Herb grinder system

• US 10,039,418 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VOLO Trade Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VOLO Trade Incorporated
• Inventors: Staiano, Mark, Talbot, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Francis, Faye
• Application Number:
  US14/857,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 2411691, 2412731
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/00 Coffee mills; Spice mills
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/34 hand driven
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/08 within vertical containers B02C18/062, B02C18/065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 23/10 with separator arranged in discharge path of crushing or disintegrating zone

Abstract

The present invention involves a system and method for grinding herbs, tobacco, marijuana and the like. The herb grinder system herein includes interchangeable and replaceable lower grinder plates that are secured in place with threading, bayonet mounts or the like. The upper and lower grinding plates are provided with blades having a modified diamond shape which provides extremely sharp leading edges regardless of which direction the grip assembly of the grinder housing is rotated. The lower plates are also provided with variations in the size, shape and arrangement of hole sizes through which the ground material is allowed to pass through. This construction provides the user with the ability to control his/her grind size mixture, which may be consistent sized grinds or a mixture of different sized grinds.

Claims

1. An herb grinder system comprising:

a tubular housing member including an internal bore, an outer surface, a top surface and a bottom surface, a lower portion of said internal bore having internal engaging structures for attachment of a first lower grinding plate;

said first lower grinding plate including a plate portion having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer perimeter surface, said outer perimeter surface having conjugate engaging structures for cooperation with said internal engaging structures to secure said first lower grinding plate at a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect to said internal bore at a position below said top surface of said tubular housing member and to prevent unwanted rotation thereof, said upper surface of said first lower grinding plate having a plurality of upstanding blades integrally formed to said upper surface of said plate portion, said plate portion having a plurality of sized apertures positioned proximate to said upstanding blades and extending through said plate portion;

an upper grinding plate assembly, said upper grinding plate assembly including an upper surface, a lower surface, an outer diameter surface and a pilot portion, said pilot portion sized and shaped to fit within an upper portion of said internal bore while allowing rotation of said upper grinding plate assembly with respect to said tubular housing member, said lower surface of said upper grinding plate assembly including a plurality of outwardly extending blades positioned to pass between said upstanding blades of said lower grinding plate when said upper grinding plate is rotated;

a rotatable surface for positioning said upper grinding plate assembly with respect to a top portion of said internal bore of said tubular housing member including a plurality of burnishing rings separated by debris rings, said debris rings having a smaller diameter than said burnishing rings;

a bottom cap member, said bottom cap member having an outer perimeter surface, a top surface and a bottom surface, said outer perimeter surface having conjugate engaging structures for cooperation with said internal engaging structures within said tubular housing member to secure said bottom cap member at a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect to said internal bore at a position juxtaposed to said lower surface of said tubular housing member having a gap between said top surface of said bottom cap member and said lower surface of said lower grinding plate.

2. The herb grinder system of claim 1 wherein each said outwardly extending blade includes a modified diamond pattern when viewed from the top, whereby at least two side surfaces of each said modified diamond pattern includes at least one concave radius, said at least one concave radius positioned to cause each distal point of each said outwardly extending blade to be a concave beveled cutting edge.

3. The herb grinder system of claim 1 wherein said upper grinding plate assembly includes a lid member constructed and arranged to cooperate with an upper portion of said outer diameter surface of said upper grinding plate assembly, said upper surface of said upper grinding plate assembly being concave to provide an upper grinding plate storage area enclosable with said lid member.

4. The herb grinder system of claim 3 wherein said lid member is cup shaped including an inner wall, said inner wall being threaded.

5. The herb grinder system of claim 3 wherein said lid member has sufficient length to contain a second lower grinding plate, said second lower grinding plate including a second plate portion having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer perimeter surface, said outer perimeter surface having a conjugate engaging structure for interlocking cooperation with an internal engaging structure within said lid member to secure said second lower grinding plate within said lid member, said upper surface of said second lower grinding plate having a second arrangement of upstanding blades integrally formed to said plate portion, said second plate portion having a plurality of apertures positioned proximate to said second arrangement of upstanding blades and extending through said second plate portion.

6. The herb grinder system of claim 1 wherein said herb grinder assembly includes a sieve section, said sieve section insertable between said bottom surface of said tubular housing member and said bottom cap member, said sieve section being constructed and arranged to separate a predetermined particle size of ground material from the remaining ground material.

7. The herb grinder system of claim 6 wherein said sieve section is tubular in shape having an upper surface, a lower surface, an inner bore surface and an outer surface, a screen assembly releasably secured within said inner bore surface.

8. The herb grinder system of claim 7 wherein said screen assembly includes a screen and a screen frame, said screen frame extending around the perimeter of said screen, said screen frame retaining said screen within said inner bore surface.

9. The herb grinder system of claim 8 wherein said screen frame includes threads on an outer diameter thereof, said inner bore surface of said sieve section including conjugate threads for cooperation with said outer diameter of said screen frame.

10. The herb grinder system of claim 1 wherein said upper grinding plate assembly includes a magnet positioned in a central portion of said lower surface, said first lower grinding plate including a magnet positioned in a central portion thereof, so that said magnets attract each other when said pilot portion of said upper grinding plate assembly is positioned within said upper portion of said internal bore of said tubular housing member.

11. The herb grinder system of claim 10 wherein said second lower grinding plate includes a magnet positioned in a central portion thereof.

12. The herb grinder system of claim 1 wherein said internal bore of said tubular housing member includes a shoulder therein, said shoulder positioned above said internal engaging structures to provide a surface against which a portion of said upper surface of said first grinding plate abuts when secured within said internal bore.