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Stroke-by-stroke detail for the four-step juicing cycle. The high-level machine/function summary and end-to-end product flow are in Project overview.
The Delijuice cycle is the P6 extraction stroke sequence that produces juice while keeping cores and peel as separate waste streams. It is driven by the P6 scotch-yoke drivetrain and is designed to run repeatably in an industrial duty cycle.
The cycle has four steps, paired by stroke:
Citrus is fed into the fruit intake system and rolls down until it rests on the feed synchronization spring in the vertical feeder duct.
The fruit is peeled and a cylindrical core is cut from its centre. The driven peeler moves forward and interlaces with the static peeler cup during the forward stroke. The fruit is compressed into the double-conical cavity between the two peelers. A plug cutter extending from the centre of the static peeler cup cuts the core. Mature seeds (bitter oils and enzymes) are mostly in the centre; removing this core keeps them out of the juice and opens a path for juice outflow.
As cavity volume becomes less than fruit volume, pressure rises and peeling starts. The wedge shape of each finger cuts longitudinal seams, creating "peel chips". These are forced out through the gaps between peeler fingers into the peel bin. The chips also seal the gaps so pressure can build for juicing. The cylindrical core is pushed into the slit sieve filter tube. At the end of compression, the central pin in the driven peeler passes the tip of the plug cutter so the core is fully separated from the peel.
Juice is squeezed from the fruit, collected, and sent to the spout. The two peelers squeeze the fruit and build pressure; with the spout at ambient pressure, juice flows out through the hole left by the plug cutter, through the slit sieve, into the juice collector, and out of the spout. The collector is diffuser-shaped (larger at the spout than at the entrance), which helps draw juice toward the exit.
Two compression springs move the plunger forward with the yoke. The plunger stops when the stroke limiters reach their end position. Inside the filter tube the core is held between the plunger tip and the central pin. The gap is kept small to squeeze juice from the core but never smaller than the seeds, so they stay intact.
On the reverse stroke, the yoke pulls the plunger drive rods back against the compression springs. The plunger retracts toward the plug cutter and ejects the core from the filter into the peel bin. The bottom fingers of both peelers are cut short so the core can fall through. Once the core has dropped, the next fruit drops from the fruit support plate into the peelers and the cycle repeats.