Abstract:
The present invention relates to a condiment mill capable of separately accommodating and grinding two condiments depending on the orientation of the condiment mill. The condiment mill comprises two superimposed compartments which may be inverted for grinding two condiments separately and allowing to release the condiment out of the mill by rotating one of the two compartments relative to the other.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to a condiment mill, and particularly, to a condiment mill that has two superimposed compartments for accommodating and grinding two condiments separately by rotating one of the two compartments relative to the other. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Condiment mills that can separately accommodate and grind two different condiments, for example, salt and pepper, are currently available. These condiment mills typically comprise two parallel containers separated from each other. At the bottom of each of the containers, a grinding mechanism is provided for grinding the respective condiment. Each of the grinding mechanisms is driven by a respective shaft extending upwardly through the respective container. Both shafts are drivingly connected to a gear mechanism provided on top of the containers. The gear mechanism is configured in such a manner that when the gear mechanism is rotated in one direction, one of the shafts is driven in rotation, and consequently the respective grinding mechanisms is driven to grind and dispense the respective one of the condiments, and when the gear mechanism is rotated in another direction, the other one of the shafts is driven in rotation, and consequently the respective other grinding mechanism is driven to grind and dispense the other condiment. 
         [0003]    This kind of condiment mills have the drawback that the gear mechanism needs to be rotated in different directions for different condiments. This operation mode requires the user to remember to rotate the gear mechanism in the correct direction in order to obtain the needed condiment, which increases the chances of misoperation. Furthermore, users may prefer to always rotate the gear mechanism in one direction, no matter which condiment they want to grind. 
         [0004]    Therefore, there is a need for a condiment mill that is able to separately accommodate and grind two different condiments, which allows the user to rotate the gear mechanism in any direction for either one of the condiments. Such a condiment mill may comprise a different mechanism to switch between the two condiments, unlike the prior art wherein the different rotation directions of the gear mechanism correspond to the different condiments. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention has a principle object of providing a condiment mill which has two compartments arranged one on the other. The two compartments accommodate two condiments separately, and the condiment in one compartment is ground by rotating the other compartment relative to said compartment. More particularly, the present invention aims to provide a condiment mill which can be conveniently transformed between the two condiments for grinding operation by inverting the mill. The selection of condiment being ground is simple and easy, and realized by turning over the condiment mill The selection and grinding of the condiment is independent of the direction of rotation. 
         [0006]    These and other objects are satisfied by the present invention, which provides a condiment mill comprising two compartments stacked one on the other, and a shaft extending through the stacking interface of both the compartments. The two ends of the shaft are drivingly connected to two grinding mechanisms arranged inside and at a distal end of the two compartments, respectively. In addition, the condiment mill of the present invention is characterized by further comprising a driving mechanism which allows the grinding mechanism in the bottom compartment to be driven by the rotation of the top compartment. 
         [0007]    A condiment mill according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: 
         [0008]    a first compartment having a proximal end and a distal end, 
         [0009]    a second compartment having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the first compartment and the second compartment are stacked one on the other at their respective proximal ends, in such a manner that the first and second compartments, are rotatable relative to each other around a rotation axis, 
         [0010]    a shaft having a first end and a second end and extending along the rotation axis through the proximal ends of the first and second compartments, into the first and second compartments, 
         [0011]    a first grinding mechanism arranged at the distal end of the first compartment and drivingly connected to the first end of the shaft, 
         [0012]    a second grinding mechanism arranged at the distal end of the second compartment and drivingly connected to the second end of the shaft, 
         [0013]    a driving mechanism coupled to the shaft and arranged to extend through the proximal ends, of both the first and second compartments, the driving mechanism being configured to be engageable with one of the first and second compartments, and be caused by rotation of said engaged compartment to rotate relative to the other compartment which, in turn, drives the grinding mechanism in the other compartment by the shaft. 
         [0014]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the condiment mill may further comprise: 
         [0015]    a first hub member fixedly secured to the proximal end of the first compartment and having an axial opening, 
         [0016]    a second hub member fixedly secured to the proximal end of the second compartment and having an axial opening, 
         [0017]    wherein the driving mechanism comprises a bushing coupled to the shaft and rotatably and movably extending through the axial openings, of the first and second hub members, wherein the bushing is able to move to engage with one of the first and second hub members, and the rotation of the compartment with which the bushing engages causes rotation of the bushing so as to rotate the shaft around the rotation axis relative to the other compartment, and the rotation of the shaft drives the grinding mechanism in the other compartment. 
         [0018]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first hub member may be formed integral with a proximal end plate of the first compartment, and the second hub member may be formed integral with a proximal end plate of the second compartment. 
         [0019]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bushing may have an axial throughbore through which the shaft extends to rotatably and movably couple to the bushing. 
         [0020]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a cross section of the throughbore corresponds to a cross section of the shaft, such that the bushing is coupled to the shaft in rotation around the rotation axis, and movable along the rotation axis relative to the shaft. Preferably, the cross sections of the shaft and the throughbore are both rectangular. 
         [0021]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bushing may have at least one first protrusion extending radially from a first end of the bushing, and at least one second protrusion extending radially from a second end of the bushing. The first hub member may comprise at least one first recess engageable with the at least one first protrusion, and the second hub member may comprise at least one second recess engageable with the at least one second protrusion. 
         [0022]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second hub members may be arranged in such a positional fashion that allows either the at least one first protrusion only or the at least one second protrusion only of the bushing to engage with the respective recess, and the other protrusion is disengageable from the recess thereof. In one specific embodiment, the first and second hub members may be arranged such that a longitudinal distance between the first and second protrusions, is larger than a longitudinal distance between the first and second recesses, thereby allowing either the at least one first protrusion only or the at least one second protrusion only of the bushing to engage with the respective recess. 
         [0023]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bushing may comprise three spaced circumferential first protrusions at the first end thereof, and three spaced circumferential second protrusions at the second end thereof. Correspondingly six first recesses and six second recesses engageable with the respective first and second protrusions may be formed on the first and second hub members, respectively. 
         [0024]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a first housing portion may be provided within the first compartment and a second housing portion may be provided within the second compartment. The first and second housing portions together enclose the first and second hub members and the bushing in a manner that the bushing is able to rotate and move. 
         [0025]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first housing portion may comprise a first cylindrical wall extending from a proximal end plate of the first compartment in a direction towards the distal end of the first compartment, and a first cover placed over the first wall and comprising a first orifice for the shaft to rotatably pass through. The second housing portion may comprise a second cylindrical wall extending from a proximal end plate of the second compartment in a direction towards the distal end of the second compartment, and a second cover placed over the second wall and comprising a second orifice for the shaft to rotatably pass through. 
         [0026]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first cylindrical wall may be integrally formed with the first hub member, and the second cylindrical wall may be integrally formed with the second hub member. 
         [0027]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first grinding mechanism may comprise a first grinding wheel fixedly secured to the first end of the shaft, and a first grinding cylinder open at both ends and fixedly attached to the distal end of the first compartment. The second grinding mechanism may comprise a second grinding wheel open at both ends and fixedly secured to the second end of the shaft, and a second grinding cylinder fixedly attached to the distal end of the second compartment. 
         [0028]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second grinding wheels may be configured to have a conical shape, and be rotatably accommodated in the first and second grinding cylinders, respectively. 
         [0029]    To have a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention and embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a condiment mill constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the condiment mill shown in  FIG. 1  taken along line A-A. 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bushing, the shaft, and the first and second grinding mechanisms of the condiment mill shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the condiment mill shown in  FIG. 1  taken along line B-B with the first and second grinding mechanisms removed. 
           [0034]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective partial view of the condiment mill shown in  FIG. 1  taken along line B-B. 
           [0035]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective partial view of the condiment mill shown in  FIG. 1  taken along line B-B. 
           [0036]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional partial view of the condiment mill shown in  FIG. 1  taken along line A-A. 
           [0037]      FIG. 8  is a schematic side view of the condiment mill shown in  FIG. 1  in the first orientation. 
           [0038]      FIG. 9  is a schematic side view of the condiment mill shown in  FIG. 1  in the second orientation. 
           [0039]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the condiment mill shown in  FIG. 1  in the first orientation. 
           [0040]      FIG. 11  is a top view of the condiment mill shown in  FIG. 1  in the second orientation. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0041]    While this invention is illustrated and described in preferred embodiments, the condiment mill of the present invention may be produced in many different configurations, sizes, forms and materials. 
         [0042]    Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates in a perspective view a condiment mill constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The condiment mill  1  comprises a first compartment  2  having a proximal end  3  and a distal end  4 , and a second compartment  5  having a proximal end  6  and a distal end  7 . In this embodiment, both the first compartment  2  and the second compartment  5  are of a generally cylindrical shape. The proximal end  3  of the first compartment  2  is terminated by a proximal end plate  41  and the proximal end  6  of the second compartment  5  is terminated by a proximal end plate  42 . The proximal end plate  41  of the first compartment  2  is stacked directly on the proximal end plate  42  of the second compartment  5 , in such a manner that the first and second compartments  2  and  5  are rotatable relative to each other around a rotation axis  8  extending in the longitudinal direction of the first and second compartments  2  and  5 , which is also the longitudinal direction of the condiment mill  1 . Two different kinds of condiments, such as salt and pepper, may be contained in the first and second compartments  2  and  5 , respectively. 
         [0043]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a first grinding cylinder  38  has two opened ends and is fixed inside and in the close vicinity of the distal end  4  of the first compartment  2 . The first grinding cylinder  38  is configured to accommodate a first grinding wheel  37  in generally conical shape Similarly, a second grinding cylinder  40  has two opened ends and is fixed inside and in the close vicinity of the distal end  7  of the second compartment  5 . The second grinding cylinder  40  is configured to accommodate a second grinding wheel  39  in generally conical shape. 
         [0044]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the condiment mill  1  further comprises a shaft  9  which extends through the proximal ends  3  and  6  into the first and second compartments  2 ,  5 , and a bushing  17  slidably coupled to the shaft. Both the first and second grinding wheels  37  and  39  are drivingly connected via the shaft  9  to the bushing  17  that is rotatably arranged and runs through the interface between the proximal ends  3  and  6  of the first and second compartments  2  and  5 . To be specific, the first grinding wheel  37  is fixedly secured on a first end  11  of the shaft  9 , and the second grinding wheel  39  is fixedly secured on a second end  13  of the shaft  9 . The bushing  17  is slidably sleeved onto the shaft  9  which extends along the rotation axis  8  (see  FIG. 2 ). The bushing  17  comprises a throughbore  18  through which the shaft  9  extends. The throughbore  18  has a cross section adapted for the cross section of the shaft  9  such that the shaft  9  is driven to rotate around the rotation axis  8  by the rotation of the bushing  17 . As illustrated, the cross sections of the shaft  9  and the throughbore  18  in this embodiment are both rectangular, such that when the bushing  17  is caused to rotate around the rotation axis  8 , either in clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, both the first grinding wheel  37  and the second grinding wheel  39  are driven to rotate together with the bushing  17  via the shaft  9 . When the first or second grinding wheel  37  or  39  is rotated relative to the respective first or second grinding cylinder  38  or  40 , the condiment contained in the respective first or second compartment  2  or  5  is ground and released out of the mill  1  through the first or second grinding cylinder  38  or  40 , respectively. As can be seen, the bushing  17  serves as a driving mechanism for driving the grinding mechanism in the bottom compartment by the rotation of the top compartment relative to the bottom compartment, which will be explained in details below. 
         [0045]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bushing  17  is of a generally cylindrical shape, with three first protrusions  21  spaced circumferentially and extending radially and outwardly from a first end  22  of the bushing  17  at the same height, and three second protrusions  23  spaced circumferentially and extending radially from a second end  24  of the bushing  17  at the same height. The three first protrusions  21  are evenly distributed at the first end  22  of the bushing  17 , and the three second protrusions  23  are evenly distributed at the second end  24  of the bushing  17 . Those skilled in the art would understand that the numbers of the first protrusions  21  and the second protrusions  23  can be more or less than three, but should be at least one, and that the numbers of the first protrusions  21  and the second protrusions  23  do not need to be identical. 
         [0046]      FIGS. 4-7  show some essential components of the condiment mill  1  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, including the bushing  17 , a first hub member  15  and a second hub member  16 . The first hub member  15  extends from the proximal end plate  41  of the first compartment  2 , having a first opening  19  for the bushing  17  to rotatably and slidably pass through. There are six first recesses  25  formed on a surface of the first hub member  15  facing towards the distal end  4  of the first compartment  2  for receiving and/or engaging with the three first protrusions  21  at the first end  22  of the bushing  17 , thereby providing the engagement of the bushing  17  with the first hub member  15 . When the first protrusions  21  are received in the corresponding first recesses  25 , the bushing  17  is driven to rotate by the rotation of the first compartment  2  around the rotation axis  8 , which in turn causes the rotation of the shaft  9 . 
         [0047]    The second hub member  16  extends from the proximal end plate  42  of the second compartment  2 , having a second opening  20  for the bushing  17  to rotatably and slidably pass through. Similarly, there are six second recesses  26  formed on a surface of the second hub member  16  facing towards the distal end  7  of the second compartment  5  for receiving and/or engaging with the three second protrusions  23  at the second end  24  of the bushing  17 , thereby providing the engagement of the bushing  17  with the second hub member  16 . When the second protrusions  23  are received in the corresponding second recesses  26 , the bushing  17  is driven to rotate by the rotation of the second compartment  5  around the rotation axis  8 , which in turn causes the rotation of the shaft  9 . Those skilled in the art will understand that the numbers of the first recesses  25  and second recesses  26  can be more or less than six, but should be integer multiples of the numbers of the first protrusions  21  and second protrusions  23 , respectively. 
         [0048]    Now turning to  FIG. 7 , the first and second hub members  15  and  16  are arranged in such a positional fashion that a longitudinal distance  27  between the first protrusions  21  and the second protrusions  23  of the bushing  17  is larger than a longitudinal distance  28  between the first recesses  25  on the first hub member  15  and the second recesses  26  on the second hub member  16 . As a result, the first protrusions  21  and the second protrusions  22  of the bushing  17  cannot be both received in (or engaged with) the respective recesses  25 ,  26  at the same time. In other words, when the first protrusions  21  are received in (or engaged with) the first recesses  25 , the second protrusions  23  are out of (or disengaged from) the second recesses  26 , allowing the bushing  17  to be rotatable relative to the second compartment  5 , and when the second protrusions  23  are received in (or engaged with) the second recesses  26 , the first protrusions  21  are out of (or disengaged from) the first recesses  25 , allowing the bushing  17  to be rotatable relative to the first compartment  2 . In this way, depending on the orientation of the condiment mill  1 , either the first protrusions  21  only or the second protrusions  23  only of the bushing  17  are allowed to engage with the respective recesses  25  or  26 . 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the condiment mill  1  is placed in a first orientation wherein the first compartment  2  is on top of the second compartment  5 , the bushing  17  can move downwardly towards the second compartment  5  because of gravity, causing the first protrusions  21  to be received in and engaged with the corresponding first recesses  25  and the second protrusions  23  to be out of and disengaged from the second recesses  26 . Therefore, by rotating the first compartment  2  around the rotation axis  8  while holding the second compartment  5  still, the bushing  17  is driven to rotate relative to the second compartment  5  due to the engagement between the first protrusions  21  and the first recesses  25 . The rotation of the first compartment  2  is thus transmitted via the bushing  17  to the shaft  9 , and to the second grinding wheel  39  via the shaft  9 . As a result of the rotation of the second grinding wheel  39  relative to the immobile second grinding cylinder  40 , the condiment contained in the second compartment  5  is ground and falls out of the mill  1  As the rotation of the shaft  9  is driven by the rotation of the first compartment  2 , there is no relative rotation between the first grinding wheel  37  and the first grinding cylinder  38 . In addition, in this orientation, the first grinding wheel  37  and the first grinding cylinder  38  are both on top of the condiments contained in the first compartment  2 . Therefore the condiment in the first compartment  2  is not ground or released. 
         [0050]    It should be noted that the condiment in the second compartment  5  can also be ground and released by placing the condiment mill  1  in the first orientation and rotating the second compartment  5  while holding the first compartment  2  still. In other words, as long as the condiment mill  1  is in the first orientation (that is, as long as the first compartment  2  is on top of the second compartment  5 ) and there is relative rotation between the first and second compartments  2 ,  5  around the rotation axis  8 , the condiment contained in the second compartment  5  will be ground and released. 
         [0051]    Then referring to  FIG. 9 , if the condiment contained in the first compartment  2  needs to be ground and released, the condiment mill  1  can be inverted such that the condiment mill  1  is in a second orientation wherein the second compartment  5  is on top of the first compartment  2 . In this orientation, the bushing  17  can move towards the first compartment  2  because of gravity, causing the second protrusions  23  to be received in and engaged with the corresponding second recesses  26  and the first protrusions  21  to be out of and disengaged from the first recesses  25 . Therefore, by rotating the second compartment  5  around the rotation axis  8  while holding the first compartment  2  still, the bushing  17  is driven to rotate relative to the first compartment  2  due to the engagement between the second protrusions  23  and the second recesses  26 . The rotation of the second compartment  5  is thus transmitted via the bushing  17  to the shaft  9 , and to the first grinding wheel  37  via the shaft  9 . As a result of the rotation of the first grinding wheel  37  relative to the immobile first grinding cylinder  38 , the condiment contained in the first compartment  2  is ground and falls out of the mill  1  As the rotation of the shaft  9  is driven by the rotation of the second compartment  5 , there is no relative rotation between the second grinding wheel  39  and the second grinding cylinder  40 . In addition, in this orientation, the second grinding wheel  39  and the second grinding cylinder  40  are both on top of the condiment contained in the second compartment  5 . Therefore the condiment in the second compartment is not ground or released. 
         [0052]    It would be appreciated that the condiment in the first compartment  2  can also be ground and released by placing the condiment mill  1  in the second orientation and rotating the first compartment  2  while holding the second compartment  5  still. In other words, as long as the condiment mill  1  is in the second orientation (that is, as long as the second compartment  5  is on top of the first compartment  2 ) and there is relative rotation between the first and second compartments  2 ,  5  around the rotation axis  8 , the condiment contained in the first compartment  2  may be ground and released. 
         [0053]    Simply put, the condiment mill of the present invention is used with one of the compartments being stacked on the other. By rotating the compartment on the top relative to the compartment at the bottom, the condiment contained in the compartment at the bottom will be ground and released out of the mill. 
         [0054]    In the embodiment of the present invention described above, the first and second hub members  15  and  16  are operatively linked together by the bushing  17 . The protrusions  21  and  23  formed on the bushing  17  ensure that the bushing  17  cannot be detached from the first hub member  15  or the second hub member  16 . In this embodiment, when using the condiment mill  1 , the first and second compartments  2  and  5  need to be pushed towards each other to ensure that the longitudinal distance  27  between the first protrusions  21  and the second protrusions  23  of the bushing  17  is larger than the longitudinal distance  28  between the first recesses  25  on the first hub member  15  and the second recesses on the second hub member  16  to implement the driving and grinding mechanisms of the mill  1 . 
         [0055]    Alternatively, additional means can be provided to connect the first and second hub members  15  and  16  in such a manner that they are rotatable relative to each other, with the longitudinal distance  27  between the first protrusions  21  and the second protrusions  23  of the bushing  17  larger than the longitudinal distance  28  between the first recesses  25  on the first hub member  15  and the second recesses on the second hub member  16 . 
         [0056]    In order to prevent the condiment contained in the mill from contacting the driving mechanism, or at least reduce the accumulation of condiment on the driving mechanism (which may hinder the proper operation of the driving mechanism), a first housing portion  29  is provided within the first compartment  2 , and a second housing portion  30  is provided within the second compartment  5 . The first housing portion  29  comprises a first cylindrical wall  31  extending from the proximal end plate  41  in a direction towards the distal end  4  of the first compartment  2 . The first housing portion  29  further comprises a first cover  32  placed over the first cylindrical wall  31  and comprising a first orifice ( 33 ) for the shaft  9  to rotatably pass through. Similarly, the second housing portion  30  comprises a second cylindrical wall  34  extending from the proximal end plate  42  of the second compartment  5  in a direction towards the distal end  7  of the second compartment  5 . The second housing portion  30  further comprises a second cover  35  placed over the second cylindrical wall  34  and comprising a second orifice  36  for the shaft  9  to rotatably pass through. 
         [0057]    The first housing portion  29  and the second housing portions  30  together with the proximal end plates  41 ,  42  enclose the first and second hub members  15 ,  16  and the bushing  17 . The bushing  17  is allow to rotate and move in the enclosure to drive the first and second grinding mechanism  10 ,  12 . The sizes of the first orifice  33  and the second orifice  36  are configured to be as small as possible while allowing the shaft  9  to rotatably pass through, so as to reduce the amount of condiment that can enter the first and second housing portions  29 ,  30  as minimum as possible. The enclosure substantially isolates the first and second hub members  15 ,  16  and the bushing  17  from the condiments contained in the first and second compartments  2 ,  5 . 
         [0058]    In the above described embodiment, the first and second hub members  15  and  16  are formed integral with proximal end plates  41  and  42  of the first and second compartments  2  and  5 , respectively. Alternatively, the first and second hub members  15  and  16  may also be formed as separate components independently and then fixedly mounted to the proximal end plates  41  and  42  of the first and second compartments  2  and  5 , respectively. 
         [0059]    While the present invention is described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment, and is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the claims. Modifications and variations in the present invention may be made without departing from the novel aspects of the invention as defined in the claims, and this application is limited only by the scope of the claims. 
       NUMERICAL REFERENCES 
       [0000]    
       
           1  condiment mill 
           2  first compartment 
           3  proximal end of first compartment 
           4  distal end of first compartment 
           5  second compartment 
           6  proximal end of second compartment 
           7  distal end of second compartment 
           8  rotation axis 
           9  shaft 
           10  first grinding mechanism 
           11  first end of shaft 
           12  second grinding mechanism 
           13  second end of shaft 
           15  first hub member 
           16  second hub member 
           17  bushing 
           18  throughbore 
           19  first opening 
           20  second opening 
           21  first protrusion 
           22  first end of bushing 
           23  second protrusion 
           24  second end of bushing 
           25  first recess 
           26  second recess 
           27  longitudinal distance between first and second protrusions 
           28  longitudinal distance between first and second recesses 
           29  first housing portion 
           30  second housing portion 
           31  first wall 
           32  first cover 
           33  first orifice 
           34  second wall 
           35  second cover 
           36  second orifice 
           37  first grinding wheel 
           38  first grinding cylinder 
           39  second grinding wheel 
           40  second grinding cylinder 
           41  proximal end plate of the first compartment 
           42  proximal end plate of the second compartment