Spice grinder

• US 7,284,719 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2004
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Grinders (Pty) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: David Stephen Delbridge, Patrick John Delbridge
• Inventors: Delbridge, Patrick John, Delbridge, David Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Francis; Faye
• Application Number:
  US10/586,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20060278746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 241/168, 241/169.1
• US Class Current: 241/169.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/04 hand driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/08 Adjusting mechanisms

Abstract

A spice grinder (12) comprising a first, static component (10) which includes threading (14) by means of which it can be screwed onto the threaded neck of a container and a second, rotatable component (16) which fits on the component (10). The first component (10) has a tapering bore with teeth (30) projecting inwardly from the surface of the bore. The second component (16) has a cone (44) with teeth (48) on the outside thereof. The teeth (48) are in the tapering bore whereby grinding takes place in the gap between the teeth of the first and second components upon the second component being rotated. The first and second component (10, 16) have interlocking circumferentially extending ribs and grooves (32, 50, 52) which permit the rotatable component (16) to be moved axially and located in its adjusted position thereby to vary the size of the gap between the teeth (30) of the rotatable component and the teeth (48) of the static component.

Claims

1. A spice grinder comprising:

a first static component which includes means by which said first static component can be attached to a neck of a container wherein said first static component includes a first set of teeth;

a second rotatable component which fits on said first static component wherein said second rotatable component includes a second set of teeth;

said first static component forming a tapering bore between said first set of teeth projecting inwardly from a surface of said first static component and said second set of teeth projecting inwardly from said second rotatable component;

said second rotatable component having said second set of teeth thereof in said tapering bore wherein grinding takes place in a gap between said first set of teeth of said first static component and said second set of teeth of said second component upon said second rotatable component being rotated with respect to said first static component;

said second rotatable component comprising a first circumferentially extending groove, a second circumferentially extending groove spaced axially from said first circumferentially extending groove and parallel thereto and said first static component comprising a circumferentially extending rib which, upon said first static component and said second rotatable component are displaced axially relatively to one another, which leaves said circumferentially extending groove in which it is seated and snaps into said second circumferentially extending groove and is located in an adjusted position to vary a spacing between said toothed portion of said second rotatable component and said teeth of the first static component.

2. The spice grinder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second rotatable component includes a spider comprising spokes with openings therebetween and a cone which constitutes a center of said spider, said spokes extending outwardly from said cone, and said toothed portion of said second rotatable component being on an outer surface of said cone.

3. The spice grinder as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cone comprises four equally spaced teeth on said outer surface of said cone.

4. The spice grinder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said teeth of said first static component are on an inner surface of a tapering sleeve.

5. The spice grinder as claimed in claim 4, wherein said teeth of said first static component comprise raised ribs extending along said inner surface wherein each rib is bounded by two intersecting surfaces of unequal width wherein, in axial view, said inner surface is serrated.