Patent Publication Number: US-2009235831-A1

Title: Self-Cleansing Juicer System

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed towards fostering a healthy fruit and vegetable diet and to other fruit and vegetable juicers, more particularly, to a juicing system having a self-cleaning apparatus that effectively and efficiently purges residue and dried pulp (aka byproduct) out, yielding a clean, fresh, and ready to use juicer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is recognized that in today&#39;s world a healthy diet goes a long way. A fruit and vegetable juice extractor is the first step; however, the time burden of cleaning a juice extractor and purging the remainder byproduct out of the system turns many a potential user away from an improved diet, hence the need for an improved system. 
     Historically, juice extractors are powered by an electric motor that is enclosed in a plastic covering to prevent shock or other unnecessary disturbances. The motors axle is extended out of the plastic enclosure and is attached to a rotating shredding disk, having a tube like passageway so that when fruits or vegetables are pushed through they come in contact with the grating disk for rasping. Once rasped or shredded, it is squeezed on a conical shaped filter encircling the grating disk. Around the conical disk is a plastic opening for the raw fruits or vegetables when squeezed it is directed to an external drinking cup. Some of the pulp that is left over and is not allowed through by the filter, is pushed out from the top of the spinning disk into another opening and out into a trash bowl. 
     The most common problem in such juice extractors is that the byproduct clogs the filter which is difficult to remove. It also reduces the efficiency for making other kinds of juices within an interval of quite a few minutes unless the pulp (byproduct) is totally purged from the filter. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,248 issued to Hsu, an assembly of filter residue removal equipment is illustrated. First, the mechanical complexity of the structure; secondly, even though the stopper is accurately positioned at a certain time to push all the residue up, it still leaves most of the residue stuck on the filter which then ultimately dries and hardens which compounds the issue and essentially creates much dreaded work. Nonetheless, it still needs to be disassembled to be washed by hands which is time consuming. This typically leads to discouragement and eventually abandonment of the juicers and ultimately users return to purchasing juices from stores, and/or unhealthy or at least to a less healthy diet. 
     Another example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,601 to Ramirez, an improvement over Hsu; works on a basic principle of centripetal force, this pushes the shredded pieces through the conical filter, because of the conical shape and through a series of vain-like paths, the leftovers are forced upward and into the collection bowl. However, Ramirez still lacks the ability to remove the pulp from the filter and the inner parts of the juicer, leading to the same issues and outcomes encountered by Hsu hereinabove. 
     Contemporarily, juice extractors, although they may extract juices effectively, are all faced with one problem: how to purge the byproduct about the top cover, and most importantly around the conical filter where the heart of juice extraction lies. Hence lies the need for a speedier, less messy, and increased efficient method of cleaning a juicer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an affordable fruit and vegetable juicer in which the residue and the byproduct via a water source may be automatically cleaned from the filter and the inner parts of the juicer absent the hassle of manually unclogging the filter. 
     Furthermore, the present invention, provides a fruit and vegetable juice extractor system having a cover that accommodates any external water source to be inserted into the machine, and also an external drainer for the byproduct to discharge into the sink. 
     Once the raw material is prepared, e.g., the fruit or the vegetable, it is inserted into the outer orifice or the mouth, proceeding down the tube and into the grater, whereon one side the juice exits and from the other the residue exits. In order to purge the residue, the external mouth of the juicer, where the juice exits, is connected to the residue bowl via a rubber kitchen hose, and is positioned into the sink. Pressurized water will enter the top, supplied from any source (kitchen sink, lavatory sink and etc.) and passed through all of the inner parts of the juicer. As such, it is directed onto the filter to forcefully purge the byproduct out into the sink via the drainer hose. Once the process is completed, the hose is removed, and the juicer is ready for the next juicing, virtually hassle free. 
     Other objectives, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts, are provided for illustration of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention in any manner whatsoever. 
         FIG. 1  is a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an elevational view of the top cover; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the top cover of the juicer; and 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded compilation view of the self cleaning juicer with the self cleaning components. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     The following descriptions of the preferred embodiments are presented to illustrate the present invention and are not to be construed to limit the claims in any manner whatsoever. Referring generally to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the present invention is illustrated. In one embodiment, the self cleansing juicer system  10  comprises a cover  30  and a feeding tube  32  connected via an outer orifice to place the fruits and/or vegetables (hereafter raw material), a collection bowl  22 , and a top supporting portion  52  which when connected attaches to a collection bowl orifice  56 . The self cleansing juicer system  10  has dual attachments  18   a ,  18   b  respectively, located on the right and the left side of the juicer combining the top portion  52  with the collection bowl  56 . A power cord  12  attached to the motor covering base  14  of the juicer system  10  is wired to the electric motor  16 , illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and optionally may include a timer (not shown). The collection bowl discharge  26  provides a tube like passage to the liquid receptacle subjectively selected by the user, for example, a glass, or cup for the extracted juice (aka product) that builds up in the chamber  24  and an open/close valve or stop cock  26   a  for the water not to escape when washing is in progress. It is envisioned that the valve may be adjusted by the operator to a desired setting, such as completely open, completely shut, or something in between. 
     The top cover  30  of the juicer system  10  includes a feeding tube  32  that provides a passage for the incoming raw material to be extracted, wherein the raw material is forced to enter by the pusher  34 . The top cover  30  also includes an opening  32   a  for the external hose  100  to be attached via distal end  32   b , wherein the proximal end  32   c  of the hose  100  provides means for removably connecting to a water supply. Alternatively, the hose  32   b  may be configured and dimensioned be operatively connected via the feeding tube  32 . The top cover  30  is configured and dimensioned such that water emanating from  32   a  will have sufficient pressure to force the byproduct out from exit-outlet  42 , for example, tap water pressure of no more than 150 psi, preferably between 50 to 70 psi, although it is envisioned that high pressures may be used. Exit-outlet  42  is attached with a special V-shaped opening  42   a  that inter-locks with an exit hose  42   b  which carries the waste or byproduct, inter alia, dried pulp, out and into the sink. 
     The motor covering base  14  of the juicer system  10  has a collection bowl supporting surface  70  and supporting flanges  71   a ,  71   b , and  71   c , which is configured and dimension such that the bowl  22  remains stationary when the motor  16  spins. The collection bowl  22 , houses the grading/filter basket  54  which is conical in shape, wherein said bowl  22  has a bottom orifice  27  for connection with the filter basket support  66 , which has a center mounting configuration  68 , from which a screw rod  72  extends vertically. The collection bowl  22  has a top extending overhang  56  through which the conical grading/filter basket  54  is fastened on the filter basket support  66 . 
     The filter basket  54  has side net-like walls  63  to function as a filter, and it is preferred to be conical in shape so as to optimize performance. When the raw material is graded, it is pressed against the filter basket wall  63  to secrete all the juices (product) out into the chamber  24 . The supporting structures  61  enables firmness and durability to the grading/filter basket  54 . The grading/filter basket  54  contains a lower segment  53  attached to the side walls  63 . The lower segment  53  harnesses the grating disk  58 , and a center hole  69 . The screw rod  77  having a threaded end  72  passes through the center hole  69  of the grating disk  58 , through the center hole  67  of the filter basket  54 , wherein a cap nut  74  is threaded onto the screw rod  77  to hold together the filter basket  54  and grating disk  58 . 
     A pulp-extraction flange  46  extends from the wall of the collection bowl  22  preventing byproduct from dripping along the outer surface  45  of the collection bowl  22 , and to prevent leakage during the washing phase. The right and the left attaching arms  18   a ,  18   b , respectively, have corresponding right and left fastened grooves  20   a ,  20   b , respectively, on top cover  30 . The attachment arms  18   a ,  18   b  are released by attachment levers  19   a ,  19   b  thereby releasing collection bowl  30 . 
     A supporting portion  50  of the collection bowl  22  is configured and dimension such that the bottom surface  42  of cover  30  mates thereto. An extending edge  51  and the extension  54  of the grading/filter basket porous mesh wall  63  spins about its axis  91  for extracting the product from the raw material. The separation of the product from the byproduct, described above, is accomplished, in part, by prohibiting any byproduct from entering the chamber  24  via wall  63  which circumscribes the disk  58 , such that when disk  58  spins, any material that is larger than the holes defining the mesh shall not pass therethrough and is hence byproduct. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the top cover  30 , the feeding tube  32 , with the fruit and vegetables driver (aka the pusher)  34 , which is not located on the central axis  91  On the axis  91  is a cleaning tube  32   a  which has an adaptor  32   b  that goes into the cleaning tube with an external supply hose  100  that is connected to a water source for cleaning out the byproduct.  FIG. 2  illustrates attachment flanges  20   a ,  20   b , the configuration of cover  30  to the elevation (or apex)  38 , wherefrom the interior surface  90  extends horizontally and then downward until it terminates to provide a passageway  42  to direct the byproduct out and away from the juicer system  10 . 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a sectional cutout-view of the self cleaning juicer system  10 , with the addition of removal byproduct hose  78 . A motor drive  16  is located within the motor covering base  14  which includes the supporting surface for the collection bowl  70 . There are also three supporting flanges  71   a ,  72   b , and  71   c  for the support of the collection bowl  22 . The collection bowl  22  bottom surface  23  is slanted which partially defines the inner flange  25  of the juice chamber  24 . 
     The screw rod  77  extends vertically through the filter basket center hole  67  and the grating disk center hole  69 , wherein holes  67  and  69  are configured and dimension such that rod  77 and the threaded end  72  mate thereto. A cap nut  74  is threading screwed onto the threaded outer end  72  of screw rod  77  to secure the filter basket  54  and the grating disk  58  onto the motor covering base  14 . 
     The top cover  30  is placed over the surface  52  into the groove  57  and into the supporting surface  50 . The side wall extension  55  is configured and dimensioned so as to allow the filter basket  54  to spin while providing stability between the filter basket  54 , and top cover  30 , and also includes an opening  32   a  for the external hose  100  to be attached via fitting  32   b , thereby allowing the byproduct to be washed away via water supplied via supply hose  100 . The position of the feed tube  32  may be seen as offset from, or behind in this view, the center axis  91  due to the injected water source  32   a  and  32   b . A guide  56  extends from the top surface  50  of the collection bowl  22  to guiding the water and the byproduct away from the outer surface  45  of the collection bowl  22 . 
     All of the above referenced patents; patent applications and publications are hereby incorporated by reference. Many variations of the present invention will suggest themselves to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above detailed description. All such obvious modifications are within the full-intended spirit and scope of the claims of the present application both literally and in equivalents recognized at law.