Abstract:
The invention relates to a hand press ( 1 ) for food, i.e. garlic. Said invention is characterised by a double lever transmission, which arises due to the co-operation of a receiving container ( 2 ), a tappet ( 3 ), two handles ( 4,5 ) and two lever arms ( 6,7 ) which are specifically arranged in a pivotable manner therebetween. Pressing with minimal effort takes place due to a translation which is produced by the double ever transmission. Additional advantages of said device are that it can be manufactured with minimal edge clearance between the tappet ( 3 ) and the receiving container ( 2 ), a stopping agent ( 71 ) for automatically positioning the tappet ( 3 ), a return spring ( 8 ) for automatically opening the hand press ( 1 ), and an anti-adhesive coating of the discharge ( 33 ) on the tappet ( 3 ) and the base ( 20 ) of the receiving container ( 2 )

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a hand press for a material intended for pressing in the form of a foodstuff having the characterizing features of the preamble to patent claim  1 .  
       PRIOR ART/BACKGROUND ART  
       [0002]     Hand presses of the aforementioned kind are used in households in many different ways, in particular as garlic presses. Commercially available garlic presses exhibit a simple lever transmission. A first handle is attached for this purpose to a press cylinder for the garlic, of which the bottom is perforated with a large number of openings. A second handle is attached to a press piston, which is guided in the press cylinder. In addition, the handles are attached to one another in a pivoting fashion, so that a lever action occurs between the handles on the one hand and the press cylinder and the press piston on the other. Garlic presses of this kind are previously disclosed, for example, in US-A 2002/069769, EP-A 1 106 125, US-B 5,791,237 or US-B 5,513,562.  
         [0003]     The lever action of such a garlic press is frequently not adequate, however, with the result that high pressure forces must be applied to the handles in order to press out the garlic. This leads rapidly to fatigue.  
         [0004]     It has accordingly been proposed in DE-U 201 16 151 to attach a first handle to the press cylinder in a pivoting fashion, to attach a second handle to the first handle in a movable fashion via a guide link, and to articulate both the press cylinder and a press piston in a pivoting fashion on the second handle. The transmission of force from the handles onto the press cylinder and the press piston is, in fact, improved by this “articulated lever mechanism”. However, the press piston and the press cylinder describe a strong angular movement in conjunction with the filling and pressing sequence, which makes handling difficult and, in particular, requires the exact alignment of the press piston to enable it to be introduced into the press cylinder.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     An object of the present invention is to make available a hand press, which permits pressing out of a material intended for pressing with a low expenditure of force and offers convenient handling.  
         [0006]     This object is achieved by the subject of patent claim  1 .  
         [0007]     The hand press is accordingly equipped with a double lever transmission, in conjunction with which this double lever transmission is provided by the arrangement of handles, lever arms, receiving container and ram, as indicated in patent claim  1 . The double lever transmission results in a favorable transfer, that is to say a favorable ratio, between the force that acts on the material intended for pressing and the force that must be applied to the handles, and with effective and simple ease of handling at the same time. In view of its outstanding characteristics, this press is also designated as “5-star”.  
         [0008]     Advantageous embodiments of the hand press in accordance with the invention are indicated in the dependent patent claims.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0009]     The invention is described below in greater detail with reference to the drawings, in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic side view of a garlic press in accordance with a first embodiment, partially in cross section;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  shows an enlarged side view of the ram of the garlic press in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of the ram in  FIG. 2  rotated through 90°;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a cross section through the press cylinder of the garlic press in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a view from above of the press cylinder in  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  shows a ghosted view (“x-ray image”) of a garlic press in accordance with a second embodiment;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  shows a view from above of the garlic press in  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  shows a view from the front of the garlic press in  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of the garlic press in  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  shows a ghosted view (“x-ray image”) from the side of a garlic press in accordance with a third embodiment;  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  shows a view from above of the garlic press in  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 12  shows a view from the front of the garlic press in  FIG. 10 ; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 13  shows a perspective view of the garlic press in  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]     A garlic press  1  is shown in  FIG. 1  as an example of a hand press in accordance with the invention. The garlic press exhibits a receiving container in the form of a press cylinder  2 , which serves the purpose of receiving the material intended for pressing, in this case garlic. A plunger-like ram  3  serves the purpose of pressing the garlic through openings, not illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in the bottom  20  of the press cylinder  2 . The term ram is used here to denote an object with any desired form that is adapted to interact with a receiving container for the material intended for pressing in such a way that a pressure is exerted on the material intended for pressing.  
         [0024]     In addition, the garlic press represented in  FIG. 1  comprises two handles  4 ,  5 . These are attached to one another in a pivoting fashion via a pivot  40  close to their respective ends.  
         [0025]     A first lever arm  6  is rigidly attached at its one end to the press cylinder  2 . Close to its other end, the first lever arm  6  is pivotally attached to the first handle  4  via a pivot  41 . A second lever arm  7  is pivotally attached close to its one end to the ram  3  via a pivot  44 . Close to its other end, the second lever arm  7  is pivotally attached to the second handle  5  via a pivot  42 . The lever arms in this case are guided in a “cross-over” fashion and are pivotally attached to one another at their cross-over point via a pivot  43 .  
         [0026]     The arrangement of the press cylinder  2 , ram  3 , handles  4 ,  5  and lever arms  6 ,  7  in this way results in the following mode of operation of the garlic press: pressing the handles  4 ,  5  together gives rise to forces which generate turning moments about the pivot  40 . These turning moments lead to correspondingly increased forces at the locations of the pivots  41  and  42 , in conjunction with which the levels of these forces are determined in relation to the pivot  40  by the principle of the lever. These forces in turn generate turning moments about the pivot  43  via the lever arms  6 ,  7 . Forces are applied in this way to the press cylinder  2  and the ram  3 , which are now determined in relation to the pivot  43  by the principle of the lever. In  FIG. 1 , the sections of the lever arms  6 ,  7  respectively to the left and right of the pivot  43  are of more or less identical length, that is to say the forces that arise at the locations of the pivots  41  and  42  are transmitted at more or less identical levels to the location of the material intended for pressing. The forces generated by the single lever of the handles  4 ,  5  at the locations of the pivots  41 ,  42 , at which neither the press cylinder nor the ram could be applied because of the restricted conditions of space, are thus transmitted to a location at which sufficient space is available through the double lever transmission.  
         [0027]     In the event that the lever effect requires to be further improved, both the force transmission ratio of the handles  4 ,  5  to the pivots  41 ,  42  and the force transmission ratio of the pivots  41 ,  42  to the material intended for pressing can be varied. The positions of the pivots  41  and  42  can thus be selected closer to the pivot  40 , which improves the transmission of force from the handles  4 ,  5  to the pivots  41 ,  42 , or the geometry of the lever arms  6 ,  7  can be varied in order to improve the transmission of force there. In practice, however, the maximum useful force transmission is limited by the fact that the ram must still execute an adequate lift, for example from 1.5 to 3 cm, when the ends of the handles are pressed together by a practically usable amount, for example by about 3 to 8 cm. The garlic press is accordingly preferably executed in such a way that the force transmission ratio from the ends of the handles  4 ,  5  to the material intended for pressing lies between approximately 1.5 and 6, and preferably between 2 and 5.  
         [0028]     The force transmission ratio of the lever arms  6 ,  7  alone, that is to say the ratio between the distance from the pivot  43  to the pivot  41  and  42  on the one hand, and from the pivot  43  to the center of the press cylinder and to the pivot  44  on the other hand, is in the order of 1.0 in  FIG. 1 . This ratio preferably lies between 0.5 and 2, and more preferably still between 0.8 and 1.5. Values smaller than 1 may be sensible, since such values result in a greater gain of space; the more unfavorable transmission of force for such values may be compensated, for example, by a higher transmission of force at the lever system of the handles. Values greater than 1 lead to a further amplification of the lever effect.  
         [0029]     An overall transmission ratio for the forces applied to the material intended for pressing can be achieved in this way, which could not be achieved with a single lever system because of the associated space problems.  
         [0030]     Attached to the pivots  40 ,  41  and  42  is a return spring  8 , which forces the handles  4 ,  5  apart. This brings about automatic opening of the garlic press  1  as soon as no further pressure is applied to the handles. This spring  8  is represented in  FIG. 1  as a piece of spring elastic wire, which is wound around the pivot  40  for a number of turns, and the ends of which are secured to the pivots  41  and  42 .  
         [0031]     In a preferred embodiment, the handles  4 ,  5  exhibit at least partially a hollow profile that is open internally, for example a U-shaped profile. This permits the concealed installation of the return spring  8  in the inside of the profile.  
         [0032]     A stop means in the form of a nose  71  on the lever arm  7  prevents the ram  3  from being capable of pivoting outwards beyond a specific orientation in the direction of the handles (to the right in  FIG. 1 ). The nose  71  is applied in such a way that, in the orientation in which the ram  3  comes into contact with the nose  71  (in which the stop means is effective in general terms), the ram  3  can be introduced into the press cylinder without further manual positioning or adjustment. Inconvenient, time-consuming manual positioning is avoided in this way. Instead of being executed on the lever arm  7 , the stop means can also be executed on the ram  3  and/or can exhibit a form other than that of the nose  71 , provided that the function of restricting the range of pivoting of the ram is still afforded.  
         [0033]      FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate views of the ram observed from two directions. The plunger-shaped ram consists of a circular, flat base plate  30  and a holder  31  in the form of an elongated plate. Present at the point of connection between the base plate  30  and the holder  31  is a reinforcement  32 , which is intended to prevent the holder from parting from the base plate. A plurality of ejection points  33  is present on the base plate. These exhibit an essentially conical form that extends downwards and is rounded at the bottom end. Present in the vicinity of the upper end of the holder  31  is a drilled hole  34  for connecting the ram to the lever arm  7 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 4  illustrates a cross section through the press cylinder, in conjunction with which, unlike in the case of  FIG. 1 , the openings  22  in the bottom  20  are represented explicitly. These openings  22  correspond to the ejection points  33  in their arrangement, form and dimensions, so that these engage with a perfect fit in the openings  22  when the ram  3  is introduced completely into the press cylinder  2 . The most complete forcing out possible of the material intended for pressing through the openings  22  is achieved in this way, without any residue remaining in these openings. The side wall  21  of the press cylinder is curved slightly outwards on its upper edge, so that the press cylinder broadens out slightly or its upper edge in order to permit easy introduction of the ram  3 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 5  illustrates the press cylinder  2  in a view from above. An advantageous arrangement of the openings  22  can be appreciated in the bottom  20 , according to which the openings  22  are arranged in a sequence of concentric rings in each case with identical distances between the openings  22  within each ring. Such an arrangement minimizes disadvantageous dead areas at the outer edge of the bottom  20  of the press cylinder  2 .  
         [0036]     Of importance for the effective function of the garlic press is the smallest possible edge clearance, that is to say the smallest possible distance between the periphery of the ram  3  and the interior of the side wall  21  of the press cylinder  2  when the ram  3  is introduced and centralized in the press cylinder  2 . This distance defines an annular space between the ram  3  and the interior of the side wall  21 . When the edge clearance is too great, material intended for pressing can be forced upwards through the annular space, instead of through the openings  22  in the bottom  20 . The distance which defines the edge clearance should preferably be less than about 1 millimeter, more preferably less than 0.5 millimeter, and better still less than 0.3 millimeter.  
         [0037]     The garlic press  1  can be produced from plastic or metal, for example, and in particular aluminum. In the event of its manufacture from a metal, this can be coated with plastic, at least in part. The hand press as a whole can be completely covered with a non-stick coating to facilitate clearing. However, at least the parts of the garlic press which come into contact with the material intended for pressing, and at least the ejection points  33  and the bottom As, can be provided advantageously with such a non-stick coating, for example made from a polytetrafluoro ethylene (PTFE), which is familiar under the trade name of Teflon®. Alternatively the ram, for example, can be produced in its entirety from a material with non-stick characteristics.  
         [0038]     A music chip of a previously disclosed kind, which plays a melody or generates a noise as the handles are pressed together, can be installed in one of the handles  4 ,  5 . A compartment for a battery, for example a hearing aid battery or a small torch battery, can be provided in one of the handles for this purpose. The electrical wires are routed advantageously via cavities in the handles. An electrical switch, which closes a circuit as the handles are pressed together in order to activate the music chip, can be installed advantageously inside one such cavity. Switching can also be effected in some other way, for example by means of a reed contact installed in one handle and a small permanent magnet installed in the opposite handle. The music chip, the switch and the power supply are advantageously installed in such a way that they are protected against washing-up detergent.  
         [0039]     The hand press in accordance with the invention can be modified in a variety of ways without departing from the area of the invention.  
         [0040]     The hand press can thus be executed not only as a garlic press, but also as a press for other types of foodstuff, in particular other varieties of vegetable, olives, pasta dough and the like, which will specifically require different dimensions in each case.  
         [0041]     A large diversity of forms is possible for the arrangement of the handles, the lever arms, the receiving container and the ram. Aspects of ergonomics, such as the aesthetics of the forms, can have an influence here. In particular, forms other than cylindrical forms are possible for the receiving container, for example with an oval, square or rectangular bottom. This may give rise, as appropriate, to arrangements of the ejection points and openings in the bottom of the receiving container other than those represented in  FIG. 5 . The ram can exhibit a different form from that of a plunger, for example the form of a solid or hollow piston with ejection points arranged thereon. The cross section of this piston in this case corresponds to the form of the bottom of the receiving container.  
         [0042]     The ejection points of the ram need not exhibit the rounded, conical form represented in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In a simplified embodiment, for example, the points can also exhibit cylindrical form, in which case a corresponding, matching counter-form of the openings  22  is selected in the bottom  20 . The ejection points are advantageously executed at their lower end in a tapering fashion, however, and the openings in the bottom of the receiving container are advantageously broadened out slightly, at least at their upper end, so that the ejection points “locate” easily in their respective openings on actuation of the hand press.  
         [0043]     The return spring can be executed in any preferred, previously disclosed form other than that represented in  FIG. 1 , for example as a flat strip spring. It need not be attached to the pivot  40 . The spring must not necessarily interact with the handles  4 ,  5 , but may interact instead with the lever arms  6 ,  7 , for example, provided that its function of opening the hand press is assured, that is to say forcing the plunger  3  and the receiving container  2  away from one another.  
         [0044]     Instead of the pivot  40 , another type of articulation can be provided for the attachment of the handles, for example a moving, transcurrent plastic connector with a fine articulation seam. Correspondingly, the other moving connections can also be executed between the handles, lever arms and ram in a manner other than that described.  
         [0045]     To prevent the fingers from becoming trapped, lateral covers can be applied to the handles  4 ,  5  and/or to the lever arms  6 ,  7 , which covers extend in parallel with the direction of movement of these elements and at least partially overlap them. Trapping of the fingers can be prevented in this way, in particular in the areas close to the pivots  40  and  43 .  
         [0046]     FIGS.  6  to  9  illustrate a second embodiment of a garlic press  1 ′ in accordance with the invention with a press cylinder  2 ′ and a ram  3 ′ in different views. This embodiment combines an aesthetically pleasing design with ergonomically favorable characteristics. The hands are prevented from slipping off by the raised, forward areas of the handles  4 ′,  5 ′, whereas the rounded form of the handles permits comfortable operation.  
         [0047]     The third embodiment of a garlic press  1 ″ in accordance with the invention with a press cylinder  2 ″ and a ram  3 ″ represented in FIGS.  10  to  13  is also easily operated thanks to the broad handles  4 ″,  5 ″, in this case in a flat execution, and the large area of its design makes it easy to clean and aesthetically appealing.