Abstract:
The present invention involves a system and method for grinding herbs, tobacco, marijuana and the like. The herb grinder system herein includes interchangeable and replaceable lower grinder plates that are secured in place with threading, bayonet mounts or the like. The upper and lower grinding plates are provided with blades having a modified diamond shape which provides extremely sharp leading edges regardless of which direction the grip assembly of the grinder housing is rotated. The lower plates are also provided with variations in the size, shape and arrangement of hole sizes through which the ground material is allowed to pass through. This construction provides the user with the ability to control his/her grind size mixture, which may be consistent sized grinds or a mixture of different sized grinds.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    In accordance with 37 C.F.R. 1.76, a claim of priority is included in an Application Data Sheet filed concurrently herewith. Accordingly, the present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/051,404, entitled “Grinder for Tobacco, Herbs and the Like”, filed Sep. 17, 2014; the contents of which the above referenced application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
       [0002]    In general, tobacco and botanical herb grinders are cylindrical devices divided into two halves with sharp pegs or teeth aligned such that when the halves are rotated with respect to each other, the material inside is shredded. Herb grinders are made from wood, plastic or metal, and may be manual or electric. They are commonly used for refining marijuana or tobacco, as well as in the kitchen for crushing spices and herbs. 
         [0003]    A grinder of background interest is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,422,170. In this device the grinder plates are secured by friction to the rotatable halves of the grinder to make manufacturing of the device easier. However, the friction securement between the components often allows the grinding plates to spin within the housing, binding the rotation of the device, thus reducing the volume of material ground and the ability of the operator to control the grind and the grind size. In addition, the device of the  170 ′ patent fails to provide for the storage of additional grinding plates, screens, herbs or the like. 
         [0004]    Finally, there are ergonomic needs that an herb grinder system must satisfy in order to achieve acceptance by the end user. The system must be easily and quickly assembled using minimal hardware and requiring a minimal number of tools. Further, the herb grinder system should not require excessive strength to assemble or include cumbersome and difficult to use component parts. Moreover, the system must assemble together in such a way so as not to detract from the aesthetic appearance of the herb grinder system. 
         [0005]    Thus, the present invention provides an herb grinder system which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art grinder devices. The herb grinder system of the present invention not only provides for relative ease in assembly and use, it also permits alteration of the grinding system without the need to carry additional system components separately from the grinder. The present invention also provides a storage area for herbs or the like, thereby eliminating the need for transporting additional storage devices. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Briefly, the present invention involves a system and method for grinding herbs, tobacco, marijuana and the like. The herb grinder system herein includes interchangeable and replaceable lower grinder plates that are secured in place with threading, bayonet mounts or the like. The upper and lower grinding plates are provided with blades having a modified diamond shape which provides extremely sharp leading edges regardless of which direction the grip assembly of the grinder housing is rotated. The lower plates are also provided with variations in the size, shape and arrangement of hole sizes through which the ground material is allowed to pass through. This construction provides the user with the ability to control his/her grind size mixture, which may be consistently sized grinds or a mixture of different sized grinds. The upper grinding plate is provided as an integral portion of the grip assembly. The grip assembly is provided with a pilot shoulder having rings that cooperate with an internal diameter of the grinder housing to locate the upper grinding plate within the housing, causing the blades to properly align. Troughs positioned between the rings provide space for particles, resins, gums and the like, which prevent the grip assembly from binding in the housing. The grip assembly is comprised of a lower portion and an upper portion. The upper portion includes a lid member having internal threads for engaging the lower portion. In this manner, the lid functions to store additional lower grinding plates as well as herbs, tobacco or the like. A lower portion of the housing is also threaded to cooperate with a removable and replaceable screen, which allows cleaning or interchangeability with screens of different mesh. These features give the user greater ability to select and customize the grinding of their tobacco and botanical herbs. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an herb grinding system. 
         [0008]    It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an herb grinding system that includes at least one removable and replaceable grinding plate. 
         [0009]    It is yet a further objective of the present invention to provide a grinding plate that includes a positive interlocking engagement to the grinder housing. 
         [0010]    It is another objective of the instant invention to provide an herb grinding system that includes a removable and replaceable screen for separation of trichomes from ground herbs. 
         [0011]    Still yet another objective of the present invention is to provide an herb grinding system that provides for sealed storage of ground herbs and the like within the upper grinding assembly. 
         [0012]    Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is an exploded isometric view illustrating one embodiment of an herb grinder system. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded plan view of the herb grinder system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3A  is an isometric view illustrating the lid member of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3B  is a plan view illustrating the bottom side of the lid member; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3C  is a plan view illustrating the side of the lid member; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3D  is a section view taken along lines  3 D- 3 D of  FIG. 3C ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4A  is an isometric view illustrating the upper grinding plate of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4B  is a plan view illustrating the bottom side of the upper grinding plate; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4C  is a plan view illustrating the side of the upper grinding plate; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4D  is a section view taken along lines  4 D- 4 D of  FIG. 4B ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5A  is an isometric view illustrating the tubular housing member of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5B  is a plan view illustrating the bottom side of the tubular housing member; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5C  is a plan view illustrating the side of the upper tubular housing member; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5D  is a section view taken along lines  5 D- 5 D of  FIG. 5C ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 6A  is an isometric view illustrating the first lower grinding plate of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 6B  is a plan view illustrating the bottom side of the first lower grinding plate; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6C  is a plan view illustrating the side of the first lower grinding plate; 
           [0030]      FIG. 6D  illustrates the top side of the first lower grinding plate; 
           [0031]      FIG. 6E  is a section view taken along lines  6 E- 6 E of  FIG. 6D ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 7A  is an isometric view illustrating the second lower grinding plate of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 7B  is a plan view illustrating the bottom side of the second lower grinding plate; 
           [0034]      FIG. 7C  is a plan view illustrating the side of the second lower grinding plate; 
           [0035]      FIG. 7D  illustrates the top side of the second lower grinding plate; 
           [0036]      FIG. 7E  is a section view taken along lines  7 E- 7 E of  FIG. 7D ; 
           [0037]      FIG. 8A  is an isometric view illustrating the sieve section of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0038]      FIG. 8B  is a plan view illustrating the bottom side of the sieve section; 
           [0039]      FIG. 8C  is a plan view illustrating the side of the sieve section; 
           [0040]      FIG. 8D  is a section view taken along lines  8 D- 8 D of  FIG. 8C ; 
           [0041]      FIG. 9A  is a top isometric view illustrating the screen frame of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0042]      FIG. 9B  is a bottom isometric view illustrating the screen frame of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0043]      FIG. 9C  is a plan view illustrating the side of the screen frame; 
           [0044]      FIG. 9D  is a plan view illustrating the top side of the screen frame section; 
           [0045]      FIG. 9E  is a section view taken along lines  9 E- 9 E of  FIG. 9C ; 
           [0046]      FIG. 10A  is a top side view illustrating the sieve screen; 
           [0047]      FIG. 10B  is a side view of the sieve screen; 
           [0048]      FIG. 11A  is a top view of the bottom cap member as illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0049]      FIG. 11B  is a side view of the bottom cap member; and 
           [0050]      FIG. 11C  is a section view taken along lines  11 C- 11 C of  FIG. 11B . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0051]    In this description, references to “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like merely refer to the relative positions of the elements and parts of the grinder in the figures, and do not restrict the positioning of the elements and parts in actual use. 
         [0052]    While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. 
         [0053]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-11C , an herb grinder system  100  is illustrated. The herb grinder system is useful for grinding herbs, tobacco, marijuana and the like. The preferred embodiment of the herb grinder system includes a tubular housing  2 , a first lower grinding plate  4 , an upper grinding plate assembly  6  and a bottom cap member  8 . At least one alternative embodiment also includes a sieve section  10 . 
         [0054]    Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2 and 5A-5D , the tubular housing  2  is generally a tubular member including an internal bore  12 , an outer surface  14 , a top surface  16  and a lower surface  18 . The lower portion of the internal bore  12  has internal engaging structures, illustrated herein as helical threads  22 , for attachment of a first lower grinding plate  4  as well as the bottom cap member  8 , or alternatively the sieve section  10 , each having conjugate external engaging structures. This construction permits the assembly of multiple embodiments utilizing the various component parts and assemblies. It should be noted that, while the internal engaging structures are illustrated herein as threads, other engaging structures such as bayonet mounts, multi lead threads, quick releases and the like may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention. In a most preferred embodiment, the internal bore  12  of the tubular housing member includes a shoulder surface  24  therein; the shoulder surface is positioned above the internal engaging structures to provide a surface against which a portion of the upper surface  32  of the first grinding plate  4  abuts when secured within the internal bore. This construction provides support to the lower grinding plate  4  from the outer perimeter surface  36  as well as from the upper surface  32  to prevent unwanted rotation of the lower grinding plate, and insures that the grinding plate is secured perpendicularly within the bore. The construction also prevents finely ground particles from being trapped between the outer perimeter surface of the grinding plate and the bore wall  12 . The top portion  26  of the internal bore  12  is preferably provided with a smooth surface for cooperation with the upper grinding plate assembly  6 . Some embodiments may include deflectors  28  for deflecting the material being ground back into the central portion of the grinder. 
         [0055]    Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, 6A-6E, and 7A-7E , the first lower grinding plate  4  and second lower grinding plate  64  are illustrated. The first and second lower grinding plates  4 ,  64  include a plate portion  30  having an upper surface  32 , a lower surface  34  and an outer perimeter surface  36 . The outer perimeter surface  36  has conjugate engaging structures, illustrated herein as helical threads  22 , for cooperation with said internal engaging structures  22  to secure the first or second lower grinding plate at a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect to the internal bore  12  at a position below the top surface  16  of the tubular housing member ( FIG. 5 ) and to prevent unwanted rotation thereof. The upper surface  32  of the first and second lower grinding plates  4 ,  64  each have a plurality of upstanding blades  38  integrally formed to the plate. In a most preferred embodiment, each blade  38  includes a modified diamond pattern when viewed from the top, whereby at least two side surfaces  40  of each modified diamond include at least one concave radius. The concave radius  41  is positioned along the side surfaces to cause each distal point  42  of each blade to be a concave beveled cutting edge. A plurality of sized apertures  44  are positioned proximate to the blades and extending through the plate for controlling the grind size that is allowed to pass through the plate. In at least one embodiment, the apertures include more than one size to allow different sized grinds to pass through the plate. In a most preferred embodiment, the apertures in the second lower grinding plate  64  are all smaller than the apertures in the first lower grinding plate to provide a smaller ground material. 
         [0056]    Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, 3A-3D and 4A-4D , the upper grinding plate assembly  6  is illustrated. The upper grinding plate assembly  6  includes the upper grinding plate  54  and a lid member  66 . The upper grinding plate  54  includes an upper surface  46 , a lower surface  48 , an outer diameter surface  50  and a pilot portion  52 . The pilot portion  52  is sized and shaped to fit within the internal bore  12  while allowing rotation of the upper grinding plate assembly  6  with respect to the tubular housing member  2 . The lower surface  48  of the upper grinding plate assembly  6  includes a plurality of outwardly extending blades  38  positioned to pass between said upstanding blades  38  of the lower grinding plate  4  when the upper grinding plate is rotated. In a most preferred embodiment, each blade  38  includes a modified diamond pattern when viewed from the top, whereby at least two side surfaces  40  of each modified diamond include at least one concave radius  41 . The concave radius is positioned along the side surfaces to cause each distal point  42  of each blade to be a concave beveled cutting edge. The pilot portion of the upper grinding plate  54  is cylindrical in shape, having an outer diameter  56  that is sized to fit within the top portion of said internal bore  12  of the tubular housing member  2 . In a preferred embodiment, the outer diameter surface  56  of the pilot portion  52  includes a plurality of burnishing rings  58  separated by debris rings  60 . The debris rings  60  having a smaller diameter than the burnishing rings  58 . In this manner, finely ground material is prevented from binding rotation of the upper grinding assembly. The burnishing rings  58  provide precise positioning while pushing debris into the debris rings  60 , which can be cleaned after the grinding is completed. In at least one embodiment, the upper grinding plate  54  includes a magnet  62  positioned in a central portion of the lower surface  48 . The first lower grinding plate  4  includes a magnet  62  positioned in a central portion thereof, so that the magnets attract each other when said pilot portion  52  of the upper grinding plate assembly  6  is positioned within the top portion of the internal bore  12  of the tubular housing member  2 . 
         [0057]    The upper grinding plate assembly  6  includes a lid member  66  constructed and arranged to cooperate with an upper portion  26  of the outer diameter surface  14  of the upper grinding plate assembly  6 . The lid member  66  is cup shaped including an inner wall  68 , the inner wall including helical threads for cooperation with mating helical threads on the upper portion of the upper grinding plate assembly. In at least one embodiment, the threads have sufficient length to cooperate with the second lower grinding plate  64  for storage within the lid member, while the upper surface  46  of said upper grinding plate assembly is constructed to be concave to provide an upper grinding plate storage area enclosable with the lid member. 
         [0058]    Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, and 11A-11C , a bottom cap member  8  is illustrated. The bottom cap member  8  has an outer perimeter surface  74 , a top surface  76  and a bottom surface  78 . The outer perimeter surface  74  has conjugate engaging structures, illustrated herein as threads,  22  for cooperation with said internal engaging structures within said tubular housing member  2  to secure said bottom cap member  8  at a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect to said internal bore  12  at a position juxtaposed to said lower surface  18  of said tubular housing member  2 , having a gap or concavity between said top surface  76  of said bottom cap member  8  and said lower surface  34  of said lower grinding plate  4 . 
         [0059]    Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, 8A-8D, 9A-9E and 10A-10B , a sieve section  10  is illustrated. The sieve section  10  is insertable between the lower surface  18  of the housing member  2  and the bottom cap member  8 . The sieve section  10  is constructed and arranged to separate a predetermined particle size of ground material from the remaining ground material using a screen  80 . The sieve section  10  is tubular in shape having an upper surface  82 , a lower surface  84 , an inner bore surface  86  and an outer surface  88 . A screen assembly  90  is releasably secured within the inner bore surface. The screen assembly  90  includes a screen  80  and a screen frame  92 ; the screen frame  92  extending around the perimeter of the screen  80  with the screen frame retaining the screen within the inner bore surface. In a preferred embodiment, the screen frame  92  includes threads on an outer diameter  94  thereof, the inner bore surface  86  of the sieve section  10  including conjugate threads for cooperation with the outer diameter of said frame. Tabs  96  are provided to allow the screen frame to be inserted and removed from the sieve section. It should be noted that the present device may be manufactured in a variety of sizes to accommodate different volumes of material to be ground. It should also be noted that the preferred material for construction of the herb grinding system is metal, and more preferably aluminum having a T6 or T7 temper. However, other material including plastic, carbon fiber or suitable combinations thereof may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention. It should also be apparent to those skilled in the art that screens of various mesh may be utilized to separate out desirable sizes of ground material.