Patent Publication Number: US-11382461-B2

Title: Bean grinding device and bean grinding coffee machine

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a U.S. National Stage of International Application No. PCT/CN2018/088429, filed on May 25, 2018 and published as WO 2019/128077 on Jul. 4, 2019, which claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 201711430948.0, entitled “BEAN GRINDING DEVICE AND BEAN GRINDING COFFEE MACHINE”, filed on Dec. 26, 2017. Each application, publication, and patent listed in this paragraph is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present application relates to a bean grinding device and a bean grinding coffee machine. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Coffee is a popular beverage. Besides the variety and quality of coffee beans, the quality of coffee powder has an influence, which should not be ignored, on the quality of coffee. The quality of the coffee powder depends heavily on a choice of a coffee grinding device. 
     A conventional device for grinding coffee beans can adjust sizes of the coffee powder by adjusting a shift position, but a case that, when bean grinding devices of same or different batches grind coffee beans by means of a same gear position of thickness, amount and thickness of ground powder of coffee beans will be different due to manufacturing process errors and assembly errors of parts, will occur, and it is difficult to meet uniformity requirements. 
     SUMMARY 
     Based on this, it is necessary to provide a bean grinding device and a bean grinding coffee machine, which can achieve the above uniformity requirements with no need to improve manufacturing and assembly accuracy of parts. 
     A bean grinding device including a grinding assembly and an adjusting assembly, wherein the grinding assembly includes a bean grinding chamber, an outer grinding wheel, and an inner grinding wheel; the outer grinding wheel and the inner grinding wheel are disposed inside the bean grinding chamber; the adjusting assembly includes at least two stages of adjusting mechanisms; the at least two stages of adjusting mechanisms includes a first adjusting mechanism and a second adjusting mechanism; the first adjusting mechanism and the bean grinding chamber are connected by means of a first track; the second adjusting mechanism and the outer grinding wheel are connected by means of a second track; positions of the first adjusting mechanism and the second adjusting mechanism are relatively fixed in an axial direction; and the first adjusting mechanism and the second adjusting mechanism are configured to adjust a height of the outer grinding wheel and adjust a distance between the outer grinding wheel and the inner grinding wheel. 
     In an embodiment, the first adjusting mechanism includes a first adjusting ring and a fixing member; the first adjusting ring has a first track structure extending from a first position to a second position in the axial direction; the bean grinding chamber includes a snap-fit member; the snap-fit member is disposed on an outer side wall of the bean grinding chamber, and configured to slide along the first track structure and adjust a relative position between the first adjusting mechanism and the bean grinding chamber in the axial direction; and the fixing member is configured to fix the first adjusting ring in a circumferential direction. 
     In an embodiment, the first track structure is a threaded structure disposed on an inner surface of the first adjusting ring; an outer side wall of the first adjusting ring has a clamping groove; the bean grinding chamber is provided with a clamping member; and the fixing member is installed in the clamping member and inserted into the clamping groove. 
     In an embodiment, the first track structure is a bevel structure disposed on an outer surface of the first adjusting ring; the fixing member is fixedly connected to the first adjusting ring; the bean grinding chamber has a positioning member; when the snap-fit member slides along the bevel structure, the fixing member slides along the positioning member and fixes the first adjusting ring. 
     In an embodiment, the positioning member is a wavy track structure, and the wavy track structure is arranged parallel to the bevel structure. 
     In an embodiment, the grinding assembly further includes an outer grinding wheel sleeve; the outer grinding wheel is fixedly installed in the outer grinding wheel sleeve; the outer grinding wheel sleeve includes a protruding member and a position locking member; the protruding member is configured to be connected to the second track of the second adjusting mechanism; the bean grinding chamber has a position locking groove; and the position locking member is configured to be locked in the position locking groove and restrict a movement of the outer grinding wheel in a circumferential direction. 
     In an embodiment, the second adjusting mechanism includes a second adjusting ring; a threaded track is disposed on an inner surface of the second adjusting ring; and the protruding member is configured to move along the threaded track and adjust the distance between the outer grinding wheel and the inner grinding wheel. 
     In an embodiment, the second adjusting mechanism further includes a pressing sheet; the second adjusting ring includes a rotatable gear and an edge member supporting the rotatable gear; and the pressing sheet is disposed at the edge member and configured to be fixedly connected to the first adjusting mechanism. 
     In an embodiment, the second adjusting mechanism further includes a shift knob and a transmitting assembly; the transmitting assembly meshes with the second adjusting ring; and the transmitting assembly is driven to rotate by rotating the shift knob, and the second adjusting ring is driven to rotate. 
     A bean grinding coffee machine includes any one of the bean grinding devices above. 
     In the present application, the distance between the inner grinding wheel and the outer grinding wheel is adjusted by the at least two stages of adjusting mechanisms provided in the grinding device, with no need to improve the manufacturing and assembly accuracy of parts. The first adjusting mechanism is slidably connected to the bean grinding chamber; the second adjusting mechanism is slidably connected to the outer grinding wheel; and positions of the first adjusting mechanism and the second adjusting mechanism are relatively fixed in the axial direction. Independently adjusting either the first adjusting mechanism or the second adjusting mechanism can achieve a movement of the outer grinding wheel in the axial direction, thus achieving a precise adjustment of the distance between the outer grinding wheel and the inner grinding wheel. The arrangement of multi-staged adjustment enables multiple bean grinding devices of the same batch or of different batches, under a case of the same configuration, to grind coffee beans into uniform and steady powder with good uniformity in the amount and in the sizes, thereby ensuring the taste of coffee. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded schematic diagram of a bean grinding device according to an embodiment of the present application; 
         FIG. 2  is a first schematic diagram illustrating adjustment of a first adjusting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application; 
         FIG. 3  is a second schematic diagram illustrating adjustment of the first adjusting mechanism in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a first schematic diagram illustrating adjustment of the first adjusting mechanism according to another embodiment of the present application; 
         FIG. 5  is a second schematic diagram illustrating adjustment of the first adjusting mechanism in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic assembly diagram of an outer grinding wheel and an outer grinding wheel sleeve according to an implementation of the present application; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of the bean grinding device according to an embodiment of the present application. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     In order to make the present application clearer and better understood, the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and combined with the embodiments. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the present application provides a bean grinding device  10 , including a grinding assembly and an adjusting assembly. The grinding assembly can include a bean grinding chamber  110 , an outer grinding wheel  120 , and an inner grinding wheel  130 . The outer grinding wheel  120  and the inner grinding wheel  130  are disposed inside the bean grinding chamber  110 . The adjusting assembly includes at least two stages of adjusting mechanisms. The at least two stage of adjusting mechanisms can include a first adjusting mechanism and a second adjusting mechanism; the first adjusting mechanism is connected to the bean grinding chamber  110  by means of a first track; the second adjusting mechanism is connected to the outer grinding wheel  120  by means of a second track; and positions of the first adjusting mechanism and the second adjusting mechanism are relatively fixed in an axial direction. The first adjusting mechanism and the second adjusting mechanism are configured to adjust a height of the outer grinding wheel  120 , thus achieving an adjustment of the distance between the outer grinding wheel  120  and the inner grinding wheel  130 . 
     As for the bean grinding device  10  provided in the embodiment of the present application, the distance between the inner grinding wheel  130  and the outer grinding wheel  120  is adjusted by the at least two stages of adjusting mechanisms provided in the grinding device  10 , with no need to improve the manufacturing and assembly accuracy of parts. Adjusting either the first adjusting mechanism or the second adjusting mechanism can achieve a movement of the outer grinding wheel  120  in the axial direction, thus achieving a precise adjustment of the distance between the outer grinding wheel  120  and the inner grinding wheel  130 . The distance between the inner grinding wheel  130  and the outer grinding wheel  120  is adjusted by the first adjusting mechanism, thereby solving a problem of different amount and different sizes of output powder of the bean grinding device  10  due to assembly errors and manufacturing errors of parts. Then, in accordance with a requirement, a selection of a shift position of different sizes of coffee powder is adjusted by the second adjusting mechanism, thereby determining the sizes of the coffee powder to be ground. Certainly, the number of the adjusting mechanisms can be further increased, so as to make the adjustment of the distance between the inner grinding wheel  130  and the outer grinding wheel  120  more precise. The arrangement of multi-staged adjustment enables multiple bean grinding devices  10  of the same batch or different batches, under a case of the same configuration, to grind coffee beans into uniform and steady powder with good uniformity in the amount and in the sizes, thereby ensuring the taste of coffee. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the first adjusting mechanism includes a first adjusting ring  212  and a fixing member  214 A. The fixing member  214 A is configured to fix the first adjusting ring  212  in a circumferential direction. The first adjusting ring  212  has a first track structure extending from a first position to a second position in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the first track structure is a threaded structure  2122  disposed on an inner surface of the first adjusting ring  212 . The bean grinding chamber  110  includes a snap-fit member  112 A. The snap-fit member  112 A can be a convex structure disposed on an outer side wall of the bean grinding chamber  110  and can slide along the threaded structure  2122 , thus adjusting a relative position between the first adjusting mechanism and the bean grinding chamber  110  in the axial direction, and further adjusting the distance between the outer grinding wheel  120  and the inner grinding wheel  130 . Specifically, the snap-fit member  112 A is placed in a threaded track of the threaded structure  2122 ; when the first adjusting ring  212  rotates, the snap-fit member  112 A can rotate along the threaded track of the threaded structure  2122 , and the first adjusting ring  212  moves up and down relative to the snap-fit member  112 A, thus achieving a change in the relative position between the first adjusting mechanism and the bean grinding chamber  110 . An outer side wall of the first adjusting ring  212  has a clamping groove  2126 . The bean grinding chamber  110  is provided with a clamping member  114 . When the first adjusting ring  212  is adjusted to a desired position, the fixing member  214 A can be mounted to the clamping member  114  and inserted into the clamping groove  2126 , fixing the first adjusting ring  212  in a circumferential position. In this embodiment, the fixing member  214 A is a fixing piece. The fixing piece has a plug-in end and a mounting end. Optionally, the clamping member  114  is provided with a groove structure, in which the mounting end of the fixing piece can be fixedly installed. When the mounting end is fixedly mounted into the groove structure of the clamping member  114 , the plug-in end can be inserted into the clamping groove  2126  in the outer side wall of the first adjusting ring  212 , thus fixing the first adjusting ring  212  in the circumferential direction. The mounting end can be fixed in the groove structure of the clamping member  114  with a screw. Fixed by the fixing member  214 A, the first adjusting ring  212  can be protected from sliding after a gear position is adjusted, thereby avoiding a change in the distance between the outer grinding wheel  120  and the inner grinding wheel  130 , and avoiding influences on quality of ground coffee powder. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , in another embodiment, the first adjusting mechanism includes a first adjusting ring  212  and a fixing member  214 B. The fixing member  214 B is configured to fix the first adjusting ring  212  in the circumferential direction. The first adjusting ring  212  has a first track structure extending from the first position to the second position in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the first track structure is a bevel structure  2124  disposed on an outer surface of the first adjusting ring  212 . The bean grinding chamber  110  includes a snap-fit member  112 B. The snap-fit member  112 B can be a hook-shaped structure disposed on the outer side wall of the bean grinding chamber  110  and can slide along a bevel of the bevel structure  2124 , thereby adjusting the relative position between the first adjusting mechanism and the bean grinding chamber  110  in the axial direction. Specifically, an end of the snap-fit member  112 B can be lapped on an upper surface of the bevel structure  2124 . When the first adjusting ring  212  rotates, the snap-fit member  112 B slides along the upper surface of the bevel structure  2124 , and the first adjusting ring  212  moves up and down relative to the bean grinding chamber  110 . In this embodiment, the fixing member  214 B can be fixedly connected to the first adjusting ring  212 . In an embodiment, the fixing member  214 B is arranged at an end of the bevel structure  2124 . When the first adjusting ring  212  rotates, the fixing member  214 B is driven to rotate. The bean grinding chamber  110  can have a positioning member  116 , and when the snap-fit member  112 B slides along the bevel structure  2124 , the fixing member  214 B can slide along the positioning member  116  and fix the first adjusting ring  212  in the circumferential direction. 
     In an embodiment, the positioning member  116  has a wavy track structure, and the wavy track structure is arranged to be parallel to the bevel structure  2124 . The wavy track structure extends from the first position to the second position in the axial direction. In a process of sliding along the wavy track structure, and when the fixing member  214 B slides to a concave position of the wavy track structure, the fixing member  214 B is fixed, thereby finally fixing the first adjusting ring  212  in the circumferential direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 6  together, the grinding assembly can further include an outer grinding wheel sleeve  140 . The outer grinding wheel  120  is fixedly installed in the outer grinding wheel sleeve  140 . The outer grinding wheel sleeve  140  includes a protruding member  142  and a position locking member  144 . The protruding member  142  is configured to be connected to a second track of the second adjusting mechanism. The bean grinding chamber  110  has a position locking groove  118 , and the position locking member  144  is configured to be locked in the position locking groove  118 , thus restricting the movement of the outer grinding wheel  120  in the circumferential direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , in an embodiment, the second adjusting mechanism can include a second adjusting ring  222 . A threaded track  2222  is disposed on an inner surface of the second adjusting ring  222  The protruding member  142  can move along the threaded track  2222  to adjust the distance between the outer grinding wheel  120  and the inner grinding wheel  130 . When the second adjusting ring  222  rotates, since the position locking member  144  is locked and fixed in the position locking groove  118 , the outer grinding wheel  120  and the outer grinding wheel sleeve  140  is prevented from moving in the circumferential direction; and the protruding member  142  of the outer grinding wheel sleeve  140  slides along the threaded track  2222 , realizing an up-and-down movement of the outer grinding wheel  120  in the axial direction. Optionally, the second adjusting mechanism further includes a pressing sheet  2224 . The second adjusting ring  222  includes a rotatable gear and an edge member supporting the rotatable gear, and the pressing sheet  2224  is disposed at the edge member. The pressing sheet  2224  can be configured to be fixedly connected to the first adjusting mechanism. Specifically, a notch can be provided at a corresponding position on an outer edge of the first adjusting ring  212 , and the notch and the pressing sheet each have a through hole or a threaded hole at corresponding positions. The second adjusting ring  222  and the first adjusting ring  212  are fixedly connected together by a fastening nail or a screw disposed through two through holes or threaded holes at the corresponding positions, but the rotatable gear of the second adjusting ring  222  can independently rotate, that is, rotation of the rotatable gear of the second adjusting ring  222  does not necessarily drive the first adjusting ring  212  to rotate. 
     The inner grinding wheel  130  can be fixed to a bottom of the bean grinding chamber  110  by means of the bean grinding shaft  150 . The outer grinding wheel  120  and the inner grinding wheel  130  are coaxially nested. The second adjustment mechanism can further include a shift knob  224  and a transmitting assembly  226 . The transmitting assembly  226  meshes with the second adjusting ring  222 . The transmitting assembly  226  is driven to rotate by rotating the shift knob  224 , and finally the second adjusting ring  222  is driven to rotate. The transmitting assembly  226  can include a transmitting gear  2262  and a shifting gear  2264 . The shifting gear  2264  is connected to the shift knob  224 , and the transmitting gear  2262  meshes with the shifting gear  2264  and the second adjusting ring  222  respectively. The shift knob  224  is rotated to adjust a desired shift position, and at the same time, the shift knob  224  will sequentially drive the shifting gear  2264 , the transmitting gear  2262  and the second adjusting ring  222  to rotate, thereby achieving the adjustment of the shift position. 
     The bean grinding device  10  can further include a bean box assembly provided with a raw material outlet open to the grinding assembly. 
     The present application also provides a bean grinding coffee machine, which includes a machine body, a control device, and any foregoing bean grinding device  10 . The control device and the bean grinding device  10  are installed on the machine body. 
     Each of the technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To simplify the description, not all possible combinations of each of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, all of the combinations of these technical features should be considered as within the scope of this application, as long as such combinations do not contradict with each other. 
     The above embodiments merely illustrate several embodiments of the present application, and the description thereof is specific and detailed, but it shall not be constructed as limiting the scope of this application. It should be noted that, for those of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications and improvements can also be made without departing from the concept of the present application and all fall within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the appended claims.