GB2606510A

GB2606510A - Grinding apparatus, dry storage compartment, and kit

Info

Publication number: GB2606510A
Application number: GB2101704.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Camilo Mckenzie Juan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-02-08
Filing date: 2021-02-08
Publication date: 2022-11-16
Also published as: GB202101704D0

Abstract

A grinding apparatus having an outer cup 104 with teeth 112 on the inner end face 108 of the cup, an inner cup 102 with teeth 110 on the outer end face 106 of the cup, and an end cap 116 which closes over the open end of the outer cup, the inner cup being housed within the outer cup. Also included is a second cap 130 which closes over the closed end of the outer shell which provides a particle capture chamber designed to collect any small particles of resin or wax that are produced in the process of grinding a herb, thereby preventing the build-up of such substances within the apparatus. The cap elements each have a rubber gasket 122, 134 configured to create an airtight seal around the openings of the apparatus to facilitate use as an herb storage solution. Further provided is a kit including the grinding apparatus and an opening implement (200; Fig 6) for removing at least one of the cap elements.

Description

Title: Grinding Apparatus, Dry Storage Compartment, and Kit Field of Invention.

The present invention relates generally to the field of herb grinders. More specifically, the present invention relates to a grinding apparatus having a small particle capture chamber and a kit including the grinding apparatus and an opening implement.

Background

Many types of herb grinders are available on the market. These grinding devices generally involve multiple cylinders and compartments which fit together and include a grinding portion with an inner hollow cylinder and an outer hollow cylinder each having a wall with spiked protrusions or grinding teeth. The inner cylinder is slid into the outer cylinder so they are positioned concentrically to one another and they are then rotated with respect to one another, causing the grinding teeth to grind down any matter that has been placed between the opposing sets of spiked protrusions.

These types of devices are useful, however they have many drawbacks. For instance, some herbs which users wish to grind such as Cannabis comprise resin or wax-like substances that, when the herb is ground, adhere to various inner surfaces of the grinding apparatus including between the spiked protrusions. These resins and waxes can build up and cause difficult to remove blockages that prevent the apparatus from operating smoothly and reduce their lifespan significantly.

Furthermore, a user wishing to grind herbs will often have various accompanying accessories, and the grinders themselves are made up of various cylinders and compartments that do not interlock, this can be cumbersome for the user to keep track of and carry.

Finally, the accessories, as well as the herbs themselves, are best kept in a sealed waterproof, airtight environment. Despite this need, there are few grinding apparatus solutions available on the market which are designed to double up as a suitable storage solution.

It is within this context that the present invention is provided.

Summary

The present disclosure provides a grinding apparatus that comprises a particle capture chamber designed to collect any small particles of resin or wax that are produced in the process of grinding a herb, thereby preventing the build-up of such substances within the apparatus. The disclosed grinding apparatus is further provided with first and second cap elements each having a rubber gasket configured to create an airtight seal around the openings of the apparatus to facilitate use as a herb storage solution. Further provided is a kit including the grinding apparatus and an opening implement for removing at least one of the cap elements.

Thus, according to one aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a grinding apparatus, comprising: an inner shell formed into a hollow cylinder having a first open end and a first closed end covered by a first wall, wherein the first open end comprises a ridged lip about the outer circumference of the cylinder wall, and wherein an outer surface of the first wall has a plurality of spiked protrusions.

The apparatus further comprises an outer shell formed into a hollow cylinder having a second open end and a second closed end covered by a second perforated wall comprising a mesh layer, wherein the second open end comprises a threaded surface about the outer circumference of the cylinder wall, and wherein an inner surface of the second perforated wall has a plurality of spiked protrusions interspersed with a plurality of perforations, and wherein the cylinder walls of the outer shell extend past the second closed end and form a particle capture chamber having a threaded inner surface about its circumference.

The radius of the outer shell is greater than the radius of the inner shell and the relative lengths of the inner and outer shells are such that the inner shell can be slid into the outer shell to a position where the spiked protrusions of the inner shell interlock with the spiked protrusions of the outer shell, and wherein the ridged lip of the inner shell rests against the second open end of the outer shell, preventing further translational movement but allowing for rotational movement of the outer shell relative to the inner shell.

The apparatus comprises two cap elements for sealing the first and second openings of the inner and outer shells when they are positioned concentrically with the inner shell inserted into the outer shell.

Thus, the apparatus further comprises a first cap element having a threaded inner portion and fitted with a rubber gasket configured to create an airtight seal about the second open end of the outer shell by interlocking with the threaded surface; and a second cap element having a threaded outer surface and fitted with a rubber gasket configured to create an airtight seal over the second closed end of the outer shell by interlocking with the threaded inner surface of the particle capture chamber.

In some embodiments, the inner surface of the second close end of the outer shell is concave or tapered inward to guide matter to the more central areas of the interlocking spiked protrusions.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a kit, the kit comprising a grinding apparatus according to the above-described embodiments, wherein the second cap element has two or more indents in an outer surface thereof, the kit further comprising an opening implement comprising a flat rod having two or more protrusions configured to interlock with the two or more indents of the second cap element to facilitate a twisting motion to open the particle capture chamber.

In some embodiments of the kit, the opening implement is tapered to facilitate an additional use of scraping waste matter from one or more inner surfaces of the grinding apparatus.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

FIG.1 illustrates an example configuration of the grinding apparatus of the present disclosure in a cross-sectional view with the inner and outer shells positioned concentrically and first can second cap elements creating an airtight seal about the openings thereof.

FIG.2 illustrates an example configuration of the grinding apparatus of the present disclosure in an exploded cross-sectional view with the various components of the apparatus separated from one another.

FIG.3 illustrates an example configuration of the grinding apparatus of the present disclosure in an exploded perspective view similar to FIG.2. :3

FIG.4 illustrates an example configuration of an inner shell of the grinding apparatus of the present disclosure in a cross-sectional view including a highlighted view of the ridged lip of the inner shell.

FIG.5 illustrates an example configuration of the inner shell of the grinding apparatus of the present disclosure in a perspective view.

FIG.6 illustrates a cut-away perspective view of the inner portion and spike protrusions of an example configuration of an outer shell of the grinding apparatus of the present disclosure.

FIG.7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example configuration of an example configuration of an outer shell of the grinding apparatus of the present disclosure.

FIG.8 illustrates a perspective view of an example configuration of an example configuration of an outer shell of the grinding apparatus of the present disclosure.

FIG.9 illustrates a perspective view of an example configuration of an opening implement and cap element for use in a kit including the grinding apparatus of the present disclosure.

FIG.10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example configuration of an opening implement and cap element for use in a kit including the grinding apparatus of the present disclosure.

FIG.11 illustrates an example configuration of a kit including a grinding apparatus and an opening implement in perspective view according to the present disclosure.

Common reference numerals are used throughout the figures and the detailed description to indicate like elements. One skilled in the art will readily recognize that the above figures are examples and that other architectures, modes of operation, orders of operation, and elements/functions can be provided and implemented without departing from the characteristics and features of the invention, as set forth in the claims.

Detailed Description and Preferred Embodiment

The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention. The embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the invention, but the invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalent; it is limited only by the claims.

Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the invention is not unnecessarily obscured.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Referring to FIG.1, a cross-sectional view of an example grinder apparatus 100 and its inner workings according to the present disclosure is shown.

As can be seen, the apparatus 100 comprises an inner shell 102 in the form of a hollow cylinder which rests concentrically inside an outer shell 104 having a similar shape with a slightly larger radius. Both shells 102 and 104 have one open end and one closed end which is covered by a wall 106 for the inner shell and a second, perforated wall 108 for the outer shell. The walls 106 and 108 have opposing sets of spiked protrusions 110 and 112 which are positioned to interlock when the inner shell is inserted inside the outer shell, while still allowing for rotational movement between the two such that any matter positioned between the sets of interlocking spiked protrusions will be ground into small particles by the rotation.

One example configuration of the interlocking sets of spiked protrusions would be to have them set in concentric circles of varying radius, however any suitable pattern could be used.

The spiked protrusions 110 and 112 need to be aligned close enough to grind matter which sits in between them without actually touching each other. This is achieved by having a careful length proportion of the inner and outer shells, and by the inner shell 102 having a ridged lip 114 about the circumference of the open end which increases the radius of the inner shell and thus rests on the edge of the open end of the outer shell 104, preventing further translational movement of the inner shell with respect to the outer shell and holding the two in the optimum position for grinding matter.

The grinding apparatus further comprises a first cap element 116 designed to cover the open ends of the inner and outer shells. It can be held in place by having an inner surface of the cap which is threaded 118 and configured to interlock with an opposing set of thread 120 on the outer circumference of the outer shell. The cap element 116 also comprises a rubber gasket 122 along a corner of its inner wall that interfaces with the edge/top of the open end of the inner shell 102 to create an airtight seal. This is advantageous because, as will be described below, the opposing closed ends of the shells can also form an airtight seal, meaning that the hollow interior 124 of the inner shell can act as an airtight storage container for holding herbs and other grinding accessories. The seals are also waterproof. Furthermore, the threaded connection between the first cap element 116 and the outer shell 104 means that a user can easily apply torque to ensure the seal is indeed airtight.

The outer shell 104 does not end at the point covered by the perforated wall 108. Instead, the curved walls of the cylinder extend a small length past the perforated wall 108 to form a particle capture chamber 126 where debris and small particles from ground matter such as resin and waxlike substances that fall through the perforations of the outer shell during grinding are captured.

The inner surfaces of these extended walls are also provided with thread 128 which interacts with a second cap element 130 having walls with outward facing thread 132 that interlocks with the thread 128 to seal the chamber. The second cap element also has a rubber gasket 134 about the threaded outer portion 132 that forms an airtight seal for the particle capture chamber 126 similar to the seal covering the opposing end of the shells.

Referring to FIG.2 and FIG.3, cross sectional and perspective views of the grinding apparatus in a disassembled state (i.e. exploded view) are shown to better illustrate the interactions between some parts.

In addition to the parts described in FIG.1, a mesh layer 136 is illustrated which can be inserted against the perforated wall 108 of the outer shell 104, for example at the interface with the particle capture chamber 126. The size of the mesh perforations can thus be chosen to control the size of particles which are able to fall through into the particle capture chamber 126, and different sizes of meshes can be swapped in and out without changing the perforation size of the grinding apparatus.

Referring to FIG.4 and FIG.5, cross-sectional and perspective views of the inner shell 102 are shown.

FIG.4 in particular shows a close-up view of the ridged lip 114 that limits translational movement of the inner shell 102 with respect to the outer shell 104 when it is inserted inside as explained above.

Referring to FIG.6, FIG.7, and FIGS, alternative views of an example outer shell 104 construction are shown.

FIG.6 shows a cutaway view of the internal perforated wall 108 of the outer shell comprising the inward facing spiked protrusions 112 that interlock with the outward facing spiked protrusions 110 of the inner shell.

An additional optional feature of the outer shell 104 which is illustrated in these examples is the inclusion of a concave or tapered inner surface 138 at the interface between the cylinder walls and the perforated wall 108. The tapered shape advantageously guides ground matter towards the rotating spiked protrusions and the perforations to further reduce the risk of build-up of resin and wax-like substances in the corners of the grinding apparatus.

An example pattern of perforations in the wall 108 is shown in FIGS. The grinding apparatus 100 of the present disclosure can also be provided as part of a kit alongside an opening implement 200.

As the design of the grinding apparatus puts an emphasis on the creation of airtight, waterproof seals about the opposing ends of the cylindrical shells, it is important that a user can easily apply the required torque to achieve this.

The first cap element 116 of the illustrated embodiments is comparatively large by design, and has a surface area sufficient for a user to grip and twist the cap on firmly without the requirement of additional accessories.

The second cap element 130 on the other hand, at least in the examples illustrated herein, has a smaller surface area about its outer circumference, and would thus be more difficult to twist on firmly by hand.

Referring to FIG.9, FIG.10, and FIG.11, this problem is solved by having a second cap element 130 with at least two indents 140 set into the outer surface thereof, and the provision of an opening implement 200 in the form of a small tapered rod having at least two protrusions 202 configured to interlock with the indents 138 of the second cap element 130.

The rod is of a greater length than the diameter of the second cap element such that upon interlocking the protrusions 202 with the indents 140, a portion of the rod protrudes out from the side of the grinding apparatus which can be used as a lever to rotate the second cap element 130 relative to the outer shell 104 to remove or attach the cap element in a sealed manner, allowing the particle capture chamber to be emptied and cleaned easily.

The rod of the opening element 200 is tapered for ergonomic reasons, and has a flat edge 204 along the winder end that facilitates the use of the opening implement to scrape any accumulation of small particles that occurs in the grinding apparatus 100.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

The disclosed embodiments are illustrative, not restrictive. While specific configurations of the grinding apparatus and kit have been described in a specific manner referring to the illustrated embodiments, it is understood that the present invention can be applied to a wide variety of solutions which fit within the scope and spirit of the claims. There are many alternative ways of implementing the invention.

It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is: 1. A grinding apparatus, comprising: an inner shell formed into a hollow cylinder having a first open end and a first closed end covered by a first wall, wherein the first open end comprises a ridged lip about the outer circumference of the cylinder wall, and wherein an outer surface of the first wall has a plurality of spiked protrusions; an outer shell formed into a hollow cylinder having a second open end and a second closed end covered by a second perforated wall comprising a mesh layer, wherein the second open end comprises a threaded surface about the outer circumference of the cylinder wall, and wherein an inner surface of the second perforated wall has a plurality of spiked protrusions interspersed with a plurality of perforations, and wherein the cylinder walls of the outer shell extend past the second closed end and form a particle capture chamber having a threaded inner surface about its circumference; a first cap element having a threaded inner portion and fitted with a rubber gasket configured to create an airtight seal about the second open end of the outer shell by interlocking with the threaded surface; and a second cap element having a threaded outer surface and fitted with a rubber gasket configured to create an airtight seal over the second closed end of the outer shell by interlocking with the threaded inner surface of the particle capture chamber; wherein the radius of the outer shell is greater than the radius of the inner shell and the relative lengths of the inner and outer shells are such that the inner shell can be slid into the outer shell to a position where the spiked protrusions of the inner shell interlock with the spiked protrusions of the outer shell, and wherein the ridged lip of the inner shell rests against the second open end of the outer shell, preventing further translational movement but allowing for rotational movement of the outer shell relative to the inner shell.
2. A grinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the second close end of the outer shell is concave or tapered inward to guide matter to the more central areas of the interlocking spiked protrusions.
3. A kit, comprising a grinding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second cap element has two or more indents in an outer surface thereof, the kit further comprising an opening implement comprising a flat rod having two or more protrusions configured to interlock with the two or more indents of the second cap element to facilitate a twisting motion to open the particle capture chamber.
4 A kit according to claim 3, wherein the opening implement is tapered to facilitate an additional use of scraping waste matter from one or more inner surfaces of the grinding apparatus.