Sound reducing device for a coffee grinder and other kitchen appliances

• US 7,481,296 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brett Eilers
• Original Assignee: Brett Eilers
• Inventors: Eilers, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): San Martin; Edgardo
• Application Number:
  US11/752,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20080023260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 181/200, 181/201, 181/202, 181/205, 181/198, D73/88, D73/72, D73/73, 992/86, 241/100
• US Class Current: 181/200
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/38 Parts or details
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/07 Parts or details, e.g. mixing tools, whipping tools
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/16 Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general G10K11/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/24 specially adapted for suppression or reduction of noise or vibrations

Abstract

A device and a method for reducing or muffling sound from kitchen appliances such as coffee grinders. The sound reducing or muffling device can be left on the appliance even when not in use, providing a decoration to the kitchen in a style appropriate to it'"'"'s surroundings. Using the muffling device, a person can enjoy fresh-ground coffee at any time with the assurance that the sound from the coffee grinder is well insulated. The device is particularly easy to deploy and use, requires no moving parts, and is flexible enough to work with the majority of coffee grinder products currently on the market. Other embodiments can be used with other forms of kitchen appliances.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing or enclosure that comprises a sound reducing material and has a substantially cylindrical shape, said housing or enclosure further comprising a curved sidewall defining an open end of the housing or enclosure configured to receive a kitchen appliance, said curved sidewall further defining a closed top end or roof of the housing or enclosure, and wherein the top end or roof of the housing or enclosure is either formed of, or comprises, a material that one of stiffens or provides rigidity to the top end or roof, and assists a user in applying pressure to an activation switch on the kitchen appliance; and

wherein the housing or enclosure can be placed over a kitchen appliance and pressure applied to the top end of the housing or enclosure to activate the kitchen appliance therein.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sound reducing material is an acoustic foam.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing or enclosure is fabricated from a material that flexibly adapts to the contours of said kitchen appliance.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said closed top end includes a stiffening element.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said stiffening element is a laminar plastic insert.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said kitchen appliance is a coffee grinder.

7. A method for operating a kitchen appliance comprising the steps of:

covering a kitchen appliance with a housing or enclosure that comprises a sound reducing material and has a substantially cylindrical shape, said housing or enclosure further comprising a curved sidewall defining an open end of the housing or enclosure configured to receive a kitchen appliance, said curved sidewall further defining a closed top end of the housing or enclosure, and wherein the top end of the housing or enclosure is either formed of, or comprises, a material that one of stiffens or provides rigidity to the top end, and assists a user in applying pressure to an activation switch on the kitchen appliance; and

applying pressure to the top end of the housing or enclosure to activate the kitchen appliance therein.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said sound reducing material is an acoustic foam.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said housing or enclosure is fabricated from a material that flexibly adapts to the contours of said kitchen appliance.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said closed top end includes a stiffening element.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said stiffening element is a laminar plastic insert.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said kitchen appliance is a coffee grinder.

13. A sound reducing device for a kitchen appliance comprising:

a housing that comprises a sound reducing material, said housing further comprising a sidewall defining an open end of the housing configured to receive a kitchen appliance, said sidewall further defining a closed roof of the housing, wherein the roof, is either formed of, or comprises, a material that one of stiffens or provides rigidity to the roof, and assists a user in applying pressure to an activation switch on the kitchen appliance; and

wherein the housing can be placed over the kitchen appliance and pressure applied by the user to the roof of the housing to activate the kitchen appliance therein.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said sound reducing material is an acoustic foam.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said roof includes a stiffening element.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said stiffening element is a laminar plastic insert.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said housing is fabricated from a generally inflexible exterior material, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a more flexible inner liner material that flexibly adapts to the contours of said kitchen appliance.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said housing is fabricated from a generally flexible exterior material.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said kitchen appliance is a coffee grinder.