JP7597486B2 - Fruit peeler - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a peeler for peeling the skin of roughly spherical fruits such as apples and pears while rotating them around an axis.

There is a technique for manually peeling apples, pears, and other roughly spherical fruits, in which a fork is inserted into one or both sides of a rotating shaft that passes roughly through the center of the fruit, rotating the fruit, and pressing a peeler blade against the surface to remove the skin. Machines that use the technology in Taiwan Patent Publication No. 265591 "New Type Fruit Peeler" (Figure 9) are widely used.

Taiwan Patent Publication No. 265591 "New type fruit peeler" Jikko No. 61-815 "Peeler"

However, we noticed that the peeler 16 based on this technology had the following problems:

As shown in Figure 9, the body of the peeler 16 is fixed and the handle 17 is turned to transmit power to each part. Therefore, there is a problem with the cost of the machine, which includes the mounting structure 18, the handle 17, the handle support structure 22, the six gears 19 that reduce the speed of the handle rotation to rotate the peeler blade 10, and the gear shaft support structure 20, and the manufacturing and supply costs accordingly.

The problem is that it requires space to set up a table or similar when in use.

As a peeler 16 that handles food ingredients, cleaning is essential to keep it clean, but fruit juice splashes when peeling fruit, soiling the surrounding area and also soiling the peeler 16 itself. If the juice, which is high in sugar, is left alone, it becomes sticky and dirty, and it also attracts dust, pests, and bacteria, making it unsanitary. Cleaning the peeler 16 requires wiping off the dirt along the surface shapes of the machine body, each blade, and other parts, which is a delicate and time-consuming task that requires careful attention to avoid lacerations caused by the peeler blade 10 and fork blades 21.

Storing the peeler 16 requires careful attention to keep it clean and to avoid inadvertent contact with the blades, which can result in lacerations. Another problem is that it is necessary to take measures such as putting it in a box or covering it, making it a time-consuming task.

This peeler 16 is highly valued for use in the food processing and restaurant industries, but the problems mentioned above have made it difficult for it to become widespread in ordinary households.

The present invention aims to provide a peeler that eliminates the need for an installation structure and handle, reduces the number of gears, and solves the problems of cost, installation space, and the laborious cleaning and storage.

After pondering the above problems, the inventor discovered that the above problems could be solved by configuring a fruit peeler to include the following (1) to (5), and thus completed the fruit peeler of the present invention.

(1) The body 3 of the peeler 1 is made up of a container 4 for holding one fruit 2 and a lid 5. The container 4 and the lid 5 fit together with a circular spigot, allowing them to slide and rotate relative to each other via the circular spigot.

(2) A fixed fork 6 is fixed to the lid 5 with its tip facing the center of the container 3. Therefore, if the fixed fork 6 of the lid 5 is thrust toward the center of the fruit 2, and the lid 5 is grasped by hand and manually rotated relative to the container 4, the fruit 2 will rotate. In addition, if a free-rotating fork 7 is provided that is pivotally attached to the container 4 and can pierce the fruit 2, it will be possible to pierce the fruit 2 from symmetrical points (such as the stem root and head) together with the fixed fork 6 of the lid 5, and the rotation axis 24 of the fruit 2 can be made more stable.

(3) The arm 9 has a mechanism that inserts a spring 11 between it and the rotating wheel 8 so that the peeler blade 10 is pressed against the fruit 2 in the center of the body 3, a mechanism that provides a joint in the arm 9 and inserts a spring 11 therebetween, or a mechanism in which the arm 9 is made of an elastic body.

(4) The rotating wheel 8 to which the arm 9 of the peeler blade 10 is connected is pivotally attached to the container 4 so that the peeler blade 10 can move on the surface of the fruit.

(5) A driving means for moving the peeler blade 10 is provided. This driving means may be a driving means that adopts the idea of the "peeler" in the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-815, i.e., a guide protrusion 12 inclined at a predetermined angle from the sliding direction is attached to the peeler blade 10 at the position where it presses against the fruit 2, and the peeler blade 10 is moved by the action of the guide protrusion 12 that moves relative to the movement of the fruit 2 when peeling, or the driving means of claim 2 of the present invention, i.e., a worm gear (screw-shaped gear) 13 is formed on the inside of the edge of the lid 5, a bevel gear 14 is formed on the rotating wheel 8, both gears 13 and 14 are engaged, the rotation of the lid 5 is transmitted to the rotation of the peeler blade 10, and the peeler blade 10 is moved by a predetermined feed pitch, or it may be another driving means that similarly moves the peeler blade 10.

The present invention provides a peeler that can reduce the cost by eliminating the installation structure, handle and handle shaft support structure, and gear and gear shaft support structure, and can solve the problems of installation space and the time-consuming cleaning and storage. This peeler will be useful even in the average household.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of implementing the fruit peeler of the present invention, with a part of the device broken away (Example 1). 1 is an explanatory diagram of a guide protrusion of a peeler blade, showing a method of implementing a fruit peeler of the present invention (Example 1). FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of implementing the fruit peeler of the present invention, with a part of the device broken away (Example 2). FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of implementing the fruit peeler of the present invention, with a portion of the device body broken away at the engagement portion between the worm gear and the bevel gear (Example 2). 1 is a photograph showing a method of implementing the fruit peeler of the present invention, in which the peeler body is separated into a container and a lid. 1 is a photograph showing the process of peeling fruit using the fruit peeler of the present invention. This is a photograph showing the process of pouring water into the body of the fruit peeler of the present invention for cleaning. This is a photograph of the fruit peeler of the present invention after peeling fruit, and then separating the device into a container and a lid. This is a side cross-sectional view of the "New Fruit Peeler" disclosed in Patent Document 1.

The body 3 of the peeler 1 is made up of a container 4 and a lid 5 that can easily hold one fruit 2. The container 4 and the lid 5 can be slid and rotated on a rotating shaft 24 along the orbit of a circular spigot that fits into each other. It is desirable that the container 4 and the lid 5 have a shape that is easy to grasp with the hand.

A fixed fork 6 is fixed to the lid 5 with its tip facing the center of the container 3, and when it is pierced into the core of the fruit 2, the fruit 2 is supported in the center of the container 3 and rotates together with the lid 5. If a free-rotating fork 7 is provided that is pivotally attached to the container 4 and has its tip facing the center of the container 3, it can be pierced from symmetrical points (the stem root and head, etc.) of the fruit 2 together with the fixed fork 6 of the lid 5, making the rotation axis 24 of the fruit 2 more stable. It is desirable to set the axis of the fork so that it coincides with the rotation axis 24 of the sliding track.

It has a driving means for rotating the rotating wheel 8 that is pivotally attached to the container 4, and the arm 9 of the peeler blade 10 is connected to the rotating wheel 8. In order to press the peeler blade 10 against the fruit 2 in the center of the container 3, the arm 9 has a mechanism for interposing a spring 11 between it and the rotating wheel 8, a mechanism for providing a joint in the arm 9 for interposing the spring 11, or a mechanism for the arm 9 being made of an elastic body.

If the driving means of claim 2 is used as the rotary drive means for the rotating wheel 8, a worm gear (screw-shaped gear) 13 is formed on the inside of the edge of the lid 5, and a bevel gear 14 is formed on the rotating wheel 8, and the two gears 13 and 14 engage with each other, making it possible to transmit the rotation of the lid 5 to the rotation of the peeler blade 10.

It is advisable to provide a rotating table 15 on the container 4 side of the pivot point between the rotating wheel 8 and the container 4 so that the pivot point does not interfere with the edge of the lid 5 and the worm gear 13 and bevel gear 14 engage well.

Generally, machining a worm gear as an internal gear inside a cylinder like worm gear 13, or pairing a worm gear with a bevel gear, is unusual, and there is thought to be no established tooth surface shape for precision transmission parts, but in the present invention, it is sufficient that both teeth mesh and transmit power. This is what is meant by engagement in the description of this technology.

The peeler blade 10 moves from the stem root to the head of the fruit 2 with one half rotation, so the bevel gear 14 only needs to have teeth configured to transmit one half rotation, and does not necessarily need to have teeth configured for the entire cycle.

Figure 1 shows the first embodiment of the peeler of the present invention, in which the container 4 (body 3) and the lid 5 are each shaped like a hollow sphere cut in half, and are large enough to hold one fruit 2 with some room to spare.

The edge of the container 4 fits inside the edge of the lid 5 with a circular spigot, allowing it to slide and rotate.

The fixed fork 6 is fixed to the lid 5 so that its tip faces the center of the container 3 and the axis of the fixed fork 6 coincides with the rotation axis 24 of the sliding rotation, so that the fruit 2 can be pierced and supported in the center of the container 3.

The rotating wheel 8 is pivotally mounted inside the container 4 so that it can rotate freely, and the arm 9 of the peeler blade 10 is connected to the rotating wheel 8.

The arm 9 has a hinged joint and a torsion spring 11 attached so that the peeler blade 10 can be pressed against the fruit 2 in the center of the body 3.

The fixed fork 6 of the lid 5 is thrust toward the center of the fruit 2, the lid 5 is fitted to the container 4, and as shown in FIG. 6, the container 4 and the lid 5 are grasped with both hands 23, and the lid 5 is rotated relative to the container 4, and the fruit 2 rotates together with the lid 5.

The skin of the circumferential surface of the fruit 2 is peeled by the pressure and sliding of the rotating fruit 2 against the peeler blade 10. The driving means for the peeler blade 10 is modeled on the "Peeler" in Utility Model Publication No. 61-815, as shown in Figure 2, and is provided with a guide protrusion 12 inclined at a specified angle from the sliding direction at the position where the peeler blade 10 presses against the fruit 2, which acts as a guide for the sliding of the peeler blade 10 against the fruit 2. When the fruit 2 has made one revolution, the peeler blade 10 moves a specified width to the next peripheral surface, where the peeling continues and almost the entire surface of the fruit 2 is peeled off.

After peeling, as shown in Figure 8, open the lid 5 from the container 4, remove the peeled skin, and pull out the fruit 2 inserted into the fork.

Because the peeling work is performed by holding the container 4 and the lid 5 with the left and right hands 23, 23, no space is required to install the device 3, such as a table. In Example 1, no gears are used.

The vessel 3, which is soiled with fruit juice 2, is filled with a liquid such as water, and as shown in Figure 7, the vessel 3 is closed and shaken, and the dirt is scraped off into the liquid. When the liquid is drained, the inside surface of the vessel 3, each blade, and each part are cleaned. After cleaning, the inside of the vessel 3 can be kept clean by placing the lid 5 on the container 4 for storage, and there is no risk of injury from accidentally touching the blade.

Figures 3 and 5 are diagrams of the second embodiment of the peeler of the present invention, with Figure 3 showing a part of the body 3 broken away. Figure 5 shows the body 3 separated into the container 4 and the lid 5.

Example 2 differs from Example 1 in the implementation details as follows:

The edge of the lid 5 fits inside the edge of the container 4 with a circular spigot, allowing it to slide and rotate.

The container 4 is equipped with a free-standing fork 7, which is pivotally attached to the container 4 so that its tip faces the center of the vessel 3 and the axis of rotation of the free-standing fork 7 coincides with the axis of rotation 24 of the sliding rotation. The fruit 2 is pierced at symmetrical points (the stem root and the head) together with the fixed fork 6 of the lid 5, and the container 4 and lid 5 are aligned and closed, so that the axis of rotation 24 of the fruit 2 can be supported in the center of the vessel 3 more stably than in Example 1.

The arm 9 is a mechanism made of a spring (elastic body) so that the peeler blade 10 presses against the fruit 2 in the center of the body 3. The arm 9 has no joints.

The driving means for the peeler blade 10 is the driving means of claim 2 of the present invention. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 4, a worm gear (screw-shaped gear) 13 is formed on the inside of the edge of the lid 5, and is placed inside the edge of the container 4. A bevel gear 14 is formed on the rotating wheel 8, and the two gears 13 and 14 engage with each other, transmitting the rotation of the lid 5 to the rotation of the peeler blade 10.

A rotating table 15 is provided on the container 4 side of the pivot point between the rotating wheel 8 and the container 4, and is set so that this pivot point does not interfere with the edge of the lid 5 and that the worm gear 13 and bevel gear 14 engage well.

The worm gear (screw-shaped gear) 13 has a single thread, and the number of teeth of the bevel gear 14 is set to 20. Therefore, from the start of peeling the fruit 2 to the end of peeling, the fruit 2 rotates 10 times, the bevel gear 14 and the peeler blade 10 rotate 0.5 times, and the peeler blade 10 moves from the stem root to the head of the fruit 2.

The peeler blade 10 does not have a guide protrusion. In addition, only two gears are used: a worm gear 13 and a bevel gear 14.

Useful for peeling the skin of roughly spherical fruits such as apples and pears.

1 Peeler 2 Fruit 3 Container 4 Container 5 Lid
6 Fixed fork
7 Swivel fork 8 Rotating wheel 9 Arm 10 Peeler blade 13 Worm gear 14 Bevel gear

Claims (2)

A peeler (1) for peeling fruit (2) rotating around a rotating shaft by pressing a peeler blade (10) against the fruit, the peeler blade (10) being pressed against the fruit (2) rotating around a rotating shaft, the container (4) and the lid (5) serving as the container body (3) are fitted together with a circular spigot, and the circular spigot is used for sliding and rotating relative to each other, the lid (5) is provided with a fixed fork (6) fixed with its tip facing the inside of the container body (3), the fixed fork (6) pierces the fruit (2) and supports it in the center of the container body (3), or a swivel fork (7) is provided which is pivotally attached to the container (4) so as to be rotatable together with the fixed fork (6) and has its tip facing the center of the container body (3), The fruit peeler (1) is characterized in that both forks (6, 7) pierce the fruit (2) at symmetrical points on the fruit (2) and support it in the center of the body (3), a rotating wheel (8) is pivotally attached inside the container (4) so as to be freely rotatable, an arm (9) of a peeler blade (10) is connected to the rotating wheel (8), and the arm (9) has at least one of the following mechanisms: a mechanism for interposing a spring between the rotating wheel (8) and the arm (9) so that the peeler blade (10) is pressed against the fruit (2), a mechanism for providing a joint in the arm (9) and interposing a spring, and a mechanism for the arm (9) made of an elastic body, and the device has a driving means for rotating the rotating wheel (8). The fruit peeler (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the driving means comprises a worm gear ( 13) formed on the inside of the edge of the lid (5) and a bevel gear (14) formed on the rotating wheel (8), the two gears (13, 14) being engaged with each other, and the rotation of the lid (5) is transmitted to the rotation of the rotating wheel (8).

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