GB2355675A

GB2355675A - Food grinder

Info

Publication number: GB2355675A
Application number: GB0024916A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chung Lun Yip
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-10-26
Filing date: 2000-10-11
Publication date: 2001-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 2020-10-11
Also published as: AU6957200A; FR2799945A1; DE10051980A1; GB0024916D0; AU781907B2; GB2355675B; JP2001169933A; IT1317921B1; ITRM20000558A0; CA2323344A1; CN1304706A; FR2799945B1; ITRM20000558A1; HK1036204A1

Abstract

A manually operated food grinder has grinding elements comprising a vertical cylindrical housing 17, a rotatable feeding screw 16 and a metallic apertured plate 18, which closes off the bottom of the housing 17 and is adjacent to the lower surfaces of the screw 16. The housing 17 and screw 16 are made of ceramic. The main grinding action takes place over virtually the whole area of the plate 18 leading to greater through-put as against similar sized prior art grinders as well as enabling the production of finer grounds.

Description

2355675 FOCI) GRIMER

Background of the Invention

1. Field of the invention

The invention relates to food grinders.

2. Description of Prior Art

The invention relates more particularly to manual food grinders especially for grinding coffee beans, peppercorns and the like. currently, the grinders consist of a grinding wheel with a part conical IS peripheral end that is arranged to rotate within a fixed conical ring. The cooperating surfaces are formed with grinding surfaces, generally in the form of 'gearing", that are used to crush cof fee beans as they are passed between the cooperating surf aces. A working separation, usually adjustable, provided between the cooperating surfaces allows coffee grounds to fall through into a grounds collecting chamber. Traditionally, both the grinding wheel and the fixed ring are each formed of metallic material integrally formed with suitable 2S gearing. The suitably prepared metallic materials parts tend to be expensive.

SummaEy of the invention It is an aim of the invention to overcome or at least reduce this problem.

According to the invention there is provided a food grinder in which the grinding. elements comprise a cylindrical upstanding - housing having a central longitudinal vertical axis, a food particle feeding 3.0 screw rotatable mounted about' the axis within the housing to urge the food particles downwards, and an apertured plate closing off a bottom of the housing and adjacent to which lower surfaces of the screw are held so that food particles are forced against and swept over and through the plate by the screw to grind the'-food particles irX use.

The inner surfaces of the housing is preferably formed with a plurality of ribs each extending generally vertically downwards.

The housing may have a number of external.. protruding ribs that are held stationary in a frame of the food grinder to prevent rotation of the housing.

2S The plate may be circular and provided with a number of shartwings that are held in a frame of the food grinder to prevent rotation of the plate.

3 The housing and screw are preferably formed of porcelain.

The plate is preferably formed of stainless steel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A food grinder according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure I is a sectional elevation of the grinder; and is F-ig=e 2 is an exploded isometric view of grinding elements for the grinder.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to the drawings, in Figure I the food grinder is of a generally conventional form having a bean hopper and a grounds collection chamber 3.1 which supports the hopper. A:removable lid 12 for the hopper has a central aperture 13 through which a drive shaft 14 of a 2S handle 15 passes to engage and rotate a grinder feeding screw 16.

Grinder elements of the food grinder comprise the screw - 4 16, a cylindrical housing 17 and an apertured plate 18, all of which are shown more clearly in Figure 2. The screw 16 and the housing 17 are formed of porcelain, and the Plate IS is made of stainless steel. The inner surface of the housing is integrally formed with a plurality of vertically extending ribs 19.

In use, the hopper Ia is charged with coffee beans and the drive shaft 14 fitted to rotate the screw 16. Beans are forced downwards by rotation of the screw 16 and restrained from moving easily around inside the housing 17 by the ribs 19. This,resistance causes some crushing of the beans in use. The beans are forced against plate IS and swept by discontinuous lower surfaces 20 of the is screw formation over the plate Ia. The screw Is is held down so that the surfaces 20 are adjacent the upper surface of the plate Ia. As a result coffee grounds are produced and pass through the plate into the chamber 11.

The handle 15 is turned until all the beans originally placed in the hopper 10 have been ground and collected in the chamber 11.

It will be noted that the housing 17 is formed with outer ribs 21 that can Icck to a frame 22 of the coffee grinder to prevent rotation of the housing 17 in use.

Likewise, the plate Ia is provided with "Eoiar short wings 23 that also prevent rotation of the plate IS wherl it is fitted in the frame 22.

The screw 1.6 and the housing 3.7 are formed of porcelain which is much cheaper than suitably prepared metal parts used as grinding elements in present day grinders.

Porcelain is also generally harder and more suitable to use in grinding operations than most metals especially for foodstuffs. The ground coffee produced in the described grinder is more evenly formed and can he provided in grounds of generally smaller grain size, where required. As grinding is carried out over a relatively larger effective area as compared to prior art arrangements, the grinding capacity of the described grinder is, 'Asize for size", greater and so speedier grinding is possible.

Embodiments of the invention can be used for grinding coffee beans as described and also peppercorns, and relatively dry salt crystals for example. Other foodstuff may also be ground that can be generally crushed down from relatively large particles to smaller powder like constituency. The grinder is therefore described as a -food grinder, and the coffee beans, pepperco=s, 'Asalt crystals" and so forth, are referred to generically in the claims as "food particles".

Claims

WE CLAIM:

1. A food grinder in which the grinding elements comprise a cylindrical upstanding housing having a central longitudinal vertical axis, a food particle feeding screw rotatable 'mounted about the axis within the housing to urge the food particles downwards, and an apertured plate closing off a bottorn of the housing and adjacent to which lower surfaces of the screw are held so that food particles are forced against and swept over and through the plate by the screw to grind the food part cles in use.

2. A food grinder according to claim 1, in which the is inner surfaces of the housing is formed with a plurality of ribs each extending generally vertically downwards.

3. A food grinder according to claim 1, in which the housing has a number of external protruding ribs that are held stationary in a frame of the food grinder to prevent rotation of the housing.

4. A food grinder according to claim 1, in which the plate is circular and is provided with a number of short 2S wings that are held in a frame of the food grinder to prevent rotation of che plate.

S. A food grinder according to claim 1, in which the housing is.fo=wd of porcelain.

6. A food grinder according to claim 1, in which the screw is formed of porcelain.

7. A food grinder according to claim 1, in which the plate is formed of stainless steel.

8. A food grinder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying Figures of drawings.