Patent ID: 7878437
Filing Date: 2011-02-01
Classification: A47J

Abstract:
1. An adjustable spice grinder for a spice container configured to contain a grindable media, the grinder comprising a grinding ring adapted to be coupled to a container formed to include a produce-receiving chamber, the grinding ring being formed to include a central opening exposed to grindable media extant in the product-receiving chamber, the grinding ring including a series of exterior grinding teeth arranged to extend around the central opening and to contact any grindable media that are discharged from the product-receiving chamber into the central opening, a shell associated with the grinding ring and formed to include a dispensing outlet arranged to communicate with the central opening formed in the grinding ring, the shell being formed to include at least two grind-coarseness notches, each grind-coarseness notch being associated with a selected grind-coarseness criterion, a multi-position feed cone unit including a feed cone arranged to extend into the central opening and formed to include interior grinding teeth arranged to confront and extend toward surrounding exterior grinding teeth included in the grinding ring to define a grinding chamber located therebetween and in communication with each of the dispensing outlet formed in the shell and a product-receiving chamber formed in a container coupled to the grinding ring, the multi-position feed cone unit further including a cone retainer configured to provide means for moving the feed cone in up-and-down directions in the central opening formed in the grinding ring to vary spacing between the exterior and interior grinding teeth and the size of the grinding chamber and thus vary the coarseness of grindable media ground between the exterior and interior grinding teeth and for mating with one of the grind-coarseness notches formed in the shell to retain the feed cone in a selected vertical position relative to the grinding ring to set the spacing between the exterior and interior grinding teeth and establish a selected size of the grinding chamber to determine coarseness of any grindable media ground in the grinding chamber, wherein the cone retainer includes a cone support coupled to the feed cone and arranged to overlie the grinding ring and support the feed one for up-and-down movement in the central opening formed in the grinding ring and a feed-cone positioner coupled to the feed cone for movement therewith relative to the grinding ring and configured to include a locator lug arranged to mate with one of the grind-coarseness notches formed in the shell to establish the selected vertical position of the feed cone relative to the grinding ring, and wherein the cone support includes a guide pin and the shell includes a ramp arranged to engage the guide pin and provide means for moving the guide pin away from the grinding ring to move the interior grinding teeth of the feed cone unit relative to the exterior grinding teeth of the grind ring to vary the spacing between the exterior and interior grinding teeth and the size of the grinding chamber.