1. Field of the Invention
This invention has to do with fruit juice extraction equipment and more specifically with a fruit storage bin that is proximate to and connected to such a fruit juice extraction device. The device is configured to store fruit in a manner that allows gravity feed from the bottom of the bin onto a fruit elevator that elevates the fruit for subsequent gravity feed to the fruit juice extraction equipment. As the fruit is being elevated the device of this invention also causes at least a single wall portion or multiple wall portions to be moved vertically through the fruit storage bin to "tumble" the fruit stored in the bin and thereby prevent "bridging" of the fruit in the fruit storage bin.
2. Summary of the Invention
A fruit storage bin has a two panel angled floor bottom that is surrounded by four bin walls that provide an open container for the storage of fruit such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, etc. prior to the fruit being processed through a fruit juice extractor. The fruit storage bin is provided with mechanism that assists in the removal of fruit from the bin by preventing "bridging" of fruit in the bin.
The mechanism for preventing bridging comprises a pair of generally vertical wall elements that are positioned over slots or perforations in the floor of the fruit bin. The vertical wall elements are mounted for reciprocal movement to, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, a vertically moving fruit elevator that is provided to elevate fruit into a fruit juice extractor. The vertical wall elements have dissimilar shapes that promote the jostling of fruit in the fruit storage bin, again with the intent of eliminating bridging in the fruit storage bin.