Patent Publication Number: US-2006006262-A1

Title: Interchangeable spice grinding assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      The present invention relates generally to spice and other seasoning assemblies and more specifically to multiple containers having multiple spices and seasoning in an interchangeable grinding system.  
      With specific seasonings, such as spices or peppers, freshness is paramount. Freshness may be achieved by physically grinding pepper ball or other seasoning balls prior to consumption. A common approach is a standard pepper grinder having a central cavity that stores the spice. In the common pepper grinder, the bottom portion includes a grinding assembly, typically including a mill, that acts to grind up the seasoning.  
      As the bottom portion is rotated, the mill in the bottom portion also rotates, crushing the balls of spice and creating grounds. These common spice grinders, as commonly referred to also as pepper grinders, include grooved sections for griping the bottom portion.  
      Another common feature is a removable top portion. The top portion is removed, exposing the central cavity. Upon removal of the top portion, the spice grinder may be refilled with more spice balls or may be stocked with a different spice.  
      The current spice grinders have several specific limitations relating to the quality of ground spices. One problem that arises is the freshness of the spice balls. The central chamber of the spice grinder is not sealed, therefore any moisture may be absorbed by the spice balls. As the spice balls tend to be very absorbent and the spice grinder is typically stored in a kitchen where there is a tendency for excess moisture from cooking, the current spice grinders may not produce the freshest spice grounds.  
      Another common problem arises with re-using the spice grinder for a different spice. Unless the grinding assemblies, including the grinding mill and the central cavity, are properly cleaned, dust and excess grounds from previous spices may be mixed with the current spice. Therefore the grounds may contain grounds from the current spice in the spice grinder and leftover grounds from the previous spice in the container.  
      Another common problem arises when refilling the spice grinder. When the top portion is removed, the central cavity is exposed and spices from a storage container may be poured into the central cavity. Based on the nature of the central cavity and the dispensing unit, problems can arise with spice balls spilling outside of the spice grinder. Therefore, in filling the spice grinder, care must be taken to not spill excess spice balls. Furthermore, when a person who cooks using multiple spices, the current spice grinding techniques require the person to either purchase multiple spice grinders or continually empty and refill a single spice grinder.  
      Therefore, there exists a need for a spice grinding assembly that allows a user to quickly and effectively use multiple spices with a single grinding assembly, that allows for the maintenance of spice ball freshness.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Certain embodiments are shown in the drawings. However, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the attached drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a plan view of one embodiment of a spice grinding assembly;  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the spice grinding assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a plan view of a spice container;  
       FIG. 4  illustrates a plan view of the spice container of  FIG. 3  being disposed on a central pole;  
       FIG. 5  illustrates a plan view of the rotational assembly of the spice grinding assembly;  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of a dispensing cavity of the spice grinding assembly;  
       FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of a mill channel guide of the spice grinding assembly;  
       FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of a mill guide of the spice grinding assembly; and  
       FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of an interchangeable spice grinding system having multiple spice containers.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles disclosed herein, reference will now be made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles disclosed as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates.  
      Briefly, a spice grinding assembly includes a spice container having a spice holding portion and a dispensing cavity. The spice holding portion is a sealed self-contained portion having spice balls disposed therein. The dispensing cavity includes elements for guiding the spice balls to a mill guide. The spice grinding assembly further includes a base member including the mill guide. The mill guide includes portions for receiving the spice balls and edges for grinding the spice balls to generate spice grounds.  
      The spice grinding assembly includes a central pole extending up from the base member. The central pole extends through a central aperture of the spice container when the spice container contactingly engages the base member. A top is affixable to the central pole and engages the spice container. Rotation of the top rotates the central pole, which thereupon rotates the mill guide. When the top is attached to the central pole, the spice container is fitted between the top and the bottom portion and spice balls flow through the dispensing portion to the mill guide such that rotation of the mill guide generates spice grounds.  
      The spice grinding assembly uses one or more sealed spice containers that are interchangeable within the top portion and the bottom portion. The sealed spice containers insure the freshness of the spice balls. The interchangeable containers allow a user to remove the top, pull the spice container up over the central pole and insert a new spice container over the pole, attached the pole and generate new spice grounds. Therefore, a user may quickly interchanges spices in the spice grinding assembly without having to clean the assembly or risk commingling grounds from multiple spice balls grindings.  
      More specifically,  FIG. 1  illustrates a plan view of one embodiment of a spice grinding assembly  100 . The spice grinding assembly  100  includes a top portion  102 , a spice container  104  and a bottom portion  106 . Further, extending through a central aperture  108  of the spice container  104  is a central pole  110 . As visible in  FIG. 2  and discussed below, the top portion  102  is affixed to the central pole  110  to secure the spice container  104  relative to the bottom portion  106 .  
      Illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the top portion  102  is generally spherical with a knob  112  at the top. Although, as recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art, any other suitable shape may be utilized such that the top portion  102  affixes to the central pole  110  and allows for rotational displacement of the top portion  102  about a central axis of the pole  110 . For example, one embodiment may include dimples, raised edges or annular grooves disposed on the top portion for improved gripping of the top portion.  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a cross section of the spice grinding assembly  100 . The assembly  100  includes the top portion  102 , the spice container  104 , the bottom portion  106 , the central pole  110  disposed in the central aperture  108  of the spice container  104  and the knob  112 . Further illustrated in the cross-section of  FIG. 2 , the top portion  102  includes an engagement means  114  interiorly disposed within the top portion  102 . In one embodiment, the engagement means  114  is a fitting member that snap fits onto the central pole  110 .  
      Also, the central pole  110  includes a notched edge  116  engaged by the engagement means  114 . In this embodiment, the notched edge  116  operates in combination with the engagement means  114  to secure the top  102  to the central pole  110 . As recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art, any other suitable engagement means  114  and notched edge  116  may be utilized to affix the top portion  102  to the central pole  110  such that the top portion  102  may be quickly attached and readily removed from contacting engagement.  
      The spice container  104  further includes a spice holding portion  118  and a dispensing portion  120 . The spice holding portion  118  is disposed above the dispensing portion  120  such that spice balls disposed within the spice holding portion  118  are gravity-fed into the dispensing portion  120 .  
      The dispensing portion  120  includes a mill guide channel  122  disposed therein. The mill guide channel  122  has several apertures (not visible) that, when properly aligned with apertures (not visible) within the dispensing portion  120 , allow for the flow of the spice balls into a mill guide channel  124 .  FIG. 2  further illustrates a ground dispensing portion  126  such that the grounds, when generated by the mill guide  124 , pass through the dispensing portion  126 . In one embodiment, the dispensing portion  126  is attached to the bottom portion  108  using fasteners  128 .  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a plan view of the spice container  104 . The container  104  includes the spice holding portion  118  and the dispensing portion  120 . The central aperture  108  extends through the center of the container  104 . The container  104  is in a storage position wherein the spice holding portion  118  is below the dispensing portion  120 . In one embodiment, the dispensing portion  120  includes a dispensing aperture  130  and is rotatable about the central axis to allow for freshness of the spice balls stored therein. Based on the orientation of apertures, as discussed further below with regards to  FIGS. 6-8 , the dispensing portion  120  is rotated in a direction  132  to either open or close the dispensing aperture  130 , relative to the mill guide in the bottom portion  106 .  
       FIG. 4  illustrates a plan view of the application of the insertion of the spice container  104  into contacting engagement with the bottom portion  106  about the central pole  110 . In the installation of the spice container  104 , the container is inserted in a direction  134  until the dispensing cavity  120  is in a snug-fitting relation to the bottom portion  106 . Moreover, when installed about the central pole  110 , the spice holding portion  118  is above the dispensing portion  120 .  
       FIG. 5  illustrates the spice grinding assembly  100  fully assembled. The top portion  102 , including in one embodiment the knob  112 , secures the spice container  104  relative to the bottom portion  106  about the central pole  108  extending through the central aperture  108 . The spice holding portion  118  is exposed and may rotated in the direction  136 . Rotating the spice holding portion  118  to the right aligns apertures  130  within the dispensing portion (not visible), as discussed below with respect to  FIGS. 6-8 . Therefore, prior to rotation  136 , the container  104  is sealed. To re-seal the container  104 , the spice holding portion  118  is rotated  136  to the left.  
      When the dispensing portion is open, based on the rotation  136 , the top portion  102  may then be rotated in the direction  138 . The rotation  138  of the top portion  102  thereby causes the rotation of the central pole  110  within the central aperture  108 . The rotation of the pole  110  rotates the mill guide (not visible) within the bottom portion  106 , thereby grinding the spice balls to generate spice grounds.  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the dispensing portion  120 . The dispensing portion  120  includes an interior raised section  150  having apertures  152  (only one visible) on opposing sides of the raised section  150 . Within the raised section  150  is a central hole  154  through which the pole ( 110  of  FIGS. 1-5 ) extends. Further within the dispensing portion  120  are stops  156  disposed the base of the dispensing cavity  150  and a ridge  158 . As discussed further with respect to  FIG. 7 , the stops  156  and ridge  158  allow for sealing and opening of the dispensing cavity  120 .  
       FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the mill guide channel  122 . The mill guide channel  122  includes an outer ridge  160  and a multiple stops  162  (only one visible). The mill guide channel  122  is disposed within dispensing portion  120  upon assembly. The raised section  150  of the dispensing portion  120  of  FIG. 6  aligns with a raised section  164  of the mill guide channel  122  and the raised section  164  further includes an aperture  166  allowing for the disposition of the central pole ( 110  of  FIGS. 1-5 ) therethrough.  
      In one embodiment, the mill guide channel  122  further includes multiple sloped surfaces  168  that guide the spice balls towards apertures  170  (only one aperture visible). The apertures  170  align with the apertures  152  within the dispensing portion of  FIG. 6  when the spice container is in an open position, using the stops  156  and  162  and the guides  158  and  160 , the apertures  170  and  152 . Therefore, prior to installation of the spice container into the spice grinding assembly, the dispensing portion may be rotated to align the apertures  170  and  152 , such as illustrated generally in  FIG. 3  with arrow  132 .  
       FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of a mill guide  124 . The mill guide  124  is assembled in the bottom portion  106  ( FIG. 1 ) using any suitable type of fastening means, such as fasteners extending through fastening apertures  180  disposed on a base portion  182  of the mill guide  124 . The mill guide  124  further includes a raised portion  184  having a central aperture  186  disposed on top of the raised portion  184  and side dispensing apertures  188  on the sides of the raised portions  184 . During assembly, the central pole extends through the central aperture  186  and the side apertures  188  align with the apertures  152  in the dispensing cavity and the apertures  170  of the mill guide channel  122 .  
      The mill guide  124  further includes a cutting edge  190  on the side apertures  188 . When spice balls flow through the mill guide channel  122 , they are held in place by the dispensing portion ( 126  of  FIG. 2 ) such that upon rotation of the mill guide  124 , the cutting edges  190  grind the spice balls to generate spice grounds. These spice grounds then flow out through the dispensing portion.  
      The interchangeable spice grinding assembly further includes multiple spice containers  200  in conjunction with a spice grinding assembly  100 , as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . In one embodiment, a rack  202  may used to store the spice grinding assembly  100  and the spice containers  200 . With multiple spice containers  200 , the rack  202  readily stores multiple containers  200  typically having multiple types of spices, including various types of peppers. The spice grinding assembly  100  operates similar to the above discussion in  FIGS. 1-8 , thereby allowing for readily interchangeable spice dispensing using the single assembly  100 .  
      Furthermore, while the particular preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the teaching of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as limitation. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the related art.