EP3651620A1

EP3651620A1 - An apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples

Info

Publication number: EP3651620A1
Application number: EP18737427.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paola Nicolosi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-05-11
Filing date: 2018-05-08
Publication date: 2020-05-20
Also published as: WO2018207218A1; IT201700051080A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples of the kind comprising a containment structure (2) comprising a base (20), a pair of side walls (21 and 22), a rear wall (23), and a front wall (24) equipped with a control button (241) and an emergency button (242) and a door (243) for the sealing a juicing chamber (6) into which a fruit (10) to be juiced is inserted. Underneath, the apparatus features a collection chamber (244) designed to house a container/cup (3), which collects the fruit juice. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a bridge-shaped support structure (4) wherein a first cross-member (40) constitutes the horizontal upper part of the bridge, with which an actuator unit (5) is engaged; a second cross-member (41) positioned parallel to and below the first and designed to demarcate, at the top, a technical facilities chamber (500) containing the actuator unit (5) and, at the bottom, a juicing chamber (6) which features a base surface (60) supported by a pair of vertical uprights (61 ) so as to demarcate, with the base (20), the collection chamber (244). Located on the base surface (60) is at least one juicing unit (7) designed to house therewithin the fruit to be juiced. The apparatus is particularly suitable for cold juicing pomegranates and pineapples simply, automatically, and quickly.

Description

DESCRIPTION

AN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY JUICING POMEGRANATES AND

PINEAPPLES.

Technical field

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic juicing of pomegranates and pineapples, which is particularly suitable for performing "cold" juicing in order to maintain the original organoleptic qualities and characteristics of the juice of these fruits and to provide the safety, speed, cleanliness, and simplicity required for an appliance used in a public service context.

Background Art

As it is known, the pomegranate is the fruit of the pomegranate tree (also known as Piinica granatiim) which is spherical in shape, with a coriaceous yellow skin which turns reddish when ripe and contains many characteristic transparent ruby-red seeds, while the pineapple - the fruit of the pineapple tree - measures up to 35 cm in length and is similar to a pinecone crowned with a tuft of leaves. The pineapple is actually a syncarbia formed from individual fruits coalescing together, which has a tart sweet flesh, is extremely full of fragrance, is rich in vitamins, and is usually eaten sliced.

At present, there are many tools for juicing citrus fruits and, currently, some of these are used to juice pomegranates.

The tools used are of the manual kind, but they work very well for citrus fruits, which have a peel and a quite soft, tender flesh, while they create considerable problems when it comes to juicing a pomegranate or a pineapple.

A first tool is of the kind featuring a lever , wherein the fruit is placed on a conical support onto which a lid is lowered by means of a lever gear. Below the conical support there is a recipient for the juice resulting from the pressing action. The tool just described allows cold juicing, thereby ensuring better organoleptic qualities of the juice obtained, but has several drawbacks.

A first drawback is that to be used, the said apparatus needs a fair amount of physical force to be exerted by the user in order to be able to crush the fruit, with the risk of accidents for the operator if the lever or the base of the tool slides out of their hand. Indeed, application of a direct force may cause the operator blows, injuries, and abrasions in the event that the lever or the base slips.

A further major drawback arises from the fact that the work area in contact with the fruit is completely exposed to the environment and therefore contaminable and absolutely unsuitable when used in public operation.

Furthermore, the juicing time depends on the operator's strength and when particularly repetitive, the action becomes tiring and wearing for the operator, in addition to the fact that each juice requires a certain amount of time, which can slow down - and therefore interfere with - the service to customers, rendering the apparatus unsuitable for use in a public place.

In addition to the explanations so far, this tool is absolutely unsuitable for juicing pineapples due to the excessive physical strength that would be needed. In particular, it is not possible to calibrate the lever pressure and stroke so that there is a risk of also juicing the woody part, which is bitter.

A second - also manual - tool is the type with a press, wherein pressure is exerted on the fruit by rotating a handle. This type of tool performs a similar kind of juicing to the previous one (cold juicing) and requires less strength for the juicing but has other kinds of drawbacks. One very serious drawback is the considerable slowness of operation since the "screwing/unscrewing" operation takes a long time, which is unsuitable and unacceptable for cafes and other public establishments. Furthermore, the risk of over-juicing is increased, since the "clamping" operation may also compress the seeds and the bitter part of the fruit, altering the taste of the resulting juice. Finally, cleaning the internal parts is decidedly laborious and difficult.

A further tool, sometimes used, is the classic citrus fruit juicer, which is absolutely not recommended and unsuitable for juicing pomegranates and/or pineapples. Indeed, in addition to the physical strength required, the twisting of the fruit breaks the fibres around the seeds and drastically reduces the amount of juice extracted.

The variant to the tool described earlier is the electric version of the citrus fruit juicer. This appliance means no physical force needs to be exerted in order to juice the fruit, but - also in this case - it is not a suitable kind of juicing for pomegranates and/or pineapples. Indeed, its operation is of the "abrasive" type, which means the rotating blades endeavour to "dig" into the fruit's flesh in order to extract the juice therefrom.

Indeed, the particular conformation of the pomegranate prevents this kind of tool effectively juicing the arils, or rather, the breaking of the mesocarp (the generally white membrane separating the seeds) makes the little juice extracted acidic, lending the juice the classic astringency of the tannin that is released.

If, however, one juices a pineapple, the fibrous parts thereof remain in the juice, giving the texture thereof an unpleasant "grittiness", which is fastidious and unpleasant on the palate.

A further household appliance available on the market and in use is the centrifugal citrus fruit juicer, which works well with the citrus fruits for which it was designed, but is not suitable for pomegranates and pineapples because the said appliance does not permit cold juicing, which is very important and fundamental for the juice of these two fruits to maintain the original aroma, organoleptic qualities, taste, and properties of the said fruits. Indeed, several drawbacks have been encountered with this appliance, such as the need to insert the fruits cut into smaller pieces, which is unfeasible with pomegranates, as well as the need to remove the peel if you do not want to squeeze the bitter part thereof, making operations very long and laborious and practically impossible with these kinds of fruit. In addition, it is necessary to clean the filters frequently in order to ensure an acceptable juice yield.

As is apparent, the pomegranate is unsuitable for this type of juicing because it is very difficult to cut into small pieces (and separate the seeds) and in any case the high speed centrifugation of the mesocarp makes the juice produced acidic and tannic, significantly altering the organoleptic characteristics thereof, in addition to the flavour. As regards pineapples, however, the skin must be removed before the pineapple can be centrifuged. All these preparatory operations prevent use of these apparatuses in cafes and establishments where the food and drink preparation speed has to be very fast and efficient.

A further juicing method is blending. This method used to obtain juice is in general the least suitable for maintaining the fruit's original organoleptic properties. However, it is generally valid for fruit with large percentages of water in relation to the solid mass of the flesh. It is therefore not usable for pomegranates because the crushing of the mesocarp and the arils makes the juice practically undrinkable, while with the pineapple, the said method leaves the fibrous part, which produces an unpleasant effect on the palate.

In light of the explanations so far, it is apparent how difficult and demanding it is to effectively cold juice a pomegranate and a pineapple, so a home user very often refuses to prepare a juice with such fruits (which have very positive nutritional characteristics and vitamins), as does an operator in a public establishment, because of the difficulties and the time taken, which are not at all acceptable within the dynamics of a public establishment, especially at busy and peak times.

A further problem encountered is the difficulty in preserving the juice, which oxidises fairly quickly, with both the colour and the flavour changing, so it is not possible to prepare the juice in advance in order to serve it to customers later, and therefore juicing must be performed on the spot.

In addition to the explanations so far, there is a great deal of attention focussed on foods used, which means many people are particularly demanding and unwilling to buy and use a product which is not of the desired quality, type, or flavour.

Indeed, at present, it is known that the public particularly appreciates drinks produced using certain qualities of fruit with particular flavourings and properties which provide users with top-end products which bring out certain aromas, flavours, and foods.

As it is known, only a few of our taste preferences are biologically predefined, while most are linked to the various experiences we have had, and nowadays people are much more careful and curious about new flavours and are willing to try them and are always looking out for and tasting new products.

In addition, given the importance of changing the dietary habits of the population, it is very important to understand which factors determine food choices which - like any human behaviour - are influenced by many related factors. The key impulses that drive people to either drink or not to drink are, of course, thirst and satiety, but what a person chooses to drink is not determined solely by physiological or nutritional needs. Other factors that affect nutrition choices include, for example, the sensory properties of food and drinks, such as taste, odour, or appearance, and social, emotional, and cognitive factors also further affect these choices.

What one consumes is not based solely on individual preferences but is limited also by circumstances which are essentially social and cultural.

In addition to the explanations so far, people are increasingly attentive to health and nutrition and everything that revolves around it; they love to discover, learn, and disseminate ideas, and imaginative cookery - embracing both simple and more sophisticated elaborate styles - is greatly appreciated and allows cooks to satisfy even the most demanding gourmet, and a juice that does not offer excellent quality and is not perfectly prepared is considered unacceptable.

Disclosure of I nvention

The object of the present invention is essentially to resolve the problems of the commonly known technique, overcoming the drawbacks by means of an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples which allows the fruits to be cold juiced and the original organoleptic and antioxidant properties thereof to be fully maintained.

A second object of the present invention is to produce an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples which requires no physical force to be exerted for the extracti on of the j uice .

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples which allows remarkable juicing rapidity, simplicity of use, and easy cleaning.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples which provides a high level of operator safety during the fruit juicing step.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples which allows repetitive operations to be performed without fatigue, with the same yield and extremely quickly while maintaining the original properties and characteristics of the fruit.

A further but not final object of the present invention is to produce an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples which is easy to manufacture and works well.

These aims and others besides, which will become apparent over the course of the present description, are essentially achieved by means of an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples as outlined in the claims below. Brief D escriptio n of Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages will become apparent in the detailed description of an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, provided in the form of a non-limiting example, in which:

- Figure 1 shows, schematically and from a perspective view, an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows, schematically, a perspective view of the apparatus in Figure 1 in operational mode;

- Figure 3 shows, schematically, a front view of the apparatus in Figure 1 in operational mode;

- Figure 4 shows, schematically, a front view of the apparatus in question in non- operational mode;

Figure 5 shows, schematically, a side view of the apparatus in Figure 4;

- Figure 6 shows, schematically, a rear view of the apparatus in question;

- Figure 7 shows, schematically, a top-down view of the apparatus in Figure 1 ;

- Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a component of the apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 9 shows a perspective, exploded view of the component of the apparatus in Figure 8;

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of a variant of an element of the component in Figure 9;

Figure 1 1 shows a partially sectioned perspective view of the element in Figure 10;

- Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the component in Figure 8 fitted in the apparatus; - Figure 13 shows a front view of the inside of the apparatus in question; Figure 14 shows a perspective view of the inside of the apparatus in Figure 13; Figures 15, 16, and 17 show the operating sequence of the apparatus in Figure 1 ;

- Figure 18 shows, schematically, a front view of a variant of the apparatus according to the present invention;

- Figure 19 shows a perspective bottom-up view of the apparatus in Figure 18. With reference to the figures, 1 denotes, as a whole, an apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples according to the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Inven tion

The apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and/or pineapples in question is substantially constituted of a containment structure 2 comprising a base 20 (constituted of a removable, washable tray), a pair of side walls 21 and 22. a rear wall 23, and a front wall 24. As shown in Figure 2, the said front wall 24 features a graphic display 240 on the top, designed to display advertising or information about the properties of the juice obtained, etc., but also designed to display operational information or even for inputting commands via a touchscreen.

Beneath the display, there is a command button 241 and an emergency button 242, which is easily reachable and recognisable and is designed to inhibit operation of the apparatus at any time.

Furthermore, the front wall 24 has a door 243 for inserting the fruit to be juiced and protecting juicing operations. Underneath, there is a collection chamber 244 designed to house a container/cup 3, which collects the fruit juice.

According to the present embodiment, the apparatus comprises a bridge-shaped supporting structure 4, as shown in Figure 14, in which a first cross-member 40 constitutes the horizontal upper part of the bridge to which an actuator unit 5 is engaged, as will be better described below. Underneath the first cross-member 40, there is a second cross-member 41 positioned parallel to the first and designed to demarcate, at the top, a technical facilities chamber 500 containing the actuator unit 5 and, at the bottom, a juicing chamber 6 sealed, at the front, with the door 243. The juicing chamber 6 has a base surface 60 supported by a pair of vertical uprights 61 so as to demarcate, with the base 20, the collection chamber 244 for the container/cup 3. which collects the juice.

In particular, located on the base surface 60 is a juicing unit 7, which is designed to house therewithin the fruit to be juiced, as shown in Figure 8 and the exploded view in Figure 9. In more detail, the juicing unit 7 comprises a cup-shaped support 70 endowed with a lower edge 71 designed to receive and support a truncated conical counter-presser 72 which features a plurality of holes 73 on top of which the portion of fruit to be juiced is placed. Furthermore, the cup-shaped support 70 also features a conveyor bottom 74, which collects and conveys the juice into the container 3, and a handle 75 for the removal thereof from the chamber 6 for cleaning off the fruit residues after juicing.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10 and Figure 1 1, when a pineapple is to be juiced, the counter-presser 72 has, at the top, a recess 720, designed to retain the central portion of the pineapple, which is woody.

In accordance with the present invention, the juicing unit 7 furthermore comprises a cap- shaped presser 8, which is designed to engage with the counter-presser 72 so as to trap the fruit and hold it in a kind of juicing vice, as shown in Figure 16 and Figure 17.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, the presser 8 has, at the top, a pin 80. designed to engage to the actuator unit 5.

In more detail, the actuator unit 5 comprises an electric motor 50 designed for moving an actuator 51 whose job is to lower and raise the presser 8 onto and off the fruit, thereby juicing the said fruit. Furthermore, the actuator unit 5 comprises a housing 52 designed to house the actuator 51 stroke regulators.

In addition, the actuator 51 is of the electromechanical kind, is suitably calibrated, and is managed by the stroke regulators to obtain the necessary juicing motion, generating up to 1 0 kgf. completely safely.

In the present embodiment, the rear wall 23 features a grate 230 designed for the circulation of air within the apparatus so as to cool the motor 50 of the said actuator unit 5, as shown in Figure 6.

In accordance with the present invention, the apparatus in question may be provided with a pair of juicing units 7, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, for greater and faster juice production. In addition, to collect the juice produced by the pair of juicing units, there is a conveyor 9 featured, which conveys the juice produced to the container 3.

In addition to the explanations so far, the technical facilities chamber 50 is sealed to prevent spurts of liquid interfering with and damaging the actuator unit 5 and the electrical components, in addition to the fact that the said space is inaccessible to users for obvious safety reasons.

In the present embodiment, the materials used for the apparatus' structure are metals, such as steel or aluminium, and plastics, and - furthermore - the presser 8 and the cup-shaped holder 70 are made of metals or plastics suitable for containing foodstuffs.

In addition to the explanations so far, the apparatus designed specifically for juicing pomegranates and/or pineapples may also be used to juice any type of citrus fruit. Furthermore, the apparatus may also be used for juicing, for example, melons or grapes. Naturally, the force which the cap must exert must be adequately calibrated and a suitably shaped counter-presser must be used.

The apparatus in question is mainly suitable for use in public food-serving venues, such as restaurants, hotels, bed & breakfasts, cafes, sandwich bars, etc. but also for home use. After this structural description, the operation of the invention in question will now be outlined.

When a user wishes to extract the juice from a pomegranate, they simply have to cut the said fruit in half and, after opening the door of the apparatus, place the first half on the counter-presser, close the door, and press the control button.

At this point, the motor will drive the actuator 51 , which will depress the presser 8 onto the fruit 10, crushing the said fruit so as to extract the juice therefrom, which - after passing through the holes 73 in the counter-presser 72 - will fall into the container 3. Once the working cycle is complete, the user can repeat the operation with the other half of the pomegranate.

Once the cycle is over, also in this case the operator simply has to extract the container containing the juice and either serve or use the said juice for a preparation.

Similarly, when the apparatus is equipped with two juicing units, the user simply has to place half of the pomegranate on each counter-presser. close the door, and press the control button.

Once the juicing operation is complete, the user can extract the container with the juice. At this point, the door may be opened for juicer cleaning operations.

When the user has to extract the juice from a pineapple, they simply have to fit the counter-press suitable for the pineapple onto the cup-shaped support and proceed in exactly the same way, carrying out the same operations as carried out for the pomegranate. Use of the counter-presser equipped with a trough on the top thereof allows the pineapple core to be secured and held in position during juicing, without any part of the said core being crushed.

Thus the present invention achieves the objects set.

Indeed, the apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples in question allows cold pressing of the fruits with an optimal juice yield and maintenance of the organoleptic and antioxidant properties of the fruit as the juicing takes place at low speed and at room temperature, there are no mechanical actions to crush the solid components of the fruit, and the parts which are bitter, solid, spongy or otherwise devoid of liquid are not altered. Moreover, no impurities filter into the liquid obtained, which means this juicing is totally idea! for pomegranates and pineapples, as well as for other fruits.

For consumers who are attentive not only to the quality of the product, but also to the freshness thereof, a new opportunity opens up to have a product which is fresh - as juicing is carried out on the spot - and maintains all the desired vitamins and organoleptic characteristics.

Advantageously, the apparatus according to the present invention provides all the force required for juicing in a continuous, cushioned manner and in a way which is calibrated for the correct compression of the fruit, which means the considerable physical strength required of an operator to complete the mechanical process for cold juicing using prior-art tools is no longer necessary. In addition, since the operator does not have to intervene with force, all the risks of accidents to which an operator is exposed with the prior-art tools are eliminated, offering the operator much greater safety during the fruit juicing step.

The fact that the apparatus does not require any physical force to operate brings with it great safety in itself. The operator, indeed, does not risk injuries or creating problems in the environment around the apparatus, for example, by using an unsafe grip or by overturning the juicing tool when of the manual kind.

In particular, the apparatus can not, in any way, operate with the door open and it is therefore impossible for the operator to risk crushing of the phalanges.

Should the user operate the apparatus without the cup-shaped support in place and without a collecting cup, and try to insert a limb through the juice outlet compartment, in an absurd, totally uncomfortable, and intentionally self-injuring gesture, the user would not run any risk as the presser does not complete the stroke thereof, stopping before contact, and the remaining space available would not result in crushing of the phalanges.

Opening the door during the work cycle immediately stops the apparatus, thereby further preventing any risk or danger.

As mentioned previously, there is, however, an emergency button present, which is easily reachable and recognisable and inhibits operation of the juicer at any time.

Advantageously, the apparatus for automatically juicing pomegranates and pineapples allows repetitive operations to be performed without fatigue, with the same yield and extremely quickly while maintaining the original properties and characteristics of the fruit. In addition, the apparatus offers a good operation speed; indeed, by supplying all the force required for juicing, the operation may be carried out more quickly as it no longer depends on the physical condition of the operator. For the same reason, the timing remains constant during the day regardless of the tiredness of the operator, making the machine particularly suitable for the repetitive use typical of businesses.

As previously explained, an apparatus with a double actuator is also envisaged. Since - in order to obtain an adequate quantity of juice - it is necessary to juice an entire pomegranate and it is necessary to divide the said fruit in half for the cold juicing, the presence of a double actuator and a double juicing unit allows all the liquid possible to be extracted in a single work cycle, thereby - in practice - halving the time needed.

This configuration is particularly suitable for businesses where a high yield is required. A further advantage offered by the apparatus in question consists in the fact that the said apparatus allows remarkable juicing rapidity, simplicity of use, and easy cleaning of the components thereof.

Indeed, the apparatus confines the working space within a "chamber" which is separate from the external environment and this condition allows splashes of juice or fruit residues inside the juicing chamber to be contained, leaving the surrounding working environment clean and not creating, at the same time, conditions which would attract insects or anything else. Furthermore, the presence of a removable, washable tray underneath the collection cup further protects the working environment. The cup-shaped support which contains the fruit during the juicing is fully removable, separable and washable in order to guarantee complete cleaning. Indeed, the movements to remove the cup-shaped support are completely identical to those used in normal coffee machines, thus creating a "familiarity" for the operator which makes the operation easy and extremely intuitive and prevents the operator falling into errors which could be harmful therefor or damaging to the apparatus.

The presser is also easily removed so as to allow simple sanitisation, with the result that cleaning the apparatus requires very little time.

In addition, the apparatus is a very functional and convenient household appliance which allows users to appreciate a food such pomegranates and - in a different version - pineapples.

Advantageously, the apparatus according to the present invention completely overcomes all the drawbacks presently experienced with the tools currently in use.

A further advantage of the present apparatus emerges from the fact that the said apparatus is very practical to use and the juice may be obtained using one hand only - a very useful feature in a cafe, where speed is a greatly appreciated characteristic.

In particular, the juice extraction procedure and methods provide high standards of hygiene and preparation safety and prevent the juice coming into contact with the surrounding environment, as occurs with the prior-art juicing systems, also maintaining the original characteristics of the juice produced, which is consequently always a high quality juice. As mentioned earlier, constant attention to the needs and expectations of increasingly demanding consumers has led to the creation of this apparatus, which is always ready, usable, and very practical.

A further but not final advantage of the present invention is that the said system proves to be remarkably easy to use. easy to manufacture, and works well.

Naturally, further modifications or variants may be applied to the present invention while remaining within the scope of the invention that characterises it.

Claims

) An apparatus for automati cal ly j uicing pomegranates and pineapples characterised by the fact that the said apparatus is essentially constituted of:

- a containment structure (2) comprising a base (20) consisting of a removable, washable tray, a pair of side walls (21 and 22), a rear wall (23 ), and a front wall (24) equipped with a control button (241 ) and an emergency button (242) which is easily accessible in order to inhibit the operation of the apparatus and featuring a door (243 ) for the insertion of a fruit ( 1 0) to j uice and to protect the j uicing operations and, at the bottom, featuring a collection chamber (244) designed to house a container/glass (3 ) which receives the fruit j uice obtained,

- a bridge-shaped support structure (4) wherein the first cross- member (40) constitutes the horizontal upper part of the bridge, with whi ch an actuator unit (5) is engaged; a second cross-member (41 ) positioned parallel to and below the first and designed to demarcate, at the top, a technical facilities chamber (500) containing the actuator unit (5 ) and, at the bottom, a j uicing chamber (6) sealed, at the front, with the door (243 ), wherein the sai d j uicing chamber (6) features a base surface (60) supported by a pair of vertical uprights (6 1 ) so as to demarcate, with the base (20), the collection chamber (244) for the container/glass (3 ),

- at least one juicing unit (7) located on the base surface (60) and desi gned to house therewithin the fruit to be j uiced, the said apparatus being recommended for cold juicing pomegranates and pineapples and maintaining the original organoleptic qualities and characteristics of the juice of the said fruits.

2) An apparatus for automatic juicing according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said juicing unit (7) comprises a cup-shaped support (70) endowed with a lower edge (71) designed to receive and support a counter presser (72) which features a plurality of holes (73) on top of which the portion of fruit (10) to be juiced is placed andalso features a conveyor bottom (74). which collects and conveys the juice into the container (3), and a handle (75) for the removal thereof from the chamber (6) for cleaning off the fruit residues after juicing.

3) An apparatus for automatic juicing according to Claim 2, characterised by the fact that the said juicing unit (7) comprises a cap-shaped presser (8) designed to engage with the counter-presser (72) so as to trap the fruit and hold it in a kind of juicing vice and. at the top, being equipped with a pin (80) designed for engagement with the actuator unit (5).

4) An apparatus for automatic juicing according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said actuator unit (5) comprises an engine (50) designed for moving an actuator (51) whose job is to lower and raise the presser (8) onto and off the fruit, thereby juicing the said fruit, and a housing (52) designed to house the actuator (51) stroke regulators. 5) An apparatus for automatic juicing according to Claim 2, characterised by the fact that when a pineapple is to be juiced, the counter-presser (72) has, at the top, a recess (720) designed to retain the central portion of the pineapple, which is woody.

6) An apparatus for automatic juicing according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said front wall (24) features a graphic display (240) on the top, designed to display advertising or information about the properties of the juice obtained, etc., but also designed to display operational information or even for inputting commands via a touchscreen.

7) An apparatus for automatic juicing according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said actuator (51), which is of the electromechanical kind, is suitably calibrated and managed by the stroke regulators to obtain the necessary juicing motion, generating up to 150kgf.

8) An apparatus for automatic juicing according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the rear wall (23) features a grate (230) designed for the circulation of air within the apparatus so as to cool the motor (50) of the said actuator unit (5).

9) An apparatus for automatic juicing according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that when a pair of juicing units (7) are present (to achieve greater and faster juice production), to collect the juice produced by the pair of juicing units, there is a conveyor (9) featured, which conveys the juice produced to the container (3).

10) An apparatus for automatic juicing according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the materials used for the apparatus' structure are metals, such as steel or aluminium, and plastics, and - furthermore - the presser (8) and the cup-shaped holder (70) are mad e of metals or plastics suitabl e for containing foodstuffs.