Abstract:
A juicer/extractor comprises a base, a drip cup supported by the base, a vertical rod having a lower end located above the drip cup and movable along a vertical direction, a column extending upward from the base and including a portion for supporting the vertical rod and allowing vertical movement of the vertical rod, a juicing device for extracting juice from citrus, and a pressing device for extracting juice from fruit without peel, rootstock, or vegetable. One of the juicing device and the pressing device is selected and is releasably mounted between the lower end of the vertical rod and the drip cup.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a juicer/juice extractor, and more particularly to a dual function juicer/juice extractor that can be used as either a juicer for extracting juice from fruit with peel or a juice extractor for extracting juice from fruit without peel, rootstock, or vegetable. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A juice extractor is used to extract juice from fruit without peel (such as apples, pineapples, kiwis, etc.), rootstock, or vegetable. However, the juice extractor cannot be used to extract juice from fruit with peel (i.e., citrus) such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, etc., as the juice extracted will taste bitter. A juicer is generally used to extract juice from citrus, but it cannot be used to extract juice from fruit without peel, rootstock, or vegetable. Thus, the users must buy both a juice extractor and a juicer, which is uneconomic. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a juicer/juice extractor that can be used as either a juicer for extracting juice from fruit with peel or a juice extractor for extracting juice from fruit without peel, rootstock, or vegetable, thereby saving the cost. 
     A juicer/extractor in accordance with the present invention comprises: 
     a base; 
     a drip cup supported by the base; 
     a vertical rod having a lower end located above the drip cup; 
     means for moving the vertical rod along a vertical direction; 
     a column extending upward from the base and including a portion for supporting the vertical rod and allowing vertical movement of the vertical rod; 
     a juicing device for extracting juice from citrus; and 
     a pressing device for extracting juice from fruit without peel, rootstock, or vegetable; 
     one of the juicing device and the pressing device being releasably mounted between the lower end of the vertical rod and the drip cup. 
     The juicing device comprises a reamer mounted above the drip cup and a pressure cup having a lower end above the reamer and an upper end releasably engaged with the lower end of the vertical rod. The lower end of the vertical rod comprises an outer threading and the upper end of the pressure cup includes an inner threading for engaging with the outer threading of the lower end of the vertical rod. 
     The pressing device comprises a dripping plate mounted on top of the drip cup and a pressing plate having a lower side above the dripping plate and an upper side releasably engaged with the lower end of the vertical rod. The lower end of the vertical rod comprises an outer threading. The pressing plate comprises an engaging stem extending from the upper side thereof The engaging stem includes an end having an inner threading for engaging with the outer threading of the lower end of the vertical rod. The lower side of the pressing plate comprises a plurality of annular ribs formed thereon. The dripping plate comprises a plurality of rows of recessed sections each having a plurality of dripping holes communicated with the drip cup A strainer cone surrounds at least a lower portion of the engaging stem to thereby prevent splashing of juice. 
     Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional juicer. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view, partly sectioned, of a lower portion of the conventional juicer. 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a pressure cup of the conventional juicer. 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of a reamer and a strainer cone of the conventional juicer. 
     FIG. 5 is a side view, partly sectioned, of the conventional juicer. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view similar to FIG. 5, illustrating operation of the conventional juicer 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a juice extractor in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a side view, partly sectioned, of a lower portion of the juice extractor in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a bottom view of a pressure plate of the juice extractor in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is a top view of a dripping plate of the juice extractor in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a side view, partly sectioned, of the juice extractor in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a side view similar to FIG. 10, illustrating operation of the juice extractor in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In order to provide a better understanding of the present invention, a conventional juicer will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6 of the drawings. 
     FIG. 1 of the drawings illustrates a typical juicer. The juicer, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the juicer comprises a base  10  with a recess  11  in which a soft pad  12  is received for supporting a drip cup  17 . A column  13  extends upward from a rear of the base  10  and includes a head  14  on a top thereof a handle  15  has an end  151  pivotally connected to the head  14  and having a spindle (not shown) mounted thereon. A gear (not shown) is mounted to the spindle to rotate therewith. A vertical rod  16  has a portion housed in the head  14  and includes a rack  161  formed on a side thereof the rack  161  meshing with the gear. Thus, the vertical rod  16  is moved vertically when the handle  15  is pivoted. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 2, a juicing device  20  is mounted between the vertical rod  16  and the drip cup  17 . The juicing device  20  includes a conic pressure cup  21  having a top  22  with an inner threading  221  for threading engagement with a lower threaded end  162  of the vertical rod  16 . The juicing device  20  further includes a strainer cone  23  mounted on top of the drip cup  17  and a reamer  25  mounted above the drip cup  17  and including a plurality of holes  251  in a conic portion thereof and a plurality of holes  24  in a planar portion thereof The strainer cone  33  is preferably integral with the dripping plate  34  and rests on top of the drip cup  17 . FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the pressure cup  21  and FIG. 4 is a top view of the strainer cone  23  and the reamer  25 . 
     In use, as illustrated in FIG. 5, fruit with peel (i.e., citrus) is placed on top of the reamer  25  and the handle  15  is then pivoted to move the vertical rod  16  downward. The pressure cup  21  is moved downward toward the fruit with peel and thus extract juice from the fruit, as shown in FIG.  6 . The extracted juice flows into the drip cup  17  via the holes  251  and  24  in the reamer  25 . 
     However, such a juicer cannot be used to extract juice from fruit without peel (such as apples, pineapples, kiwis, etc.), rootstock, or vegetable. 
     Referring to FIGS. 7 through 12, the present invention provides a juice extractor for extracting juice from fruit without peel (such as apples, pineapples, kiwis, etc.), rootstock, or vegetable. The juicer illustrated in FIG. 1 through 6 can be easily converted into the juice extractor in accordance with the present invention by means of simple replacement of the juicing device  20  with a juice-pressing device  30  in accordance with the present invention. 
     Hereinafter, the juice extractor in accordance with the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 through 12. 
     Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, similar to the juicer illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, a juice extractor in accordance with the present invention generally comprises a base  10  with a recess  11  in which a soft pad  12  is received for supporting a drip cup  17 . A column  13  extends upward from a rear of the base  10  and includes a head  14  on a top thereof A handle  15  has an end  151  pivotally connected to the head  14  and having a spindle (not shown) mounted thereon. A gear (not shown) is mounted to the spindle to rotate therewith. A vertical rod  16  has a portion housed in the head  14  and includes a rack  161  formed on a side thereof, the rack  161  meshing with the gear. Thus, the vertical rod  16  is moved vertically when the handle  15  is pivoted. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 8, a pressing device  30  for extracting juice from fruit without peel (such as apples, pineapples, kiwis, etc.), rootstock, or vegetable is mounted between the vertical rod  16  and the drip cup  17 . The pressing device  30  includes a pressure plate  31  and a dripping plate  34 . An engaging stem  32  extends from a side of the pressure plate  31  and includes an end with an inner threading  321  for threading engagement with a lower threaded end  162  of the vertical rod  16 . A strainer cone  33  may be mounted on top of the drip cup  17  and surround at least a lower portion of the engaging stem  32  to thereby prevent splashing of the juice. The strainer cone  33  is preferably integral with the dripping plate  34  and rests on top of the drip cup  17 , best shown in FIG. 8. A plurality of concentric annular ribs  311  is formed on the other side of the pressure plate  31 , thereby forming a plurality of concentric annular grooves  312  between the annular ribs  311 , best shown in FIG.  9 . The dripping plate  34  is mounted in or above the drip cup  17  and includes a plurality of rows of recessed sections  341  each having a plurality of dripping holes  343  defined therein. A ridge  342  is defined between each two adjacent recessed sections  341 , best shown in FIG.  10 . 
     In use, as illustrated in FIG. 11, fruit without peel (such as apples, pineapples, kiwis, etc.), rootstock, or vegetable is placed on top of the dripping plate  34  and the handle  15  is then pivoted to move the vertical rod  16  downward. The pressure plate  31  is moved downward toward the fruit without peel (such as apples, pineapples, kiwis, etc.), rootstock, or vegetable and thus extract juice from the latter, as shown in FIG.  12 . The extracted juice flows into the drip cup  17  via the holes  343  in the dripping plate  34 . 
     It is noted that the juicer in FIG.  2  and the juice extractor in FIG. 8 are different from each other in the juicing device  20  in FIG.  2  and the pressing device  30  in FIG.  8 . The juicing device  20  is designed for extracting juice from citrus while the pressing device  30  is designed for extracting juice from fruit without peel (such as apples, pineapples, kiwis, etc.), rootstock, or vegetable. Nevertheless, the juicing device  20  and the pressing device  30  can be easily exchanged. For example, when converting the juicer to the juice extractor, one may disengage the pressure cup  21  from the lower threaded end  162  of the vertical rod  16 , remove the reamer  25 , then place the dripping plate  34  on top of the drip cup  17 , and finally engage the pressing plate  30  with the threaded lower end  162  of the vertical rod  16 . Conversion of the juice extractor into the juicer can be accomplished by a reverse operation. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.