Coffee grinder with coffee bean container

• US 7,243,867 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WIK Far East Ltd.
• Original Assignee: WIK Far East Ltd.
• Inventors: Steckhan, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson; Lowell A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pahng; Jason Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/763,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20050017107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 241/100, 992/86
• US Class Current: 241/100
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/42 Beverage-making apparatus with incorporated grinding or roasting means for coffee coffee mills A47J42/00; coffee roasters in general A23N12/08
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/50 Supplying devices, e.g. funnels; Supply containers

Abstract

A coffee grinder with a coffee bean container 9 divided into at least two compartments 13, 14, with a bottom-side output shaft 20 common to both compartments 13, 14. The coffee bean container has a grinding mill 10 disposed beneath the output shaft 20 and a closure element 22 for the optional closing of the output 17, 18 of the compartment(s) 13, 14. The closure element 22 forms with the grinding mill 10 a concrete unit and the coffee bean container 9 is disposed rotatably relative to the unit formed of the closure element 22 and the grinding mill 10. Such a coffee bean container 9 could also be used on an automatic coffee maker with a coffee grinder.

Claims

1. A coffee grinder comprising:

a grinding mill having a housing with a top;

said top having a stationary opening and having a circular receiving groove;

said top having a stationary upper shoulder which forms a closure element over the stationary opening;

a coffee bean container having a top and having a circular base collar sized to rotate in the circular receiving groove to a chosen rotational position relative to the closure element;

said coffee bean container having a guide cone surrounding its bottom;

said guide cone supporting at least one vertical dividing wall, thereby forming at least a first and a second coffee bean compartment;

each of said coffee bean compartments having an opening at the bottom which conforms to the closure element;

wherein coffee beans from the first coffee bean compartment fall through the stationary opening of the top of the grinding mill in a first rotational position of the circular base of the coffee bean container; and

wherein coffee beans from the second coffee bean compartment fall through the stationary opening of the top of the grinding mill at second rotational position of the circular base of the coffee mean container.

2. The coffeemaker of claim 1, wherein the closure element has a shape of one fourth of a sphere which corresponds to the opening at the bottom of each coffee compartment.

3. The coffeemaker of claim 1, wherein the coffee bean container has a shape of a bowl.

4. The coffeemaker of claim 1, wherein the circular base collar further comprises a radially projecting toe which forms a rotating member of a bayonet lock into a locking groove of the grinding mill top, wherein the radially projecting toe is rotatable to a position to remove the coffee bean container from the grinding mill.

5. Coffee grinder as claimed in one of 1, 2, 3, or 4, further comprising an automatic coffee maker mounted beneath the grinding mill.