TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device for sucking juice directly from citrus fruits of various dimensions without squeezing the fruit, of simple construction and low cost, of easy use, which permits an efficient extraction of juice.

BACKGROUND ART

The prior art devices for sucking juice directly from citrus fruit have many disadvantages deriving from their complex structure, high cost, difficulty of use, necessity of manually squeezing the fruit while sucking and difficulty of regulating the squeezing pressure in order to prevent fruit rupture or jui¬ ce leakage .

One of these devices is disclosed in USP 4,889,044, which consists of a hollow tubular stem having multiple angularly dis¬ posed sections, the upper end section being provided with an annular sealing stopper, concave downward, whose hole is larger than the stem cross-section to permit the stem to act as slida¬ ble and angling member relative to the stopper.

The stem sections under the stopper are provided with ver¬ tically spaced radial holes . The disadvantages of this device are: difficulty in insert¬ ing the stem into the fruit due to the angularly disposed sec¬ tions which should be inserted with a weave type motion being careful not to enlarge the entry hole; necessity of rotating the fruit and sucking the juice while manually squeezing the fruit. Otherwise by only sucking, the efficiency of the device is dra-

stically reduced. In addition there is difficulty in regulatin the squeezing pressure in order to prevent rupture of the rin cr juice leakage.

The present invention overcomes all the disadvantages o the prior art devices in that provides a juice sucking devic which is of simple construction, low cost, of easy insertio into the fruit, which does not require manually squeezing th fruit thereby eliminating the risk of fruit rupture and juic leakage and permits a more efficient sucking of juice in les time.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION The device according to the present invention consists es¬ sentially of a rigid elongated straw provided with an annula cup, concave downward, sealed or tight slidable on the straw, which, following insertion of the straw into the fruit, provide a tight seal on the rim of the insertion hole into the rind thu preventing air to enter into the fruit by suction and permittin sucking of juice with an improved efficiency without manuall squeezing the fruit.

It is therefore object of the present invention a devic for sucking juice directly from citrus fruit comprising a rigi elongated straw, the lower portion thereof being inserted int the fruit and manually displaced in various positions within th fruit to disrupt the pulp, said straw being provided with a annular cup, concave downward, sealed on the middle part of th elongated straw or tight slidable along the straw which, afte said straw insertion and displacement, is pushed in contact wit the surface of the fruit to provide a tight sealing around th

entry hole in the rind thus preventing air to enter into th fruit when the user sucks on the straw.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Fig. 1 represents a frontal view, partially in cross-sec tion, of an embodiment of the device according to the presen invention.

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged frontal view, partially i cross-section of the concave annular cup of fig. 1. Figures 3A, 3B and 3C represent examples of various cross sections, different from the circular one, which the straw ca have.

Referring to Fig. 1, the elongated straw 12 is tightly fit ted with an annular cup 14 concave downward so as to engage th surface of the fruit, said cup being positioned at about halfwa of the length of the straw so as to define an upper part 12' an a lower part 12" of the straw.

The cup 14 can be sealed on the external surface of th straw but preferably is tight slidable along the external sur face of the straw.

The upper part of said cup is preferably provided with collar 16 which may help cup sealing or sliding on the straw.

The cup 14 can be further provided at its periphery with circular rigid lip (not shown) extending downward, preferabl for about 0,5-2 mm, having a sharp edge which, by pushing cu down onto fruit exterior, penetrates the rind and thus cooper ates in maintaining a tight sealing.

Said lip my be an integral part of the cup by forming th cup in this manner.

The lower part 12", of the straw under the cup 14 is pro vided preferably with a series of circumferentially and verti cally spaced small through holes 15 to permit juice suction a different depths within the fruit. The lower open end of the lower part 12" of the straw has flute beak type angular cut which helps straw to perforate th fruit .

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In operation the angularly cut end of straw 12 is inserte through the rind into the fruit, preferably at the point of th rind opposing the fruit stem, then the lower part 12" of th straw is manually displaced in various positions within th fruit, without extracting the straw, to open the membranes an to break the pulp of the fruit .

The cup 14 is then pushed by finger in contact with th rind thus obtaining a tight sealing of the entry hole of th straw through the rind.

The user then sucks on the upper end 13 of the straw an all the juice present at the various depths within the fruit i extracted in a more efficient way due to the tight sealing an to the presence of spaced holes 15.

In a preferred mode of operation, after inserting the stra into the fruit, the straw is then partially extracted and agai inserted angularly to the vertical of the entry hole to open th membranes of the segments of the citrus fruit, then the cup 1 is pushed tightly on the rind and the juice formed into th fruit is sucked by the user; again and again repeating thi operation according to various angular positions .

When sucking no longer yields juice the straw is then par tially raised and rotated within the fruit in order to break th pulp, the cup is pushed in sealing engagement with the rind an juice is sucked by the user; again and again repeating this ope ration at various depths within the fruit.

In this way it is possible, without squeezing the fruit, t extract at least 80% of the total amount of juice which can b obtained with the usual citrus-squeezer, without rupture of th fruit, juice leakage and soiling the hands of the user. The internal and external cross-sections of the rigid stra 12 may be the same or different, preferably the internal cross section is circular and the external one may be circular or pre ferably according to a geometrical sharp edge figure such a f.e. lenticular, triangular, square, rectangular or polygonal to facilitate the rupture of the membranes of the citrus frui segments .

The internal cross-section of cup 14 and of the joined col lar 16 should be the same as the external one of the straw.

The cup with the joined collar is preferably tight slidabl along the straw to permit adjusting straw length for use wit different size citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, grapefrui or the like.

Sliding of the cup along the straw may also be obtained b forming the external surface of the middle part of the straw a a worm along which the cup is moved by screwing.

The device according to the present invention is of eas construction, low cost and can be made of any suitable non-toxi material such as plastics .

In the preferred embodiment the present device is of light weight two-pieces, i.e. the straw and the cup provided with

collar, which can be easily assembled and disassembled, transported, put in operation, cleaned or washed by the user.

It can be made durable or disposable and permits sucking, in an efficient and economical way, practically all the juic directly from citrus fruit, without any contamination, exposur of the juice to the air and leakage.

It is of simple, clean, sanitary and amusing use especiall for children.