Patent ID: 12185860

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Subject matter will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. Subject matter may, however, be embodied in a variety of different forms and, therefore, covered or claimed subject matter is intended to be construed as not being limited to any exemplary embodiments set forth herein; exemplary embodiments are provided merely to be illustrative. Likewise, a reasonably broad scope for claimed or covered subject matter is intended. Among other things, for example, the subject matter may be embodied as methods, devices, components, or systems. The following detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be taken in a limiting sense.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term “embodiments of the present invention” does not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of embodiments of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising,”, “includes” and/or “including”, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The following detailed description includes the best currently contemplated mode or modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention will be best defined by the allowed claims of any resulting patent.

Referring toFIGS.1-8which shows an exemplary embodiment of the sleeve for fruit squeezers, such as lemon and orange. The disclosed sleeve can direct the squeezed juices from the fruit into a container without any chance of the juices dripping outside the container.FIG.2shows the fruit squeezer200mounted within the sleeve100. A typical fruit squeezer200can include an upper arm205and a lower arm210, each the upper arm and the lower arm can have a proximal end and a distal end. The upper arm205and the lower arm210can pivotally be coupled at their proximal ends through a hinge joint215, a lower cup configured in the lower arm near the hinge joint, an upper cup configured in the upper arm near the hinge joint, wherein the upper cup dimensioned to fit into the lower cup. Near the distal end of the upper arm205can be configured as an upper handle220and near the distal end of the lower arm configured as a lower handle225. The lower cup can be perorated for the juices to escape. It is to be understood that the structure and functioning of the fruit squeezers are known to a skilled person. The disclosed sleeve can be used with commercially available fruit squeezers same or similar to the above-described fruit squeezers.

The sleeve100can include a lower portion110, a mid portion120, and an upper portion130. The three portions are integral and have been defined separately to illustrate one or more embodiments of the disclosed invention. The upper portion130has a top periphery140along with the opening of the sleeve. The sleeve can have a slight funnel shape, wherein the bottom of the sleeve is narrowest and the top of the sleeve is broadest. Both the lower portion and the mid portion are shown to gradually increase in diameter from bottom to top. A wall of the sleeve gradually tapers outwards from the bottom to the top. This shape of the sleeve may allow the juices to funnel into the container. The upper portion130of sleeve100is shown to be cylindrical. It is to be understood that the shape shown inFIG.1is preferable, however, any variations in the shape are within the scope of the present invention.

The sleeve can have a first substantially U-shaped cut150along the top periphery140that can extend within the upper portion130and the mid portion120. As shown inFIG.2, the first substantially U-shaped cut150can receive the hinge joint215of the fruit squeezer200. The first substantially U-shaped cut as shown inFIG.1can be of a such as hinge joint215can rest in the first substantially U-shaped cut150. The shape of the first substantially U-shaped cut150can correspond to the shape of the hinge joint portion of the fruit squeezer, such as the fruit squeezer can be stably retained in the first substantially U-shaped cut150. Moreover, the shape of the first substantially U-shaped cut150can be such as to accommodate fruit squeezers with variable shapes.

The sleeve100can further have a window160in the mid portion120opposite the first substantially U-shaped cut150. Window160can be a passage in a wall of the sleeve into which the lower arm210of the fruit squeezer200can be inserted, wherein the lower handle225of the lower arm210can protrude from the window160. The window160can be positioned and can be of a shape and size such as the lower arm of the fruit squeezer can be retained within the window while the hinge joint can stably rest in the first substantially U-shaped cut150.FIG.2shows the hinge joint215placed in the first substantially U-shaped cut150and the lower handle225protrudes from the window160in the sleeve100.

A second substantially U-shaped cut170can be provided in the upper portion130above the window160. The second substantially U-shaped cut170can receive the upper arm205of the fruit squeezer200.

To extract the juices using the disclosed sleeve100, a user can insert the lower arm of a fruit squeezer into the window of the sleeve such as the hinge joint of the fruit squeezer can rest in the first substantially U-shaped cut. Once, the fruit squeezer is in place, a fruit can be placed in the lower cup of the fruit squeezer, and thereafter, the sleeve can be positioned over a container. Once over and/or into the container the upper handle can be forced towards the lower handle to compress the fruit between the upper cup and the lower cup. The juices can pass through the perforations in the lower cup into the container, wherein the sleeve can funnel the juices into the container and prevent any chance of dripping the juices outside the container. The height of the upper portion of the sleeve can be such as to surround the upper cup. Any juice squirts from the compression can be funneled by the sleeve into the container. Thus, disclosed is a hygienic and safe method of squeezing juices using a fruit squeezer.

The disclosed sleeve can be manufactured from any food-grade material, such as silicone that is resistant to citrus juices. Moreover, the material of the sleeve may allow washing the sleeve easily preventing the accumulation or growth of microbes. Any damage to the fruit squeezer such as scratches can also be prevented. The disclosed sleeve can be manufactured in a range of sizes, designs, and shapes without departing from the scope of the present invention.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above-described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.