AU2008100497A4

AU2008100497A4 - Waste food disposal unit

Info

Publication number: AU2008100497A4
Application number: AU2008100497A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ji Cheng Pan; Israr Ahmed Khan Saeed
Original assignee: Johnson Electric SA
Current assignee: Johnson Electric SA
Priority date: 2008-05-30
Filing date: 2008-05-30
Publication date: 2008-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 2016-05-30

Description

00 -1-

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INNOVATION PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicants: Actual Inventors: Address for Service is: Johnson Electric S.A.

Ji Cheng Pan and Israr Ahmed Khan Saeed SHELSTON IP Margaret Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 CCN: 3710000352 Attorney Code: SW Telephone No: Facsimile No.

(02) 9777 1111 (02) 9241 4666 Invention Title: WASTE FOOD DISPOSAL UNIT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us File: 58784AUP00 501571021 1.DOCJ5845 00 O WASTE FOOD DISPOSAL UNIT FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a waste disposal unit.

BACKGROUND

Waste food disposers, especially those designed for domestic use, are often installed under a sink where they are directly attached to the drain of the sink. As such, the disposer is located 00 in a prime location in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, the disposer is a noisy device due to the function it provides. While short periods of noise are accepted for the convenience provided, the longer the disposer takes to complete its task, the more noticeable the discomfort to the user. Efforts have been made to reduce the noise of the disposer but most of the better noise reduction has resulted in inefficient and thus longer operation. Thus, there is still a desire for a faster and/or a more efficient waste disposal unit.

The present invention in one embodiment thereof allows a faster and/or more efficient food waste disposer through the use of improved grinding lugs or at least provides the public with a useful choice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a waste food disposer comprising: a housing defining a grinding chamber having an inlet and an outlet; and a grinding mechanism disposed within the housing including: a shredder ring; a grinding disc, having at least one grinding lug; and a motor, for rotating the grinding disc and having an output shaft; wherein the grinding lug has a face which confronts the shredder ring and the face has a groove running axially dividing the face into fore and aft portions.

Preferably, the shredder ring has a number of radially inwardly extending projections located axially spaced above the shredder teeth and the face has a stepped portion which 00 -3- O confronts the shredder ring in the region of the projections.

SPreferably, the stepped portion of the face of the grinding lug has a second groove running axially, dividing the stepped portion into fore and aft portions.

Preferably, the grinding lug is slidably and pivotably connected the grinding disc by a rivet fixed to the grinding disc.

00 Preferably, the grinding lug has a lower surface arranged to face the grinding disc, 0 10 wherein the lower surface has a raised peripheral edge arranged to make sliding contact with a surface of the grinding disc.

Preferably, the grinding disc has peripheral teeth formed by a plurality of recesses spaced about a radially outer periphery of the grinding disc. 10 Optionally, the grinding disc has a fixed grinding lug.

Preferably, the grinding disc has at least one swivel grinding lug.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional schematic view of a waste food disposer according to the present invention; Figure2 is an exploded schematic of the working parts of the disposer of Figurel Figure 3 is a sectional view of a grinding mechanism of the disposer of Figure 1; and Figures 4 5 are perspective views of a grinding lug of the grinding mechanism of Figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred waste food disposer, as shown in Figure 1, has a housing 12 defining a grinding chamber 14, having an inlet 16 and an outlet 18. The inlet 16 is adapted to be fixed 00 -4to the drain of a sink and the outlet is connected, in use, to a drain pipe for the removal of the waste. Located within the grinding chamber is a grinding mechanism including a shredder ring 20 and a grinding disc 22.

The grinding disc 22 is mounted on an output shaft 28 of an electric motor 24 by way of a mounting bracket 26. The motor 24, in this embodiment, is a high voltage DC motor, and is located in a motor compartment 15 of the housing which is separated from the grinding chamber by a divider 30. The output shaft 28 of the motor 24 passes through the divider 00 A seal assembly 32 provides a waterproof rotating connection between the divider 30 and 0 10 the shaft 28. The divider 30 has an outer periphery which forms part of the housing 12 and the outlet 18.

The shredder ring 20 is fixed to the housing 12 within the grinding chamber 14. The shredder ring 20 is more clearly shown in Figure 2. The shredder ring 20 is a ring of steel, preferably stainless steel and has a plurality of slots 33 extending upwardly from the lower edge of the ring forming large teeth 34. The slots 33 are not vertical but are slanted at an angle between 200 and 300 to the vertical so as to point the teeth 34 downwardly in the direction of rotation of the grinding disc 22 which is disposed, in use, within the shredder ring 20 and axially aligned with the teeth 34. The shredder ring 20 has a number of inwardly projecting fingers 36 located in the unslotted or upper portion of the shredder ring. In this embodiment, there are three fingers 36.

The shredder ring 20 also has a number of inwardly projecting fingers 38 located in the slotted or lower portion of the ring, being formed in a respective tooth 34. Fingers 36 and fingers 38 help with the grinding process as will be described later.

The grinding disc 22 is more clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. The disc is flat and has a plurality of peripheral recesses 42 which form teeth for aiding the shredding process. The grinding disc also has a number of grinding lugs 54, two shown in this embodiment. The grinding lugs are fixed to the disc and stand vertically and close to the periphery of the disc to help push the matter to be shredded to the slots 33 in the shredder ring 20. The grinding 00 O lugs 54 are fixed to the grinding disc 22 by rivets 46.

The grinding lugs 54 may be rigidly fixed through the grinding plate. However, preferably, the grinding lugs are loosely fixed to the grinding plate by the rivet 46, about which the lug can rotate. Most preferably, the rivets 46 pass through slots 58 in the grinding lugs allowing that the grinding lugs to slide along as well as swivel or rotate about the rivet 46.

The grinding lugs, 54, have a face 60, arranged to closely confront, but never touch, the 00oO shredder ring, 20. The very small gap between the lug and the shredder ring, when the 0 10 grinding lug is at its full radial extent, a normal position during operation due to centrifugal force generated by the rotating grinding disc, squeezes and batters the food waste, pushing it into the teeth of the shredder ring to cut and tear the food waste into tiny pieces. The grinding lug has a larger mass behind the confronting face to give extra momentum to the grinding lug. The swivel nature of the connection between the lug and the grinding disc reduces the vibration/impact loading on the motor as well as reducing the likelihood of jamming, especially at start-up, along with the ability to slide away from the shredder ring in case of a large obstruction. This is particularly useful when dealing with hard matter such as bones, allowing the impact to be less forceful on the motor and the mounting structure and creating less noise for the user.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the face 60 of the grinding lug 54 has an axial or vertical groove 62. Groove 62 divides the face 60 into two portions, fore and aft portions depending on direction of rotation, and provides two leading edges 64, which is thought to give the grinding lug better grinding efficiency by providing a double cut at each pass. Sides 66 leading away from the face, 60 provide an impact surface The lower surface of the grinding lug 56 has an outer ridge, 68, forming a peripheral contact surface with the grinding plate 22. As the surface area of the ridge is substantially less than the surface area of the lower surface of the grinding lug the friction between the grinding lug and the grinding plate is much less. The rear portion 70 of the grinding lug 54, has a low profile and slanting or bevelled sides 72, to reduce the likelihood of jamming, especially at 00 -6startup under load. The mounting slot 58 is located in the rear portion In the embodiment shown, the face 60 of the grinding lug is vertically stepped, creating a O stepped portion. This allows the lower portion of the face to extend to a position very close to the teeth of the shredder ring while avoiding contact with the inwardly extending fingers 36 and 38 of the shredder ring, 20. The stepped portion confronts the fingers to shred some of the larger waste particles there between.

00oO The grinding disc 22 is fixed to the mounting bracket 26 by rivets 48. The mounting bracket 0 10 is a stepped bar as shown with a non-round hole 50 in the center which mates with and is

(N

keyed to the output shaft of the motor. In this embodiment, the output shaft has two flat sides 52. A spacer (not shown) and a screw (not shown) fix the mounting bracket 26 to the output shaft in known manner. The ends of the mounting bracket 26 extend up from the central region and are then bent back to follow the lower surface of the grinding disc 22.

Referring back to Figure 1, operation of the waste food disposer will now be described.

Water and waste food is led into the grinding chamber 14 via the inlet 16. The water flows through the slots 33 in the shredder ring 20 and through the recesses 42 in the grinding disc to be discharged from the housing 12 via outlet 18. When the motor 24 is switched on, the output shaft 28 rotates the grinding disc at high speed to fling the matter towards the shredder ring and through the slots 33. Small particles of matter will pass through the slots 33 while large particles of matter will be caught and 5 torn between the large teeth 34 of the shredder ring 20 and the recesses 42 on the disc, until the large particles are small enough to pass through the slots 33. The grinding lugs 54 help to fling the matter to the shredder ring 20. The fingers 36 and 38 do some minor shredding of softer matter but are used to stop large particles of matter from riding on the grinding disc and rubbing high on the shredder ring and thus, avoidingbeingcaughtbytheteeth34oftheshredderring.

Seal assembly 32 prevents water and other liquids from passing through the shaft opening in the divider 30 and into the motor chamber 00 -7- O Waste food disposal units made according to the present invention exhibit a shorter grind time thus increasing the efficiency of the disposer and reducing the total noise created.

Swivel grinding lugs are fixed to the grinding disc for rotation therewith but they can rotate e¢3 and/or slide about or along the fixing rivet. This feature is useful when dealing with hard matter such as bones, allowing the impact to be less forceful on the motor and the mounting structure and creating less noise and vibration for the user.

00 The embodiment described above is given by way of example only and various 0 10 modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Claims

2. A waste food disposer according to Claim 1, wherein the shredder ring has a number of radially inwardly extending projections located axially spaced above the shredder teeth and the face has a stepped portion which confronts the shredder ring in the region of the projections.
3. A waste food disposer according to Claim 2, wherein the stepped portion of the face of the grinding lug has a second groove running axially, dividing the stepped portion into fore and aft portions.
4. A waste food disposer according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the grinding lug is slidably and pivotably connected the grinding disc by a rivet fixed to the grinding disc. A waste food disposer according to Claim 4 wherein the grinding lug has a lower surface facing the grinding disc, wherein the lower surface has a raised peripheral edge arranged to make sliding contact with a surface of the grinding disc.