Abstract:
A device for grinding tablets includes a body, an electric motor housed within the body, a power source connected to the electric motor via a switch, a grinder driven to rotate by the electric motor, a tablet chute to the grinder, and a particle bin attached to or formed integrally with the body for receiving particles from the grinder.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a device for grinding tablets/pills. More particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a handheld device into which whole tablets can be inserted for grinding into particulate form. 
   Tablets come in different sizes depending upon the prescribed or desired dosage. Some tablets are provided with a score line to facilitate easy breakage into two parts. Where a dosage smaller than half a tablet is desired, further breakage becomes difficult—especially for elderly people or people with arthritic conditions for example. For this reason, it is often desired to grind tablets into powdered form for subsequent ease of portioning. 
   Some tablets are not rapidly absorbed into the body after being taken. Grinding of tablets into granular or powdered form increases the rate of absorption in the body. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a handheld device with which consumers can grind tablets into smaller particles. 
   DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
   There is disclosed herein a device for grinding tablets, comprising:
         a body,   an electric motor housed within the body,   a power source connected to the electric motor via a switch,   a grinder driven to rotate by the electric motor,   a tablet chute to the grinder, and   a particle bin attached to or formed integrally with the body for receiving particles from the grinder.       

   Preferably, the grinder is substantially cylindrical and rotates about a longitudinal axis thereof. 
   Preferably, the device further comprises a substantially cylindrical grinding cavity within which the grinder rotates. 
   Preferably, the tablet chute extends radially of the longitudinal axis of the grinder. 
   Preferably, the tablet chute extends tangentially of the grinding cavity. 
   Preferably, the grinder includes a pair of diametrically opposed, longitudinally extending blades. 
   Alternatively, the grinder includes four longitudinally extending blades in respective diametrically opposed pairs. 
   As a further alternative, the grinder can include a peripheral helical blade. 
   AS yet a further alternative the grinder can comprise an abrasive grinding surface. 
   Preferably, the grinding cavity includes an exit port communicating with the particle bin. 
   Preferably, the particle bin comprises a sliding drawer. 
   Preferably, the device further comprises a door covering the tablet chute. 
   Preferably, the device further comprises a gearbox for transmitting torque of the motor to the grinder. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective illustration of a tablet grinding device, 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic cross-sectional side elevation of the device of  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-sectional end elevation of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2  having a first tablet chute configuration, 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic cross-sectional end elevation of a tablet grinding device having an alternative tablet chute configuration, 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic depiction of a twin blade cylindrical grinder, 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic depiction of a four blade cylindrical grinder, 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic depiction of a helical blade cylindrical grinder, and 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic depiction of a cylindrical grinder having an abrasive grinding surface. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically a tablet grinding device G. The grinding device comprises a pair of body halves  4  and  7  typically of molded ABS plastics material and connected together to form a casing to which a footplate  23  is affixed. A number of rubber finger grips  2  and  3  are provided at the casing exterior. 
   Internally of the casing above the footplate  23 , there is a battery compartment which houses a pair of batteries  22 . An access door  5  encloses the battery compartment. 
   The batteries bear against a set of contact plates  21  and  24  from which wires extend to a switch  9  at the top of the casing. The switch  9  is in contact with a switch knob  1  that is exposed at the top of the casing. 
   Electrical wire  25  extends from the switch  9  to a DC electric motor  26  situated within the casing above the battery compartment. 
   A gearbox including casing parts  10  and  18  houses a number of reduction gears  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  16 ,  17  and  19  and shafts  15  and  17 . The output shaft of motor  26  is input to the gearbox and the final gear  12  of the gearbox is mounted upon a grinder shaft  28  upon which a cylindrical grinder  29  is fixed so as to rotate therewith. 
   The grinder  29  is located within a cylindrical grinding cavity  27 . The grinder  29  is typically made of steel and in one embodiment ( FIG. 5 ) includes a pair of diametrically opposed, longitudinally extending straight blades  32 . In another embodiment ( FIG. 6 ), the cylindrical grinder  29 ′ comprises four longitudinally extending straight blades  32 ′ in respective diametrically opposed pairs separated by 90°. In a third embodiment ( FIG. 7 ) the cylindrical grinder  29 ″ includes a single helical blade  32 ″, extending from one end of the grinder&#39;s cylindrical surface to the other. In another embodiment (not shown) two or more helical blades might be provided either extending in the same direction or crossing one another in opposite directions. In a fourth embodiment ( FIG. 8 ), the outer surface of the cylindrical grinder  29 ′″ has an abrasive surface  33  somewhat like the surface of sandpaper against which the tablets wear. 
   A tablet entry chute  30  extends from the top of the casing beneath a tablet chute door  8  to the cylindrical grinding cavity  27 . In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3 , the entry chute  30  of tablet grinder G 1  extends substantially tangentially from the grinding cavity  27 , whereas in the embodiment G 2  of  FIG. 4 , the grinding chute  30  extends radially of the grinder shaft  28 . 
   The cylindrical grinding cavity  27  has an exit passage  31  communicating with a particle bin  6 . The particle bin  6  attaches to the casing like a drawer which can be opened by sliding to reveal ground tablet particles, or removed completely for inversion to dispense ground particles therefrom. 
   In use, whole tablets are inserted into the tablet chute  30  after having opened the tablet chute cover  8 . Either before inserting the tablets into the chute or thereafter, the user slides the switch knob  1  to activate the motor, which in turn drives the gearbox to rotate the cylindrical grinder  29 . The blades  32 ,  32 ′, or  32 ″, disintegrate the tablet to form particulate material which falls downwardly via exit passage  31  to the particle bin  6 . Once no further grinding sound is heard by the user, the switch knob  1  can be returned to its OFF position. 
   The switch knob  1  might have three positions. For example, it could have a central OFF position and FORWARD and REVERSE positions at either side of the OFF position enabling the user to reverse rotate the grinder  29  if necessary. To this end, the switch  9  can be connected electrically to motor  26  to energise it in either polarity. 
   It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, the device might be provided with a tablet magazine for containing a plurality of tablets for individual delivery to the grinding cavity.