulsion of peel, pith, and pulp, making cleaning difficult, and the fruit-rack's shape causes friction and damage during the peeling process.
Innovation Solution
A compact design featuring a swing-lidded waste-bin with semicircular sides close to the peelers for easy waste removal and a smooth, curved fruit-rack synchronized with the mobile peeler to facilitate fruit sliding and reduce damage, along with a spiral cross-spring mechanism for controlled fruit release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the waste-bin is located far from the extraction point, then the machine can process more fruit, but the peel, pith, and pulp are expelled randomly causing sticking and cleaning difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The waste-bin is segmented into multiple compartments (first waste-bin for peel and pith, second waste-bin for pulp) located at different positions relative to the extraction point. This segmentation allows different waste types to be collected separately in optimized locations, resolving the contradiction between productivity and ease of cleaning by preventing mixing of waste materials that causes sticking.
Solution Approach 2:
A deflector is introduced as an intermediary component between the extraction point and the waste-bin. The deflector redirects the trajectory of expelled peel, pith, and pulp into the waste-bin, ensuring complete capture without random expulsion. This intermediary element enables the waste-bin to be positioned optimally for both productivity and ease of cleaning.
2Device complexity
If the fruit-rack has a standard design, then the machine structure is simpler, but the fruit does not slide smoothly onto the mobile peeler during the second stage
Solution Approach 1:
The fruit-rack is designed with a curved surface instead of a flat or angular structure. This curvature matches the natural shape of citrus fruits, allowing them to slide smoothly along the rack during the second stage of processing. The curved design facilitates proper fruit orientation and movement onto the mobile peeler without requiring complex mechanical adjustments.
3Ease of operation
If the waste-bin is positioned close to the peelers, then waste removal is easier, but the machine occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
The waste-bin is positioned in a vertically arranged configuration rather than extending horizontally. The first waste-bin is located at the rear end and the second waste-bin at the front end, utilizing the vertical dimension and depth of the machine structure. This dimensional reorganization allows waste bins to be close to extraction points for easy removal while maintaining a compact horizontal footprint.
Data Source
AI summary
Improvements to a juice extraction machine, particularly a commercial-scale fruit juice extraction machine that is extremely light and compact for very easy handling and transportation, which is noteworthy for its unusual construction configuration that includes, among other items, a swing lidded waste-bin on its front whose walls are close to the peeler cups when closed, allowing easy removal of wastes such as pith, pulp and peel when open. The invention comprises a fruit-rack sub-set with a curved concave cross-section whose movement is synchronized with the axle that powers the mobile peeler, such fruit-rack being attached to the mobile peeler sub-set through slots and with the machine including a cross-spring attached at the bottom of the feeder/dispenser pipe, with such cross-spring having a means of activation located on the fruit-rack sub-set; the improved machine comprises a swing-lidded waste-bin on its front part, with such swing-lidded waste-bin having substantially semi-circular sides close to the mobile and fixed peelers and with the mobile peeler connected to a gear-motor sub-set and the fixed peeler concatenate with the filter and piston sub-set assembled in the fixed peeler.