Abstract:
A spill-resistant material processor includes a vessel having an opening with a funnel-shaped rim, a lid, a processing blade rotationally mounted within the vessel, and a base having a motor therein to drive the processing blade and process any material within the vessel. The processor is particularly adapted to cut and mill coffee beans and avoid spillage of milled coffee from the lid and the vessel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This present invention relates to material milling processors, such as coffee mills, that are resistant to spillage.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Coffee mills are well known popular household appliances. Commonly, a coffee mill includes a unitary vessel with a chopping blade and a close-fitting lid. The user places coffee beans into the mill, closes the lid, and turns on an electric motor. It typically takes less than a minute to reduce the beans to coffee grounds, with the result that the interior of the vessel and the interior of the lid is coated with coffee grounds.  
         [0005]     A problem for the user arises when attempting to open the vessel and pour the grounds into a coffee brewing machine. Because of the nearly complete coating of the interior of the vessel and lid, coffee grounds typically spill out onto the kitchen counter as they suddenly break loose rather than flow freely from the vessel. This creates an annoying clean-up problem because the grounds are fine enough to get into cracks and crevices about the kitchen counter and because the grounds are not soluble in water, making them difficult to wipe up.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0006]     A spill-resistant material processor includes a vessel having an opening with a funnel-shaped rim, a lid overlying the opening and located substantially within the rim, a processing blade rotationally mounted within the vessel, and a base having a motor therein to drive the processing blade and thereby process any material within the vessel.  
         [0007]     In another aspect of the invention, the lid is pivotably hinged to the vessel.  
         [0008]     In another aspect of the invention a scraper is provided within the vessel. The scraper is shaped to conform to the walls of the vessel and is engageable with the lid such that a rotational motion of the lid is effective in scraping the interior surface of the vessel.  
         [0009]     In another aspect of the invention, the funneled rim is removeably mounted on the vessel.  
         [0010]     In another aspect of the invention, a scraper is mounted within the vessel. The scraper is shaped to complement or match the walls of the vessel and engage with the funneled rim such that a rotational motion of the funneled rim is effective in scraping the interior surface of the vessel.  
         [0011]     In one embodiment of the spill-resistant material processor includes a rotatable lid, a processing blade rotationally mounted within the vessel, a base having a motor therein to drive the processing blade and thereby process material within the vessel, and a scraper within the vessel that is shaped to the walls of the vessel and engageable with the lid, such that a rotational motion of the lid is effective in scraping material from the interior surface of the vessel.  
         [0012]     In another aspect of the invention, the vessel is removable from the base.  
         [0013]     In another aspect of the invention, the material to be processed is coffee beans and the material to be scraped is ground coffee.  
         [0014]     In another aspect of the invention, an axially-slideable interconnection is provided between a lid or cap assembly and a vessel which holds material ground by the processor.  
         [0015]     In another embodiment of the invention spill-resistant material processor includes a vessel having an opening with a rotatable funnel-shaped rim, a lid overlying the opening and located substantially within the rim, a processing blade rotationally mounted within the vessel, a base having a motor therein to drive the processing blade and thereby process material within the vessel, and a scraper within the vessel that is shaped to the walls of the vessel and engageable with the funneled rim, such that a rotational motion of the rim is effective in scraping material from the interior surface of the vessel. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a coffee mill with a funnel-shaped rim and hinged lid constructed in accordance with the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 1   b  is an enlarged view of region A of  FIG. 1   a.    
         [0018]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  respectively show a top plan view and a partial vertical cross-sectional front view of the coffee mill of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the coffee mill of the invention taken at a right angle to the view of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0021]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are perspective views of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]     As shown in  FIG. 1   a , a material processor  1 , such as a coffee mill, has a housing or vessel  2  mounted upon a base  3 . The base  3  has a motor  9  mounted within it that drives a processing blade  4  rotationally mounted within the vessel  2  so as to cut, grind and process any material placed within the vessel  2 . A lid  5  is hinged to a funnel-shaped outwardly-flaring rim  10 , as discussed further below. In a preferred embodiment, an elongate power switch lever  6  is hinged to the lid  5  at hinge  6   b.    
         [0023]     Vessel  2  can be made of a thermoplastic polymer, which is subject to wear and tear near the processing blade  4  because of the vigorous movement of processed material fragments in that region due to the chopping action of the processing blade  4 . It is therefore desirable to introduce a wear-resistant vessel liner  2   a  at the bottom of the vessel chamber to protect against this. The wear-resistant liner is preferably made of stainless steel. The shaft  15  which drives the blade  4  projects through a hole in the bottom of the wear-resistant vessel liner  2   a.    
         [0024]     A safety interlock is preferably provided so that the user cannot activate the motor  9  when the lid  5  is pivoted open. One way to do this is to provide a downwardly depending plunger  6   a  on the end of power lever  6 . Plunger  6   a  passes through an opening in the lid  5  and rim  10 , such that the plunger  6   a  is positioned to activate an internal power switch  7  mounted on a cup-shaped base liner  19 . The plunger  6   a  activates switch  7  via an upwardly biased spring-loaded intermediary shaft segment  7   a  that transmits the force on the plunger through the funneled rim  10 . Hence, a user can only activate the power switch  7  when the lid  5  is closed.  
         [0025]     The vessel  2  is provided with a funnel-shaped rim  10 , meaning a substantially frustoconical radially outwardly-flaring rim that supports the lid  5  and rims the opening of the vessel  2 . The lid  5  and power lever  6  are preferably sized and shaped to be substantially, and preferably completely, contained within or surrounded by a perimeter wall formed by the lip  10   a  defined by the funneled rim  10 . As seen in  FIGS. 2   a ,  4 ,  5  and  6 , a hinged connection  8  is provided between the rim  10  and lid  5  to allow the lid  5  to pivot over the vessel chamber  29 . A finger tab  5   a  may be provided on the lid  5  to facilitate pivoting the lid  5  open.  
         [0026]     As can be best appreciated from a review of  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the user pivots open the lid  5 , processed materials (e.g., coffee grounds) that have become stuck to the inner surface of the lid  5  during grinding will tend to fall back into the chamber of vessel  2 . Any material that tends to fall outside the vessel  2  is caught by the funneled rim  10  and will therefore also tend to return to the vessel  2  via funnel-directed flow. The lateral or circumferential dimensions of the edge or lip  10   a  of the funnel-shaped rim  10  are substantially larger than those of lid  5  so as to return substantially all processed material back into the vessel  2 . For example, the rim  10  can extend radially outwardly about 1/4 inch to ½ inch, or more, further than the periphery of the lid  5 .  
         [0027]     As seen in  FIGS. 1   a  and  3 , the vessel  2  is detachable from the base  3 . This has the advantage of providing the user with a lighter weight container because the heavy motor  9  remains in the base  3 . The result is that the user may more easily and carefully handle and manipulate the lightweight vessel  2  so as to avoid spillage. As seen in  FIGS. 1   a  and  4 , a simple axially-sliding splined or geared drive connection  13  may be provided between base  3  and vessel  2  to allow for easy removal of the vessel  2  from the base  3 .  
         [0028]     The base  3  may be shaped to directly support the vessel  2  or, alternatively, a vessel receiver or base liner  19  may be provided to simplify assembly. Here, the base  3  is shaped to receive the motor  9  and after installation of the motor  9 , the vessel receiving liner or base liner  19 , which is shaped to receive the vessel  2  is then installed.  
         [0029]     The funneled rim  10  is preferably removable from the vessel  2 . This is because the lid  5  is hinged to the funneled rim  10  and would not otherwise be easily removable for cleaning or dishwashing. As seen in  FIG. 1   b , a simple axially-sliding cylindrical tongue-and-groove interconnection  22 ,  23  may be provided between the funneled rim  10  and vessel  2  for facilitating removal and installation of the lid  5  and rim  10  assembly with respect to vessel  2 . As an option, a bayonet connection  20   a  may be provided to axially lock the rim  10  to the vessel  2 .  
         [0030]     As seen in  FIGS. 1   a  and  4 , the processor  1  has a scraper  11  with scraper blades  18  disposed within the vessel  2 . The scraper has one or more finger-like scraper blades  18  shaped to closely match the bowl-shaped contour of the interior wall of the vessel  2 . The scraper  11  has a hub  11   a  freely rotatably mounted and centered about the blade shaft  15 . A bushing or journal  12  is provided with a clearance sufficient to permit free rotation of the hub around the blade shaft  15 .  
         [0031]     The scraper  11  is preferably designed to detachably engage with or slidably connect to the funneled rim  10  at appropriately configured connection points when the funneled rim  10  is placed on the vessel  2 . The connection is configured such that a rotational motion of the funneled rim  10  by a user causes the scraper blades  18  to rotate and remove or scrape any processed material that has adhered to the inner walls  25  of the vessel chamber  29 .  
         [0032]     For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1   a ,  1   b  and  2   b , the inner rim wall of the funneled rim  10  may be provided with one or more cogs or vanes  14  that drivingly engage and push against an upper free end portion  16  of the scraper blades  18  of the scraper  11 . The funneled rim  10  is rotationally mounted with a light telescopic friction interfit to the top of vessel  2 , as can be more clearly seen in  FIG. 1   b . The funneled rim  10  is circular at its base and has a cylindrical flange  22  ( FIG. 1   b ) that preferably snap-fits within an annular recess  21  at the upper vessel rim  23  of the vessel  2 . As noted above, a bayonet connection is also possible. The annular recess  21  is large enough to also accommodate a scraper ring  24 , which serves the purpose of keeping the scraper blades  18  in fixed position relative to one another and strengthening the structure of scraper  11 .  
         [0033]     The rotation of the funneled rim  10  need not be a full 360° to scrape the entire inner surface  25  of vessel chamber  29 , if more than one scraper blade is provided. For example, if only two diametrically-opposed scraper blades are provided, they need be rotated only 180° each to fully scrape the inner wall of vessel chamber  9 . Likewise, three scraper blades, as shown, need only be rotated 120°.  
         [0034]     The scraper  11  is not only useful for getting all of the processed material out of the vessel  2 , but also works to reduce spillage. Clumps or layers of material, such as coffee grinds, stuck to the vessel wall  25  tend to suddenly come loose and fall or spill out of the vessel  2  unexpectedly, such as when the user does not have the vessel  2  properly positioned during its emptying. Scraping this material into vessel  2  prevents such spillage.  
         [0035]     As can be further seen in  FIGS. 1   a  and  3 , the vessel  2  may optionally be designed to be separable from the base  3  simply by providing an interlocking motor shaft  17  and blade shaft  15 . A geared or splined axially-sliding interconnecting coupling  13  may be provided similar to the prior example. An annular axially-sliding tongue and groove friction-fit or splined interconnection  20  is provided to removeably secure the vessel  2  to the base  3 . A bayonet connection similar to connection  22 ,  23  in  FIG. 1   b  may also be provided for added retention of the vessel  2  on the base  3 .  
         [0036]     Of course, the disclosures herein need not be limited to coffee mills, but may find application to other types of food processors and even to devices for processing chemicals or other non-edible materials where it is desirable to reduce spillage.  
         [0037]     While various values, scalar and otherwise, may be disclosed herein, it is to be understood that these are not exact values, but rather to be interpreted as “about” such values, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Further, the use of a modifier such as “about” or “approximately” in this specification with respect to any value is not to imply that the absence of such a modifier with respect to another value indicated the latter to be exact.  
         [0038]     Changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to the embodiments as disclosed herein and such examples, illustrations, and theories are for explanatory purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Further, the abstract of this disclosure is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the rules requiring an abstract so as to allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosures contained herein and is submitted with the express understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.