WO2015056275A1

WO2015056275A1 - Improved weightless wet/dry grinder

Info

Publication number: WO2015056275A1
Application number: PCT/IN2014/000661
Authority: WO
Inventors: Balaji N.
Original assignee: T.T.Varadrajan
Priority date: 2013-10-18
Filing date: 2014-10-17
Publication date: 2015-04-23

Abstract

An improved weight less wet/dry grinder for efficient grinding of both wet food stuffs such as, rice, grains etc and dry food stuff such as, nuts, beans, coconut etc. The system includes at least two rollers made of sustainable food grade material that rotate about a vertical axis, and which causes the feed material to be flung outwardly towards a base made of sustainable food grade material. The roller and base of the wet/dry grinder can be of various profile shapes. A drum made of plastic material (food grade plastic material) having integrated handle inside which the rollers and base are positioned and rotated for grinding the material (e.g., wet/dry material). A direct drive mechanism for directly connecting the grinding mechanism with an electric motor for providing efficient and direct driving force with respect to the grinding mechanism. An automatic water dispensing mechanism for dispensing the liquid (water) based on the batter consistency.

Description

IMPROVED WEIGHTLESS WET/DRY GRINDER TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments are generally related to home/kitchen appliances and devices. Embodiments are also related to wet/dry grinding techniques for grinding both wet food stuffs such as, rice, grains etc and dry food stuff such as, nuts, beans, coconut etc. Embodiments are additionally related to weightless wet/dry grinder using sustainable food grade material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Grinding pre-soaked grains such as, for example, but not limited to, rice, grains, beans etc, for preparing various dishes is well known in Indian cooking process. Conventionally, a manual grinder (such as, a Chakki) was used to grind pre-soaked grains to make various dishes. A flat stone and a triangular shaped grinding stone were used to grind such pre-soaked grains. The manual grinder requires labor intensive operation and resurfacing of the stones.

[0003] With the advent of use of electrical and mechanical devices in kitchen appliances, electrical food grinders have been popular kitchen appliances since their introduction to the market in the early 1930's. Electrical grinders are widely adapted to make batter for various dishes like Dosa, Idli, Vada, Kachori, Moong Halwa etc in many parts of India. The grinders are alternatively used for grinding dry food stuff, such as nuts, beans, coconut etc. Wet grinders are also been used to make Chutney. Grinding batter at home is increasing in popularity with people who want the nutritional benefits of whole grains, and also want their flour to taste good.

[0004] A conventional wet grinder includes a stainless steel drum. Inside the drum, there is a grinding mechanism that involves two natural stone rotors. The stone rotors rotate about a vertical axis, and which causes the feed material to be flung outwardly towards an impact surface. The stone rotors may be conical or just a thick disc. In either case, the food is crushed in a gap of 1 millimeter between a flat surface and the stone rotor. This minimizes any wear and tear on the stones. Some of the units may also have a third stone as a bottom. With slight change in the mechanical setup of the electrical wet grinder such as, by replacing the steel drum with a circular plate, the wet grinder can be used to dry grind food stuff. [0005] It is however, the traditional use of grinding stone (which is a natural stone) in the electrical wet grinders' stand as an environmental barrier for the prior art systems. The natural stone can add considerable weight to the prior art wet grinders which makes the user to feel cumbersome to use. The prior art wet grinders produce excessive heat while grinding the material which shall lead to loss of nutritional properties of the grains. Furthermore, the natural stone can produce grit in the food stuff. The mechanical principal behind existing wet grinder involves use of a belt for connecting the grinding unit to an electric motor. The conventional belts used in the wet grinders may lead to wear and tear.

[0006] Based on the foregoing, it is believed that a need exists for an improved wet grinder system. A need also exists for a weight less wet/dry grinder using a sustainable food grade material, as described in greater detail herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0007] It is, therefore, one aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide for an improved electronic prescription generation system and method.

[0008] It is another aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide for an improved wet/dry grinder system.

[0009] It is further aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide for an improved weightless wet/dry grinder using a sustainable food grade material.

[0010] It is another aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide for an improved direct drive mechanism for wet/dry grinders.

[0011] The aforementioned aspects and other objectives and advantages can now be achieved as described herein. An improved weight less wet/dry grinder for efficient grinding of both wet food stuffs such as, rice, grains etc and dry food stuff such as, nuts, beans, coconut etc, is disclosed herein. The system includes at least two roller^ m$ D of sustainable food grade material that rotate about a vertical axis, and which causes the feed material to be flung outwardly towards a base made of sustainable food grade material. The roller and base of the wet/dry grinder can be of various profile shapes. A drum made of plastic material (food grade plastic material) having integrated handle inside which the rollers and base are positioned and rotated for grinding the material (e.g., wet/dry material). A direct drive mechanism for directly connecting the grinding mechanism with an electric motor for providing efficient and direct driving force with respect to the grinding mechanism. An automatic water dispensing mechanism for dispensing the liquid (water) based on the batter consistency.

[0012] The system also includes a wiper mechanism inside the drum for efficiently wiping the grinding material inside the drum and maintaining the grinding material to be maintained at the grinding portion i.e., between the drum bottom surface and roller surface. The wiper mechanism includes at least two wipers placed adjacent to each other and connected through a horizontal/axle shaft. The wiper mechanism also includes a miniature wiper at the bottom portion of the horizontal shaft to enhance the grinding efficiency of the system.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention the rollers and basg ofyjfte wet/dry grinder are made of food grade plastic material. In another embodiment of the present invention the rollers and base of the wet/dry grinder are made of a ceramic material. In another embodiment of the present invention the rollers and base of the wet/dry grinder are made of a metal (e.g., food grade stainless steel). The sustainable food grade materials discussed above provides flexibility and adaptability of the rollers and base in different profile shapes. In one embodiment of the present invention the rollers and base can be of cylindrical shape. In another embodiment of the present invention the roller can be of concave shape and the base can be of convex shape. In another embodiment of the present invention the roller can be of convex shape and the base can be of concave shape. In another embodiment of the present invention the roller and the base of the wet/dry grinder can be of straight and taper shape.

[0014] Optionally, the rollers can be configured with an adjustable centre drive with axis dynamics in order to thereby allow maximum grinding area depending on the material ground in the system. The non-radial location the rollers on the periphery of the drum, more or less, dependent upon the degree of angular displacement of the wheel- axes and the drum radius. The non-radial placing of the rollers in the drum causes a combined slipping and rolling movement between the roller and base. The rollers turn on their shaft as the friction of the revolving drum is applied to them, and the drum, because of the displacement of the rollers, slips or is drawn beneath the surface of the rollers.

[0015] The wet/dry grinder system described herein includes a programmable timer control which enables a user to programme the wet/dry grinder. The wet/dry grinder can be effectively utilized to perform various operations including but not limited to, slicing, grating, cube cutting, chopping of various agricultural food material. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the base portion of the wet/dry grinder includes an electromagnetic mechanism which holds the rollers towards the base in order to provide enough pressure for grinding the food material. The improved wet/dry grinder described herein therefore provides multi-grinding functionality with respect to the user. The sustainable food grade material based roller and base of the wet/grinder reduces the weight and enables easy use of the system. The direct drive mechanism avoids use of conventional belt based drive to the grinding mechanism thereby minimizing the foot print of the grinder system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0001] The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0002] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an improved weight less wet/dry grinder for grinding both wet food stuffs such as, rice, grains etc and dry food stuff such as, nuts, beans, coconut etc, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments;

[0003] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the wiper mechanism used in the weight less wet/dry grinder, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments;

[0004] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the grinding system illustrating the metal rolier used in the weight less wet/dry grinder, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments; and

[0005] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of direct drive mechanism used in the weight less wet/dry grinder, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0006] The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof.

[0007] The embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown. The embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an improved weight less wet/dry grinder 100 for grinding both wet food stuffs such as, rice, grains etc and dry food stuff such as, nuts, beans, coconut etc, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. Note that the operational feasibility of the improved weight less wet/dry grinder 100 proposed herein should not be limited to wet/dry agricultural food stuffs. The improved weight less wet/dry grinder 100 disclosed herein can be also used in other grinding applications. A person skilled in the art shall interpret the operability of the wet/dry grinder 100 in a wide range of grinding applications.

[0009] FIGS. 1-4 are intended as an example, and not as a structural limitation with respect to particular embodiments. Such embodiments, however, are not limited to any particular shape or any particular configuration. Instead, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed system may be advantageously adapted in a variety of shapes.

[0010] The system 100 includes a top portion 180 comprising at least two rollers 120 made of sustainable food grade material that rotate about a vertical axis, and which causes the feed material to be flung outwardly towards a base 130 made of sustainable food grade material. The roller 120 and base 130 of the wet/dry grinder 100 can be of various profile shapes. A drum 25 made of plastic material (food grade plastic material) having integrated handle 160 inside which the rollers 120 and base 130 are positioned and rotated for grinding the material (e.g., wet/dry material). A direct drive mechanism 150 for directly connecting the grinding mechanism at the upper portion 180 with an electric motor 140 for providing efficient and direct driving force with respect to the grinding mechanism. An automatic water dispensing mechanism (not shown) for dispensing the liquid (water) based on the batter consistency.

[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the wiper mechanism 200 used in the weight less wet/dry grinder 100, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. The wiper mechanism 200 inside the drum 125 of the grinding system 100 for efficiently wiping the grinding material inside the drum 125 and maintaining the grinding material to be maintained at the grinding portion i.e., between the base surface 130 and roller surface 120. The wiper mechanism 200 includes at least two wipers such as wiper 2 0 placed adjacent to each other and connected through a horizontal shaft 230 of the system 100. The wiper mechanism 200 also includes a miniature wiper 220 at the bottom portion of the horizontal shaft 230 to enhance the grinding efficiency of the systemlOO.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention the rollers 120 and base 130 of the wet/dry grinder 100 are made of food grade plastic material. In another embodiment of the present invention the rollers and base of the wet/dry grinder 100 are made of a ceramic material. The sustainable food grade materials discussed above provifte.^ flexibility and adaptability of the rollers and base in different profile shapes. In one embodiment of the present invention the rollers 120 and base 130 can be of cylindrical shape. In another embodiment of the present invention the roller 120 can be of concave shape and the base 130 can be of convex shape. In another embodiment of the present invention the roller 120 can be of convex shape and the base 130 can be of concave shape. In another embodiment of the present invention the roller 120 and the base 130 of the wet/dry grinder 00 can be of straight and taper shape.

[0013] The roller mechanism 120 adapts the wiper mechanism 200 in order to drive the grinding material into the surface area of the roller 120 and base 130 portion of the grinding system 100 thereby permitting effective grinding of material supplied into the wet/dry grinder 100. An alternate embodiment of the present invention shall include a bottom scraper and a top scraper in order increase the grinding efficiency of the wet/dry grinder 100.

[0014] Note that the wiper mechanism 200 serve to keep the material in the path of the rollers 120. Wiper mechanism 200 have points at their outer ends to scrape the material from the inner side of the upturned edge of the drum 125, as the material is caused to adhere to the said edge by the centrifugal force of the rapidly-revolved drum. The drum 125 supported on the shaft, and shaft is rotatably stepped in the base 130 at its lower end and has its upper end supported in a cross-beam of the top cover 110.

[0015] The horizontal shaft or axle 23o is mounted in conjunction with the direct drive mechanism 150 and is extended into the top portion in order thereby drive the rollers 120 on the base 130. The cylindrical drum 125 can be mounted on the vertical shaft 230 and revolved thereby and has an inner disk shaped portion. Note that the cylindrical drum 125 can be replaced with any other shape within the scope of the present invention without limiting the operability of the invention.

[0016] Optionally, the rollers 120 can be configured with an adjustable centre drive with axis dynamics in order to thereby allow maximum grinding area depending on the material ground in the system 100. The non-radial location the rollers 120 on the periphery of the drum 125, more or less, dependent upon the degree of angular displacement of the wheel-axes and the drum radius. The non-radial placing of the rollers 120 in the drum 125 causes a combined slipping and rolling movement between the roller 120 and base 130. The rollers 120 turn on their shaft as the friction of the revolving drum 125 is applied to them, and the drum 125, because of the displacement of the rollers 120, slips or is drawn beneath the surface of the rollers 120. [0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view 300 of the metal rollers 120 used in the weight less wet/dry grinder 100, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. The rollers 120 and base 130 of the wet/dry grinder 100 are made of a metal (e.g., food grade stainless steel). Note that the sustainable food grade materials described above shall be used in the rollers 120 and base 130 individually as single material or a combination of the above mentioned sustainable food grade materials shall be used in the rollers 120 and the base 130 without limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0018] The wet/dry grinder system 100 described herein includes a programmable timer control which enables a user to programme the wet/dry grinder 100. The wet/dry grinder 100 can be effectively utilized to perform various operations including but not limited to, slicing, grating, cube cutting, chopping etc. of various agricultural food material. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the base portion 130 of the wet/dry grinder 100 includes an electromagnetic mechanism which holds the rollers 120 towards the base 130 in order to provide enough pressure for grinding the food material. The improved wet/dry grinder 100 described herein therefore provides multi- grinding functionality with respect to the user. [0019] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of direct drive mechanism 150 used in the weight less wet/dry grinder 100, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. The sustainable food grade material based roller 120 and base 130 of the wet/grinder 100 reduces the weight and enables easy use of the system 100. The direct drive mechanism 160 avoids use of conventional belt based drive to the grinding mechanism thereby minimizing the foot print of the grinder system 100.

[0020] The direct drive mechanism of the shaft with the motor 140 by means of the direct drive valve constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As is illustrated in FIG. 4, the shaft has eccentrically disposed on one end and is adapted to be supported within the rotor of the motor 140 means by appropriate bearings or the like as is well known to those skilled in the art.

[0021] It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Aiso that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS I/We Claim

1. An improved weight less wet/dry grinder for efficient grinding of both wet food stuffs and dry food stuff, said grinder comprising:

at least two rollers made of sustainable food grade material that rotate about a vertical axis, and which causes a feed material to be flung outwardly towards a base made of sustainable food grade material wherein said rollers and base can be of various profile shapes;

a drum made of food graded plastic material having integrated handle inside which the rollers and base are positioned and rotated for grinding the material; and

a direct drive mechanism for directly connecting the grinding mechanism with an electric motor for providing efficient and direct driving force with respect to the grinding mechanism.

2. The grinder of claim 1 further comprises a wiper mechanism having at least two wipers placed adjacent to each other and connected through a horizontal/axle shaft wherein the horizontal shaft comprises a miniature wiper at the bottom portion to enhance the grinding efficiency of the system.

3. The grinder of claim 1 the rollers can be configured with an adjustable centre drive with axis dynamics in order to thereby allow maximum grinding area depending on the material ground.

4. The grinder of claim 1 the roller of claim 1 can be placed at a non-radial location on the periphery of the drum wherein the placing of the rollers in the drum causes a combined slipping and rolling movement between the roller and base.

5. The grinder of claim 1 includes a programmable timer control which enables a user to programme the wet/dry grinder.

6. The grinder of claim 1 wherein the base portion of the wet/dry grinder includes an electromagnetic mechanism which holds the rollers towards the base in order to provide enough pressure for grinding the food material.

7. The grinder of claim 1 wherein the rollers and base are made of at least one of the following materials:

a. Food graded plastic material;

b. a ceramic material; and

c. a stainless steel metal. d. The grinder of claim 1 wherein the rollers and base are made of at least one of the following materials:

8. The grinder of claim 1 wherein the rollers and base are made of at least one of the following shapes:

a. Cylindrical; and

b. Concave and convex shape.

9. The grinder of claim 1 includes an automatic water dispensing mechanism for dispensing the liquid (water) based on the consistency of grinding material.