Patent ID: 8272586

Claim:
A grinding device comprising: a rotating grinding member; an electric motor operatively associated with said rotating grinding member and suitable to move said rotating grinding member; and a container arranged upstream of said rotating grinding member for containing grains to be powdered during a grinding cycle, characterized in that said electric motor is controllable to supply the rotating grinding member with at least two different driving torque values, and said grinding device further comprises: a detector for detecting a period of rotation of the rotating grinding member, said detector being operatively associated with said rotating grinding member; and a processing and command unit connected to the detector and the electric motor, wherein the processing and command unit: controls the electric motor to supply the rotating grinding member with a first driving torque value during a first interval of a grinding cycle; uses the detector to detect a first value indicative of a period of rotation of said rotating grinding member being driven by the first driving torque value; controls the electric motor to supply the rotating grinding member, during a second interval of said grinding cycle, with a second driving torque value, said second driving torque value being less than the first driving torque value; uses the detector to detect a second value indicative of a period of rotation of said rotating grinding member being driven by said second driving torque; and processes the first value and the second value to generate information indicative of an amount of the grains within the container.