Kevin B Evans

US Patent:

6293189, Sep 25, 2001

Filed:

Mar 13, 2000

Appl. No.:

9/523882

Inventors:

Kevin E. Evans - Bradenton FL
Jeffrey L. Korengel - Sarasota FL
Harold Pollack - St. Petersburg FL
David S. Lineback - Bradenton FL

Assignee:

Tropicana Products, Inc. - Bradenton FL

International Classification:

A23N 102
B30B 902

US Classification:

99510

Abstract:

An extractor for separating the juice and juice sacs from a citrus fruit that includes a lower cup for supporting a single piece of citrus fruit and an upper cup disposed vertically above the lower cup with the upper and lower cups moveable relative to each other in a vertical direction so as to cooperate to squeeze the piece of citrus fruit placed therebetween. An upper cutter is provided for cutting a plug in the citrus to permit the separation of the peel from the juice and the juice sacs, while a lower cutter is provided for cutting the plug to allow the juice and juice sacs to exit therethrough when the fruit is squeezed between the upper and lower cups. A strainer tube is vertically oriented beneath the lower cup and lower cutter, with the strainer tube having a plurality of circumferential slots along its working length.