Abstract:
In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises: ( 1 ) a box with specifically designed blades for cutting; ( 2 ) a motor for rotating the blades over each other; ( 3 ) a sweeper mechanism to gently move the flowers around the enclosure blade; and, ( 4 ) a brush mechanism to gently tumble flowers over the blade surface.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0003]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0004]    This specification describes subject matter in the field of apparatus and related methods of trimming dried plants, including but not limited to  cannabis.    
         [0005]    2. Background of Invention 
         [0006]      Cannabis  flowers or buds are harvested, dried and cured to be used by people for various purposes including medicinal uses. The  cannabis  flower contains the highest volume of psychoactive compounds in the  cannabis  plant. Also, the plant buds may contain non-intoxicating CBD compounds that are of pharmaceutical and medical interest. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of at least 60 active cannabinoids identified in  cannabis . It is a major constituent of the plant, accounting for up to 40% of the plant&#39;s extract, as a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid. CBD is considered by some to have a wider scope of medical applications than tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In contrast,  cannabis  leaves contain only trace amounts of psychoactive and other compounds, and usually will go to compost,  Cannabis  flowers have traditionally been hand trimmed to remove the unwanted leafy matter, leaving only the flowers. Typically, hand trimming is done by cutting the leaves off with scissors. The hand trimming of  cannabis  flowers is time consuming and tedious. Additionally, hand trimming requires skilled labor. Typically, it takes a skilled trimmer about eight to ten hours to trim one pound of  cannabis . Trimming at this speed may be feasible for small scale growers, but for larger growers, hand trimming is impractical and can become expensive if the grower must hire outside help. 
         [0007]    One solution to hand trimming has been use of machines that automatically trim the plants. These machines can typically trim the same amount of  cannabis  in one hour that an individual worker can trim in one day. Existing automated methods are designed to trim the flowers while they are freshly harvested or “wet.” Wet trimming involves violent action that damages the buds and removes resin glands. The wet trimming action reduces the quality of the end by reducing potency and not allowing proper drying and curing. Furthermore, when buds are trimmed wet, the residue from the buds can leave a sticky mess on a trimmer, necessitating constant cleaning of a trimmer machine. Trimming the  cannabis  flower when wet reduces potency, appearance and quality. 
         [0008]    The alternative to trimming freshly harvested buds is to trim buds that have been dried. Trimming dry buds produces a better smell and flavor. Drying and curing of the  cannabis  flower is essential to the value and quality of the end product. Trimming of dry  cannabis  requires a gentle action that does not damage the product. Most trimmers utilize blades that rotate at a high speed. This high speed rotation is not suitable for trimming dried  cannabis  plants. Currently no reliable apparatus of automated trimming of dry  cannabis  is known. 
         [0009]    In light of the foregoing, a need exists for a device that automated the trimming of dried  cannabis  is such a way that is not damaged in appearance, potency or overall quality. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    With the aforementioned in mind, it is an object of this description to disclose a device that trims dried  cannabis  flowers in a gentle yet effective manner. It is further an objective to disclose apparatus and related methods of trimming  cannabis  flowers without the drawbacks of heretofore known apparatus. Yet still, it is an objective to disclose apparatus and related methods of trimming dried  cannabis  flowers so that a higher quality  cannabis  flower can be used for recreational or medicinal purposes. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises: (1) a box with specifically designed blades for cutting, (2) a motor for rotating the blades over each other; (3) a sweeper mechanism to gently move the flowers around the enclosure blade; and, (4) a brush mechanism to gently tumble flowers over the blade surface. 
         [0011]    In one mode of operation, dried  cannabis  buds may be put into a box. The motor is then turned on to provide rotation to the blades and a sweeper bar. The rotating of blades creates a scissor action that cuts off the extruding leaves from the buds, while the sweeper bar stirs the flowers so that all sides of the buds are exposed to the scissoring action. The scraper bar then further agitates the bud by removing them from the blade and causing them to tumble, Once trimmed, the buds may be extracted through the extraction port in the side of the box and more buds may then be added to repeat the cycle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0012]    The manner in which these objectives and other desirable characteristics can be obtained is explained in the following description and attached figures in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of the trimmer. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the trimmer, 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the trimmer with top exposed. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view that shows the components of the trimmer. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view that shows the components of the trimmer along with the instrument panel. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is s perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the trimmer. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of preferred embodiment of the trimmer  1000 . The trimmer  1000  preferably comprises a box  1002 , two blades  1014 ,  1015  and a sweeper  1007 . Both of the blades  1014 ,  1015  have a pattern of arced openings  1012  (see  FIG. 3 ,  1013 ). The blades  1014 ,  1015  are preferably constructed from stainless steel, but can be made from other kinds of metal or alloys. The sweeper  1007  is located above the top blade  1014 . The sweeper  1007  gently pushes the plants around and can tumble the plants to ensure that all sides of the plant are cut. In the preferred embodiment, the height of the sweeper  1007  is adjustable so that a user can move the sweeper  1007  up, down or out of the way depending on the size of the plants to be trimmed. It should also be noted that the trimmer is situated so that the blades are on a downward sloping angle. It has been found that this facilitates a cutting and separating action. 
         [0020]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , the blades are housed inside of a box  1002 . At the top of the box is a lid  1001 . The lid  1001  opens and closes via a hinge  1010  and the lid  1001  can be secured in place via a latch  1016 . Suitably, the lid  1001  features a sensor  1011 . The sensor  1011  is a safety mechanism that will shut off the machine when the lid  1001  is open. In the preferred embodiment, the lid  1001  is transparent, The lid  1001  is preferably made from a clear Plexiglas®, but may be made of glass or another transparent material. A transparent lid  1001  is preferable because it allows the user to see the trimmer  1000  cut the plant and visually assess the process. The box  1002  is preferably made of metal, but may also be made of a sturdy polymer capable of withstanding high temperatures. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the front of the trimmer  1000  consists of two panels  1008 , a door  1003  in the center and a hatch  1004  for permitting access to the cut plants. On the left panel  1008 , there are several controls for the trimmer  1000 . On the top of the left panel  1008 , there is a dial  1009  that controls the speed of the top blade  1014 . On the bottom of the left side panel  1008  there are two switches: a light switch  1005  which controls a light (not shown) and the motor switch  1006  which turns the trimmer  1000  on and off. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  depicts a front vie r of the trimmer  1000  and shows a more detailed view of the instrument panel that controls the trimmer  1000 . As shown, there are two switches  1005 ,  1006  and a control dial  1009  that control the speed of the motor (see  FIG. 4 ,  1017 ). In the embodiment shown, the control dial  1009  has three speed settings, but alternate embodiments nay have more or fewer settings. In the preferred embodiment of the trimmer  1000 , the motor runs at a speed slower than other typical trimmers. One reason for operating at a slower speed is that the trimmer  1000  can trim dry plants without damaging the buds. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the trimmer  1000  without the lid  1001 . On the inside of the trimmer  1000  are two blades—a circular top blade  1014  and a bottom blade  1015 . Preferably, the arced openings  1012 ,  1013  on the blades  1014 ,  1015  are narrow so only the smaller extrusions (i.e. leaves) from the  cannabis  plant are trimmed, while the larger parts or the plant (i.e. the flowers) remain intact. Both blades  1014 ,  1015  have arced openings  1012 ,  1013  to cut the  cannabis  plant. The arced openings  1012  on the top blade  1014  are in the opposite direction of the arced openings  1013  on the bottom blade  1015 . The arced openings in  1012 ,  1013  are preferably in opposite directions to one another as shown in  FIG. 3 . The openings  1012 ,  1013  may be sharpened to facilitate trimming of the leaves of the plant, but the openings  1012 ,  1013  are less sharp than wet trimmers in order to trim the extrusions without damaging the larger plant. The top blade  1014  is circular and rotatably connected to a motor  1017  and the bottom blade  1015  is square and fixedly fastened to the trimmer  1000 . It would be possible to configure the apparatus to that the either the top or the bottom could turn, but this embodiment has the turning action on the top blade  1014 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows an exploded view of the trimmer  1000 . This view depicts the blades  1014 ,  1015  more clearly.  FIG. 4  also shows how the blades  1014 ,  1015  are configured to interact with one another in the preferred embodiment. In the preferred embodiment, the blades  1014 ,  1015  are at a 30 degree angle with respect to the box  1002 . The 30 degree angle is preferable for cutting the plants because this angle allows for the plants to rotate in a gentle motion, although other downward angles may be suitable so that gravity will assist the cutting process. The 30 degree angle is also preferable because when the trimmer is finished, the product falls down toward the door  1003 . 
         [0025]    The motor is controlled by the motor switch  1006  and is connected directly to the top blade  1014 . When the motor switch  1006  is turned on, the motor  1017  rotates the top blade  1014 , while the bottom blade remains stationary. The rotation produces a scissor-like effect between the top blade  1014  and bottom blade  1015 . The arced openings  1012 ,  1013  are narrow, so that the dried leaves that protrude from the buds will fit through the arced openings  1012 ,  1013 . The scissor-like effect will cut the leaves buds. The bottom blade  1015  does not have openings at the top center so that clippings do not fall through onto the motor. Dried clippings falling onto the motor can be troublesome to clean up and presents a fire hazard. 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  also depicts two bottom panels  1018 ,  1019 . In the preferred embodiment, the bottom panels  1018 ,  1019  do not fully cover the bottom of the box  1002 , leaving an opening beneath the trimmer  1000 . This allows a user to place the trimmer  1000  on top of a bin or bag in order to collect the cut leaves. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  depicts an exploded view of the trimmer  1000  and shows the front panels  1008 , the motor  1017 , the hatch  1004 , the door  1003 , and the blades  1014 ,  1015 .  FIG. 5  shows how the pattern of the arced openings  1012 ,  1013  of the blades  1014 ,  1015  are complimentary to each other, and how the arcs are preferably oriented in opposite directions to one another. 
         [0028]      FIG. 6  shows an alternate embodiment of the trimmer  1000 . This embodiment features a germicidal lamp  1020 . The germicidal lamp is a UV producing light that will kill harmful bacteria that may be found on the buds. 
         [0029]    To operate the trimmer  1000 , a user lifts the lid  1001  and places the product on top of the top blade  1015 . The user may adjust the sweeper  1007 , if the user desires. The user then closes the lid  1001  and uses the switch  1006  to turn on the motor  1017 . The motor  1017  rotates the top blade  1015 , gently trimming the extrusions of the plant. The sweeper  1007  pushes the plant around, so that all sides of the plant are trimmed. When the plant is trimmed, the user turns off the motor  1017 , and can retrieve the finished product by opening the door  1003  and allowing the product to fall through the hatch  1004 . 
         [0030]    While various embodiments of the method and apparatus have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams might depict an example of an architectural or other configuration for the disclosed method and apparatus, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that might be included in the method and apparatus. The disclosed method and apparatus is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but the desired features might be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Indeed, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional, logical or physical partitioning and configurations might be implemented to implement the desired features of the disclosed method and apparatus. Also, a multitude of different constituent module names other than those depicted herein might be applied to the various partitions. Additionally, with regard to flow diagrams, operational descriptions and method claims, the order in which the steps are presented herein shall not mandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recited functionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise. 
         [0031]    Although the method and apparatus is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead might be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the other embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the claimed invention should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments. 
         [0032]    Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open-ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like, the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof, the terms “a” or “an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more,” or the like, and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,” “standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that might be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future. 
         [0033]    The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases might be absent. The use of the term “module” does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of a module, whether control logic or other components, might be combined in a single package or separately maintained and might further be distributed across multiple locations. 
         [0034]    Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations. As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives might be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration. All of the claims as originally filed are hereby incorporated into this specification by reference.