mill

Abstract

The invention relates to a mill with a handle portion designed to be gripped by the fingers of an arm during a grinding process. The mill has a torque support device designed to rest against a part of the same arm other than the fingers during the grinding process.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a mill with a handle area which is designed to be gripped with the fingers of an arm during a grinding process.

[0002] Mills of the type mentioned above are known, for example, as coffee grinders or spice grinders. They are usually designed so that the user holds a grinder body in one hand while operating a drive element, such as a hand crank, with the other hand. The grinder body must not rotate during the grinding process and must be held firmly. The amount of effort required by the user to hold the grinder body during a grinding process depends in particular on the type, quality, and quantity of the material to be ground, as well as on the quality of the grinder. A weaker person, such as a child, may have difficulty holding the grinder body for the entire duration of a grinding process. For example, grinding a portion of particularly hard coffee beans with a fine grind can be very strenuous for a weaker person.

[0003] It is the object of the present invention to provide a mill of the type mentioned at the outset which can be operated with less effort.

[0004] The object is achieved by a mill which is characterized in that the mill has a torque support device which is designed to bear against a part of the same arm (whose fingers have gripped the gripping area) which is different from the fingers during the grinding process.

[0005] The invention has the very particular advantage that the user can hold the mill according to the invention with a lower holding force during a grinding process, in particular freely and without support on an external structure, such as a wall or a table, without the risk of, for example, a mill body on which the handle area is formed co-rotating during the grinding process. In the mill according to the invention, co-rotation is prevented by means of the torque support device.

[0006] The torque support device can, in particular, be designed to rest at least partially on the forearm of the arm whose fingers have gripped the gripping area during the grinding process. Alternatively or additionally, the torque support device can be designed to rest at least partially on the carpus of the arm whose fingers have gripped the gripping area and / or on the wrist of the arm whose fingers have gripped the gripping area, or in the metacarpal region of the thumb of the arm whose fingers have gripped the gripping area during the grinding process.

[0007] In an advantageous embodiment, the handle area is formed on a mill body of the mill. The mill body can have a housing and a grinding mechanism.

[0008] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the torque support device has one end arranged on the mill body, in particular fastened by means of a fastening device, and a free end. The free end can, for example, be designed to rest against the forearm whose fingers have gripped the handle area. The other end can be fastened to the mill body, in particular by means of a fastening device, for example frictionally and / or positively, in such a way that the mill body is secured against co-rotation during a grinding process. Such an embodiment can, in particular, be designed such that the torque support device can be dismantled without causing damage when it is not needed and that it can be reattached if necessary.

[0009] Alternatively or additionally, the torque support device can be configured such that the torque support device or at least a portion of the torque support device can be selectively transferred into a use position or a storage position. For example, the torque support device can be attached to the mill body, in particular to a housing of the mill body, such that the user can transfer the torque support device or at least a portion of the torque support device into the use position by folding it out and into the storage position by folding it in.

[0010] Alternatively or additionally, a material-to-material fastening of the torque support device to the mill body is also possible.

[0011] Furthermore, it is alternatively also possible for a component of the mill body, in particular a housing of the mill body, to be manufactured in one piece with the torque support device or at least with a component of the torque support device.

[0012] Particularly advantageously, the orientation and / or position of the torque support device relative to the mill body can be adjusted. Alternatively or additionally, the torque support device can be designed to be length-adjustable, in particular telescopic. These designs have the very special advantage that the user can individually adjust the mill according to the invention to his or her anatomy.

[0013] As already mentioned, the mill body can have a housing. The housing can have a receiving space for the ground material, for example, coffee beans or a spice. A grinder can also be arranged in the housing.

[0014] In an advantageous embodiment, the housing includes the gripping area. In such an embodiment, the torque support device can advantageously be attached to the housing. In particular, it can advantageously be provided that the torque support device is attached to the housing in a non-destructively removable manner. Such an embodiment has the advantage that the torque support device can be removed non-destructively when not needed and remounted on the housing when necessary.

[0015] The torque support device can advantageously be fastened to the housing in a frictionally engaged manner. For example, a fastening device of the torque support device can have at least one clamping component, in particular a clamping ring or a clamp, which surrounds the housing. At least one elastomer component, in particular an elastomer ring, can be arranged between the clamping component and the housing. The elastomer component ensures good static friction and protects the housing from damage. The elastomer component can be an O-ring, for example. The clamping component can advantageously have a groove, in particular a circumferential one, from which a part of the elastomer component resting against the housing protrudes. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, two coaxially arranged elastomer rings, in particular O-rings, are provided.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, the torque support device can be secured in a form-fitting manner. For example, the torque support device can have a plug-in element that can be operatively connected to a mating plug-in element of the mill body, in particular the housing of the mill body.

[0017] The housing can be cylindrical, in particular circular-cylindrical. A design in which the housing has a circular outer contour and / or a circular inner contour in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction of extension is particularly ergonomic and particularly stable. In particular, the housing of such a design is particularly handy because it can be ergonomically grasped with one hand, especially when the outer diameter is in the range of 30 mm to 120 mm, more particularly in the range of 35 mm to 70 mm or 50 mm to 70 mm. In particular, in a design in which the housing has a circular outer contour in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction of extension, the torque support device is particularly effective because such housings tend to rotate in the user's hand during a grinding process.

[0018] Alternatively or additionally, the housing can be tubular. This design has the particular advantage of being particularly compact and stable. Furthermore, a filling opening for the ground material can advantageously be formed by an upper tubular opening. Alternatively or additionally, a discharge opening can be formed by a lower tubular opening.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment, the mill has a drive shaft mounted for rotation about a drive axis. For example, a hand crank can be coupled to the drive shaft in such a mill.

[0020] Preferably, the torque support device is designed to support a torque introduced into the drive shaft.

[0021] The torque support device can, for example, comprise a support bracket or a support lever which preferably extends substantially perpendicular to the drive axis, which makes it possible in a particularly efficient manner to support the torque introduced into the drive shaft during a grinding process via the torque support device.

[0022] In an advantageous embodiment, the drive shaft is connected, on the one hand, in a rotationally fixed manner to a drive device and, on the other hand, in a rotationally fixed manner to a grinding rotor, in particular a grinding cone, of the grinder. For example, the drive device can drive the drive shaft directly. However, it is also possible for a gear to be connected between the drive device and the drive shaft.

[0023] The drive device can be designed, for example, as a hand crank. In particular, the mill can be designed to be held by a user with the fingers of one hand on the handle area, in particular freely in the air and without support against a wall or table, while the user can operate the hand crank with their other hand.

[0024] Alternatively, the drive device can have an electric drive motor. The electric drive device can include a gearbox connected downstream of the drive motor. For example, such a drive device can be attached to an external structure, for example a wall or a table, and have a coupling device for coupling to the mill, in particular to the drive shaft of the mill. The drive device can in particular be designed such that the user can hold the mill by the handle area during a grinding process, in particular freely and without support on an external structure, such as a wall or a table, wherein the torque introduced by the drive device is supported via the torque support device.

[0025] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the coupling device is designed such that a torque-transmitting connection can be established and released again by the user without the need for tools. For example, the mill can have a driver bar arranged transversely to the drive shaft. The driver bar has the function of interacting with at least one component of an output element of the electric drive device in order to transmit torque. For this purpose, the output element can, for example, have a fork with two prongs that, when coupled, rest against the driver bar in order to transmit torque from the output element of the electric drive device to the drive shaft.

[0026] In a particularly safe-to-handle design, in addition to the torque support device, there is another torque support device. The other torque support device is designed and arranged to rest against one of the fingers holding the handle area during the grinding process, in particular against the thumb or the tip of the thumb of the fingers holding the handle area. Such a design has the very special advantage that the torque introduced for a grinding process is reliably supported both by the torque support device and by the other torque support device. Furthermore, such a design has the very special advantage that the torque introduced for a grinding process can be supported at least by the other torque support device if the torque support device has been temporarily removed.

[0027] The mill according to the invention can advantageously be designed as a coffee grinder for grinding coffee beans or as a spice grinder, for example for grinding peppercorns or salt grains.

[0028] The subject matter of the invention is illustrated schematically and by way of example in the drawing and is described below with reference to the figures, wherein identical or similarly acting elements are generally provided with the same reference numerals even in different embodiments. In the drawings: Fig. 1 a first embodiment of a mill according to the invention, which can be designed in particular as a coffee grinder or as a spice grinder, Fig. 2 the first embodiment of a mill according to the invention during a grinding process, Fig. 3 a second embodiment of a mill according to the invention, which can be designed in particular as a coffee mill or as a spice mill and Fig. 4 a third embodiment of a mill according to the invention, which can be designed in particular as a coffee grinder or as a spice grinder.

[0029] Fig. Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a mill according to the invention in a perspective view. The mill comprises a mill body 1 with a gripping area 2, which is designed to be gripped with the fingers 16 of an arm 15 during a grinding process, which in Fig. 2. The handle area 2 is formed on the outside of a housing 3 of the mill body 1.

[0030] The mill has a drive shaft 4, which is mounted for rotation about a drive axis 5. A hand crank 6 is coupled to the drive shaft 4. The mill contains a grinding mechanism (not shown). The drive shaft 4 can be connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a grinding rotor (not shown) of the grinding mechanism (not shown). The hand crank 6 extends through a through-bore of the drive shaft 4 and is fixed relative to the drive shaft 4 by an axially arranged clamping screw 7, which is screwed into an axial threaded bore in the drive shaft 4 at the front. However, other types of fastening of the hand crank 6 are also possible.

[0031] The housing 3 is tubular, with a filling opening 8 for the ground material at the upper end. The housing 3 is coupled at the lower end to a collecting container 9 for the ground material, which can be removed without tools.

[0032] The mill has a torque support device 10 which is designed to bear against a part of the same arm 15 other than the fingers 16 during the grinding process, which Fig. 2. The torque support device 10 has a fastening device 11 for fastening to the housing 3 and a support bracket 12.

[0033] The fastening device 11 has a clamping component, namely a clamp 13, which surrounds the housing 3. The clamp 13 has a (not shown) tensioning screw, by means of which its inner diameter can be changed in order to fasten the clamp 13 in a rotationally fixed manner to the housing 3. At least one (not shown) elastomer component can be arranged between the clamp 13 and the housing 3. The elastomer component can be an O-ring, for example. Preferably, two coaxially arranged elastomer rings, in particular O-rings, are arranged between the clamp 13 and the housing 3.

[0034] The support bracket 12 is firmly attached to the clamp 13. During a grinding process, the support bracket 12 of the torque support device 10 rests against the lower arm 14 of the arm 15, whose fingers 16 have gripped the gripping area 2.

[0035] The mill is designed to be held by a user with the fingers 16 of one hand on the handle area 2, while the user can operate the hand crank 6 with his other hand.

[0036] The support bracket 12 extends substantially perpendicular to the drive axis, which makes it possible in a particularly efficient manner to support the torque introduced into the drive shaft 4 during a grinding process via the torque support device 10 on the lower arm 14 of the arm 15.

[0037] Fig. Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of a mill according to the invention, in which the support bracket 12 of the torque support device 10 is designed to be adjustable in length and foldable. For this purpose, the support bracket 12 is designed in two parts, with a first support bracket part 24 being firmly attached to the clamp 13 and a second support bracket part 25 being fastened to the first support bracket part 24 by means of a clamping screw that extends through an elongated hole 27 of the second support bracket part 26 and is screwed into a threaded bore (not shown) in the first support bracket part 24.

[0038] Furthermore, the second embodiment of a mill according to the invention features a further torque support device 17. The further torque support device 17 is arranged on the housing 3 and is designed to bear against one of the fingers 16 holding the handle portion 2 during the grinding process, namely the tip of the thumb of the fingers 16 holding the handle portion 2.

[0039] Fig.Figure 4 shows a third embodiment of a mill according to the invention. In this embodiment, an electric drive device 18 with an electric drive motor (not shown in detail) is provided, which is attached to an external structure, for example, a wall 19. For example, a stator of the electric drive device 18 can be directly or indirectly connected to the external structure in a rotationally fixed manner, while the rotor of the electric drive device 18 forms an output shaft 20 or is connected to an output shaft 20 for driving purposes.

[0040] The output shaft 20 of the drive device 18 drives a fork 21 with two prongs 22 for rotation. The fork 21 is part of a coupling device 23. Another part of the coupling device 23 is formed by a driver bar 24, which extends through a through-bore of the drive shaft 4 and is fixed relative to the drive shaft 4 by an axially arranged clamping screw 7, which is screwed into an axial threaded bore of the drive shaft 4. In the coupled state, the prongs 22 rest against the driver bar, so that a rotational movement can be transmitted from the output shaft 20 to the drive shaft 4.

[0041] The drive device 18 is designed such that the user can hold the mill freely at the handle area 2 during a grinding process, in particular without support on an external structure, wherein the torque introduced by the drive device 18 via the coupling device 23 is supported via the torque support device 10 on the forearm 14 of the arm 15, the fingers 16 of which hold the handle area 2. List of reference symbols: 1 mill body 2 Grip area 3 housings 4 drive shaft 5 drive axle 6 hand crank 7 clamping screw 8 Filling opening 9 collection containers 10 Torque support device 11 Fastening device 12 support brackets 13 clamp 14 Forearm 15 User's arm 16 fingers 17 additional torque support devices 18 Drive device 19 Wall 20 Output shaft 21 fork 22 tines 23 Coupling device 24 First support bracket part 25 Second support bracket part 26 clamping screw 27 slot

Claims

[1] Mill with a handle area (2) which is designed to be gripped with the fingers (16) of an arm (15) during a grinding process, characterized by that the mill has a torque support device (10) which is designed to bear against a part of the same arm (15) different from the fingers (16) during the grinding process. [2] Mill according to claim 1, characterized by , that a. the torque support device (10) is designed to bear at least partially against the lower arm (14) of the arm (15) during the grinding process, and / or that b. the torque support device (10) is designed to bear at least partially against the wrist of the arm (15) and / or the wrist of the arm (15) or in the metacarpal bone region of the thumb of the arm (15) during the grinding process. [3] Mill according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that a. the handle area (2) is formed on a mill body (1) of the mill, which has a grinding mechanism, and / or that b. the torque support device (10) has an end arranged on the mill body (1) and a free end, and / or that c. the orientation of the torque support device (10) and / or the position of the torque support device (10) relative to the mill body (1) is adjustable. [4] Mill according to claim 3, characterized by , that a. the mill body (1) has a housing (3), and / or that b. the housing (3) of the mill body (1) has the handle area (2), and / or that c. the torque support device (10), in particular removable without destruction, is attached to a housing (3) of the mill body (1), and / or that d. the torque support device (10) is frictionally and / or positively secured to the housing (3) of the mill body (1), and / or that e. a fastening device (11) of the torque support device (10) has at least one clamping component, in particular a clamping ring, or a clamping clamp (13), which surrounds the housing (3) of the mill body (1), and / or that f. a fastening device (11) of the torque support device (10) has at least one clamping component, in particular a clamping ring, or a clamping collar (13), which surrounds the housing (3) of the mill body (1), wherein at least one elastomer component, in particular an elastomer ring, is arranged between the clamping component and the housing (3), and / or that g. the housing (3) of the mill body (1) is cylindrical, in particular circular-cylindrical, and / or that h. the housing (3) is tubular, and / or that i. the housing (3) has a filling opening (8) for filling in ground material, and / or that. j. the filling opening (8) is formed by an upper pipe opening, and / or that. k. the housing (3) has a discharge opening for the ground material, and / or that I. the discharge opening is formed by a lower tube opening, and / or that m. the housing (3) surrounds a receiving space for the material to be ground. [5] Mill according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the torque support device (10) is designed to be adjustable in length. [6] Mill according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that a. the mill has a drive shaft (4) which is rotatably mounted about a drive axis (5), and / or that b. the torque support device (10) has a support bracket (12) or a support lever, and / or that c. the support bracket (12) or support lever extends substantially perpendicular to the drive axis (5), and / or that d. the torque support device (10) is designed to support a torque introduced into the drive shaft (4), and / or that e. the drive shaft (4) is connected on the one hand in a rotationally fixed manner to a drive device and on the other hand in a rotationally fixed manner to a grinding rotor, in particular a grinding cone, of the grinding mechanism, and / or that f. the drive device is designed as a hand crank (6), and / or that g. the mill is designed to be held by a user with the fingers (16) of one hand on the handle area (2), while the user can operate the hand crank (6) with his other hand. [7] Mill according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by , that a. the mill is manually driven, or that b. the drive device (18) comprises an electric drive motor. [8] Mill according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by , that a. the mill has a further torque support device (17), or that b. the mill has a further torque support device (17) which is designed and arranged to bear against one of the fingers (16) holding the handle area (2) during the grinding process, in particular against the thumb or the tip of the thumb of the fingers holding the handle area (2). [9] Mill according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by that the torque support device (10) or at least a part of the torque support device (10) can be transferred selectively into a use position or a storage position, in particular by folding in or out. [10] Mill according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by that the mill is designed as a coffee grinder or a spice grinder.

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