Whole Citrus Squeezer With Radial Blades for Clean Juice Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing citrus juicers that extract juice from whole citrus fruits often require significant manual effort, result in low yield, and compromise juice quality due to contact with citrus peel oils and pollutants, making them unsuitable for domestic use.

Innovation Solution

A citrus press with a rotating pressing cone and movable pressing dome, equipped with radial knives and spacer members, which cuts the fruit into segments while preventing peel contact and facilitating juice extraction without excessive pressure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a perforated tube is used to extract juice from a whole citrus fruit, then the device structure is simple, but significant manual effort is required and the yield is not very high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice structure simplicityVSAvoidjuice extraction yield
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The citrus fruit is divided into segments by radial knives that cut the fruit into portions as it rotates between the pressing dome and pressing cone. This segmentation allows juice extraction from multiple sections simultaneously, significantly increasing yield compared to single-point extraction methods while maintaining a relatively simple device structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pressing dome is made movable relative to the pressing cone, allowing dynamic adjustment of the pressing force and position. This dynamic mechanism enables efficient juice extraction with reduced manual effort by automatically adapting to the fruit's position and resistance, while the rotary drive system provides continuous motion for consistent extraction throughout the fruit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If lateral pressing force is applied to extract juice from a whole citrus fruit, then sufficient juice can be extracted, but significant manual intervention is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejuice extraction efficiencyVSAvoidmanual intervention requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The movable pressing dome combined with rotary drive creates a dynamic pressing system that automatically applies and adjusts lateral pressing force as the fruit rotates. This eliminates the need for continuous manual intervention while maintaining efficient juice extraction, as the mechanism self-regulates the pressing action throughout the rotation cycle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The device is designed to perform the pressing action automatically through its mechanical configuration. The fruit's own rotation between the fixed pressing cone and movable pressing dome generates the necessary pressing force, with the system self-regulating through the mechanical interaction rather than requiring external manual control for each pressing action.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If the fruit is flattened after opening the press, then the skin can fall into a waste bin, but the essential oils and pollutants from the bark mix with the juice

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveskin disposal convenienceVSAvoidjuice quality contamination
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The pressing cone features a central hollow point that extracts juice through the center of the fruit, separating the juice extraction path from the skin contact areas. This central extraction method allows the skin to be flattened and disposed of separately while the juice is collected through the center, preventing contamination from essential oils and pollutants in the bark and flavedo.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The central hollow point of the pressing cone acts as an intermediary extraction path, channeling juice through the center of the fruit away from the skin surfaces. This intermediary extraction route prevents direct contact between the collected juice and the contaminated skin, allowing convenient skin disposal while maintaining juice quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If a combined compression and suction system is used, then juice extraction can be enhanced, but the device becomes difficult to transpose to a reduced scale for domestic use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejuice extraction capabilityVSAvoiddevice scalability to domestic size
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device employs a suction system that uses air flow to extract juice from the fruit segments as they pass between the pressing surfaces. This pneumatic extraction method enhances juice removal efficiency without requiring complex mechanical compression systems, allowing the device to be scaled down to a compact size suitable for domestic use while maintaining effective juice extraction capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

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

The solution enables efficient, high-yield juice extraction with improved quality by minimizing contact with citrus peel, simplifying construction and cleaning, and accommodating various fruit sizes, making it suitable for individual and catering use.

Implementation Method 1

a pressing cone (5) arranged below said pressing dome and designed to rotate relative to said pressing dome and to said knives

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical pressure: Compression

Implementation Method 2

spacer members (100) arranged between said knives (40) and said pressing cone (5), said spacers having a section increasing from the knives in the direction of the pressing cone

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGeometric constraint: Geometry

Data Source

PatentEP2120612B1Citrus squeezer for squeezing a whole citrus
Publication Date: 2018.12.19 SEB SA
  • EP2120612B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2120612B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2120612B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a citrus squeezer for squeezing a whole citrus, that comprises a squeezing cone (5) and a squeezing dome (3) arranged along an axis (71), as well as blades (40) arranged between the squeezing cone (5) and the squeezing dome (3), the blades (40) extending radially relative to the axis (71), the squeezing cone (5) being rotatingly mobile relative to the squeezing dome (3) and the blades (40), and the squeezing dome (3) being mobile relative to the blades (40) and the squeezing cone (5). According to a feature of the invention, spacing members (100) are provided between the blades (40) and the squeezing cone (5).