AU2013100617A4 - Food waste disposer and grinding mechanisms therefore - Google Patents

Abstract

12 5460 7062 62 70 60 12~~5 14471 16 Fig -1 A food waste disposer has a grind ring and a shredder plate. The grind ring includes an upper portion with horizontally extending breakers and a lower portion with a plurality of angled teeth and a plurality of angled teeth gaps spaced around the lower portion of the grind ring with the teeth gaps interspersed with the teeth. In an embodiment, the shredder plate includes swivel lugs having a nose section with an angled back. In an embodiment, each swivel lug includes a fastener section having a portion that extends around the fastener section from one side of the nose section to an opposed side of the nose section that is smooth.

Description

FOOD WASTE DISPOSER AND GRINDING MECHANISMS THEREFORE FIELD [0001] The present disclosure relates to food waste disposers, and more particularly to food waste disposers and grinding mechanisms therefore. BACKGROUND [0002] This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art. [0003] A food waste disposer of the type that is disposed underneath a sink and mounted to a drain opening of the sink typically includes a food conveying section, a motor section and a grind section. The grind section is disposed between the food conveying section and the motor section. The food conveying section conveys food waste to the grind section. The grind section receives and grinds the food waste and the ground food waste is discharged through a discharge outlet to a tailpipe. [0004] The grind section typically includes a grinding mechanism with a shredder plate and a stationary grind ring. The shredder plate is connected to a shaft of an electric motor of the motor section and includes one or more lugs, typically one or more pairs of lugs. The lugs may include fixed lugs that are fixed to the shredder plate, rotatable lugs that are rotatably fastened to the shredder plate and are free to rotate thereon, or both. The shredder plate is rotated relative to the grind ring via the electric motor. The grind ring is typically mounted 1 in a housing and includes a plurality of spaced teeth. Such a grind ring may include an upper portion with breakers and a lower portion with spaced teeth. The breakers are triangular shaped and have edges that are at approximately 450 angles relative to upper and/or lower circumferential edges of the grind ring. The teeth are triangular shaped and are proximate an outer periphery of the shredder plate. [0005] During operation of the food waste disposer, the food waste that is directed from the food conveying section to the grind section is forced by the lugs against the grind ring to comminute the food waste. The breakers tear up a portion of the food waste while sharp edges of the teeth grind the food waste into particulate matter. The particulate matter is forced from an area above the shredder plate through openings between the teeth to a discharge area in an upper end bell below the shredder plate. The particulate matter is then discharged from the area below the shredder plate out the tailpipe to a drain line. [0006] Although the grind mechanism provides rapid grinding of food waste, the grind mechanism is limited as to the fineness to which it can grind the food waste and can only grind the food waste down to a certain particle size. Due to the fineness limits of the grind mechanism, the food waste disposer tends to be prone to drain line clogging when grinding certain types of food waste. This typically occurs when the food waste disposer is grinding coarse materials, such as peels (e.g., apple and potato peels) or fibrous materials (e.g., celery, soy pods and corn husks). The clogging occurs both because of the coarseness of the 2 ground material and the high rate at which the ground material is discharged into the drain line. [0007] Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application. SUMMARY [0008] Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. [0009] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. [0010] A technical problem addressed by an embodiment of the present disclosure is to improve fineness of grind in a food waste disposer without increasing the time of grind. As used herein, "time of the grind" is the amount of time that it takes to complete the grinding of the food waste. Another technical problem addressed by an embodiment of the present disclosure is to reduce the likelihood of jams. 3 [0011] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a food waste disposer has a food conveying section, a motor section and a grind and discharge section. The grind and discharge section is disposed between the food conveying section and the motor section and includes a grind section and a discharge section. The food conveying section conveys food waste to the grind section. The grind section includes a grind mechanism. The grind mechanism includes a stationary grind ring and a rotating shredder plate that rotates within the stationary grind ring. The rotating shredder plate is rotated by a motor of the motor section. The grind ring includes an upper portion having a plurality of horizontally inwardly extending breakers spaced around the upper portion of the grind ring and a lower portion with a plurality of angled teeth and a plurality of angled teeth gaps spaced around the lower portion of the grind ring with the angled teeth gaps interspersed with the angled teeth. The shredder plate includes a plurality of swivel lugs rotatably fastened to the shredder plate that force food waste against the teeth and breakers of the grind ring when the shredder plate is rotating. [0012] In an embodiment, the grind ring also includes one or more vertical tooth gaps. [0013] In an embodiment, each of the swivel lugs has a fastener engaging section that engages with a fastener that attaches the respective lug to the shredder plate. Each swivel lug has a stepped nose section having an inner section with a peripheral outer end that opposes ends of horizontal portions of the breakers and an outer section with a top edge that opposes the horizontal 4 portions of the breakers. The peripheral outer end and the top edge mirror the horizontal portions of the breakers. The inner section of the stepped nose section has an angled back that is smooth. [0014] In an embodiment, a portion of the fastener section that extends around the fastener section from one side of the nose section to an opposed side of the nose section is smooth. [0015] Technical solutions effected by one or more of the above embodiments include the following. A stationary grind ring having angled teeth and teeth gaps decreases time of grind without decreasing fineness of grind. Jams are reduced by a lug having a nose section with an inner section that has an angled back, Jams are also reduced by the angled back being smooth. Jams are also reduced by a lug having a fastener section having a portion that extends around the fastener section from one side of a nose section to an opposed side of the nose section where that portion has a smooth surface. [0016] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. DRAWINGS [0017] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected implementations, do not include all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 5 [0018] FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view of food waste disposer having a grinding mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; [0019] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the grinding mechanism of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and [0020] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional and perspective view of the grinding mechanism of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [0021] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0022] Example implementations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. [0023] In Fig. 1, a food waste disposer 10 is shown. The food waste disposer 10 includes a grind and discharge section 13 disposed between a food conveying section 16 and a motor section 18. Motor section 18 includes a motor 34. The grind and discharge section 13 includes a grind section 14 and a discharge section 15. The grind section 14 includes a grind mechanism 12. The grind mechanism 12 includes a stationary grind ring 20 and a rotating shredder plate 22. During operation, the food conveying section 16 conveys food waste from, for example, a sink (not shown) to the grind section 14. The shredder plate 22 is rotated by motor 34 to grind the food waste into ground material. The 6 ground material is passes from the grind section 14 to discharge section 15 and is discharged out a tailpipe 24 to a drain line (not shown). [0024] The grind section 14 includes a grind housing 26 that encompasses the grind mechanism 12. The grind housing 26 may be fastened to an upper end bell 28 and holds the grind ring 20. The grind ring 20 is mounted in a fixed (stationary) position within the grind housing 26. The grind ring 20 may be attached to an inner surface of the grind housing 26 by an interference fit and may be composed, for example, of galvanized steel. [0025] The food conveying section 16 includes an inlet housing 30 with a first inlet 32. The first inlet 32 receives food waste and water. The inlet housing 30 may be a metal housing or an injection molded plastic housing. The inlet housing 30 also includes a second inlet 33 for receiving water discharged from a dishwasher (not shown). The inlet housing 30 may be integrally formed with the grind housing 26, such as by injection-molding both of the housings 26, 30 as a single component. [0026] Motor 34 of motor section 18 has a rotor 38 and a stator 44. Rotor 38 rotates in stator 44 imparting rotational movement to a rotor shaft 36 of a rotor 38. Motor 34 may be an induction motor, but may be other types of motors. The motor 34 is enclosed within a motor housing 40. The motor housing 40 has a frame 42. The rotor shaft 36 is connected to and rotates the shredder plate 22 within the grind ring 20. [0027] As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, grind ring 20 includes a sidewall 50 having upper and lower circumferential edges 54, 56. An upper portion 58 of 7 the grind ring 20 includes a plurality of radially inwardly extending breakers 60, which are disposed around grind ring 20. A lower portion 64 the grind ring 20 includes teeth 62 formed in sidewall 50, only some of which are identified by the reference number 62. Teeth gaps 70, only some of which are identified by the reference number 70, may be cut, punched, or stamped out of the sidewall 50 to form the teeth 62 therebetween, and are interspersed with teeth 62 around the lower portion 64 of grind ring 20. [0028] The breakers 60 may be formed as tabs that extend vertically upwardly from the sidewall 50 in locations below the upper circumferential edge 54 and then horizontally inward toward a center of the grind mechanism 12. As best shown in Fig. 3, the breakers 60 include horizontal portions 74 and vertical portions 76. The horizontal portions 74 extend approximately perpendicular from the sidewall 50 and parallel to the shredder plate 22. The horizontal portions 74 have ends 78 that may have downwardly projecting edges 80. Any number of breakers 60 may be incorporated in the grind ring 20. [0029] Breakers 60 have a width which may be the same for all breakers 60 or may be different. Horizontal portions 74 of breakers 60 have a length that may be the same for breakers 60 or may be different. In this example, breakers 60 are also spaced equidistantly from each other around upper portion 58. For example only, the horizontal portions 74 may have a horizontal length between 3.56 mm and 4.57mm. As another example, the widths of the breakers 60 may be between 7.11mm and 8.13mm. 8 [0030] The teeth 62 are angled and may have a trapezoidal shape having side edges 82 that are parallel to each other and that extend upwardly at an angle with respect to lower circumferential edge so that teeth 62 have an angular orientation with respect to lower circumferential edge 56 of sidewall 22 of grind ring 20. Side edges 82, and thus teeth 62, angle backwardly with respect to direction of rotation 84 (Fig. 2) of shredder plate 22 when it is rotating in its normal direction, counter-clockwise as oriented in Fig. 2. Similarly, teeth gaps 70 extend upwardly at an angle with respect to lower circumferential edge 56 and also angle backwardly with respect to the direction of rotation 84 of shredder plate 22 when it is rotating in its normal direction. It should be understood, however, that side edges 82 could have a slight taper with respect to each other as they extend upwardly. [0031] As shown Fig. 2, side edges 82 may have an obtuse angle 86 of a nominal 108 degrees with respect to lower circumferential edge 56 of sidewall 50 of grind ring 20. Again, this in taken with respect to the direction of rotation 84 of shredder plate 22 when it is rotating in its normal direction. It should be understood that angle 86 could be other than a nominal of 108 degrees, and can have a tolerance of +/- eight degrees. The teeth 62 may also be closely positioned to each other having narrow teeth spacing. The teeth 62 may be equally distanced apart from each other. They may also have equal widths or different widths. The widths of the teeth gaps 70 may be the same or different. The tops 88 of the teeth gaps 70 may be arched as shown. The angular 9 orientation of teeth 62 and teeth gaps 70 help improve time of grind (that is, help decrease the time of grind) without decreasing fineness of the grind. [0032] To facilitate installation of grind ring 20 such as in grind housing 26, grind ring 20 may include one or more of vertical tooth gaps 90 in place of one or more of the angled teeth gaps 70 For example, grind ring 20 may have three vertical tooth gaps 90 equidistantly spaced around grind ring 20. Grind housing 26 has corresponding tabs (not shown) that snap into each vertical tooth gap 90 to hold grind ring 26 in place. [0033] Referring now to FIGs. 1-3, the shredder plate 22 is circular shaped and is rotated within the grind ring 20. The shredder plate 22 includes a shaft opening 150 (Fig. 2) that is connected to and/or receives the shaft 36. The shredder plate 22 includes a plurality of swivel lugs 152, illustratively a pair of swivel lugs 152. Swivel lugs 152 are fastened to the shredder plate 22 via fasteners 154 (Fig. 1), but are free to rotate about the fasteners 154. The lugs 152 are disposed on opposite sides of the shredder plate 22 between shaft opening 150 and an outer circumferential edge 156 (Fig. 2) of the shredder plate 22. [0034] Lugs 152 include fastener engaging sections 160 (Fig. 3) having a height S1 and nose sections 162 having an inner section 163 and an outer section 164. The fastener engaging sections 160 receive the fasteners 154 and/or engage with the fasteners 154. The inner section 163 of each nose section 162 has a height S2 that is greater than a height of S3 of the outer section 164 of that lug 152. This height differential provides a step down from a 10 top 165 of the inner section 163 to a top 170 of the outer nose section 164 with a vertical face of this step providing outer peripheral end 166 of inner section 163 of nose section 162. [0035] With reference to Fig. 3, the height S3 of outer sections 164 of nose sections 162 is less than a height D1 between a bottom of the breakers 60 and the shredder plate 22. This allows the outer sections 164 to pass under the breakers 60 as shredder plate 22 rotates. The height S3 of outer sections 164 may be just less than height D1 to maximize the surface areas of outer peripheral ends 172 of outer sections 164 that face the sidewall 50 of the grind ring 20 when lugs 152 are in their extended positions. Lugs 152 are in their extended positions when shredder plate 22 is rotating and lugs 152 have not been jarred out of their extended positions such as by contact with hard food waste. [0036] The outer peripheral ends 172 of outer sections 164 may be flush with outer circumferential edge 156 of the shredder plate 22 and face sidewall 50 of grind ring 20 when lugs 152 are in their extended positions. The breakers 60 extend over the top edges 170 of outer sections 164 as shredder plate 22 rotates. The ends 78 of the breakers 60 face the outer peripheral ends 166 of the inner sections 163 of nose sections 162 when lugs 152 are in their extended positions. [0037] With reference to Fig. 2, sides 171 of the inner sections 163 of nose sections 162 and sides 173 of the outer sections 164 may taper inwardly toward each other as they extend outwardly toward grind ring 20 (when lugs 152 are in their extended positions) to guide food waste against the grind ring 20. 11 [0038] The width and height of the inner and outer sections 163, 164 of nose sections 162 may be adjusted to maintain minimum distances from the breakers 60 and grind ring 20 during operation of the grind mechanism. Further, outer sections 164 illustratively have a height that is equal to or greater than a height of the teeth gaps 70 and thus have a height that is equal to or greater than a height of the teeth 62. [0039] The inner and outer sections 163, 164 of nose sections 162 have breaker mirroring surfaces provided by the outer peripheral end 166 of inner section 163 and top edge 170 of outer section 164 that oppose, respectively, ends 78 of horizontal portions 74 of breakers 60 and a bottom 75 of horizontal portions 74. As a result, portions of the lugs 152 and the breakers 60 mirror each other. [0040] The nose section 162 has an angled back 174 (Fig. 2) that angles downwardly from top 165 of inner section 163 of the nose section 162 to a top 176 of fastener engaging section 160. Angled back 174 helps prevent jams. In this regard, angled back 174 is smooth. A portion 178 of fastener engaging section 160 that extends around fastener engaging section 160 from one side 171 of the inner section 163 of the nose section 162 to an opposed side 171 of the inner section 163 of the nose section 162 is also smooth to help prevent jams. [0041] The foregoing description has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular implementation are 12 generally not limited to that particular implementation but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected implementation, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. 13

Claims (5)

1. A food waste disposer, comprising: a food conveying section, a motor section and a grind and discharge section, the grind and discharge section disposed between the food conveying section and the motor section, the food conveying section conveying food waste to the grind section; a grind section of the grind and discharge section including a grind mechanism, the grind mechanism comprising: a stationary grind ring and a rotating shredder plate that rotates within the stationary grind ring, the rotating shredder plate rotated by a motor of the motor section; the grind ring including an upper portion having a plurality of horizontally inwardly extending breakers spaced around the upper portion of the grind ring and a lower portion with a plurality of angled teeth and a plurality of angled teeth gaps spaced around the lower portion of the grind ring with the teeth gaps interspersed with the teeth; and the shredder plate including a plurality of swivel lugs rotatably fastened to the shredder plate that force food waste against the teeth and breakers of the grind ring when the shredder plate is rotating.

2. The food waste disposer of any claim 1, wherein each of the swivel lugs comprises: 14 a fastener engaging section that engages with a fastener, wherein the fastener attaches the respective lug to the shredder plate; a stepped nose section having an inner section with a peripheral outer end that opposes ends of horizontal portions of the breakers and an outer section with a top edge that opposes the horizontal portions of the breakers wherein the peripheral outer end and the top edge mirror the horizontal portions of the breakers, the inner section of the stepped nose section having an angled back.

3. A food waste disposer, comprising: a food conveying section, a motor section and a grind and discharge section, the grind and discharge section disposed between the food conveying section and the motor section, the food conveying section conveying food waste to the grind section; a grind section of the grind and discharge section including a grind mechanism, the grind mechanism comprising: a stationary grind ring and a rotating shredder plate that rotates within the stationary grind ring, the rotating shredder plate rotated by a motor of the motor section; the grind ring including an upper portion having a plurality of horizontally inwardly extending breakers spaced around the upper portion of the grind ring and a lower portion with a plurality of teeth and a plurality of teeth gaps spaced around the lower portion of the grind ring with the teeth gaps interspersed with the teeth; and 15 the shredder plate including a plurality of swivel lugs rotatably fastened to the shredder plate that force food waste against the teeth and breakers of the grind ring when the shredder plate is rotating wherein each of the swivel lugs includes: a fastener engaging section that engages with a fastener, wherein the fastener attaches the respective lug to the shredder plate; and a stepped nose section having an inner section with a peripheral outer end that opposes ends of horizontal portions of the breakers and an outer section with a top edge that opposes the horizontal portions of the breakers wherein the peripheral outer end and the top edge mirror the horizontal portions of the breakers, the inner section of the stepped nose section having an angled back.

4. The food waste disposer of claim 3, wherein a portion of the fastener section that extends around the fastener section from one side of the nose section to an opposed side of the nose section is smooth.

5. A food waste disposer as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. 16