Abstract:
The present disclosure is directed to systems and apparatus for grinding spices and grains. One system includes a mill for grinding a spice or grain material, comprising a body and a handle rotatably coupled to the body. The handle is also coupled to an input of a speed boost assembly. An output of the speed boost assembly is coupled to a grind assembly, which includes a rasp. The speed boost assembly is configured to cause the rotational frequency of the rasp to be greater than a rotational frequency of the handle.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field This disclosure generally relates to grinding mechanisms, and more particularly to grinders or mills with high speed and adjustable grinding mechanisms for grinding materials, such as spices and grains. 
         [0002]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0003]    Traditional spice and grain mills are common household and kitchen tools. They often comprise a hollow cylindrical body with a grinding rasp and rasp ring at one end and a grind knob at the other. A grinder shaft typically runs along the central axis of the body and connects the rasp and knob together such that a user may hold the body and turn the knob, causing the rasp to rotate relative to the rasp ring and grind the material contained within the body. Most mills also provide a means for adjusting the grind coarseness between fine and coarse settings. 
         [0004]    The means for adjusting the grind is usually an additional knob threaded onto an extreme end of the grinder shaft, either at the top, above the grind knob, or at the bottom, below the grinding rasp. In either case, to adjust the grind setting, a user must adjust their hold on the grinder, reposition their hands to grab the grind adjustment knob, and tighten or loosen the knob. The knob is usually a small nut that requires fine motor skill to adjust. In the case of a bottom mounted grind adjustment knob, the user&#39;s fingers usually get covered in spice or grain dust that may accumulate at the outlet of the mill. Once the user has adjusted the grind they must reposition their hands again before they resume grinding. If the grind needs additional adjustment, then the user must interrupt the grinding process again, reposition their hands, and make further adjustments with the grind adjustment knob. This traditional method for adjusting the grind coarseness is awkward and time consuming. 
         [0005]    In existing mills, the turn handle or knob the user turns to grind the material connects directly to a shaft and the shaft then connects to a rasp such that for every rotation of the knob or handle, the rasp completes one rotation. In an effort to reduce the force necessary for grinding material, some mills include handles offset from the axis of rotation of the grind shaft, creating a lever arm and increasing the torque delivered to the grinder. Gear mechanisms have also been developed to increase the torque to the grinder. These gear mechanisms slow the grinding process because they reduce the output speed of the grinder such that a single rotation of the turn knob or handle causes less than one rotation of the rasp. 
         [0006]    It is desirable to have a mill that allows for a simple, easy, and straightforward grind adjustment. Further, it is desirable to have a mill with a grind adjustment mechanism that does not require the user to significantly reposition their hands to change the grind setting. In addition, it is desirable to have a mill that quickly grinds spices and grains with a grinding mechanism that makes more than one rotation for each rotation of a turn knob or handle. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The present disclosure is directed to systems and apparatus for grinding spices and grains. One system includes a mill for grinding a spice or grain material, comprising a body and a handle rotatably coupled to the body. The handle is also coupled to an input of a speed boost assembly. An output of the speed boost assembly is coupled to a grind assembly, which includes a rasp. The speed boost assembly is configured to cause the rotational rate or displacement of the rasp to be greater than a rotational rate or displacement of the handle. 
         [0008]    One system includes a body, a grind adjuster including at least one set of stepped detents and being rotatable between a first and a second position, a follower coupled to a grind shaft, the follower riding on the stepped detents, a rasp having a rasp grinding surface and being coupled at an end of the grind shaft, and a grinder ring coupled to the body and having a ring grinding surface. The rasp is operatively positionable between at least a coarse spacing and a fine spacing. When the grind adjuster is in the first position, the rasp grinding surface is at a course spacing from the ring grinding surface, and when the grind adjuster is in a second position, the rasp grinding surface is at a fine spacing from the ring grinding surface and the rotation of the adjuster relative to the body causes the follower to move between a first detent and a second detent. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side, top isometric view of a mill for grinding material such as spices and grain; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the external structure of the mill of  FIG. 1 , along with the planetary gear train and grind adjustment mechanism of the mill of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a grind adjustment mechanism and grind assembly of the mill of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the mill of  FIG. 1  in an intermediate grind configuration; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of a portion of the mill of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known structures associated with mills and grinding mechanisms have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiment of the invention. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a grinder or mill  100  for grinding a material such as spices or grains. The mill  100  includes an exterior body  120  and a turn knob assembly  110  coupled to each other. The body  120  and turn knob assembly  110  may be rotatably coupled to each other and rotate relative to each other about an axis of rotation, or longitudinal axis, when grinding material. See, for example, axis ‘X’ in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0016]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show an exploded view of the turn knob assembly  110  and portions of the lower body assembly  300  of the mill  100 . In some embodiments, a turn knob includes a place for a user to grip the mill and turn or operate the grinding operation of the mill. In addition, in some embodiments, a turn knob may also include some or all of the gear mechanism for increasing the grinding speed of a mill. In still other embodiments, the turn knob is coupled to a gear mechanism that is located outside the turn knob, for example, in a body assembly. 
         [0017]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the turn knob assembly  110  includes a speed boost assembly  210 , a handle  220 , a carrier  230 , a shaft coupler  310 , a top cover  202 , and an accent cover  201 . The speed boost assembly  210  depicted in  FIG. 2  is a gear train and includes a set of gears that increases the speed and lowers the torque of the output gear as compared to the input gear. The embodiment of the speed boost assembly  210  of  FIG. 2  is a planetary gear train, which is sometimes also referred to as an epicyclic gear train. A planetary gear train comprises an annular gear (or ring gear), a sun gear, and one or more planet gears supported by a carrier. The speed boost assembly  210  comprises a ring gear  211 , a sun gear  213 , and three planet gears  212 . The carrier  230  supports the three planet gears  212 . 
         [0018]    Planetary gear trains typically have an input, an output, and a stationary or held gear or gear set. Different combinations of these three properties will change the gear ratio, output torque, and direction of rotation of the gears. For example, in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the ring gear  211  is the input, the planet gears  212  are pinned to the stationary carrier  230 , and the sun gear  213  is the output. In addition, in the embodiment of  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the ring gear  211  has 34 teeth, the sun gear  213  has 16 teeth, and the planet gears  212  have 9 teeth each. In this configuration, the gear ratio is calculated by dividing the number of teeth on the ring gear by the number of teeth on the sun gear. Thus, the speed boost assembly  210  has a gear ratio of 2.125:1. A gear ratio of 2.125:1 means that the output gear makes 2.125 rotations for each rotation of the input gear. As an additional example, if the handle  220  rotates at a rotational frequency of 0.5 rotations per second, the rasp  460  will rotate at a rotational frequency of 1.0625 rotations per second. In addition, the illustrated sun gear (the output gear) rotates in a direction opposite of the ring gear, the input. In some embodiments the gear ration may range between about 1.2:1 to about 3:1. In some embodiments the gear ratio is greater than 1.0:1, greater than 1.2:1, greater than 1.5:1, or greater than 2:1 
         [0019]    In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the handle  220  contains the speed boost assembly  210 , the carrier  230 , the shaft coupler  310 , the top cover  202 , and the accent cover  201 . The carrier  230  sits within the cavity  222  of the handle  220 . More particularly, a flange  236  on the carrier  230  sits on a flange  405  on the interior of the carrier  230  (see  FIG. 4 ). Both of the flanges  236  and  405  may have a circular cross section such that the handle  220  may rotate relative to the carrier  230 . 
         [0020]    Additionally, tabs  235  of the carrier  230  work in cooperation with recesses  121  to releasable couple the carrier  230 , and the rest of the turn knob assembly  110 , to the body  120 . The tabs  235  and recesses  121  may be arranged such that when the carrier  230  is coupled to the body  120 , the carrier  230  may not rotate with respect to the body  120 , but the turn handle  220  may rotate with respect to the carrier  230  and the body  120 . This arrangement allows a user to remove the turn knob assembly  110  from the body  120  without disassembling any other parts of the mill and fill or refill the mill  100  with spices or grains through the aperture  127  in the upper end of the body  120 . 
         [0021]    Coupler  310  sits in cavity  232  of the carrier  230 . The cavity  232  and coupler  310  can both have a circular cross section. This allows the coupler  310  to rotate with respect to the carrier  230 . The sun gear  213  may include a coupling means  215  that helps couple the sun gear  213  to the shaft coupler  310 . The coupling means  215  shown in  FIG. 2  is a shaft with a hexagonal cross section that engages with a corresponding hexagonal shaped coupling means  311  located in the shaft coupler  310 . The coupling means  215  and  311  may be non-circular or otherwise fixed such that the rotation of the sun gear  213  causes a corresponding rotation of the shaft coupler  310 . In some embodiments, for example, the coupling means  215  and  311  may be of a generally circular cross section and may include a keyway and key that cause the shaft coupler  310  to rotate with the sun gear  213 . The coupler  310  may also include a shaft coupling means  312  that couples the shaft coupler  310  to the grind shaft  410 . In the illustrated embodiment, the grind shaft  410  and coupling means  312  have complementary square cross sections such that the grind shaft  410  may slide into the coupling means  312  and both the grind shaft  410  and shaft coupler  310  rotate with one another. 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, the grind shaft  410  and sun gear  213  may be coupled directly to each other. In such embodiments, a shaft coupler  310  may not be necessary. 
         [0023]    The carrier  230  and planet gears  212  also include coupling means  231  and  214 , respectively, for coupling the planet gears  212  to the carrier  230 . The planet gear coupling means may be a shaft or axle  214  that is concentric with an axis of rotation of the planet gear  212 , while the carrier coupling means  231  may be a hole or aperture for receiving a shaft or axle. In some embodiments, the coupling means may be different, for example, the planet gear coupling means may be a hole or aperture for receiving a shaft or axle or the carrier coupling means may be a shaft or axle. 
         [0024]    The ring gear  211  may be coupled or mounted to the handle  220  such that rotation of the handle  220  causes a corresponding rotation of the ring gear  211 . For example, the exterior circumferential surface of the ring gear may include a protrusion  216  that interacts with a notch  221  on the interior surface of the handle  220  such that the ring gear  211  is coupled to or mounted to the handle  220 . In some embodiments the ring gear  211  may be glued, welded, or otherwise affixed to the handle  220 . In some embodiments the ring gear may be an integral part of the handle, for example, the ring gear  211  may be gear teeth formed or molded with and around the interior surface of the handle  220 . 
         [0025]    Finally, the turn knob assembly  110  may also include the top cover  202  and the accent cover  201 . The top cover  202  can include protrusions  203  that releasably couple the top cover  202  to the handle  220  via corresponding notches  223  on an interior surface of the handle  220 . 
         [0026]    In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the turn knob assembly  110  and speed boost assembly  210  work together to drive the grind shaft  410 . To use the mill  100  to grind spices or grains a user might hold the mill  100  in their hands. The user may grasp the body  120  in their non-dominant hand while grasping the turn knob assembly  110  in their dominant hand and rotating the handle  220  in a clockwise direction relative to the body  120 . 
         [0027]    Rotating the handle  220  clockwise relative to the body  120  causes the ring gear  211  to also rotate clockwise. The teeth of the ring gear  211  mesh with the teeth of the planet gears  212  such that the clockwise rotation of the ring gear  211  causes a clockwise rotation of the planet gears  212 . The ring gear  211  to planet gear  212  gear ratio in the illustrated embodiment is 34:9. Thus, for every 9 rotations of the ring gear, the planet gears rotate 34 times. Although the planet gears  212  rotate about their axis of rotation, which may coincide with the central axis of their respective coupling means  214 , the carrier  230  fixes the location of the planet gears  212  relative to the body  120 . 
         [0028]    The teeth of the planet gears  212  mesh with the teeth of the sun gear  213  such that the clockwise rotation of the planet gears  212  causes a counterclockwise rotation of the sun gear  213 . The illustrated planet gear  212  to sun gear  213  gear ratio is 9:16. Thus, for every 16 rotations of the planet gears  212 , the sun gear  213  rotates about its axis 9 times. This gear arrangement gives an overall gear ratio, from the ring gear  211  input to the sun gear  213  output, of 34:16 or 2.125:1. Thus, as indicated above, for every one rotation of the ring gear  211 , the sun gear rotates 2.125 times. 
         [0029]    The sun gear  213  connects to the grind shaft  410  which connects to the rasp  460  such that the rotation of the sun gear  213  causes the rasp  460  to rotate relative to the grind ring  440  (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The rotation of the rasp  460  relative to the grind ring  440  grinds or mills the spices or grains contained within the mill  100 . 
         [0030]    The Applicant has surprisingly found that, contrary to conventional understanding, users do not need increased torque to mill grains and spices. Applicants have found that, in certain circumstances, users prefer a mill that increases the output speed of the rasp as compared to the input speed at the turn knob and they easily grind spices and grains, even with the reduction in output torque. 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the body assembly  300  includes a grind assembly  350  and a grind adjustment assembly  370 . The grind assembly  350  includes a grind ring  440  and a rasp  460 , among other parts. 
         [0032]    A grind ring frame  430 , grind ring  440 , and base capture  450  can use a series of alignment keys and key slots, along with a flange and a retention mechanism, to hold the grind ring  440  in place and prevent its rotation relative to the exterior body  120  of the mill  100 . The grind ring frame  430  sits in the interior of the exterior body  120  and uses keyways  437  that interface with keys  124  on the lower interior surface of the exterior body  120  to prevent the grind ring frame  430  from rotating. In addition, an upper portion  438  of the circumference of the grind ring frame  430  may rest on the shoulder  123  of the exterior body  120  (see  FIG. 4 ). This arrangement may prevent the grind ring frame  430  from moving in a longitudinal direction, e.g., along or parallel to axis ‘X’, shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0033]    The grind ring frame  430  may also include a two-sided key  431 . The two-sided key  431  may include a first side  432  configured to interface with keyway  451  of the base capture  450  and a second side  433  configured to interface with the keyway  441  of the grind ring  440 . The base capture  450  may also include keyways  458  that interface with keys  124  on the lower interior surface of the exterior body  120  to prevent the base capture from rotating. In addition, the base capture  450  may include retention tabs  452  that interface with recess  125  to couple the base capture  450  to the exterior body  120  and prevent the base capture  450  from moving in a longitudinal direction. Thus, the lower portion of the exterior body  120  retains the grind ring frame  430  and the base capture  450  and prevents them from moving laterally or rotating with respect to the exterior body  120 . In addition, the grind ring  441  is captured between the grind ring frame  430  and base capture  450  to prevent longitudinal movement while the keys  431  interface with the keyway  441  to prevent the grind ring  440  from rotating with respect to the body  120 . 
         [0034]    The rasp  460  is retained at the end of the grind shaft  410  and within the rasp ring  440  by a rasp screw  480  and rasp cap  490 . A washer  415 , spring  417 , rasp  460 , and rasp bushing  470  slide over an end of the grind shaft  410 . The rasp screw  480  couples the rasp bushing  470  to the grind shaft  410 . The bushing  470 , in turn, couples the rasp  460  to the grind shaft  410 . The rasp  460  and washer  415  capture the spring  417  on the grind shaft  410 . The grind ring frame  430  captures the bushing  470  and prevents it from moving longitudinally up the grind shaft  410 . In this way, the spring  417  pushes against the bottom of the grind ring frame  430 , which is held by the body  120 , and the top of the rasp  460  such that the rasp  460  and the grind shaft  410  to which it is attached, are pushed downward and away from the grind ring frame  430 . In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the shaft hole  461  can be substantially similar to that of the grind shaft  410  such that rotation of the grind shaft  410  causes the rasp  460  to rotate. 
         [0035]    Finally, a retention tab  491  and recess  471  couple the rasp cap  490  and rasp bushing  470  together in an arrangement similar to that of the base capture  450  and exterior body  120  coupling. 
         [0036]    The mill  100  may also include a grind adjustment mechanism. Because some recipes or cooking styles require spices and grains ground to different sizes and because preferences among consumers may vary, a single mill may need to grind spices and grains into more than one size. A mill may include a grind adjustment mechanism to adjust the grinding size or coarseness of the ground material. For example, in the embodiment shown in the figures, one embodiment of a grind adjustment mechanism is shown and it includes an external, or accent ring  130 , an adjuster  340 , a follower  421 , a coupler  411 , and a grind shaft  410 . 
         [0037]    The adjuster  340  includes a set of stepped detents  341  on which a follower  421  rides. The follower  421  may be integrated into a coupler or adjuster frame  420  for coupling the follower  421  to a grind shaft  410 . In some embodiments, the follower  421  may be directly coupled to the shaft  410  or integrated into the shaft. In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the frame is coupled to the grind shaft via aperture  422  and coupler  411 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the adjuster frame  420  includes to two followers  421 . The followers  421  are located at opposite ends of the frame  420  on arms  423  and may ride in a set of stepped detents  341  located on radially opposed sides of the adjuster  340 . Using a set of two followers  421 , balances the load on the frame  420  and helps prevent it from jamming. 
         [0038]    The arms  423  of the frame  420  may be engaged with or pass through slots  126  in the body  120 . 
         [0039]    The grind setting of the mill is adjusted by rotating the accent ring  130 , which is rotatably coupled to the adjuster  340  by key  131 . The key  131  sits between two protrusions  342 . Rotating the accent ring  130  will cause the key  131  to contact one of the protrusions  342 , which can thus cause the adjuster  340  to rotate. When the adjuster  340  rotates, the follower  421  rides up or down between the stepped detents  341 . Rotation of the adjuster  340  may not cause rotation in the follower  421  because the slots  126 , through which the arms  423  pass, oppose rotation of the arms  423  and thus the follower  421 . As the follower  421  rides up or down on the stepped detents  341  it acts on the grind shaft  410  and causes it to translate along the longitudinal axis X of the mill  100 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the follower  421  is part of the frame  420 , which is coupled to the shaft  410  via coupler  411 , which may be an e-clip. Thus, when the follower rides up the stepped detents, the frame  420  pushes up on the coupler  411 , which causes the shaft  410  to translate upward. Riding down on the stepped detents allows the shaft  410 , which is forced downward by the spring  417  acting on the rasp  460 , to translate downward. 
         [0040]    The upward and downward translation of the shaft  410  causes the rasp  460 , which is coupled to an end of the shaft  410 , to also translate upward and downward. As explained below, the upward and downward translation of the rasp  460  causes a distance, for example distance ‘A,’ to change. Distance A may be a distance between a location  443  on surface  442  of the grind ring  440  and a location  463  on surface  462  of the rasp  460 . A small distance A may correspond to the mill  100  producing finely ground material while a large distance A may correspond to a large or coarsely ground material. 
         [0041]    Distance A may change as the rasp  460  translates longitudinally because it may have a shape, such as a conical shape, that causes the grinding surface  462  of the rasp  460  to move away from the grinding surface  442  of the grind ring  440  as the rasp  460  translates downward. 
         [0042]    An at least partially conical shaped rasp  460  facilitates an increasing distance A as the rasp  460  translates along the longitudinal axis. This occurs because the diameter of a location on the grind ring  440 , such as the discharge location  443 , is fixed, while the diameter of the rasp  460  located near the discharge location  443  decreases as the rasp  460  translates downwards. For example,  FIG. 5  shows that location  463  of the rasp surface  460  is closest to the discharge location  443  of the grind ring  440 , but when the rasp  460  translates longitudinally downward, location  464  may be closest to the discharge location  443 . At location  464  of the rasp surface  462 , the rasp  460  has a smaller diameter than it does at location  463 . Thus, when location  463  is closest to the discharge location  443 , the mill  100  will grind material more coarsely than when location  463  is closest to the discharge location  443 . 
         [0043]    Finally, the arrangement of the accent ring  130  and adjuster  340  between the body  120  and the turn knob assembly  110  allows a user to quickly and easily adjust the grind coarseness. A user simply slides their dominant hand from the handle  220  to the accent ring  130 , rotates the accent ring  130  to adjust the grind, and then slides their hand back to the handle and resumes grinding. 
         [0044]    The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments. 
         [0045]    These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.